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AVERTING A HOUSING CRISIS - SIGN UP NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 13TH COWIB BREAKFAST
Keynote speaker William S. Hettinger, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Wyndham Financial Group, discusses housing market economics and why housing markets fail, workforce housing solutions that have been effective other places, the critical success factors for a housing market intervention, and things the local business, political and community leaders can do. Dr. Hettinger is the author of Living and Working in Paradise; Why Housing is Too Expensive and What Communities Can Do About It. Event sponsors include US Bank, Housing Works, Economic Development for Central Oregon, Express Personnel, and Greenstone Financial Report.
BVC'S SEPTEMBER 14TH DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS AND EARLY REGISTRATION APPROACHES
CORIL HOSTS LUNCHEON TO CELEBRATE BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPSEDCO is partnering with Central Oregon Resources for Independent Living (CORIL) for the third year in a "Celebrating Community Partnerships" luncheon at St. Charles Medical Center, Bend, on Tuesday, September 25th, at noon. Rachael Scdoris, author of No End In Sight, My Life as a Blind Iditarod Racer, is one of the featured speakers. The event will showcase how CORIL works with manufacturers and other businesses to provide light assembly, data scanning and storage, secure document destruction, mailing, business enclaves and other services performed by adults with developmental disabilities. To date, CORIL has worked with such companies as Columbia Aircraft, Window Alert, US Allegiance, Round Butte Seed, O'Keeffe's and Dust-Aid to increase their productivity and profitability while reducing defect rates. For more information about CORIL or to attend the luncheon, contact Jim Lee at 771-6184 or jiml@coril.org. NORTHWEST HPEC HOSTS "BUILDING A LEAN CULTURE: THE PEOPLE VALUE STREAM"HiDEC members take note: Northwest High Performance Enterprise Consortium (HPEC) is hosting an Executive Forum at the Nike Center in Beaverton on September 19th featuring leader Mike Hoseus. Mike springs from Lean Quality philosophy ground central - he was a corporate leader for 13 years in both HR and Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing's Georgetown, KY plant. He is a Toyota Certified Trainer in Global Problem Solving & Waste Reduction, Standardized Work and Kaizen Events. Mike is co-authoring a book entitled "Toyota Culture" with Jeff Liker (The author of The Toyota Way, The Toyota Way Fieldbook, and Toyota Talent), to be released the end of 2007. Currently, Mike is Executive Director for the Center for Quality People & Organizations (CQPO), an organization established in 1999 to share the Lean philosophy; he continues to do hiring, training, and problem solving consulting with Toyota. For the day, Mike focuses on what makes up a lean culture, how to get it and how to keep it, and the vital work of connecting product and people value streams.
KEITH MANUFACTURING LEARNING TOUR DEEMED A SUCCESS
FAST-FILLING DISNEY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE IS COMING TO BEND!
Take advantage to having the Disney Institute in your own back yard. The Disney Keys to Excellence program will be at The Riverhouse Conference Center on October 25th as part of Industry Month. Central Oregon Community College (COCC) presents the only Disney program in a Pacific Northwest city this year, along with sponsors Bank of the Cascades, Jeld-Wen Communities and BendBroadband. Registration response has been outstanding, so you'll want to book your reservation now, not only to secure a spot but to receive the early registration benefit. Register by October 8 for $349 (after October 8, $396); the program includes course materials and lunch. For more registration information, call COCC at 383-7290 or visit http://noncredit.cocc.edu/. HRACO MAKES CAREER SHOPPING DAY AN ANNUAL OCTOBER EVENT
2007 Career Shopping day in Central Oregon Committee is chaired by Heather Erickson, Edge Wireless; committee members are Sarah Leyerzaph, Edge Wireless; Ginger Dehlinger, Mid Oregon Credit Union; and Jan Swander, WorkSource Oregon Employment Department.
