On October 24th, at a gala event held at Seventh Mountain Resort, EDCO hosted its fourth Annual Awards. The awards are designed to recognize Central Oregon’s traded-sector employers who have created new jobs, investment, and partnership for the betterment of the region. EDCO expanded its annual awards from two to six this year to better recognize the depth and breadth of talent in Central Oregon. In a light-hearted evening entitled “Tonight the Business is Fun,” we shed our characteristically serious demeanor for fun, food, and a roast of all the things that make Central Oregon the special place it is. This year six outstanding contributors in the following categories were honored:
Central Oregon Product of the Year
Breedlove Guitar Company - Peter Newport
Breedlove Guitar Company was awarded Central Oregon Product of the Year for their creation of custom and production high quality guitars and mandolins that carry a lifetime unconditional guarantee. The company’s products are made of the finest raw materials, including unique and rare tonewoods, and finished by teams of some of the finest craftsmen in the country. Breedlove's customers include top recording artists in pop, rock, country, bluegrass and folk music. Because of the company's strategic development of business at both the national and international level, 98% of revenues come from sales outside Oregon, making it a model exporter and traded-sector employer.
Central Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year
PV Powered - Roger Laubacher, Erick Petersen, and Steve Hummel
PV Powered was selected as EDCO's Central Oregon Entrepreneur of 2007 based on their vision and success in spurring widespread adoption of solar power. Founded in Bend in 2003, in only four short years PV Powered has become a global leader in its niche industry and is the only U.S. manufacturer of its kind. The top pick of the 2004 Bend Venture Conference, the company attracted angel investment and has steadily amassed a team of experienced experts from many different industries - semiconductors, flat panel displays, printers, electronics, and alternative energy, growing from a handful of employees in 2003 to nearly 50 today. The company’s niche in this growing market is in the design, manufacture, and marketing of the solar power industry's most efficient photovoltaic solar inverter solutions.
Outstanding Partnership in Economic Development
Project: Bond/Wilson Roundabout at the Old Mill District
Mary Campbell, River Bend Partners; Eric Gerding, Gerding Edlen; and Nick Arnis, City of Bend Transportation
The partnership that built the roundabout at the intersection of Bond and Wilson in Bend includes the River Bend Limited Partnership (RBLP); Gerding Edlen; the City of Bend; the 500 Bond project; the Trono Group, LLC; and the Oregon Dental System (ODS)/Western Title project. Participants recognized that to move forward on several critical development projects, the roundabout needed to be privately funded and fast tracked. The entire project spanned less than 9 months and was built at no taxpayer cost.
Manufacturing Excellence
Structus Building Technologies - Bill Scannell and Dave Slavensky
Structus Building Technologies has embraced the three key criteria for the Manufacturing Excellence award -- process excellence, product innovation, and a culture that supports continuous improvement. The company has been very open in sharing what has worked for them in adopting Lean manufacturing principles and has been an evangelist in encouraging companies in other sectors to adopt a continuous improvement culture. Structus has also demonstrated active leadership in the creation of the High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC) in its first year.
Private Sector Person of the Year
Wayne Purcell, The Riverhouse Convention Center
Criteria for the Private Sector Person of the Year includes outstanding leadership qualities, initiative in getting others to take action, and concern for Central Oregon and its future. Wayne Purcell received the award for 2007 for the expansion of The Riverhouse Convention Center, which now houses the largest single meeting room east of the Cascades. The convention center's new capacity now allows Central Oregon to host conventions of significant size, whose attendance have a positive ripple effect on area businesses. Unlike most convention center development today, The Riverhouse project was entirely privately financed with no public financial liability for either construction or operation of the facility.
Public Sector Person of the Year
Judge Scott Cooper, Crook County
Judge Scott Cooper exemplifies the qualities sought in Public Sector Person of the Year, with the leadership he has exhibited in Crook County as well as his efforts on behalf of the Central Oregon region as a whole. Judge Cooper is well known for his incredible work ethic, tenacity, and prolific writing. Judge Cooper has served in both public and private non-profit organizations, including regional representation on Connect Oregon, which brought funding for expansion of the Redmond Airport, a reloading facility in Prineville, and a new bus barn for Bend's newly launched transit system. He was also instrumental in creating a new partnership between Central Oregon Community Investment Board (COCIB) and EDCO, resulting in the Business Development Opportunity Fund, which has been widely used to recruit new companies to the region and to help existing companies expand operations. Creation of the Prineville/Crook County Economic Development Program would not have been possible without Judge Cooper, who was a strong advocate for the position, helped create the program’s goals, and took part in fundraising efforts.
For more information, contact Ruth Lindley, Marketing Manager, EDCO
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