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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar, Friday, July 10 ... More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... Ashland Calendar, Friday, July 10 ... More thunderstorms expected ... Stay out of the creek, officials warn ... HATCH OREGON Locally grown businesses bid for micro-investor attention Free event Friday features pitches by Wylie's sodas and TonTon's treats Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM What do you think? --> Have an opinion on this issue? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter. » Read more X What do you think? Have an opinion on this issue? Send a letter to the editor at www.dailytidings.com/sendletter . » Social News Two local food companies will seek investors Friday evening in one of the first CPO — Community Public Offering — events in the state of Oregon. TonTon’s Artisan Affections of Ashland, makers of vegan, grainless, gluten-free hummus, cookies and crackers, and Wylie’s Honey Brews  of Phoenix, makers of fermented, probiotic sodas, will open to investment at 5 p.m. Friday in the Wellness Room at Jackson Wellsprings. (This paragraph has been changed to correct the spelling of "Wylie's.") The event will be a food tasting with educational talks on how a CPO works. Heather Stafford of Sustainable Valley Technology Group of Medford will outline the inner workings of the new type of investment vehicle, which she says seeks to “bring Wall Street to Main Street” and open “to raising investment opportunities for the 99 percent.”  The new system, whose rules were written in January by the state Department of Finance and Corporate Securities, is intended to funnel money from modest investors in Oregon into affordable shares in smaller businesses in Oregon, said Stafford.  Investors must bring an Oregon driver’s license or proof of residency, presented at the door. They may ask questions and meet with the business owners, Wylie Bettinger of Wylie's Honey Brews and Michael Antonopoulos of TonTon’s.  (This paragraph has been changed to correct the spelling of "Wylie's.") Bettinger says his maximum total funding amount is $100,000 and will be used to build out his facility and operations and increase productive capacity for distribution throughout Oregon. He says he is offering “debt shares,” which are not equity shares. He has raised $4,700 so far.  Antonopoulos says he seeks $10,000 to start high-pressure pasteurization, with a goal of $250,000 to build a production facility in Talent that could house his and other businesses. He says he is selling “convertible loans at higher interest that can be converted to shares in the corporation.  “The meeting is to share these plans with the community, explain what’s going on and open for investment in the company,” says Antonopoulos. Investment will be going in both his company and the envisioned facility.  Bettinger’s soda, he explains, uses live cultures with honey for sweetener. The fermenting beverages are what provides the carbonation.  “Probiotics have beneficial microbes that are very healthful to digestion,” says Bettinger, who is in his third year in business and has three to five employees, depending on the season. Summer is busier, he notes.  Stafford’s organization helps business owners organize the CPO but does not guarantee their soundness or return on investment, she says.  “Often the shares are in the $100 to $250 range,” she says. “Investors can invest up to $2,500 in one company and can invest in multiple companies. You get a debt note or a share of equities. You still have to do your own due diligence in researching what’s a good investment.”  A 2013 HALO report on “angel investors,” she said, points out that 1 percent of savings of Oregonians, if available for investment, is around a billion dollars.  More information is available at http://hatchoregon.com/. The event is free and open to Oregon residents. Jackson Wellsprings is at  2253 Rogue Valley Hwy 99 North, Ashland. Reach Ashland freelance writer John Darling at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Feb. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Feb 27, 2015 at 12:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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