PUBTALK RECONVENES SEPTEMBER 13TH WITH DENNIS MURPHY OF HAYDEN HOMES
OBM ROAD TRIP! THE TOUR COMES TO CENTRAL OREGON
DELTA AIRLINES AGREES TO END 2005 TRAVEL BANK, EDCO TO REFUND BALANCES
NON COMPETE AGREEMENTS WON'T APPLY TO MOST OREGON WORKERS IN THE FUTUREEarlier in August, Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Monday signed a bill that shields most workers in the state from having to sign a noncompete agreement to get a job. The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, makes noncompetition clauses unenforceable for hourly workers in nonmanagerial posts, as well as salaried employees who make less than the median income for a family of four ( about $61,000). It also caps agreements at two years and requires written notice before an employee starts the job. Senate Bill 248 represents a compromise between Oregon Labor Commissioner Dan Gardner and businesses that use them to keep employees from taking trade secrets or client lists to a competitor. Certain employers and interest groups -- including Nike and the high-tech, insurance and broadcast industries lobbied for and received exceptions. COBA AND 3ESTRATEGIES TEAM FOR A DEEPER SHADE OF GREENIn August, 3E Strategies and Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA) announced their efforts to promote Green Building have merged and COBA has acquired the Building Green Council of Central Oregon from 3ESTRATEGIES. The Building Green Council of Central Oregon's purpose is to "help people design, build and renovate homes and commercial buildings that are high quality, efficient and healthy." 3E and COBA believe there are significant benefits to merging the existing Building Green Council of Central Oregon with COBA's green building council efforts. 3E will assist the ongoing development of the Building Green Council program as well as carry out separate supplemental activities that forward their goal of making green building the norm in Central Oregon and beyond. BEND'S PERSONAL INCOME GROWTH RANKS AMONG TOP OF ALL US METROSIn data released in August by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bend ranked #11 among the nation's 363 metropolitan areas for year-over-year growth in personal income. Between 2005 and 2006 personal income (defined as the sum of income from production, government and business transfer payments, property income and other investments, and government interest) grew by 10.2%. Bend would have ranked #7 if not for four Louisiana metros which experienced huge drops in personal income in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina. Two other cities in the western U.S. were in the top 10: St. George, UT and Casper, WY. Personal income growth rankings for other Oregon cities were: Portland, #42; Salem, #49; Eugene-Springfield, #55; Medford, #56; and Corvallis, #60. Noted in the same analysis, Bend's per capita income increased over the same period by 4.4%, which placed it in the top third of all U.S. cities. To see all the numbers, visit these BEA reports: Metro Area Growth Rates and Personal Income Report. NEW MEMBERSBronze Level Plus Property Management Individual Level Peter May, Compass Commercial Properties RENEWING MEMBERSEDCO would like to thank these renewing members, many of long-standing. We appreciate your investment and our success very much depends on your ongoing investment in our efforts to build a strong and vibrant regional economy.
PRINEVILLE BUILDS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR FUTUREThe City of Prineville is poised to make major inroads as future growth creates greater demand on city services. Besides hiring a new senior planner, and Engineer, City Manager Robb Corbett recently hired Ricky Sites, of Madras, as Prineville's new Community Development Director. She replaces Michael Cerbone, who resigned in 2005. Sites brings a wealth of experience in project management; she has worked as a consultant to Seatac International Airport, served at many hospitals and was a partner in a construction firm. She also holds the honor of being the first woman in the United States to be certified as a building inspector. "I'm very excited about the opportunity to work in Prineville," said Sites. "There are a lot of challenges facing the city because of the rapid growth, and my goal is to make sure the city handles those challenges well." A population boom in recent years is putting a strain on the city's infrastructure, which now requires more time and attention, says Corbett. "I think Sites' experience will help our staff get ahead of the growth curve. What I like about her background is that she comes from the private sector, so she understands what it's like dealing with government from that perspective." As Community Development Director, Sites will oversee planning and public works, helping to streamline city services, and make sure the city communicates better with the public. SETBACK FOR PRINEVILLE RAILROADThe Prineville City Railroad was dealt a significant blow this month. The Louisiana Pacific Lumber Mill in Burns announced that it's shutting down, effective October 18th. The mill transports a significant amount of lumber using the Prineville Railroad. That equates to about 60% of the railroad's business, says manager Dan Lovelady. Ever since the timber industry took a dive in the mid 1990's, the railroad has been losing money, but is working diligently to find new ways to pick up rail service and get back to profitability. One bright spot may be a company called Fontana Wood Products, a Redmond secondary wood products company which plans to relocate its operations to Prineville. "Fontana's business would help us replace what we'll be losing from the LP mill, but in the meantime, I'll have to look at some cost-cutting measures." Noted Lovelady. GET READY FOR NOVEMBER -- OSU PRESENTS TWO ENTREPRENEURIAL DAYS
RESOURCE FOR FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERSMost people are surprised to learn that there are good quality homes available in Central Oregon at affordable prices. Kyle Frick, VP Marketing & Sales for Mid Oregon Credit Union, advised EDCO of a website focusing on housing affordability and helping Central Oregon's first time homebuyers. Check it out at: www.centraloregonfirsttimehomebuyer.com PENDING RECRUITMENT, RETENTION & EXPANSION PROJECTSEarlier this year, eCon Update elected to update this column on a bi-monthly basis as opposed to monthly. Those who work in the business development field, and certainly the economic development arena, understand that most projects take many months -- or more typically years -- to come together. Look for the next update in our October newsletter. FEEDBACKWe love your comments about this electronic newsletter and ways to improve it. Just fire back a response. Thanks for your support and interest - we strive to make your contributions work hard to strengthen and diversify Central Oregon's economy! |
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Painting and packing boxes a thing of the past, EDCO staffers are happy to be in their new home at 109 NW Greenwood Ave., Suite 102 in downtown Bend. Depending on what's a meaningful reference point, we tell folks our new offices can be found: 1) across the street from Old Towne Pizza 2) directly behind the Specialty Cigar shop in the new red brick building, or 3) at the SW intersection of Greenwood and Hill. Take your pick! But feel free to drop in any time. We're hosting a Chamber After Hours Social Wednesday, September 26th, 5:00 - 7:00, so mark your calendar now to attend for refreshments and hors d'oeuvres, along with door prizes and just a little bit of "ED" (economic development) speak. 
