Outside magazine names G5 Search Marketing and Ruff Wear to 50 “Best Places to Work” list in the U.S.
Snag the May issue of Outside Magazine (available on newsstands April 20) to check out its third annual “Best Places to Work” list. Outside partners with the Outdoor Industry Association and Best Companies Group to find the ultimate work environment. The process involves a year-long selection search to identify the best for-profit and non profit organizations with 15+ employees, then participating companies are sent confidential employee-satisfaction surveys and employer-questionnaires about company policies. Of the 50 selected, Ruffwear ranked No. 41 and G5 No. 42. “We value our employees,” said Dan Hobin, CEO of G5. “Lifestyle balance is a strategy that works for personal growth and business success.”
State award highlights business talent and entrepreneurship in Central Oregon
Steve Emery, President and CEO of Culver-based Earth20, was selected by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) as the 2010 Oregon State Small Business Person of the Year. Karen Mills, Administrator of the SBA in Washington D.C. applauded Emery’s hard work, innovative ideas, and dedication to community. This is the second year that a Central Oregonian has captured the title – 2009’s winner was Tara O’Keeffe, owner of Working Hands Crème based in Sisters.
| Business news in Central Oregon |
Bend Enterprise Zone application filed
The application for the Bend Enterprise Zone was mailed to the state offices on March 31. Approval of the application should be complete in about a month and if approved, the zone will become functional on July 1st, 2010. As a key sponsor of the zone, the City of Bend was unanimous in their support, as was Deschutes County. In our communications and public meetings with special taxing districts, none opposed the effort, and one provided a letter of support. EDCO received several letters of support from Bend-based companies that will hopefully help the non-statistical formula portion of the application. City of Bend staff, specifically Colleen Miller with the GIS Department, were a huge help in preparing the application.
“Crazy” Pete Newport is a bookworm! Who knew?
Due to a wildly successful keynote address at last month’s PubTalk from “Crazy” Pete Newport, CEO of Breedlove Guitars, we’ve attached his much requested list of suggested reading. Click here for Crazy Pete's Recommended Reading.
Would you like to reserve copies of EDCO’s Profiles?
We’ll have printed copies of our annual Profile publications available for purchase the last week of April. EDCO members receive a discounted price of $0.50 each from the regular (non member) price of $1.00 each. Four publications are Central Oregon Area Profile (which covers all three Central Oregon counties) plus Redmond Profile, Prineville/Crook County Profile, and Madras/Jefferson County Profile. We expect to publish a profile of La Pine later in the year. Give us a call at 541-388-3236 if you’d like to reserve copies.
Facebook hires manager for Prineville Data Center
Ken Patchett met with Prineville and Crook County leaders recently to talk up his desire to make Facebook an important community partner. Facebook announced on March 31st that Patchett would be the data center’s general manager, overseeing operations and hiring employees later this year. Patchett recently managed the Google data center in The Dalles and has experience working with other tech companies including Microsoft, MSN, and Compaq.
TechSpaceBend filling up rapidly, good vibe
At last count, TechSpaceBend, located at the Old Cigar Building in downtown Bend, was filling up rapidly. In fact, all but one of the 8 desk spaces are rented; there are still two offices and flexible café seating available. The incubator project, championed by the Tech Alliance of Central Oregon and BendTech, is in partnership with The Old Cigar Building and EDCO, is designed to create affordable space for business startups and a “hub” for the region’s thriving tech community. Last Friday, TechSpace participated in the Art Hop with cool art, a DJ, and beer. Check out the space at 906 Harriman between Greenwood and Irving.
Envirotech boosts business for Prineville Freight Depot
Millions of dollars in Connect Oregon grant funds are paying off for the Prineville Freight Depot. Colorado-based Envirotech, which manufactures and processes Magnesium Chloride, more commonly known as de-icer, is expanding operations into Oregon. Company leaders specifically chose Prineville because of the access to shipping and storage available at the Freight Depot, which will significantly boost business for the railroad. Construction is underway, and the company plans to hire 3-5 employees to start, with future expansion plans.
