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For this month’s member highlight, we take a look at Kinsman Construction. No stranger to development, Kinsman Construction has been active for over 35 years, and during that time has worked on over 500 design-build construction projects, spanning many sectors (Agricultural, Commercial, Government, Food Processing, Industrial, Mining, Municipal and Residential)! This has allowed the contractor to acquire specialized knowledge and experience that is critical for properly addressing the complex needs of development projects. The company’s services include building and site design, engineering, concrete foundations, concrete slab on grade and slab on deck, pre-engineered steel buildings (metal buildings), pole barns, and conventional framed buildings.
Over the years, Kinsman Construction has garnered a strong reputation, proving that they are capable of managing project risks effectively through using consistent planning, oversight, and mitigation strategies which help ensure construction work is completed timely. Additionally, the numerous projects they have completed in Klamath County have given them a keen understanding of building codes, regulations, and permitting needs that are unique to the region, helping ensure projects remain on track and in compliance with local requirements.
To learn more about Kinsman Construction, please click here.
This article was published on March 29th, 2024 in the Herald and News
Written By: Zak Keeney 
After three weeks in their new location, Brevada Brewhouse patrons and staff are loving it.
“It’s the same great people doing the same great things; nothing has changed but the place,” long-time Brevada Brewhouse customer Ben Johnson said.
Opening at their new location on March 9, co-owner David Murphy said the biggest worry about the move was whether he and partner Seth Gretz and their staff could maintain the same atmosphere and energy that was experienced at the original location.
“So many of our customers loved our old spot and there were concerns if we’d be able to remain the same Brevada,” Murphy said. “So far, feedback has been amazing and the move has been amazing. I personally think we’re better now.”
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This article was published in the March 21st, 2024 edition of the Herald and News
Nine teams are competing in this year’s Oregon Tech Catalyze Challenge.
The challenge has awarded $100,000 in prize money and services since it began in 2015. The competition continues this year with a prize pool of $18,000.
The Catalyze Challenge is a student competition that supports innovative business ideas and fledgling entrepreneurial activity that produces a new idea, product, or service that could become a thriving business in Klamath Falls and has the potential for job growth in rural Oregon. The competition fosters project development, design, and communication skills, while boosting public understanding of the talent pipeline available at Oregon Tech and encouraging student engagement with the community.
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Written By: Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA)
Outdoor recreation is among our nation’s largest economic sectors, representing the lifeblood of thousands of American communities and providing livelihoods for millions of workers. From the smallest rural towns to the most densely packed cities, outdoor recreation powers a vast economic engine that creates billions in spending and millions of good-paying jobs. In the Pacific Northwest alone, the industry represents over 1.2M jobs and accounts for nearly $150B in annual spending. Today, the outdoor recreation industry is the largest it has ever been, and as companies continue to open new locations at a record pace, economic forecasts indicate that the sector is on track to grow even more over the next few years.
But what are these companies looking for when selecting a location for their business? According to a recent study performed by site selection firm, WDG Consulting, there are key criteria of which outdoor recreation companies consider most when evaluating cities for new development. Based on responses provided by several companies, WDG’s findings indicated that the following were important factors in a company’s decision-making process: Customer proximity, skilled labor, business costs, fast track permitting, incentives, pro-business climate, reputation for outdoor recreation, quality of life, and ready-to-go sites.
Based on these factors, it becomes very clear that Klamath County is an ideal development location for outdoor recreation companies. Like the outdoor recreation industry, the Klamath County economy has experienced historic growth in recent years, as new development is occurring at a rapid rate. This economic momentum is the result of companies benefitting from the region’s competitive operating costs, abundant skilled labor, efficient permitting with less ‘red tape’, pro-business leadership, access to incentive opportunities, and a high quality of life that offers endless access to unparalleled outdoor recreation options.
In Klamath County, people have easy access to adventure, exploration, nature, and culture. The natural wonders in the region are bountiful, providing a wide array of stunning outdoor features to choose from. The terrain of the region is quite multi-dimensional, consisting of expansive high-desert, river rapids, lush forests, and gorgeous frontiers under a dazzling, wide-open sky. These jaw-dropping, scenic splendors present easy interaction for outdoor enthusiasts of all types, never failing to deliver completely thrilling immersion.
