Focus 2013 Still Going Strong

Focus 2013

STILL GOING STRONG

By Maria L. Kirkpatrick

Many of the longest-lasting businesses in the mid-valley happen to be family-owned.

That’s no coincidence, said Sherri Noxel, director of the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University. Noxel said the dynamics of a family business can help lead the way to long-term success.

“There was a story to start that business,” Noxel said. “That founder had a family and those kids grew up knowing that story and being part of that community. It’s a stronger part of the identity of the family and passing on those values and a stewardship. It’s about, ‘how can I pass the business on to the next generation?’ It’s a much longer-term view, not just quarter to quarter.”

One implication of that, Noxel said, is that family businesses tend to be more frugal: After all, that’s the family’s money in play when it comes time to make buying decisions.

The focus on the long term also tends to mean that family businesses make decisions differently than a publicly owned company that knows another CEO might be coming along in fi ve years or so.

In family businesses, Noxel said, “The concept of legacy is powerful and the service to the community is important because that’s where their kids are.”

Culture is another reason for their success. Family-owned businesses tend to try harder because their name is on the business. They also place more importance on customers, who also tend to be neighbors, classmates and community.

Family businesses take care of their employees. They don’t want a revolving door when it comes to hiring staff. Employees become part of the extended family. One result: Employees can become more vested in the company’s success and work that much harder for their employers.

Family-owned businesses in the United States comprise 80 percent to 90 percent of all business. However, Donald Neubaum, a College of Business associate dean for research, noted that the survival rates of family businesses aren’t necessarily that much higher than nonfamily businesses – in part because family businesses tend to stumble when it comes time to pass the business along to the next generation.

Statistically, he said, 30 percent of family businesses make the transition to the second generation. About 12 percent transition to the third generation and fewer than 5 percent transition to the fourth generation.

However, family-owned businesses, especially in the mid-valley, tend to dominate the market in terms of longevity and visibility as they participate in their communities.


Businesses that endure for the long run have been able to anticipate and adapt to a constantly changing environment, say experts at the Oregon

State University College of Business.

And change – regardless of whether it comes from new competitors or new technology or any other source – is constant.

As the way consumers make purchases change, businesses also must change.

For example: Books, music and video games easily are purchased online, leading to the demise of bookstores across the nation.

Those bookstores that remain have great locations, loyal customers, solid reputations and offer in-store shopping experiences. A bookstore, for example, might offer a series of poetry or book readings in an attempt to lure customers into the store.

Donald Neubaum, a College of Business associate dean for research, said it’s amazing that Corvallis, a relatively small market, still has big downtown bookstores.

But their survival is a case in point: Those stores provide what customers want, whether it be in-store events, a wide selection of new and used books or online shopping.

With retail it’s hard to differentiate why one business makes it and another doesn’t but it still comes down

to service and product. For example, Neubaum said, Robnett’s Hardware in Corvallis offers personalized service and a different product line than the big-box stores in the area.

Buying in smaller lots from friendly, local owners attracts a certain segment of people, Neubaum said. It’s possible to take in a screw or bolt, get personal direction to the same product on the shelf and to buy just one item, instead of a small bag of the necessary piece with half a dozen extras.

Elsewhere in the marketplace, restaurants need to follow the same recipe for success and longevity – but often face additional challenges as well.

Neubaum said a successful restaurant has superior service or good value for the money.

“You have to offer a unique experience,” he said. “Reputation and location can be key. There is nothing you can do that can’t be copied. Quality, service and reputation differentiate one place from another. Restaurants in south Corvallis have to overcome location and so must look for ways to stand out.”

FireWorks Restaurant and Bar, for example, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. It has proven live music, open-mic and superior service will draw customers, Neubaum said of the south Corvallis restaurant.

Maria L. Kirkpatrick is a freelance writer in Corvallis.

It’s hard to run a business It’s even harder to run a business

that endures and prospers for fi ve years, 10 years, 25, 50, even longer.

The mid-valley is blessed to have a number of businesses that have stood the test of time – and in today’s Focus edition, “Still Going

Strong,” we’ll tell just a handful of their stories.