Madras Campus of COCC moving forward
While the federal Economic Development Agency (EDA) declined funding a grant request for the Madras Campus (or any other community college projects in the region), the community galvanized together in this effort and has made the community college the #1 priority project in Jefferson County. The recently approved COCC bond measure will launch construction of a 8,500 sf building on 15 acres, but the county's educational committee will continue to look for other funding sources to expand the campus in the near term.
Venture Catalyst to focus on capital-ready companies in four key sectors
Scott Larson started in the newly created Venture Catalyst position on January 4th. A Seattle native, Larson founded the successful investment group Vashon Partners, which specializes in bringing innovative ideas to market. (More than half of Vashon Partners’ 20 investments have yielded a 2 times return or better since its foundation ten years ago.) Since January, Larson has met with over 100 startup and early stage companies, reviewing business plans and asessing company prospects. Beginning in April, his goal is to select 15 to 20 companies within four targeted sectors to promote Central Oregon’s entrepreneurial activity. The targeted sectors include the following:
- IT/Software
- Renewable Energy/Clean Tech
- Medical Technologies
- Aviation
That the region has so many companies, Larson says, is a testament to Central Oregon’s abundant talent and entrepreneurial spirit. While focusing on the most promising companies, Larson says he expects to continue to support companies on a case-per-case basis, according to the viability and staging of each early stage company.
2010 Bend Venture Conference (BVC) is taking shape, seeks sponsors
Preparations for the 2010 Bend Venture Conference (BVC) in October are in full swing. Several Title Sponsor, Presenting Sponsor and Supporting Sponsor placements have already been filled. Only a few sponsorship opportunities remain. If your company is interested in a sponsorship opportunity at BVC, contact Dayna Dudkowski or Scott Larson. All companies that are interested in submitting to present at the 2010 Bend Venture Conference should contact Scott. Additional information about the submission process will be available on the EDCO website over the next few weeks.
Jefferson County gets serious about renewable energy
EDCO's Jefferson County manager Wayne Pearson and Jefferson County’s Planning Director have initiated a solar task force (SoFTAC) to tackle the many issues related to utilizing non-irrigated, rangeland for potential utility-grade solar farms. The first meeting was March 30th with participation from regional county planners, developers, legal firms, state land use, state energy, state business development, legislative, environmental, wildlife, and tribal and education research stakeholders. As part of this initiative, Oregon Business has authorized the application from Jefferson County as a Rural Renewable Energy Development Zone (RREDZ) which provides property tax abatement for renewable energy equipment much like the normal enterprise zone.
COCC seeks regional business and industry input for Tech Center curriculum
Carol Moorehead, Dean of Continuing Education and Extended Learning for Central Oregon Community College, has been working with Redmond Economic Development and EDCO in the creation of an advisory group of regional primary employers to assist the college with curriculum development for the future Technology Center in Redmond. Looking to identify course offerings by summer’s end, Moorehead shared, “We look forward to working with EDCO’s industry focus groups to help establish appropriate direction for program development for the Technology Center.” With construction scheduled to begin summer 2011, sustainability training, CAD and visual graphic arts, and aviation maintenance have been discussed as potential offerings at the new center; the college continues to explore these and other possibilities for training.
| Economic development policy issues |
Oregon’s business tax competitiveness vis-à-vis other states
Measures 66 and 67, passed largely by Oregon’s metro residents in November, have stirred up a new debate about competitiveness of the state’s business climate. EDCO is seeing the impacts of the new gross receipts tax and steeper rates for high income residents - several leads have dropped the Central Oregon region from consideration in favor of locations in Washington, Idaho and Nevada. We also know of a few Oregon firms that are moving their headquarters out of state, while many S-corporations are working with their attorneys to reorganize.
So what is the net effect of these new tax measures? Will it cause a mass exodus of companies or is the impact negligible in the bigger picture? Perhaps the most accurate answer is: it’s too early to tell. Thus far, however, EDCO has not heard from any companies praising Oregon for keeping state programs and spending intact.
