Southern Oregon Business Journal - August 2022 by Southern Oregon Business Journal

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The Journal for Business in Southern Oregon ARCIMOTO 250,000 SQFT OF INNOVATION PAGE 10

Sponsored by

SouthernOregonBusiness.com WELCOME TO SOUTHERN OREGON WE LOVE INNOVATORS PAGE 18

August 2022 SBDC - SCALING A BUSINESS PAGE 6

A Few Words from Jim August 2022 “Innovation is hard, important and exciting. “ I'm going to spending the next couple of years with you focusing on innovation driven entrepreneurship and broadband. I toured Arcimoto's new 250,000 SQFT manufacturing facility in Eugene and drove the FUV. I fell in love with the company, the people, the FUV and all the innovation. I'm seriously thinking about buying one and buying stock. Read "I toured Arcimoto’s new 250,000 SQFT Manufacturing Facility and was blown away by all the innovation" on page 10. I have been working with a bunch of folks in Southern Oregon, on Economic Development via Innovative companies. What is it? Who Does it? Why do we want them here? How do we get them here? But I am also trying to shape the kind of innovators we attract, so that we can all work together to solve our realworld regional problems. Read my provocative piece and let me know what you think, "Welcome to Southern Oregon, We love innovators" on page 18. The Oregon Connections Conference is happening again, in Ashland on October 6 and 7, 2022 and registration is open at OregonConnections.info. The theme for this year is Navigating the Funding Flood. Find out more about it and how to register online to attend on Page 25. Someone called me a journalist. I'm not sure that is true. I'm just the publisher of the Southern Oregon Business journal and sometimes author of certain stories. I like to visit with businesses and interview business owners and managers to nd out about the business they created and/or run and nd out what we can learn from them. I like to share what I learn with you in hopes of inspiring you to keep on swimming. I don't pretend to be impartial. I have over 3 decades of experience starting and running companies. I can't be impartial. I also like to invest in Oregon based public companies and I like to buy products and services from companies to help them out, especially Oregon based breweries and distilleries. ;) So I don't think I'm a journalist. I’m just a storyteller.

Founder Greg Henderson ghenderson703@gmail.com Greg started the Southern Oregon Business Journal in 2015 and retired in 2020.

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PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS AMERITITLE - PAGE 4 ENERGY TRUST - PAGE 9 PEOPLE’S BANK - PAGE 15 FIRST INTERSTATE BANK - PAGE 21 OREGON CONNECTIONS - PAGE 25 PROJECT A - PAGE 32 MANAGED HOME NET - PAGE 33 SOU - LEADERSHIP BEGINS HERE SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY PAGE 35 UMPQUA BROADBAND - PAGE 38 OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY PAGE 38

If you know of an innovative company that you think I should write a story about please drop me a note. Thanks for reading. Jim Jim@SouthernOregonBusiness.com fi

The Southern Oregon Business Journal extends sincere thanks to the following companies for sponsoring the journal. Without their support we could not produce a FREE resource for Southern Oregon businesses.

INNOVATION Cover featuring Arcimoto’s new 250,000 SQFT Manufacturing Facility Page 10

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A JOURNAL FOR THE ECONOMICALLY CURIOUS, PROFESSIONALLY INSPIRED AND ACUTELY MOTIVATED

AUGUST 2022 - TABLE OF CONTENTS

Citizens Bank Announces New Board Member Tamara Scoville - 5 SBDC - Scaling a Business - 6 Five tips to keep smoke out of your home and business - 8

Innovation I toured Arcimoto’s new 250,000 SQFT Manufacturing Facility and was blown away by all the innovation - 10 Welcome to Southern Oregon, We love innovators - 18 Broadband Hunter Communications Appoints Ehrika Gladden to Board of Directors -22 LS Networks Taps Former Meta Fiber Investments Executive, Randy Brogle, as New Chief Executive Of cer - 24 Oregon Connections Telecommunications Conference - October 6&7 in Ashland - 25

Oregon Businesses Tied to Live Events Receive Financial Support for Lost Income During the COVID-19 Pandemic - 26 PBCO Financial Corporation Reports Q2 2022 Earnings - 28 SOU leaders to honor alumnus and friends of the university in Guanajuato ceremony - 34 A ne line - Be Nimble, Be Quick... and Listen - 36

COMMUNITY BANKING By Press Release

Citizens Bank Announces New Board Member Tamara Scoville experienced in corporate compliance, analysis, and counseling on fraud and abuse matters; and has served as a corporate Compliance Of cer in the medical device industry. “Tamara’s extensive legal and compliance expertise, along with her leadership role through volunteer service in our communities will be invaluable to our board,” said Gordon Zimmerman, Citizens Bank President & CEO. In addition to her legal practice, Scoville is an instructor of Health Care Law at Oregon State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also serves as Board Chair for Lumina Hospice and Palliative Care Services. She received her BA from Gettysburg College and her JD from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

itizens Bank and Citizens Bancorp are proud to announce Tamara Scoville as a new member of their Board of Directors.

extensive business experience that will enhance a board already dedicated to a mission of independence and service to our communities.”

“We are delighted to have Tamara join our Board of Directors,” said Bill Humphreys, Sr., Chairman of the Board. “She brings an extraordinarily high level of leadership skill and

Tamara Scoville has almost 30 years of experience as an attorney with Reed Smith LLP, practicing in the areas of litigation and health care regulatory law. She is deeply

Citizens Bank, the operating subsidiary of Citizens Bancorp, proudly provides comprehensive banking services throughout the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Since its inception in 1957, the Bank has become one of the area’s premier community banks. Its employees provide personalized banking services to businesses and individuals at each of its 15 branches (located in Albany, Corvallis, Dallas, Harrisburg, Junction City, Lebanon, McMinnville, Oregon City, Philomath, Salem, Silverton, Spring eld, and Tualatin). Member FDIC.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 5

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER By Marshall Doak, SOU SBDC Director

What does it mean to Scale a business? If scaling a business is important, why isn’t this taught?

his article starts out with two good questions that are asked thousands of times each day by business owners looking for answers to fundamental business issues regarding sustainability and growth. Absent answers, it is likely that current business practices will be repeated ad in nitum until the business collapses. There are alternatives to business collapse, and scaling your business is one of the most rewarding and nanciallysound practices to incorporate in your business’s development.

