Where:  When:  Cost: Register:

The Riverhouse Convention Center February 15, 2007; Noon - 2:00 pm $35 for EDCO Members/ $45 Non-Members/ Corporate Tables of 10 $325; specify vegetarian option if desired. Deadline is Friday, February 9, 2007.  Contact Dayna at 541-388-3236 or email dayna@edcoinfo.com

Plan to join the EDCO Board of Directors and Bend Memorial Clinic for lunch at the new Riverhouse Convention Center for "Everything I learned about the art of negotiation, I learned from my horse trader father”. This year's keynote speaker, Jack Kaine, is a national Speaker of the Year for Vistage, an international organization of presidents and CEOs. Renowned for negotiation skills training and consulting, Kaine gets beyond pat "win-win” approaches and offers even veteran negotiators new, useful tips. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Kaine spoke recently to the Central Oregon Vistage group, where he received the "highest rating of any speaker by the group since its inception” according to leader Bruce Juhola. In addition to the keynote, EDCO has some other good surprises in store (last year Horizon flights to LA were announced). Thanks go to Keynote Sponsor Bend Memorial Clinic and Event Sponsors Community First Bank, LifeWise, Harrigan, Price & Fronk; and Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt for making this event possible. The Annual Luncheon is typically a sell-out event, so reserve your seat or table today!

On January 23rd, the High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC) held its inaugural general membership meeting at COCC's Manufacturing and Technology Center (MATC) in Redmond. More than 25 attended the meeting representing 15 companies from across the Central Oregon region. Recent additions to this fast-growing consortium are Brian's Cabinets, Fuqua Homes and Dayspring Hardwood & Moulding.

The highlight of the kick-off meeting was an engaging presentation from HiDEC member Dave Slavensky, COO of Structus International, on the implementation of Lean principles and their impact on productivity and company culture. Tom Petulo of Bright Wood Corporation and Jason McKibben of MediSISS outlined HiDEC's structure, calendar of events and future plans for the audience. The morning session ended with an informative tour of the MATC.

HiDEC has come a long way since its genesis in early December. The consortium has received $70,000 in grant funding, developed an internal structure, and scheduled a slate of training classes in 2007 to meet the needs of HiDEC members. To support Central Oregon companies seeking world-class competitiveness, HiDEC's focus this year is on Lean training, company learning tours, and roundtables - all provided in a variety of educational forums and at no cost to HiDEC members. HiDEC is open to any Central Oregon company of any size that conducts business-to-business operations. For more information about joining the consortium or its planned activities for 2007, contact Eric Strobel, EDCO Business Development Manager, at 388-3236 or eric@edcoinfo.com.

Where: When:  Cost:

Eagle Crest Resort Conference Center Thursday, February 1, 11:00-1:15 Luncheon; 1:30-4:00 Implementation Forum $30 per person; $240 Corporate Tables of 8 (no additional fee to attend forum)

Join Maryann Billington, an internationally recognized workforce specialist, for a riveting look at the trends shaping our emerging workforce.  She'll examine the impact of Boomers leaving the workforce and how employers can successfully engage Gen X and Gen Y workers in company goals.  An implementation forum, where you'll have the opportunity to build on the presentation themes, follows and is offered free for luncheon attendees.  This is undoubtedly the most enlightening information about today's workforce you will hear this year, and at the best value.  Limited space is still available.  For more information or to book reservations, call the Redmond Chamber at 923-5191.   

During the year 2005, many people packed up and moved their homes to the Southeast and West, while the Midwest and Northeast experienced an increase in residents leaving, as measured by United Van Lines business trends. In its annual study, considered to accurately reflect national migration patterns because of the company's significant market share, United classifies each state in one of three categories: high inbound, high outbound, or balanced. Oregon continued its 18-year, high-inbound trend at 63.6%, having the highest inbound migration of all 50 states. For the complete analysis visit http://www.ndtahq.com/UnitedVanLines_Migration_2006.htm.  Click on map to enlarge.

