Chat: A Conversation With A Local Business Owner

Published December 5, 2007

Terri Leezer - Ad Pro Northwest

Beginning as a home-based, promotional advertising business in 1999, Ad Pro Northwest moved to downtown Springfield in July 2005. Since then, Terri Leezer’s company has thrived – adding employees and expanding their office space.

Today, the company serves clients in Oregon and internationally with imprinted products and embroidered apparel – offering over 700,000 different items to their customers.

Among Ad Pro Northwest’s many clients are Selco Credit Union, EWEB, EPUD, BiMart, Three Rivers Casino & Hotel, King Estate Winery, and Trader Joes.

We sat down with Terri Leezer at her office for a chat about her company.

Q: How did you get started in your business?

A: I was working for a friend in her promotional advertising business. She wasn’t as excited about the work as I was. One day she asked me, “Why don’t you buy the company?” At the time there was not much to “buy” except the ability to purchase products from many suppliers. Anyway, I decided to buy it and here we are today.

Q: What led you to locate your business in Springfield?

A: We outgrew our home-based office and hired our first employee, Kari Clarke, who is still with us today. I call her our “quintessential customer service queen.” We came to Springfield as a result of my being active with the Springfield Chamber Greeters. A fellow Greeter, John Woodrow, who worked in our building at the time, let me know that a corner office on the ground floor at 7th & “A” Street was available for sublet. So we moved the business here and I bought a home in Springfield. I love being in the heart of the city! I believe in Springfield and want the community and its businesses to thrive.

Q: How has your business changed over the years?

A: In the early days we were mostly involved in providing imprinted products to customers. More and more, we’re now working with our client’s on their marketing planning. We even set up websites for customers so their employees can order embroidered company apparel on the internet. You can see an example at www.companycasuals.com/epud.

Q: What do you see as coming trends in your business?

A: There are more and more technical products being offered – Ipod accessories, memory sticks, and small digital cameras. One of our school clients is using “awareness” bracelets with a USB port on them for students to use for up and downloading homework.

Q: How has your business activity been this year?

A: 2007 has been a good year for us following a great first year after our move to Springfield. We’re up about 20% this year.


Q: What is your outlook for 2008?

A: I expect another good year – so good that we may have to move to a larger space! With our client, Three Rivers Casino & Hotel, opening their new facilities, we’re preparing lots of products and apparel items for their expansion. And other clients plan to expand their promotional advertising next year too.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your work?

A: I love the people contact and the creativity involved. There are lots of challenges in coming up with new ways to help our clients grow their businesses as well as develop programs to reward and retain their employees.

Q: What statement would you like people to use in describing how you do business?

A: Ad Pro Northwest is an amazing, creative company with high integrity.

Ad Pro Northwest is located at 659 “A” St. in Springfield.
Phone: (541) 741-7711. Website: www.adpronw.com.

-- Todd Peterson, The Springfield Beacon

Beginnings: Ciao Pizza Opens In Springfield

Ciao Pizza Says "Hello" At The Crossroads

Published November 26, 2007

Ciao Pizza
3342 Gateway Street
Phone: 505-8487
Open: 11 am - 11 pm
Monday - Saturday
11 am - 9 pm Sunday

The Business: Designed to offer the experience of an authentic Italian pizzeria, Ciao Pizza serves "made from scratch" pizza, calzone, and pasta, along with soups, salads, and desserts. Pizzas prepared with their traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese -- topped with a variety of ingredients -- are baked in a classic wood-fired oven. The lunch menu includes six, 8" pizzas priced from $6.95 to $7.95; for dinner, twelve, 12" pizzas are priced from $8.75 to $14.75. Optional toppings are also offered for "create your own" pizzas. Three pasta al forno (ravioli, manicotti, cannelloni) are featured at lunch with addition of zita and gnocchi dishes for dinner. Lunch calzones include a classic and giardinere with paesano and affumicato added for dinner. The pizzeria's beverage menu includes an extensive wine list (five of the twenty-three by the glass) and beers on tap as well as by the bottle. Desserts are made by the Excelsior's award-winning pastry chef, Milka Babich.

The Location: The new Crossroads location provides a high-traffic site in a fast-growing Springfield neighborhood which had no restaurants serving traditional Italian cuisine. Located next to the Cabo Grill and Starbucks and across the driveway from Cafe Yumm!, the corner restaurant is easy to find and offers ample parking in front of the building. The many new offices, hotels, and the hospital opening next year in the Gateway area are expected to provide a steady flow of customers for the restaurant.

The Owner: Maurizio Paparo and is brother, Elio (who lives in Italy) own the new pizzeria. Maurizio has over 30 years of experience in creating Italian cuisine and running restaurant businesses. He currently owns the Excelsior Inn & Ristorante Italiano in Eugene and Brindiamo Catering at the Emerald Valley Event Center in Creswell. His first venture in the area was Marco Gelato which he began in Eugene in 1982 and managed for several years.

