Open For Business Magazine - August/September 2011 Issue

FOR BUSINESS

THE EUGENE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: CElEBRATiNG…PROMOTiNG…iNFORMiNG BUsiNEss

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VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 USA $3.95

CANADA $6.95

BRIGHT IDEASHow University of Oregon intellectual property is turning into successful businesses

FEATURES

7 Oregon Research Institute, or ORI, has

spent the past 50 years dedicating its

research to the behavioral sciences.

16 Business incubation centers aim to

provide start-up companies with all

the resources they need to thrive.

18 The upcoming Emerald Awards

will recognize the positive

contributions of local businesses.

COLUMNS/ DEPARTMENTS

20 BUsiNEss NEWs

26 OPiNiON:

Why the University of

Oregon is ideally positioned to be

such an innovation “hub” vital to

Oregon’s future.

ADVERTISER INDEX23 BRING Recycling17 Cascade Health Solutions20 Chambers Productions16 Essig Entertainment27 Eugene Airport24 Evergreen Roofing

6 Hershner Hunter LLP5 Home Federal Bank23 Imagine Group2 Isler CPA28 Kernutt Stokes Brandt

19 McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center11 Oregon Community Foundation2 Pacific Continental Bank9 PacificSource Health Plans22 SCORE

25 Sandler Training24 Servicemaster25 Siuslaw Mortgage22 Summit Bank8 TechnaPrint

Publisher

David Hauser, CCE

Editor

Susan G. Miller, Director of Publications & Information Systems

Eugene Chamber Executive Committee

Marvin Re’Voal, Chair Pacific Benefit Planners

Sheryl Balthrop, Chair-Elect Gaydos, Churnside & Balthrop PC

Ann Marie Mehlum, Vice Chair Summit Bank

Eric Forrest, Past Chair Pepsi Cola Bottling of Eugene

Advertising

Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce 541.484.1314

Design/Layout

Asbury Design 541.344.1633

Content Editor

Tracy Ilene Miller

Printing

TechnaPrint, Inc. 541.344.4062

Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce

1401 Willamette St. Eugene, OR 97401

541.484.1314

Open for Business: A publication of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce (USPS-978-480).

Open for Business is published bimonthly by the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce in February, April, June, August, October and December. Circulation: 4,700.

Open For Business © 2011

The subscription price is $25, included in membership. Periodicals Postage Paid at Eugene, OR.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1107, Eugene, OR 97440-1107

FOR BUSINESS


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VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 USA $3.95

CANADA $6.95

BRIGHT IDEASHow University of Oregon intellectual property is turning into successful businesses

A partnership between the University of Oregon Center for Applied Second Language Studies, and investors formed what is now Avant Assessment. Page 10

COVER STORY >>

10 Leveraging its more than $100

million in research expenditures, the

University of Oregon has become a major

incubator of local businesses.

Art direction and design by Asbury Design www.asburydesign.net

Photography by David Loveall Photographywww.loveallphoto.com

contentsA U G U s T/ s E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1

Eugene Chamber Newsletter ~ 7.375 X 4.8125 ~ 4C ~ February/March Insertion ~ Terry Vilhauer

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4 O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S | E U G E N E A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

Chamber Advocates for More Job-Producing lands

Y O U R C H A M B E R W O R K I N G F O R Y O U

Business-to-Business Expo Set for October 20

What do you get when you combine 160 exhibitors

and over 1400 business leaders in a relaxed and

enjoyable setting? Business connections that

can support and grow local business. That is

exactly what attendees get each October at the

Chamber’s Business-to-Business Expo and After

Hours sponsored by SAIF Corporation. The 2011

Business-to-Business Expo is set for Thursday,

Oct. 20th in the Exhibit Hall at the Lane Events

Center from 4:00-7:30 pm and is the largest of

the nearly 100 networking events produced by

the Chamber each year. For more information,

go to www.eugenebusinessexpo.com.

Chamber Appoints Director of Entrepreneurial Development

JJ O’Connell has joined the Eugene Area Chamber

of Commerce as Director of Entrepreneurial

Development. O’Connell is a recent MBA from the

University of Oregon’s Center for Innovation and

Entrepreneurship. While

earning his MBA, O’Connell

served as Graduate

Assistant to the Director

of the Lundquist Center

for Entrepreneurship. In

addition, he served as a

representative on The Duck

Store Board of Directors, a

Fellow in the Technology and

Entrepreneurship Program

at the University and has

launched two businesses.

O’Connell will lead the

Chamber’s efforts to support early-stage companies

as part of its economic development program

entitled the Regional Prosperity Initiative. That

support includes connection to needed professional

expertise, technical information and preparedness

to attract equity and debt capital; overseeing

programs designed to support entrepreneurship

in the region including Smart-ups Pub Talks, the

Southern Willamette Angel Network (SWAN) and the

Willamette Angel Conference (WAC), and leading

outreach efforts to help them meet their goals.

O’Connell

Umpqua Dairy treats Expo attendees to ice cream.

Participants in the Envision Eugene process discuss options.

Addressing Eugene’s shortage of industrial land remains a

top priority for the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce.

Finding a solution that fits the values of our community

requires a good understanding of state land use laws,

current land supplies and the steps needed to reach

a solution. The Chamber’s Local Government Affairs

Council has consistently communicated the importance of

addressing Eugene’s shortage of industrial lands through

its active participation in the Envision Eugene process; in

providing technical support to City staff in the analysis

of available lands and by advocating for the responsible

addition of industrial lands. The Chamber believes that

Eugene needs at least 400-500 acres of new industrial

land in larger parcel sizes to meet the needs of existing

and future employers.