We’ll focus on the secrets that have allowed these businesses to prosper over the long run – and, of course, as it turns out, their success doesn’t hinge on any secret formula, just continuous attention to the basics: Keep focused on your customers. Be ready to change as market conditions change. Do right by your employees.

And work really hard.

This section is meant to celebrate these businesses. If we had more space, we could have certainly told many more stories, but you can be sure this is a theme to which we’ll return in the future.

In the meantime, we offer you these snapshots of businesses that still are deeply involved in the hard but joyous work of serving their customers in the best way they know how. These businesses are indeed still going strong. May you take away something from their stories that will help you build something that will endure.

Mike McInally, editor,Mid-Valley Newspapers

Celebrating Mid-Valley Businesses That Have Stood the Test of Time

For Family-Owned Businesses,It’s About Community

Surviving Change

FOCUS/STILLGOINGSTRONG•FRIDAY,FEBRUARY01,2013

02 Oregon Freeze Dry: Deciding to refocus on the basics

07 Burcham’s Metals: Expanding its global reach, staying true to its core values

08 Cirello’s: A passion for local foodand community

“The concept of legacy is powerful and the service to the community is

important because that’s where their

kids are.”Sherri Noxel,

Director of the Austin Family Business Program

at Oregon State University


any of the longest-lasting businesses in the mid-valley happen to be family-owned.

That’s no coincidence, said Sherri Noxel, director of the Austin Family Business

Culture is another reason for their success. Family-owned businesses tend to try harder because their name is on the business. They also place more importance on customers, who also tend to be neighbors, classmates and community.

02 refocus on the basics

“The concept of legacy is powerful and the service to the community is

important because that’s where their

It’s About Community

03 Allann Bros: Still fi ercely independent after 40 years

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Jim Merryman needed a job 39 years ago to help pay for

college, so he went to work scrubbing floors and cleaning gutters at Oregon Freeze Dry in Albany.

Oregon Freeze Dry still is in business and Merryman now is president and chief operating officer and part owner at the company.

When a business treats its employees well, employees become an integral part of the company and everybody works together toward success. As Oregon Freeze Dry celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, that’s one of the lessons that has helped the company survive and thrive.

Oregon Freeze Dry has been in the business of freeze-drying since 1963 when it began drying sliced strawberries for Post cereal. At that time, the project was a bust, through no fault of the company’s. Thirty years later, consumer desires changed and the company could not freeze-dry the fruit fast enough. A similar scenario played out with iced coffee. The drink didn’t sell then but is in demand today.

Since its start, Oregon Freeze Dry has lent

its technology to food preservation, packaging materials, manufactured products, electric vehicle testing and pharmaceuticals. Finding new applications for the company’s process is what keeps the business moving forward.

Merryman stepped into big shoes with the passing of company president Herbert Aschkenasy a year ago. At that time, the company paused to take a look at where it was going. Division heads decided the company should focus back on the basics. One

result of that review: The company will push forward with its original line of freeze-dried foods, marketed under the brand Mountain House.

The electric car business is an investment and freeze-drying product for other companies will become secondary.

While putting together this new vision and mission, the company engaged its employees in the discussion and kept them informed of changes. Keeping everyone up to date on the business and what lies ahead always

has been important. Aschkenasy knew that a company is only as strong as its employees, and employee support is key to success. It’s a lesson that hasn’t been lost on Merryman.

“(Employees) have to buy into it,” Merryman said of a company’s vision. “You need a team of people with a willingness and passion to move the company forward.”

Under Merryman’s direction, the company’s new strategy will focus on the food business and brand.

“We’ve always had Mountain House,” Merryman said. “But we’ve always taken care of others’ products first. Now we are going to take care of ourselves first.”

Mountain House has long been on the shelves for backpackers, hikers, campers and other outdoor enthusiasts. However, the product line never has been pushed, locally or otherwise. Merryman said it is time for Mountain House to become a well-known product and better known where it’s made.

“We want everyone in the state to know our brand,” Merryman said. “We are switching from selling to marketing and from reactive to proactive.”

Looking forward is important but being ready to grab new opportunities when they arrive also is imperative.

Merryman said he keeps in touch at all levels and still visits the floor he once scrubbed to talk to those people doing his old job.