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Scaling a Business

Scaling in this case refers to intentionally building your business to be a fun, pro table endeavor that retains value over time. Let’s start with a simple illustration. Business “A” has rent and expenses of $1000 / month to keep the doors open. To produce anything, whether it be a gadget, a retail sale, or a service sale, it costs $0.50 per item sold. What does it cost to produce and sell 1000 items each month and what is the resulting gross pro t? We have: $1000 basic costs + (1000 units produced at $0.50) = $1500 expended for the 1000 units sold. At a $3.00 sales price, the 1000 units bring in $3000 in sales revenue. Subtracting the $1500 cost from the $3000 revenue

results in a gross pro t of $1500 for the month. If Business “A” scales to 2000 units per month, assuming a more ef cient use of basic resources, we have: Now: $1000 basic costs + (2000 units produced at $0.50) = $2000 expended for the 2000 units sold. At a $3.00 sales price, the 2000 units bring in $6000 in sales revenue. Subtracting the $2000 cost from the $6000 revenue results in a gross pro t of $4000 for the month. The result: A 33.34% cost increase from $1500 to $2000 results in a 267% pro t increase from $1500 to $4000. This illustrates the power of scaling a business to result in greater pro tability. In this

If this illustration is valid as one method for scaling a business, and can increase the returns available to ownership, why isn’t this taught anywhere? The answer to this question is that this is taught and the information is available to you if you are willing to learn. Not only are the concepts taught, but the accounting and the logic are presented and taught as well. It is important to not take any one incremental bit of knowledge gained as the complete answer, but to learn the fundamentals of business management, including scaling a business, in order to have the tools at the ready to deal with any of the challenges that you, as owner, face on a daily basis. A good program should cover leveraging business nance, marketing,

leadership and strategies for development, it should have examples of best practices, deal with HR and employee issues, and include strategic planning as scaling a business is an enterprisewide endeavor. It would even be better if a business development program would alternate between classroom instruction and con dential advising so that the lessons learned in general could be applied to the speci c issues faced every day to craft solutions. The Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center offers you a Small Business Management Class which is a ten-month business development course, built to help you understand your nances, how to market, assess risk, build staff and relationships, and how to scale your business to take advantage of the unique attributes you inherently have to create sustainability and wealth. The next cohort starts at the end of

September and enrollment is open now. Space is limited and tuition remains at $599 until Fall Quarter starts when it will be raised for successive years cohorts. The investment is well worth the cost with all the features that are included in the package.

Please give the SOU SBDC a call or mail at: 541-552-8300 or sbdc@sou.edu to enroll. —-

Marshall Doak is the Director of the Southern Oregon University Small Business Development Center and a huge supporter of innovation and the community that forms around innovation in the economy. In private practice, he works with businesses that plan to transition to new ownership within the next ve years, assisting them to build value that can be converted to retirement income when the business sells. He can be reached through: mdoak06@gmail.com or 541-646-4126.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 7 fi

case, greater pro tability can translate to a whole lot of options for enjoying the results of your labors as business owners.

Five tips to keep smoke out of your home and business

By Energy Trust of Oregon

Replace your air lter frequently

ith the major McKinney re burning close to California border, we know that along with the re threat, communities nearby are also coping with the threat of smoke. Below are tips from Energy Trust of Oregon on how to keep smoke out of your home and the air in your home and businesses safe. Replace your air lter frequently: During smoke

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ENERGY

events, your lter may need to be replaced every six weeks to maintain healthy indoor air quality and to avoid extra energy use. Check your lter for dust and debris buildup at least once a month during heavy use and more often in heavy smoke conditions. Filters with a high minimum ef ciency reporting value (MERV) have a much ner weave that catches far more particles compared with standard lters, however, you may want to consult the

manufacturer’s manual or website for the best advice on the lters you should be using. After wild re season, make sure to switch back to a standard lter and replace them every three months.

Switch to “fan only” mode temporarily: It is a good idea to use your HVAC system in “fan only” mode during wild re season. This ensures your system is operating continuously to run your

Tighten seals around windows, doors and window air conditioners: If your doors or windows are drafty, install weatherstripping to help prevent smoke from drifting into your house. If you have a window air conditioner, either close the outdoor air damper or do not use it. If you have a portable air conditioner with a single hose, typically vented

out of a window, do not use it in smoky conditions. If you have a portable air conditioner with two hoses, make sure that the seal between the window vent kit and the window is as tight as possible. Avoid creating more ne particles & air out your home after a smoke event: Avoid activities that create more ne particles indoors: smoking cigarettes; using gas, propane or woodburning stoves and furnaces; spraying aerosol products; frying or broiling food; burning candles or incense; and vacuuming, unless you use a vacuum with a HEPA lter. When air quality

improves, air out your home by opening windows or the fresh air intake on your HVAC system. Use a portable air cleaner or high-ef ciency lter to remove ne particles from the air: Run it as often as possible on the highest fan speed. For more information on indoor air quality during wild res, check out resources from the Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/indoorair-quality-iaq/emergenciesand-iaq#wild res

WE STILL MAKE OUR CLASSIC DISHES. BUT OUR NEW FAVORITE RECIPE MIGHT BE ONE FOR SAVING ENERGY. Running a kitchen takes creativity and innovation, which means using what you have in ways that might not be obvious. And that’s the approach that Energy Trust of Oregon brought to reducing our energy costs. Whatever your tastes, savings are always delicious. Find out more at EnergyTrust.org/for-business.

Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 9 fi

indoor air through the lter. Remember to go back to “auto” mode before cold weather returns and heating season starts, so that the system kicks on only when needed. That way, you will avoid increasing your energy use and raising your costs.

INNOVATION

I toured Arcimoto’s new 250,000 SQFT Manufacturing Facility and was blown away by all the innovation

By Jim Teece

ARCIMOTO’S NEW 250,000 SQFT MANUFACTURING FACILITY - THE “RAMP” - PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ARCIMOTO

e have been watching and reporting on Arcimoto for several years. Greg visited with them back when he was the publisher of the Southern Oregon Business Journal and he left Eugene feeling inspired and excited by what he saw, and passed that excitement on to me. The Arcimoto FUV (Fun Utility Vehicle) is nerdy and cool enough to make me want one

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and there just aren’t that many public manufacturing companies in Southern Oregon, so we have included news about them several times over the years. They are de nitely a company to watch and learn from. I reached out to see if I could talk to someone about how the business was doing and they set me up right away with

a factory tour and an offer to test drive one. I met with Jesse Fittipaldi, Arcimoto’s Chief Strategy Of cer, at Ninkasi’s Better Living Room experience and got a tour of the Arcimoto cool “high-tech startup” feeling admin of ce space, on the second oor. Then we walked over to the rental facility that shares the parking lot with Ninkasi and we looked

After you double buckle in like a race car driver, you nd yourself sitting in a comfortable seat, straddling the battery well and looking at the road below you as there are no doors. It’s not a motorcycle, so you do not need special endorsement or a helmet. The roof is clear so you can see the clouds and you are surrounded by thick looking roll bars like on a dune buggy. Jesse drove me around and did not have to yell to speak to me as we went, because there was no engine noise. You just hear the hum of the tires.

