News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Jacquie Zanck talked about her business during EDCO event.
A standing-room-only crowd at Three Creeks Brewing Co. listened last Thursday to the stories of Sisters entrepreneurs who are chasing their dreams.
The event marked the first time EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) had taken their "Pub Talk" to Sisters.
"I'm extremely pleased with the turnout and the attention Sisters businesses received," said Sisters' Economic Development Manager Mac Hay.
Benny Benson, president of Energyneering, Inc. was the evening's keynote speaker. He noted that quality of life is what draws many businessmen like him to Central Oregon - but the area must have the resources to support a business with national or international reach.
And he has discovered that the Sisters Country does, in fact, have what businesses need.
He identified three key criteria for his ability to locate in Sisters: Proximity to an airport. Check. He can fly out of Sisters Airport to anywhere in the state, and from Redmond he can link to international destinations. Communications. Check. His Internet connections are sufficient to allow monitoring of the plants Energyneering builds and operates and to communicate with business associates.
The Sisters Country also offers the professional services - from welding at Ponderosa Forge to marketing apparel from Black Crater Clothing Co., from legal services to banking - that a startup company like his needs to get going and to thrive.
"And the best part of it is, it's all first-name relations," he said.
Jacquie Zanck was chasing a longtime dream when she opened Blazin Saddles last year, a center for the active, outdoor Central Oregon lifestyle she calls "much more than a bike shop."
She acknowledged that launching the venture in the teeth of a severe recession raised some questions about her judgment.
"Many people said, 'Jacquie, what are you thinking?'" she said. Yet it was the plunge in commercial lease prices that made the move possible.
"My theory is, for everything bad that happens, you've got to find something good in it," she said. "And I got a really good, affordable lease. That was the start of my dream."
Blazin Saddles is a family business, with her son Casey, an experienced bike technician and industry insider handling day-to-day operations. Zanck said that the business has exceeded projections, and noted that she is ready to expand, seeking investors to the tune of $50,000.
That is one of the functions of the EDCO Pub Talks: linking businesses with investors and services that can enhance or help expand operations.
Tracy Curtis, too, is looking to expand her fashion business - based on repurposing everyday items - into a national concern.
Curtis started making handbags out of coffee sacks - and they caught on in a big way. She then expanded into jewelry. She described her company, Ballokai:
"Ballokai now has bags in several coffee shops and retail outlets in Oregon, Washington and California (including two Whole Foods stores). Two years ago we introduced an additional product line - jewelry from recycled guitar strings. If you are sensing a theme here you are correct. We are an as-green-as-it-gets, eco-friendly company. Expanding our products, we now craft scarves and various accessories from recycled wool garments. In 2010 we doubled sales from the previous year."
Curtis has grand expectations for Ballokai.
"Though green products have been around for quite some time, there has not been a company that has emerged as the lifestyle industry leader. This is the aspiration I have for Ballokai - not to be just 'the bag lady' but to be a brand, a company the consumer will return to for future thoughtful, diverse and affordable purchases."
Mac Hay believes that the Pub Talk was useful for raising awareness of the nature of businesses in Sisters - and he'd like to continue the Sisters Country focus.
"I'm seriously thinking of doing one quarterly in Sisters," he said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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