Rehabber extends reach to county

Gorilla Capital, an Oregon company whose mission is to acquire distressed properties and rehab them for re-sale, has added Yamhill County to the area it monitors. In the process, it has successfully completed its first two local projects.

Ally Leavitt, marketing and communications coordinator for the Eugene-based company, said it focuses on homes that have come into bank ownership through foreclosure or are on that path. She said it acquires them and renovates them for re-sale at a profit.

Leavitt said Gorilla brought Yamhill County under the purview of its Salem office early last year. She said it had acquired a home in Newberg in May and one in McMinnville in December, and quickly turned both around.

"I'd anticipate we will buy a few a year," she said.

The company was founded around a kitchen table in late 2005. After operating out of a pickup for six months, it moved into an office in Eugene in June 2006.

It has since grown to the point where it is monitoring distressed properties in portions of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California, Arizona and Florida.

In 2011, Gorilla Capital ranked 127th on Oregon Business magazine's Private 150, a list of the largest privately owned companies in the state. In March, it purchased its 1,000th property - a condominium in Hillsboro.

The main office is located at 1390 High St. in Eugene. The phone is 541-344-7867.

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K-9 festival

The first annual Granary District K-9 festival opens at 10 a.m. today with dog food tasting at Buchanan Cellers. It continues through 5 p.m.

From noon to 3, Red Fox Bakery will be baking wood-fired dog treats in the public market's cob oven.

A group photo is set for 1 p.m., followed by a game of K-9 musical chairs at 1:15. From 1:30 to 5, participating wine tasting rooms will be offering dog treats for the canine companions of their human customers.

For more information, call 503-472-2610.

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FARM BILL

The U.S. Senate has passed the 2012 Farm Bill on a bipartisan vote of 64-35, according to U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley. He said it features crucial elements of support for agriculture, food production and rural communities.

The House of Representatives will consider it in July.

The bill includes two key provisions authored by Merkley, one upgrading crop insurance provisions for organic farmers and another offering low-cost loans for energy efficient renovation home and business renovations in rural areas.

"From wheat in the East to vineyards, berries and grass-seed in the West, a strong farm bill is crucial for all of Oregon," he said.

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TRIVIA NIGHT

The first local Pub Trivia Night will be staged from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 27, at The Old Oak, 326 N.E. Davis St. in downtown McMinnville.

Teams consisting of one to six members will compete in categories that include album covers, Disney movies from the '90s, locally oriented trivia and other topics.

It is open to those 21 and over. Prizes will be awarded.

Trivia nights are planned the last Wednesday of the month through the summer. For more information, call 503-857-0577.

:STORE REVAMP

Stephanie Findley, owner of Red Berry Boutique at 303 N.W. Third St., is redecorating and reconfiguring her downtown store. In the process, she is putting new focus on men's lines, adding a home decor section and making additional changes.

She said it's part of an evolutionary rejuvenation process. For more information, call 503-472-6993.

:YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Young Professionals of the Yamhill Valley is slated to meet from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, at The Old Oak, 326 N.E. Davis St. in downtown McMinnville.

It is a networking and socializing vehicle for those between the ages of 20 and 40. For more information, call 503-472-6196.

Molly Walker, the News-Register's business editor, can be reached at mwalker@newsregister.com or 503-687-1272.