PENDLETON — Plastic runners still cover the floors of office space halls on the second story of the terminal at Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, Pendleton. While remodeling continues, the building’s first tenant already is paying the city rent.

“I moved in last week,” said Cole Rixe, chief business development officer at DDRC Marketing. 

Shari Carpenter, marketing professor at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, started the agency with Rixe and two other former students.

“It was initially her idea,” Rixe said. “We began right before the pandemic, but survived.”

The company attracted clients in various industries, and now has opened a Pendleton office.

Among local clients are the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial System Range and the city’s Economic Development Department, Rixe said. The presently sole lessee won’t be the lone occupant much longer. Pendleton Economic Development Director Steve Chrisman plans to move back in next week.

“I met Steve Chrisman,” Rixe said. “He introduced me to Pendleton. We shot out of the gate.”

Rixe’s mother, Shannon Reinhart, was born in the city and graduated from Pendleton High School. She moved to Bend, where Rixe was born and raised. Reinhart recently married a high school classmate, Lee Reinhart, who had moved to Vancouver, Washington, to work for Western Construction Services.

Both Reinharts have moved back to Pendleton. Shannon opened Hello Honey hair salon, 217 S.W. Emigrant Ave., on Oct. 31. Lee is project manager at Western’s new Pendleton office.

DDRC Marketing has two employees besides its four partners.

“Pendleton has been good to us,” Rixe said. “Things are going well. We help businesses be more successful. We provide in-depth research and strategies across digital and traditional media.”

DDRC has a contract to maintain websites for the UAS Range, the airport and Pendleton economic development, Chrisman said.

“That’s separate from their lease, which provides them a Pendleton footprint.” he said. “They help us with social media posts as well, on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.”

Business consultant collective

Chrisman said he hopes the beautifully renovated office spaces at the terminal also appeal to other businesses.

“It could make for symbiosis, if that’s the right word” he said. “Local businesses could use some help with strengthening their brands. It’s not a bad thing to have a marketing company upstairs. There aren’t that many in town. Marketing is critical to success.”

The UAS Range is applying for a Centers of Innovation Excellence grant from Business Oregon, to be awarded in May, Chrisman said.

“They have the concept of an entrepreneurial ecosystem, with a 10-year innovation plan” he said. “At whatever stage of growth a business is, it should be able to find help with marketing, accounting, finance, etc. You might be great at making cheeseburgers, but you might not know bean counting.”

Chrisman said he envisions creating a collection of advisors from among local consultants to help businesses of all sizes, but especially small and medium companies.

“There would be no pressure,” he said. “But the resources would be available from experts. I’d like to foster better collaboration among Urban Renewal, the Chamber, Travel Pendleton, etc. There’s some good canoe rowing going on right now, but I’d like to get every oar in the water. Sure, there are some cyclical economic concerns now, but we’ve had some good moments, too. Things are getting better.”