Jeff and Shannon Weiss own a successful family business in Lincoln City. Actually two. They’re also raising a family. Somehow it all seems to work.

“My grandfather taught my father and dad taught me,” is how Jeff describes learning the flooring trade. Tagging along to jobs at an early age, Jeff gradually developed the skills to work side by side with his father. After returning from college he joined Weiss Install full-time.

Installing carpet, hardwood, laminate and vinyl flooring, as well as Formica counter tops, Jeff is still using many of the tools his father and grandfather originally purchased. But the largest asset of Weiss Install is their reputation. Without advertising, the company has a steady stream of work, thanks to repeat customers as well as referrals from stores and contractors.

“We really care about quality and details,” points out Jeff. “The best part of my job is seeing smiles on our customers’ faces when we’re finished.”

Shannon also grew up in Lincoln City. After graduating from Taft High School, she worked at her parent’s restaurant before opening Rustic Bloom Photography several years back. One look at the company’s website, rusticbloomphotography.com, and you can see why Shannon’s skills as a photographer and videographer are in such demand. Whether shooting weddings, senior pictures, newborns, or families, Shannon has a way of capturing subjects and emotions naturally.

Why do her photos look so good? “I haven’t had a bad client yet,” she says sincerely. But with an attitude like that, it’s apparent why her subjects seem so comfortable in front of her camera.

Much of Shannon’s work is shot utilizing the beauty of coastal locations, but when she needs a set built it’s Jeff who does it. She in turn does the bids and books for Weiss Install. “It’s wonderful working with each other,” they say practically in unison, and it’s obvious that they really mean it.

Jeff and Shannon chose to buy a home and raise their sons in Lincoln City because they have so much family in the area. Their businesses sometimes require long hours, but they’ve learned to strike a balance. “Free time is family time,” explains Jeff. “We hike, we hunt, we fish, together as a family.”

The Weiss’s have been Oregon Coast Bank customers since we first opened our Lincoln City office. Between their business accounts, personal accounts and children’s accounts, things can get complicated, but Shannon manages it all using Oregon Coast Bank online banking. She particularly likes being able to instantly deposit checks with her cell phone.

To Jeff and Shannon, banking at a locally-owned community institution gives them a distinct advantage. “They know us and we know them,” she says. “That makes banking a whole lot easier.”

On nice days the deck tables perched over the Salmon River always fill up fast. But between the laughter, music on the juke box, and sports on the TVs, it’s obvious that the seats inside are also appealing. The crowd is predominantly locals – loyal to their community and loyal to the restaurant some call their second home. Roadhouse 18 Bar and Grill is just that kind of place.

There’s been a restaurant on Highway 18 in Rose Lodge a few miles outside Lincoln City for many years. The Salmon River location is spectacular. But until about nine years ago the restaurant struggled. That was when Antonio Hernandez Cordoba and his brother-in-law purchased the business. Roadhouse 18 Bar and Grill serves a wide variety of burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, steak and seafood as well as traditional Mexican fare. When word got out that the food was good, the locals returned. Often.

Now the restaurant’s sole owner, Antonio works from open till close (usually 1 PM – 2 AM), six days a week. The staff numbers five, including his wife Alicia, who bartends part time; his sister Consuelo, who primarily works special events; his son Anthony, who cooks; and his son Saul, who washes dishes and is learning the kitchen.

Greeting almost every customer by name, Antonio seems to be everywhere, working the bar, tables and the kitchen. He credits the restaurant’s jovial atmosphere to its customers, saying “we have such great people around here”. Locals, from as far as Lincoln City, often celebrate birthdays and anniversaries at Roadhouse 18 Bar and Grill. The special events sometime include karaoke or DJs. The restaurant even does offsite catering.

It’s been, however, quite a journey. Raised about 2600 miles away, in Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, Antonio worked in the fields of North Carolina for several years before traveling to Oregon. Clearly, he loves the area that he came to more than twenty years ago and now proudly calls home.