Historically, Oregon has competed well in state-to-state comparisons, ranking somewhere in the top quartile (least tax) in most national studies. The most recent comparison, FY 2009 Business Tax Burden Study was just released by the Council on State Taxation (COST) with research by Ernst & Young. For one of the key measures, the ratio of business taxes to government spending benefiting business, only two states – Maryland and Nevada – had lower ratios than Oregon. Other respected studies include The Milken Institute’s Cost of Doing Business Index and The Tax Foundation’s State Business Climate Index. The most recent update to the Milken study was 2007, where Oregon ranked in the middle of the pack at #29. The Tax Foundation’s report is more current, released in Sept. 2009 for the 2010 fiscal year, where Oregon was ranked #14. Obviously, none of the studies noted use Oregon’s new tax measures and fee increases and all use their own, unique methodology.
While these studies are useful for policy makers and economic development professionals, often company decision makers are unaware of the findings. Rather, business owners live and react in the real-time environment of the marketplace. If the changes are painful enough, they do react and make adjustments. Most business owners monitor, consciously or not, the taxation climate from their own perspective and in the context of their own enterprises. Too often what policy makers forget is that these same business owners keep their options open for expanding or moving to a place that allows them best to survive, grow and prosper. Most of those business operation decisions are made quietly, without great fanfare, and are thereby a missing indicator for public leaders to measure the effectiveness of their decisions.
Mon Apr 26 though Wed May 13 series – OSU-Cascades hosts Restart College Nights
Come learn about OSU-Cascades’ accredited degree programs in 11 academic majors, with more than 20 program options to explore. In most cases, you can apply credits you’ve already earned at a community college or another university. Or, take advantage of OSU-Cascades’ partnership with COCC to complete lower division courses. Call 541-322-3100 for more information or go to www.OSUcascades.edu/restartcollege.
Mon Apr 26 – Sisters Public Library
Tues Apr 27 – Jefferson County Library
Tues May 4 – Bend Public Library
Wed May 5 – La Pine Public Library
Thurs May 6 – Crook County Library
Tues May 11 – Redmond Public Library
Wed May 13 – Warm Springs Education Building
Wed Apr 7 & Apr 27 – Gubernatorial candidate forums available locally
Take advantage of local webstreaming of forums featuring the leading candidates for both the Democratic and Republican gubernatorial nominations. The two companion events take place in Portland and are presented by the Software Association of Oregon, Oregon Business Association, Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and Portland Business Alliance. Central Oregon’s own Tech Alliance, with the support of Deschutes County, is making the opportunity to participate locally available. There’s no cost to attend locally but room capacity is 40, so please RSVP by clicking on the links below.
Democratic Primary Candidates
Bill Bradbury and John Kitzhaber
Wednesday April 7, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Republican Primary Candidates
Allen Alley and Chris Dudley
Wednesday April 27, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Event Details (both forums)
Deschutes Services Building
1300 NW Wall, Bend
DeArmond Room (1st floor)
Program Schedule (both forums)
4:00 Check-in and networking
4:20 Welcome and introductions
4:30 Forum begins - candidate introductions, panel questions, audience questions
5:40 Candidates' closing remarks
Thurs Apr 8 - Beyond the courtroom: the role of local judges and why your vote matters
City Club of Central Oregon in partnership with Karnopp Petersen, LLP will present an open forum Beyond the Courtroom: A Discussion About the Role of Local Judges and Why Your Vote Matters. The forum hosts the Honorable Judge David Brewer, Chief Judge, Oregon Court of Appeals, and Wells Ashby and Thomas Hill, the two candidates for Deschutes County Circuit Court position 6. An interactive forum will foster a discussion about the significant role of local judges in our legal system and why your informed vote is so important. The program at the Oxford Hotel will begin at 4:30 and conclude by 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served along with a no-host bar. There is no charge to attend the event; however an RSVP is requested to assist with event preparation. Please RSVP to Robyn Sharp or call 541-633-7163 to register.
Fri Apr 9 - Join the kick-off party for the 2010 JELD-WEN Tradition at the Tower Theatre
Grab your colleagues and enjoy this free Friday evening event which supports the 2010 Masters Tournament at Crosswater and Central Oregon youth-oriented charities. You can play golf-related games, enjoy the 2nd round of last year’s Tournament on the big screen, and enter a drawing to win an Honorary Observer spot at the August event by purchasing 2010 tickets in advance. 4:30 – 8:30 pm at the Tower Theatre. Visit www.jeldwentradition.com for more information.
