Posted 1/31/2006
Issue 12, Volume IV
NEW EDCO BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER SELECTED
Following a lengthy selection process, EDCO is excited to announce the selection of Eric Strobel as the new Business Development Manager for the tri-county area. Eric brings a wealth of knowledge and contacts in the area from eight years with Central Electric Cooperative (CEC), the last four as District Manager in Bend. Other past experience includes a 14-year career in the film industry, information technology and management. He is very active in the community, serving as the co-chair of the Bend 2030 visioning project and the Rotary Club of Bend. As a past board member of EDCO representing CEC, Eric will hit the ground running and is already scheduling meetings with local manufacturing and technology companies to learn where there are opportunities for EDCO or our many partners to help. For more information click here for a complete press release.
EDCO ANNUAL LUNCHEON TO FEATURE NATIONAL SPEAKER
We are again pleased this year to partner with Bruce Juhola and TEC (The Executive Committee) to bring another high-caliber national speaker for EDCO's 2006 Luncheon on February 23rd. Keynote speaker Walt Sutton will provide an interactive and entertaining glimpse into the world of successful CEO's and entrepreneurs. An author and entrepreneur himself, he focuses on the issues of most concern for business managers, presidents and owners.
The Luncheon will also feature a brief recap and update on current EDCO activities and accomplishments and will kick off this year’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
DELTA TRAVEL BANK NEARING END It does not seem possible, but nearly a year has elapsed since Delta started non-stop jet service to Salt Lake City. Fourteen months ago, 120 businesses, government and non-profit organizations contributed $626,000 toward a travel bank that sealed the deal in securing the two new round-trip flights. Nearly two months ago, Delta added a third flight – one of the few new markets where additional resources and aircraft were allocated.
This anniversary means that the Airline Travel Bank (ATB) is expiring, so if you participated in the program now is the time to book your travel. In aggregate, $146,000 still remains unexpended. The program is scheduled to sunset on February 28, after which travel vouchers good for 90 days may be issued for unused balances. Although the deadline is at the end of next month, travel need not occur before that time, it just needs to be booked and paid for.
For ATB participants wanting more information about using their final balances, click here for more information or call the EDCO office at 388-3236.
OPPORTUNITIES IN MADRAS FOR CONSTRUCTION TRADE BUSINESSESIn the midst of the wave of current construction and other economic activity that is about to hit Madras and other parts of Jefferson County, business and city leaders are eager to attract plumbing, electrical, heating & air conditioning, and other construction trade companies to the community. Benefits to these businesses include available warehouse space, lower rent costs, less expensive land and buildings, a welcoming municipality, and a friendly business climate. Future projects coming online include downtown revitalization and reconstruction, large scale commercial projects, prison construction, the 800+ acre Madras Development Company mixed use development and newly developed Jefferson Park Business Center, there is a great deal of work right in Madras. Additionally, Madras provides good access to Prineville via Hwy 26 (no traffic, only 20 minute drive) which has a considerable volume of construction activity currently and considerably more to come in the years ahead. For more information on the opportunities in Madras, contact Madras City Manager Mike Morgan at 475-2344 or Mayor Rick Allen at 475-5656.
NEW EDCO URL ANNOUNCED: WWW.EDCOINFO.COM In an effort to make our services easier to access and as part of ongoing PR and marketing strategies, EDCO is excited to announce a new, simplified, easier to remember address for our website and email.
www.edcoinfo.com is the new web address and all email will follow the same edcoinfo.com URL (for example
info@edcoinfo.com).
FEBRUARY PUB TALK FEATURES COO OF TOP COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN OREGON Donnie Castleman, President and COO, Edge Wireless"How to Build a Successful Employee-friendly Company"
As President and COO of Edge Wireless, Mr. Castleman is responsible for overseeing all of Edge Wireless’ customer affecting and technical operations, defining the vision for Edge Wireless, corporate strategy and cultivating opportunities for Edge Wireless to continue to grow as the premiere wireless communications provider. During his tenure, Edge Wireless has become a top provider for rural communities throughout Idaho, Wyoming, Southern Oregon and Northern California. In 2005 Edge Wireless was named the number one large company to work for in Oregon, according to Oregon Business magazine’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon” survey. It is the third year Edge Wireless has been ranked among the best companies in the state in this survey.
Where: McMenamin's Old St. Francis School - Downtown Bend
When: Thursday, February 9th, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Cost: $15 for EDCO; $25 for non-members
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
For more information about Central Oregon PubTalk, click here.
EDCO ATTENDS MEDICAL DEVICE SHOW IN ANAHIEM
EDCO will join other economic development professionals across Oregon in attending the
Medical Device & Manufacturing Show in Anaheim, CA January 31st – February 2nd. Since medical device manufacturing has been one of our targets for the past decade, EDCO has attended the show and helped staff an Oregon booth for the past five years, which has yielded some good leads. Approximately 3,000 companies attend the show which has also combined with four other shows including WestPack (packaging) Pacific Design & Mfg., PLASTEC West (plastics) and Electronics West. The medical devices industry has shown sustained growth over the past 20 years, and has considerably higher than average wages than other manufacturing industries. EDCO’s target at this and other shows are typically smaller, owner-operated companies that more often than not are based in California and are suffering under a high cost tax structure and generally unfriendly business climate.
