Best Veterinarian 2009!

Veterinarian Christine Lipscomb (left) clips the nails of 2-year-old Senor with surgery technician Angela Hathaway at the Orchard View Veterinary Center. 
The center was voted Best Veterinarian.

1205 Capitol Street NE
Salem, OR 97301

503.585.1616
info@ovvcsalem.com

Monday-Friday 7:30am-6:00pm
Saturday 9:00am-1:00pm

Professionals aim for homey, community feel
Happy customers help spread word about businesses
By Nicole Krueger • Special to the Statesman Journal
April 26, 2009

An eye for the environment, involvement in the community and a willingness to go the extra mile characterize the Best of the Mid-Valley winners in the professional services category.

The group spans a diverse range of industries, from landscaping and interior design to auto repair to chiropractic and veterinary services, but many of the owners shared the same keys to their success.

For example, Wild Pear Catering, which won the Best Caterer category, focuses on sustainability by serving its food on ceramic platters instead of plastic.

Co-owner Jessica Ritter explains her company's green policy to clients and said they usually don't mind returning the dishes later.

"That's what sets us apart. We don't have plastics we set our food out on," she said. "It makes it seem more homemade."

Ritter and her sister, Cecilia Ritter-James, have been in business together for nine years. They take pride in the fact that their catering service offers original recipes made from local ingredients.

"We try and use organics when we can. The great thing about local produce is you can get products that aren't commercially viable," such as heirloom vegetables, Ritter said. "We can do specific things and create items that are unique to our region."

Best Landscaper winner Steve Cravinho of Cravinho Landscape and Lighting shares that willingness to put in extra effort on the job.

In an industry known for missed deadlines and over-budget projects, he makes a point of defying stereotypes.

"I originally started my business 30 years ago because I was fed up with trying to find good-quality service. So I started going out and mowing lawns," he said. "The most important thing for me was to keep my priorities straight. No. 1 is not to make money but to make the customer feel like they got a good deal for their money."

Cravinho, a licensed pilot, has even rented a plane to fly over a work site to check up on his crew.

He doesn't advertise much, preferring instead to donate the extra time and money to community organizations that need his services.

"If people hear of you and they don't read it from a billboard but hear it from friends, that carries a lot more weight," he said. Plus, he said, "it's my obligation as a businessman in the Salem area to contribute my energy and money toward the community."

Salem chiropractor Richard Layman operates on a similar principle. The winner of the Best Chiropractor category donates his services to treat high school and college athletes who have been injured.

"I myself am an athlete," he said. "I do windsurfing, mountain biking, road biking and skiing. In all this activity, I've had injuries myself."

Layman, who has been practicing in Salem for the past 30 years, said he takes a natural approach to back pain rather than recommending medication or surgery.

He works closely with acupuncturists and naturopaths, as well as medical doctors, to treat his patients.

"Oftentimes, medicine just covers up the problem, while the surgery approach can be overkill," he said.

That holistic approach is one Christine Lipscomb incorporates into her practice at Orchard View Veterinary Center , as well.

"I think the biggest thing that sets me apart is my willingness to look at the whole family," she said. "Sometimes veterinarians focus on the animal and forget they are a part of a whole family. We focus on how to make the lives of the animals better and, in turn, how we can make the lives of the owners better."

Orchard View won the Best Veterinarian category despite being open just two years.

Lipscomb, who had been a veterinarian in Salem since 1997, now runs a full-service animal hospital that also offers boarding, grooming and behavioral counseling.

"I feel our success is partly because of the way we really focus on treating the clients as a part of our family," she said. "Our goal is to keep everybody healthy yet keep it as budget-minded as possible."

Jason Anderson feels the success of his family business, which won Best Auto Repair honors, is owed in large part to its reputation for quality service and standing behind its work. His parents have owned P&M Automotive since 1975, and Anderson, now vice president of the company, said he believes in the importance of standing behind his work, even if it means sometimes eating the cost of a repair.

He recalled a situation in which a customer had problems with an engine his company had installed. The supplier refused to warranty the engine, so Anderson replaced the engine for free and paid for a rental car in the meantime.

"I've got to make sure the customer is taken care of first," he said. "I believe we have a good reputation around town for trying to go the extra mile. When you have a happy customer, you get word of mouth."

The auto repair company has grown substantially in the past decade, he said, and underwent an extensive remodel and expansion in 2001.

Even in the recent economic downturn, Anderson and his crew have managed to keep busy.

"I'm very proud of my staff and personnel. We have a very strong employment staff that's been with us a long time. They're very committed to doing a quality job," he said.

If you are seeking a professional service that gets high praise from area customers, check out the following list for options.