Jones Conveyor, dba Dan Jones Conveyor Trucks, dba EZ Grade Conveyor Trucks
This small family owned business is unique in that the skill set their employees bring to the table is specific. Though they are in trucking and transportation, they really we do so much more than that. Drivers are not only responsible to drive safely on the roads of the community, but when they arrive at their destination they must be able to use company trucks to perform specific tasks required by their customers.
Randy Jones, the owner of Jones Conveyor, is joined by his wife Sarah Jones who is the administrative assistant, and Cara Parmantier in billing/AR, Sarah and Randy’s sister-in-law.
According to information submitted by Jones Conveyor to the Vancouver Business Journal, the company’s office staff – from dispatchers, to administrative to billing – must have industry knowledge of many types of specific materials needed by their customers and be ready to answer industry questions for them. At the core of it, “our size truly does not reflect the amount of talent and dedication that goes into this little company.”
Global Security & Communication Inc.
With 32 employees, Global Security & Communication was “locally born and bred” in 1988. Family members involved with the business include President Anthony Gomez, Vice President of Service and Install Eric Waters (brother-in-law), Vice President of Sales Justin Gomez (son) and daughter Stephanie Gomez (A/R).
According to the company’s website, “Our pursuit of excellence and our dedication to customer service that is unparalleled. With Global, you will always get a live voice on the other end — a real person who understands your needs and is ready to help.”
The company is involved with various chambers of commerce and business associations around the area.
Advisicon
Founded back in 1992, Advisicon has been providing project and portfolio management best practices and technologies to all sizes and types of organizations. The company helps maximize effectiveness through methodology and technology.
Advisicon sits on an invitation-only, 20-company worldwide Partner Advisory Council at Microsoft, helping to improve, design and build better technology to support organizations.
In 2017, Advisicon started a Nonprofit & Community Outreach Division to give back to the community and they are always looking for ways to help financially, with technology & project management, workflow automation and volunteer time.
Family members involved at Advisicon include owner and CEO Tim Runcie, Tim’s wife Alison Runcie who is director of nonprofit and community outreach, and Rachel Runcie (their 5-year-old daughter) as “mascot and positive energy advisor.”
Advisicon has helped several organizations in Clark County in the following areas: Microsoft Office 365; Leadership Consulting & Strategic Planning; Marketing Audit & Consultation; Project/Task Management.
Minuteman Press
Minuteman Press is a full-service marketing, design and printing company in Vancouver, serving Greater Clark County from Hazel Dell.
The business is run by Jennifer Rossetti, JD Rossetti (Jennifer’s brother and part-owner) and James Rossetti (Jennifer’s dad and part-owner).
Minuteman Press serves the Southwest Washington and Portland Metro communities, including Vancouver, Hazel Dell, Felida, Salmon Creek, Ridgefield and Battle Ground, from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. The company’s customers are wide-ranging and include local organizations, government entities, nonprofits, professional sports teams and more.
Although the business has only been under the name Minuteman Press for one year, the company has been around for more than 40 years.
Matrix Roofing & Home Solutions
Joe and Wendy Marvin launched Matrix Roofing in 2007 after being inspired by their bland experiences with contracting companies over the years. They felt that what most contracting companies lacked included honesty, integrity, loyalty and responsibility.
Now, with more than 20 employees and the new addition of their Home Solutions/Handyman department, Matrix credits its success to their foundation or customer service and to its exceptional industry-leading employees.
CEO/Owner Wendy Marvin is joined by Joe Hoover (lead estimator, cousin); Lauren Bukovi (admin team, daughter); and Bill and Nancy Wright (deliveries, parents).
Matrix believed early on in creating a loyal customer base and have accomplished that by treating their customers as family. Earning a trusted referral is the ultimate goal with every interaction. When opportunities such as roofing Habitat for Humanity homes came along, it was a natural fit for them to jump in and help.
After the completion of a few homes, Matrix decided to also partner with a national organization called No Roof Left Behind.
Richart Family Inc.
Richart Family Inc. has been helping people improve the livability and value of their homes, investment properties and businesses for 38 years. The company does residential and commercial building and remodeling, residential weatherization, and electrical contracting.
The Richart team consists of President and Founder Rick Richart; Missy Richart (wife), corporate secretary and shareholder; Robert Richart (brother), electrical administrator; Lupe Handy (sister-in-law), bookkeeper; Casey Richart (son), carpenter; Haley Richart (daughter), payroll; Stephen Threatt (son-in-law), weatherization manager; Noah Richart (nephew), electrician; and Melissa Handy (niece), office clerk.
Richart Family Inc.’s mission is “to provide the highest quality of energy conservation construction services in a safe, efficient and environmentally sound manner through a business culture of family values and teamwork.”