Otis is where they chose to raise their six children and where Antonio and Alicia own a home. Through hard work they’ve earned enough to buy three additional houses that they rent “to people we know”. They plan on investing in more rentals in the future, perhaps with their children, who have also demonstrated a strong work ethic.

It was his accountant who first recommended Oregon Coast Bank. Meeting our Lincoln City manager, Antonio was impressed, especially with the bank’s commitment to local businesses. He envisions future restaurant remodeling and further investment properties, knowing that his bank continually invests in the community also.

Antonio continues to plan for his family’s future, realizing and accepting the work required. His enthusiasm remains contagious. “We started from the bottom”, Antonio says, “but we’d gladly do it all over again. We love the friendships we’ve built. Being able to be part of this community is just amazing.”

At the young age of 17, Gary Fromm purchased a commercial property in Philadelphia and opened his first business, which he called Doors Unlimited. Forty-five years later, that company is still thriving and operates under joint ownership between Gary and his employees.

His next venture was purchasing shopping centers in the Tucson, Arizona area. Buying properties in need of improvement, Gary would do much of the renovation himself and work with his tenants to attract more customers. His hands-on business model worked well and Gary successfully renovated a dozen different shopping centers.

Eventually Gary and his wife, Pat, began focusing more on their horses and started looking for a place more suitable for grazing than the Arizona desert. Searching online, they discovered Green Acres, a barn with 63 acres of pasture for sale in Otis, Oregon. They quickly flew up, fell in love with the area, and purchased the property.

In 2010, Gary and two partners, Dan Stuebgen and Terry Gann, started Green Acres Beach and Trail Rides. Operating a facility in Pacific City, “two minutes from the ocean’s edge”, the company has grown steadily. Last year about 3,000 visitors enjoyed Green Acres Beach and Trail Rides, about 80% of whom were inexperienced riders.

It was his search for additional barn space that enticed Gary to purchase his latest commercial property. Yes, as several newspapers have recently reported, Gary literally bought the town of Otis. Along with a formerly vacant 24-stall barn, Gary now owns all 190 acres of Otis, including 125 acres of timber and a mile of riverbank, as well as five commercial buildings.

Anchored by the historic Otis Cafe, which has consistently been praised by reviewers as far away as the New York Times, the town of Otis includes Dock’s Landing Espresso & Coffee, Otis Pizzeria, Otis Market & Fueling Station, Stickrod Bait & Tackle and the Otis Post Office.

Gary’s goal for the town is to continually improve the properties to help the business owners attract more people to stop while traveling along Highway 18. He’s already started the barn’s renovation and added 200,000 feet of new fencing for the pastures. Eventually, his goals also include building a summer fairgrounds in Otis for equestrian events and 4H use.

“I’ve been a business owner for 45 years now and I’ve found Oregon Coast Bank to be the most friendly and accommodating bank I’ve ever worked with,” says Gary. He also has nice things to say about Fred Postlewait, our Oregon Coast Bank president, who visited the property to help arrange the loan. “If it wasn’t for Oregon Coast Bank, I never could have put this deal together,” explains Gary about purchasing the town of Otis. “There were plenty of hurdles, but they helped me through the entire process.”

The next time you travel up Highway 18 through Otis, you may see a guy with a paint brush, hammer or shovel. Chances are that will be Gary. He may own the town, but he still understands that a property is only as good as the effort you put into it.

Unquestionably, they were ready. They knew their market. He’d worked for years in the industry and they both understood customer service. So when Peter Robertson and his fiancé, Jana Grahn, decided to go into business for themselves, the company’s success didn’t come as a surprise.

Peter and Jana both grew up in Lincoln City and graduated from Taft High School. Having worked elsewhere, they appreciated their hometown even more. They also realized that opening a business of their own would be the best way to build financial security in a small community.

