April Lawyer is a professional athlete and founder of Vanilla boutique, celebrating 20 years in Bend.

Recipe for Success

Start with an industrious child growing up in the sports-centric culture of Big Bear Lake, California, during the ‘80s. Fold in raw athletic talent, tenacity and grit. Add hefty doses of style and community support. That only begins to describe April Lawyer: professional athlete—the first woman to compete in both downhill mountain biking and snowboarding in the first X Games of 1997, and founder of the Old Mill District boutique Vanilla, celebrating its  20th anniversary in 2025. Lawyer was one of the first retailers in the Old Mill District when it was a sparkle in Bill Smith’s eye. Similarly, Lawyer saw a new niche for her shop with its melding of the snowboard and fashion worlds. She recently talked with Adam Short of Bend Magazine’s The Circling Podcast.

A lemonade stand and a bedroom window candy drive-through were a start for the young entrepreneur:

We lived in an old house and I was on the lower floor, so I had a little pop-out window. I got some milk crates and lined them up so kids could step up to the window. I made a little sign, and I created a little store out of my bedroom window. Kids would knock on the window, I’d slide it open and they would ask, “What do you have today?”

I don’t know that my dad completely loved having kids constantly knocking on the windows, but it was really fun, and it created such a great opportunity to understand how to put my profits [from selling candy] into overhead. It was my first introduction into how retail works, but also to customer service and talking to people and just sort of figuring out what people want.

It was an important step to advocate for herself, and being authentic was the best form of marketing:

At one point in time I did bring on a manager [as a professional athlete], but I felt like just being my own authentic self was my best marketing. Having somebody on the outside trying to do that just didn’t sit well with me. I really learned a lot about marketing because I negotiated all my own contracts, and I think that to this day it was the best education I could have given myself—to be an advocate for myself.

Vanilla began as the “vanilla shell” of a space and an idea to blend the cultures of a snowboard shop with a boutique:

In 2005, you were either a snowboard shop or you were a boutique; there wasn’t any in between. And I thought, why can’t we just put the two worlds that I’ve now been exposed to and really love together? Nowadays, there are lots of those, but back then, there really wasn’t a whole lot of that. There was one space that was available in a brand new building that hadn’t been built out yet. It was what they called a “vanilla shell.” It was this huge 2,500-square-foot space, but it was beautiful. I guess I must’ve been crazy.

Bill Smith believed in her ideas—and the osprey out his window—in the rising Old Mill District of 20 years ago:

I didn’t know who Bill Smith was, and I didn’t know what I was walking into. Bill was just sitting there in his Old Mill office smiling at me. And I thought, “Okay, I have to make a pitch. This is the real deal.” I didn’t have a business plan. I just had to pitch [him and his team] on an idea.

Bill looked at me silently, and he had this funny look on his face and I thought, ”Oh, this isn’t going to go well.” He didn’t say anything. He just let me keep talking and talking. Then, finally, he looks at his window and he says, “Look out there. Do you like my osprey? Isn’t that beautiful?” He was so proud. He looked at me, smiled and said,  “I like you, let’s do this.”

Vanilla was embraced by the community early on and it’s an honor to share a vision:

I am so fortunate that the community embraced what we were doing early on, and I think they saw its value. My goal with Vanilla from the beginning was for people to enjoy it because of what we had curated, but also the authenticity of what we were all about. I wanted people to enjoy what I created, and not because it was attached to whatever [sports-related] notoriety I had at that time. But I think to be able to tap into a little bit of who you are is very unique, and I’m very honored to be able to do this.

Learn more about April Lawyer’s world of professional athletics and entrepreneurship. Listen to Bend Magazine’s The Circling Podcast.

Bend Pet Express Has Cared for Pets and Their People for Over Three Decades

For over three decades, there’s been a place where the focus is on how both pets and their people can lead their best lives together. Since its founding in 1993, the dedicated founders and staff at Bend Pet Express have helped Bend, Oregon pet lovers care for their furry family members. They understand that no two pets are the same. They offer advice on how to tend to the unique nutritional needs of each four-legged friend. Or can recommend best practices for physical exercise and offer a range of toys for creative play and products for leisure. The local business has a dedication to education and confident pet-centric shopping experiences. Dogs, cats and their human companions all benefit from peace of mind by trusting a long history of expertise. 

Providing 30-plus years of knowledge, Bend Pet Express (BPE) has also grown and evolved right alongside the community. Not only has it continued to put the optimal health and well-being of pets first, but it has taken strides to incorporate more sustainable practices within the business. And, as always, BPE emphasized community engagement to be part of Central Oregon’s heartbeat. Through charitable giving, and engagement with its customers, it has remained a solid cornerstone of the Central Oregon community. They not only connect people to their pets, they connect them to their neighbors, strengthening the bonds of community. It’s all much like creating a family. 

All in a Fur-Family History

When Bend Pet Express Founder Julie Hunter couldn’t find a specially formulated dog food for her ailing dog, she took it upon herself to make the process easier. She wanted all pet owners to have a resource for formulations beyond the standard grocery store big-bag fare. 

Seeing first-hand how her dog responded to dietary changes helped her realize that pet lifespans and life enjoyment would be optimized with a high-quality diet of natural ingredients. Before she passed away in 2021, she had said, “I filled my garage with premium dog food, and I decided that my new career goal would entail educating the public and helping our four-legged friends live longer, healthier lives.”

Hunter quickly outgrew garages and warehouses of those first days and opened the first retail space in Sisters, Oregon. The heart of the small business was the way it focused on family and community, and it helped create a new model for pet-human interdependence. BPE defined a family to include four-legged pets. Two stores opened in Bend, in 2001 and 2003. As the business moved into the future, the human family would also be a central tenet. When Hunter retired in 2019, her nephew Ryan Kwaterski began to lead with both a focus on the original mission and a vision toward the future.

Since taking the reins, Kwaterski is highly involved in not only the day-to-day operations, but also in ways the company can support the community it has created. He works with his team to make the best decisions on what products to carry and how to be more sustainable. Before being added to the shelves, items are vetted through personal conversations with industry experts. The staff also often conducts its feeding trials to stand behind its commitment to pet nutrition.

BASS, a massive pit bull, comes by Eastside multiple times a week with his person to pick out a treat and say hi. Every time, BASS makes a point to find each member of staff to ask for love. We always look forward to his sweet face and wiggly butt. – Kiyta, BPE employee

Bend Pet Express Nutrition and Well-Being

Pet health is at the core of the Bend Pet Express mission and quality nutrition is as important to Kwaterski and his team today as it was to Julie Hunter 30 years ago.

“Julie always did her research. She wanted the best of the best and solutions-based formulas,” Stephanie Wright, director of procurement, says about the founder. “We’ve kept that true to form here. We go through a pretty intensive process to bring in products. We don’t carry food just for the sake of brand name recognition or because of a marketing campaign,” Wright says. Products on the retail shelves are ones that BPE stands behind. To create confidence, Kwaterski, Wright, and their team are dedicated to understanding the needs of pets and their owners. It starts with their own education and enthusiasm and the confidence that comes with passing on that knowledge to their customers. 

Awareness and education around the ways a raw diet impacts a dog’s longevity is important. “We focus on the benefits of raw diets, and are following the science and the studies behind them,” says Wright. Conversations are continual whether with industry experts, or the pet owners themselves. Only premium-quality pet foods and quality-tested products are found at Bend Pet Express. “If it’s something that we don’t believe in, we won’t use it on our pets, and we won’t sell it,” continues Wright. 

The Extra Care at Bend Pet Express

The folks on the retail floor are the ultimate pet people, making them sounding boards to listen carefully and help customers find the right product to meet their pet’s needs. That same care is extended whether in person, online or on a call. However you prefer to communicate, the team is available. And so are options for pick up or delivery. Bend Pet Express strives to make quality care easy by offering free delivery in the Bend area. Within 500 square miles (just over 12 miles) five days a week, they’ll get products from their door to yours. All of this happens either the same day or the next depending on the time of day you place your order. That’s not only white-glove treatment, but the service is at no charge so that your pet will never miss one of their favorite meals of the day! 

