Statesman Journal ❚ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2018 ❚ 1F

Business

Three construction companies in Marion County have been doing their part to con-

serve natural resources and reduce waste.

Pence Northwest Construction, Dalke Construction and White Oak Construction

have proven their commitment to the environment by becoming EarthWISE certified.

The EarthWISE program is a free business environmental assistance program of Mar-

ion County. EarthWISE staff helps businesses recycle, save energy, reduce waste and

much more. There are more than 160 EarthWISE businesses, agencies and nonprofits

in Marion County.

Pence Northwest Construction — which does commercial and residential work —

has been certified since 2012. The company works with clients to try to incorporate

green elements into their project.

The company’s managers recommend LED lighting, low-flow toilets, chemical-free

paints and finishes and recycled materials for flooring, exposed beams or cabinets.

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day — so it’sdefinitely time to show your small-busi-ness customers some love.

And it’s also time to remind yourselfthat you should be doing this on a reg-ular basis. In other words, you should beletting your customers know that youappreciate them every day of the year,not just Valentine’s Day.

You face stiff competition for yourcustomers. After all, they have more op-tions today than ever. With a mereswipe of their phone, they can findsomeone new to do business with, and,

whoosh, just like that, you’re history.Just like competing for that special galor guy in your life, you’ve got to makeyourself attractive and then keep work-ing at your relationship.

How do you attract and court thatspecial someone — in this case, a poten-tially long-term loyal customer?

First, you have to get noticed. You’vegot to be seen and look good. Perhapsit’s time to try to do some “online dat-ing.” How about posting some attractingpics of your business and your productson Instagram? Or Facebook? And, go on,add a few enticing well-written captionsthat show off your personality. But don’tstop there. Tell them exactly what you’dlike to do to them — and have them do toyou: In other words, include special of-fers and a call to action, such as “buynow,” and a link to your shop or theproduct you’re selling.

Maybe these would-be customers aretempted to take the plunge but hesitate.Perhaps they were burned in the past bya small business in your industry (evencustomers have a “type”). Try these fivestrategies for converting prospects intocustomers:

❚ Introductory offers. These areshort-term, deep discounts for new cus-tomers, or free products or services for alimited time. If you own a hair salon, youcould offer discount coupons for firsthaircut. If you have an e-commerce site,you could offer free overnight shippingfor the first month.

❚ Loss leaders or teaser rates. Youmay actually lose money on these ex-ceptionally low prices on a product orservice. Supermarkets do this at theholidays by offering Thanksgiving tur-keys at a loss in the hopes that custom-ers will do all of their shopping with

them.❚ Sampling. Freebies give prospects

a chance to try your product or serviceat no charge. Your bakery could give freecookie samples. If you develop an app,offer a free 30-day trial.

❚ Beta testing. Many of your pros-pective customers will jump at thechance to provide feedback about yourproducts before release or sale to thegeneral public. Technology companiesuse beta testing extensively but thisstrategy can work in a range of indus-tries, such as sporting goods.

❚ Positive reviews by influencers.Customers go where others have al-ready been. Ask influencers – peopleothers look to for purchasing advice,such as bloggers, journalists, experts,well-known industry insiders and even

Time to show your customers some loveValentine’s tips to entice businessRhonda AbramsSpecial to USA TODAY

See CUSTOMERS, Page 2F

Building for agreener future

Beth Casper Special to Salem Statesman Journal | USA TODAY NETWORK

“EarthWISE

has been a

great way to

show the

community

we care.”Kat PencePence NorthwestConstructionprojectcoordinator

ALEX GREGORY/USA

TODAY NETWORK,

AND GETTY IMAGES

See EARTHWISE, Page 2F

Constructionfirms earnEarthWISEcertification

2F ❚ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2018 ❚ STATESMAN JOURNAL

celebrities — to use and review yourproduct or service.

Now that your prospects have goneon the “first date,” how do you deepenthe relationship? Communication iskey.

❚ Stay in touch with current andpast customers regularly. Customerswant to hear from you. Just be sure notto be a pest. As a general rule of thumb,on social media, post on once a day,sales no more than once a week, andemail newsletters once or twice amonth.

❚ Let them choose how they’llhear from you. Different customershave different preferences — emails,newsletters, texts, or social media.Just get their permission to contactthem first.

Keep track of your customers andprospects with a good customer rela-tionship manager program. Get in thehabit of tracking every customer inter-action — not just orders — and theirspecific needs and concerns. Then youcan personalize your offers, emails andrewards. Examples of those to choosefrom are SalesforceCRM and Sug-arCRM. If you’re just starting out, a freeCRM solution like Insightly or Apptivomight suit you.

❚ Deal with customer complaints.Unhappy customers can spread bad re-views of your small business like a vi-rus. Respond to their call, email or socialmedia post quickly. Admit your errors,apologize, and solve the problem.

Rhonda Abrams is the author of 19books including “Entrepreneurship: AReal-World Approach,” just released inits second edition. Connect with her onFacebook and Twitter: @RhondaAbrams. Register for her free businesstips newsletter at PlanningShop.com.