To their credit, Peter and Jana made a pragmatic and wise decision in choosing their business. Septic service isn’t a glamour occupation, but it is an industry that will always be necessary. They also did their homework. Peter took hundreds of hours of training through Oregon DEQ and various septic system manufacturers. They worked with a new business consultant through Oregon Coast Community College. In the evenings, they studied every aspect of the septic industry, including new technologies.

Today their company, Northwest Septic Service, has customers on the coast from Manzanita to Yachats, with additional clients in the Willamette Valley. About 40% of their business is septic pumping, with an additional 30% made up of system maintenance. The remaining 30% of Peter’s time is spent performing septic system inspections, which are now required in most real estate transactions.

When Peter and Jana opened Northwest Septic Service they made a considerable investment in a state-of-the-art sewer camera. The self leveling camera includes a light and is mounted on two hundred feet of cable, which can be fed through the drain line to inspect and document the condition of the tank, connecting pipes and drain field. It can even be used to locate the position of system components needing maintenance, so even if you have forgotten where your tank is located, Peter can find it with a minimum of digging.

Northwest Septic Service is certified by most septic system manufacturers and by DEQ. The company offers low-cost maintenance contracts that include guaranteed emergency response within 48 hours. With advanced systems, Peter can monitor data from his laptop computer and actually adjust your system’s settings remotely.

How often should your septic system be pumped? The DEQ and EPA both recommend that pumping should occur every three to five years, but as Peter says: “If you can’t remember the last time it happened, then it’s probably time to get it pumped.”

Although investing in the latest technology has proven to be a major advantage for Northwest Septic Service, Peter and Jana believe that their company’s success comes from an old fashioned principle. “If you provide excellent service and always do what’s best for the customer, word gets around,” he says.

Jana continues to work as a licensed veterinary technician. But she also moonlights as Northwest Septic Service’s second employee, performing the bookkeeping functions.

Peter and Jana give a lot of credit to our Oregon Coast Bank Lincoln City staff for helping them with their business plan and arranging the loan to finance the equipment they needed to start the company. “Opening a business can be complicated, but they went far beyond the call of duty to make things happen,” explains Peter. “It’s also kind of nice to walk into a bank where everyone calls you by name.”

At Oregon Coast Bank we understand that it’s entrepreneurs that fuel our local economy. Peter and Jana put a great deal of effort into opening a quality local business and continue to work hard every day. Their success is well deserved.

Call it a love triangle, but to understand the relationship between Diane and Jim Kusz, you have to mention their adopted hometown. Because before they found each other, Diane and Jim had both fallen in love with Lincoln City.

How they both arrived here is in itself interesting. Born in Minnesota, Diane had lived in Arizona, California, Alaska and Washington. She worked for a pharmacy, several credit unions, children’s social services, and in shopping center management. Twenty-one years ago, Diane accepted an offer to become Marketing Director of Lincoln City Outlets. She arrived with her daughter and grandson and soon realized how lucky they were to be able to live and work in such a breathtaking locale.

Jim was born and raised on the north side of Chicago, attending school just a few blocks from Wrigley Field. After graduating from Northeastern Illinois University, he began a career in television production, working for WTTW-TV, the Chicago PBS affiliate. He served as Floor Director on the nationally syndicated show “Siskel & Ebert” and also worked on “Soundstage”, broadcasting concerts by artists such as Tina Turner, BB King and Aretha Franklin. After several years in California writing curriculum and producing films for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Jim returned to Chicago where he produced training films and a motivational series with Chicago Bears football coach Mike Ditka. Eventually his TV career brought him to Portland.

About 20 years ago, while producing the show “Explore Northwest”, Jim decided to move to Lincoln City. “That turned out to be the best decision of my life,” he says. Not only did he love the area, but, while filming a segment profiling the Outlet Center, he met Diane. Four years later they were married.

