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Jim Lockwood, a 24-year employee at Umpqua Dairy, works in the cottage cheese room at the Roseburg facility last week. Umpqua Dairy's cottage cheese placed first in a recent Quality Chekd national competition.

Umpqua Dairy earns national production award

Umpqua Dairy Products is celebrating — again. The family-owned Roseburg-based business won three awards at the Quality Chekd Dairies conference late last month in New Orleans. Umpqua Dairy received the 2013 Production Excellence Award as the best si …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Eugenia Lloyd, left, and Pete Strohn, both employees at the Douglas County Farmers Co-op, accept an order of hanging plants from Donna Wood, owner of Little River Greenhouse. Wood has been selling hanging plants to the co-op for the past three years.

Meet Your Merchant: Douglas County Farmers Co-op reaps rewards of seed planted long ago

A handful of Douglas County farmers formed a cooperative in 1921 to secure supplies and save money. The original name was the Douglas County Farm Bureau Cooperative Exchange. Today, the business is known as the Douglas County Farmers Co-op, and it’s …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Jake Young works on a car at Jake's Auto Center in Canyonville, which he has owned and operated since turning the business from a gas station into an automotive repair shop in 1993. Young and his father, Fred Young, purchased the gas station back in 1978.

Meet Your Merchant: Jake Young embraces roles of mechanic and Canyonville booster

CANYONVILLE — Jake Young started working at Fearless Fred’s 76 Union gas station in May 1970 at age 13. His father, Fred Young, leased the station. Forty-three years later, Jake Young, now 56, is still working at the same location on Canyonville’s m …

NICHOLAS JOHNSON/The News-Review
Frank Bartley of Hanson Jewelers in downtown Roseburg examines a diamond Wednesday at the shop.

Meet Your Merchant: Hanson Jewelers a bright business in downtown Roseburg

Frank and Jere Bartley faced a decision back in the early 1980s as they contemplated life after retirement from the military. They could take other government jobs and live in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area. Or they could join the family jewelr …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Raymond Lee, a log scaler with the Southern Oregon Log Scaling and Grading Bureau, works through Douglas fir logs in the yard at the Swanson Lumber mill in Roseburg. Lee has been scaling logs for 35 years.

Homegrown in Douglas County: Southern Oregon Log Scaling and Grading Bureau

Editor’s Note: The following is the 16th in a monthly series — Homegrown: Made in Douglas County — that appears on The News-Review Business page. Profiles of companies with roots deep in Douglas County will be featured in this series. To suggest a co …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Barbara Worthington of Winston is congratulated by Aaron Larsen of Roseburg after her idea, Caregiver Cards, was selected as having the most potential to be viable at the recent Startup Weekend in Roseburg. Larsen was a member of the team that spent the weekend helping Worthington develop a business plan for her product.

Caregiver Cards earn vote as best idea at Roseburg Startup Weekend

Startup Weekend was a great step up for Barbara Worthington. After two long days of developing business plans, Worthington’s venture, Caregiver Cards, was judged to have the most potential. The Startup Weekend, the first such event in Southern Ore …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Stephanie Adair, left, talks business last week with her father, Steve Adair, over a cleaning supply display in Barco Supply. Steve Adair has owned the business since 1972.

Meet Your Merchant: Barco Supply provides a clean living for years

Steve Adair’s livelihood has been full of spots and stains, and helping people get rid of them. Adair has owned the cleaning products business Barco Supply since 1972. “With this many years in the business, solutions to cleaning problems are repetit …

CRAIG REED/The News-Review
Senior Bethany Spelgatti checks on the health of plants in the Sutherlin High School greenhouse Wednesday. Spelgatti was selected as the CEO of the ag business class that has developed the plant business at the school and has scheduled a sale for Saturday.

Sutherlin High class growing a blooming business

SUTHERLIN — Growing plants at Sutherlin High School has blossomed into a full-blown business. The plants had been a horticulture class project, but last fall a new class — agriculture business, leadership and economics — took over management of the …

MICHAEL SULLIVAN/The News-Review
Treasures of the Heart owner Belinda Legg, left, helps customer Lisha Phillips of Myrtle Creek Friday.

Meet Your Merchant: Treasures of the Heart a gifted, crafty business

TRI CITY — “This is like a girl’s amusement park,” said a young girl. “Is this where Santa lives?” asked a little boy. Belinda Legg beams when she hears such comments. Her store, Treasures of the Heart, is full and colorful, featuring gifts and home …