Interview with Ben Gates, Owner of Maupin Works

Maupin Works is a small business hub that will support the small business community of South Wasco County. Located on Maupin’s main street at 410 Deschutes Avenue, the building will accommodate up to 24 businesses in coworking space, host regular networking and community building events, and provide direct resources and services to small businesses. To help launch the project, a grant application was recently submitted to Business Oregon in partnership with South Wasco Alliance, Maupin Area Chamber of Commerce, Columbia Gorge Community College Small Business Development Center, and the City of Maupin.

We sat down with Ben Gates, owner of Maupin Works, to hear more about his vision and how he came to own a small business hub in Maupin, Oregon.

Interviewer: Tell us a little about your background and what drew you into this field? 

Ben: The majority of my work is in architecture and building development. As a kid I knew I wanted to be an architect. In high school I worked in the building trades during summer breaks which continued during my first couple of years at Central Oregon Community College. I received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon. In my initial years practicing architecture, my efforts were focused on multi-year commercial projects. An architectural fellowship gave me the opportunity to shift my focus to the design of green, affordable housing at a non-profit organization. That opened my eyes to other ways to work in the industry, such as real estate development which simply put, is the facilitation of teams and resources to make buildings happen. As a developer, I found that I could have more community impact than I could as just an architect. So after eight years of affordable housing and community development, I went into the private sector for two years as a development director for a small firm and then opened my own practice in 2015 called Urban Patterns. We provide development and architecture services for both private and non-profit organizations pursuing ambitious projects. 

Interviewer: What brought you to Maupin specifically? Why this area?

Ben: I learned to fly fish on the Deschutes River when I was 12 and have regularly visited the area since. Often our relationships connect us to work we are passionate about. Kate Willis, a Tygh Valley resident, wanted to see a good outcome for the former Maupin library and city hall once the Civic Center was complete. She reached out to her brother who connected me to the opportunity. If I recall, Kate asked her brother, “do you know a developer who has heart?”

Interviewer: When you think of Maupin and the surrounding areas in 10 years, what do you see? What would you like to see? 

Ben: I see a community that has strengthened its identity and unique sense of place. I see a place where every community member is able to realize their full potential. 

Interviewer: What has been your favorite project to work on in your career? 

Ben: The Redd on Salmon Street. It was designed to help Oregon’s ranchers, farmers, and fisherman and it shows how the spaces we build can improve people’s lives. I started the project in 2014 and finished it in 2019. It is a two-block food hub that has food production kitchens, wholesale distribution, office space, and an event space with a demonstration kitchen. The project helps people discover products that are grown, raised, and harvested locally. Most importantly, it helps support our family-run ranches, farms, and fisheries by getting products into the hands of food production businesses and retailers. 

Interviewer: Did that help you develop the Maupin Works idea here?

Ben: Yes. I don’t shy away from complex problems like the industrialization of farming and ranching. There are local solutions to big problems. One of the problems in our area is the lack of digital connectivity and the access to good paying jobs. We need better connections to regional and national markets to grow our local businesses and provide living-wage jobs.

Interviewer: What were you picturing coming into this project?

Ben: Initially I pictured sport and recreation product businesses due to the area’s outdoor recreation draw. We plan to provide office space, but production space will also be needed. With specialty agriculture in the area there is also an opportunity for value-added production and regional food distribution. What has crystallized is an opportunity to help support the remote workers and small businesses of South Wasco County.

Interviewer: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received or could give for building development and/or community engagement? 

Ben: I was talking to Frank Kay, the former mayor of Maupin who made a comment that resonated with me. He said, “there are people who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what the hell happened. Let’s be among the first group.” I like to learn by doing. My advice for those interested in building development or community engagement is to seek different experiences. Each experience can expose us to different perspectives, new ways of doing things, and help us find our passion. One experience can lead to another.

Interviewer: How will the addition of Maupin Works bring value to the community and do you expect it to transform the atmosphere here? Describe your driving force for developing this operation?

Ben: I think it will bring value in several ways. It will provide office space for residents of South Wasco County to get plugged into broadband internet, which has yet to expand throughout the area. It will provide access to resources for those interested in starting or growing small businesses. It will support a community of people and businesses doing interesting things.

Interviewer: What else would you like the community to know about you?

Ben: I love the outdoors: backpacking, climbing, fly fishing, hunting, and gathering. I love the northwest for that. I am really passionate about the projects I take on and I don't take them lightly. I am in it for the long term. I am an architect and real estate developer passionate about community. I hope my work can showcase the importance of values-driven development. I want to positively impact people’s lives through the built environment.