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A U G U S T/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 | O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S 7

50 years of breaking down human behaviorBy Stephanie Brathwaite

In 1965, The Register-Guard said it best: The

Oregon Research Institute is made up of “brainy

people…go(ing) quietly about their task of finding

out what makes us tick.”

Oregon Research Institute, or ORI, has spent

the past 50 years dedicating its research to the be-

havioral sciences. In the process, ORI has spurred

the development of several other research organi-

zations that define a strong presence of social and

behavioral research in Eugene.

That was five years after a handful of faculty in

the University of Oregon Psychology Department

launched what is now the largest independent

behavioral research center in Oregon and con-

sistently one of the top 50 nonprofit institutions

receiving federal funds in the country.

“Together, they formed an independent non-

profit research center which quickly gained a good

reputation and began attracting top talent of its

own,” says ORI research scientist and board chair,

Carol Metzler.

Although ORI has grown to employ more than

250 staff and to earn an international reputation

for scientific excellence and scientific freedom, it

maintains its long history of collaboration with

the University of Oregon.

“Scientists at ORI and the UO frequently col-

laborate on research projects of shared scientific

interest,” Metzler says.

Part of ORI’s success is the way it runs itself.

In the 1980s, the ORI motto of “Work hard, play

hard” was borne from a new management model

that allowed every employee the opportunity to

take part in major organizational decisions. This

model was designed to improve the workplace and

create a supportive environment for employees to

pursue their individual interests and new ideas.

“It’s important to stay connected to our local

and world communities,” Metzler says. “We sup-

port organizational and individual efforts to give

back to the communities that support us. It keeps

us connected to the populations we serve and

helps us put our research findings into practice in

the real world.”

S M A L L B U S I N E S S S P O T L I G H T

ORI research scientist and board chair, Carol Metzler says Scientists at ORI and the University of Oregon frequently collaborate on research projects of shared scientific interest.

Related storyA look at Oregon

Research Institute’s

current research areas.

Page 8

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Advancing science, enhancing livesPaul J. Hoffman, then a University of

Oregon assistant professor, founded the Or-

egon Research Institute in 1960 as a center

dedicated to basic research in the behavioral

sciences. These are the center’s current re-

search areas:

Promoting healthy child

development

ORI research teams study the develop-

ment of problem behaviors and social and

academic success related to:

n strengthening of parenting and family

for healthy child development

n fostering social and academic success in

school and community settings

n promoting positive youth development

through healthy communities

n meeting special needs through educa-

tion and rehabilitation programs for disabled

individuals

Promoting physical health

This research area includes the study and

promotion of physical activity among youth

and the elderly by focusing on:

n the effects of personality on physical

health and well being

n the causes of childhood obesity, includ-

ing disparities in access to healthy food

Promoting psychological health

Scientists study emotional and behav-

ioral health to

n understand factors that make people

vulnerable to serious mental health disor-

ders, including eating disorders and loss of

daily coping skills

n develop and evaluate interventions for

the prevention and treatment of psychologi-

cal disorders

Preventing and treating tobacco,

alcohol, illegal drug use and

related problems

Begun in the late 1970s, when scientists

first studied tobacco use in young people,

this research now explores

n prevention of alcohol and other drug use

among youth

n influences of peers and family on youth

drug use

n young children’s knowledge of and in-

tent to use alcohol and drugs

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A U G U S T/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 | O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S 1 11 0 O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S | E U G E N E A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

TechIntellectual property at University of Oregon

turns into thriving, growing local businesses

By Tracy Ilene Miller

OREGOn IS GEnERATInG An ABUnDAnCE Of InnOvATIOn

based opportunities, largely because of initiatives established by

the state’s public universities in the early 2000s. One of the most

recent examples of Oregon’s success in building its innovation

ecosystem is its first national nSf Center, the Center for Green

Materials Chemistry, a collaboration between UO and OSU that was funded this sum-

mer. Locally, there has been consistent, substantial growth of companies supported

by the University of Oregon and its entrepreneurial programs that link students,

faculty, investors and other business interests to develop innovations, evaluate new

technologies and launch startups. In 2001, the Eugene/Springfield area had two such

companies; today, there are 17.

These companies have been supported and nurtured by resources and individuals

coming from the UO, but also from funds made available through government grants

of the Small Business Administration and the City of Eugene. As General Manager Paul

Holman of Electrical Geodesics, Inc. (EGI) says, the company and Eugene are almost

synonymous.

“The company focuses on high-end science and it’s a profitable business, but the core

is helping people” Holman says. A common theme in Eugene, he says, is a business sense

that transcends mere profits. “Everyone who works here has a strong commitment to

providing solutions, whether it’s learning disabilities or epilepsy — it goes beyond the

bottom line and making a profit.”

EGI, which developed dense array electroencephalography (dEEG) technology now

transfer

C O V E R S T O R Y


widely used in human neuroscience research,

will mark next year its twentieth anniver-

sary and consistent growth over the past five

years. Since 2006, employee numbers have

doubled from 35 to 70, and so have revenues,

from $5 million to $10 million.

The company has expanded by broadening

its customer base

internationally and

for use in clinical

applications, not

only research.

International sales

now constitute 50

percent of the busi-

ness, Holman says.