In 2006 Diane was named General Manager of the Outlet Center. Currently owned by Singerman Real Estate and managed by Avison Young, the center serves as a magnet for out of town shoppers producing a huge boost for our local economy. In addition to the seven fulltime Avison Young staff members, the center’s 60 stores employ close to 500.

As General Manager “every day is different”, points out Diane. While much of her time is spent on leasing, marketing, and managing staff, she’s also in charge of overseeing things like plumbing, painting and landscaping. Diane believes that she also has a responsibility to her community. She serves on the boards of the Lincoln City Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Central Oregon Coast Association. She’s also been active in the Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis and the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

Almost immediately after moving to Lincoln City, Jim became a volunteer for Devils Lake Fire and Rescue and very involved with the Water Rescue Team, which he led for seven years. In 2003 he accepted a job with North Lincoln Fire and Rescue and today serves as Public Education, Information and Safety Officer.

In cooperation with several agencies, community sponsors and North Lincoln Fire and Rescue, Jim produced and has regularly presented S.E.T. (Severe Event Training), a 90-minute workshop. He currently teaches “Disaster Preparedness in the Pacific Northwest” for Oregon Coast Community College. Jim has also served on the city council and the Lincoln City Planning Commission. Both Jim and Diane remain active in community emergency preparedness. “I just like the idea of teaching people to be safe for themselves,” explains Jim. “I call him the master of disaster,” Diane says with a smile.

Now empty nesters, it was a commitment to saving for retirement that brought Diane and Jim to Oregon Coast Bank. “Although we’ve always had two decent incomes, for many years we seemed to spend as much as we earned,” recalls Diane. It didn’t help that their former bank was constantly offering them equity loans as the value of their Lincoln City home increased. Eventually, when real estate prices went down, Diane and Jim were saddled with excess debt. They never missed a payment, but they decided that changing to a community bank with local bankers they knew and trusted would be a sound financial decision.

On the advice of Chad Ulrich, Manager of Oregon Coast Bank in Lincoln City, Diane and Jim both began using OCB Anchor Cards instead of their old credit cards. “The Anchor Card tells us if we’re overspending,” says Jim. They also gave themselves a new rule: “If either of us is considering a purchase of over a hundred dollars, we ask the other first – do we really need it,” explains Diane.

Diane and Jim deserve a lot of credit in admitting to themselves that they were spending too much and not saving enough for retirement. As Jim says candidly: “I’m just lucky to have found the girl of my dreams, it’s about time we started taking our financial future seriously.”

Back in the early 80s, Gary and Alberta Ellingson were raising their family and managing apartments in the Portland area. But Gary also worked as a contractor and often his building projects would keep him away from home. Because one of their children had special needs requiring additional attention, they began searching for a business that they could operate as a family without having to travel.

While working a construction job on the Salishan spit, Gary found a small 15 unit Lincoln City motel for sale with enough land for expansion. The sellers agreed to take payments, so in October 1985 the Ellingsons became the proud owners of the Sandcastle Beachfront Motel. “At the time, we knew virtually nothing about the motel business,” remembers Gary. “Running the business entirely by ourselves, we soon realized we were on 24 hour call… but we loved it,” adds Alberta.

Doing much of the work themselves, Gary and Alberta expanded the facilities and added amenities like a large indoor pool and Jacuzzi. These days, the Sandcastle includes 39 motel units and an additional 11 apartments across the street. As the business grew, so did the staff. Today, the Sandcastle employs 14 and most of the employees have been with the company for many years. Adding to the family atmosphere, several staff members live in the apartments on the property. “When he first came to the Sandcastle 17 years ago, our manager had a newborn,” recalls Alberta. “Now that baby is grown and knows how to run the motel.”

Many of the Sandcastle’s customers have been coming to the motel for more than 40 years, and it’s not uncommon for second and third generations to visit. Family reunions at the Sandcastle are a frequent occurrence. “We have one customer who’s been here almost 20 years,” laughs Gary. “He was staying in one of our motel rooms when the weather got rough, so we moved him across the street to one of our apartments. Apparently he liked it and we’ve enjoyed his company ever since.”

