2019 Fourth Quarter
Sandy Area Sensational Business
Clackamas County Bank

Clackamas County Bank

Clackamas County Bank: Making Community Count

Brittany Allen Wednesday, October 09, 2019
CCB

PMG PHOTO: BRITTANY ALLEN – Jarrett Stuchlik, Cathy Stuchilik and Justin Stuchilik own and operate Clackamas County Bank, with branches in Sandy, Boring, Welches and Gresham.

Clackamas County Bank has been a financial institution and community partner in Sandy for more than 100 years. In that time several generations of Proctors have kept the legacy of “banking in relationships” going.

“I think it’s an honor any time the community supports you, like by nominating you as a sensational business,” said bank President Cathy Stuchlik.

Clackamas County Bank is a full-service bank, offering traditional banking products as well as property, casualty and health insurance and financial investment and wealth management advice.

Cathy is the fourth generation of her family to lead the bank, and her sons Jarrett and Justin Stuchlik are already learning the business and starting to play roles within the institution.

Cathy has told The Post that she and her sons have kept the bank in the family out of pure love for the job and the community, and partially because leaving such a legacy “in this day and age isn’t something you see a lot.”

Jarrett noted that he thinks it’s “being out in the community and being visible” that have helped the bank be successful in its 108-year history.

“We have a relationship with the communities we serve and we try to support them because they’ve supported us for 108 years,” Cathy added.

Last year alone the bank’s management and employees served 1,200 volunteer hours with more than 40 different nonprofit organizations from the four communities the bank’s branches service.

“(Offering paid time to volunteer) gets our employees out there in the community,” Justin noted.

“They get to participate in the nonprofit of their choice and with causes near and dear to their hearts,” Cathy said. “This is the community many of our employees live in, that we live in. It’s home.”

Congratulations to the
Other Two Nominees

Bill’s Automotive recognized as the repair shop that cares

Brittany Allen Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Bills Automotive

PMG PHOTO: BRITTANY ALLEN – Bill King has run Bill’s Automotive in Sandy for 31 years.

Throughout his life, King has sold cars and car parts, worked in car detailing and painting, and repaired vehicles. So, one could say he knows his way around a car.

As a child, King was always taking things apart just to learn their mechanics and put them back together again.

“My father told me I was always tinkering with bicycles,” he noted. “They once found a box under my bed of clocks I’d taken apart. I guess I’ve always had a knack for figuring out how mechanical things work.”

King attended Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland where he took automotive classes as a freshman.

“That was it. Hook, line and sinker,” King said. “I’ve never been able to get away from it. It’s always been something about cars. I enjoy the satisfaction of solving complex issues.”

King was still working for a local car dealership in 1988 when he decided he wanted to open his own shop. He had a falling out with his previous employer.

“He told me ‘If you think you’re so smart, you go out and open your own business,'” King told The Post. “So I did.”

Even after 31 years of successful business, King was “surprised” to learn his shop had been nominated for the chamber award.

“I almost feel like people try to keep us a secret so we’re never too busy for them to get in,” King joked.

King boasted that though Bill’s is an independent repair shop, it is “easily the best-equipped shop in town.”

“No one has stuff we don’t have,” he added. “I also think it’s our ‘won’t quit’ attitude that (has made us successful).”

He noted that the shop often sees cars come in after being worked on at other places, and if his crew isn’t the first to see the vehicle, they work hard to be the last place it needs repair from.

“We pride ourselves in being the one who will solve the problem,” King said.

Oregon Trail district among three in running for Chamber award

Brittany Allen Wednesday, October 16, 2019

PMG FILE PHOTO – Oregon Trail School District was recently recognized by School Digger as the 10th in Oregon for academic achievement and student progress.

Though Oregon Trail’s top priority is educating the students of Sandy, Boring and the Mount Hood communities, it is also the largest employer in the community, employing 688 people.

Oregon Trail School District was also recently recognized by website School Digger as the 10th in Oregon for academic achievement and student progress.

