Serving small businesses in Scappoose

(SCAPPOOSE) — Marc Knutson is known for his passion for making positive connections and supporting the local business communities.

Using his business prowess from former jobs, Knutson, a Scappoose resident, now advises small companies and spreads the word about the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

Until recently, Knutson, who has lived in Columbia County for about seven years, worked as a Unitus Community Credit Union mortgage loan officer. Before that, Knutson served in the Navy from 1969 to 1973 through two combat tours of duty in Vietnam.

“It was an honor and a duty,” Knutson said of his deployment.

Explaining his decision to leave Unitus, Knutson said, “It was just one of those things where there was no business. The interest rates have just taken the lending business away.”

However, Knutson’s service with Unitus did not stop him from serving the community — especially small businesses in the region.

“In the last 12 months, I started taking on a part-time job, which remains part-time, with the Columbia County Small Business Development Center,” he said. “It’s really a neat thing because the SBDC is under the umbrella of the Columbia Economic Team, and the center offers one-on-one confidential business advising.”

Knutson’s goal is for businesses in Columbia County to “survive and thrive.”

In his part-time role with SBDC, Knutson says he remains optimistic about the future of business growth in Columbia County.

“We have sort of a pulse on the nerve center of what’s going on in the county,” he said. “We’re kind of some of the first to know that there’s business expansions or corporations wanting to move into Columbia County.”

Knutson added, “While many people want to say it’s a bedroom community, there’s a change coming in which there’s going to be an increase in manufacturing. With that, there’s going to be a need for the expansion of homes. It will be a growing county.”

When he’s not working with the Small Business Development Center, Knutson is involved with the South Columbia County Chamber of Commerce.

Jak Massey, chamber outreach director, asked Knutson if he would like to be an ambassador for the chamber.

Knutson, who represents the chamber wherever he goes, answered, “Sure, I’m very county-minded.”

Avoiding the use of the word “recruiting,” Knutson said when approaching businesses about the chamber, “I definitely talk about the advantages, especially in my business advisory role.” He speaks about the advantages of word-of-mouth advertising as a way to connect people.

When asked how he spends his time outside his chamber and SBDC duties, Knutson said, “I like to write … my art is creating pictures with words. I used to get in trouble in college because they said the essay was supposed to be 1,500 words, and you have 3,000. I know I’m sort of wordy.”

Knutson has written a faith-based book titled “Marinating Moments: Immersed in God's Rich Word,” an anthology with devotional stories that can start your work day.

Knutson added, “I have a penchant to write faith-based products."

Living in Scappoose, Knutson said, “I’ve grown very attached to living in Columbia County and serving the county. It’s so amazing to see the diversity of businesses calling Columbia County their home."

“Marc’s ‘pay it forward’ attitude has yet to be fully recognized or officially acknowledged," Massey said. "I feel strongly it’s time his efforts are appreciated publicly … He is a man who follows through on his word.”