Business People on the Move

Four new real estate agents have joined Coldwell Banker Valley Brokers in the mid-valley. Kari King has joined the Corvallis office. King has a business degree with an emphasis in real estate from Arizona State University and has 10 years of real estate and new home construction experience. Kim Shelby and Laura DiSante have joined the Albany office. Shelby has worked in property management for the last 10 years. DiSante, prior to joining Coldwell Banker, worked as a licensed real estate agent in Corvallis. Lisa Underwood has joined the Lebanon office. Underwood has lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of her life.

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Tammy Woodman has joined the Keller Williams Realty Mid-Willamette Market Center in Corvallis as a broker. Woodward has been in real estate since 1996, starting as an appraiser. She will continue to do appraisals in addition to handling real estate transactions with Keller Williams.

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Learfield Sports has named Steve Sullivan general manager of Beaver Sports Properties, which holds the multimedia rights for Oregon State University. Sullivan previously was general manager for Learfield's Bulldog Sports Properties at Fresno State University in California. He succeeds Mark Massari, who recently joined the university as senior associate athletic director for external affairs.

Officers & Directors

Business Connections of Linn and Benton Counties has appointed new board members for 2007. They are Jeff Silverman of HOPE 107.9, president; Jeff Twitchell of G&J Tire, vice president of attendance; Lori Rentz of Rush Hour Photo and Wireless, secretary; Carol Schaudt of Comcast, vice president of membership; Josh Kvidt of Citizens Bank, treasurer; John Griesmeyer of Edward Jones, ethics; and Julie Weiss of Tobias Weiss Design and Dean Sartain of Heck & Barry LLP, members at large. The networking group meets at 7 a.m. Wednesdays at the Corvallis Country Club.

Take a Bow

Phillips Enterprises of Corvallis has received the Customer Service Award from the Better Business Bureau. The award was part of the Better Business Bureau's annual Business of the Year competition for Oregon and Southwest Washington. Phillips Enterprises, owned by Shawn Phillips, received the top customer service marks of any entrant in the competition. The company, which does residential and industrial painting and siding replacement, gives each customer a form to critique its quality and service levels.

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The Corvallis Super 8 Motel has received the Pride of Super 8 Award. The national award is given for service and housekeeping excellence. The Corvallis Super 8 is owned by Peninsula Group LLC, which owns and manages 22 Super 8 motels in Washington, Oregon and Alaska.

Comings & Goings

High Brow Eyewear Inc. has opened at 464 S.W. Madison Ave. in Corvallis. The independent optical shop offers a full line of eyeglasses and sunwear, including the latest in prescription lenses. Owner David Lindley has 20 years' experience as a dispensing optician, with the last 11 at The Corvallis Clinic. High Brow Eyewear is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. The phone number is 758-9063.

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Anytime Fitness Corvallis has signed a lease for space at 955 N.W. Kings Blvd. in Woodstock's Plaza. Franchise owners Dale and Andrea Simpson will develop a 24-hour, 4,280-square-foot exercise facility in the space, the former site of Wow Fitness for Women. The new club is scheduled to open in the next 60 days. Anytime Fitness, based in Hastings, Minn., has more than 800 franchise locations.

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Star Phoenix Games is scheduled to open Wednesday at 241 Third Ave. S.W., Albany. Owners Kevin Allstot and Doug Johnson plan to offer a range of collectible card games, primarily Magic: The Gathering. The store will carry new cards for sale, as well as buy and sell used cards. Star Phoenix Games also offers Nintendo Wii, wireless Internet access for laptops or Nintendo DS, and high-definition digital cable. A grand opening will be held from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday. The store will host gaming competitions starting with a free standard-format Magic: The Gathering tournament that begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Star Phoenix Games will be open from 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays. The phone number is 928-2165.

News & Notes

The valley-based agricultural supply co-op Wilco has signed an agreement to purchase Dutch Country/CC Ruth, a retail farm store in Cornelius. Wilco, formed in 1967 through the merger of five Willamette Valley farmers' cooperatives, now has more than $140 million in yearly sales and operates ag centers, retail farm stores, fuel stations and fuel delivery services.

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Last year, the Rural Development Guaranteed Rural Housing program helped 324 rural Oregon families purchase homes when other programs could not. No down payment is required and the loan amount can include money to purchase the home, pay closing costs and perform necessary repairs. Loans are available to moderate-income families who may or may not be first-time homebuyers. For more information, visit www.rurdev.usda.gov/or/ online or call 541-465-6443, ext. 4.

ScandUS Inc. of Alsea has introduced two new blades for reciprocating saws. The Versicut 710 and Versicut 712 Tri-Metal Blades are designed with teeth on both the top and bottom surfaces. This increases the versatility of reciprocating saws by enabling the blades to cut in both directions. Teeth on the tip of the blade enable the user to perform plunge cuts. The suggested retail price is $9.95 per blade. The company maintains a Web site at www.tri-metalblades.com.

Reinvestment

The Corvallis Hilton Garden Inn hosted a New Year's Eve gala that raised nearly $10,000 for the Corvallis Professional Firefighters Charitable Foundation. The hotel donated proceeds from the $50-a-head event to the foundation, and additional money was raised through a raffle of 60 prizes donated by various businesses. The foundation uses the money to support local social service agencies and other charitable organizations.

Submissions

"Movers & Shakers" welcomes submissions of business news about local companies. News releases can be delivered to the front desk of the Gazette-Times, 600 S.W. Jefferson Ave.; faxed to 758-9505; e-mailed to hallb@gtconnect.com; or mailed to Business Editor, Corvallis Gazette-Times, P.O. Box 368, Corvallis, OR 97339.

Please submit items for this section by 5 p.m. Tuesday for publication the following week. Photos will be used on a space-available basis. If you would like a photo returned, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.