“I think our nomination is a testament to the hard work our staff puts into the continued success on the academic front and the impressive gains we’ve made over the last eight years when it comes to student outcomes,” Superintendent Aaron Bayer told The Post.

Sandy High School graduated 81.92 percent of the students in the class of 2018. That’s 3.24 percent higher than the state average, and a 2.89 percent increase from the 2016-17 school year.

“I think it’s the commitment of the board and collective members to ensure the children arrive at the future they deserve (that people are recognizing),” Bayer said.

Besides working to engage the student population, Oregon Trail also prides itself on engaging the greater community by getting people involved through events like mock interviews, Prinicipal for a Day, Thrive at 25, CTE programs advisory, the Chamber’s Career and Education Committee and other opportunities.

“I think it’s important for our business partners to have their fingerprints on our students’ futures, assisting them on that pathway toward success,” Bayer noted. “It’s always an honor to be recognized by any part of our stakeholder group. To be recognized by our local community is of greater import than any other nomination we’ve received.”

2019 Third Quarter
Sandy Area Sensational Business
Three Way Tie!
Country Financial • Mt. Moka • Sanders Automotive

Country Financial - Cole Pritchard
Mountain Moka
Sanders Automotive

Cole Pritchard Focuses on Financial Education, Community Service

By Emily Lindstrand | Sandy Post Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Country Financial - Cole Pritchard

Photo By Emily Lindstrand | Cole Pritchard and Lizz Dobbs appreciate serving the Sandy Community

Country Financial - Cole Pritchard

Photo By Brittany Allen | Cole Pritchard took home a SAS Business Award on August 28, for work with Country Financial.

 

First-time nominee for Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce award works for Country Financial

The Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing to celebrate the city’s most sensational business.

Mountain Moka, Cole Pritchard with Country Financial and Sanders Automotive have been nominated by the community to compete for the quarterly award from the Chamber of Commerce. During the past few weeks, The Post has featured each business to inform voters of their options.

Cole Pritchard with Country Financial is up this week for voter consideration as a first time nominee.

Pritchard, a six year resident of Sandy, opened his office at 39332 Proctor Boulevard in December 2017 after spending several years working from Gresham. He assists customers with estate planning, retirement planning and insurance.

“It’s nice to work here. I can work with the people I live with and want to work with,” he said. “It’s nice to have a home base just down the street from my home.”

In his position with Country Financial, he appreciates being able to equip his neighbors with information.

“I arm my clients with knowledge to be secure with insurance and financial solutions,” he said. “If we can sell something, great, but I would rather someone learn and have information about these products.”

Pritchard also volunteers in several capacities within the community, including serving as vice president-elect of the Sandy Kiwanis Club and working with Sandy High School’s FFA program.

Pritchard has been involved with FFA since he was a student at Mountain View High School in Bend. As a state officer for the program, he traveled around Oregon and taught leadership to other high school students.

“Now, I support the local chapter and help out with funding and implement financial education,” he said, noting that he’s been passionate about agriculture since a young age. “I’m trying to give them the support they need.”

He also appreciates working with the Sandy Kiwanis Club.

“It’s kid-oriented. It’s a good group for having an idea what the town’s pulse is,” he said. “You get an idea of what’s going on in Sandy.”

In his role with Country Financial, Pritchard enjoys being able to problem solve.

“A lot of times you’re dealing with stuff that’s not as cut and dry,” he said. “Estate and retirement planning is a jigsaw puzzle.”

Pritchard also appreciates the independence that his position provides.

“I’m part of Country, but this is my practice,” he said. “I can focus on agricultural and commercial policies. It doesn’t have to be just one thing.”

Java Talk: Mountain Moka Nominated for Chamber Recognition

Written by Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Tuesday, August 6th, 2019

Mountain Moka - Tina Hovey

Photo By Brittany Allen | Adriene Acosta brews up an iced coffee for a customer at Mountain Moka

Mountain Moka - Tina Hovey

Photo By Brittany Allen | Tina Hovey of Mountain Moka has been nominated twice for the SAS Business Award.

 

Mountain Moka is up this week for voter consideration as a two-time nominee.

