GRANTS PASS, OR – Celebrating their new community-serving location, theRogue Community College (RCC) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will be hosting a grand opening, Wednesday, March 30, 4:00-5:30 p.m., on the Redwood Campus of RCC in Building B, Grants Pass.
The public is invited to this free open house and ribbon cutting ceremony. President Cathy Kemper-Pelle will be a featured speaker, sharing the ribbon-cutting duties with members of the Grants Pass and Josephine County Chamber of Commerce, beginning at 4:30 p.m.
Event visitors may tour the facility of SBDC offices and classrooms, meet with SBDC Director Ruth Swain and SBDC business advisors and staff, and learn more about programs, classes and confidential advising available at the new site.
Staff advise using the West Entrance of the campus off of Redwood Highway (Hwy 199) for easy access, and will have directional signs for parking.
The ribbon cutting will be held outdoors with tents to accommodate any weather and refreshments will be served. Masks are optional, no reservations are required and drop-in visitors are encouraged.
“Our center assists emerging and growing businesses with training, resources and unparalleled expertise,” said SBDC Director Swain. “The center’s business advisors have well over 100 years of combined experience — helping businesses weather ever-changing trends.”
Services offered by the SBDC include advising, training, strategic planning, counseling, finance and accounting, a Small Business Management program, access to capital, government contracting, business operations, human resources, branding, communications, mentoring, revenue growth strategies and access to credentialed industry experts.
In 2020 and 2021, the SBDC fielded the highest number of calls and contacts from small businesses in its history due to COVID shut-downs.
At the new location, appointments are now being scheduled to accommodate small business owners’ availability – including in-person, Zoom and phone meetings.
The Oregon SBDC’s core mission is “Building Oregon’s Best Businesses.” Since its founding, the SBDC’s confidential advising staff have supported some 12,000 small businesses throughout Southern Oregon, with over 50,000 advising hours. Nearly 3,000 training events have served an estimated 20,000 attendees since the center’s inception. RCC’s SBDC was founded in 1984 to support small businesses throughout its college service area.
For more details on the SBDC Open House, or SBDC programs, confidential business counseling and classes, please contact 541-956-7494 or email SBDC@roguecc.edu or visit the website at: sbdc.roguecc.edu
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For media inquiries, please contact Julie Raefield, M.A., Public Information Officer, Community and Government Relations Coordinator, at 541-956-7319, jraefield@roguecc.edu.