What makes the Sandcastle so popular? All of the units are literally right on the beach; look out the window and you’ll see uninterrupted sand and surf. Knowing that customers have varied needs, the Ellingsons have built accommodations in a wide variety of styles ranging from standard rooms to full efficiency units. The Sandcastle even offers romantic suites, which include oceanfront Jacuzzis. Gary and Alberta have also been careful to maintain an affordable price structure, and based on the Sandcastle’s high occupancy rates, their customers seem to approve.

The Ellingsons are very appreciative of their beautiful surroundings. “Every day we get to walk on this beautiful, relatively secluded beach,” comments Gary. “It really spoils you.” They also try to be good ambassadors for Lincoln City, which is why Gary serves as a city councilor.

About five years ago, Alberta noted a particularly attractive CD rate in the newspaper and visited Oregon Coast Bank’s Lincoln City office for the first time. She was immediately impressed by the helpfulness of the staff, and soon she and Gary had moved all of their business and personal accounts to the bank. These days they also take advantage of Oregon Coast Bank’s merchant services, knowing that competitive credit card processing rates are highly important in the lodging industry. “Oregon Coast Bank has just the nicest people,” adds Alberta.

Of course the minute you meet Gary and Alberta you’ll understand that the word “nice” is even more appropriate in describing them. It’s also nice to see such good people succeeding in business for the right reasons.

Sixteen years ago Doug and Maraya Strickland purchased Maxwell’s Restaurant & Lounge, a landmark in the center of Lincoln City. Doug, a licensed contractor, began renovations. Maraya ran what restaurateurs refer to as “the front of the house”, quickly showing a natural rapport with customers. Soon, the couple had purchased the building next door, connected it to Maxwell’s, and remodeled it into a new lounge.

Over the years, the restaurant has remained popular serving ample portions of home style breakfasts, seafood, rotisserie chicken, pasta and legendary chicken fried steak. A 45,000 title karaoke system, dance floor, pool table and big screen TVs, keep Maxwell’s Lounge hopping seven nights a week.

These days, Doug manages the business side of the restaurant leaving culinary decisions to chef Kevin Armstrong, whose previous experience includes stints at the Four Seasons, Westin Hotels and Wolfgang Puck’s Spago Maui. But as an owner, Doug helps out whenever and wherever needed. Don’t be surprised to see him bussing tables or washing dishes.

About seven years ago Maraya decided to focus her talents on another of the couple’s ventures – 101 Inspirations – located in a building just across the street. 101 Inspirations is actually three separate businesses including a bakery, internet café and gift store. The businesses operate synergistically – customers sip espressos and smoothies while enjoying bakery items in the internet café. Invariably they’ll wander through the gift store, which features an eclectic array of home décor items and memorabilia, including the largest collection of Betty Boop items you’ll ever find. The popular bakery is known for its pastries, huge cinnamon rolls, and a variety of specialty breads.

As busy as she is, Maraya also finds time to manage their rental properties. Of course the key to the rental business is maintenance, and Maraya considers herself lucky to have a great “Mr. Fixit” – Doug. How can one couple operate six successful businesses simultaneously? The Stricklands are quick to credit their 23-person staff, many who have been working for them for more than a decade.

Doug and Maraya also have nice things to say about their bank. “The level of service we receive from Oregon Coast Bank is amazing,” comments Doug. “They’re super friendly and very accommodating,” adds Maraya. The couple has had four Oregon Coast Bank loans, including mortgages for rental properties and for their own home. They also use Oregon Coast Bank for their businesses’ checking accounts, their money market and their family accounts.

It’s entrepreneurs like the Stricklands who fuel our local economy. All of us at Oregon Coast Bank appreciate their hard work and recognize their contributions to the Lincoln City community.