2020 First Quarter
Sandy Area Sensational Business
Frank Saniti Jr. Painting

Frank Saniti Makes Painting a 47-Year Personal Mission

Brittany Allen February 11 2020

PMG PHOTO: BRITTANY ALLEN – Frank and Debra Saniti own Frank Saniti Painting based in Boring.

 
While many independent contractors will tell you they went into business to work for themselves, Frank Saniti Jr. says he was in the painting business because of other people.

Now those people have decided to recognize Saniti’s nearly 50 years of hard work with a nomination for the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce’s Sandy Area Sensational Business Award.

Frank Saniti Painting of Boring has been nominated along with The Beauty Room and Ascent Physical Therapy.

Frank Saniti came by the occupation of interior and exterior home painting on his own as the first in the business for his family. As soon as he settled into the industry, he “enjoyed it and just stayed.” Now his wife Debra runs the business with him, focusing on the behind-the-scenes paperwork.

“I like being in different places all the time and meeting new people,” Frank said. “It’s not like an office job. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”

Frank will turn 70 this year and continues to do most of the manual labor. In the summer, however, he and Debra hire a few helping hands, he says.

Both Frank and Debra were happy to hear of their nomination.

“I felt honored to even be nominated,” Frank added. “I like Sandy as a whole. I like the people. That’s why I live and work here.”

“You can really meet people and it’s more personal when the business is small,” Debra explained. “It’s like working for your own family members.”

When he’s not painting, Frank is also proud of his participation with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, of which he’s been a member for three years.

As a Vietnam veteran himself, Frank likes to give back to the community through the CVMA.

“I don’t have any plans to retire yet,” Frank said. “But when I do, I’ll probably be riding with them full time.”

Congratulations to the
Other Two Nominees

AscentPhysicalTherapyLogo

Physical Therapy Clinic Achieves New Heights

Brittany Allen February 11 2020

 

 

PMG PHOTO: BRITTANY ALLEN – Jonathan Rice, Katelyn Leathers and Patrick Webinger run a people-centric physical therapy practice in Sandy.

 
When Jonathan Rice, Patrick Webinger and Derek Lawr first opened Ascent Physical Therapy eight months ago, the trio said it was, in part, because they’d been serving Sandy residents already at their Happy Valley location.

Now, that supplied demand has earned the business a nomination for the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce’s Sandy Area Sensational Business Award.

Ascent Physical Therapy, 17420 Meinig Ave., Sandy, has been nominated along with The Beauty Room and Frank Saniti Painting.

“I was flattered,” Rice said of the nomination. “It’s humbling. One of the best parts is the recognition from the community. I have at least one patient a week tell me we’ve changed their concept of physical therapy.”

Webinger and Rice mainly run the Sandy location, while partner Lawr and a new therapist handle the Happy Valley business.

Lawr, Webinger and Rice first met in graduate school before their careers as physical therapists began.

They all went into the profession with different backgrounds — pharmacy, military, athletics and engineering — and reasonings, but over time found they had a common goal: to serve people with more personalized care.

“We all came from different practices before and saw ways we could do things better,” Rice said. Part of the difference, Rice added, is education.

“We come from very evidence-based backgrounds,” he said. “I can’t un-sprain an ankle, but I can help you learn how to not sprain it again. We also don’t believe in the ‘no pain, no gain’ model.”

“We’re really big on the education piece of what happens.” Webinger said previously. “We’re teaching people an ability to understand what’s going on with their body and how to deal with it. We want you to learn to take care of yourself.”

Helping Webinger and Rice at the Sandy clinic is longtime Sandy resident Katelyn Leathers, who works as a receptionist.

“Katelyn is so tied into this community,” Rice said. “She’s really helped us make connections. Sandy is a fantastic community and it’s great to live in a place where people have those deep roots.”

Rice also acknowledged that the Sandy Chamber has been helpful in the clinic’s success over the past eight months.

“(The Chamber) feels community-centric from a business standpoint,” he added. “I like that there’s healthy business and community integration. We, as a business, personally elected not to take the most profitable PT model ourselves, but the most people-centric.”

“We pride ourselves in taking time to make sure people are comfortable with us,” Rice said. “It’s kind of reaffirming to have a community like Sandy recognize that.”

Stylists Kullmann, Chavez grateful for support of new business by Sandy community

Brittany Allen February 11 2020

 

 

PMG FILE PHOTO: BRITTANY ALLEN – Sarah Chavez and Shelly Kullmann opened The Beauty Room on Feb. 13 last year.

 
This time last year, hair stylist Shelly Kullmann got a hair salon for her birthday: The Beauty Room.

A year later, both owners Kullmann and Sarah Chavez have received the anniversary gift of a nomination for the Sandy Area Chamber of Commerce’s Sandy Area Sensational Business Award.

The Beauty Room, 38795 Pioneer Blvd., Sandy, has been nominated along with Ascent Physical Therapy and Frank Saniti Painting.

“It’s cool that this is falling around our year mark,” Kullmann said. “It’s been an amazing experience.”

Kullmann has been in the cosmetology industry for 28 years.

“Being self-employed is amazing when you have a family,” Kullmann said. “You don’t have to miss anything. Plus, I just love the beauty industry as a package.”

Chavez, 36, who has four children attending Oregon Trail School District schools, said she has always appreciated working locally to be close to her kids, and loves “being such a big part of the community” as a business owner.

“Everyone who comes in here loves it,” Kullmann explained. “People say it’s warm, friendly and they love the décor. It’s cool working in Sandy because it’s a small community and everybody knows everybody.”

“We like to stay up on trends and on our education as stylists,” Chavez added.

The salon offers cuts, color, permanents, eyelash extensions and facial waxing for women, and employs six stylists.

During the past year, Kullmann and Chavez’s main contributions have been donations to the Oregon Trail Academy auction.

“We like to give back to the community and be involved,” Chavez said. “Thank you to the community for being so supportive of us as well.”