JESSE FITTIPALDI, ARCIMOTO’S CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER AND “MILKY”

over all the FUVs available for well… rent.

by the way, is an awesome venue.

People just show up and rent them by the hour or for half the day for cruising around Eugene. They have been selling FUVs to rental companies in several states that cater to tourists. Hawaii is being set up right now.

What is a FUV? It is a 3 wheel electric vehicle that is fun to drive. At least that is how they promote it. I had no real world experience with it although I did see one in the wild in Roseburg once.

Seeing them all lined up, I realized how cool it would be to bring my teams here for a company “retreat”. We can ride for an hour and then rent a meeting room inside Ninkasi’s Better Living Room experience for ½ a day, which

After the tour of the rental facility, we boarded Jesse’s personal FUV, “Milky” and he drove me around the neighborhood to check out the new manufacturing facility and other supporting buildings scattered around the industrial area of Eugene.

I found myself smiling as he whipped casually around the neighborhood. As a passenger it was de nitely “scary fun” like a roller coaster. I could not stop smiling. I’m not a motorcycle guy like my dad and brothers, so this open air ride was different for me but very enjoyable. I felt very safe and very cool. Like a Tesla, the acceleration is there if you need to get out of the way and you just plug it in when you park for the night. Jesse drives this FUV everyday rain or shine to work. He keeps a towel, gloves and seat cover in the trunk if needed. We stopped by the new and massive 250,000 SQ FT factory

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 11

HAWAII FUV FLEET AWAITING SHIPPING - PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ARCIMOTO

space they just acquired and have been moving into for the last several months. This “RAMP” (Rapid Assembly of Money Making Products) space will allow them to manufacture a lot more FUVs per day and easily add additional assembly lines as the demand grows. The facility used to be owned by M&K Development and housed the world leader in corn husking equipment. That’s a fascinating story in itself and one I’ll save for another time. Jesse joined Arcimoto in 2015 and has grown with the company, as it has grown. He freely interacted with fellow “arconauts” (that’s what they call themselves) on different 12 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

projects and topics at each stop along the way of our tour. I could see that they have a lot of respect for him but more importantly, I could see that he respects everyone he interacted with for all for the creativity, commitment and passion they bring to the operation, even as some pushed back on his ideas. From Robotic Welding to large scale Vacuum Forming stations, I saw innovative manufacturing layers being introduced on top of the original inspiring innovation of the FUV. They are clearly ramping up for large-scale production. The RAMP is a template for future scale replication, globally.

Last year they bought Tilting Motor Works. A company that created the patented TRIO tilting trike steering system. I saw a stunning Honda Gold Wing roll off the assembly line at TMW with its newly installed tilting front end. Arcimoto has also been incorporating this technology into a new product they call the Mean Lean Machine. Mean Lean Machine is an electric three wheel “cybertrike” that you can lean into as you turn. I found myself wondering hard about what they are doing and the directions they are taking

the company. The FUV is an electric “autocycle”. The Tilting Motor Works technology is a patented steering system retro tted onto motorcycles and they are incorporating that technology into a 3 wheel electric bike. Can you be a “vehicle” company, a motorcycle steering company and an electric trike company? Or does it all load into the next version or iteration of what the company will become and produce? I wonder who the customer is. It left me a little confused at rst.

They show up with a bang and make you question all of your beliefs. I saw this with Brammo years ago. They started with a car and moved to the electric motorcycle. It was awesome but they didn’t have enough funding to scale so in the end they sold the assets to Cummins and Polaris and they eventually discontinued manufacturing. Maybe they were too far ahead of their time. Arcimoto has already surpassed Brammo in manufacturing scale and product diversity.

Arcimoto has done a good job developing an idea into reality. They have gotten themselves ready for growth. They are using the rental business to market the product. They are developing new products and FUV improvements while the marketing happens. They just need to get a TV show like “Magnum PI” to make this the iconic ride of the main character. I’ll start working on the reboot script right away. I wonder if I can still grow a mustache.

Disruptive companies do that. Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 13 fi

FUV ASSEMBLY LINE - PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ARCIMOTO

FUV FRAMES AWAITING ASSEMBLY ONTO CHASSIS - PHOTO SUPPLIED BY ARCIMOTO

They have been focusing on manufacturing but it will be interesting to see if the hipster investors that all seemingly bought in early thinking this is another Tesla will give them time to grow into what they can be. I looked at the website for Segway, another personal mobility company, and was surprised to see that nothing they sell looks like the original product. It’s all fun stuff now. Toys for rich kids from what I can see. Arcimoto has a vision. They are building the dream of a sustainable transportation system. They are building out the plant. They are bringing in

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outside talent where they need it and elevating within as well. They are acquiring patents and creating new products in their R&D lab (which I was not allowed to visit but saw some cool videos of, on their website) and they are one of Southern Oregon’s only public companies. It will be interesting to watch them over the years. Will they be able to maintain the Eugene Quirkiness while playing on Wall Street? Founder and CEO Mark Frohnmayer jogs or walks dogs during his weekly video updates for investors sometimes followed by an entourage of arconauts that

many times sport impressive civil war style beards. He is de nitely busy growing a company, calming investors while inspiring new ones, all while trying to change the world. Arcimoto leads by example and uses virtual machetes to cut their own path. Even locally, as they manage the 300+ employees and growth of a cool manufacturing company in Eugene, they are asking the city to understand their idea, of the future of transportation while they ful ll the demands of planning departments and transportation committees that

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might be in con ict with what they want to do.

I didn’t want to push them to see what they would do, as this was his way home after work.