Oregon Freeze Dry is involved in its community, donating money to educational and research programs, and Merryman said hiring locally is important. It helps the company be strong as a corporation and identify with and recognize the individuals within.

Douglas Dorfner places frozen eggs onto a conveyor belt while Theo Warren prepares helps him in preparing a product for the military. (Mark Ylen/Democrat-Herald)

Oregon Freeze Dry: it’s Time to Refocus on the Basics

Lessons for LongevityOregon Freeze Dry’s keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Start with a product or group of products that the consumer is willing to buy time after time.

• Have a vision and strategic plan. “How are you going to achieve this and where do you see the company going,” said Oregon Freeze Dry President Jim Merryman.

• Engage your employees in the vision. “Without them you have nothing,” Merryman said. “As a leader of the company, you are not going to sit there and make every single thing. You need a team of people and they have to understand and buy into your vision.”

• Manage your cash flow. “You can’t overextend the business,” Merryman said.

• Expand prudently. Be ready for change, Merryman said. Allow things to happen and be ready when they do.

By Steve Lathrop

Allann Bros isn’t planning a lot of hoopla to mark

the occasion, but don’t be misled: Company officials still believe that the company’s 40th anniversary, which it officially marked in December, is a big deal.

Stephanie Black, executive vice president, watched on Election Day as crowds gathered at its Beanery coffee shop in Albany. The company was giving out free cups of coffee all morning long.

Black said the company hadn’t planned a lot of big events, but the Election Day giveaway was the company’s way of “sharing the celebration.”

Black said some people had lined up as early as 6 a.m. in Albany anticipating the free cup. The offer was good at all nine Beanery locations.

“We specifically chose (Election Day) because we thought it would be a good thing for people to vote and then get a cup of coffee,” she said.

Black, who’s been with the company for 30 years, said considering the longstanding connection with the mid-valley, the celebration is fitting.

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By Steve Lathrop

Allann Bros isn’t planning a lot of hoopla to mark

the occasion, but don’t be misled: Company officials still believe that the company’s 40th anniversary, which it officially marked in December, is a big deal.

Stephanie Black, executive vice president, watched on Election Day as crowds gathered at its Beanery coffee shop in Albany. The company was giving out free cups of coffee all morning long.

Black said the company hadn’t planned a lot of big events, but the Election Day giveaway was the company’s way of “sharing the celebration.”

Black said some people had lined up as early as 6 a.m. in Albany anticipating the free cup. The offer was good at all nine Beanery locations.

“We specifically chose (Election Day) because we thought it would be a good thing for people to vote and then get a cup of coffee,” she said.

Black, who’s been with the company for 30 years, said considering the longstanding connection with the mid-valley, the celebration is fitting.

Allann Bros began operating in Corvallis in

the 1970s shortly after owner Allan Stuart opened the business in Ashland.

Stuart, now 65, got the idea after spending time in Europe. Upon returning to the United States, he felt the European Arabica roast was superior and wanted to bring it stateside.

Frying the beans in his own frying pan, he experimented with different roasts.

“People tried it and were back knocking on his door for more,” Black said.

From that humble start, Allann has grown to nine

retail locations and also has a wholesale distributor and trucks delivering six days a week throughout Oregon and Washington. The brews are also shipped across the country.

Black said Allann Bros has created a loyal following. It added bakery items soon after opening and its menu has grown to include much more than coffee.

“We cater our bakery and food items to all our stores,” Black said.

Many employees are long term with the

company. Along with Black, Liz Hering and Marty Vaughn are also 30-plus year employees. Many Allann employees have worked for the company for more than 20 years.

“Our original roaster retired but still comes back if we need him,” Black said.

The Allann community has about 200 employees total. Many of those are students working part time.

“We hire a lot of students. It really helps

them get through school,” she said.

One of those, Thomas Zecchini, agreed that his job has provides a chance to work and go to school.

“They work with my schedule and it’s a really good place to be,” he said.

The company also partners with local businesses. It has a presence at both Oregon State University and the University of Oregon and its coffee is served at the Rose Garden in Portland during Trail Blazer games.

New ways to serve customers are always being considered, Black said. She pointed to concentrated coffees Java Trio and Java Juice as new additions to the line. Allann is working on chocolates and a syrup line to be bottled in Albany.

In fact, just about everything is done on site.