To achieve that

growth, EGI has

enjoyed “a relationship with the university

that is both beneficial and symbiotic,” Hol-

man says.

That relationship started with EGI’s chief

executive officer, UO psychology professor

Don Tucker, who developed the technology

to launch EGI. Like many of the companies

initiated at the UO, EGI started with the work

of an individual professor and his or her re-

search group, which then led to placement at

the UO Riverfront Research Park, technology

and licensing agreements with the UO and

the start of other business ventures.

In EGI’s case, an additional venture

was launched in 2003, when Tucker joined

another UO professor, Allen Malony of the

Computer and Information Sciences Depart-

ment, to found the UO neuroinformatics

Center (nIC), starting with a $1.1 million

grant from the national Science foundation

to build a supercomputer cluster. EGI and

the University of Oregon then established a

separate company, Cerebral Data Systems,

to facilitate the commercialization of the

technology coming out of nIC. The Univer-

sity of Oregon holds a modest equity stake in

Cerebral Data Systems.

A profitable summer

few college students walk away with a

summer project that has the potential to

clear $1 million, which is the projected earn-

ings in 2011 for Eugene-based floragenex.

floragenex started as a summer project in

2006 with a team of UO business students

participating in The Technology Entrepre-

neurship Program, where business, law and

science graduate students evaluate new tech-

nologies for their commercial potential and

develop business plans around them.

nathan Lillegard, now president and chief

executive officer of floragenex, was one of

the students then introduced to UO associate

professor of biology Eric Johnson. Johnson,

now chief scientific officer of floragenex,

had the previous year, in 2005, filed a patent

for a ground-breaking process of identify-

ing strings of plant genomes for genetics

research.

At the end of that summer project, flor-

agenex became official, with space at the UO

Riverfront Research Park and a new service

offering to researchers. Researchers send

DnA to floragenex to process the material

and produce data analyses. In addition, UO

and floragenex participate in a number of

collaborative research activities that con-

tinue to push the frontier of the underlying

science. A relationship of mutual benefit, of

Nathan Lillegard

General Manager Paul Holman of Electrical Geodesics, Inc. says his company has enjoyed a relationship with the university that is both beneficial and symbiotic.

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f d

olla

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Aggregate Revenue

UO Portfolio companies show strong growth in past decade

These graphs show the aggregate revenue generated and number of jobs created in Oregon

by the University of Oregon’s Portfolio companies. These are not cumulative totals,

rather annual reports that have gradually grown over the past decade.


symbiosis.

But more than just the use of the UO facil-

ity has helped support floragenex, Lillegard

says.

“The UO gave us a good license,” Lillegard

says, “that made it reasonable to get the [com-

pany] off the ground.”

Plus, the connection with the univer-

sity and peer-reviewed articles on the process

gave floragenex instant credibility with both

investors and customers.

“It helped to have that connection,” Lil-

legard says, “which allowed us to get our first

customers. It’s a lot easier to sell to academics

when you are a part of academics.”

The future of education

Academics. Learning. They go together.

Bring a research element to the learning, and

a whole new way of assessing language pro-

ficiency in students supports a major goal of

universities, to improve teaching and student

learning.

But how to get that into the hands of

teachers and students? It took a partnership

between Carl falsgraf, director of the UO

Center for Applied Second Language Studies,

and investors Sheila and Dave Bong to form

Language Learning Solutions in 2001, which

is now Avant Assessment.

As the name suggests, the company is as-

sociated with the avant-garde, a forward way

of thinking to better assess student learning.

“This is not a standardized test,” says

Michael Patterson, chief executive officer and

president of Avant Assessment. “The goal is

to measure how well a student, a child or an

adult uses language in real-world situations.

The test questions are built from realia, from

authentic material in the target language.”

Realia are objects from real life brought into

the classroom to base learning on real-world

situations.

In addition, Avant is developing a platform

that moves away from test-taking toward

a paradigm shift where students provide

Michael Patterson is chief executive officer of Avant Assessment, which has grown from 14 FTE in January 2006 to 67 FTE in 2011.

evidence of their learning through multiple

modes, so teachers are put in more of a coach-

ing role that allows students to move at their

own individual pace.

These forward-thinking developments

and existing products have supported Avant

Assessment’s expansion, with staff growing

from 14 fTE in January 2006 to 67 fTE, says

John Haakanson, vice president of finance

and government affairs, or a net gain of 53

employees. Avant had $7.4 million in receipts

last year, Haakanson says, a $3.5 million

increase over two years prior.

Although the technology transfer agree-

ments between Avant and the UO run only

through 2014, the UO will continue to be an

equity owner and a strong working partner,

Patterson says. There’s the exchange of data

and the test questions, which come from

the UO, the assurance that sound science

(read: credibility) is behind the develop-

ment of Avant Assessment’s products. As

the company moves beyond its origins, the

relationships with the UO and other Eugene

partners will continue to support its growth

and success, says Patterson.

The City of Eugene, local banks such as

Pacific Continental Bank, the UO Riverfront

Research Park and the Eugene Chamber of

Commerce are all counted as supporters of

Avant Assessment and the other companies

that have developed from the UO Office of

Technology Transfer and now thrive in the

Eugene/Springfield area.Eugene AreaChamber ofCommerce

Additional University of Oregon Portfolio companies

CCR Consulting

CCR Consulting offers a wide variety of

computer consulting and training programs

specifically designed to meet clients’

requirements.

www.ccrconsulting.net

Cascade Prodrug, Inc.

