The Water Depot

SBDC Helped the Water Depot Thrive

Before buying The Water Depot in Roseburg, Jodi and Kregg Parenti went to the SBDC for helping evaluating the business purchase.

“We were really interested in owning our own business instead of working for someone else,” Jodi said.

After deciding it was a viable option, the Parentis bought the water delivery business from the previous owner in 2016. Realizing they still needed help learning how to run a business, they signed up for the SBDC’s Small Business Management class. They learned how to use QuickBooks, among other business operations.

The SBDC has alleviated some of the stress of small business ownership, Kregg said.

“I don’t know if there’s a way to put value on it,” Jodi said. “To us, they’re invaluable.”

The Parentis use a 2,000-gallon truck to deliver water for rural residential and commercial use, as well as for irrigation, agriculture, livestock, ponds and pools.

When their truck broke down, the SBDC emailed them to see how they were doing.

“It’s like family,” Kregg said.