Issue 9, Volume IV

Doug Mendenhall is a business executive, entrepreneur and author of two soon-to-be-released books, Spark, ten elements that create passion and enthusiasm in life; and Risk Takers vs. Risk Talkers, distinctions that reveal opportunities for action. Doug is currently a consultant, helping corporations increase sales and develop teams that outperform their prior results. Past roles include: CEO of Portland-based Cerulic, Inc., a wireless networking company, Vice President of Cap Gemini, global consulting firm focused on business improvement, and Manager at Accenture, global consulting firm focused on business improvement processes. 

Early stage company presentation by SpeedProjects, Inc.
Legal Mini Camp: “Things to Think About When Leaving Your Employer to Become an Entrepreneur” by Rob Stout of Ball Janik

Where:   McMenamin's Old St. Francis School - Downtown Bend
When:    Thursday, September 8th  5:30 – 7:30 pm
Cost:       $15 for EDCO and OEF members; $25 for non-members

REGISTER FOR PUBTALK

The Prineville Enterprise Zone, one of 47 across Oregon, offers temporary property tax exemptions on qualified new investments for companies that create new employment.  Qualifying companies must either have a majority of their goods or services sold outside the region or primarily have a business customer base (wholesale, no retail).  Additionally, companies must meet minimum investment levels of at least $50,000 and provide new jobs.  Existing firms must add 10% or more to their permanent workforce.

A program created by EDCO in partnership with the Central Oregon Community Investment Board, the Business Development Opportunity Fund offers cash incentives for growing manufacturing, high tech, or technology-service companies within or moving to the tri-county area that are making significant capital investments and which are adding new jobs.  Cash match for capital investment must be at least $5 for every grant dollar and a minimum of ten permanent family wage jobs must result.  Grant monies are limited within the Opportunity Fund, so awards made on a case-by-case basis and are distributed primarily as “gap closing” to help make an expansion or relocation more economically feasible. 

Just over one year old, Bend’s Fast Track Permitting Program offers manufacturing and technology companies that would qualify for an Enterprise Zone exemptions (Bend does not have an enterprise zone) to receive expedited permit reviews.  Most communities around the state that have enterprise zones offer the fast track permitting.  All local, state and federal rules and statutes must still be met for both planning and building permit processes and applications must be complete to avoid delays.  Since May 2004, EDCO has approved eight projects. 

For more information about these programs and other state, local and federal incentives designed to help manufacturing and technology-based businesses, please contact us at 388-3236. 

The following is a schedule of events for Industry Week. For details on each event, please click here:
 
Industry Week Overview

DATE EVENT LOCATION Monday, October 10 Lean Manufacturing Workshop 8 am - 12 pm Manufacturing & Applied Technology Center Redmond Tuesday, October 11 City of Prineville Business RoundTable 8:30 – 10:00 am Broughton Room, Crook County Library Prineville Export/Import Assistance Workshop 8:30 am – 4:30 pm  AmeriTel Inn Bend   LaunchPad Innovation & Technology Expo 4:00 – 8:00 pm Epic Air Hangar - Bend Airport Bend Wednesday, October 12 Malcolm Baldrige Performance Excellence Symposium 7:30 am – 12:00 pm Inn of the Seventh Mountain Bend City Redmond Business RoundTable 7:30 – 9:00 pm T-Mobile Redmond Thursday, October 13 City of Bend Business RoundTable Time:  TBA Bend City Hall, Council Chambers Bend EDCO Annual Awards Reception 6:30 – 9:30 pm Bend Tarp & Liner - Basalt Business Park Bend Friday, October 14 Bend Venture Conference 7:30 am-6:00 pm The Tower Theatre Bend

Our next tradeshow will be the behemoth SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in November which is the ultimate gathering spot for motorheads and other companies associated with the automotive industry such as Les Schwab, BMC Choppers, Fuel Safe, Smith Brothers Manufacturing, Powroll, Lynch Performance Products and Muzzy’s. 