I remember meeting Baron, a gorgeous long-haired German Shepherd, and his amazing mom who was looking for help. Baron was strong and was almost able to pull his human right off her feet! They became some of my favorite visitors at the store – watching Baron and his mom work together with new tools and ideas made my day every time they stopped by. – Stephanie, BPE employee

Sustainable Future in Bend

It’s not enough to know your favorite locally owned pet store has a shelf stocked with items to keep pets healthy, with happy stomachs and shiny coats. The team makes sure each product also aligns with BPE values. Sustainability is a guiding principle. Making sure food products are ethically and sustainably sourced is part of the team’s vetting process. Optimal care for a pet family extends to optimal care for the planet, too.

Setting up a recycling program to address waste created by the pet food industry was a way Bend Pet Express took practical strides. Recycling pet food packaging is one step, and customers will find drop bins at each location. By utilizing TerraCycle, a national company focused on zero-waste solutions, pet food packaging is repurposed versus dumped in local landfills. Simply bring clean food or treat boxes, bags or cans to the location nearest to you.

Pets Plus People Equal Community

Sustaining healthy lifestyles for people and pets is just one part of what has kept BPE a pillar of the Central Oregon community for 30 years and it’s a legacy Kwaterski and his team continue guided by central tenets. Wright explains its three core beliefs: 

• First, BPE believes that every pet deserves a healthy and fulfilling life. And a healthy and fulfilling life isn’t about spending more money. Rather, it is about being educated and informed on what high-quality, life-extending products your money is buying.
• Second, they believe that pet owners should be able to make decisions free from marketing campaigns and jargon. It believes customers should have access to unbiased, clear information that enables them to make the best choices for their pets’ day-to-day life health and toward a robust lifespan.
• Finally, they are committed to strengthening its community by extending help to those in need. 

These principles guide every decision they make, ensuring that they take a step towards a healthier, happier life for pets.

Bend Pet Express Dog Wash

The goal of optimal pet wellness is well-paired with Central Oregon’s outdoorsy lifestyle when healthy pets hit dusty trails. They converge at the Bend Pet Express Dog Wash. A series of bays are found within the retail stores with a selection of products to address a pet’s muddy skin or coat. Customers are welcome to wash their companions themselves, either periodically after an especially muddy romp along the river, or regularly to keep a pet’s coat clean and healthy. The dog-washing experience can be bonding and fun when it’s made easy. Need a hand, or a short on time? Schedule an appointment with a concierge groomer to give your dog a VIP treatment. “We even offer calming skin-care solutions, such as a soothing mud bath,” says Wright. Whether rinsing muddy paws, or being treated with a soothing mud treatment, after a rinse and dry, clean dogs leave as happy dogs. 

While working in the dog wash, a regular became like a second mom to me. She even remembered my kids’ birthdays, since I’m terrible with memory. For that first Christmas, she gave me a homemade card with a photo of Maggie, her dog. 10+ years later, I still have that card in my new office. – Kim, BPE employee 

Charitable Business Creates Community

From its beginnings in Julie Hunter’s garage, and with goals to give pets the healthiest lifestyles, and layers of service for pet families across Central Oregon, BPE has remained devoted to the community.

When looking to offer a wide selection of pet products, BPE also tries to source products locally as much as possible. They participate in community fundraisers and auctions and are consistent in their commitment to charitable giving. Supporting both nonprofits and pets shows up in unique ways, too. It continues to innovate on ways to support pet guardianship and enrich living the best lives for both people and pets. Did you know Bend Pet Express provides kennels at the High Desert Museum? Tour the museum with confidence that your furry road-trip companion is safe and secure. 

The Next 30 Years in Central Oregon

Bend, Oregon may be known as one of the most dog-friendly cities in the United States and has been named DogTown U.S.A by Pet Fancy magazine. Its pets may be some of the happiest in the country, too. By supporting people and the four-legged animals that love them, BPE has created a 30-year tradition in Central Oregon. This is part of what makes the region a pet lover’s paradise.

Cheers to the way Bend Pet Express has celebrated our furry friends every day of the year for 30 years! Click to learn more about Bend Pet Express here. 

Read more about our vibrant community and Central Oregon BUSINESS articles. 

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Marie Saldivar and her husband Kurtis met in the vast, Joshua tree-lined landscape of the Mojave Desert. They were part of a community of outsiders, artists and dreamers where many people were looking for alternative housing. “The desert is this liminal space that attracts outside-the-box thinking and problem solving, usually on a shoestring budget,” she said. It was here that Steel Hut Concepts’ first Quonset structure came to fruition in the form of an art studio/guest space. “We were looking for something that was financially attainable and that we could have agency over,” Saldivar said.

The word “Quonset” comes from an Algonquin First Nations word meaning “small, long place,” referring to the narrow peninsula known as Quonset Point, Rhode Island, where these structures were first manufactured. The Quonset hut was introduced during World War II as a packable structure deployed for housing and barracks, utilitarian and solution based space. “We’re still borrowing that same historical thread; they’re extremely affordable, they’re extremely sustainable, and we’re building for under $200 a square foot,” she said. Quonsets are long, arched buildings—these are particularly made of steel—and are architecturally sound in the clever yet simplistic design. Saldivar describes the buildings as, “an ultra-modern cathedral meets giant Airstream. The exterior can read utilitarian until you step into the vaulted interior, a simple arched elegance.” All buildings from Steel Hut Concepts are made from 80 percent recycled steel, and spray foam insulation made from recycled single-use plastic and soy protein. “Everybody should have access to contemporary design and attractive, sustainable housing,” she said.

Saldivar is also a realtor for Cascade Sotheby’s in Central Oregon, and she is keenly aware of the uptick in recent costs for custom homes. “We’re seeing price per square foot costs upward of $800 for custom new construction, which is unobtainable for most and certainly doesn’t lend to the long term health of our communities,” she said. Steel Hut is a design and build model taking on custom projects in the region. The company is scaling the business to include grab and go plan sets which will be available on their website for out of region clients, or handy consumers who want to take on the project as homeowner builders. Their plan sets integrate Quonset shells manufactured by SteelMaster Buildings, a seamless collaboration making the process as streamlined as possible. From $3,200, someone looking for an affordable and green home can find a building plan on the Steel Hut Concepts website, and make that dream a reality in an ethical way. Steel Hut Concepts residential use structures create significantly less waste in comparison to other custom builds, because the Quonsets are predetermined to scale. “That’s a really exciting part about using this modular shell system—you can preemptively reduce a lot of the materials that are going to end up in the waste stream,” she said.

After obtaining a plan, the shells are an affordable alternative to traditional custom builds, ranging anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 depending on size, meaning buyers and prospective Quonset owners have a massive advantage on the attainability of their new home. The zero-timber optionality also reduces the cost and keeps the building fire resistant. After that, the process of permitting, hiring builders and engineers, or building by yourself—as the buildings are all DIY friendly—is a simple step to having a dream home, ADU or garage. 

There is one building option currently available for purchase, and in less than a year, about a dozen floor plans should be available for prospective homeowners to begin imagining their dream living space. Presently, Steel Hut Concepts sells many of the Quonset plans to out of region buyers, but Saldivar is hoping there will be even more demand for these builds in Central Oregon. 

The scalability and customizability of the buildings is what makes the Quonset form less of a noun and more of a verb. They can be made bigger, smaller, taller or shorter. “The sky’s the limit. Think multiple stories, think row houses, think different pods connected with breezeways. It’s just infinite,” Saldivar said. As the buildings are all permitted to be used as primary residential spaces, there is nothing holding buyers back from stepping into a totally new frontier of housing.

