Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce » Awards Banquet

2011 Corporate Business of the Year – Konell Construction

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:18:14 +0000

The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it has selected Konell Construction as the 2011 Corporate Business of the Year.

The majority of Konell’s employees are from the local community, and many of them have been with the firm for more than 15 years.

Konell has an extensive relationship with supporting the community through local youth activities such as athletics, FFA, music groups and the nonprofit AntFarm.

Read more about the 2011 Corporate Business of the Year, Konell Construction from the Sandy Post.

2011 Small Business of the Year – Some Bookstore in Sandy

admin — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 19:18:35 +0000

The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2011 Small Business of the Year Award us Some Bookstore in Sandy.

Some Bookstore in Sandy is willing to go the extra mile. If they don’t have the book you want in their collection of over 16,000 books, they’ll get it for you.

On occasion, the book store also serves as a venue to showcase art or music or as a meeting place for a book club or knitting circle.

Read more about the 2011 Small Business of the Year Some Bookstore in Sandy, at the Sandy Post.

Living Water Plumbing Chosen for 2011 Home Based Business Award

chamber — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 22:48:43 +0000

Perhaps it is a personal code of ethics that has made Scott and Jennifer Horsfall’s business successful.
There is no storefront for their business, Living Water Plumbing, but residents of the Sandy area who know the home-based business exists would recommend it to anyone.
That’s one reason why a committee of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce recently selected Living Water Plumbing as the 2011 best home-based business.
The business will be formally recognized at noon Wednesday, Aug. 10, at a chamber luncheon in Meinig Park.
The Horsfalls don’t talk about customer service; they don’t even say those words. They treat everyone who comes to them like family members, so no one would even think twice if they needed plumbing services again. They’d immediately call Scott or Jennifer.
This business is set apart because of the Horsfall’s level of commitment to their clients and their willingness to share their talents with the community.
The latter sharing is in the form of breaks for low-income families, assistance for local churches, leadership and sponsorship for Scouting activities and family cleanup of the Sandy River and public areas on Mount Hood.
But people notice their code of ethics more than the way they quietly support the community.
To the Horsfalls, “treating people like family” is not a cliché. It’s a Christian responsibility they take seriously.
Scott says anyone who comes to him with any plumbing problem is immediately his friend, and he does everything he can to give the best value.
The Horsfalls are invested in the community. Jennifer has lived her entire life here, graduating from Sandy High School and learning how to conduct business affairs through instruction from her father, Andy Martin. In the Living Water Plumbing office, she is assisted by Taeler Butel.
Scott, who does the physical work and supervises up to five part-time employees, has been in construction all his life. His apprentice is Forest Hoyt.
In 1996, Horsfall started working in plumbing while going through the five years of education it takes to become a journeyman plumber. He said only one in five of those who started the rigorous program graduated.
He finished near the top of his class in 2001, and began working for other plumbers.
By 2004, he was motivated to begin his own business, investing some of his retirement capital into the tools required to begin the business.
Guided by conservative business management strategies that Jennifer had learned from her father, she helped bring the business through those crucial early years.
They were solidly opposed to taking on any debt.
Absolutely none. They re-invested their earnings in the business, and the business continued to grow. Today they serve people all over the state and beyond with three vehicles. Scott says he has had clients in northern Washington, Alaska, central California and around the state as far as Roseburg and Bend. But he mainly serves the area between Troutdale and Mount Hood.
The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is recognizing Living Water Plumbing because of its sound business principles as well as the way it cares about people and the community.
For more information on Living Water Plumbing, call 503-668-0699 or visit livingwaterplumbing.net.
To attend the Aug. 10 luncheon, call 503-668-4006.
- Jim Hart, The Sandy Post

2011 New Business of the Year: Energy Unlimited

chamber — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:00:51 +0000

Steve Carpentier of Energy Unlimited in Sandy is pictured installing a complete solar-energy generating system for a business — producing electrical energy that connects to the grid.