CustomersContinued from Page 1F

Debbie Jensen joins ColumbiaTrust Company in Salem

Columbia Trust Company has hiredDebbie Jensen to serve as vice presidentand trust team lead. Jensen will coachand manage the trust administrationteam based in Salem as well as support-ing client growth and retention.

Jensen previously served as a seniortrust officer at Bank of America/U.S.Trust for five years and a trust officerwith Wells Fargo for 12 years. She is alsoa member of the Salem Rotary Club andthe Willamette Valley Estate PlanningCouncil.

Columbia Trust Company providestrust and investment management ser-vices and operates five offices in Wash-ington, Oregon and Idaho. For more in-formation, visit www.columbiatrustcompany.com.

Finishing Touch Auto Detailingopens Salem shop

Finishing Touch Auto Detailing hasopened a new shop located at 3130 Port-land Road NE in Salem.

The new location is the second forFinishing Touch Auto Detailing. Thecompany was originally established inStayton.

This new large shop is perfect forhigh-end, exterior services, FTA said ina release.

“Our new location is more convenientfor our clients in Salem, has indoor washbays, and is climate controlled so we canprovide top-notch, quality work year-round,” owner Ryan Hendricks said.“Salem has been very welcoming andclients are happy to have a high-end de-tail shop in Salem.”

For quotes or an appointment, callthe Salem shop at 971-599-3823. Formore information, visitwww.ftadetailingsalem.com.

Sam Labbe earns worldwideColdwell Banker award

Sam Labbe has earned the Interna-

tional President’s Premier designationaward from Coldwell Banker Real Es-tate, the company announced.

The award is given to just one per-cent of Coldwell Banker sales asso-ciate worldwide, according to a re-lease.

Labbe was also recognized for beingthe top listing and sales associate atColdwell Banker Mountain West RealEstate in 2017.

“(Labbe) has demonstrated thehighest professional standards and adedication to satisfying the needs ofhis clients by providing them with thehighest level of support available,”Coldwell Banker Mountain West RealEstate president Peter Rogers said.

Coldwell Banker Mountain WestReal Estate, Inc., located at 235 UnionSt. NE, can be found online atColdwellBankerMountainWest.com.

Willamette Valley CommunityHealth adds new CMO

Willamette Valley CommunityHealth announced that Jeanne Sav-age, MD, will join the organization asChief Medical Officer.

Savage previously served at theYakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic.She will continue as a Family Practiceand Obstetrical care provider and as aLegacy Silverton Health Medical Exec-utive Committee Member, accordingto a release.

“It’s an honor to welcome Dr. Sav-age to the WVCH team,” Chief Execu-tive Officer Rob Johnson said.“Through her career-long commit-ment to serving Medicaid membersand vulnerable populations, she un-derstands their needs and has creativeand progressive approaches to provid-ing high-quality care.”

Savage has been a family physicianfor 15 years, working in Woodburn andsurrounding areas in Marion and Polkcounties.

For more information about Wil-lamette Valley Community Health, goto www.wvchealth.org.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Project: McDonald’s redevelopment

Location: 1011 Lancaster Drive NE

Description: The McDonald’s at thecorner of Lancaster Drive and D StreetNE was demolished and will be rebuilton an expanded site.

Estimated size: Restaurant, 5,044square feet; property, 1.66 acres

Contractors: McDonald’s Corporation,Rich Duncan Construction Inc.

Source: City of Salem

Go to StatesmanJournal.com/WhatsThat to see more projects in developmentand to submit a tip.

WHAT’S THAT?

Construction work at the site of the McDonald’s restaurant at 1011 LancasterDrive NE in Salem on Jan. 31. LEE CLARKSON/STATESMAN JOURNAL

What happened to theMcDonald’s by the mall?

“We also do remodeling projects,”said Kat Pence, the company’s projectcoordinator. “This is a growing market— people are looking for ways to helpthe environment and see savings ontheir utility bills in the future.”

Pence Northwest has worked withclients to make existing residentialwalls better insulated, improve heatingand cooling systems and change thewindow style to prevent energy loss. Inone project, they included a gym withrecycled rubber flooring inside an officespace. The results have been dramatic— aesthetically, financially and envi-ronmentally.

The company’s eco-friendly prac-tices don’t end with the buildings theyconstruct or remodel. Pence Northwestalways recycles materials at its con-struction sites. Metal is set aside for re-cycling at Cherry City Metals, for exam-ple.

When the company remodeled itsown office nine years ago, it followed itsown advice and created an eco-friendlyspace. There is recycled bamboo floor-ing and the entire space is cleaned withorganic cleaning agents.

“We have always been very focusedon our community and environment tomake sure we are taking care of both ofthose things,” Pence said. “EarthWISEhas been a great way to show the com-munity we care.”

Dalke Construction — EarthWISEcertified since 2008 — also encouragesall of its clients to incorporate green ele-ments in their building. The most dra-matic example is seen in Dalke’s re-model of Northwest Distribution &Storage’s office space and cold storagefor wine, an old cannery building at 1745Oxford St. SE.

Dalke kept the entire ceiling system— all of the joists and trusses — in placedespite being tasked with creating aninsulated environment to keep winecool.