The sustainable actions taken to reduce waste—eliminating factors such as timber costs—and the availability of the buildings is a game-changer for the future of housing in Central Oregon and beyond, Saldivar said. The team at Steel Hut Concepts is steadily brainstorming new, innovative ways to create access to clean contemporary designs, healthy for our communities and our planet.  

Saldivar said her husband is a “jack of all trades” builder, mapping out the technical side of a project, while she is more detail-oriented. Steel Hut Concepts started as a passion project that is now seeing traction. “The market is changing, and consumers are looking at housing through a more creative lens,” Saldivar said. “I’m always dreaming of my next hut.”

Steel Hut Concepts | steelhutconcepts.com | 503-473-4114

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It all started in a garage for Bend’s Baldhead Cabinets, which is today a designer and manufacturer of heavy-duty, high-quality garage cabinetry. In the 1980s, Eric and Bobbie Fleming started a metal manufacturing company in their Costa Mesa, California, garage—creating heavy-duty metal security boxes to protect change receptacles in laundry machines. The boxes were sold to laundromats as the couple began to explore other forms of metal manufacturing. 

Fast forward to the year 2000, when the Flemings were remodeling their garage, and a new idea popped into Bobbie’s head to create metal cabinetry. “It was my mom’s idea to make cabinets out of metal for the garage,” said Peter Fleming, the couple’s son, who was a teenager at the time. The cabinetry the Flemings created for their own garage was somewhere between a Snap-on tool chest and custom kitchen cabinets, built to the highest of standards using metal. “They thought, if we’re going to make a cabinet, we’re going to make a really nice cabinet,” Peter said. “The idea was to have a nice countertop, space for tools and plenty of storage cabinets.” When the project was complete, the Flemings took photos and shared them in a local Southern California magazine, which caught the attention of some potential customers looking to outfit their own garages. 

Growing the Business

Once the Flemings zeroed in on cabinet manufacturing, their business began to grow slowly but organically through Southern California and beyond. Calling the business “Fleming Cabinets’” didn’t seem catchy enough, so the Flemings instead opted for the more memorable name “Baldhead,” after an engineer who has worked with them from the start who was bald. “The name stuck, it’s a name people don’t forget and people usually get a bit of a chuckle out of hearing it,” Peter said. 

Since the beginning, the products and the experience of designing, creating and installing custom cabinetry has been something that appealed to a small, niche audience, Peter said. “This has never been something for your average garage,” he said. “This is the one percent of the garage market, not the masses.” In the early years of growing the cabinetry business, the company visited automotive trade shows and advertised nationally, aiming to appeal to customers looking to elevate their garages with high-quality cabinetry. Over time, the business grew organically and through advertising, attracting new customers and repeat clients looking to outfit another garage or car storage space. “It’s a huge compliment to have repeat clients,” Peter said. 

It was a cabinetry customer in Bend that first enticed the family to move to Central Oregon, after they visited for an installation in the early 2000s. “The customers were absolutely head over heels for Bend, and were sharing all their favorite spots and things to do,” said Peter, who was getting ready to start college at the time. It took a few years to determine whether a move north to Central Oregon made sense for the company, but ultimately it was the right call and the business migrated to Bend in 2005. The business moved out of a 20,000-square-foot facility in Southern California into a new, comparably priced, 55,000-square-foot space in northeast Bend. There’s ample space here for ongoing cabinet manufacturing, as well as other metal manufacturing that’s still a part of the business today.

A Concierge Experience 

Clients are drawn to Baldhead Cabinets for not only the quality cabinets, but for the experience from start to finish with an established company that’s rooted in the United States, said Peter, who is today part of the company’s management team, along with his parents and other managers. Peter explained that each project is designed and engineered with input from a customer, with cabinets created specifically for their garage. A series of consultations and communication builds repertoire and trust even before the transaction is made or cabinets are built.

When it comes time, the Baldhead Cabinets team is available to visit each home in-person for installation, ensuring the final product is up to a homeowner’s standards. “A lot of what we are selling is the whole experience,” Peter said. “At the end, people will say ‘I knew they were going to be good, but I didn’t know it would be this good.’” Over the years, the company has considered delving into more garage accessories, but has instead decided to keep its focus narrow, truly specializing in what they do best, cabinets. “We want to really focus on what we do, and do it well,” Peter said. “We take a lot of pride in what we do, and creating a product that we’d want in our own garage.”

Baldhead Cabinets | 20522 Builders Street, Bend  | 877-966-2253 | baldheadcabinets.com

Jake Woodruff knows that roofing may not be the sexiest subject out there, and that a new roof doesn’t usually top a person’s list of “cool” large purchases. Regardless, having a quality-built roof overhead is incredibly important for everyone, from first-time homebuyers, to business owners to lifelong Central Oregonians keeping up with important maintenance on their family homes. That importance of a quality roof is why if given the chance to do it all again, Woodruff would follow his same life path to becoming the owner of a premier Central Oregon roofing company, Northwest Quality Roofing. “If I had known what I know now, I don’t think I would have done anything differently,” Woodruff said.

Building a Team

Woodruff joined the roofing industry at age 19, shortly after moving to Bend. He started working for a roofing company, and continued on in the business, honing his skills before moving onto the business side of the industry. He and his wife, Gretchen, started Northwest Quality Roofing in 2009, with a vision for the company that’s built right into the name—quality. “We don’t cut corners,” Woodruff said. “If it takes a whole day longer to do a project, then that’s what we’ll do.” Prioritizing quality is something Woodruff has instilled in his team of about twenty-seven employees, most of whom work in the field as foremen and crew leaders, roofing technicians and roofing apprentices. Woodruff acknowledges that roofing is a demanding job, often involving tiring days in the sun working on installations. He believes it’s the company’s strong values and great benefits that help Northwest Quality Roofing attract and retain quality employees. “We offer more than just a job, it’s really a career,” Woodruff said. ‘We’re fortunate to have an awesome core crew of people who have been with us a long time.”

This June, the company was focused on hiring to fill out its team for the busy summer season. Already on the team is Woodrfuff’s son Zackery, who is on staff as a roofing apprentice. Like his father, Zackery, 21, is starting first to master the manual labor side of the business, learning the ins and outs of materials and installation. 

Roofs for All 

Northwest Quality Roofing works primarily with residential homeowners, though the company also does new installations and reroofing of commercial buildings. While most customers are looking for traditional asphalt roofing, the company also offers metal roofing, which tends to be more durable and offer a sleeker look, but for a higher price tag. For metal roofing, the company has machinery to cut and seam sheet metal that can be used on-site at projects, helping to lower costs and speed up installation time, Woodruff said. In addition to roofing, the machines can also be used for custom sheet metal features like chimney caps, custom parapet caps and other custom architectural elements. Choosing between roof styles, and knowing when it’s time to replace a roof is something the Northwest Quality Roofing team helps homeowners with regularly.

Giving Back 

As a way to give back to the community, Northwest Quality Roofing in 2016 began a contest to give a new roof away to a deserving homeowner in Central Oregon. Each year, the company partners with other community sponsors to gather the materials needed to offer a new roof, and then donates the installation, for a prize valued at $10,000 to $15,000 Residents can nominate themselves or another homeowner each spring in the “Raise the Roof” contest, and then employees select from some of the most deserving candidates to choose a winner. “It’s probably one of the best things we’ve done within this company,” Woodruff said. In early June, Woodruff said a handful of entries had already rolled in for the annual contest, with a winner to be chosen by mid-June. Woodruff said that replacing a roof can be a big-ticket purchase for a homeowner, and not always one they can afford. Being able to provide a roof for free can really be a valuable gift for someone, Woodruff said. “Central Oregon has been super good to myself and my employees and my family as we’ve grown our company,” Woodruff said. “For us to give back like we have, at the end of the day, it’s really the thing that keeps us going.”

