PDC names 2023 Path to Success Winners
Pendleton, Ore. — The Pendleton Development Commission (PDC) on Tuesday approved four winners in the Path to Success business plan competition. Each of the winners will receive a forgivable $20,000 loan and support to open a new business in downtown Pendleton.
This year, the selection committee heard presentations from six semi-finalists.
“There were some excellent business concepts and business plans presented. The committee employed multiple factors to judge the competitors. Those included, at the top of the list, whether a new business would provide products or a service not already available,” Charles Denight, Associate Director of the Pendleton Development Commission, said.
The Path to Success program had budgeted for three business grants for 2023; however, the selection committee strongly believed in supporting four applications, similar to in 2022. The PDC accepted the committee recommendation to award four grants.
The four winners:
- Kelsie Bostwick, Painted Fringe Boutique: Women’s clothing and accessories
- Tim McFetridge, Flying X Speakeasy Lounge: Prohibition-themed bar serving cocktails and snacks
- Whitney Minthorn, Moe’s Tea: Milk tea and snack shop
- Judy Vicek, Stitches Mercantile: Fabrics and tailoring store
The Path to Success competition is part of the Jump Start program of the PDC, helping bring new businesses to Pendleton. The winners each receive a $20,000 forgivable loan along with support intended to make their business successful and contribute to a vibrant downtown economy. Over the next two years, a quarter of the loan will be forgiven every six months, as long as they follow the contract requirements. Winners are required to meet quarterly with a committee and keep regular business hours.
Background
The idea for Path to Success began when PDC Associate Director Charles Denight and former Pendleton Downtown Association Executive Director Wesley Murack attended the 2019 conference of the Oregon Main Street agency in Tillamook. There they heard from the St. Helens and Klamath Falls downtown associations, both of whom held business plan competitions and enthusiastically endorsed the concept.
“It was presented as a way to build enthusiasm for new business entrepreneurship through a concept that everyone can get excited about—a competition for the best,” Denight said.
The PDC approved the plan for the Path to Success business plan competition on Jan. 18, 2021, and the project quickly attracted 32 applicants eager to start a new business.
Participants were offered free business planning classes through the Small Business Development Center at Blue Mountain Community College and access to a business development tool. A panel of judges then chose eight semi-finalists from 32 applicants. Those eight were tasked with writing their business plans and presenting them to the judges in one-hour presentations.
The original plan allowed for three winners of $20,000 each in a forgivable loan, but the panel had trouble narrowing down the eight semi-finalists to three and selected four winners.
“All four of these final presenters had excellent business concepts, polished business plans, capital beyond the prize we’re offering, and passion and experience for the business category they are pursuing,” Denight said. “All of them have already shown initiative in finding a location, all four on Main Street. Not only will they bring unique businesses to downtown, they will also fill currently vacant storefronts, reducing our vacancy rate.”
On Aug. 30, 2022, the PDC approved the recommendation and announced four Path to Success winners: Buttercup Bailey’s Florist, The Studio, Pendleton Outfitters, and Cerebella Winery.
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About
Partners in producing the Path to Success competition were the PDC, the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, the Pendleton Downtown Association and the Small Business Development Center at Blue Mountain Community College (SBDC).
The Pendleton Development Commission is the group that oversees Pendleton Urban Renewal, a government agency dedicated to providing financial assistance for new and expanded retail, historic building renovations, and new construction in the City of Pendleton.
The City of Pendleton is a vibrant and active community with a rich heritage and a lively history. Located at the base of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon, Pendleton is well known for its world-class Pendleton Round-Up rodeo, a thriving arts culture and many historic attractions. To learn more, visit www.pendleton.or.us .
- July 19, 2023