Energy Unlimited

Company helps businesses and families use less fossil fuel.
By Jim Hart – The Sandy Post
Perhaps finding a niche and focusing a business on those selected products and services is the way to succeed in business.
That’s what Steve Carpentier and Vince Culp of Energy Unlimited in Sandy have done, and they are successful – even though the business has been open in Sandy for just more than a year.
Recently, a committee of the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce selected Energy Unlimited as the best new business of 2011.
The business will be formally recognized at a chamber gathering Aug. 10 in Meinig Park.
Culp said it is the economy that has driven their business – the fact that renewable energy can be less costly, better for the environment and more efficient.
“In this economy,” he said, “everyone’s looking to save money and have a positive impact on the environment. And that’s the overall desire of our company.”
The products and services that Culp and Carpentier offer at Energy Unlimited reduce the amount of energy a family or business uses, therefore reducing the cost. They also sell and install products that make use of alternative forms of energy such as solar and wind.
Energy use is reduced by locating and sealing any leaks in the outer shell of a building. That is achieved by changing to more efficient windows, adding insulation and sealing air leaks.
Then they suggest what choices are available for renewable forms of energy – to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
“It’s a lot easier and more affordable to save energy than it is to produce it,” Carpentier said.
Energy Unlimited does a lot more than just sell solar panels, which is a commonly-held myth. For example, catching rainwater and saving it for future use is one way to reduce one’s carbon footprint because water companies use less electricity if less water is used, and electricity is often produced using diesel fuel during peak-use hours.
Another factor driving their business, Carpentier says, is the fact some government agencies are giving tax incentives to install energy-saving appliances or to generate alternative forms of energy.
“The bonus packages offered through Energy Trust,” he said, “makes people more receptive to (our services) and often bring down the cost of an energy retrofit so much that it really helps.”
In summary, Energy Unlimited offers a package of materials and services, something like a consultant, first to make a building as efficient as possible with its use of heat, and then to find ways of using forms of energy that are easy on the environment such as solar or wind or hydro power.
Culp and Carpentier and some of their six employees are qualified to do retrofits and install efficient products after completing several certification programs and maintaining updates.
In their business, Carpentier and Culp make use of as many local products and services as possible, but always shop for Oregon-made products when they are not available in Sandy.
Their customers are from Oregon, but outside of the Sandy area they mainly include residents or businesses in the metro area, Salem, Bend and a few on the coast.
Energy Unlimited is located at 38888 Pioneer Blvd., and is open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call 503-668-6864.

2011 Business of the Year Awards

chamber — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 20:26:12 +0000

Pioneer Business of the Year – June

Sandy Auto Body
Contact: Brandon Swan
Address: 38650 Pioneer Blvd , Sandy, OR 97055
Phone: 503.668.4175
Fax: 503.826.9702
Website: www.sandyautobodyor.com
kathy@sandyautobody.com

New Business of the Year – July

Energy Unlimited LLC
Contact: Vincent Culp
Address: 38888 Pioneer Blvd., Sandy, OR 97055
Phone: 503-668-6864
Phone: 503-952-6986
Website: www.energyunlimitedoregon.com
info@energyunlimitedoregon.com

Home-Based Business of the Year – August

Living Water Plumbing
Contact: Jennifer and Scott Horsfall
Phone: 503.668.0699
Fax: 503.826.8077
Website: www.livingwaterplumbing.net
livingwaterplumbing@msn.com

Small Business of the Year – September
Corporate Business of the Year – October
Citizen and Humanitarian of the Year Awardees – November

Sandy Auto Body recieves the Pioneer Buisness Award 2011

chamber — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:34:36 +0000

Sandy Auto Body has been a fixture in Sandy for nearly 40 years, serving the community, its youths and the automotive needs of its residents.
But more than just one of the city’s businesses, the auto shop has been the type of business people voluntarily recommend to their friends.
For these reasons, the business and its co-owners, Brandon and Emma Swan, were selected by a Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce committee as winner of the Pioneer Business Award for 2011.
Basic criteria for this recognition include being in business a minimum of 10 years and having the owners and employees volunteering for the betterment of the community and its residents.
Selection committee member Marie Teune of Sandy said the Sandy Auto Body nomination stood out mainly because of customer service and community involvement.
“Most of their employees live in this community,” she said. “Their business has been built primarily on referrals, which says a lot about any company.
“Customers walk away feeling like they are (Sandy Auto Body’s) only customer, from the quality of service and care they received.”
Teune also mentioned the business has been a “huge supporter” of many Sandy youth sports activities as well as the annual FFA Alumni Auction, which supports FFA and 4-H members in the area.
Brandon Swan says he and his employees are trying every day to match the type of customer service seen at Sandy Auto Body after Clyde Cansler established the business in its present location in 1972.
At that time, it was just one of several Quonset huts, similar to La Bamba and Sandy Liquor, but since then a larger building has been built over the initial Quonset.
After its first 22 years under Cansler, the business was taken over by Steve Morency, but Swan says the business apparently didn’t grow well for a few years – likely because of a change in the all-important customer service.
After starting an automotive business in Portland at age 19, Swan bought Sandy Auto Body in 1999, when he was 21.
But age has no negative effect on a philosophy of business that puts customer satisfaction before all else. That was the business model mentored by Cansler.
That same business model continues today, under Swan’s leadership and 10 dedicated employees.
When Swan describes customer service, he talks about going several extra miles, not just one.
“If a customer brings a car in for detail work or collision repair and they mention it is in need of a tune-up or oil change,” he said, “we’ll send it out for them. It’s easier for them if they’re in a loaner car while we take care of everything, so they don’t have to go to all those places.”
He offers free pickup and delivery or a ride home, and everything done in his shop is guaranteed for as long as the customer owns the vehicle.
For the discerning eye, no one is more critical of his employees’ work than Swan. He sets the high bar at nothing less than perfection.
“If it isn’t perfect,” he said, “we’ll work on it until it is. If I can see (any flaw in the work) it follows me – because I live here in town, too.”
Swan deals with all insurance companies, and is considered a Direct Repair Provider, which means he is preferred by insurance companies and gets speedy approval for repair work.
“When you come here, and your car is fixed on time and there are no issues,” he said, “you’re probably going to keep your insurance – and it’ll be a happy experience.”
Swan will do restoration work on older vehicles, and he has an auto painter experienced in custom work such as three-dimensional airbrush graphics and business signs on vehicles.
For his customers, he also is a satellite branch for Hertz rental cars, with cars waiting at his shop for immediate drive-away.
“We do everything necessary,” Swan said, “to make (customers renting a car) as smooth and seamless as possible.”
Swan doesn’t hire many new employees, especially the positions requiring special skills. He says they like it so well they stay for a long time. He does, however, bring in an occasional high school student to help with training in the industry.
His technicians are CAR certified, which means they go back to school regularly to keep up on the latest.
Office Manager Kathy Pinkerton has been with the business through all three of its owners, starting as secretary in 1978.
Another of Swan’s trusted employees at the front desk is Estimator Dan Whitaker. He’s one of the people who customers meet first.
At that first meeting, Swan says, he or Whitaker or any of his employees immediately will be working on satisfying the customer on his or her next visit.
Because they know Sandy Auto Body’s customer service will bring them back for a next visit.
It is those “next visits” – those repeat customers – who have supported this business for decades. It’s the result of the shop’s word-of-mouth reputation.
“Providing quality repairs at a fair price brings repeat customers,” Swan said, “and that is huge.”
- Jim Hart, The Sandy Post