They are working on a concept to possibly run by the city of Eugene to see if they can reduce the parking lot size requirement of the factory. They envision every employee parking their personal FUV into non-car size parking spaces (The FUV uses about half a normal car space from what I can tell) and convert the rest of the parking lot into a park. That sounds great and simple, but I know from working with planning departments myself, they want big black top parking lots for off street parking to match code requirements. Just like a city changes its municipal code to facilitate tiny homes, it will be cool to see if they can get tiny vehicle parking to count as well. Arcimoto is a company to watch and learn from. Not just because they are creating a future forward product, but because they are asking the states and cities to change with them to allow more and more adoption and innovation. Jesse had to run to another meeting and he tossed me his

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I drove around the parking lot rst to get my bearings on all the controls. I wasn’t worried about me or the FUV. I was worried about the other cars. Will they see me and respect my space? I exited the parking lot and found a nice quiet street that was a dead end and took Milky from 0 to ReallyReally-Fast in a matter of seconds. I then tested out the braking system and steering while braking. I felt safe and in control the entire time. I slowly made my way around the neighborhood waving at people like I was some kind of royal rock star.

MY VIEW FROM THE BACKSEAT

keys and showed me how to safely start it, drive it and park it. I sat in the driver seat and studied every button and control for several minutes. There is a seat warmer for each seat, handlebar warmer, wiper blade and wash, Bluetooth speaker, windshield defrost and a couple of buttons that I couldn’t gure out at rst glance of their icons.

Unfortunately many of the people were homeless and didn’t wave back. I pulled back into the Ninkasi parking lot and followed all the steps to park correctly and stood back and admired the cool points of the FUV. •

It’s electric.

•

It’s open like a motorcycle but drives kind-of-almostlike a car. It has handlebars but the two wheels in the

THE FUV LOOKS VERY COOL WRAPPED - I FOUND MYSELF DAY DREAMING ABOUT WHAT MINE WOULD LOOK LIKE.

front make the handling feel different from what I expected. They have the Fun Utility Vehicle (this is an appropriate name), the Deliverator (perfect for last mile meal delivery or my internet service installers), the Rapid Responder (Campus Security), Flatbed (for the farm and ranch), and the Cameo (for lming me as the star in Magnum 3.14159). •

There is a certain thrill to the ride.

If you want a motorcycle like thrill ride they have the Roadster, which does require

a helmet and endorsement to operate.

curious how much power that will take.

•

It’s made in Eugene, Oregon, USA.

•

They employ 300+ Oregonians.

It should be able to handle my granite driveway and I’m curious how it will do up the steep hill.

•

It can go over 100 miles on a charge.

I live 5 miles from town so it’s perfect for my daily commute. If Jesse can do it, maybe I can too. It can go freeway fast, but that will burn through the battery faster. But I have to go at least 55 on the highway for 3 miles to town. It can do it, but I’m

And I can get it in Red and Black and it would be perfect as my new Southern Oregon University tailgate ride. I want one. And I might become an investor too. — Jim

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 17

INNOVATION By Jim Teece

W business?

hat is innovation? How does innovation work in small

How does innovation work in a community? The state of Oregon has been pushing hard to sponsor innovation throughout the state with grants for consultants to help de ne paths forward and

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Welcome to Southern Oregon, We love innovators

processes for agencies to work together to support it. But what is Innovation? SOREDI went through a process a few years ago where they brought several stakeholders and champions from Southern Oregon together for several months to develop a plan for southern Oregon's future. They ended up with One Rogue Valley, which de ned a vision to mostly

be used by the federal government for funding opportunities etc. One piece of that plan is innovation. I served in that group. Maybe because I’m a tech guy. Maybe because I’m an entrepreneur. I’m not sure. But I kept wondering the whole time. What is Innovation and how do we encourage it?

Workforce Housing and our new Smoke Season, just to name a couple. What can we do as a region to invite, encourage and promote that southern Oregon is a place that wants innovators to move here and help us solve our regional issues? The state wants to support innovation. But do innovators hire local people unless they set up a factory? Digital innovators move in and hire people from all over the world. We need more innovators that need more local employees. I proposed (tongue rmly planted in cheek) to the committee, to put up a sign on the border from California to Oregon. We need to let these Tesla Auto Pilot driving innovators that are driving from the Bay Area to Portland for a Vegan Pork Belly Sandwich (it’s a thing) know that we love them and want them to move to Southern Oregon and do their thing here. According to an article on HBR that I found innovation, can be broken up into 4 types. Breakthrough, Sustaining, Basic and Disruptive. Sustaining is where most of us are on a day to day basis. As business owners and managers responsible for the well being of

our companies we constantly strive to ne tune and improve. We work hard to nd ef ciencies of scale and reduce costs and issues that will cost us money later down the line. Breakthrough innovation is what comes from mavericks. People that poke the system with a completely new and seemingly better way to do things. I challenge all of us to leave the comfort of Sustaining Innovation and spend most of our time in the Breakthrough Innovation quadrant.

We need problem solvers that want to join us in nding solutions to our problems, not just the world’s problems. We do not want to wait for someone else to solve our problems. Systemically we need to support the new innovators. That means K-12 is not about teaching kids to code anymore. It’s about teaching them how to work on a team to help us solve problems. It’s teaching that failure is an option, but not trying is not.

I also challenge us to spend our time actually solving a regional problem. More pro t for your company is a small problem and you need to focus on it until you nd it and then move on to a regional one.

It’s our higher education system working together to train local thinkers and doers. We need to nd ways to train us up and keep the valley lled with innovator supporters.

What I want to be doing for the last part of my life is solving regional problems.

We need welders, builders, bosses, risk takers. We need to provide all the employees these innovators need.

Southern Oregon is a wonderful and amazing place. It has it all. Outdoor Adventures for families

And yes, they can also sing, dance and paint. They can ride dirt bikes or hike on trails, and

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 19 fi

and soloists. Vibrant, diversi ed people and economy and a wonderful sense of community and place. But it has issues too.

Let’s face it, the pandemic changed everything. People can and do work from where they want to live, now. Innovators need problems to solve and a good place to live and raise their families. We need to nd them, encourage them to move here for quality of life and help us solve our problems. Silicon Valley changed the world by encouraging smart people to get rich. Many did. But they created so many problems in doing so. Let’s embrace the next generation of innovators. The young dreamers that want to make a difference and be appreciated for doing so. Let’s give them the power to make southern Oregon a better place for generations to come. I’ll be spending my time over the next couple of years nding innovators and sharing their stories. Hopefully it will encourage and inspire us all to nd ways to be more innovative and regional problem solving day to day or supportive of those that do.

Innovation is hard, important and exciting. Examples of ways that I have brought innovation into my businesses over the years:

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they can hunt, camp, sh, read books on hammocks and/or raise families.

