Quietly Booming
It may be one of Roseburg’s quietest companies, but Con-Vey is also one of the region’s biggest business successes.
Story by Nate Hansen Photos by Robin Loznak
There is no shortage of successful companies with familiar names in the Umpqua Valley, but one of the area’s most innovative businesses may also be one of its least recognized.
Con-Vey has been engineering massive mechanical projects for the industrial sector since 1946 but, according to CEO Dave Larecy, “We’re the best-kept secret in Douglas County.”
Founded as Keystone Machine Works, Con-Vey originally served Roseburg’s booming timber industry of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, providing machinery and repairs to local mills. In recent decades, the company has shifted to a more global approach and now sells and services industrial equipment in 17 different countries.
The company also offers mechanical repairs and servicing to local clients in diverse industries, from Wildlife Safari to Umpqua Dairy Products.
Like many Con-Vey employees, Larecy grew up in Roseburg. He had a summer job at Con-Vey in his youth before heading off to Southern Oregon University. After graduating, he entered the mechanical manufacturing industry and later served as first mate on a sailboat in the Caribbean Sea.
Following his maritime adventure and a brief stop in Portland, Larecy and his family made their way back to his hometown. The move was partially inspired by the opportunity to go back to work for Con-Vey. In August, Larecy celebrated his 25th year with the company.
Con-Vey not only employs numerous Roseburg natives, many of them represent the second or third generations of their families to work for the company. “Many of our employees grew up in Roseburg, went away to college for a few years, and came back to start their families,” Larecy says.
“Con-Vey’s commitment to innovation has facilitated its expansion into material handling and robotics for other building products.”
A handful of Con-Vey team members got their start in the industry courtesy of the company’s support of STEM education(an approach to learning that integrates science, technology,engineering and math with real-world experiences), which includes sponsoring local robotics teams, welding and shop classes and apprenticeship programs at Umpqua Community College and several Douglas County high schools.
Con-Vey’s commitment to innovation has facilitated its expansion into material handling and robotics for other building products, automation technology, bulk and biomass handling,environmental projects and agricultural processing.
As a global company, Con-Vey has faced myriad challenges serving clients through the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales and tech staff typically spend long stretches of time in cities around the world,overseeing machine set-up and maintenance. The inability to travel forced the company to adapt its business model dramatically.
In September, Con-Vey team members oversaw the virtual start-up of an automated wood processing line in Alberta, Canada.While the company’s installation team typically spends days, if not weeks, facilitating similar start-ups, they successfully managed this one entirely via remote access to the customer’s controls network and onsite camera footage.
The Con-Vey sales team has also had to pivot how they do business, though Larecy says he noticed many clients starting to anticipate a return to whatever semblance of normal is possible.
“When things slowed down last spring, a large backlog of client orders built up,” he says. “Now we’re getting ready for a crazy 2021.”
While the current environment makes it impossible to predict what next year will bring, Larecy is confident his team has the experience, flexibility and mindset to handle whatever comes their way.
“We’re cool nerds,” he says. “We’ll plan for what we can, and be ready to adjust as we need to.”