On average, Klamath has over 300 days of sunshine per year. Additionally, Klamath enjoys a variety of weather, as the temperate climate provides little rainfall, cool-to-warm springs, long hot summers, comfortable autumns, and snowy winters. This ideal transition of the seasons provides ample opportunity for people to regularly enjoy Klamath’s world-class birding, bicycling, mountain-biking, fishing, snowmobiling, kayaking, golfing, hiking and many other activities throughout the whole year.
Klamath County is a hub for constant connection which invites and encourages intimate engagement with the surrounding community. In essence, rural living within the region lends to people having the opportunity to seek any-and-all experiences within a day, personifying the heights of having a work/life balance unlike anywhere else in the world. When combining all of the region’s exceptional attributes, it is evident that Klamath County is well positioned to support the new development in outdoor recreation.
If you are a company that is interested in learning more about business development opportunities in Klamath County, contact KCEDA at 541-882-9600 or email info@teamklamath.com.
This article was published in the March 18th, 2024 edition of the Herald and News
Written By: Zak Keeney
“I think it’s something that every coach and player hopes to achieve at some time,” Randy Denson said while reflecting on his Henley High School girls basketball team winning the state championship.
Coming off their historic three-point victory against number-one seed Astoria High School to earn the 4A-5 Skyline conference title, Henley students and staff took time to celebrate with the girls team Monday morning.
“It feels so unreal,” team captain Annie Campos told the Herald and News.
Campos was fouled during the final second of the game and made her two free throws with no time on the clock to give Henley a 41-38 win over Astoria. It was during that game that she scored her 1,500th point. A senior, Campos can claim to be a state champion with her team as well as being the 2023-24 player of the year. Campos was also selected as defensive all-conference alongside teammates Prestyn Schade and Kennedi Modin.
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This article was published in Friday’s (March 15th, 2024) Herald and News
Written By: Herald and News Staff
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden announced he will hold in-person town halls in Klamath, Lake, Harney, Grant and Wheeler counties from March 23 to 25, 2024.
Heading into these five town halls, Wyden will have held 1,076 town halls throughout Oregon — including 11 so far this year — in fulfillment of his pledge to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties.
“I promised to hold open-to-all town halls every year in every county so every Oregonian has the face-to-face opportunity to ask me questions, offer opinions and share ideas,” Wyden said in a news release.
“There is no substitute for those direct conversations in the true spirit of the ‘Oregon Way’ focusing on solutions, and I am very eager to hear from Oregonians in rural communities on this upcoming swing through these five counties,” said Wyden
The schedule for upcoming town halls are as follows:
- Klamath County, 5 p.m., Saturday, March 23, Oregon Institute of Technology, Mt. Mazama Conference Room, 2nd Floor of the College Union, 3201 Campus Dr, Klamath Falls
- Lake County, noon, Sunday, March 24, Lake County Courthouse, Memorial Hall, 513 Center St, Lakeview
- Harney County, 4 p.m., Sunday, March 24, Harney Chamber of Commerce Community Room, 484 N Broadway, Burns
- Grant County, 9:30 a.m. Monday, March 25, Grant County Regional Airport, 720 Airport Road, John Day
- Wheeler County, 2 p.m. Monday, March 25, Mitchell School, 340 SE High St, Mitchell
This article was published in Friday’s (March 15th, 2024) Herald and News
Written By: Lee Juillerat
It’s still winter, but plans for a busy spring and summer are in full swing for mountain biking and hiking areas that are part of the ever-expanding Klamath Trails Alliance trails network.
The KTA’s most visible project in upcoming months will be the expansion of the two Spence Mountain trailheads, one off Highway 140, 145 miles west of Klamath Falls by Doak Mountain, and the second at Shoalwater Bay. Thanks to a $240,000 American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grant from Klamath County, both trailheads will be doubled from their current sizes. The Highway 140 site will add 25 sites while the Shoalwater Bay location will add another 55. In addition, both will have new vault toilets.
Weather permitting, construction is scheduled to begin this spring. Both trailheads will remain open during the construction but trail users are asked to “steer clear of the construction area for your safety.” The construction is expected to be finished before the Spence Mountain Run on June 1 and the Spence Mountain Mayhem bike event on June 8.
More trail work is again planned on Spence Mountain, which currently has 51 miles of professionally built mountain biking and hiking trails.
This article was published in Monday’s (March 4th, 2024) Herald and News
Written By: Molly O’Brien
Klamath County and the city of Klamath Falls are accepting grant applications from residents for projects aimed at economic and tourism development in the respective communities.