FINANCAL INSTITUTIONS

Premier West Bank – Mike Testerman
A new addition to Central Oregon, Premier West Bank is committed to being the best community Bank throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California.  They have combined the knowledge and experience of sound community banks -along with their mortgage division, finance company and investment services - to reach a wider community of customers.  Their growth and expansion has allowed them to be more flexible in assisting their customers while maintaining their philosophy of “People doing business with people”.  To learn more, contact Premier West Bank’s Bend location at 541-385-5253 or visit their web site at www.premierwestbank.com.

BRONZE MEMBERS

Jan Baker Facilitates – Jan Baker
Founded in 1991, partners Jan Baker and Ann Smith offer a full array of consulting, training and outsourcing services in human resource management. When appropriate, the company also works with other associates to help deliver assistance for specific client needs.  While the company works with profit, non-profit, private and public companies of all sizes, most clients are smaller fast growing organizations. For more information visit www.janbakerfacilitates.com.

Mid Oregon Personnel Services – Sam Lambert
Serving the tri-county region since 1984, Mid Oregon Personnel is the only staffing company with offices in Bend, Redmond, Prineville, and Madras. The company provides temporary, temp-to-hire, employee leasing, professional placement and back office support services and specializes in workable, cost-effective solutions to our business clients, while delivering quality positions for job-seekers.  Mid Oregon is the leading personnel agency working the area manufacturers.  For more information visit www.midoregonpersonnel.com.
                                 
Summit Anesthesia Solutions – Dennis Corey
Summit is a relatively new company to the region which relocated its headquarters and manufacturing operations from Salem a few years ago.  The company’s mission is to: “support the advancement of molecular imaging and life sciences by providing the worldwide community of research and development scientists with a wide array of high-quality anesthesia and animal care products”.  The company is a leading provider of veterinary anesthesia systems, imaging chambers for discovery and drug testing using rodents, and a host of other products used in research laboratories.  Summit is also committed to exceptional on-site production and distribution of comprehensive products for the research, diagnostic and biotech industries.  For more information, contact them at 541-385-9667 or visit their web site at www.summitanesthesia.com.

R&H Construction – Brian Crosby, Steve Galash
Beginning as a very small contractor performing tenant improvements in retail shopping centers in 1979, R&H Construction today is a progressive general building contractor performing work throughout the Pacific Northwest. The company’s services include general contracting, design-build and construction management on a variety of project types.  They believe their commitment to relationships, trust, integrity and safety has been integral in leading them from one successful project to another while building long-term relationships in the Central Oregon region.  To contact R&H Construction, call 541-312-2961 or visit their web site at www.rhconst.com.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

Parker & Associates – Kevin Parker
Parker & Associates is a full-service insurance brokerage house that offers clients health insurance coverage from a number of competing carriers including: PacificSource, Lifewise, ODS Companies, HealthNet, Providence, and other major carriers.  Kevin recently volunteered to become the chair of EDCO’s legislative committee, which will be weighing in on state and federal legislative issues that impact business.  For more information about Parker & Associates, contact Kevin at 541-312-8659.

Thank you to these new investors, renewing members and to all longstanding members for your support!  For more information on how to become an EDCO member, membership levels and benefits, please contact us at 388-3236 or visit /about_edco/whyjoin/ 

Jones & Roth
Founded in 1947, Jones & Roth, P.C. is a firm of Certified Public Accountants and business consultants with offices in Bend, Eugene and Hillsboro and with clients across all of Oregon. While traditional accounting focuses on retroactive record keeping, Jones & Roth strives to be proactive when helping clients achieve their goals.

Jones & Roth is committed to hiring the "best and the brightest", which provides clients with responsive, attentive professionals who combine experience and creativity to deliver insightful financial accounting and business consulting.  This practice allows them to build personal relationships with clients, which makes their services much more effective and beneficial.  The company specializes in health care and construction clients, both sectors which have been growing rapidly in the Central Oregon area. 