Cascade Prodrug, Inc.is a revitalized

pharmaceutical company developing targeted

prodrug therapies for the treatment of hyper-

proliferative diseases. The company’s initial

disease focus is on a pipeline of prodrugs

that are activated in abnormally low oxygen

concentrations found in most solid tumors.

www.cascadeprodrug.com

Crystal Clear Technologies, Inc.

The Crystal Clear Technologies’ mission is

to bring to market a low cost water purifier

technology affordable to the majority of the

world’s population.

www.simplyclearwater.com

Dune Sciences, Inc.

SMART Grids simplify nano and bioanalysis

by changing the rules of sample preparation.

SMART Grids are smart because biological

and nanomaterials are attracted to and self

assemble on the grid surface via an active

interface.

www.dunesciences.com

Educational Policy Improvement Center

(EPIC)

EPIC’s mission is to improve educational policy

and practices which will increase student

success, particularly with students historically

underserved by public schools. www.

epiconline.org

Eugene Health and Performance Foundation

The Eugene Health and Performance

Foundation (EHP) works to help people live

healthier, more productive lives. Its goals are to

teach students, guide runners, coach athletes,

share knowledge, disseminate research, and to

conduct studies.

www.healthandperformance.org

Eugene Software Solutions

Eugene Software Solutions is the exclusive

provider of a proven, powerful, scalable and

fully customizable education software called

GradWeb that was developed at the University

of Oregon over a period of three years.

www.eugenesoftware.com

Insignia Health LLC

Insignia Health helps health organizations

understand patient’s self-management

ability as revealed by the Patient Activation

Measure assessment. This allows health

organizations and caregivers to go beyond

deficit based education to also address the

underlying competencies that drive poor self-

management.

www.insigniahealth.com

MitoSciences, Inc.

MitoSciences is a leading developer of

mitochondrial antibodies and mitochondrial

assays. Their broader focus is to provide the

most comprehensive set of antibodies and

assays for studying metabolism and apoptosis.

www.mitosciences.com

Mosaic Genetics LLC

Mosaic Genetics is a life sciences company

offering a new mouse model for anti-cancer

drug development and cancer research. Their

patent-pending platform technology allows

researchers to collect more information at the

single-cell level, thereby creating better drugs,

faster.

www.mosaicgenetics.com

On Time Systems, Inc.

On Time Systems is an advanced-technology

company specializing in software for

optimization of complex industrial problems.

The search-based approaches and technology

are applicable in many industries, but their

initial area of focus is the optimization of labor

and resource utilization in shipyards.

www.otsys.com

ParaTools, Inc.

ParaTools, Inc. provides consulting expertise in

the area of parallel and distributed computing,

as well as performance evaluation tools.

www.paratools.com

Perpetua Power Source Technologies, Inc.

Perpetua designs, manufactures, and markets

renewable energy solutions for wireless

sensors. They are focused on offering cost

effective and easy-to-integrate power

products that last as long as the sensor

electronics.

www.perpetuapower.com

Personal Technologies LLC

Personal Technologies products help students

with cognitive and learning challenges access

technology for communication. Each of their

products has demonstrated usability and high

potential to impact social connectedness with

peers.

www.personaltechnologies.com

VizMe

VizMe is a new way to explore and share

content online by creating tokens which are

circular images that represent a topic, theme,

idea, or brand. It packages mixed content in a

fun way, creating an experience that is greater

than the sum of the individual songs, videos,

photos, text, etc.

www.vizme.com

“It’s a lot easier to sell to academics when you are a part of academics.”

– Nathan Lillegard, president and chief

executive officer of Floragenex

From tech transfer to prosperityThe University of Oregon is an incu-

bator of entrepreneurial ideas, and the

Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce in

concert with other affiliates then supports

the resulting companies toward prosper-

ity, with education, networking and capi-

tal formation.

The Regional Prosperity Initiative

(RPI), a program launched by the Eugene

Area Chamber last year with a grant from

the Chambers family foundation, pro-

vides business retention and expansion

services to help companies identify re-

sources and solutions to issues of growth

and sustainability.

Through RPI initiatives, companies

coming out of the UO and settling in the

Eugene/Springfield area find connections

and get the expertise they need to suc-

cessfully pitch their companies, present

to investors and navigate expansion, in

addition to making important connection

to companies in related industry clusters.

“The Chamber, the UO and other

regional partners like the City of Eugene

are collaborating to provide true, holistic

assistance to these companies,” says Ben

Sappington, director of the Regional

Prosperity Initiative at the Eugene Area

Chamber.

In addition, in partnership with the UO

Office of Technology Transfer, the Cham-

ber helps manage the annual report data

for the 17 companies in Lane County who

have technology agreements with the UO.

As part of its support of these local entre-

preneurs, the Chamber collects employee

and revenue data to confidentially manage

this data and share it in aggregate form to

the public.

— Tracy Ilene Miller


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Business incubation is a process that helps

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viding them access to resources and services.

A support network provides affordable office

space, equipment, funding and education,

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Paramount to the success of a business

incubator is the provision of management

guidance, technical assistance and consulting

that is tailored to young, growing companies.

With these resources, an incubator completes

its main goal, which is to produce successful

firms that are financially viable when they

leave the program.

Incubators vary greatly in their method

of service delivery, organizational structure

and type of client served. Some incubators

are industry specific, although many are

mixed-use, housing tenants from a variety

of business sectors. Most are nonprofit and

are run by economic development programs,

government entities or academic institutions.

