The Situation/Requirements
PV Powered was expanding rapidly to meet market demand, expanding from employment of 12 in 2004 to just over 50 in 2008. The company had a multitude of needs including workforce training, production efficiency improvements, larger manufacturing and office facilities, and capital for growth and additional R&D. Vacant light industrial buildings with adequate power infrastructure needed for the development and certification testing of the company’s products were few and far between. This constraint, along with other market pressures were also causing the company to consider options outside of Bend as it expanded to meet a market estimated to grow at 30 to 40% annually for the next two decades.
The Solution
EDCO started by helping connect the company to readily available expertise and resources to reorganize production space according to Lean manufacturing principles. 
This effort bought time (about 12 months) by freeing up space in the existing facility through better utilization. We then helped to secure two economic development grants and one workforce grant to assist with the company’s training and short term capital needs. Along the way, EDCO worked closely with company leaders on two different locations in Bend. In the end, a 100,000 sf former wood products plant was secured that will allow for manufacturing expansion well into future for PV Powered, and also provide the opportunity for other companies in the industry, including suppliers to PV to locate adjacent to the facility on vacant land. The company has a vision for turning this area into a photo voltaic research and development center, attracting new suppliers, partners and jobs to Central Oregon.
The Outcome
In October 2007, PV Powered was awarded the Central Oregon Product of the Year, was a finalist for the 2008 Oregon Top Development Stage Company of the Year, and was visited by President Obama during his campaign tour in May 2008, where he called the company’s accomplishments “a workshop for the future”.