The company encourages their employees to serve their community and their profession, as well as the firm and their career needs.  The firm has been an EDCO member since 1996, which demonstrates the fact that they are an active partner within the community, both socially and economically. Jones & Roth employees serve on the OSU foundation, and the firm is a frequent contributor to the Cascade Music Festival, and active with in the Central Oregon Builder’s Association.  To learn more about their services, contact Jones & Roth’s Bend office at 541-382-3590 or visit their web site at www.jrcpa.com.

• Baldhead Cabinets, a recent EDCO recruit from Southern California that produces steel, modular garage enhancement and workbench storage systems, is in the process of setting up its operations in Bend. EDCO is helping the company to fill up to 15 new positions in the next two months. Available positions include entry level welders, laser operators, pressbreak operators, production assembly, powdercoating, and general laborers. Please contact Jennifer Houston at Jennifer@edforco.org or 541-388-3236 for more information.
• EDCO is working to assist Creative Metals, a key supplier to BMC Motorcycle Company, with relocation from California.  The company is securing lease space near BMC in North Brinson Business Park, and will employ 12 people in various positions in fabrication. 
• A company supplying the cycling industry is considering Prineville for relocation from British Columbia, Canada.   The company would operate sales and distribution of European-made components and occupy an approximate 10,000-12,000 sf space, creating a half-dozen new jobs.
• A recreational equipment manufacturer and retailer from the Puget Sound area is looking at Redmond for relocation of its headquarters and distribution facilities.  The company could employ up to 40 people and would occupy 30,000 to 40,000 square feet.
• As a result of our visit to the recent outdoor recreation trade show, a northern California manufacturer of wood canoes is considering Central Oregon for relocation.  We expect a site visit within the next month or two. 
• A manufacturer of products for the automotive industry is seriously considering a move from the Portland/Vancouver area to Redmond.  The company has been in business for more than 57 years, employs 20, and will occupy an manufacturing and warehouse space of approximately 30,000 sf. 
• A medial device and food company headquartered in Minnesota is looking at relocation to the Central Oregon area.  The company employs 12 people currently and is looking to expand its fabrication and warehousing operations.  Other areas being considered by this company include areas of Texas, Florida, and southern California.
• A manufacturer supplying the recreational vehicle industry is looking at possible relocation from Texas to somewhere in the tri-county area.  The owner’s interest in the area was piqued as a result of attending the recent Great North American Rally in Redmond, which was attended by more than 5912 RV’ers and vendors from all over the US and Canada.
• A southern California-based producer of safety-related products has purchased a site in Redmond and submitted plans for a 12,000 SF building to which they expect to relocate in late 2005 or early 2006.

• EDCO will be disbursing grant awards from the Opportunity Fund to several Bend manufacturers and a manufacturer from Prineville in the next week to assist with their local business expansions. To be eligible, companies must meet capital investment and job creation criteria. See above article on EDCO managing local incentives for more information on the Opportunity Fund.
• A group of local technology companies and IT professionals is working to establish a formal networking and business support group for the high tech industry. EDCO has been at the table with Opportunity Knocks and key tech business leaders to discuss the most effective means of founding such a group. Interested individuals/companies can contact Jennifer Houston of EDCO at Jennifer@edforco.org or 541-388-3236.
• SpeedProjects, an early stage company located in Bend, provides a secure project-based file sharing and Internet fax service through an intuitive web browser interface. The company is seeking business advisors, and will be an early stage company presenter at next Thursday’s PubTalk.
• Les Schwab Tires is moving forward on expanding its distribution facilities in Prineville via a new pick yard for containers.  Increasingly the company is using containers for more convenient and cost effective storage of tires awaiting distribution to the company’s 390 retail stores.  The new investment will create an additional 30 jobs over three years.