“All our beans we roast on site,” said Black. “We pride ourselves in that.”

Steve Lathrop covers business for the Albany Democrat-Herald. This story is adapted from a story that ran in November in the Democrat-Herald.

Allann Bros: After 40 Years, Still Emphasizing Local Connections

Lessons for LongevityAllann Bros’ keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Keep it local, wherever possible. “All our beans we roast on site,” said Stephanie Black, the company’s executive vice president. “We pride ourselves in that.”

• Keep working on new ways to serve customers. Black pointed to new product lines the company is working on, including concentrated coffees, chocolates and a new syrup line.

• Value long-term employees. Many Allann employees have been with the company for more than 20 years.

• But make the job interesting to part-timers as well: The company employs many college students among its 200 employees.

• Seek out local partnerships: The company counts among its partners Oregon State University, the University of Oregon and the Portland Trailblazers.

Allann Bros Executive Vice President Stephanie Black, center, with employees Heather Richter, left, and Thomas Zecchini at the Albany Beanery. (David Patton/Democrat-Herald)


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By Emily Mentzer

Business is booming again at Kellenberger Appliances as new

homes are being built and others are being remodeled.

“A lot of remodeling and custom homes are being built,” said Brian Messmer, co-owner of the store.

“Land values are still decent, and there’s money moving in here. A majority of those moving in are not from here.”

By keeping their prices competitive, Kellenberger is able to keep the money local. Often Kellenberger can beat price quotes on appliances from bigger stores in Portland and Salem, Messmer said.

Messmer owns Kellenberger Appliances with his brother David, father Art and mother LaVonne.

The family has owned the appliances shop since 1988, but the appliance shop has been in Lebanon since 1918, making it the third-oldest business in the city. The Messmers are the third owners of Kellenberger, and the family is not looking to get out of it anytime soon.

Three generations of Messmers work in the shop, from Art, 74, to his grandson, who is 16 and delivers appliances when

he’s not in school.Stainless steel kitchen

and energy-efficient appliances are big sellers, Brian Messmer said.

“Utility prices keep going up, and people do whatever they can to cut their monthly bills,” he said. Many newer appliances can help save water, too, one bill that continues to climb in Lebanon.

The business’ secret to longevity?

“Everybody who walks through that door is treated like we’ve known them for 15 years,” Brian said. “Dad instilled in all of us to treat

everyone like an aunt, uncle or grandfather.”

Art Messmer was born and raised in Lebanon, and served on the school board for a number of years.

“I’ve lived here 74 years,” Art said. “I know so many people in this town, and if I tell somebody something, they can take it to the bank.”

When he bought the business, he and LaVonne ran it together. She did the books and he did everything else.

Brian Messmer joined the company and it has slowly but steadily grown from one employee to nine.

“We’re not into being a great giant,” Brian said. “We’re not going to lose the personal touch. We’ve survived when others haven’t.”

The appliance industry has been down by double digits for a couple of years, but Kellenberger has managed to continue its slow growth, he said.

The appliance store is poised to add more employees when a new on-site warehouse — using local contractors — is complete.

“We’re loyal to the town,” Brian said.

The Messmers support the community that supports them.

Kellenberger gives to the Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Santiam, East Linn Christian Academy, Santiam Christian Academy, local churches and other organizations.

“They see we’re not fly-by-night,” Brian said. “We’re here for the long haul, and we try to give back.”

Emily Mentzer is the editor of the Lebanon Express newspaper, which is the oldest business in the city of Lebanon

Kellenberger Appliances:The Personal Touch Since 1918


Denson’s Feed and Seed store has been filling farmers’

orders since 1930 when Floyd Denson opened his doors in downtown Corvallis.

In 1940, the business moved to its present location on Southwest Seventh Street near Oregon State University.

Ownership changed generations in the 1960s, when Floyd’s son James purchased the store. Now the business is in the hands of the third generation, under the ownership of Casey Denson. Casey bought out his father in 1980.

“It’s a family business and many customers are family,” Casey Denson said. “You get to know your customer base and grow with their family. We’re dealing now with people we’ve known for two or three generations. It’s growing up together.”

With growing up comes change and Denson’s has survived many changes.

