Expansion Case Study: Earth2O
The Industry
Beverage manufacturing, distribution
The Company
Based in the Jefferson County town of Culver, privately-owned Earth2O is a major manufacturer, distributor and retailer of bottled water throughout the Pacific Northwest.
The Situation / Requirements
Earth2O is located in Culver, at the source of their natural spring water from the Crooked River's Opal Springs, which purifies the water for decades as it flows through miles of Central Oregon lava. Steve Emery, Earth2O’s CEO and President, recognized the company needed additional capacity to meet growing demand and wanted to improve their manufacturing process by combining widely separated bottling and distribution facilities. The quandary was that the company needed to remain close to its legendary water source.
The Solution
When Seaswirl vacated its Culver plant in early 2007, EDCO saw an opportunity for Earth2O to expand and simultaneously implement an improved manufacturing process. EDCO facilitated connections with numerous incentive programs and business financing solutions, allowing Earth2O to renovate the old boat facility, add additional equipment for current and future capacity, and bring shipping operations together with manufacturing. EDCO also helped with workforce training grants. Through their participation in OMEP, the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Earth2O adopted lean manufacturing principles to compliment their manufacturing process improvements. Earth2O is now the largest private employer in Culver.