Northwest Quality Roofing | nwqualityroofing.com | 541-647-1060

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When buying or selling real estate, prospective clients might think they’re working with just a single broker to move the deal forward. While that broker might be the one to answer calls and texts, there’s a team of people who keep things running behind the scenes of a brokerage. Office administrators, finance officers, marketing specialists, principal brokers and those educating and training other brokers are all acting as support staff to keep a brokerage hustling and bustling. For Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate, this support team is a highly skilled group of five women, keeping the company organized, prosperous and cutting-edge as it celebrates fifty years of serving the region.

 “The leadership, insights and solid hard work our Windermere women bring to this company every single day is nothing shy of world class,” said Dave Feagans, owner of Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate. Our company could not survive without the combined strength and solidarity of these fascinating women.” Feagans said there are five women in particular who are on staff at Windermere helping to operate and support the company’s five offices across Bend, Redmond, Madras and Sunriver. The women, three of whom are brokers themselves, help serve the company’s ninety brokers with training, organization, transactions, scheduling and other support. They bring a wealth of professional experience to serve others, but each also has their own professional and personal accomplishments, including decades of service to the Central Oregon Association of Realtors, service on association committees and years of charitable service.

 Windermere Chief Financial Officer Sherry Brooks is a principal real estate broker who entered the industry with a background in accounting. As part of Windermere’s support staff, Brooks said she’s helped the company remain competitive and relevant, implementing a new accounting system and implementing a paperless transaction system. “We essentially are the stagehands making sure all the behind the scenes things work as they should,” Brooks said of herself and other support staff. Outside of work, she volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, donated her vacation rental to various causes and once hosted Ugandan musicians in her home.

 Natalka Palmer brings thirty-one years of experience in the real estate field to her position at Windermere, where she directs education of brokers and assists with technology and marketing. “To be able to pass on all that I have learned over the past thirty-one years to our agents gives me joy,” Palmer said. Palmer serves as a state director and on the Professional Standards Committee for the Central Oregon Association of Realtors.  

Office administrator Traci Brown has spent fifteen years in the real estate and property management fields, and supports Windermere’s Redmond office. “I can’t imagine spending my work day anywhere else,” Brown said. Outside of the office, Brown volunteers with Hospice of Redmond, Redmond Area Park and Recreation District and the Redmond School District, as well as participating in Windermere’s own community events.  

 Jaynee Beck, a managing principal broker for Windermere in Bend and Sunriver, has been in the real estate field for thirty years, and is heavily involved in the Central Oregon real estate industry. She’s the first vice president of the Central Oregon Association of Realtors and plans to serve as president of the group for the second time beginning in 2024. At Windermere, she helps other agents navigate real estate transactions and provide training to newer brokers. “It’s my job to help our agents be successful,” Beck said. “We have great agents, and it’s fun coming to work every day.”

 An office administrator with twenty years in the real estate field, Carolyn Moor is a new addition to Windermere, but already making her mark as a member of the company’s support staff. Moor said she’s excited to grow in her role at Windermere and take advantage of the company’s opportunities to give back. “Windermere has really opened my eyes to helping our community in volunteering,” Moor said. “I am so excited to be a part of all the plans they have for the future.”

 When the five females who make up the Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate support staff get together, it’s clear the group knows how to work hard, but also have fun. In May, they planned a fun photo shoot with the ladies stacked in boxes and another where they “put their heads together” to support the company. “Real estate is an ever-evolving business, and with that comes a requirement to adapt, pivot and bring creative solutions to meet our brokers’ needs, as well as the needs of their clientele,” Feagans said. “These ladies serve our brokers with integrity and class.”

Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate | windermerecentraloregon.com | 541-388-0404

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Coming to the office looks a little different for the employees of Bend’s Century Insurance. Maybe it’s the two-tap kegerator next to the flatscreen TV or the comfy leather furniture. Or maybe it’s the flex desk arrangement, which allows employees to come and go throughout the week and use any desk they please or settle into a conference room for some quiet work time or a meeting. “We really wanted an environment that was welcoming and flexible, but also fun,” said Jason Epple, a principal who has worked with Century Insurance for twenty-three years.

Epple said that when the pandemic hit, the insurance company’s thirty-ish employees headed home to work remotely. For years, the company had talked about making the office more of a flexible coworking space than a strict office environment that people were required to be at each day, and the reset during the pandemic became the push to make it happen. With a lease ending at the company’s 11,000-square-foot office, they took the opportunity to move into a smaller space on the first floor of The Bulletin building on Southwest Upper Terrace Drive. 

The company worked with designer Jennifer Gooding of Domaine Design House to design the new office and with Kellcon Construction to execute the tenant finishes on the space, which prioritizes flexibility and fun. “We loved to be able to transform this company into a more modern style of working,” Gooding said. “Employees no longer sit at their desks all day. Offices are now a base for a hybrid-style of work—a mix of virtual, collaborative, focused, home-based and on-the-go, and businesses need to design their workspaces to support these different working needs.”

Highlights of the newly designed space include a floor-to-ceiling built-in bar area with two keg taps, fridge and dishwasher on the left and a full bar on the right, with the beverages tucked away behind slide up doors. A flatscreen TV in the center of the bar is best viewed from the barstools that sit around a high-top waterfall table in the bar area, or from an adjacent seating area of leather furniture.

Inside the office, agents and account managers pop in and out, between visiting clients and working from home. Together, the team at Century Insurance provides turn-key insurance solutions for individuals and companies around Bend, throughout the state and in several neighboring states. Established in the 1990s by a group of agents with more than 100 years of experience at the time, Century Insurance today is one of the longest-running, locally owned agencies in the region. 

“We love what we do and we love being here—and this space has made it really great,” Epple said. “As long as our customers are happy and we’re productive, that’s the key. And we’ve found that we could do it even better while having such flexibility.”

Century Insurance | 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive, Suite 104 | centuryins.com | 541-382-4211

It was the mid 1970s when Cary Greenlee took his first job tacking shingles, looking to make some extra money to supplement his efforts as a preacher. He never imagined roofing would turn into a lifelong career and a family business he would one day pass on to his son, Nicholas Greenlee. But nearly fifty years after Cary first learned how to install roofing, he’s built a company around the Greenlee name, earning a reputation as one of Central Oregon’s finest roofing companies, something Nicholas is now carrying on.

From the Ground Up

After getting his start in roofing working in Texas and Montana, Cary moved to Bend in 1993 with intentions to be a preacher and help raise his growing family, which eventually included five biological and six adopted children. While Cary was only looking for enough work to stay busy and support his family, the business started to grow through word of mouth. “I never had any intention of creating a large company, I just wanted enough to pay the bills,” Cary said. “But I was never good at saying no, and it just started growing in spite of my efforts.”

 The company specializes in residential roofing and re-roofing, working with local builders and contractors as well as individual homeowners who are building or seeking a roof replacement, which is typically necessary every seventeen-and-a-half years. For the most part, Cary grew the company organically, rarely using advertising or other means of marketing. “We’ve tried to work at having a great reputation, and word-of-mouth is still a big part of how we get new jobs,” Cary said.

 What sets the company apart are its strong values and a commitment to always do right by the customer, even if it means losing money on a job, Cary said. “I seriously believe we have the best ratings in Central Oregon and that didn’t happen by accident,” he said. “We work hard at pleasing customers.”

Passing the Torch

Three years ago, Cary decided he was ready to pass the company along to his son and longtime employee, Nicholas. The father and son share the same company values, but have opposite strengths when it comes to running the business. Cary is great with people, but managed most of the company in his head and in big notebooks. Nicholas, on the other hand, has a stronger business sense and drills down farther into the numbers to ensure the business is running smoothly from a financial standpoint. “I’m taking the great reputation that my dad has built and bringing it to the next level,” Nicholas said. Among the modern updates Nicholas has helped oversee are changes to software used by the company, professionally-wrapped vehicles, marketing and more long-term strategizing to ensure the company is successful well into the future. 

Nicholas is excited to be in the driver’s seat, but said he’s committed to keeping up the company’s reputation for quality work that they stand behind. “We’ve never had legal issues or [Construction Contractors Board] complaints, and that’s because we come back if there’s a problem with our work, and we stand behind what we’ve done,” Nicholas said. In addition to Nicholas and Cary, many members of the extended Greenlee family are also involved in the company, making it a true family affair.