Tues Apr 13 - HiDEC offers two simultaneous on-the-floor learning events
HiDEC is conducting two day long kaizen events for work flow improvement. Contact Eric Strobel or call 541-388-3236 to reserve a spot. The events are 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and lunch is served; cost is $20 for HiDEC members and $100 for nonmembers.
- VocalBooth headquarters – led by Klee Kee of Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership (OMEP), is manufacturing- and production-oriented.
- RuffWear warehouse – led by Dave Slavensky of Structus Building Technologies, is distribution- and shipping-oriented.
Thurs Apr 15 – Central Oregon PubTalk
Join us for another enlightening PubTalk. Keynote speaker, Bill Montgomery is winding down a long time career with the CORUM Group, an international software and information technologies M&A company. Montgomery has been providing valuations for the company on dozens of software and tech companies, the world over. He will discuss the current trends in the industry, how to prepare a company for exit years in advance and how to strategically choose the perfect buyer for their clients.
Our early stage company is The Where to Eat Guide and Associates (WTEGA), LLC, and The Eat Guide (TEG), LLC, started by owner and publisher John Herbik in 2005. After a very successful start in Bend/Central Oregon in 2005, WTEG has already expanded into Portland, the Rogue Valley, NapaSonoma, Boise, and Maui. This expansion of the publication and website, aimed at compelling visitors to patronize local restaurants, is the result of a strategic, targeted growth plan. The Where to Eat Guide is looking for the right investor to purchase 15% of the business for $260,000. This sum would be re-invested directly into business operations in order to reach the next plateau of growth.
- When: Thursday, April 15th
- Where: McMenamins St. Francis, Father Luke’s Room
- Networking from 5:00 – 6:00 pm | Program from 6:00 - 7:30 pm
- Cost: $15 for EDCO/OEN Members | $25 for Non- Members. Includes drink coupon and appetizers
Tues Apr 20 – Town Hall meeting focuses on post-secondary education in Jefferson County
Senate Bill 442 has directed universities and community colleges to convene town hall meetings to find ways to remove barriers and increase enrollment and success for rural residents in post-secondary education. The Joint Boards of Education have scheduled two Town Hall meetings in Madras, April 20th. One will be at the Inn at Cross Keys at noon. A second will be at the Madras High School Commons at 6:30 pm. All concerned residents and business and government leaders are encouraged to participate.
Thurs Apr 22 – Redmond hosts 12th Annual Central Oregon Business Expo
Sign up today to attend the region’s premier business-to-business networking event from 1:00 to 6:00 pm, put on by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce & CVB at the Deschutes County Expo Center. The expo allows companies to showcase their products and services and plug into the business community via workshops, events and networking. The applications for booth space are available online. Keynote speaker Linda Navarro, President and CEO of the Oregon Bankers Association, will speak at a luncheon (11:45 am to 1:00 pm), presenting "How Did We Get Here and Where Do We Go?" Cost is $15 per person and RSVPs are required. You can also catch Roger Lee, Executive Director of Economic Development for Central Oregon, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in a breakout workshop looking at the region’s economy.
We’d like to thank the members - new and renewing alike - who fund EDCO’s efforts to recruit new companies to the region and help local companies grow their operations.
New members
Foreterra - Silver
Foreterra LLC is a professional real estate services firm. They will help to maximize the future cash flow generated by your real estate – that is, to maximize the value of your property. For more info, www.foreterra.com
Westberg Consulting - Bronze
Steve Westberg offers interim, project based or part-time services ranging from CEO, COO to CFO crisis management for a variety of firms. Westberg is a CPA with twenty years of experience in Organizational Strategy, Financial Operations, Change Management and Process and Business Improvement. For more info contact www.westbergconsulting.net or email Steve.
The Pine Theater - Bronze
After a 25 year hiatus, Prineville’s The Pine Theater has been historically remodeled by the Mehrabi Family. Stop by for a $6 first run movie or rent the theater for a private function, during non-show times at 216 N Main Street. Visit http://www.pinetheater.com for more info.
Renewing Members
Platinum Level: US Bank (1998)
Bronze Level: Pinnacle Architecture (2007), Shackelford & Hansen LLC (2005), Three Sisters Business Park (2005)
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