County tourism grants
Klamath County’s 2024 tourism grant application cycle is now open and will accept proposals for “tourism-focused businesses” until 5 p.m., March 29.
A county news release said that the Board of County Commissioners are looking for projects that offer unique or special opportunities and are aimed at increasing tourism in the region.
“Projects should identify a target market and offer a specific strategy for reaching this market,” the release said.
The county asks that project proposals provide a detailed strategy for reaching their respective markets.
Infrastructure projects in particular are encouraged.
Grants are to be awarded “to eligible applicants for projects that contribute to the development and improvement of communities throughout the county by means of the enhancement, expansion and promotion of the visitor industry,” according to the tourism grant information packet.
This article was published by the Herald and News on February 20th, 2024
Written By: Zak Keeney
As economic momentum continues to move forward, the Klamath County Economic Development Association is poised to tackle a major barrier to growth in the region — attainable housing.
Able to lay claim to Oregon’s Economic Development Association’s Award of Excellence in Economic Development for Outstanding Collaborative Partnership for 2023, KCEDA and People’s Bank of Commerce a longside a group of private capital investors have accelerated housing construction by the creation and use of the Klamath Revitalization Fund.
A five-year commitment, KRF was founded with a vision to create attainable housing for the workforce and to encourage and promote the development of the trades industry in Klamath County. An evergreen fund, KRF provides capital to local contractors for the construction of houses, and once the house sells and the contractor repays the loan, the funds return to KRF in a sustainable model that can fund projects into perpetuity. Since its inauguration in 2021, KRF has built 14 houses with another close to completion.
“(KRF’s) purpose is very simple,” CEO of KCEDA Randy Cox said. “To offer sufficient and attractive housing stock to recruit and retain (Klamath County’s) workforce to expand existing businesses and attract new businesses to Klamath Falls.”
Birthed after a 2019 housing needs analysis on the city of Klamath Falls forecasted that 609 new dwellings would be necessary by 2039 to meet the growing population, KRF’s creation was crucial.
“We were hearing from employers that individuals who wanted to move here were unable to accept positions because they could not find a place to live,” Cox said.
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This article was published by the Herald and News on February 19th, 2024
Written By: Zak Keeney
The schools in Klamath County were able to show off their healthcare-related programs Wednesday, Feb. 14, during the Meet Your Future Employees Tour.
Chaperoned by the Southern Oregon Education Service District (SOESD), the Meet Your Future Employees Tour is coined as a reverse industry tour in which instead of bringing students to industry, industry comes to the schools providing professionals with an opportunity to see first-hand how the next generation is preparing for the workforce.
“It’s beneficial for industry to see what is going on (in their local schools),” SOESD Project Facilitator Amy Lukens said. “It’s a way to create, or form, stronger ties between the two and foster greater connections for future career learning opportunities.”
Representatives from Sky Lakes Medical Center, Cascades East, Klamath Open Door, Oregon Tech, Leaps and Bounds, the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) and Klamath County Fire District 1 spent an entire day with SOESD touring Klamath Community College’s and Mazama and Henley high School’s health sciences programs, specifically their Career and Technical Education (CTE) curriculums.
Through the implementation of CTE, students of Henley and Mazama are able to have a competitive kick-start to their future employability through a dynamic blend of theory and hands-on experience with a multitude of careers, including those in the medical field. Students can obtain professional certifications for First Aid, CPR and even an Oregon State Board of Nursing Certified Nursing Assistant credential all before graduation. Students also can earn up to 15 college credits accepted at KCC and Oregon Tech.
As a school system (the Klamath County School District) the last two to three years we’ve been pivoting to the community and thinking that schools need to change. For years (the rhetoric has been) college, college, college; here’s your options,” Henley instructional coach Adam Randall said. “There are a far greater number of pathways to get from high school to work. We’re trying to get out of the academic business and get into the competitive advantage business.”
Schools in Klamath County are embracing the passion and curiosity that students have by offering an opportunity to explore and acquire technical skills and professional practices alongside the mandated robust academic knowledge.
In the Health Sciences CTE, studies focus on five career pathways: biotechnology research and development, diagnostic services, health informatics, support services and therapeutic services. A student can take sports medicine one year and earn their CPR/AED certifications, and then the following year take advanced sports medicine to become a certified personal trainer.