Forward Thinking

As the company grows and modernizes, one exciting development was Greenlee Roofing in early 2021 becoming an official Tesla solar roof installer—the first in Oregon and only company certified as such in Central Oregon. The Tesla solar roof uses active solar roofing tiles that generate solar power, often replacing as much as ninety-five percent of a home’s annual electrical consumption. Tesla announced plans for the solar roofs about five years ago, and in 2020 started bringing on a limited number of contractors to become certified installers of the new technology. “When we heard rumblings that Tesla was going to be bringing on contractors, we were eager to get involved,” said Hobie Smith, sales and marketing director for Greenlee Roofing. Smith said the company has already installed multiple Tesla solar roofs in Central Oregon, and are pleased to bring this new product to the region.

 While the Tesla solar roof is something new and exciting for Greenlee Roofing, the bulk of the company’s work continues to be standard asphalt composition, metal and flat membrane roofs for new projects and re-roofs, and the business is growing about 30 percent each year with work from new and repeat customers. A company with humble beginnings, Greenlee Roofing now has about fifty regular employees, along with thirty or so sub-contractors they work with regularly. Nicholas said the company is able to continue this steady growth because of new and repeat customers who have positive experiences with the team.  “We do sell a product, but in the end, we’re dealing with people. And people don’t just care that the product is good, but how they were treated and cared for,” Nicholas said. “We care about the people, and we care about the final product.”

Greenlee Roofing | 19835 Fourth Street, Bend | 541-316-9567 | greenleeroofing.com | CCB# 224186

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When empty nesters Jane and John Ross were looking to make the move to Central Oregon from the Willamette Valley, they worked with a realtor to explore what was available in the Sisters area. As they continued their search, the Rosses were introduced to Tom Malace of Malace Homes, a homebuilder with a speculative home going up in nearby Brasada Ranch. The couple fell in love with the home’s layout, and were able to weigh in on design choices later in the process.  “It’s everything we would have picked if we had designed the home,” said Jane Ross, describing the single-level home with enough room for the couple, an art room for Jane’s watercolor painting and guest rooms to house their two sons when they visit. Jane uses the 1,300-square-foot garage for training dogs in agility and obedience, and also has a horse boarded at Brasada Ranch. 

The Earth Advantage certified, modern ranch-style home features tall ceilings, with 16-foot-wide glass folding doors opening to the outside, a stone fireplace and an expansive outdoor kitchen and firepit. “It’s perfect for us,” said Jane, who along with John moved in last October. The couple said working with Malace has been a great process, and he’s been available along the way to guide them through building phases, answer questions and follow up after they moved in.

Financially Minded

As a finance professional with more than twenty years experience, Malace had become an expert in the process of lending, securing financing for people to build or buy their dream homes back in Michigan. After moving to Bend for the outdoor lifestyle in 2013, and lending to builders, Malace wanted to try the homebuilding process himself, switching to full-time building in 2015. Malace runs a small company that values quality over quantity, building about six to eight new custom and speculative homes each year, including those in Brasada Ranch, in Sisters, and in Bend on Awbrey Butte and in the new Shevlin West development. The company offers a full range of design and build services, including financing assistance, home design, interior design and production. The company employs its own builders, including excavators, framers and carpenters. Malace said he takes pride in working alongside homeowners, listening to their wants and needs and building homes that are functional and beautiful. “I really do try to put an exceptional amount of value into what we build,” he said. Malace’s hard work has been recognized twice by the Central Oregon Builders Association’s Tour of Homes, as a Green Building award winner in 2019 and a Best Kitchen award winner in 2020.

Homebuilder to Friend

In the Shevlin West neighborhood of Bend, Malace is busy working this spring on a home for Chris and Gretchen Jackson and their children, Chloe, 16, and Oliver, 18. The family moved to Bend from Fremont, California and after connecting with Malace, hired him to build a 3,000-square-foot home, a process the Jacksons have been involved with from the start. “I think you have to be super involved, as there’s a lot of decisions, more than we anticipated,” Chris Jackson said. “Tom did a good job of keeping us excited and always moving things forward, but also keeping things realistic. You can tell that he cares.” 

Malace has come to know many of his clients on a personal level, sharing with them his love of Central Oregon and hobbies such as alpine skiing, fly-fishing and hiking. “When it comes down to it, most of my clients are friends,” said Malace, who plans to build his own family home down the street from the Jacksons in the near future. “We take people’s dreams for their home, turn them into a reality and a place they can be proud of,” Malace said. “The homes we build become places to make memories, relax, entertain friends and family, and create traditions.”

Malace Homes
541-408-2178 | CCB# 208332

Click here to read more of our past home articles. 

While shopping for a new stove, refrigerator or mattress isn’t something people do every day, choosing the right one is a decision bound to impact a shopper’s daily life for years to come. And whether the purchase is a high-priced range poised to be a statement piece for an entire kitchen, or a compact pizza oven to fire up in the backyard, the shopping experience and selection process is key for ensuring the right product ends up at home. Enter Johnson Brothers Appliances, an independent Central Oregon appliance dealer that’s quietly commanded a chunk of the appliance market in the region for more than seven decades. The company has a rich family history that’s stood the test of time, economic downturns and shifting trends, and today is growing and thriving along with the region’s booming building industry.

History in the Making 

The Johnson Brothers Appliances story dates back to 1950, when Vernon and Charcelene Johnson first founded a home products store as an extension of Vernon’s general contracting business. At the time, Vernon was a home builder, eventually constructing dozens of homes in the Bend area, including many on the hilly portion of west Bend that includes NW Portland Avenue and NW Vicksburg Avenue. In the early days, the new home products store was called The Home Center, and carried things like carpeting and paint in addition to appliances, according to Vernon’s grandson, Dave Johnson. “He started the business as a supplier for things he needed to build houses,” Dave said. The business eventually came to specialize in home appliances and televisions, serving the tri-county area of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

The company has always been a family affair, with Vernon’s son, Bob Johnson serving as a longtime employee and eventual general manager, Vernon’s daughter Charcie Madsen managing accounting and Bob’s wife, Marsha Johnson, managing advertising and administrative functions. As children, Bob’s sons Dave and Brian were often found at the business, then located at Northeast First Street and Franklin Avenue. “As a little guy, grandpa would pay me to break down boxes, and in high school as soon as I got my driver’s license I started doing deliveries and service calls.” Dave said. In 1980, Vernon changed the store’s name to Johnson Brothers as an homage to his two young grandsons. Bob took over the store in 2000, and after his untimely death in a car accident in 2015, his sons stepped in to take over ownership and operations. “Having something like this to step into has been an incredible opportunity, and I love building on the hard work that dad and grandpa did over the years” said Dave, who retired from a twenty-year career in the Air Force to return to Bend and become general manager of the business. “I really enjoy the challenges of small business. It’s a different mission than we had in the Air Force, but it comes with daily challenges, risk and reward.” Dave’s brother Brian stepped down from his career as a pastor to provide leadership in logistics, finance and personnel for the business.

Into the Showroom

The Johnson family’s hard work building the family appliance business is best seen at its showroom on Azure Drive, near U.S. Highway 20 and just east of Pilot Butte, a location the company has called home since the 1990s. Inside, customers will find one of the largest inventories of appliances and home essentials in Central Oregon. Inventory includes large cooking, laundry and refrigeration appliances, vacuums, smaller tabletop appliances, mattresses and appliances for outdoor kitchens and grilling. The 30,000-square-foot showroom offers a chance for customers to browse through aisles of appliances and products while learning more from a small sales team with a combined 200 years of experience in the appliance industry. 