Move to the cloud. (Sustaining) It started with my email and quick books over a decade ago and over the years I have moved more and more of the services I use daily to run my companies to the cloud. It saves me physical space and reduces my local footprint. Not to mention the company can still operate when res burn through town. Reduce the number of machines. (Sustaining) One of my companies is a Cable TV company. Each channel used to require two separate servers. Over the years we have migrated to digital channels and a consolidation of several channels to one server. The other day there was a problem in the head end and the team asked for help so I ran out there to help and I was shocked at how much less space we take up for TV in the head end now. Each server that is unplugged is a savings in electricity use and heat. Enhance Customer Safety. (Disruptive) At Ashland Home Net we visit a lot of homes to help people. We install internet, cable TV and phone service. We also sometimes do house calls to help with email or new TVs. The point is we go to a lot of customers homes. If you think about it, we all have a lot of people visit our homes. But who are these people and are they really supposed to be there? Charter just got ned $7 Billion dollars because of one of their

employees murdered a customer while driving a Charter truck on his day off and robbing the elderly customer he just installed service to the day before. [Jury orders Charter to pay $7 billion in technician’s murder of Texas customer] - https:// www.ctinsider.com/news/article/ Jury-orders-Charter-to-pay-7billion-in-17330761.php We came up with a way to alert a customer that we have someone on the way, what they look like and what their name is. We are working on training our customers to expect to know when one of our team will be onsite. If someone shows up un announced, that isn’t right. We developed this and shared it with other ISPs and they are starting to adopt the approach. So now I’m developing a system for any company, plumbers, AC repair people, etc to be able to implement something simple and smart to help customers have more feeling of safety. A local idea that can become disruptive if the market will adopt it. So, earlier I told you that I think we have real world problems here in Southern Oregon. - they are not unique to us, but they are some of our problems. How can we nd and inspire innovators to come to southern Oregon and work with us on nding solutions to our problems.? The rst one I mentioned is workforce housing. I should really

It’s you’d have a beer with. CREDIT CARDS LOANS MERCHANT SERVICES TREASURY SOLUTIONS WEALTH MANAGEMENT

firstinterstate.com Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. ⌂

say “affordable” workforce housing but you see the government uses that word to mean something very different. So for now I’ll just use the words “Workforce Housing” with the intent to be affordable for my employees that make $30K to $50K a year. It’s now $375,000 for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath 1300 SQFT home in Grants Pass. Wow! “Fixing” the problem by raising the minimum wage didn’t work. It did as many predicted, raised costs, which only exacerbated the issue. We have to look at the problem systematically. It costs too much

to build new housing. Why? Labor shortage. There are not enough builders. Let’s make more builders. Why is it that our kids grow up wanting to be barista’s? Where did we go wrong? (Note: I have 4 nieces and nephews that are awesome baristas and I hope I didn’t insult them) Wood costs too much. Why? We don’t have forests for farming wood from here in Oregon. We have to import it all. Excuse me? This is Oregon. Trees grow like weeds. Let’s grow them intentionally. Jackson County passed a no GMO law years ago because we were afraid of eating sh genes in

01162.AD.22.08

Small business works bigger here.

our salad. OK. But in Josephine county they still allow GMO farming and they have land. Can we genetically modify a tree gene to grow straight, strong and fast? I bet we could. Because sh genes might end up in the wood we could call it “Steelhead Lumber”. Sustainable, Strong, Affordable Lumber for the rest of us. Can we learn from Boxable factory built homes and the tiny home movement to build very nice small homes? Can we build communities for nice tiny homes that are not just for homeless people? Can tiny homes be like Lego’s and snap together as your family grows.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 21

Can we build manufactured homes that the bank will loan on because the home will last for 40 years?

BROADBAND By Press Release

Home ownership is not the goal. It’s housing for my employees that deserve a nice, clean, safe place to live that is well within their means. Drought is an issue. Smoke Season is an issue. The same model of thinking about potential solutions can apply. I don’t have the answers, just a lot of ideas and a desire to work with others to nd solutions. How do we work together to nd solutions? We can’t stand around and blame each other. Democrats' fault. Republicans' fault. I’m tired of that crap. Let’s stand together. Acknowledge our regional issues, roll our sleeves up and get to work. Innovation is the key to unlocking solutions to our region's problems. It’s time to embrace the innovators and let them know “Welcome to Southern Oregon, we love innovators” We have the place, people and some really good broadband. Please move here, work with us and let's nd solutions to some regional problems together. Some of you will read this and re off a reply or a dozen of them as to why we can’t do anything, and that’s ok. I’m looking for the few that say “yes we can”.

22 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

unter Communications announced the appointment of IT industry veteran, Ehrika Gladden, to the company’s board of directors. Gladden brings more than three decades of progressive executive leadership experience, managing IT and telecom divisions, and will aid in the development of Hunter’s sales strategy and efforts to increase market penetration throughout Oregon. “I’m honored to welcome Ehrika to our board of directors,” said Michael Wynschenk, CEO, Hunter Communications. “As we continue to grow and expand into new markets, having a member of the Board with Ehrika’s background and expertise will help us better serve our customers, in particular our business customers. Ehrika’s global telecom leadership

Hunter Communications Appoints Ehrika Gladden to Board of Directors experience adds a perspective that is critical to Hunter’s long-term business goals.” In her previous roles with Logitech, Cisco, and Avaya Gladden led multibillion and multimillion dollar global P&L’s driving growth for Video Collaboration, Sustainability Products, UCaaS, Services, and Telephony. Her responsibilities included managing the delivery of the P&L for Sales, Marketing, Digital Sales, Channels, and Operations leaders ensuring customers leveraged true solutions value. Gladden currently sits on the Board of Directors of City National Bank (NYSE:CYN). She has been nationally recognized for her inclusive leadership development initiatives and practices. In 2019, Savoy named her one of the Top 50 In uential Women in Businesses and in 2018 Black Enterprise named her as one of the Top 50 Blacks in Technology. “Hunter is driven by a goal of helping people create

meaningful connections, and I’m excited to bring a global lens to that mission,” said Gladden. “Universal access to high-speed internet is essential in today’s world, and I feel very privileged to take on this role at this time.” Gladden joins the board alongside Wynschenk and current members including: Nikola Trkulja, managing director, Grain Management; Michael McKenzie, managing director, Grain Management; and Richard Ryan, founder, Hunter Communications.

About Hunter Communications Hunter Communications provides award winning ber optic broadband internet, xed wireless services, voice services, and managed IT to business and residential customers in communities throughout Oregon and northern California. With Gig speeds, no data caps, and competitive pricing, Hunter’s

2,000+mile ber network is nationally recognized for performance and reliability. BroadbandNow recognized Hunter with four 2020 Internet Service Provider Awards, including for fastest business internet speeds in Oregon and among the top 10 nationwide. In 2022, PC Magazine recognized Hunter as one of the top internet service providers for gamers in the Northwest.