While in the LA area, EDCO will also be meeting with clients with whom we have developed a relationship over the past number of years. This year will be a bit more quiet in that respect, because several clients have already relocated to the tri-county area!
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL’S MICHAEL PORTER EVALUATES OREGON’S ECONOMYEarlier this month we attended the fourth annual Oregon Business Plan Summit hosted by the Oregon Business Council at the Portland Convention Center. The purpose of the Council and Summit has been to develop and push forward an agenda that will improve the state’s business climate and strengthen its economy. Of particular interest this year was an analysis and discussion via satellite with renowned author and Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter. Porter’s objective comments about the relative strengths and weaknesses of Oregon economy and industry clusters were very illuminating. Here are some of the highlights:
- Oregon is a “middle of the pack” state in terms of real GDP per capita;
- Oregon does not rank highly in aggregate for innovation in terms of new patents;
- Productivity is absolutely key to being competitive in the global marketplace;
- Industry clusters seem to increase productivity, innovation and commercialization, and Oregon has some strength in a few clusters including: information technology, agriculture, recreational equipment manufacturing, wood products and analytical instruments.
In terms of finding and working on solutions to achieving greater productivity and global competitiveness that will lead to a more vibrant and sustainable economy he had the following comments:
- Oregon seems to have huge capacity in civic involvement/concern for such a relatively small state in terms of population. He used the analogy that there are more non-profit organizations in Oregon than Massachusetts, which has roughly three times the population. He sees this both a strength and weakness (how do you keep them all going and does it become too focused on process?).
- There seems to be little capacity and a lack of investment in Oregon’s university system which will make the innovation and productivity gains difficult to achieve.
- The Oregon Business Council and Oregon Business Plan need to focus on a few objectives – there are too many currently to make any real progress on any.
Many of Porter’s comments resonated with the roughly 1,000 business, industry and education leaders who were in attendance. The Oregon Business Plan has focused its efforts on strengthening the state’s K-20 education system. Click here for a copy of Professor Porter’s slides presented at the Summit.
EDCO MEMBERS HONORED
In recent months several EDCO members were honored by their professional peers and the community in which they work.
Bill Anderson, President of Mid-Oregon Credit Union was honored as the Distinguished Credit Union Professional of the Year, and received the Distinguished Service Award at the Credit Union Association of Oregon’s annual conference. Mid Oregon Credit Union was also named the Business of the Year by the Redmond Chamber last week.
Last week Jim Diegel with St. Charles Redmond was named Citizen of the Year by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce.
Again, congratulations to these EDCO members and please let us know if you know of an EDCO member that has recently been named with a high honor by emailing us at info@edcoinfo.com
WELCOME NEW EDCO MEMBERS!
PLATINUM LEVEL MEMBERS
BendBroadband – Amy Tykeson
Established in 1955, BendBroadband is a privately owned, Oregon-based company with a staff of over 100 employees serving Central Oregon. BendBroadband offers a variety of services including: Video on Demand, InstaNet (high-speed Internet service), HDTV, basic cable, digital cable and local programming. The company is dedicated to providing quality communication, entertainment, and customer service to Central Oregonians. To learn more about BendBroadband contact them at 541-382-5551 or visit www.bendbroadband.com.
GOLD LEVEL MEMBERS
Three Sisters Business Park – Peter HallBend developer Peter Hall of 3 Sisters Partners recently purchased 30 acres of Light Industrial zoned land from the Sisters School District on the northern edge of Sisters. The planned development (which was just approved this week), Three Sisters Business Park, will feature a mix of uses, lot sizes and open space. The park should provide future home locations for 20 or more new businesses who want to locate to the Sisters area. The development will have a focus on “green building” practices that include alternative energy and high energy-efficiency construction. As one of the first such developments in Sisters for many years, the business park will help play a critical role in making available employment land to further assist in diversifying the community’s economic base. The light industrial lots are expected to be available for purchase by early summer 2006. For more information about Three Sisters Business Park, call 408-0141 or email Peter at
pbh@bendbroadband.com.
SILVER LEVEL MEMBERS
SunWest Builders – Steve Buettner
SunWest Builders was established and incorporated in Oregon in 1989. President and owner, Steve Buettner, has been in construction in the Central Oregon area since early 1980. Under his direction, the company has established a reputation for constructing high quality, custom-built homes with the understanding that customer service and a product that met the highest standard of quality was the key to building a successful, long-lasting business. SunWest has expanded from residential construction to commercial construction and larger and more diverse projects including retail malls, resort facilities, educational facilities, financial institutions, assisted living facilities and restaurants. To learn more, contact them at 541-548-7341.
BRONZE LEVEL MEMBERS
Best Western Rama Inn – Sharon BirdwellThe Best Western Rama Inn, located at the South end of Redmond, features 49 rooms with microwave, fridge, etc. They boast a relaxing environment, complete with a heated swimming pool, hot tub and sauna, and a complimentary breakfast to start the day. The Best Western Rama Inn also offers two conference rooms, free high speed internet and an exercise room. For more information, visit their web site at
www.redmondramainn.com or call them at 541-548-8080.