Change is good, Denson said. You have to be able to adapt to changes.

One of the biggest changes has been in the store’s customer base. While Denson’s used to mainly serve occupational farmers, today’s customers

Lessons for LongevityKellenberger Appliances’ keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Treat people like you want to be treated, like family.

• Product knowledge. The Messmers’ motto is if someone has a problem, they take care of it, no matter what the problem is.

• Competitive pricing.

• Consistency.

• Honesty.

From left, Brian, Theresa, Art, and LaVonne Messmer, Brandon Stevenson, William Kenyon and David Messmer stand with Malik Messmer, 9, (front). The Messmer family has owned Kellenberger Appliances since 1988. (Emily Mentzer/Lebanon Express)


ESTABLISHED 1956


Denson’s Feed and Seed store has been filling farmers’

orders since 1930 when Floyd Denson opened his doors in downtown Corvallis.

In 1940, the business moved to its present location on Southwest Seventh Street near Oregon State University.

Ownership changed generations in the 1960s, when Floyd’s son James purchased the store. Now the business is in the hands of the third generation, under the ownership of Casey Denson. Casey bought out his father in 1980.

“It’s a family business and many customers are family,” Casey Denson said. “You get to know your customer base and grow with their family. We’re dealing now with people we’ve known for two or three generations. It’s growing up together.”

With growing up comes change and Denson’s has survived many changes.

Change is good, Denson said. You have to be able to adapt to changes.

One of the biggest changes has been in the store’s customer base. While Denson’s used to mainly serve occupational farmers, today’s customers

are residential and small farmers and college students. The focus no longer is on the agricultural farmer.

Knowing what’s in your food and on your table has become important to consumers and with that more people have begun producing more of their own edibles. Vegetable gardens and homegrown eggs have made farmers out of many city-dwellers and in Corvallis they have beat a path straight to Denson’s.

“That’s become almost our core customer,”

Denson said. “Five acre and smaller, down to even no acres, are our customers.”

The one thing Denson most strives for is outstanding customer service. His managers have been with him for years and help to train staff. Denson said he couldn’t do without Delbert Hutchinson, who has been with him for 33 years, and Ross Carter, going on four years.

Hiring university students as part-time employees works well for Denson. Training them

to be knowledgeable helps customers. Every term Denson makes a spreadsheet of employees’ availability and they all work together to keep operating hours covered. Holidays and summer vacations get factored in. Staff return rate is high. Denson can keep part-time employees around for their school careers and work with them for two to five years.

“They are part of the team,” he said.

The Denson team works to make shopping and farming easier for

its customers. Questions are answered, solutions suggested and scenarios discussed in a way that welcomes customers into the fold.

Farming is a labor-intensive job, and that’s true for Denson’s as well: It’s not unusual for employees to lug 50-pound bags of fertilizer and feed out to the vehicles of waiting customers. A large warehouse means the store can carry a variety of brands.

All of this comes together as a successful business model. It’s Denson’s job to keep an eye on things and watch costs.

“With change in the grain market it’s been a nightmare,” he said. “You have to spend a lot of time to make sure you’re not selling things for under what you’re paying for them.”

By keeping his overhead low and his margins small, he hopes he can sell enough volume to stay in business.

“We all wear lots of hats,” Denson said.

Coming in the February Focus: A spotlight on women in business

For Three Generations, Denson’s Has Served All Types of Farmers

Lessons for LongevityDenson’s Feed and Seed’s keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Customer service is No. 1. “This is the most important thing,” said Casey Denson, owner of Denson’s Feed and Seed.

• Continuity in staff. Denson’s has two key guys in the store all the time. Having them help train others keeps things consistent. “Customers know they will see us and know one of us,” Denson said. “It makes them feel at ease asking questions. They know they are getting the right information.”

• Stay with the basics. “We stay basic in the line and type of things we carry,” he said. “We don’t do the ‘one and done’ type of thing. Stay away from the latest fad.”

• Offer quality products at a good price. Deal only with companies that have a reputation and don’t go for things just because they are cheap.

• Operate within your business model but be able to adapt with the ever-changing economy.

