At it March 23 annual awards dinner and meeting of the membership, the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce recognized four local organizations for business excellence.  

The chamber’s 2022 “Small Business of the Year” award went to Cascade Community Credit Union.  Cascade Community Credit Union began as DougCo Schools Credit Union in 1928; a credit union for the educators of Douglas County.  This small charter was made up of 15 educators who kept the sum of their assets in a shoebox locked in a closet.  Starting as an institution of educators shaped Cascade’s values to this day.  Their priorities lie in helping our community make informed decisions best for their needs.  Those educators also created a culture that believed serving locally is how we help our community grow.  Over the years, credit union began to serve Douglas County as a whole and merged with other institutions to form Cascade Community Credit Union.  Their name changed, but their ideals never did.  Cascade Community Credit Union continues to serve teachers, farmers, ranchers, business members and the families of Douglas County.  Cascade Community Credit Union, celebrates 75 years of service this year, and it all started with 15 teachers and a shoebox.  

Honors for the chamber’s 2022 “Medium-Size Business of the Year” went to Douglas Electric Cooperative.  In 1936, Congress acted to remove rural areas from the “Dark Ages” by creating the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), formerly the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Initially, low-interest REA loans were made available to commercial power companies for the purpose of electrifying rural areas.  When the power companies failed to take advantage of REA loans, the agency turned to providing loans to locally-owned electric cooperatives.  On September 7, 1939, West Douglas Electric Cooperative began supplying power to 209 members.  On July 15, 1941, North Douglas Electric Cooperative began supplying power to 125 members.  A merge of the two young cooperatives was ratified on June 20, 1942, to form the present day Douglas Electric Cooperative.  Douglas Electric Cooperative (DEC) is a private, not-for-profit electric utility owned by the members it serves. It was established to provide its members with the most reliable electric service at the lowest possible cost. DEC serves just over 11,000 meters in a service area that covers 2,500 square miles in western and northern Douglas County, with small portions in northeast and southeast Coos County and south Lane County, excluding the city of Drain. Douglas Electric is a small cooperative made up of less than 40 employees. The folks at Douglas Electric are our neighbors, friends and family who are dedicated to serving the people of Douglas County, with consistency, integrity and hard work for more than 80 years, and they are proud to call Douglas County home.  

Con-Vey was recognized as the chamber’s 2022 “Large Business of the Year.”  Con-Vey opened its doors over 75 years ago as a fabrication and machine shop focusing on repair work for the local wood mills.  Since their beginnings in 1946 as Keystone Machine Works, the company has shifted and combined forces with manufacturing professionals to become the world-class solutions company for industrial equipment.  From steel fabrication to robotic automation, customers know they can go to Con-Vey for high-quality products at a competitive price.  Con-Vey’s commitment to innovation has facilitated their expansion into material handling and robotics for building products, automation technology, bulk and biomass handling, environmental projects and agricultural processing.  Con-Vey prides itself on handling demanding projects, creating innovative custom machinery and integrating effective solutions for its customers.  Today, Con-Vey is a proven, high-quality supplier with proprietary machinery in nearly 20 countries.  Con-Vey is a significant supporter of local youth education and building awareness of our manufacturing sector, which ultimately supports many local businesses and industries.   

The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce annually honors member businesses that have made a substantial contribution to the community for the last five years or longer; have employees who individually or collectively participate in the community; and/or, the physical presence of the business adds to the economic vitality and livability of our community.  All three of our 2022 “Business of the Year” recipients, are organizations that even during a time of unprecedented uncertainty due to the pandemic, related shutdowns and post-pandemic impacts didn’t waiver in their commitment to innovate.  Despite any challenges they remained focused on growth, building new or renovating existing facilities and expanding their operations; investing in their organizations, employees and community.  These companies’ commitment and investment contributes to the economic vitality of Roseburg and Douglas County.   

In the final business recognition of the evening, the chamber presented an award that is not given out every year.  The 2022 “Business Excellence in Innovation,” went to Con-Vey subsidiary 7robotics.  This award recognizes “a business who exceeds the standard for resourcefulness and creativity in the workplace and has significantly improved the operating environment through the development and implementation of an innovative product, process, technology, or service.”   7robotics was started in 2019 by the team at Con-Vey.  As a longtime integrator for robotic and automated systems in the wood products industry, Con-Vey’s extensive background and expertise acted as a springboard for 7robotics to enter into new markets and processes.  Con-Vey’s 7robotics takes pride in collaborating with new customers and partners to create technology and automation solutions to fit the customers’ needs.  The team at 7robotics uses their industry knowledge and perspective to create unique solutions to meet customer needs.  They take pride in building relationships and collaborating with their customers and partners.  They are continually improving and creating new innovative ways to serve their customers, community and employees. 

For photos of our award winners, please visit the Roseburg Area Chamber’s Facebook and Instagram pages!