Founded in 1992, Hunter is headquartered in Medford, Oregon where the company established a legacy of service excellence and commitment to local communities. Hunter Communications was acquired in 2020 by Grain Management, LLC. Additional information is available at Hunter ber.com.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 23

By Press Release

Networks. “His experience aligns perfectly with the mission at LS Networks to deliver infrastructure that not only offers an essential service to rural communities, but also provides equal access to better jobs, education, and advanced lifestyles that support family, growth, and sustainable communities.”

S Networks, the leading ber optic provider in the Paci c Northwest, announced today that Randy Brogle, a seasoned telecommunications industry leader with over 25 years of experience, has been appointed Chief Executive Of cer of the Company. In his role, Brogle will lead the company’s growth plans to invest in the buildout of its ber network and support the delivery of high-capacity connectivity solutions to transform underserved communities across the region. “Randy has dedicated his entire career to broadband expansion throughout the United States,” said Jack Bittan, Executive Chair of LS

24 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 fi

LS Networks Taps Former Meta Fiber Investments Executive, Randy Brogle, as New Chief Executive Of cer

BROADBAND

Brogle most recently oversaw the global acquisition and construction of ber networks to support the apps for Meta. Prior to joining Meta, he served in various general management roles at Hargray Communications (acquired by CableOne) and Zayo Group, overseeing operations, sales, nance and network development for ber deployments including innercity, Fiber-to-the-Tower (FTTT), and metro/enterprise networks. "LS Networks has a long history of helping communities prosper in the Paci c Northwest, and I am excited to join the focused efforts of the team to bridge the digital and social inequality divide,” said Brogle. “The organization’s emphasis on quality, innovation, and investment in the Paci c Northwest has laid a

strong foundation with a 100% ber network suited to meeting the growing demand for internet speeds. We will build on this foundation and utilize our people and resources to invest in and partner with the communities we serve.” About LS Networks LS Networks is the only ber network provider in the Paci c Northwest that delivers connectivity built for the most demanding organizations to businesses in underserved and rural communities. LS Networks’ delivers a purpose-built ber network with the speed, reliability, scale, and performance that today’s businesses demand. With more than 7,000 route miles of ber and speeds up to 100 Gbps, LS Networks’ carrier-grade network delivers a robust portfolio of network connectivity services, including internet, ethernet, voice, and data solutions. With a vision to be the most trusted provider through its focus on quality, innovation, and investment in communities, LS Networks is dedicated to the success of its customers. They believe Paci c Northwest communities deserve better and are committed to bridging the gap.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 25

BUSINESS OREGON By Press Release https://development.oregon4biz.com/acton/rif/14786/s-05d1-2207/-/ l-0007:4d5c/q-000c/showPreparedMessage?sid=TV2:LB7kc5JRD

Oregon Businesses Tied to Live Events Receive Financial Support for Lost Income During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Photo of the Jackson County Fair

he American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocated $1.9 trillion to states for COVID-19 relief and economic recovery nationwide. The Oregon legislature allocated ARPA Coronavirus State Fiscal

26 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

Recovery Funds to Business Oregon to support some types of businesses that lost revenue as an outcome of public health measures necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding is grouped into three different phases. Each phase supports Oregon businesses in speci ed elds of work. Phases 1 and 2 are complete, and Phase 3 will be open for applications on August 16, 2022.

Phase 1 was comprised of up to $5 million to support small and independent community movie theaters. A total of $5 million was awarded to 70 individual theatres statewide. These theatres are locally owned and operated businesses, independent of national chains. The full list of Phase 1 award recipients can be found on www.oregon.gov/ biz/. Phase 2 was comprised of up to $35 million to support live event venue operators and live event producers/presenters. Businesses that received Phase 2 funding include: •

Venue operators or producers/presenters of ticketed live events

•

Museums with earned revenue from hosting live events

•

Fairgrounds owned and/or operated by non-municipal organizations

•

Cultural venues operated by federally recognized Indian Tribes based in Oregon

•

Tradeshows

•

Special event rental venues

•

Fairs, festivals, and rodeos, among others

Approximately $33.5 million was awarded to 238

organizations. The full list of Phase 2 award recipients can be found on www.oregon.gov/ biz/. Phase 3 will provide funding for the “live events support industry” with up to $10 million in grant assistance for service providers negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The “live events support industry” includes businesses, non-pro ts, sole proprietors, or independent contractors whose principal business activities result in 50% or more annual revenues derived from the provision of goods (rented or sold) or services for the production and execution of organized live events. Applicants will be asked to demonstrate a 50% or more loss in revenue from live event support activities in Oregon for calendar year 2020 as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Eligible service providers for Phase 3 include but are not limited to: •

Event planners, designers, and talent buyers

•

Event sound, video, lighting, rigging, and staging providers

•

Event supply rental companies

•

Event catering providers

•

Event décor and oral vendors

•

Theatrical services and equipment rental providers

•

Specialty entertainers such as DJs, emcees, costumed characters, actors, musicians, musical groups, auctioneers, and other special event-speci c talents

•

Specialized event services and vendors such as event security, VIP toilets, photobooths, portable gaming, amusement providers, event transportation providers, ticket agencies, etc.

•

Wedding-speci c services and vendors such as stylists and makeup artists, photographers and videographers, planners and coordinators, etc.

The guidelines for Phase 3 can be found on www.oregon.gov/ biz/. The application opens on August 16 and will be open for two weeks. Phase 3 awards will be announced in September. Eligible applicants will be selected for funding via a randomized lottery system; this is not a “ rst-come rstserved” program.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 27

By Press Release https://www.peoplesbank.bank/about/press-release---july-20-2022

BCO Financial Corporation (OTC PINK: PBCO), the holding company of People’s Bank of Commerce, announced today its nancial results for the 2nd quarter 2022. As a result of the PBCO Financial Corporation reorganization and merger effective February 28, 2022, the current period nancial discussion and summary balance sheet and

28 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 fi

COMMUNITY BANKING

PBCO Financial Corporation Reports Q2 2022 Earnings

income statement in this release re ect PBCO Financial Corporation on a consolidated basis, while the comparative prior periods are People’s Bank of Commerce results only. As the results of operations presented are substantially from the performance of People’s Bank of Commerce, management believes there is not a material difference related to disclosing

the current and comparative results as presented. Highlights Second quarter net income of $2.4 million, or $0.48 per diluted share Steelhead gross factoring revenue of $2.0 million, an increase of 25.0% from Q2 2021