While in the past, a larger percentage of the company’s sales were tied to builders, the business model has shifted to cater to a more equal mix of contractors and individual buyers who are building, remodeling or reinvesting in their homes, Dave said. During the pandemic, people’s discretionary spending shifted from travel and experiences to investing within their homes, something that brought many new customers into the showroom. “We’ve definitely seen more of that retail traffic,” Dave said. “At one time appliances used to be more of a luxury, but today they’re more of a necessity. Being able to fill that need is rewarding.” 

Tracking Trends 

The sales team at Johnson Brothers is uniquely positioned to keep up with the latest in appliance and home design trends, gathering input from customers and appliance manufacturers as styles change. One newer trend is more high-tech appliances offering “smart” features, such as refrigerators with cameras inside that can be viewed remotely—convenient when a person is at the grocery store racking their brain to remember what they’re running low on. New refrigerator technology today can also help with food waste in the United States, by using humidity, temperature and airtight compartments to keep food fresh longer. “Manufacturers have really refined the refrigeration process to do it as efficiently as they can,” Dave said. “Storing food at home, if you apply a scientific approach to it, can optimize the preservation of food.” 

Elsewhere in the kitchen, new trends in ovens and ranges have included luxury statement range pieces, sometimes in bold colors, that can become the focal point of a kitchen. High-performance, six-burner ranges with all the bells and whistles or vintage-inspired dual cooktops with ovens and warming doors below can fetch top dollar prices in the name of both function and design aesthetic. 

Another trend in the appliance world is the addition of more small appliances and accessories based around function and fun. At Johnson Brothers, shoppers can find wine dispensers that scan a wine bottle label to optimize the temperature at which to store the wine, preserving it for 120 days after opening. A connected app allows oenophiles to see what their wine-loving friends currently have pouring. Another product on hand at the showroom is a compact and portable outdoor pizza oven, a great addition to a Central Oregon backyard kitchen, or for transporting to the mountain for the ultimate tailgating setup. “It’s a very well made product, but it’s not crazy expensive like some outdoor kitchen components are,” Dave said. 

Experience and Expertise 

Over the decades, the company has earned the trust of many shoppers in Central Oregon, including homeowners, local builders and design professionals. “An advantage of a small business is you can build relationships over time,” Dave said. 

One customer Johnson Brothers has gained business from is Bend designer Kerri Rossi, who exclusively sources appliances for her clients from the company. “People have appliances for several decades. If you’re going to be spending money on something, and you’re going to be using it daily, you want to trust who you’re purchasing through,” said Rossi, principal for KRM Interior Design and co-owner of Element Design Collective. Rossi said she works with a salesperson who has been with the company for more than thirty years. “It feels like she’s family,” said Rossi, who appreciates the product education she gets from Johnson Brothers and ongoing support even after a purchase is complete. “Things can go wrong with appliances. Other appliance companies will tell you to call a one-eight-hundred number and figure it out. [Johnson Brothers] will walk you through the process, explain warranties and help you if you’re having questions or concerns.” 

Whether a homeowner picks out their appliances on their own or works with a designer like Rossi, Johnson Brothers coordinates ordering the product or locating it in the showroom or warehouse, delivery and installation. In many cases, they also manage servicing of their appliances, or coordinating service through a manufacturer. A team of about thirty employees at Johnson Brothers are split between sales, delivery, service and administration, each playing a role in the success of every transaction. To see what the team is up to today and browse the company’s impressive selection of appliances and home products, stop by the showroom, open Mondays through Saturdays each week.   

Learn more at Johnson Brothers Appliances
541-382-6223 | 571 NE Azure Drive, Bend

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New owners with their own vision for a long successful Bend business have taken over Area Rug Connection, a more than twenty-year-old, 9,000-square-foot rug store located on the southeast end of Second Street. Jenny and Greg Lanker purchased Area Rug Connection in early July and have since expanded the store’s offerings to include a full range of home décor. Jenny describes the updated selection as including furniture, lighting, home accessories, and of course, lots of rugs.

The rug inventory offered by Area Rug Connection is designed to suit the needs of any and all clients, with styles ranging from traditional and Tibetan to contemporary and textural varieties. There are high-end, handmade rugs for luxury buyers, as well as machine-made varieties that can fit any budget. The expert buying team curates a huge, constantly growing selection for people to browse. The store also offers the ability to order custom rugs that can fit any room and style.

The couple prioritizes integrity and client satisfaction above all else. And the experienced team on the warehouse floor offers industry expertise and friendly, low-pressure support when clients need it. Their number one priority is helping the customer find the right rug or home décor piece, while helping them avoid mistakes and buyer’s remorse. To aid clients in avoiding the wrong rug, Area Rug Connection offers the “Check it Out” program. Customers are welcome to take rugs home for a test drive before deciding on a purchase. Evaluating a rug, or several, in your home can be invaluable when it comes to finding something that truly fits your space. As purchasing a rug can be a large investment, this is one way the team ensures customers are confident with what they select.

The Area Rug Connection also offers solutions for the long term care and maintenance of rugs. Expert cleaning and repair services are available to all, regardless of the purchase location of the rug. The store proudly plays a role in preserving these woven heirlooms.

Envisioning the future of Area Rug Connection, the Lankers hope to create a friendly, comfortable place where customers can browse and where interior designers can welcome clients. The team imagines a one-stop shop serving design inspiration and the type of pieces that define a home’s style. 

Through a newly updated website, customers will have access to the showroom floor from the comfort of their home. And while the Lankers agree that nothing beats the in-person experience, Area Rug Connection’s digital store is designed to be as interactive as possible, providing the best experience for all customers, including the virtual ones.  

photo Tim Cotter

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When Neil Kelly Company senior designer Kathleen Donohue approached a remodeling project in northwest Bend earlier this year, she knew it would be a balance of the client’s wish list, budget and project logistics. And in the case of this Awbrey Glen home, it would involve a bit of problem solving and creativity, too. The company was hired by a couple who were preparing to return to the Bend home where they had raised a family, after years of renting it out while they focused on careers out of the area. The couple’s desired updates included a more modern kitchen that was better for entertaining, new dog-friendly rustic hardwood flooring throughout the main level, a more inviting downstairs powder room and a new “cellar” to house an impressive wine collection. “They had been living elsewhere for work reasons, and they came back to this home to get it ready for their retirement and to be their forever home,” said Donohue, who is a certified master kitchen and bath designer, or CMKBD, and certified aging in place specialist, or CAPS. Donohue has been with Neil Kelly, which specializes in design/build remodeling, for more than thirty years, so she’s well versed in remodels. She knew to keep the homeowner’s wish list in mind from the start, and set out to accomplish their goals with their budget in mind.

Opening up the kitchen

When it came to modernizing the kitchen, Donohue set out to brighten up the space, tweak the layout to feel more open and add new cabinets and flooring complementing the home’s existing woodwork. The kitchen had both an island and a peninsula, so the latter was removed to improve the flow of the room. “It was pretty crowded before, so it was important to keep things really simple,” Donohue said. New appliances were added, including a Bertazzoni range, accented with an ivory hood. The new cabinets are a mix of natural knotty alder, matching existing wood in the house, and some painted a grey green color that ties in well with the greenery outside. “The color really brings the outdoors in with that golf course right outside the window,” Donohue said. The island is topped with a wooden counter that helps warm up the space and keep it from feeling too industrial. “She said she’d never had a kitchen like this and never dreamed she would,” Donohue said of the homeowner.

Cellar Challenge 

In early discussions about the remodel, the plan was to convert a small pantry underneath the stairs into a wine cellar, but after realizing the owner had a 400-bottle collection, Donohue knew more space was needed. “There was a little pantry, but it was literally a closet under the stairs, and wouldn’t be enough room on its own,” she said. An existing covered front porch area on the exterior just outside the pantry wasn’t used by the homeowners but was already underneath the house’s roof, while an adjacent laundry room had an angled area that was underutilized. Together these extra spaces would become the new cellar, offering the area needed to display the wine collection, as well as a bistro table and chairs for entertaining. 