Tina Hovey has been the face of Mountain Moka since her family and co-owners Mike and Rosemary Giusto purchased the business 17 years ago.

“We just thought it was a great opportunity,” Hovey said of her family’s motivation to take over and keep the coffee flowing at the little corner coffee shop at 17450 S.E. Meinig Ave. “Their coffee is an addiction.”

Hovey lives in Sandy, only a mile away from the shop, and has raised her children here. Her daughter has even worked at the shop almost as long as Hovey herself has managed the business.

Though working with her daughter is a fun perk, being the first stop for people’s morning pick-me-up is her favorite part of working at Mountain Moka.

“We’re kind of like the place that’s part of people’s morning routine,” Hovey noted. “It’s more a part of them. It’s kind of cool. I’m a people person. The girls laugh and say all I do is stand around and talk to people all day.”

Last June, Hovey overhauled the look of the well-known café from its retro lime green and purple interior with checkerboard flooring to a more modern streamlined layout.

“I kind of miss the eclecticism of it,” Hovey admitted. “However, I feel like it definitely has made us more efficient. People like to get in and out.”

Besides serving up a large portion of the town’s daily caffeine intake, Hovey and her staff regularly donate coffee or a space for a donation jar to community groups. They also volunteer for the mock interviews at Sandy High School and donate teachers’ morning coffee to Firwood Elementary for the first day of school. Most recently, Hovey brewed up vats of coffee for the Sandy Kiwanis Cruise-In breakfast.

“We love being able to do that for the community,” Hovey said. “When people call, we help. It’s just giving back. A lot of these people are customers of ours, so they support us and we want to support them in return. I’m a firm believer in (the idea that) people help take care of us, so we help take care of them. We open the door to these fundraisers, but the customers deserve the credit. If we do a little paperwork, the community pulls through.”

Hovey added that she is “honored” to have been nominated for a second chance at the Chamber’s sensational business award.

“It almost meant more the second time than the first,” she said. “I have to give credit to the employees here. Some of them have been with me for years. They’re really good at making people feel at home, and people love that. They appreciate a familiar face.”

Mountain Moka - Tina Hovey

Photo By Brittany Allen | Hailey Blaschke, Tina Hovey and Adrienne Acosta serve coffee at Mountain Moka with a smile.

Mountain Moka - Tina Hovey

Photo By Brittany Allen | Hailey Blaschke takes someones order at Mountain Moka

Sanders Automotive Rev Up for Voting Period

Written by Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Photo By Brittany Allen | Nick and Adrienne Sanders have owned Sanders Automotive since 2017.

Sanders Automotive - Adrienne & Nick Sanders

Photo By Brittany Allen | Adrienne and Nick (not pictured) Sanders of Sanders Automotive have been nominated twice for the SAS Business Award.

 

Sanders Automotive is up this week for voter consideration as a two-time nominee.

Though they only opened at 16584 S.E. 362nd Drive in May 2017, Nick and Adrienne Sanders at Sanders Automotive noted that they’re continuously busy, and this is their second time being nominated for the Sensational Business award.

“I was thrilled,” Nick Sanders said of his reaction to the nomination. “I think it’s great people are taking notice of us.”

With two and a half years in Sandy under their belts, the couple said they feel like they’ve built a good community of customers.

“It’s been crazy busy,” Nick Sanders noted. “We’re a week or two out on repairs. I think we’ve started becoming more part of the community now.”

While making providing quality automotive service the top priority, the Sanders try to also give back to the community outside of their customer base by sponsoring teams for Hood to Coast, helping out AntFarm, volunteering for the mock interviews program at Sandy High, sponsoring youth athletics and more.

“I like the community,” Sanders said. “We know everyone in this lot. It’s a really tight-knit place. We’re really glad to be here.”

Nick Sanders has worked in the automotive industry for nearly 25 years. Originally from Reno, most of Nick Sanders’ experience came from working in the military as a reservist in Portland and working for independently owned shops in the area. He started working on cars in high school out of “necessity.”