The Riverfront Research Park, run by the

University of Oregon, specializes in biosci-

ences, human development, advanced mate-

rials, education and language assessment and

information technology.

Hatch, launched earlier this year, is a

mixed-use incubator that is currently looking

for a handful of small businesses to utilize its

services.

It is operated by a partnership between

the neighborhood Economic Development

Corporation (nEDCO) and eDev, an entre-

preneurial development service provided by

the Lane Community College Small Business

Development Center.

For more information on incubators

Riverfront Research Park

researchpark.uoregon.edu

Hatch, Neighborhood Economic

Development Corporation

nedcocdc.org/commercial.htm

National Business Incubation

Association (NBIA)

nbia.org


B U S I N E S S T I P S

Energy savings that stickDecal graphics company

gets energy-efficient

lighting and bottom-line

savings with EWEB’s help

Eugene Chamber member Potter Manu-

facturing Company Inc., also known as Pot-

ter Decals, recently worked with the Eugene

Water & Electric Board (EWEB) to replace

outdated fluorescent lamps in its facility with

more energy-efficient lighting. After EWEB

incentives, tax credits and a low interest loan,

the project will not only pay for itself in about

two years, but Potter will enjoy lower energy

bills each month.

“There are some very simple and easy mea-

sures business owners can take to save en-

ergy and money,” says Travis Reeder, EWEB

Energy Management Specialist. “Lighting is a

great place to start. We’ve also helped other

businesses to improve the efficiency of their

heating, ventilation and air conditioning

(HvAC) systems, which can mean big savings

over time.”

Potter replaced outdated 1.5” diameter

(T12) fluorescent lamps and magnetic bal-

lasts with high-performance 1” diameter

(T8) fluorescent lamps and high efficiency

electronic ballasts throughout the building.

“There are some very simple and easy mea-

sures business owners can take to save en-

ergy and money,” says Travis Reeder, EWEB

Energy Management Specialist. “Lighting is a

great place to start. We’ve also helped other

businesses to improve the efficiency of their

heating, ventilation and air conditioning

(HvAC) systems, which can mean big savings

over time.”

To find out how your business can save

money and energy, contact EWEB Commer-

cial Energy Management Services at (541)

685-7000 or visit eweb.org/saveenergy. for

more information on Potter Manufacturing

Company, visit potterdecal.com.

How it penciled out

Cost before incentives $8,100

EWEB Incentive $3,000

Tax Credit $2,800

Low Interest Loan (2% APR)

Annual Cost Savings $1,050

Simple Payback

(not including loan) 2.2 years



By Kimberly Andrews Espy

“The five essential entrepreneurial skills

for success are concentration, discrimination,

organization, innovation and communication.”

This statement, which sounds so familiar to

our modern ears that it might have been made

last week by a leading American entrepreneur,

was in fact made nearly 200 years ago by

the renowned British chemist and physicist

Michael faraday. Today we remember faraday

primarily as a nineteenth-century scientist

whose foundational experiments probed the

mysteries of magnetism and electricity. In ad-

dition to being a superb scientific researcher,

however, faraday was also a brilliant innovator

who is credited with constructing not only the

first electric motor but also the first dynamo

to convert mechanical energy into electricity.

faraday’s achievements are all the more remark-

able when we consider the circumstances into

which he was born in 1791, for faraday was not

the child of aristocrats, but rather the son of a

poor English blacksmith who labored in a small

village outside London. Ap-

prenticed to a bookbinder

when he was thirteen

years old, faraday read

voraciously and had the

extraordinary good fortune

to become the laboratory

assistant and protégé of the

great scientist Sir Humphrey

Davy. And the rest, as they say, was history.

faraday’s story strikes a chord as we move

into the second half of 2011. Sobering fiscal

realities confront us in the aftermath of the

Great Recession, and certainly this decade will

challenge our concentration, organization, in-

novation and communication. We will be called

upon to engage collaboratively, to work re-

sourcefully and to produce with unprecedented

productivity. And perhaps most importantly of

all, we will be called upon to find and nurture

those modern-day students who will become

the faradays of the new millennium.

I thank the Chamber for welcoming me to

Eugene and providing me with the opportunity

to share these thoughts. Building on the dra-

matic expansion of the last decade, the research

enterprise of the University of Oregon is look-

ing forward with excitement and anticipation

to sparking the next generation of scientific

discovery, to creating new technological break-

throughs and to building regional prosperity

through entrepreneurial engagement.

Kimberly Andrews Espy is Vice President

for Research and Innovation, and Dean of the

Graduate School at the University of Oregon.

Each fall hundreds of business and commu-

nity leaders gather for the Eugene Area Chamber

of Commerce’s Emerald Awards at the Hult Center

for Performing Arts.

The awards celebrate the business of com-

munity and honor those who help make Eugene/

Springfield a wonderful place.

The bottom line is businesses play a significant

role in making Eugene/Springfield a wonderful

place to live, work and raise a family. The Emerald

Awards is our community’s opportunity to say

thank you.

Perhaps french author and humorist voltaire

may have summed up the mission of the Emerald

Awards best when he said, “appreciation is a won-

derful thing: It makes what is excellent in others

belong to us as well.”

If you have a business you’d like to nominate

for a 2011Emerald Award go www.theemer-

aldawards.org.

Get our E.R. wait time even before you get to our E.R.

