The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Local entrepreneur Dan Cole said he hadn’t intended to rid himself of more than one business, but when the right offer came along, he and wife Trina decided to accept. After 32 years in business, Cole sold Waitsburg Grocery, Inc. to Jamie Allen and Jesse Smit in September of 2018. On Jan. 1, he handed over the keys of Touchet Valley Communications, a Waitsburg Internet provider, to fellow entrepreneurs, Erik and Diana Young, of Prescott.

“Erik approached me and said he heard I had sold the store and asked if I would be interested in selling the Internet business, too. At first I said no, but after we thought about it for a few weeks, we decided to go ahead and sell,” Cole said.

Young, who owns Young’s Heating and Cooling, said he is a “glutton for punishment in taking on new projects” and that the Internet business is a perfect fit for what they are already doing.

“We use the same tools as with heating and air, we just need to learn the intricacies of Internet connection setups,” Young said.

Cole will be working closely with the new owners as they work through the learning curve – an process he remembers vividly.

“I bought the business from John Stacey in 2001, not knowing anything about it. That was back in the dial-up days. I spent lots of time with ongoing education and constant upgrades. We went from dial-up, to wireless, to fiber optics,” Cole said.

“My goal is to learn as much about Internet and providership as possible and to make an investment in the company. I’m hoping we can eventually provide better service and gain more customers as service improves, “Young said.

Young said he has strong support from his bulk Internet provider who has laid out a plan to help him improve services and possibly expand outside of Waitsburg – hopefully, into Prescott.

He says the company currently serves about 150 customers. The business will be a family affair, with his son Caleb doing IT work and installations as well.

“I love spending time in Waitsburg and this felt like a good fit to add to what we’re already doing. It gives us something else to be involved in while providing a community service,” Young said.

And Cole isn’t business-free yet. He still owns and operates L-C Applicators, Inc., a custom spray business, and is a quarter owner in Whiskey Canyon Sports Bar & Grill.

Cole hopes to have time freed up to focus more on the spray business.

“I have a new custom tractor, mower, and gopher snake. And I’d like to work more on implementing my drone into the business,” he said.

“I’d like to thank all of my TVC customers for their business throughout the years,” Cole said.

To learn more about Touchet Valley Communications and its services visit http://www.gotvc.net.