Just three years from inception, Industry Week has grown to Industry Month, thanks to many partners and the support and enthusiasm of Central Oregon's business community. The month long forum recognizes and celebrates contributions of the tri-county area's traded-sector employers, often the unsung heroes of our local economy. Events provide meaningful workshops and conferences designed to address prominent issues facing these companies and business in general. The lineup of events is below; see 
Affordability of housing for workers has become a critical challenge in Central Oregon. According to a recent survey of Central Oregon businesses conducted by the Central Oregon Workforce Investment Board (COWIB), the shortage of housing affordable to workers was identified as the most significant workforce recruitment and retention challenge -- double the responses of the next highest response. COWIB's second annual Workforce Forecast Breakfast event will explore what other high-growth communities are doing to address this challenge. This event sold out last year and is well over half full now, so reserve today. 
Bend Venture Conference's (BVC) deadline for company applications is quickly approaching. All aspiring entrepreneurs seeking the investment fund worth at least $100,000 need to submit their applications by September 14. The BVC selection committee will choose the highest qualified applicants to present in front of an expected audience of over 300 investors, executives and entrepreneurs at this year's event. New this year, conference attendees will vote a fifth company to present at this year's event. Attendees will watch up to ten non-finalists deliver minute-long presentations, then vote for their favorite. The voter's choice will join the finalists and present to the expert panel. Attendees can register by September 14 and save $50. The early registration fee is $149, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and a post-conference networking reception. Guy Kawasaki, Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures and former Apple Fellow, will be this year's keynote speaker. Attendees will have ample opportunity to make contacts with new prospects, visit with current clients and learn more about the emerging early stage company environment in Central Oregon. Learn more and register online at 
In yet another insightful continuous improvement session, The High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC) held its third learning tour at Keith Manufacturing in Madras on August 28th. Forty two attendees from eight Central Oregon companies broke into five different groups to focus on inventory control, changing culture, visual control implementation, lean accounting, and handling mixed products in one production line. The groups toured the Keith facility, discussed improvement options related to their breakout groups, and reported their findings to the full group. Now the Keith team, from management to workers, will decide which recommendations will be implemented as part of their continuous improvement process. Mark Foster, President, said “the learning tour opened our eyes in several key areas such as improving our communication throughout our company using internal Keith learning tours, how cycle counts might be applied both to quantities as well as a cost basis, instituting our metrics more narrowly to the factory floor and laying out a plan for analyzing why product mix is affecting on time delivery. It was a very beneficial event for Keith Manufacturing. We would like to thank HiDEC member companies for participating.” 
You may wonder, "What can my business learn from and entertainment and resort company about leadership?" Consider that the heart of Disney's success - from is creative entertainment products to being one of the world's most enduring brands - is a study in gifted leadership. According to Bruce Jones, Programming Director for the Disney Institute, "Every year, thousands of business professionals from around the world turn to Disney Institute to discover the business behind the magic, Disney business philosophies and best practices that can be adapted for their organization." 
Career Shopping Day is a great way to help with your recruiting efforts and promote your businesses to a pool of highly qualified candidates! Highly rated by potential job seekers and participating companies, Human Resources Association of Central Oregon (HRACO) plans to make Career Shopping Day an annual event. Timing shifts from September to October but stays on a Saturday, which HRACO believes was critical to the strong candidate turnout. A $1,500 sponsorship buys a high profile booth location, plus company name and logo prominently displayed on the HRACO web site, included in newspaper ads, promotional posters, and in all radio spots. 