* We are committed to working diligently to have you initially seen by a clinical professional (physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner) within 30 minutes of your arrival. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.

We know that when you have an emergency, you want help fast. That’s why McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center introduced the 30-Minutes-Or-Less E.R. Service Pledge*. And now, we’re introducing two ways to find the current average wait time before you arrive. Either scan this QR code with your smartphone to go to our mobile site or visit McKweb.com to get a better idea of how quickly you’ll initially be seen by a clinical professional.

McKweb.com

30-Minutes-Or-Less e.r. service PLedge

Download our Quick Launch Web App to your mobile device by scanning in this QR code and saving the bookmark to your home screen.

56404_MWMC_ERpldgP_7_375x4_8125c.indd 1 6/30/11 5:06 PM

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HOME GROWNTHE EUGENE AREA ESTABLISHES ITSELF

AS A FOOD-PROCESSING HUB

E M E R A L D A W A R D S

Celebrating the business of community


BUsiNEss OF THE YEAR

King Estate Winery (2010) Palo Alto Software (2009)PeaceHealth (2008)Wildish Land Company (2007)

GROWTH

Ninkasi Brewing Company (2010) Café Yumm (2009)Bulk Handling Systems (2008)Bowtech Archery (2007)Oregon Medical Laboratories (2006)Glory Bee Foods (2005)Lunar Logic (2004)

iNNOVATiON

Bulk Handling Systems (2010) Avant Assessment (2009)MitoSciences, Inc. (2008)Life Technologies LLC (2007) Sequential Biofuels (2006)Hydra Cool, Inc. (2005)Electrical Geodesics (2004)

COMMUNiTY CARiNG

Bi-Mart Corporation (2010) The Register-Guard (2009)Windermere Real Estate/Lane County (2008)PacificSource Health Plans (2007)Isler CPA (2006)Siuslaw Financial Group (2005)Funk/ Levis & Associates (2004)

ENViRONMENTAl VAlUEs

Organically Grown Company (2010)Hamilton Construction (2009)Slocum Orthopedics (2008)Café Yumm! (2007)Rexius (2006)Emerald Valley Kitchen (2005)Habitats (2004)

Any for-profit business in the larger Eugene/Springfield area is eligible. Nominations will be accepted through August 26, 2011.

Previous award winnersA review of past winners reads like a who’s who in local business:

O P I N I O N

The decade ahead: Connecting research


Kimberly Andrews Espy


PROMOTIONS/NEw HIRESPhotos appear left to right from top

Lindsay Glazier has

been promoted to

the position of junior

financial consultant

at SELCO Financial Solutions.

www.selco.org

Funk/Levis & Associates welcomes Theron Cooper to its account management team.

Funk/Levis & Associates moved into a

new downtown office at 931 Oak Street in

Eugene. The firm now resides in the historic

Owens Building, jointly owned by firm

president Anne Marie Levis and Jenny Ulum,

founder of The Ulum Group.

www.funklevis.com

University of Oregon professor of school

psychology Kenneth Merrell is the recipient

of the 2011 Senior Scientist Award, the

highest recognition given by the American

Psychological Association’s Division of

School Psychology.

www.uoregon.edu

Eugene Airport director

of communication and

development Cathryn Stephens has earned

her Accredited Airport

Executive designation

through the American

Association of Airport Executives. Stephens

joins a select group of approximately

470, or fewer than 10 percent of AAAE’s

members nationwide, who have earned this

distinction.

www.flyeug.com

New member Syte Consulting Group is

comprised of process and systems experts

focused on the installation and optimization

of SAP Business ByDesign - the leading

cloud enterprise solution for small and mid-

sized companies. Principals are Erin Koss

and Roger Borek.

www.sytecg.com

Nicholas Frost has

joined the law firm of

Hershner Hunter LLP as

an associate.

www.hershnerhunter.com

T

he Lane workforce Partnership has elected

the following individuals for its 2011-12

board of directors: John Lively, CAWOOD,

president; Bob Halligan, Willamette Valley

Company, president-elect; Linda Dagg,

Enterprise Holding, Inc., secretary; Debra Smith, EWEB, treasurer. Also welcomed as

new board members are Steve Bradbury,

Franz Family Bakeries; Claire Seguin,

NEDCO; Jon Kubu, Symantec; Sheri Moore, Springfield City Councilor; and Faye Stewart, Lane County Commissioner.

www.laneworkforce.org

Oz witt has expanded his responsibilities

at SELCO by assuming the role of Senior

Mortgage Development Officer at SELCO

Mortgage Company.

www.selco.org

BUSINESS NEwS

CHINAExplorE tHE woNdErs of

wItH tHE EUGENE CHAMBEr

The Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with

CITSLINC International, is offering an incredible tour of China.

Experience China with the Eugene Chamber. See how China’s

economic reforms continue to transform this ancient land into an

unforgettable fusion of the exotic and modern April 16 - 25, 2012.

Price per person of $2,199 (Receive $100 discount if paying by

check) includes roundtrip international airfare, 4- and 5-star hotel

accommodations, 3 meals each day, fluent English-speaking tour

guides, and entrance fees for attractions!

Call Ben Sappington today at (541) 242-2359 or visit

www.eugenechamber.com for more information.