The Pulse Group
Established in 1994, The Pulse Group is a market research, economic consulting, and strategic planning firm. They use customer, business, and economic information together with competitive market intelligence to provide their clients with practical growth, positioning, development and financial strategies. They have used their skills in research and planning to help create or refine more than one-hundred new products, generate significantly higher levels of customer satisfaction for a wide range of services and help guide the design programs of some world-class facilities. To learn more, contact them at 541-549-7300 or visit their web site at www.thepulsegroup.com.
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL MEMBERS
Steve Scott & Co. Realtors – Gary Everett
A resident of Bend since 1982 and local full-time realtor since 1985, Gary helps clients will all their real estate needs and has been one of the top producing realtors in Central Oregon for many years. He is very involved in the community, participating in several organizations including the Central Oregon Builders Association, the Bend Chamber of Commerce and most recently EDCO. Gary has also achieved the prestigious designation of CCIM from the CCIM Institute, one of the most coveted and respected awards in the Real Estate Industry, held by less than 10,000 Realtors nationwide. He was also recognized by his peers as the Realtor of the Year for 2002 and is very involved with the local Association of Realtors and the City of Bend. For more information, please contact Gary at 541-388-8989 or visit his web site at
www.garyeverett.com.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
An EDCO member since 1997, LibertyBank’s 20-year history began in Bend with the Bank’s first office. In the past two decades, the Liberty has grown to become the largest privately held bank in Oregon with 13 offices in Bend, Eugene, Grants Pass, Medford, Portland and Springfield. The bank specializes in free business checking and other customized deposit services for businesses, including loans, leases, commercial mortgage, construction and consumer loans, and a broad range of consumer products.
“At LibertyBank, we have great respect and appreciation for our clients. We know that our success wouldn’t be possible without them, so we strive to deliver high quality financial products and services with the highest standards of professionalism and friendly, personalized service,” says Paul Stednitz, LibertyBank vice president, area manager and EDCO board member.
Community caring is intrinsic to LibertyBank, and its employees support hundreds of worthy organizations in Central Oregon by volunteering their time and serving on boards and committees. LibertyBank employees are involved in numerous organizations, including Bend Winterfest, American Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Cascade Festival of Music, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Opportunity Knocks Group, Oregon Special Olympics, and United Way of Deschutes County. For more information about the bank, please visit www.eLibertyBank.com or contact Paul Stednitz at (541) 389-9800.
PENDING RECRUITMENT PROJECTSWithout breaching constraints of confidentiality, we want to make you aware of a few of our pending projects for the region. As is typical this time of year, lead flow has died down over the past 30 days. They include but are not limited to:
- A recreational equipment manufacturer and retailer from the Puget Sound area is continuing to evaluate Redmond for relocation of its headquarters and distribution facilities. The combined operation would employ 40-50 people at higher than average wages would occupy 30,000 to 40,000 square feet. The company President will be back for a visit the first week of February.
- ODS Companies, a longtime Oregon-based employer, is continuing discussions with the City of Redmond on building a new processing facility and dental hygiene school in the downtown core. The project would result in more than 100 new family-wage jobs. The company hopes to make a decision in the second quarter of this year.
- A product design, sales and distribution company for the marine supply business is looking at property in Bend for a phased relocation from Orange County, CA. The company currently has 19 employees and is growing by 20% annually. The project entails headquarters, design center, customer service and assembly.
- A manufacturer supplying the recreational vehicle industry is looking at possible relocation from Texas to somewhere in the tri-county area. We had the chance to meet with this company at the SEMA show to further discuss their interest in the Madras area. The company is looking for a space that would allow a mix of retail/commercial use with light manufacturing and assembly.
PENDING RETENTION/EXPANSION PROJECTS
- A food products company in Redmond is looking at significant expansion of their existing operations, and is working toward building a new 50,000 sf state-of-the art building to meet growing demand. EDCO is assisting the company with logistics and incentives for the new expansion which will add a minimum of 17 jobs at family-wage levels.
- EDCO is working with Bend Tarp & Liner on an expansion and relocation project to Tom McCall Industrial Park in Prineville. Last year the company completed a new 30,000 sf building in Bend, which more than tripled its plant capacity. In less than two years, the company has outgrown this facility and will be looking to construct a new building roughly of 70,000 SF. EDCO is working with the company on logistics and incentives that will assist in capital investment and resulting new jobs.
- Redmond-based True Line Steel is expanding into a new facility on a lot purchased on E. Hemlock. The company had formerly occupied space in the former Crown Pacific mill site.
- A recreational equipment manufacturer in Bend is looking to expand to a 5-8 acre site in Bend or possibly Sisters. EDCO is assisting the company with real estate information, logistics and information on incentives.
FEEDBACK
We would love to hear your thoughts and comments about this electronic newsletter and ways to improve it. Just fire back a
response. Once again, thank you for your support and interest – we are working hard to make the most of your contributions to help strengthen and diversify the regional economy!