“I couldn’t afford to not know how to fix my own car,” he said. “I like being self-sufficient. I’m more of a dig in and figure it out kind of person, and I like cars. To me, it’s not monotonous. Every day is a new (challenge).”

Owning his own shop was the next logical step. “It almost seemed like it was the right progression,” he said. “It’s kind of been an aspiration of mine since I started. You can only go so far in this business as an employee.”

Nick Sanders’ range of experience means he can work on “a little mix of everything.”

“There’s not a whole lot we turn down,” he explained. “That’s been the benefit of not working for a dealership. I’ve gotten to work on a spectrum of vehicles.”

2019 Second Quarter
Sandy Area Sensational Business
Hamburg Insurance – Mary Forrest

Farmers Insurance - Mary Forrest

Insuring without Limits

By Brittany Allen | Sandy Post – Wednesday, May 29,2019
Mary Forrest Hamburg Insurance

Photo By Brittany Allen | Mary Forrest has provided insurance services in Sandy for 19 years.

Mary Forrest has insured everything from businesses to personal property through Farmers for 19 years in Sandy. At her office on Proctor Boulevard, she said she tries to maintain an atmosphere of “yes.”

“I don’t like to tell my clients I can’t do something,” Forrest told The Post. “We like to do whatever we can to help them. The one thing I love about Farmers is we rarely have to say ‘no.’ If it can’t be insured through Farmers, we are licensed with several other companies. We really want to help people, (and) everybody is treated the same.”

As a self-proclaimed people person, Forrest said she enjoys not only helping people, but just getting to know them.

“I like helping people and making sure they have everything they need,” she noted. “But I also feel like I some to work to socialize.”

Forrest was “flattered” to have been considered for the chamber award.

“I love the hometown aspect of Sandy,” she said of the community she’s chosen to work and live in. “I know everybody and everybody knows me.

She noted that even if her clientele are familiar, her job is “never boring,” which she appreciates.

“Every day you come to work and besides the humdrum claims you get these really out-there ones too,” Forrest said.

In the greater community, Forrest has played several roles besides insurance agent. In her almost two decades in Sandy, she’s coached youth softball, been on and off the chamber board, and supplied numerous raffle baskets for events.

I think it helps Sandy as a whole (to volunteer),” Forrest noted. “I also just like to give a hand where a hand is needed.”

The Other Two Nominees

Dolly’s Pet Shoppe

Barlow Trail Veterinary - Sandy, OR -SAS Nominee

Mt. Hood Cigar

Mad Dogs Remote Control Hobbies - Sandy, OR - SAS Nominee

Chew Toys, Small-Town Charm

By Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Dollys Pet Shoppe - Anna Judd

Photo By Brittany Allen | Anna Judd specializes in selling natural pet food and treats at Dolly’s Pet Shoppe.

Similar to Forrest, Anna Judd of Dolly’s Pet Shoppe is community-oriented, though her focus extends to Sandy’s four-legged community as well.

Judd has worked in pet retail for nearly 20 years, opening Dolly’s about 14 years ago.

Recently, Judd hosted a Helping Paws pet food drive for Sandy’s Helping Hands, and in the past has donated items for local raffles and pet food to the Sandy Community Action Center.

At its core, Judd added, the shop is about offering access to quality products to the community.

“I try to offer a better option for our pets,” Judd said. “I think there’s a real need for it.” That need for natural pet food and treats in Sandy is exactly why Judd opened Dolly’s. She was hearing stories from local pet owners of their long commutes to other cities to purchase natural pet food, and took it upon herself to make those products more accessible.

“It’s rewarding to see people not have to travel far for quality food,” Judd noted. “I’m pretty unique in that you don’t see in my store what you’re going to see in the grocery stores in town.”

Judd was excited to learn that residents had voted her as a nominee for the Sensational Business award.

“I was trying to figure out who and why I was voted,” she said. “I’m really grateful that someone thinks I’m worthy of being nominated.”

Smoking the Competition

Written by Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Mt Hood Cigars - Dixie and Chris Bailey

Photo By Brittany Allen | Dixie and Chris Bailey have owned Mt. Hood Cigar Co., for just over a year.