BEIj ING ∙ sHANGHAI ∙ sUzHoU ∙ HANGzHoU

Jill Hartz, executive

director of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of

Oregon, is now president

of the Association of

Academic Museums

and Galleries (AAMG). AAMG is the leading

educational and professional organization

for academic museums, galleries, and

collections.

http://jsma.uoregon.edu

Michael Coughlin has

been elected to serve

a four-year term on the

board of directors of

The Oregon Community Foundation.

www.ocf1.org

Brandon Morse has been hired as a fully

licensed Insurance Account Representative

at Jason Stefely’s State Farm Insurance

office. Morse recently graduated from the

University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of

Business.

www.jasoninsures.com

Rosie Hernandez receives her award from Chairman and CEO J.w. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. (left), and President and Chief Operating Officer Arne Sorenson (right).

Eugene Residence Inn by Marriott housekeeping manager Rosie Hernandez

recently won the Marriott Award of

Excellence. She is the second associate

from a hotel managed by InnSight HMG to

receive this highest recognition of a Marriott

associate.

www.residenceinn.com

The Lane Community College Foundation

has named Tiana Marrone-Creech its new

annual gifts officer.

www.lanecc.edu/foundation/

Dr. Jeff Sharman

has been

appointed associate

chair of blood cancer

research for US

Oncology, the parent

company of the

willamette Valley Cancer Institute and Research Center. This national appointment

will benefit Lane County patients seeking

access to lymphoma and leukemia drugs

through clinical trials.

www.oregoncancer.com

Coastal Farm and Ranch has promoted

Tina Bartram to

manager of its Eugene

store. Additionally, Sara Jane Varozza and Dick Yarbrough have been

promoted to assistant managers.

www.coastalfarm.com


Road. Operations and production will remain in

the company’s current headquarters at 120 N.

Seneca Road.

www.GloryBeeFoods.com

The Courtyard by Marriott Eugene Springfield has completed a total renovation of its 116

guest rooms.

www.eugenespringfieldcourtyard.com

Health & Safety Institute (HSI) has announced

the new Basic First Aid and CPR and AED

training programs from American Safety &

Health Institute, a member of the HSI family of

brands. The programs feature realistic scenario

videos, full-color student handbooks in digital

and print formats and two-year certification

cards for successful course completion.

www.medicfirstaid.com

Lorig Management Services LLC and Eugene

Storefront Art Project were awarded the 2011

BRAVA Arts & Business Partnership Award for

Outstanding Partnership by the Arts & Business

Alliance of Eugene.

Guaranty RV Super Centers is one of

116 dealers recognized as a 2011 Circle of

Excellence winner by Winnebago Industries,

Inc., because of the dealership’s commitment

to excellence in customer satisfaction.

www.guaranty.com

The Primary Care Clinic of Cascade Health Solutions is offering membership for

prevention and wellness services to anyone 12

months of age or older who is ineligible for or

covered by Medicare.

www.cascadehealth.org

Old Dominion Collision Repair Centers have

received the highly coveted SHARP designation

by the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health

Administration. Oregon OSHA’s Safety and

Health Achievement Recognition Program

(SHARP) recognizes employers who have

implemented exemplary safety and health

management systems. Old Dominion is the only

collision repair facility in the state of Oregon,

and only one of three nationwide, to receive the

SHARP designation.

www.olddominioncollision.com

PIVOT Architecture has signed a 10-year

lease with Beam Properties Eugene LLC to

occupy most of the third floor of the Broadway

Commerce Center (formerly known as the

Center Court building) in Downtown Eugene.

www.pivotarchitecture.com

Café Yumm! announces the grand opening

of a restaurant in downtown Portland. Once

certified, the restaurant will be the first LEED

Gold-rated fast casual restaurant in the state

of Oregon. The application is currently under

review.

www.cafeyumm.com

Paula Backus, Meri Justis, Patty McCourt and Susan Muck

The Justis Group and Insight Leadership

are pleased to announce a new strategic

partnership to form Insight Coaching Alliance

(ICA), an integral coaching firm. Insight

Coaching Alliance draws on the experience

and talents of four seasoned coaches: Meri Justis, Susan Muck, Patty McCourt and Paula Backus.

Moss Adams announces the following

promotions and designations: Amanda Bridges, CPA, has been promoted from

manager to senior manager; Scott Rauch

and Blake Martin have been promoted

from staff to senior managers; and Kevin Mullerleile, CPA, has completed testing

and received the Certified Fraud Examiner

credential from the Association of Certified

Fraud Examiners.

www.mossadams.com

Business News

Emerald People’s Utility District has

selected five individuals to receive $1,250

EmPOWERing scholarships to pursue

education in utility industry careers. This

is the third year EPUD both opened the

scholarship to adults interested in pursuing

second-career training and targeted funds

specifically to utility industry career training.

www.epud.org

GloryBee moved its distribution,

warehousing, sales staff and factory store

to a new, larger facility at 29548B Airport

B U S I N E S S N E W S

Vans. Trucks. Wraps.

fleetgraphics

People. Places. Products.

photographics

ImagineGroup.com 990 Garfield • Eugene, OR 97402 • 541.485.2994

Signs. Banners. Tradeshows.

graphics

WHEN

IT’S TIME

TO GO

ABOVE AND

BEYOND.

541.684.7500

SUMMITBANKONLINE.COM

96 EAST BROADWAY

EUGENE, OR 97401

Part of the Summit team (left to right):Mike Mercer, Ann Marie Mehlum, Tina Osten and Tim Calhoun.

MOVE UP

Receive free, practical advice to help your business minimize waste and save money. You may qualify for financial incentives and additional resources.