According to their website: “Our vision is to be the industry leader in delivering the highest level of energy efficient construction services to our clients through operational excellence, industry leading customer satisfaction, leading edge technical advancement and innovative work environments.”
RJL Business Services
RJL Business Services has been in business in the Vancouver area for seven years. The business is run by Jennifer Loftin (CEO and founder), her husband Robert Loftin (CFO) and their daughter, Eryiann Loftin (executive assistant).
The company offers accounting and bookkeeping, payroll administration and Contract CFO services. Their accounting team is experienced in managing accounts payables and accounts receivables, data entry, bank reconciliations and creating internal financial statements.
In the business community, RJL Business Services is an investor with the Columbia River Economic Council (CREDC), and they are a member of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. They also contribute to 100 Men Who Care and 100 Women Who Care during their quarterly meetings and volunteer time at Faith Baptist Church.
RJL Business Services are dedicated to making all of their employees feel like they are part of the family. Jennifer and Rob love to surprise them with breakfast and coffee, and regularly stock the office with their favorite snacks. Everyone on the team has been offered the opportunity to work the schedule that is most effective for them.
The business has already doubled its revenue and number of employees since 2017, and they all love what they do.
Riverside Payments
Vancouver-based credit card processing company Riverside Payments was started in 2014 by two former hockey players and is staffed by fun-loving creatives and professionals with roots in the community and expertise across varied industries. Riverside Payments is primarily focused on restaurants, breweries, QSR/fast casual, cafes, mobile processing, automotive repair, retail, ATM services, gift cards and e-commerce. Riverside Payments provides the latest POS Software that is EMV-Compliant.
Riverside Payments is run and supported by family members and friends, including founder and CEO Brandon Skinner and Brandon’s brother Shane Skinner. The company has experienced substantial growth in the last two years, and has opened offices in Portland, Seattle and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Riverside Payments places an emphasis on giving back and sponsoring organizations that contribute to the community, including Dollar for Dollar, which is a Portland-based nonprofit that aids local families with overwhelming medical expenses, and the local Susan G. Komen affiliate. The company also provides nonprofits with at-cost processing services.
Middleton & Company
Middleton & Co. has been in business for 21 years, today based on Main Street in downtown Vancouver. The financial planning firm is a family affair with owner and CEO George Middleton working daily with his daughters Taylor Anderson and Kailie Abascal, also financial planners.
The company is invested in the community, on the boards of Southwest Washington Community Foundation and Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Washington. The company has also been involved with the investment committees of both as well as Vancouver Rotary and Share.
Middleton & Co. offers foundational financial planning for an upfront fee and an ongoing monthly commitment; investment advisory services, ideal for households with $250,000 or more to invest for a tiered fee structure based on assets under management; and project-based engagements for an hourly rate that include one-time financial plan creation and analysis, review of employer retirement plan asset allocation and investment selection and Social Security benefits analysis.
Erik Runyan Jewelers
Erik Runyan Jewelers has been in business 102 years and is a stalwart Main Street business in downtown Vancouver. CEO Erik Runyan and his wife Leslie run the company. A quintessential family-owned business, the company was started by W.L. Runyan, Erik Runyan’s great-grandfather in 1917 as a watch repair operation near the ferry docks on the Columbia River. Passed down through five generations, Runyan is back in the heart of the downtown district at the Hudson building.
Today Erik Runyan Jewelers offers a wide array of services – from appraisals to repairs to buying estate jewelry – and products from vintage to modern. Expert jewelry design specialists are on hand to customize favorite pieces or create a new piece from the imaginations of their customers.
The company’s sweet history is told through Erik’s eyes on its website, “My first memories of the ‘family business’ are looking out the windows in our house to see my grandparents (who were our neighbors) impeccably dressed, heading off to work. The jewelry store seemed to be a magical place. I knew that I would be fortunate to be a part of it.”
Rood Investments
Founded in 2007, Rood Investments is a privately held asset management/real estate investment company based in Vancouver. The company initially invested in senior housing properties. Rood Investments was able to eventually assemble a senior housing portfolio of 13 properties – containing 1,760 units – throughout Washington, Oregon and California. Today, Rood Investments oversees the management of a well-diversified 25-property portfolio of senior housing, retail, industrial, medical and multi-family holdings. Located throughout nine states, these properties are valued in excess of $640 million. Gary Rood is a former hospital administrator at Oregon Health & Science University and the mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles.
CEO Rood and his wife, President Christine Rood, started charitable giving about 10 years ago. Through the Randy Rood Memorial Scholarship, the Roods have given nearly $800,000 to aid low income kids in The Dalles. Other recipients of the couple’s philanthropy include Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Washington and OHSU research center for cancer research. They have contributed to the development of a new hospital in Portland that specializes in treating mental health patients. The couple also donated $12 million to OHSU to build five stories of guest housing for patients and their families at the South Waterfront campus.