“We installed a denser insulation soit didn’t take up as much space and webuilt around the beams so as to leave aportion of the beams exposed,” said JimSchiess, project manager at Dalke.“Covering it up would have been wayeasier, but this way is more aestheticand shows the building’s history.”

For the office areas, Dalke workersleft much of the natural wood, woodpaneling, the original fir floors and abeautiful wide staircase. The oldschoolhouse light fixtures remain, butDalke employees fitted them with LEDlights to save energy.

“It is less expensive and it makesmore sense to leave elements of thebuilding intact if they are viable,” saidSchiess.

When it isn’t possible to preserveparts of an old building, Dalke recom-mends the most energy-efficient de-sign. In the cannery building, energy-efficient windows replaced the old onesthat would have leaked and cost the

business a lot in lost energy.Dalke’s home offices at 2180 16th St.

NE also reflect its commitment to the en-vironment.

In the shop where the heavy equip-ment is maintained, all of the bulk motoroil is recycled. Fuel and other productsare purchased in bulk to save on packag-ing and in the budget.

“We have two blue recycle bins andone garbage can,” said Tracie Farns-worth, the head of Dalke’s green team.“We don’t always fill up our garbage caneach week.”

In addition to its garbage bill, the com-pany’s electric bill is minimal. Skylightsin the shop allow for enough daylight thatelectric lights are often turned off. Motionsensors in the break room, conferenceroom and other public spaces mean thatlights aren’t left on when no one is usingthem. And the set of windows at the frontof the office allows for daylight to providethe bulk of the lighting in front offices.

“Our practices are green because webelieve in preserving the environment forthe next generation,” Farnsworth said.

Mark Fox, owner of White Oak Con-struction, also wants to protect the earthfor the next generation — partly becausehe has seen environmental degradationand its effects.

“I was born and raised in Salem and,as a kid, I remember being at the Willam-ette River and it smelling bad and notwanting to go in it,” he said.

“And now the river has been cleanedup so much. You can see the differencethat environmental practices have made.Now the river is a great resource runningthrough town.”

That’s why Fox’s company, started in1997 and EarthWISE certified in 2014, iscommitted to sustainable, durable build-ings. White Oak chooses highly energy-efficient heating and cooling systems andthick insulation for all its buildings. Theirbuildings are designed with the directionof the sun in mind to harness the sun’sheating power, but also to keep buildingscooler in the summer. Landscapingaround buildings is always drought resis-tant to conserve water and keep waterbills down.

“The benefits of upgrading for the fu-ture aren’t as expensive as people think,”Fox said. “People often think, ‘I have tobuild as cheap as possible.’ But spendingmoney up front on insulation or energy-efficient glass runs down energy costsand pays out for years and years tocome.”

Fox knows because he’s seen thou-sands of utility bills. White Oak not onlyconstructs buildings but manages themas well.

“We manage multiple buildings,” Foxsaid. “We see the bills for energy costsand we know the significant benefits ofefficient heating and cooling designs.”

More information about Pence North-west Construction at www.pencenw.com; Dalke Construction at www.dalkeconstruction.com; and White Oak Con-struction at whiteoakconstruction.net.To learn more about the EarthWISE pro-gram, go to www.mcEarthWISE.net orcall 503-365-3188.

Separating out construction materials at work sites is part of DalkeConstruction’s waste reduction efforts. SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL

EarthWISEContinued from Page 1F

DETROIT – Electric cars have a lotof perks: zero emissions, a quiet rideand instant acceleration.

But can they save you money? Prob-ably not.

Electric car prices are falling, butthey still cost more than equivalentgas models because of their expensivebatteries.

A $7,500 federal tax credit – whichsurvived the recent tax overhaul –helps erase that gap, but not entirely.

After that, the math gets more com-plicated.

Some states and utilities offer in-centives for electric vehicle owners.Plugging in an electric car is generallycheaper than filling up a gas-poweredone, but that depends on the localprice of gas and electricity. Some peo-ple can charge their electric cars atwork, but others need to add a charg-ing station to their garage.

For Ronald Montoya, a consumeradvice editor with the car shopping

site Edmunds.com, the bottom line isprice.

With gas prices averaging $2.56 pergallon, it’s hard to make up the pricepremium of an electric vehicle — whichcan easily top $10,000 — within a three-year lease period, he says.

Electric car drivers are more likely tolease than gas car buyers; for example,57 percent of Nissan Leaf electric carsare leased, compared with 30 percent ofcars overall, Edmunds says.

(Edmunds regularly provides con-tent, including automotive tips and re-views, for distribution by The Associat-ed Press.)

Still, electrics have benefits, bothtangible – like lower maintenance costs– and intangible.

Owners can drive them in high-occu-pancy vehicle lanes, for example, orsimply feel good that they’re causingless pollution.

“We are still a car culture, and someof our personal identity is tied up in ourcars,” said David Friedman, director ofcars for Consumers Union, the policy di-vision of Consumer Reports.

Electric cars have benefits, butlikely won’t save you moneyDee-Ann Durbin ASSOCIATED PRESS