Refreshing Spaces

Simple updates to the existing laundry room and powder room helped to lighten up the areas visually and make them more inviting. The powder room was dressed up with fresh finishes, wallpaper and a new light fixture. The more compact laundry room was outfitted with the same grey green cabinetry as the kitchen and a bright white counter.

All the updates helped transform the home from a more traditional lodge style design into a more contemporary space. “The homeowners just really, really love it and are really pleased,” Donohue said. “It’s a beautiful home in a beautiful setting and this project finished all the things they wanted to do to bring it up to date.”

Neil Kelly Company | 190 NE Irving Avenue | 541-382-7580 | neilkelly.com/bend

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“Manuel Baptista knows his business,” said Steve Bennett, a long-time builder of luxury homes in Central Oregon. “Hands down, he and his people are good to work with and their work shows it, too.”

The genesis for Baptista Tile and Stone Gallery started when company founder Manuel Baptista discovered he liked to work with his hands. While still at Redmond High School he learned the basics of tile and, after graduating in 1976, moved to Portland to master the many facets of the tile and flooring industry. In 1978 he returned to Central Oregon with his contractor license.

In 2003, he opened a storefront and hired a small installation crew and design staff. In 2007, the company opened the current showroom on Bend’s SE Business Way. The facility has since expanded to include tile installation and design areas, onsite fabrication and a warehouse. The team has also grown to a staff of almost fifty to address all aspects of tile, stonework (including granite, quartz and quartzite), hardwood flooring and carpeting. The company also offers complimentary design services to its customers.

“When I started in the business, contractors were hands on, working on each aspect of their projects,” Baptista said. “Now, the complexity of the work that’s involved—with construction so vast—a contractor has to have experts in every aspect of their business to oversee multiple projects. The number of liabilities that can happen on a project is critical to avoid, so you want to have good people handling your projects. My goal has always been to make our customers happy by providing the best materials and quality installation.”

The Baptista staff attends tradeshows and manufacturer sites to keep abreast of the latest developments in product offerings, trends and technologies. Baptista offers exclusive product lines, such as Portland-based Pratt + Larson. Pratt + Larson offers a wide range of tile designs, sizes and finishes. It manufactures tile specifically for each customer’s installation and even gives customers the opportunity to create their own colorways.

“We hold trainings for the Baptista staff here in Portland,” explained Arthur Moloian, director of business development and showroom at Pratt + Larson. “We also go to Bend to work with them. It’s a real back and forth,” he said.

Among the many benefits of working so closely with vendors is the range of products which Baptista carries or has access, including items manufactured in Portland or on the other side of the world.

When Ilene Smith and her husband returned to Central Oregon after living overseas for twenty years, they realized the home they had left behind needed a major update. Working with contractor Ed Arnold, owner of Bend Originals, and the design and installation crews at Baptista, the couple replaced existing Saltillo tile that ran throughout the first floor with a herringbone-patterned Italian porcelain tile. Other changes on the first floor included a new kitchen with Mt. White quartzite counters and an Italian blue-gray tile, Manhattan Smoke, on the backsplash. The new fireplace and television surround feature the same smoke tile. Elsewhere in the house, the couple remodeled the master bath to incorporate marble, Mont Blanc quartzite and a Japanese soaking tub set at one end of the new steam shower.

“I love the veining in the quartzites, and that we have pieces that no one else has, and I love how the smoke tile looks blue or gray depending on light,” Smith said. “Barbara’s [Baptista designer Barbara Souza] attention to detail was meticulous. The process was overwhelming at the start, but they were really good about explaining everything and providing very detailed information. I was in good hands, and it all went very smoothly.”

As he continues to run the business, Baptista said he’s most grateful for his staff, from the sales team to installers and others, who all play a role in the success of the company. That success becomes evident by the customers who return. “One of the best feelings is when a client comes into our showroom and says, ‘thirty years ago Manuel installed the tile in our home. We are working on another project and are glad you are here!’ Continually inviting us into your house to enhance your home says something.”

Baptista Tile & Stone Gallery | Open by appointment only to best address the needs of customers | 611SE Business Way, Ste. 101 | baptistatile.com | 541-919-6560

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When Tom and Cyndi Harper were looking to make the move from San Clemente, California to Central Oregon, they knew the competitive market here would be a challenge to break into. “Our experience with Windermere was one of real success,” said Tom, who worked with a broker out of Windermere’s Bend office. “We knew it would take a locally respected Realtor to structure an offer in such a way that a seller would consider it; let alone find common ground and agreement with buying our Central Oregon home. There are so many competitors for each home today that we knew it would take the most savvy of Realtors to guide us to victory.”

Seeing brokers and clients work together to achieve their goals is what attracted Dave Feagans to the real estate business about twenty years ago. After an early career as a homebuilder in Portland, he decided to delve into real estate, getting his license in 1999 and relocating to Central Oregon in 2001, where he promptly began his new career as a Realtor. “To me, it felt like I was made for this,” said Feagans, owner of Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate. “There is no greater joy than seeing a family get their home—it’s really exciting to see people win in that way, and it’s fun to be a part of that.” 

After thirteen years of previously owning/operating a local boutique real estate firm in Bend, Feagans welcomed the opportunity to join the Windermere family, where he’d have access to more tools, resources and talent for helping buyers and sellers, while still working for a company with a local feel and community pride. Windermere’s reach is substantial, with more than 300 offices and 6,500 agents across the western United States, with maximum international exposure and marketing through the company’s global platform. Brokers who come to Windermere are always more seasoned, with valuable experience and community connections that match up perfectly with Windermere’s standards.

Local leaders

In Central Oregon, the family-owned Windermere branch has five offices, including two in Redmond, one in Madras, one in Sunriver and a location in Bend. The Bend office recently relocated to the bank of the Deschutes River near the Old Mill District, from which events at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, ice rink, river rafting and surfing park are visible. The office’s new deck also offers beautiful Cascade Range views to enjoy. “We’ve got a lot of pride in our new location,” Feagans said. “We’ll be here for decades in this new space. We enjoy the visibility this unsurpassed riverfront location offers as well as the ease of access for our clients.” 

With more than 100 seasoned Realtors with decades of experience, Windermere’s offices are well-connected throughout the community. Their brokers participate more within the local real estate association than any other firm, taking roles as executive leadership, board positions and as committee members. These attributes naturally create an advantage when advocating for buyers and sellers, particularly within today’s very competitive market in Central Oregon. “Our brokers are known across Central Oregon. Our names aren’t new, and so our ability to work together locally with others in the community is superior,” Feagans said.

Giving back

This spring, Windermere agents got their hands dirty, literally, as they took on yard work and other household maintenance for the elderly community as well as a food drive and civic beautification within the Redmond area as part of an annual community service day held company-wide. The event builds a sense of community between the brokers, and those in the region who can benefit from the extra help, and is just one example of Windermere’s commitment to philanthropy. Each Windermere agent contributes a portion of every closing to the Windermere Foundation to help give back to the community.

 In Central Oregon, two committees decide how to grant the money each year, giving about $20,000 annually to local nonprofits, such as Bethlehem Inn and Habitat for Humanity, among others. In 2020, the company donated to wildfire relief efforts in Oregon, with some funds going toward stranded animals, displaced by the fires and sheltered at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.

 At its core, Windermere is a company focused on helping others, whether it’s through generous philanthropy, or the more everyday work of helping buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals in Central Oregon.

 “Having a local agent with extensive knowledge of the area was vital and made our transition to Central Oregon smooth and effortless,” said Cyndi, who has since settled into the couple’s new home in Bend. “We have been thoroughly enjoying our home and new life here and there’s just no other way we could have achieved this success without the help of our Windermere broker.”

Windermere Central Oregon Real Estate | windermerecentraloregon.com | 541-388-0404

The staff at Contract Furnihsings Mart in Bend.

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Since 1981, Contract Furnishings Mart has been serving the Pacific Northwest in all needs related to flooring, cabinets and countertops. The company is dedicated to trade professionals who deal in wholesale. As a proud, third generation, family-operated business, it specializes in providing a personal touch to all of their business dealings.