Casey Denson, the owner of Denson’s Feed and Seed, says the store’s customers have been shopping there in some cases for two or three generations. (Jesse Skoubo / Gazette-Times)


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By Bennett Hall

A lot has changed since City Delivery Service was founded in the

early 1920s (the exact date is uncertain), when it used a horse and buggy to transport groceries and medicine to Corvallis residents.

Now based in Albany, the company has a modern truck fleet that makes same-day deliveries throughout Linn and Benton counties, hauling everything from auto parts to fresh flowers to the U.S. mail, and can accommodate special orders that take its drivers across the state and sometimes beyond.

But when it comes right down to it, says owner Melinda Sorte, the fundamental proposition is the same today as it was 80 years ago.

“Basically, what we do is we’re delivering something at a good cost in a timely manner,” she said.

Sorte bought the company in 1999 from her parents, Don and Mary Martin, both of whom are still involved in the operation. (Sorte’s five kids also pitch in occasionally, washing trucks when they need a little pocket money.)

Don was a driver for the old Albany Delivery Service when he purchased

City Delivery of Corvallis in 1988. In 1990 he bought the Albany firm from his boss and merged the two companies.

Both firms were quite small when the Martins took over — City Delivery had one truck, Albany Delivery had two — but with the larger service area, the combined business grew quickly.

What’s the secret to success in the delivery business? According to Don Martin, it’s always being ready to take the next job.

“It’s real simple,” he said. “Sleep with the phone in your ear.”

Today City Delivery has a fleet of 15 Nissan pickups (one with close to half a million miles on the odometer), three 1-ton Chevy flatbed trucks, two flat-deck trailers, a Hyundai sedan and a Dodge pickup.

It also has 15 employees, with Sorte acting as dispatcher and general manager, Mary Martin handling a share of regular deliveries and Don Martin overseeing vehicle maintenance and tackling

most of the long-distance runs.

The company’s bread and butter is same-day local delivery within and between Albany and Corvallis, with routes extending to Philomath, Lebanon and Sweet Home.

“You can get just about anything done for $8.95,” Sorte said.

The company also offers rush jobs within Linn and Benton counties for a $36 fee.

But for a negotiated rate, City Delivery will really go the extra mile: It will take

just about anything just about anywhere just about as fast as possible.

“They call it a hotshot delivery,” Sorte said, “and you can call my dad Mr. Hotshot.”

Those kind of trips are Don Martin’s specialty. Last month, for instance, he braved snowy weather and icy roads to make a run down to Elko, Nev., and back in 31 hours.

Other hotshot deliveries have taken him to Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego and Salt Lake City. But the all-time distance record goes to a rush job that involved hauling machine parts from Portland to a copper mine near Albuquerque, N.M., a 2,900-mile round trip.

For Sorte, it all boils down to delivering on your promises.

“Our customers tend to be very loyal to us,” she said. “I think we have a reputation and an image of just being solid, and I think people appreciate that.”

Bennett Hall is the special projects editor for Mid-Valley Media, which includes the Albany Democrat-Herald and the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

City Delivery: Connecting the Mid-Valley for Nearly a Century

Lessons for LongevityCity Delivery’s keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Provide great service: You have to give customers what they want, when they want it, even if it’s a special request.

• Keep expenses down: The company generally buys used vehicles, does a lot of routine maintenance in house and trains its drivers to maximize gas mileage.

• Always answer your phone: You never know when a customer is going to call, and you need to be ready.

• Be reliable: Customers need to know they can count on you. If a City Delivery driver is late, for instance, the company will sometimes waive the delivery fee.

• Build a good team: Invest the time to hire employees who will represent the company well.

A City Delivery truck travels along a Corvallis street earlier this month. The company has been making deliveries since the early 1920s. (Amanda Cowan | Corvallis Gazette-Times)


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By Jennifer Rouse

When Bill Burcham started a scrap metal business on a piece of

farmland outside the Albany city limits back in 1960, he likely never dreamed that one day his son would be selling industrial components to customers in South Korea and Argentina and supplying raw materials for artisans across the Northwest.

But while Jay Burcham has expanded Burcham’s Metals into a diverse operation, the core values of the company have remained the same.

“Our goal is treat every customer fairly and to function with integrity,” he said.

The core business of Burcham’s Metals remains the same too: buying and selling scrap metal, on that same piece of farmland, which is now next to a busy street corner.