Investment securities increased $140.7 million, or 135.1%, over Q2 2021 The company reported quarterly net income of $2.4 million, or $0.48 per diluted share, for the 2nd quarter of 2022 compared to net income of $3.0 million, or $0.59 per diluted share, in the same quarter of 2021. Earnings per share for the trailing 12 months were $2.08 per share, down from $2.28 per share for the prior twelvemonth period. “Although earnings were impacted by the absence of income from PPP, the bank performed according to expectations during 2nd quarter. Excluding PPP income for the 2nd quarter of 2021, EPS would have been $0.38 per share, demonstrating the strength in core earnings for the most recent quarter,” said Lindsey Trautman, Chief Financial Of cer. During the quarter, the company also made a provision for loan losses of $113 thousand. “The second quarter of 2022 represents the rst time in two years that earnings are not materially impacted by PPP loans or merger related adjustments and more closely represent core bank earnings going

forward,” commented Ms. Trautman. Deposits decreased $47.3 million, a 5.9% decrease from the prior quarter ending March 31, 2022. Over the last 12 months, deposits grew by $37.8 million, an annualized 5.3% growth rate. “During 2nd quarter, the company experienced a decrease in deposits, primarily related to tax payments made in April after ramping up in March,” commented Joan Reukauf, Chief Operating Of cer. “Portfolio loans were down $4.5 million during the 2nd quarter of 2022, compared to 1st quarter of 2022,” commented Julia Beattie, President. “During 1st quarter, the bank experienced strong competition for longterm xed rate loans which materialized into continued downward pressure during the 2nd quarter. This competition has eased with the rising rate environment but impacted 2nd quarter loan growth overall,” added Beattie. The last four remaining PPP loans were forgiven during 2nd quarter. Classi ed assets were at from the prior quarter in both Other Real Estate Owned and classi ed loans. Total loans past due or on non-accrual increased slightly, as a percentage of total loans, from the prior quarter to 0.22%

versus 0.21% as of Q1 2022. During the 2nd quarter, the Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses (ALLL) was updated based on changes in loans and updated economic expectations, which were factored into the bank’s analysis. As of June 30, 2022, the ALLL was 1.06% of portfolio loans and the unallocated reserve stood at $791 thousand or 16.6% of the allowance. Second quarter 2022 noninterest income totaled $3.2 million, an increase of $306 thousand from the 2nd quarter of 2021. During Q2 2022, Steelhead Finance factoring revenue increased $397 thousand, a 25.0% increase over the same quarter of 2021. Conversely, mortgage income decreased $192 thousand, or 27.5%, from the 2nd quarter of 2021, due to an increase in interest rates and a softening housing market. Non-interest expense totaled $6.1 million in the 2nd quarter, up $111 thousand from the same period in 2021. Notably, personnel expense was the largest driver for the increase in non-interest expense, up $526 thousand versus the same quarter prior year, a 15.5% increase, primarily due to increasing wage pressure in the company’s markets. Advertising expenses were down $279 thousand in the

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 29 fi

Core earnings (excluding PPP fee income) up 25.9% from Q2 2021

2nd quarter of 2022 versus the same period in 2021 as the bank expensed $250 thousand in donations toward housing relief support for survivors of the 2020 Alameda Fire during 2nd quarter 2021. 30 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

As of June 30, 2022, the Tier 1 Capital Ratio for PBCO Financial Corporation was 9.58% with total shareholder equity of $66.4 million. During the quarter, the company was able to augment capital through earnings while assets

also decreased with the decrease in deposits during the quarter. As of June 30, 2022, the bank’s Tier 1 Capital Ratio was 12.71%, up from 11.25% as of March 31, 2022. The company also had unrealized losses on its

banks who looked to the future and planned for economic uncertainty were able to work with clients and manage through challenges as they arose, while protecting the safety and soundness of the company,” concluded Beattie. About PBCO Financial Corporation

investment portfolio, net of taxes, of $19.3 million, which is attributed to changes in market value in the current rising rate environment. The net unrealized losses in the investment portfolio resulted in the decline in Book Value Per Share and Tangible Book Value per share from prior periods. “Losses in the investment portfolio would only be recognized if the company needed additional liquidity for operations,” commented Lindsey Trautman. “Given the company’s strong liquidity position and access to alternative sources of liquidity, the probability of recognizing

any losses in the investment portfolio remains very low,” added Trautman. “Overall, 2nd quarter of 2022 demonstrated the company’s solid core earnings and strengthened capital position which will allow us to weather the uncertain economic future,” commented Julia Beattie. “The $25.0 million sub-debt issuance completed in rst quarter has allowed the company to continue implementing its strategic plan while providing a cushion, should a downturn occur,” added Beattie. “Based on experience gained in the Great Recession, we know that

PBCO Financial Corporation’s stock trades on the overthe-counter market under the symbol PBCO. Additional information about the Company is available in the investor section of the Company’s website. Founded in 1998, People’s Bank of Commerce is the only locally owned and managed community bank in Southern Oregon. People’s Bank of Commerce is a full-service, commercial bank headquartered in Medford, Oregon with branches in Albany, Medford, Ashland, Central Point, Grants Pass, Jacksonville, Klamath Falls, Lebanon, and Salem. Disclosure - Jim Teece, Publisher of the Southern Oregon Business Journal, proudly serves on the Peoples Bank Board.

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 31

32 | Southern Oregon Business Journal May 2022

Southern Oregon Business Journal October 2021 | 33

HIGHER EDUCATION By Press Release https://news.sou.edu/

contingent from Southern Oregon University will visit sister institution Universidad de Guanajuato in the coming days to present SOU’s highest service award to prominent Mexican politician and SOU alumnus Juan Carlos Romero Hicks and his wife, Frances “Faf e” Siekman Romero. “Juan Carlos and Faf e are true and longstanding friends of SOU and our entire community,” said SOU President Rick Bailey, who will present the couple with the SOU President’s Medal in a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 8. “They have honored their ties to SOU and the city of Ashland throughout their remarkable careers, and have gone to great lengths to strengthen the social

34 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

SOU leaders to honor alumnus and friends of the university in Guanajuato ceremony

and academic cross-cultural partnerships that we all enjoy.” The two have tirelessly supported connections between the two universities – and the communities of Ashland and Guanajuato – since Romero Hicks enrolled at SOU for the rst time in 1978. He earned master’s degrees from SOU in business administration and social sciences and has since served as rector (president) of the Universidad de Guanajuato, governor of the state of Guanajuato, a federal senator and currently as minority leader for the National Action Party (PAN) in the lower chamber of Mexico’s legislative branch. He has announced his 2024 presidential candidacy.