Within a year of opening, Mt. Hood Cigar Co. has also made a name for itself. Being the new kids on the block, however, Chris and Dixie Bailey were excited and surprised to be nominated for the Sensational Business award.

“The community’s so helpful,” Dixie noted. “It’s amazing to have so many great people in one small town.”

Chris attributes the shop’s success to the fact that they’re “more involved in the community than most cigar shops.”

“We’re people people, ” Chris said. “We enjoy smoking with people and talking to people. We’re family friendly, too.”

Though they run a cigar shop, the Bailey’s try to attend events that are for everybody, and help out at or sponsor events for kids.

Last year they volunteered at the Kidd’s Island Teriyaki Christmas dinner for children in need and hosted a booth at the Sandy Music Fair and Feast chamber event and at the Sweets and Wine fundraiser for the chamber. They both also serve on board for the charity Riders Needing Assistance, which offers financial help to families of injured motorcyclists, and they lead the new local chapter.

As a business, Mt. Hood Cigar Co. offers a more “boutique” cigar collection, as well as more mainstream staples.

The Baileys are happy to volunteer in the community because it helps raise awareness of their business, but they also enjoy having a business that has provided them an outlet to give back.

2019 First Quarter
Sandy Area Sensational Business
BeaverBrooke Dental

BeaverBrooke Dental

Dentist puts Quality Care at Root of Business

By Brittany Allen | Sandy Post – Wednesday, March 06,2019
Beaver Brooke Dental Photo

Photo By Brittany Allen | Dr. Ken Claggett prides himself on having a staff that is well-trained ‘not only technically, but on working with people.

In the 39 years Dr. Ken Claggett has provided dental care to patients of BeaverBrooke Family Dental, he said the reasons he loves his job have surely changed.

His initial assessment as a young boy in junior high school was that being a dentist “seems like a good job,” then as soon as he began practicing after graduating from OHSU, Claggett found he appreciated the feeling of helping people.

“In the beginning, it was about helping people and the challenge of it all,” he noted. “In the last 15 years, the challenge has been all of the new technology. The stuff we’re able to do now is amazing.”

Claggett actually attributes part of why BeaverBrooke is so successful — and received the chamber award nomination — to the office’s tech savvy. Having the technological capabilities they do, the staff at BeaverBrooke can provide a variety of services, and sometimes at a more efficient rate.

Of course, having a staff that can operate said equipment is also important, and Claggett is proud of the team he’s assembled.

“We really work hard to train our staff really well, not only technically, but with working with people,” Claggett explained.

Now, in the latter half of his career, Claggett said he’s been surprised by how much of his job is dedicating time to educating the next generation of dentists.

“It’s started to be like mentoring and giving back by helping (others learn about dentistry),” he said. “It’s really fun to see you can have that guiding role as well.”

One “mentee” of Claggett’s, who will graduate from OHSU and join the practice in June, is the doctor’s son, Ethan Claggett.

Another way Claggett has found to give back to his community is by setting aside funds to ensure that everyone who needs dental care can receive it.

“Probably the highest-value thing I can do is provide dental care to people who can’t afford it,” Claggett noted. “We try to be really accommodating. We’ll always try to get people in if they need care.”

Most of Claggett’s community involvement does happen in his office at 39055 Pioneer Blvd. Besides acting as a resource for those in need, he’s also enjoyed the families he’s gotten to know through the years in Sandy.

“It’s fun to see a lot of patients who are related to each other,” Claggett told The Post. “Sandy’s a fun town and most of the people are very nice. I was pretty surprised to hear we were nominated for the chamber award. It’s nice to be well-known in the community, but I never thought we were that well-known.”

The Other Two Nominees

Barlow Trail Veterinary Clinic

Barlow Trail Veterinary - Sandy, OR -SAS Nominee

American Family Insurance – Matt Moffat

Mad Dogs Remote Control Hobbies - Sandy, OR - SAS Nominee

Business Owners Care for Creatures, Create Community

By Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Barlow Trail Veterinary

Photo By Brittany Allen | Dr. Ken Claggett prides himself on having a staff that is well-trained ‘not only technically, but on working with people.’