2011 Sandy Business and Community Awards program

chamber — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:17:10 +0000

The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is breaking new ground.
-Jim Hart
The Sandy Post
A 63-year tradition is being improved to open a more public eye to the heroic people and businesses that comprise the Sandy community.
The former annual awards banquet is being expanded in another format, and will not only honor citizens, but also businesses that have made a lasting impression on local residents.
The 2011 Sandy Business and Community Awards program includes five business categories (to be recognized over five months from June to October) and three community awards for local residents (to be honored in November).
No awards will be given in December.
Business of the Year categories include pioneer, new, home-based, small and corporate. Citizen categories include adult and youth citizens and a humanities-community service award.
Instead of the awards banquet, attended by perhaps 100 people, recognition will take the more widespread forms of respect at the monthly chamber luncheon and an article in the Sandy Post, as well as notice on the chamber’s and city’s websites, the chamber’s weekly E-Blast newsletter and on Facebook and Twitter.
That could make the facts known by potentially thousands instead of the 100 who attend the banquet.
This new format is more inclusive and more public, said Hollis MacLean-Wenzel, executive director of the chamber.
Overall, the eight awards are community awards, according to MacLean-Wenzel. They honor citizens and businesses contributing to the community to make it a better place to live and work.
“These people act in a way that is cooperative and supportive of other people and businesses,” MacLean-Wenzel said.
“These are people who support the community not only by providing goods and services for businesses, but also by supporting the community through local civic, educational and governmental service. They are good neighbors.”
Find nomination forms at the chamber office, 38963 Pioneer Blvd., as well as on the chamber’s website at www.sandyoregonchamber.org
Those completed forms should be delivered to the chamber by May 20, either by mail to P.O. Box 536, Sandy 97055 or hand-delivered to the office.
For more information, call 503-668-4006 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday.

Who will you nominate?
Here are the criteria for each recognition award
During the next six months, the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce will give monthly honors to businesses and people who set an example for others.

Community awards

Citizen of the Year: A person who goes above and beyond the call of duty, not once but time after time. This should be a person who donates his or her time and effort to promote the quality of life in Sandy.

Youth Citizen of the Year: A young person (18 or younger) who donates his or her time to better the community. This is a person who goes above the call of duty, not once but repeatedly.

Humanities/Community Service Award: This award should not be job-related, but should be related to the individual’s commitment to serving others in the community.

Business awards

Pioneer Business of the Year: This is a business that has been in Sandy more than 10 years, whose owners and/or employees have donated their time as volunteers and have contributed service to the community.

New Business of the Year: This is an entrepreneur business that has been in business for two years or less and exemplifies service to customers, service and dedication to the community, innovative ideas, commitment to excellence and high visibility in the business community.

Home-based Business of the Year: This is a business that exemplifies service to customers and the community, innovative ideas, commitment to excellence and high visibility in the business community.

Small Business of the Year: This is an entrepreneur business with 10 employees or less that exemplifies service to customers, service and dedication to the community, innovative ideas, commitment to excellence and high visibility in the business community.

Corporate Business of the Year: This is an entrepreneur business with more than 10 employees that exemplifies service to customers, service and dedication to the community, innovative ideas, commitment to excellence and high visibility in the business community.

2010 Awards Banquet

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:27:52 +0000

On Friday, April 9th, the SACC will be hosting the 62nd Annual Awards banquet. Make your reservations today and help us honor our outstanding businesses and community members! Awards will be given for the following categories:
Citizen of the Year
Youth Citizen of the Year
Humanities/Community Service Award
Pioneer Business of the Year
New Business of the Year
Home-Based Business of the Year
Small Business of the Year
Corporate Business of the Year

You can download the 2010 SACC Annual Awards Nomination form and turn it in at the Chamber office.