Faf e Siekman has focused on humanitarianism and philanthropy, supporting causes such as adequate eye care for the people of Mexico, building materials for families in need and animal welfare – including a burro rescue program near Guanajuato. She has matched donations to the Ashland Amigo Club’s Endowed Scholarship Fund – managed by the SOU Foundation – since the fund was established in 2017; it has resulted in 10 scholarships to date for students to study in either Ashland or Guanajuato. The couple’s rst child was born in Ashland, the day before Romero Hicks began classes at SOU. He has often said that his life was changed by the Amistad Program, which Continued on back cover

“Between the biology program and our Army ROTC program, SOU helped prepare me for my doctorate program at Texas A&M and leading my infantry platoon in the Texas Army National Guard.” HALE I G H WAG M AN ‘20 FIRST FEMALE I N FA N T RY O FFI C E R PRODUCED BY AN ROTC PROGRAM IN OREGON

sou.edu

• 855-470-3377

Southern Oregon Business Journal June 2022 | 35

by Greg Henderson

36 | Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022

Be Nimble, Be Quick... and Listen

Photo by feey on Unsplash

reasure wisdom and choose your mentors carefully.

Success at business and life depend on it. Competition Bias involves favoring information that con rms our previously existing beliefs or biases. By rejecting information that appear counter to what is previously heard or believed we can nd ourselves in the embarrassing position of simply being wrong. Validate new information but also be sure the information we believe to be true, because we would like it to be true, actually is. A competitive motivator forces you to always be aware of what’s going on around you in your industry and business environment. In your community and perhaps the world. Competition is good but it can be fatal to those who are not paying attention. It's likely there is someone out there who is working harder and smarter than you and me. Perhaps not but the odds are against us.

Today’s internet and social media changes the way we have to think about security and company con dentiality. If we want to create and maintain a competitive advantage it is also necessary to guard those creations. Carelessness with passwords causes the loss of private information at an incredible daily rate. We’ve long passed the time of having to concern ourselves with the business next door or just around the corner for fear of losing customers to them. No, today we could lose business to someone on the other side of the planet. Goals for our business are not to be the best, but to be better than we are. Quality of product or service is extremely important. And even when the quality is superior competition will convince us we should be better than that. The failure virus is always seeking an opportunity to infect our operation. Understanding the sources of that virus and where we might be exposed can’t be understated. The nimble, quick and listening aspect of running a business is more important than ever, gaining in sophistication and availability every hour of the day. The world never sleeps, unlike the neighborhood business down the street.

To be nimble and quick is a demanding, high-energy necessity. True appreciation for the meanings of nimble and quick as they relate to business operations and leadership requires consideration of numerous aspects of what is happening and realizing things change rapidly. Looking back at original assumptions in the creation of a business more than just a few years old is a look at plans that simply will not work in the present day. Even new plans made today will likely be out of date a few years from now. Be ready and willing to change when time and circumstances demand it. Listening may be the most dif cult. Sure, we hear many things – but hearing is not listening. Listening is to be actively engaged; hearing only gets a participation ribbon. Life and business are exciting, adrenalin lled opportunities to add value to our time spent on earth. Learn at every turn. Listen. Always listen. Even a small child has experienced things we haven’t. Greg

Greg Henderson is the retired founder of the Southern Oregon Business Journal. A University of Oregon graduate and a six year U.S. Air Force veteran. Contact him at ghenderson703@gmail.com

Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 37 fi

“Pay attention and don’t believe everything you hear. Speak 20% and listen 80%, we have two ears and one mouth for a reason. If you’re the smartest person in the room, nd another room.”

Umpqua BroadBand! High Speed Internet for Rural Douglas County. Rural homes, farms, ranches and businesses now have an option. We have towers strategically located all over the Umpqua Valley. We have hundreds of happy customers that have made the switch to Umpqua Broadband™, replacing their slow DSL or Exede wireless service. umpquabroadband.com (541) 672-3793 customercare@umpquabroadband.com

Oregon requires retailers to have a license to sell tobacco and nicotine products.

OHA will begin compliance checks starting July 1, 2022 to make sure retailers are following all tobacco sales laws. Visit go.usa.gov/xe999 if you have not yet applied for your license.

For information about tobacco retail laws and OHA compliance checks, visit

healthoregon.org/tobaccoretailsales.

Sponsors The Southern Oregon Business Journal extends sincere thanks to the following companies for their continued presence as important cogs in the wheels of industry in southern Oregon.

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Send your ad copy to: Jim@SouthernOregonBusiness.com Jim Teece - Publisher WE STILL MAKE OUR CLASSIC DISHES. BUT OUR NEW FAVORITE RECIPE MIGHT BE ONE FOR SAVING ENERGY. Running a kitchen takes creativity and innovation, which means using what you have in ways that might not be obvious. And that’s the approach that Energy Trust of Oregon brought to reducing our energy costs. Whatever your tastes, savings are always delicious. Find out more at EnergyTrust.org/for-business.

Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.

Amerititle - Page 4

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SOU - Page 35 Southern Oregon Business Journal August 2022 | 39

Southern Oregon Business Journal 5350 HWY 66, Ashland, OR. 97520 www.southernoregonbusiness.com

SOU leaders to honor alumnus and friends of the university in Guanajuato ceremony - Continued from page 34

enables student exchanges between SOU and UG. “When I became president of the University of Guanajuato, I said none of that would have happened if it weren’t for my experiences with the exchange program,” Romero Hicks said. “It gave me the education and the global perspective that shaped who I am.” The SOU President’s Medal, established in 1984, is the university’s highest tribute and is awarded as often as once per year to a community member who is distinguished by her or his actions and contributions. It has previously been presented to 57 individuals and organizations,

most recently in August 2019 to Confederated Tribes of the Siletz elder Agnes “Grandma Aggie” Pilgrim.

represent the university in Guanajuato.

Recipients of the medal are recognized for their exemplary service to the university and community, and for demonstrating compassion, integrity, generosity, leadership and courage. The SOU president determines when and to whom the award is presented.

About Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

President Bailey, SOU Board of Trustees Chair Daniel Santos and Janet Fratella, SOU’s vice president for university advancement and executive director of the SOU Foundation, will

-SOU-