Jason Montague, owner of Giles Lock and Security of Redding, never set out to be a locksmith. “While getting my business degree at CSU Chico, I worked part-time at a local locksmith shop,” he says. “By the time I graduated, I knew the business so well that it made sense for me to jump into it wholeheartedly. I’ve learned to really enjoy providing my community with full-service lock and security services.”

Montague considers himself lucky as he navigated his business through COVID. “Security issues don’t concern themselves with pandemics nor economic downturns,” says Montague. “While our workload remained largely untouched, we certainly knew that others were hurting.”

As a deeply rooted business in the community, Montague was eager when asked to participate in Columbia Bank’s Pass It On Project. Wanting to help in the recovery of the community, Giles Lock and Security is providing safety to a staple of the community, and Columbia Bank is paying the bill. “I’m passing it on to the Friends of the Shasta District Fair, who work to fund and support this great community institution,” he says. “The Fair lost all of its funding from the state back in 2011, and with Columbia Bank’s generous gift, I will help this great group get their security equipment back up to date so that they can continue to bring the fair to the residents of Shasta County