Though the veterinary clinic at 39231 Proctor Blvd. has known many owners over the years, it’s the customer service of Jaime Houston, Shan Hill and their team at Barlow Trail Veterinary Clinic that has earned them a nomination for this quarter’s business award.

“We kind of brag on this. We’re not a cheap clinic,” Shan Hill told The Post. “We make it a point to practice best medicine first.”

Hill added that though they charge “best medicine” prices, they also do try to work with people to prioritize services in a way that makes their care affordable for everything from pocket pets like rats to alpacas.

“The most important thing is taking care of the patient, followed immediately by taking care of the client,” Hill noted. “When something is important to us, we’ll present best medicine first, but we’ll ask what you can afford.”

Houston and Hill, a couple, co-own the clinic. Houston is the head veterinary mind, while Hill’s skills are mainly on the business side. He manages the clinic.

“My job is really about hiring discipline and schedules,” Hill said. “It’s ironic because I probably know the least about veterinary medicine.”

However, he knows the community.

“One of our core values at the clinic is community,” Hill noted. “We pay our employees to spend time volunteering. A lot of our volunteer work is done behind the scenes.”

Hill himself has served with groups, such as Compassion Sandy, Sandy Connect, the Sandy Community Action Center and the Fences for Fido program through actual service hours and in-kind donations.

At the clinic they even have an “angel fund” to help those in need of financial assistance to pay bills.

“I love the community feel in Sandy,” Hill said. “I’ve never been in a town that has such a community feel. Now I live in the best town. I think it’s an honor to be recognized (for our service).”

Matt Moffat: Meeting Everyday Needs with Small-Town Care

Written by Brittany Allen | Sandy Post Wednesday, February 20, 2019

American Family Insurance- Matt Moffat

Photo By Brittany Allen American Family agents Russ Thompson, Nikki Skinner and Matt Moffat have served the Sandy community for decades at 38965 Pioneer Blvd.

While Sandyites wonder how much winter is left before signs of spring start to appear, the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce is eagerly waiting to see who will receive the next Sandy Area Sensational (SAS) Business award.

This quarter’s nominees are Matt Moffat with American Family Insurance, Barlow Trail Veterinary Clinic and BeaverBrooke Family Dental.

The Post will run profiles of all three businesses in the following weeks to inform voters on their choices before the March 15 voting deadline.

Matt Moffat has been in the insurance game for more than 20 years, serving the Sandy community for most of his career. Formerly an agent for California Casualty, Moffat set up shop in Sandy in September 1999, at the very location he remains in today at 38965 Pioneer Blvd.

Moffat left California Casualty after three years because the local branch was becoming a call center, so it was either find another job or be moved to a different state.

“I decided American Family would be a good fit for my family,” Moffat told The Post. “It’s a very customer service-oriented company. American Family is headquartered in Madison, Wis., and it somehow retains that small-town service attitude, and I think that’s reflected in the company and its agencies.”

Moffat chose Sandy for that same small-town feel, which he said mirrored the atmosphere of his hometown of Palmer, Ala.

Ironically, as a young adult, Moffat did not set out to go into the insurance business, even though a high school aptitude test suggested he should.

Moffat got his beginning experience in service and working with people first from a four-year stint in the U.S. Air Force, then through working with people with disabilities.

In the end, insurance won out because of “the combination of sales and service, both of which I really enjoy.”

Through American Family, Moffat and his two-person team — Nikki Skinner and Russ Thompson — offer insurance for everything, including your car, business, life and commercial enterprises.

Outside of the office, the agents also volunteer several hours with organizations like the Sandy Public Library, the AntFarm YouthCore and Mt. Hood Hospice.

“I think our No. 1 priority is excellent service,” Moffat noted. “I think — whether you’re a citizen or a business — the more we can do to make Sandy a better place to live and work, only benefits us as people and as businesses. We’re pleased anytime we’re recognized not only for your longevity in the community, but for giving back.”