Mid Columbia Economic Development District strives to promote the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat and Skamania Counties
MCEDD is organized as a government non-profit in Oregon as an ORS-190 and in Washington through RCW 39.34.010.
April 20, 2019 – Toss Products LLC, a woman owned company, has developed Paint Plates™—100% recycled paper palettes designed to help artists, teachers, and paint party organizers save time on clean up and contribute to a cleaner planet by safely disposing of unused paint.
Felicia Gray, a lifelong commercial artist and teacher, had the idea for the business product. From decades of cleaning up after student painters and washing leftover paint from plastic palettes, she knew those plastic palettes would eventually end up in a landfill and take up to a thousand years to degrade into smaller bits of plastic, potentially harming birds and animals. She states, “I couldn’t stand the fact that I was polluting the water with paint and adding to the plastic mess our planet is in, so I had to do something about it.” She went to work and created a prototype palette made of 100% recycled paper pulp that was water resistant and safely disposable. Her next step was to get the product to market and she knew she would need help.
Felicia and her husband, Scott, a high school art teacher and potter, formed Toss Products LLC in early 2018. A few months later, the Grays were joined by Nicole Lundin and her husband, Rick. Nicole and Rick have decades of experience as entrepreneurs in product development, the patent process, national distribution, marketing and sales.
After months of planning and filing patents in the US, Canada
and the European Union, the company was ready to move forward to marketing the
product nationwide and approached the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District
(MCEDD) for financing to bring Paint Plates to market. “We’re all pretty
upbeat. We laugh a lot even at our early morning meetings, and between all four
of us, we’ve got the skill sets to make this company a success,” said Nicole.
“MCEDD and the Small Business Development Center in The Dalles have been great
to work with,” she said. MCEDD funded Toss Products LLC in early April of
2019.
Paint Plates are now available at www.paintplates.com, Amazon, Yakima Bindery in Yakima, WA, and the General Store in Goldendale, WA. The company welcomes wholesale inquiries. Contact sales@tossproducts.com, or call 509.314.3040 Ext. 2 for more information.
The MCEDD Loan Program is available to entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and existing businesses doing business in the five county (Sherman, Hood River, Wasco, Klickitat and Skamania) Mid-Columbia area. This loan program is part of MCEDD’s efforts to strengthen and support the region’s economy. For more information on MCEDD’s Loan Program, visit www.mcedd.org.
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March 26, 2019 – Dog River Pet Supplies, a local independent store, opened its doors on Valentine’s Day 2019, with the intention to bring raw and natural pet foods, holistic remedies and expert nutrition advice to Hood River pets and their owners. Molly Lewis and Sean Kelly, owners of the store, were able to open the doors with the help of a loan through the Columbia River Gorge Oregon Investment Board (a fund staffed by Mid-Columbia Economic Development District). The couple created a warm and welcoming space through a great deal of hard work, including lovingly refinishing the beautiful 1902 fir floors in the building.
Pet owners can sip a cup of tea while learning helpful information about natural nutrition for dogs and cats, herbal remedies for common ailments, training tips and techniques, or suggestions for the most durable toys for determined chewers.
Molly and Sean open Dog River Pet SuppliesDog River Pet Supplies stocked shelves1118 12th Street, Hood RiverDog friends are welcome!Enjoy a cup of tea at Dog River
Molly’s knowledge of nutrition and natural medicine is
derived from 10 years in the pet health industry, both in natural pet supplies
and in holistic veterinary services. She has studiously absorbed valuable
information from her mentors and she has taken seminars and attended
conferences focused on natural medicine, raw feeding, and animal psychology.
She believes there are a few very simple things you can do to ensure that your
pet stays free of disease and lives joyfully, without pain or suffering, for
many many long beautiful years.
Sean adds a calming presence to the store atmosphere, with
his genial demeanor and his background in non-violence and martial arts. He too
has worked in the pet supply industry, and has solid knowledge about natural
foods, whole food supplements, and all of those yummy aforementioned treats.
He’s also the guy behind the special orders, so if there is something you are
looking for but don’t see, ask Sean! He’ll probably say, “We can get that for
you by Wednesday next week!”
Dog River Pet Supplies focuses on a “customer first” philosophy that offers quality pet foods and supplies, researched personal advice, loyalty programs, and easy returns.
You can find Dog
River Pet Supplies on Instagram @dogriverpetsupplies, or on Facebook, but
better yet, stop by the store for tea and a pleasant conversation. Located at:
1118 12th Street, across the street from Pine Street Bakery, on The Heights in
Hood River. Phone number: (541) 490-0646. Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 am to 6 pm;
Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm.
The MCEDD Loan Program is available to entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and existing businesses doing business in the five county (Sherman, Hood River, Wasco, Klickitat and Skamania) Mid-Columbia Area. This loan program is part of MCEDD’s efforts to strengthen and support the region’s economy.
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