PDC names four Path to Success winners
The Pendleton Development Commission (PDC) on Tuesday announced 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.
The four winners:
- Terri Leetch, Buttercup Barley’s Florist: A flower shop selling both fresh and silk arrangements along with a variety of gifts, home décor and other custom made items. Buttercup Barley’s Florist would also offer a mobile bar service for special occasions.
- Emily and Joshua McGraw, The Studio: An art studio and gallery that will focus on the areas of art and design. The studio will offer daily art classes, weekly open studio days and monthly paint and sip nights for adults 21+.
- Ryan Smith, Pendleton Outfitters: A retail store selling clothing, books, local products, gear and tools for outdoor activities and lifestyle, such as hiking, camping and fishing. Pendleton Outfitters will also include a phased approach to establishing a service business providing guided and educational outdoor experiences for people of all ages and fitness levels.
- Robb Zimmel, Cerebella Winery: A downtown business with a focus on bottled wine sales via a tasting room, wine club memberships and regional distribution. Cerebella Winery will include a restaurant, classroom, retail space and scheduled events.
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.
A second Path to Success competition is planned for 2023, and applicants not chosen as winners this year are encouraged to try again.
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 an additional $20,000 in funding to award four Path to Success winners instead of three. The four winners were then announced.
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.