The last in a family of nine children, Maurizio was born in Naples, Italy. He was "blessed to grow up in a humble, poor family that cooked together, making food from scratch". His family moved to Florence when he was ten years old where he went a hospitality school and later worked with premier chefs in the city before coming to the United States.

The Inspiration: Motivated by his family (especially his nine-year old son who loves pizza) and a desire to create a casual Italian restaurant like back home in Naples, Maurizio started Ciao Pizza ("Ciao" means "hello" in Italian). He wants customers to have a "welcome to our family" dining experience where good friendship and great food is shared.

Their Employees: Jake Antonini, who previously worked at the Excelsior Ristorante Italiano, is managing a staff of 15 full and part-time people. Many of the employees have trained at the Excelsior and the owner's catering business.

The Atmosphere: In a new building, Maurizio has created a "modern nostalgic" room with a medieval stone oven as its centerpiece. Built from Montana rock by local stonemason, Jeff Putnam, the traditional wood and gas-fired oven preserves the flavor of ingredients in their pizzas.
A long, half-moon shaped bar fronts the large oven and dining tables are arranged around the perimeter of the room. Walls painted in warm colors hold large paintings of scenes from Naples, Venice, and the Italian countryside.

The First Pizza: According to Maurizio, "the story of pizza's origin begins in 1889 when Queen Margherita, accompanied by her husband Umberto I of Savoia, set out on an inspection of their Italian kingdom. When in Naples, the Queen was offered by a "Pizzaiolo" (pizza maker) a special pizza for her visit. The flat bread was topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil, representing the colors of the Italian flag. It was called the "Pizza Margherita" in her honor. The rest is history" (And the "Margherita" is one Ciao Pizza's featured pizzas.)

Notable Quote: "The best business strategy is to focus on the people, not on success."

-- Todd Peterson, The Springfield Beacon

Beginnings: Cafe Yumm! Opens In Springfield

Yumm!ers Debut At Gateway

Published on November 21, 2007

Cafe Yumm! - The Crossroads

3340 Gateway Street
Phone: 747-9866
Open: 8 am - 9 pm Mon.- Sat.
10 am - 6 pm Sunday
Website: www.cafeyumm.com

The Business: A uniquely Northwestern eatery, Cafe Yumm! is celebrating its 10th year of serving quick-casual food. Well-known for its signature rice and bean Yumm! Bowls, bentos, salads and soups covered with various specialty sauces, the restaurant features freshly prepared meals made with organic ingredients. Along with lunch and dinner entrees priced from $4.45 to $6.75, their breakfast menu includes deluxe scrambles and bagels as well as original Yumm!lettes, Wrappits, and other specialties.

Their Vision: "To serve beautiful, delicious, healthful, high-quality, soul-satisfying, deeply nourishing food."

The Springfield Location: With its "open for growth" attitude combined with business expansion of the Gateway area, Springfield was an easy choice for the new franchise owner. The high visibility, high traffic location at the Crossroads (near Best Buy and Staples) offers several new restaurant options for people living, working, and shopping in the Gateway area. And with nearby hotels and the opening of the new hospital in 2008, Cafe Yumm! is welcome to be in a growing neighborhood in our community.

The Franchise Owner: Zack Hegge began working in his family-owned frozen yogurt franchise when he was a teenager in Laguna Beach. Having spent his summers in Oregon visiting his great grandparents farm near Yoncalla and their family cabin on the Umpqua River, Zack's love for the state led to his decision to attend college at Lewis & Clark.


His entrepreneurial spirit guided his work experiences over the years, leading Zack to start Fresh Directions LLC. He was researching other business possibilities in Thailand when he learned during an on-line search that Cafe Yumm! was beginning to offer franchises. He had eaten at their restaurants many times and knew the company was a good fit for his values and business mission.

Their Employees: Manager, Andy Steinmeyer, guides a staff of 24 people -- many who are college students working part-time -- hired during a job fair which attracted over 60 people. His friendly, outgoing crew of "Yumm!ers" rotate jobs -- getting to know the customers they serve while having fun doing their work.

Environmental Values: The modern, eclectic design of the eatery demonstrates the company's commitment to the environment and sustainability. Customers sit on remilled wooden chairs at tables made of pressed, recyled paper -- all atop a flax-based flooring material. Take-out utensils, cups, and containers are made with biodegradable materials. And the company supports wind-powered sources for its electricity needs.

The Future: Owner, Zack Hegge, eventually plans to offer catering to local businesses -- serving casseroles of Cafe Yumm! specialties and other dishes.

Notable Quote: "We serve food that makes our customer's exclaim, "Yumm!".

-- Todd Peterson, The Springfield Beacon