What started out 13 years ago as a kitchen-counter project, founder Tara O'Keeffe has grown O'Keeffe's into a successful, award-winning business with a reputation for product innovation and a progressive work environment. For the third year in a row, the O'Keeffe's Company, maker of no-nonsense hand creams located in Sisters, received OSHA's SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) award. The award recognizes the incorporation of an effective Safety and Health Program. Out of 90,000 businesses in the state, less then 100 of these awards are presented. Last year, O'Keeffe's won the Gold award at the 18th annual DuPont Awards for Innovation and Packaging for their unique "grip pack” with a rubberized tool-like grip on a lid sized to fit your palm. Awards aren't the only thing O'Keeffe's is winning. This past year O'Keeffe's nailed down a contract to have Working Hands placed in more than 1,325 Lowe's stores nationwide. To meet the increased production demand of the Lowe’s contract, O’Keeffe’s will add both employees and shifts.

Where:	McMenamins Old St. Francis School - Fr. Luke's Room - Downtown Bend
When:	Thursday, February 8th, 5:00 - 7:30 pm
Cost:	$15 for EDCO and OEF members; $25 for non-members

Need to prepare a knock-out business plan? Take advantage of this great resource starting in February. Opportunity Knocks is now sponsoring workshops, scheduled to precede PubTalk events that occur the second Thursday of each month, for the first 25 PubTalk attendees who sign up.

Where:	Brooks Room in the Bend Public Library, 601 NW Wall Street  (an easy walk to McMenamins St. Francis School)
When:	February 8, 2007; 3:30 PM to 5:00 pm before Central Oregon PubTalk
Cost:	Free to pre-registered attendees of PubTalk only. Limited to 25 attendees. Sign up first for the PubTalk at the EDCO website.
Register:	Register for the Business Plan Workshop by emailing  jmccreight@yahoo.com

This workshop reviews all components of what makes an effective, compelling business plan. You'll learn from two seasoned OEN (Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, formerly Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum) experts why certain information is key and how an audience evaluates what you present. Besides plan basics, you'll take away valuable handouts, a bibliography, and a listing of key resources. Instructors Jim McCreight representing OEN and Pam Stevenson representing the SBDC (Small Business Development Center) will combine their extensive experience for this workshop.

A recent newspaper article noted Deschutes County had made the FDIC's list of "5 top metros" for deposits for Oregon.  Not content with a mere ranking, EDCO staff compared deposits to population.   Check out Deschutes County's higher productivity on its deposit base - 30% greater than the other metro areas in Oregon.  For state FDIC profiles CLICK HERE or visit the FDIC's RECON (Regional Economic Conditions) site at http://www2.fdic.gov/recon/index.asp.  

Largest FDIC Deposit Markets Deposits ($ millions) * % Deposits Population ** % Population Index*** Portland MSA $26,783 68.78% 2,063,277 66.91% 103 Eugene MSA $3,702 9.51% 327,762 10.63% 89 Salem MSA $3,653 9.38% 360,857 11.70% 80 Medford MSA $2,509 6.44% 191,465 6.21% 104 Bend MSA (Deschutes County) $2,294 5.89% 140,161 4.55% 130 Total 5 Top Metros in Oregon $38,941 100.00% 3,083,522 100.00% 100 * Q3 2006 FDIC State Profile ** ACS (American Community Survey) 2005 Census Bureau *** % deposits/% population indicates productivity of deposit base relative to population, 100 is average.

 
A newly formed non-profit organization, Central Cascades Lines, Inc., is providing transportation from La Pine to Bend. Vans depart two La Pine locations beginning at 6:45 a.m., stop in Sunriver at 7:15 a.m., then go to eight Bend locations. Fares are $8 round-trip, with discount fares of $6 for students and $4 for seniors and the disabled. Monthly passes are available. For information, contact Central Cascade Lines at CCL@bendnet.com or 536-0200. As a non-profit, the organization is accepting donations at any U.S. Bank or directly to: Central Cascade Lines, P.O. Box 3362, La Pine, OR 97739

Mark your calendars for two excellent workshops produced by Opportunity Knocks. What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than to breakfast and cutting-edge knowledge about love - more specifically, how to make employees fall in love with their jobs. Both Edge Wireless and Structus have stellar reputations when it comes to employee retention, attracting top talent and performance in the marketplace. In March, business coach and management guru Moe Carrick (who was instrumental in a recent EDCO relocation project) will give an insightful presentation on balancing work and life while building a world-class business or organization.  For more information or to get registered, contact Susie Stevens at Susie@opp-knocks.org or go the website sign-in at http://www.opp-knocks.org/OK_Events/.