With the largest showroom and warehouse of its kind in Central Oregon, the team at Contract Furnishings Mart is ready and excited to serve the entire region. This sentiment is echoed by Director of Marketing Garrett Anderson. “We’re eager to partner with professionals to help grow their businesses,” Anderson said about the builders, designers, remodelers and other customers who buy products wholesale from Contract Furnishings Mart. “At CFM, we provide an atmosphere and experience you won’t find anywhere else while still offering great value every day.”

The Central Oregon showroom and warehouse is run by Manager Doug Starr, who moved to Bend with his family nearly twenty-seven years ago. After witnessing Bend grow and evolve into the bustling little city it is now, Starr has an adept understanding of his industry, as well as the needs of the Central Oregon community. “I’ve had several offers to move out and leave this community, but I chose to stay every time because I knew this was the right place to raise my family,” Starr said. “The opportunity to join the CFM family and do simple business the right way is something I couldn’t pass up,” he added.

His team averages 17 years of industry experience, and all of the salespeople are commission free; their only goal is to assist the customer.

With this experience, the team at Contract Furnishings Mart is expertly equipped to ask the right questions to ensure the material a customer chooses is truly the perfect fit for their project. Customers have taken notice of this quality sales experience, and have decided to work with the business time and time again. “After years in the industry, CFM in Bend is my new go-to industry material supplier,” said Heidi Byrnes, owner and operator of Society West Design, a Bend-based interior design company. “I have worked with many suppliers over the years and the beautiful showroom, material selection, pricing and reliability which CFM provides is unmatched in Central Oregon.”

To ensure Contract Furnishings Mart has just what customers need, the staff goes to great lengths to keep their showroom up to date with the latest flooring styles. With our ever-changing industry, CFM is constantly bringing in new, fashion-forward products to meet the design needs of Central Oregon. From new and exciting trends to the tried and true classics in all types of material, expect to find the carpet, hardwood, stone, luxury vinyl, laminate and ceramic tile surfaces you need and more all under one roof.

“Everything we do as a company is designed to take care of the customer,” says Anderson. “To say we’re excited to bring this experience to Bend is an understatement.”

Contract Furnishings Mart | 350 NE Addison Ave., Bend | cfmfloors.com | 541-508-4620 

(Part 2 of a larger article. Click here to start at the beginning.)

BEYOND VENTURE CAPITAL: TRIBE PILOT TAKES A DIFFERENT APPROACH

For most investors, startup success looks like this: Founders have an idea, raise money from investors, build the product. They grow at a rapid pace, perhaps raise more money, and then sell the company (or IPO). The investors get paid back. The founders go on to start other things or invest in other companies.

Matt Smith, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Tribe Pilot, an adventure planning app, is certainly familiar with the concept. But the Bend native sees a different end for his company.

“The traditional model doesn’t make sense for Tribe Pilot because I want it to exist here,” he says. He wasn’t keen on the notion that taking on investment meant that he’d have to potentially sell the company to exit and risk the buyers moving somewhere else.

So the founder took a different approach, becoming one of the first Bend startups to employ a Shared Earnings Agreement with its investors. Under a SEA, investors receive payments from the startup up to a predetermined cap. The investors don’t take equity in the company, and once they’ve received their payout, the founders can continue however they’d like.

“We needed a vehicle to reward investors for helping us along, but that didn’t necessitate an exit for success,” Smith says. “It allows us to keep our company local, while still providing the capital we need to grow.”

He hopes the mechanism will catch on with other local startups, offering an investment option for those who have similar goals. He’s open sourced the legal documents for the Tribe Pilot SEA with that mind. In the meantime, Smith is growing his local team, improving the product, and watching the number of adventures planned on his app increase rapidly. — Kelly Kearsley

LIFE LINE

Could an app be the answer to tree well tragedies?

If skiing in Central Oregon has taught us anything, it’s that we need to be more aware of tree wells, the dangerous voids that form around the base of large trees in deep snow. These pockets are responsible for three skier deaths at Mt. Bachelor in the past several seasons, including two tragedies that occurred on the same day in 2018. The resort has increased its education efforts around the dangers, encouraging patrons to ski and ride in pairs. It’s added signs around the mountain and messages in email blasts. Now the resort is looking in a new direction—your cell phone. As soon as next season, riders could have access to an app that could save their lives. TreeWell is a mobile alert system designed to get help to skiers who can’t call for a rescue.

The app uses sensors built within the phone to detect sudden falls, inverted positions, and movements associated with tree well entrapment. TreeWell CEO Tommy Chipman and his team of Bend-based developers started developing the app after seeing the problem unfolding at their hometown resort.

“If it saves one life, it’s one hundred percent worth it for us,” said Chipman. With the help of Mt. Bachelor ski patrol and staff, the TreeWell team will be conducting preliminary tests this fall. Their goal is to release the app to the public before the first chair inaugurates the 2019-2020 coming ski season. If it’s successful, look to see the app in use by skiers and riders across the Northwest and beyond. — Dalton Charest

OVERCOMING THE DATA DELUGE

Bend’s Amplion is helping medical researchers ask the right questions

When Adam Carroll left his position as a director at Bend Research six years ago, he knew that he’d likely need to create his next job or move back to the Bay Area. A former university professor with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Carroll didn’t see a lot of potential job opportunities here.

However, his experience working in pharmaceutical research had illuminated a problem Carroll thought technology could solve. He notes that the amount of information generated after the completion of the human genome project is staggering. And keeping up with new research, clinical trials, and more had become a seemingly unwinnable task.

“We used to joke that if only Pfizer knew what only Pfizer knew,” Carroll said. “Just one company generates such huge amounts of research and data; it’s hard to know what’s there.” He co-founded Amplion on the notion that pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies were missing opportunities simply because they didn’t know they existed.

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

In the past year, Amplion has more than doubled the size of its staff, filled out its leadership team, and brought a new product to market. The Bend technology startup is leveraging machine learning to help diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies access and analyze biomarker information in a more efficient way.

“The volume of biomedical information is massive and growing at a terrifying rate,” said Carroll, Amplion’s co-founder and chief science officer. “We’re using technology to extract meaning from all these documents, answer real-world questions, and translate it into information that people can use.”

The company started in Bend in 2013. The next year Carroll pitched the idea on the Bend Venture Conference stage and won the conference’s top investment. This year, the company doubled down on the promise of its software, raising $4 million to help accelerate its growth.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TECH

Pharma and diagnostics companies may be on the leading edge of medical discoveries and treatments, but when it comes to information research, many still rely on traditional techniques. For example, a researcher may come up with potential key terms and search for them in a database, hoping to find a needle in a biomedical haystack.

Not only is the process manual and often inefficient, but the searches can leave a lot of information undiscovered.

Amplion’s most recent product leverages machine learning and natural language processing to help diagnostics and pharma companies navigate the information deluge. The company’s product allows customers to focus their searches, automatically serving up information that may suit their needs. It makes it easier to identify industry partners, who may complement their work through their specific test or drug development activities or by their interest in specific patient groups.

A NEW MOMENTUM

Carroll knows firsthand the ups and downs of starting a tech company, and looking back he can see the scale of his initial idea was even larger than he anticipated. “What I proposed then was a heavy lift for a small team,” he said. But today, “the momentum is palpable.”

Under the leadership of CEO Chris Capdevila, a serial entrepreneur who sold his previous company to Oracle, Amplion has raised $4 million. That capital is fueling the company’s current growth, spurring the new product enhancements and enabling a whole spate of hires. Amplion now has more than 20 employees, spread between Bend, Eugene, Seattle and Portland.

“The progress we’re making is incredible,” Carroll said. “It’s been amazing to see the kinds of things we’re able to take on. It’s like the thrill of driving a fast car—you press the gas and you’re thrown back in your seat.” –Kelly Kearsley

EXPLORE BIG IDEAS IN BEND: