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On Monday, March 21st, members of KCEDA met with JELD-WEN CEO, Mr. Mark Beck. The meeting, which lasted about an hour, provided KCEDA leadership an opportunity to discuss area initiatives, learn more about JELD-WEN’s future plans for its local assets, and talk about how both organizations can work collaboratively to help strengthen Klamath County’s economy. According to KCEDA President, Lauren Jespersen, Mr. Beck described future plans for JELD-WEN by stating the company was focused on acceleration, innovation, and efficiency. During the meeting, Mr. Beck underscored the need for direct flights to Klamath Falls and offered to assist in Klamath County’s advocacy to support H.R. 4549, the Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act. The approval of this bill would allow for TSA to return to Klamath Falls Crater Lake Airport, ultimately giving the area access to commercial air transportation once again. Discussions also focused on the importance of workforce and education to companies worldwide, as Mr. Beck and KCEDA representatives talked about communities’ need to focus on acquiring talent if they want to be placed in a position for future expansions, putting emphasis on the value of higher education institutions such as Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) and Klamath Community College (KCC) when considering growth opportunities locally. KCEDA and JELD-WEN representatives concluded the meeting with a mutual understanding that JELD-WEN continues to be an important part of the local and statewide economy, with both organizations confident that by continuing to work together, each would see the return on investment they desired for this area. In Klamath County, JELD-WEN is home for thousands of manufacturing jobs. It is also the company’s headquarters for R&D, Accounting and major call center operations.
This article was in Sunday’s (March 20th, 2016) Herald and News
Written by: Holly Dillemuth, H&N Staff Reporter
It might come as a surprise that products crafted in Klamath Falls can be found at Six Flags and other amusement parks across the country.
For local specialty manufacturer, The Carriage Works, which employs roughly two dozen employees and growing, it’s simply part of daily operations.
The Carriage Works designs, manufactures, paints and assembles kiosks, carts and retail merchandising units (RMUs) before shipping them off to malls and amusement parks across the country and around the globe.
“It’ll have our name on it, it says Klamath Falls,” said President Brian Dunham, during a recent tour of the plant.
“Does anybody know we’re here?” Dunham said, when asked the question. “Well, some people do because we try to do everything locally.”
Expansion in the works
Dunham bought the company from John and Barbara Evensizer in April 2015, and plans to expand the company’s presence in the Klamath Basin in 2016.
During the last year, the company has added five employees and has plans to add the room for more in 2016.
“We’ve got plans in progress of how we can add to this building and we’ve also looked around at what other options are available,” Dunham said, adding there is a growing market for the products being made.
“We want to stay in Klamath Falls, yet we need to find the place that can accommodate our growth.”
Origins of the name
The Evensizers began the business, as the name of the company suggests, building and selling carriages to Disneyland in 1978. The business eventually evolved, as the market and demand for products changed, and eventually moved toward the manufacture and sale of carts and kiosks sold today.
“Most of our business is not in Oregon,” Dunham said, although he said the company buys many of its materials and utilizes graphic design locally.
“We did just build a food trailer for the Oregon Zoo up in Portland,” Dunham added. “We hope to do quite a few more of those.”
Dunham has used services of Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) and its business retention acumen to work toward its future.
KCEDA focuses on existing firms
“I would be surprised if they don’t grow at a very healthy rate,” said Rich Abel of KCEDA.
“What they do is such a neat story and I think that adds to the charm of a community.”
Abel has worked with Dunham on ways to boost the business here in Klamath Falls.
“Places like that are vital to a community like Klamath Falls because not only are they doing good business today, but they have vision of doing more good business tomorrow,” Abel said.
For Abel, helping a current business expand or add jobs is as important or moreso than luring a new company to the Basin.
“One of my jobs is to change perception,” Abel said. “It’s really easy to say we need new companies to come into town, but you can’t forget the ones that have already made that commitment.”
Giving companies the tools to make connections is also a key part of Abel’s job, such as identifying incentives for businesses.
“We can connect them with folks that can help them from a financing standpoint,” Abel said. “Especially if they’re going to add jobs.”
An effort to keep businesses in the Klamath Basin has garnered additional momentum.
“We’re all about attracting companies,” Abel said. “That’s huge for the economic development here and we foresee that happening.
“What we don’t want is companies doing business here to leave,” Abel added. “We want to retain them.”
To access this article on the Herald and News website, please refer to the link just below:
By: Greg O’Sullivan, KCEDA Executive Director
There’s a lot going on at the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA).
To start, we have a new website. This is important for people to know about because it’s designed to improve the quality of life in our county by supporting our economic growth.
As I tell people often, KCEDA strives to improve the quality of life for every resident in our great county by improving the local economy. Through our new site, ChooseKlamath.com, we hope to demonstrate to anyone seeking a new business location that Klamath County is the place for them — a place where their business can grow, expand and thrive.
If you’re a resident who cares about our local economy, my hope is that you will refer others to chooseklamath.com when they are seeking a place to set up shop for the first time or expand an existing business.
What is interesting is that after going out to bid and considering national firms from as far away as Texas, we chose a local Klamath Falls firm. Don’t get me wrong: I believe in shopping local, but when it comes to innovation, professional marketing talent, delivering hard-hitting content and eye-catching graphics geared to local and national audiences, it is often a challenge. (Note to self: don’t underestimate the talent right here at home.)
With that said, the KCEDA Marketing Committee proudly utilized the services of a Klamath Falls based business, the incredible firm SmithBates Marcomm Solutions to create the website and its impressive geographic information system (GIS) technology.
Here’s why we’re so proud of this new GIS system: It makes ChooseKlamath.com a “one-stop-shop” resource for internal and external audiences who want to know more about Klamath County. When we say “internal audience,” that includes business owners, investors, resource providers, and KCEDA members here locally — and by “external audience,” we mean outside brokers, site selectors, new or expanding businesses, and state/political figures and agencies.
The technology on ChooseKlamath.com is designed to help these people find what they need right here in our county — whether it’s information on advancing a specific business project, or data that can help them identify what opportunities are available to them here.
Through ChooseKlamath.com, these important players can learn about our incredible service providers and other resources. It’s everything they need to know about our county and more, and we hope it will encourage them to choose Klamath for their future business interests.
Next, we want to let the public know that KCEDA is working closely with local businesses, the real estate community, state organizations, and other entities to make further updates to the website. These updates will help expand and give depth to demographics data, case studies, property listings such as the Tech Hills business park, and more.
The new developments here at KCEDA can be instrumental in helping our county progress toward a more prosperous future. If you have any questions after viewing ChooseKlamath.com, give us a call; we will be happy to speak with you! KCEDA can be reached at (541) 882-9600.
This article was in Sunday’s (March 13th, 2016) Herald and News.
H&N Article By: Stephen Floyd, Staff Reporter
H&N Photo by: Kevin Hume
More than 1,200 residents turned out for healthy living at a kickoff event for the Blue Zones Project in Klamath Falls Saturday afternoon.
It was standing-room only at the Ross Ragland Theater, where they came to hear how the project plans to re-shape Klamath Fall’s environment into one where healthy decisions are not difficult decisions.
Blue Zones Project is a national organization based on the writings of National Geographic Fellow and author Dan Buettner, who researched some of the longest-lived communities in the world, or Blue Zones.
Buettner found a change in environment was more effective than a change in lifestyle when it came to healthy living, and such changes can take place in areas where health has historically been poor.
Klamath Fall’s participation in Blue Zones Project was six years in the making after local wellness groups came together to improve Kla
math County’s abysmal public health record.
Paul Stewart, CEO of Sky Lakes Medical Center, told the audience his business and others took notice in 2010 when the first County Health Rankings were published by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Klamath County was 32 out of 33 ranked counties in Oregon, and has remained close to or at the bottom of the list since.
“A small group came together and said we’ve got to do something different,” said Stewart.
“We knew it was going to take a broad-based effort to change how we approach health in this community,” he continued.
Members of this group attended the Oregon Group Health Summit in fall of 2014 and met with Blue Zones Project organizers. Blue Zones Project was looking for cities to incorporate into their ongoing programs and, out of more than 300 contenders, Klamath Falls become one of 26 cities selected and was the first chosen in the Pacific Northwest.
Since that time, volunteers researched existing resources and identified areas of need and, on Saturday, announced the beginning of various programs to meet those needs. Their efforts have been supported by a $200,000 contribution from Sky Lakes and a $400,000 matching grant from the Cambia Health Foundation to be spent during a three-year timeframe.
Group participation
One unveiled program, and a health concept that has gained significant traction under Blue Zones in the last few years, is the idea of a moai (moe-eye), a close-knit social group found commonly in Okinawa.
Buettner and his colleagues learned close relationships and the presence of dependable friends contributed greatly to the long lives of Okinawans. Moai have become an integral part of Blue Zones cities and Klamath Fall’s first groups are set to start meeting this Tuesday.
“People liked the idea of doing things together,” said Marilynn Sutherland, director of Klamath County Public Health and part of Klamath Fall’s first moai.
Sutherland and multiple members of her department have committed to meet regularly for 10 weeks to walk together and share lunch, both to stay active and be a part of each others’ lives. Sutherland said this sense of community is what was most appealing to members of the new group.
Social circles a key
Jessica DuBose, program manager for Klamath Falls Blue Zones Project, said they intend to establish multiple other moai centered around common interest and involving exercise and healthy meals.
DuBose said the groups provide structure to help people meet their health goals, and also expands their social circles.
But Blue Zones did not have to look far for programs in Klamath Falls already pursuing improved community health.
Charlie Wyckoff, manager of the Klamath Falls Farmer’s Market, said Blue Zones will become a valuable tool in bridging the communication gaps between groups like his in the area.
“We’re all working toward the same direction,” he said.
Wyckoff said farmers at the market already emphasize fresh, local, healthy produce and that Blue Zones will help them collaborate with like-minded community members.
Make options appealing
According to Buettner’s research, long-lived communities have diets consisting mainly of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts and a sparse amount of meat and dairy. He said the goal of Blue Zones will not be to eliminate alternatives to this type of diet, but to make these options more appealing and accessible.
“You don’t take the choice away, you just make the healthy choice a little easier,” said Buettner.
Such healthy choices involve engaging local restaurants to reduce the calories in their portions and provide healthy food as an alternative to items like fried food. The fried food would not be taken off the menu, but fresh fruit would be offered as the standard choice with the meal and french fries would be available upon request.
Blue Zones has already approached local establishments such as the Ruddy Duck Restaurant at Running Y Ranch and Resort, and chain stores like Subway to become part of its healthy alternative efforts.
A community effort
Stewart said these measures may look like someone coming into town and arbitrarily telling people what they can and can’t do. But he said there comes a time when a community needs to consider how an individual’s decisions impact the entire group.
“Sometimes, as a society, we have to ask and answer some very hard questions about what is best for all of us,” he said.
“I’d like to think I would be free to make the choice to drive 40 or 50 mph through a school zone,” he said. “But as a society we’ve said that the risks that that poses to others — to our children — outweighs my right to make that individual choice.”
“Similarly,” he continued, “when it comes to health, sometimes we’re going to have to make difficult choices and make individual sacrifices in favor of benefiting a larger population.”
After seeing Saturday’s turnout, Buettner said he had never seen such enthusiasm as he had in Klamath Falls. He said, if Blue Zones is going to be successful, it will require community leaders and volunteers to be headed toward the same goals.
“You will fail if you don’t have all feet walking in the same direction,” he said.
To learn how Blue Zones Project is impacting Klamath Falls, as well as how to become involved, visit www.bluezones.com.
“Partner Parks – Chinese Tourists Have Southern Oregon on Radar”
This article was in Sunday’s (March 13th, 2016) Herald and News.
By: Lee Juillerat, Herald and News
Southern Oregon needs to get ready for increased numbers of Chinese tourists
That’s the advice from Carolyn Hill, Travel Southern Oregon’s executive director who was among the Oregon delegation that visited China last month to sign a Sister Park agreement between Crater Lake National Park and the Mount Wuyi World Heritage Cultural Park.
“The economic and cultural advantages of this relationship are immeasurable,” said Hill, who is also the Crater Lake National Park Trust’s executive director. “We have an opportunity to build a bridge that allows scientists, students, visitors and nations to learn and share together.”
Hill was a member of delegation led by Crater Lake Superintendent Craig Ackerman, who signed the actual agreement during ceremonies near Mount Wuyi. The Wuyishan National Scenic Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeast China’s Fujian province.
UNESCO says the dramatic gorges formed by the Nine-Bend River are of “exceptional scenic quality.” In addition, many temples and monasteries along the river, many now in ruins, provided the setting for the development and spread of neo-Confucianism.
“Like Crater Lake, it is a place of beauty and inspiration, a gift of Mother Nature,” Hill, who has made two visits to Wuyi, said of the Fujian region.
“They’re both gifts of Mother Nature. This new official sister park relationship is building a bridge over which the world’s most talented thinkers, scientists, artists, scholars and others may meet to study, exchange ideas and work together.”
Hill said she’s excited about the partnership for several reasons.
“The marketer in me is thrilled at filling thousands of motels in Southern Oregon,” she said, noting China has quickly become the country that sends the most visitors to Oregon.
Visitations up
As of the third-quarter in 2015, Oregon had at least 107,000 Chinese visitors, a 25 percent increase over the same time period in 2014. Overall, Crater Lake had 614,712 visits in 2015, its highest count in the last 25 years and a 14.7 percent increase from 2014.
Wuyishan National Scenic Area receives a staggering 10.5 million visitors annually.
But Hill believes “the beating heart” of the agreement is “how can we preserve these amazing parks. The Fujian province is kind of the Oregon of China. It has lush beautiful forests, miles of coast, starry nights, and it has an ecological value system. These are exactly the kind of visitors we want to come to Oregon.”
To prepare for the expected influx, Hill said lodgings, restaurants and other businesses need to be “China ready” by providing signage and other information in Mandarin.
“We want those visuals when they get here, signs that say ‘Welcome to Southern Oregon,’ ‘Welcome to Crater Lake.’”
Preparing for the Chinese
She believes businesses need to prepare by, for example, providing quality team catering to Chinese food preferences and offering cultural programs.
Echoing her thoughts is Jim Chadderdon, Discover Klamath Tourism director.
“Millions of affluent Chinese travelers will now become aware of the Crater Lake and the Klamath region. This has the potential for substantial economic impact to local hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, attractions and events,” he said. “We’re going to need more motels.”
He said he and other Discover Klamath staff have been attending conventions in part to search for bus companies that will bring visitors to the Klamath Basin.
‘Bookend’ tour
He believes overnight stays will increase because Klamath Falls is “bookended by Crater Lake and Lava Beds” National Monument along with wildlife refuges, museums and other attractions.
“We look forward to working with groups both inside Klamath and outside to generate interest in visiting our area, as well as helping to facilitate the education, training, and other efforts required of local businesses to become ‘China-ready.’ “
“Everyone in the state should look at this as something we can showcase,” Hill insists, noting the signing ceremony and follow-up convention in Beijing was news throughout China. “We were able to spread the word about Crater Lake and Southern Oregon at an incredibly important convention.”
She said the personal pleasure at seeing the agreement between the two parks signed, a process that began several years and was nearly abandoned, has been reflected in her face, explaining, “I’ve been smiling so much my face hurt. And I still can’t stop smiling.”
Report period: Dec. 2015 – Feb. 2016
By: Rick Abel, KCEDA Business Development and Retention Manager
Shortly before the end of 2015 KCEDA launched a new program to help strengthen existing companies, establish early warning systems to flag at-risk businesses that require assistance, and ensure that local economic development programs meet local business needs. The KCEDA retention and expansion initiative includes a mechanism for linking expanding businesses with local economic development resources (i.e. loan programs, small business assistance, and technical assistance). At the same time KCEDA uses its network of members to seek unique solutions to issues and opportunities for Klamath businesses. Over the last few months several services have been requested on a regular basis including
- Assistance with workforce issues and connecting with local career education programs (30% of all requests).
- Identifying funding (loans, investors, capital formation) for different small business opportunities (18% of requests for services).
- And simply connecting clients to our local, state and federal service providers (SCOED, SBDC, Business Oregon).
As Business Retention and Expansion Manager I am encouraged by what I am hearing from our local business community. In summary business and industry are seeing money flow, markets expand, and new opportunities on the horizon.
At the same time, we have companies that are struggling to be competitive. As the Retention and Expansion Manager my job is to bring all of resources to bare to keep our economy safe. According to the International Economic Development Council “As the national economy and competition among communities for footloose businesses heats up, business retention programs have become the most popular economic development efforts of communities nation-wide”. KCEDA is working with close to 20 companies in various stages of expansion or are considered at risk for retention. In summary, here is some early data from our program.
BRE Project Portfolio Summary (Dec. 2015-Feb. 2016)
KCEDA Retention/Expansion Clients (open files): 16
BRE Activity: 68% Expansion / 32% Retention
Total Jobs at Risk (Retention): 524
Total Jobs to be Created (Expansion): 178
Total of all Jobs: 702
Total Potential Capital Investment Expansion Equipment: $10,500,000
Total Potential Capital Investment Expansion Facilities: $3,950,000
The above information is part of what we call our “open file portfolio.” What this means is that we are working with our BRE committee, economic development allies, and our KCEDA members with over 16 companies and calling on additional companies weekly. An “open file” represents any company that is at risk of downsizing or that is considering and expansion. In closing, our program is about relationship building, so that we can be an influence on how Klamath County Business view our local business climate. For more information, feel free to contact me by email rick@teamklamath.com or KCEDA office 541.882.9600.
This comes from an article posted by Josh Bays of Site Selection Group
Following the end of the 2015 year, Josh Bay of the Site Selection Group wrote an article that identified trends in the manufacturing in
dustry which occurred over the past year, and how these trends would impact companies and areas for the upcoming year. Looking at projects of several different sizes, the Site Selection Group’s findings closely examine the levels of employment and capital investment that occurred within manufacturing projects across the United States in 2015. According to this data, mid-sized projects in both employment and capital investment had the most activity, with Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing and Plastics Product Manufacturing leading the way in the number of projects and amount of investment. This data is a strong indicator for trends that will continue to occur as we further advance into the 2016 year. To see the Site Selection Group’s data findings and learn more about these trends, please access the link just below.
Site Selection Group (Article): Top Manufacturing Site Selection Trends in 2015 (Link)
Prior to March 7th, KCEDA was notified that they were the successful bidder in a proposal for economic development services to the Klamath County Board of Commissioners. Having the KCEDA proposal selected signifies a strong confidence from the Klamath County Board of Commissioners in KCEDA. This recognizes that the new “pay-to-play” operating model has the best potential in strengthening our economy. These funds will give KCEDA the resources to enhance its product, allowing for there to be continued focus on building the Business Retention and Expansion program, while simultaneously growing the range and intensity of our recruitment efforts.
A major resource and strong partner to KCEDA, Kingsley Field is one of the institutions that both makes Klamath unique, distinguishing our great community from other areas. Recently Kingsley Field released a report that outlined their contribution to our county, summarizing the financial impact their operations have as it relates to economic output in Klamath County. To access this report, please refer to the link provided just below.
Kingsley Field (Air National Guard Base) – Financial Impact Summary
On Friday, March 4th, Congressman Walden visited Klamath Falls, where several members of KCEDA along with other local leaders from the community came to hear him speak in Klamath’s local terminal about the Treating Small Airports with Fairness legislation. In this forum, Walden presented on the necessity of the legislation’s approval by discussing the economic benefits of commercial airports for rural areas such as Klamath Falls. He then went into what obstacles were currently present regarding TSA and its impact on Klamath’s local air services, where he proceeded to speak on how this proposed legislation, if approved, would address those barriers in addition to speaking about what efforts were being made to help the bill be positioned to pass. For more details on this meeting, along with other updates related to local air services, please refer to the links below.
Walden Press Release – Clearing the Runway for Klamath Airport
Herald and News Article (Holly Dillemuth): Walden Fights to Return TSA to Klamath