Bill Burcham started the business after his career at the U.S. Bureau of Mines — now the National Energy Technology Laboratory-Albany — gave him an interest in metals.

Jay joined the business at age 24 and now serves as president.

Many things about the business haven’t changed too much in the past 50 years: customers bring in loads of scrap metal and old appliances, and Burcham pays by the pound for what they haul in. They also

serve commercial accounts, picking up materials from many mid-valley businesses.

What sets Burcham’s apart from other scrap operations is what happens after the materials are weighed. Rather than merely processing different types of metal and shipping them off to be melted down, Burcham’s sorts through the materials and keeps everything that’s still usable in its current state, without investing additional time, energy and fossil fuel in the recycling process.

“People don’t have to buy things that are brand-new,” Burcham said. “When you can reuse something, it’s a

savings to the environment, and to the customer.”

It’s not just old gears and sheet metal that Burcham’s gives new life to, either: a second division of the business blossomed along with the rise of the Internet. The company has been selling online for 13 years, and now operates Burcham’s Surplus, which sells used industrial equipment on eBay. The e-store has nearly 2,000 items currently listed, and three of the company’s 14 employees are solely dedicated to running the online business.

Many of the surplus

items come from decommissioned assembly lines. Internet sales manager Dave Wertz said a large portion of the company’s online buyers are businesses running older equipment for which parts are no longer available. For those small businesses, buying used items from Burcham’s becomes a lifesaver, Wertz said.“I’ve had people tell me, you are the only person in the world I can find who has this part I need,” he said. “It’s really rewarding.”

Burcham’s has also become known as a supplier of source

material for metal-working artisans. Sculptors have come from as far away as Seattle to find metal, Burcham said, and the business has been featured on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s “Oregon Art Beat” show.

Burcham said he enjoys the variety of the business — on a recent snowy January morning, he noted that one of the items that had been delivered that day was an old helicopter.

“You never know what you’re going to get,” he said.

Looking around his business, where sculptures by a local artisan adorn the front gate, a cat rather than an intimidating guard dog keeps watch, and a thriving e-commerce division is in full swing, he sums up the company:

“It’s not what people think of as a junkyard.”

Jennifer Rouse is a freelance writer based in Albany.

Burcham’s Builds a Global Reach, Stays True to Core Values

Lessons for LongevityBurcham’s Metal’s keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Treat everyone fairly and honestly. Jay Burcham, the president of Burcham’s Metals, said customer satisfaction is of utmost importance to his business. “We always treat everyone the same, regardless of what they’re driving or what they’re wearing. If they’re bringing in a washer or 1,000 pounds of copper, we treat them fairly and we function with integrity,” he said.

• Constantly strive to improve. Burcham said that he’s always on the lookout for ways to improve, soliciting feedback from customers and employees alike. It was an employee who suggested they start sending out email announcements for news and specials. “Now we have up to 800 people getting our email blasts,” he said.

• Give back to the community. Burcham’s sponsors five youth robotics teams and donates to numerous community causes and organizations. The company also considers it a personal responsibility to help prevent metal theft and catch thieves; they’ve invested significantly in technology that allows them to track and record their transactions, and it frequently works with law enforcement. “This is just what we do as part of being a good citizen,” Burcham said.

• Take care of the environment. The tagline on Burcham’s website reads “Going green since 1960,” and Burcham is proud of the company’s record of reuse and recycling for decades before it became commonplace. “People want to recycle, and we want to help them,” he said.

• Don’t be afraid of change. Burcham attributes a part of the company’s longevity to its ability to adapt and seek out new revenue streams. “You have to be creative and think of different ways to bring people in,” he said.

Jay Burcham, owner of Burcham’s Metals, shows off his business recently during a morning of freezing fog in Albany. (David Patton/Democrat-Herald)

Burcham’s Metals is located at the corner of 34th Avenue and Highway 99 in Albany. (David Patton/Democrat-Herald)


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By Jennifer Rouse

It was family and a love of the Corvallis community that

led Craig and Pat Cirello to start what they call an “old-school pizza house” on Circle Boulevard in 1981.

Thirty-two years later, they’re still in business at their original location, and their passion for family, community, and good food is still just as strong.