February 14 8:00-10:00 A.M $30 OK Members $40 Others Includes continental breakfast	"How to Make Your Employees Love Their Jobs"   Employee Empowerment and Incentive Programs presented by Edge Wireless and Structus Technologies, Inc. C.O. Association of Realtors 2112 NE 4th St. Bend, OR
March 14 8:00-10:00 A.M. $30 OK Members $40 Others Includes continental breakfast	"Handling Life in a 24/7 World" Presented by Moe Carrick, Momentum C.O. Association of Realtors 2112 NE 4th St. Bend, OR

EDCO welcomes two new Directors to its Board of Directors in February. Robin Freeman, President & CEO of Community First Bank was elected by his peers in the Financial Institutions sector (banks & credit unions) and Jason Hale, small business owner and newly elected Mayor of Madras, replaces Melanie Widmer, Madras City Councilor and owner of Madras Sanitary.

Freeman joined Community First Bank three years ago and is credited with a significant turnaround in the bank's health and public stature, doubling its size and stock price in three years. Supporting its exclusive focus on and commitment to Central Oregon, more than 80% of bank employees actively participate in one or more local non-profit organizations and Community First was recently named one of the 100 Best Businesses to work for in Oregon. "I take regional economic development very seriously,” Freeman says, adding that he is a "big believer in the concept of 'if the tide rises, all the ships rise with it'. I am looking forward to the opportunity to bring my community banking and community involvement experience to the EDCO board.”

Hale, who incidentally is the nation's youngest Korean-American mayor, is the owner of Ahern's Stop ‘n' Shop grocery and convenience store as well as the Backstreet Pub in Madras. A natural entrepreneur, Hale has also been part owner of a hair salon and an Internet technology startup company. An advocate for technology to improve communication in Madras, Hale proposes City Council meetings be televised and that the City's website be improved, even offering bulletin boards to keep residents in the loop on city issues. Increased use of the Madras Airport property is another of Hale's goals; he envisions additional hangar and storage facilities constructed to attract more industrial businesses. Hale has also vowed to improve the City's roads and sidewalks in neglected areas of in west and southwest Madras.

Last week nearly 60 people crowded into the Rambler Room at McMenamins St. Francis School to gain insight into Central Oregon's economy and EDCO's business development role in the tri-county area. Thanks go to generous sponsor Access Knowledge who kicked off the event with food, a hosted bar, and networking.

EDCO Executive Director, Roger Lee provided perspective on how Central Oregon's economy is trending, predicting that 2007 will be healthy, although not record-breaking, as it returns to sanity following red-hot 2005-06 growth levels. Lee explained that other entities are focused on retail expansion, clarifying that EDCO's role is to increase "traded sector” jobs - those from tech or manufacturing companies that bring wealth to the area by selling products or services outside the region.

Greg Lambert, EDCO Board Member and Mid-Oregon Personnel founder, spoke in support of EDCO's role in diversifying the employment base in Crook County, recalling how historically timber-dependent the region had been some fifteen years ago. Joking how unusual it was to have two individuals from Prineville attend a meeting in Bend, Les Schwab's Director of Legal Services and Human Resources Jodie Hueske commented on EDCO's successful advocacy role to retain the company's headquarters in Central Oregon.

If you are interested in becoming an EDCO Member and would like to attend the next event, contact Dayna at 541-388-3236 or dayna@edcoinfo.com.  If you would like to download a copy of Roger's presentation, it is available on our website by clicking here.

Alt Source Manufacturing - Joe Kellerman
AltSource provides subcontract manufacturing, assembly and packaging for anyone wishing to build a product line.  Experience in the medical field fueled owners Joe Kellerman and Christine Davis-Kellerman's desire to help device entrepreneurs bring ideas to fruition. The couple, along with partner and engineer Ross Tsutiga, have created a flexible and innovative way to help entrepreneurs solve manufacturing complexities.  While the majority of their clientele are Bay Area medical device companies, Kellerman says their plant is flexible enough to handle many other product applications, noting that the company is working on several local manufacturing projects and that local business has been growing steadily. AltSource began operations in 2005 and quickly moved to a new 6,000 SF manufacturing plant in 2006.  