September kicks off next season's PubTalk series. Mark your calendar for Thursday, September 13th, 5:00 - 7:30, at McMenamins to hear Dennis Murphy, President of Hayden Homes who will share insights about his company's unique culture and giving trust, growth strategies and "lessons learned" from the many cycles of real estate development. With sales over $1 million, early stage presenter Evo has already successfully gained traction in the specialty cookware market and looks to expand into the commercial market with their line of demonstration grills. 
Oregon Business Magazine's traveling roadshow comes to Central Oregon September 18th and 19th as part of the publication's 18-day Business is Good Tour! through the state. The tour is designed to promote business and innovation and to better connect leaders and communities. First regional stop is Prineville, where local business present industry innovations and civic leaders about how they're preparing for future growth. Next stop is a Bend breakfast where leaders get the opportunity to talk what makes Central Oregon a vibrant place to do business. More information about the tour can be found at 
EDCO received official notification from Delta agreeing to terminate the Airline Travel Bank (ATB) established in early 2005 to support new service to Salt Lake. "By any standard, Redmond's support program for Delta's Salt Lake service has been a success for Delta and Central Oregon," noted Chris Higgins, Team Leader for Delta. Load factors on flights to and from Salt Lake have been running at high levels since the service started in March 2005. EDCO played a lead role in partnership with the Redmond Airport, Central Oregon Visitors Association, and numerous organizations part of the Central Oregon Air Service Task Force (COAST) to attract the service, which paved the way to additional direct flights to Los Angeles, Eugene, Los Vegas and Denver on other carriers. EDCO has been lobbying to end the program since Delta emerged from bankruptcy earlier this year so that we can refund companies that did not fully expend their deposits. Use of travel bank cards has been very light the past two quarters, and of the original 120 participating companies who paid in $620,000, 79 still have balances on their ATB cards, many of which amount to a few dollars and in aggregate total only $18,952.00. Once EDCO receives payment from the ATB card issuing company, Columbus Bank & Trust, checks will be sent to participants with balances in excess of $100, which represents about 44 companies. For more information, contact 
Arriving in Central Oregon just over three years ago, Plus Property Management has grown dramatically and now manages over 600 "doors" in the region. The company has expanded to eight staff members who manage over fifty properties to mostly residential tenants. Due to the significant growth in communities outside of Bend, they will be adding an office at 1005 Glacier in Redmond by the end of September. General Manager Dave Ulrickson moved to Central Oregon last February, but with the help of EDCO's website studied the real estate and economic climate in Central Oregon long before that. When asked about whether investment property owners were local or from out of town, Ulrickson responded "it's about a 50-50 split." He says he'll be working on receiving his CCIM licensing so the company can further expand into the commercial property market, but says it will take awhile to fulfill the current demand for residential management. To see what's available or to learn more about Plus Property Management, visit their website at 
The latest team member of Compass Commercial, Peter May is embarking on a career as a Business Broker. May has teamed with Brody Mape and together, Compass now serves clients looking to sell or buy privately held companies in Central Oregon. Peter has extensive experience with business sales in the high tech marketplace. As founding partner of SensorTrek and another small company, he understands the nuances and challenges of negotiating company sales, both as an entrepreneur and broker. Peter earned his MBA from Colorado State University and has been a Central Oregon resident since 1995. He has taught at COCC and was also a past speaker at EDCO's PubTalk series. To get in touch with Peter May, contact him at 383-2444 or via email at 
OSU hosts an extraordinary 2-day entrepreneurship seminar series, open to the public, on November 6th and 7th. First up, on November 6th, Dr. David Audretsch, one of the world's leading experts on entrepreneurship, addresses a public audience on his new Oxford book "The Entrepreneurial Society." An award-winning economist, Audretsch presents a positive, proactive response to globalization "where change is the rule and routine work is inevitably outsourced." Released just a month ago, The Entrepreneurial Society is expected to have the same impact as Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" and OSU tells us from experience Audretsch is a phenomenal speaker. Learn more at: 
The following day, November 7th, Julie Ann Elston, Ph.D., an assistant professor of International Business at Oregon State University Cascades (OSU) presents findings on "Financing Entrepreneurship." Dr. Elston teaches international business, finance, corporate finance, and global marketing at OSU and has consulted with many international governmental agencies including Deutsche Bundesbank (German Central Bank) and the National Academies of Science Board on Science, Technology, and Economic Policy in Washington DC. Her research is being funded by a grant from the Ewing Kauffman Foundation, which focuses on advancing entrepreneurship and improving the education of children and youth. For more information, visit: 