“We were able to choose our own lifestyle, to be our own boss, and to raise our kids where we wanted to,” Pat Cirello said. “We liked this community, and this community’s been good to us.”

Craig and Pat met as biology students at Oregon State University in the 1970s, but after graduation they followed the urging of Craig’s father and went into the restaurant business.

The elder Cirello, the son of Italian immigrants, had spent years as a food purveyor, delivering ingredients to many restaurants in San Jose, Calif., and had always dreamed of opening a restaurant himself.

Craig had worked his way through college as a restaurant cook, working at several local establishments including the former Nendel’s Inn. Craig’s father

arranged for Craig to work for mentors in the pizza business, and after spending time learning the secrets of a good pizza crust, Pat and Craig launched Cirello’s in Corvallis. The couple later divorced but remain friends and business partners.

“There were not a lot of pizza restaurants in town in the time, and we thought we would succeed because we would just work harder than anybody else,” Pat said.

For the first several years, that was true: they worked six and a half days a week, opening late on Sundays to give themselves a half-day off. Eventually, they gained trusted employees

and started a family, which led them into a job-sharing arrangement: whenever Pat was at the restaurant, Craig was home with the kids, and vice versa. All three of their children, now in their 20s, spent time working at Cirello’s.

“Whenever they come home, they still insist on a pizza night,” Pat said.

The Cirellos agree that treating their employees like family as well has helped them offer a consistently high-quality product.

“We look at our employees as partners, and because of that they stay with us for years,” Craig said.

“Sometimes our crew members are the ones who come up with the best ideas.”

Over the years, some things have changed. Cirello’s now offers delivery, take-out, and u-bake pizzas; their menu includes a salad bar, pasta, and sandwiches. They have a web page, a Facebook presence, an email newsletter, and text-message advertising alerts. They’ve paid attention to consumers’ changing tastes; while they still offer classics like pepperoni and Hawaiian, they’ve expanded to offer a full line of gourmet toppings.

“When we did that, it was like a rebirth for us,” Craig said.

These days, customers can request a pie on gluten-free crust, or a pizza that’s part of the “Local 6” program, featuring ingredients that come from Corvallis and the five counties surrounding it.

“We’re local, so we like to support what’s local,” Pat said. “There are people here who care about that, who like to support their neighbors.”

Craig said his father was thrilled with their success in the business he encouraged them to start.

“When his parents came up here, they were so happy. They got their aprons on and were in there making sauce,” Pat recalled. Craig’s parents have since passed away, but their pictures, and pictures of Craig’s Italian grandparents, adorn the walls of the pizza place.

The Cirellos also honored Craig’s parents through specialty pizzas on the menu: the RJC is named after Craig’s father, and “Meg’s Meal” is after Craig’s mother.

Besides their family connection, the other thing that’s stayed the same throughout their 32 years is their commitment to turning out a high-quality, old-fashioned, hand-tossed pizza.

“In the food industry, you’ve got to have something people like,” Craig said. “We have great pizza, or we would not be in business.”

Cirello’s: A Long-Running Passion for Family, Food and Community

Lessons for LongevityCirello’s keys to building a long-lasting business:

• Commitment to quality. Maintaining a focus on the highest-quality, freshest ingredients, such as 100 percent whole milk cheese, vegetables and meat from local growers, and their tried-and-true crust recipe, is a crucial element in the pizza business. “Everyone makes their name on their pizza,” said Craig Cirello.

• Local focus. The Cirellos buy from local purveyors whenever possible and are involved in local groups like the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition. They pride themselves on being a family tradition for folks who grew up in Corvallis. “We have people who used to come in and stand on chairs to watch us spin the pizza, and now they’re bringing their own kids in,” Pat said.

• Employee support. Pat and Craig have always tried to treat their employees with fairness and respect, and their employees have paid them back with hard work and loyalty, they say. Several weddings came about because employees met while working at Cirello’s, and former employees continue to stay in touch. “That’s been one of the most rewarding aspects of this business,” Pat said. “Working with these young people and guiding them through their college years.”

Cirello’s manager Tim Hanson of Corvallis moves a lasagna from the oven Wednesday afternoon. (Jesse Skoubo | Corvallis Gazette-Times)

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