At a recent Central Oregon PubTalk, Kellerman tells he made four solid contacts who needed manufacturing development expertise. "We can handle as much growth as possible." Joe says. "I'd like people to know that there are still manufacturers in this country who can help get a product out into the market without having to go overseas. We like to say: Altsource, not offshore".  If you have product development and manufacturing needs, contact Alt Source at 541-317-5528 or visit their website at www.altsourcemfg.com. 

Lean Power - Steve Ashton
Steve Ashton learned manufacturing efficiency through the school of hard knocks. After buying his first manufacturing plant in the 80's, he quickly realized that managing the company's rapid growth was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. Knowing there must be more systematic approaches, Ashton became an international student of best practices and visited plants throughout the U.S. and in Germany, France, and Japan. Enlightenment finally came in 1984, he says, while attending a two week seminar in Colorado with managers from Campbell's, Firestone, and Toyota. During the two weeks, these manufacturers shared successes and an approach to industry problems, using principles called World Class Manufacturing. When he returned home and applied the practices, Ashton says productivity increased immediately. These practices are now commonly known as Lean Manufacturing.

Retired, Ashton says the spark for Lean Power came when a neighbor approached him regarding his company's manufacturing woes. Now a Lean Manufacturing consultant, Ashton shares his knowledge with companies around the country. He focuses on three areas essential to running a successful business-- The Lean Manufacturing Process, Strategic Planning, and Management Development. If you would like to learn more, contact Steve Ashton at 541-598-7930 or visit www.Leanpower.com.

Level	Company	Member Since
Gold	Brooks Resources	1986
Financial	Community First Bank	2001
Silver	Becky Breeze & Company	1995
	Clear Choice Health Plans	2005
	David Evans & Associates	1986
	Dutch Pacific Properties	2006
	First American Title Insurance	2005
	High Desert Beverage Distributors	1987
	Povey & Associates	1987
	Ruff Wear	2006
	Shackelford, Hanson & Parr	2005
	SunWest Builders	2006
	Three Sisters Business Park	2005
Bronze	1031 Asset Exchange	2006
	Bend Garbage & Recycling	1986
	Bratton Appraisal Group	1998
	Carlson Sign Company	1987
	Cascade Heating & Specialties	1988
	Central Oregon Builders Association	2005
	Centro Information Systems	1987
	CIDA	2003
	Deschutes County Title Company	2005
	Emplolyment Source	2005
	Haines Central Oregon Distributing	1997
	Leading Edge Aviation	2005
	Midstate Fertilizer Company	1987
	Newton Pump	1987
	Quantum Communications	2002
	Swift Steel	1986
	Tennant Development	1996
	The Accounting Group	2005
	The Mountain Group	2006
Individual	Coldwell Banker Morris Real Estate - Norma DuBois	1995
	Cornerstone Realty - Eric Nelson	2000
	Duke Warner Realty - Kitty Warner	1983
	Edward Jones Investments - Brian Stallcop	2006
	Golden Visions Success Coaching	2006
	High Cascade Mortgage	2005
	John L. Scott Real Estate - Sharon Abrams	2005
	Project Development	2005
	Re/Max Equity Group - Ron Ross	2001
	Steve Scott & Company Realtors - Michael Aid	2001
	Steve Scott & Company - Gary Everett	2006
	Steve Scott & Company Realtors - Louie Hoffman	1999
	Steve Scott & Company - Brian Meece	1996
	Sunriver Realty - Carolyn Bostwick	1999
	The Associates Real Estate	1987
	The Kozak Company	1986
	Windermere - Patty Dempsey	2006

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An EDCO member for twenty years, Mary Thurman believed in economic development at its most fundamental level before Crook County growth started to spiral. Chairing Prineville Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee for fifteen years, she recalls “in the 80’s there was an absolute recession, then the 90’s came and the whole face of Prineville changed. People began to take pride in their properties. What’s on the board now, including resort housing, could potentially triple the population of our area.” Thurman has been selling homes in Powell Butte and Prineville since 1986 and believes that “making investments in our community is important at a business level, but even more importantly at a personal one.” The thirteen brokers in her firm are actively involved, as one might expect, in service organizations such as Kiwanis, Rotary, and the Chamber, but they’re also involved with Habitat for Humanity and the hospital foundation. And that goes full circle to economic development. Thurman says “we all understand that you can’t sell homes in a community without a good hospital.”

There have been no significant changes to project activity; please refer to the December eCon Update for specific recruitment and expansion projects in the works.  

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