We provide hands-on assistance for:

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Callnow541-746-3023


Business News covers promotions, hires,

awards, business giving and business

news. E-mail items to businessnews@

eugenechamber.com.


ServiceMaster Commercial CleaningCarpet & Flooring Janitorial Service Specialty Cleaning

www.smcommercialclean.com(541) 338-0101

B U S I N E S S N E W S

How Low Can You Go?Mortgage rates are at a historic low! Call Siuslaw Mortgage today to inquire about a new home purchase or to refinance your existing loan. Loan decisions are made and serviced locally.

541.683.2400siuslawmortgage.com

Siuslaw Mortgage4780 Village Plaza Loop

Suite 200Eugene, OR 97401

Hungerford, Creekmore & Co., LLCEugene, Bend & Portland

(541) 686-0993 / [email protected]

34

5276

1T01

NEW MEMBERsThe following have joined 1,100 of the region’s

leading businesses as members of the Eugene

Area Chamber of Commerce.

A Kidz Dental Zone www.eugenekidsdentist.com

All Academic, Inc. www.allacademic.com

Allann Bros Coffee Co., Inc. www.allannbroscoffee.com

Alma Catering www.almacatering.net

Artwork Dental www.artworkdental.com

Blue Star Gas Eugene Co. www.bluestargas.com

Buckle

www.buckle.com

Cabinet Store and More www.cabinetstoreandmore.com

Concordia Group www.concordiagrp.com

Dave Oatman and Associates LLC

Elite Realty Professionals www.jamiepaddock.com

Eugene Piano Academy LLC www.eugenepianoacademy.com

Feel So Alive www.feelsoalive.biz

Floragenex, Inc. www.floragenex.com

Hilton Garden Inn Eugene/Springfield [email protected]

Inn at the 5th www.INNat5th.com

Insurance Partners LLC www.insurancepartners.biz

Kirkpatrick, Henderson + Risen LLC

Kristie Gibson, Attorney at Law

Lane County Commissioner Sid Leiken www.lanecounty.org

Mikilas Fitness Solutions www.mikilasbootcamp.com

minimize llc www.minimize.com

Miss Lane County Scholarship Program www.misslanecounty.org

My Party Bus LLC www.my-partybus.net

NeuroSpine Institute LLC www.neurospinellc.com

NM-Coin LLC www.nm-coin.com

Office Pro Solutions www.officeprosolutions.com

Oregon Networking Exchange www.oregonnetworkingexchange.org

Parr Lumber Eugene www.parr.com

Patterson Physical Therapy www.pattersonpt.net

Paul Davis Emergency Services www.PDESEugene.com

Polaris Electrical www.polariselectrical.com

Rapid Refill www.rapidrefill.com

Soup Nation www.cbsoup.com

Stadium Automotive www.stadiumautomotive.us

SYTE Consulting Group, Inc. www.sytecg.com

Tray Tech LLC www.mytraytech.com

Xango www.thedreamdr.com

2 6 O P E N F O R B U S I N E S S | E U G E N E A R E A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

By Richard Linton

“Knowledge must come through action; you can have no test which is not fanciful, save by trial.”

— Sophocles, 496 B.C.-406 B.C.

Some 2,500 years after he wrote these words, Greek writer Sophocles would find great inspiration in

the University of Oregon’s expansive efforts to explore and test new ideas that serve society. Among

the more than 4,000 universities and colleges nationwide, UO regularly ranks in the top few percen-

tile in research productivity and the impact of its scholarship.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recently

placed UO in the top category of “very High Research Activity,” a distinction

shared by only 108 institutions among more than 4,600. During the past

decade, the UO experienced a 135 percent increase in research funds, from

$58 million in 2001 to $136 million in 2010. These funds are awarded on

a highly competitive basis from agencies such as the national Institutes of

Health and the national Science foundation. The UO also recently achieved

the third fastest growth rate in research funding per faculty member among

the 63 institutions within the prestigious Association of American Univer-

sities. These trends were catalyzed by UO initiatives in signature research

areas such as neuroscience, nanoscience, sustainability and education.

The growth in UO research has been exceeded by an even more dramatic

rise in technology transfer activities. In the life sciences arena, for example,

UO ventures are addressing critical challenges in medical devices, diagnos-

tics and therapeutics.

The UO portfolio of start-up companies linked to innovation grew steadily over the decade, from two in

2001 to 17 in 2011. UO holds an equity or royalty stake in each. In aggregate, the UO portfolio companies gen-

erated $33 million in gross revenue and directly employed 255 Oregonians during 2010. UO research supports

thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly. The UO will seek to expand its private-sector partnerships,

multi-institutional collaborations and leading-edge centers that integrate education, research and outreach

missions.

To be truly effective, innovation must be responsive to the triple bottom line of economic, environmental

and social benefits. I believe the UO is ideally positioned to be such an innovation hub vital to Oregon’s future,

and I am most grateful for the business community’s continuing engagement toward that end.

Richard Linton is former Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (2000-2011) at the University of Oregon.

O P I N I O N

Research and innovation at the University of Oregon

Richard Linton


PO Box 1107Eugene, OR 97440-1107

kernuttstokes.com1600 Executive Parkway, Suite 110, Eugene, Oregon 97401 – 541.687.1170

Certified Public Accountants & Business Consultants

We don’t just run the numbers.We put you on the fast track.

Documents

Open For Business Magazine - August/September 2011 Issue