Press Releases

June 29, 2008:Grants and Training Opportunities Now Available for Oregon Small Businesses Oregon Economic & Community Development Department Launches Initiative to Increase Competitiveness of Small Businesses [more]

June 28, 2008: Greenlight Greater Portland Unveils Greater Portland Prosperity Index - At its first annual meeting, Greenlight Greater Portland unveiled its publication, the new Greater Portland Prosperity Index. [more]

June 28, 2008: OEDA Relaunches Earned Media Campaign [more]

June 28, 2008: OECDD Realignment Project Underway Kick-off meetings for the OECDD Realignment Project began a month of intense work by five workgroups composed of internal and external agency stakeholders. [more]

June 2, 2008: Oregon INC Weekly Media Clips - Oregon Revenue Forecasts, Oregon company wins federal grant for alternative fuel, U.S. presidential candidates' views on biofuels, plus more clips. [more]

June 2, 2008: Tim McCabe, appoints Lynn Schoessler as his deputy director and second-in-command at OECDD. Schoessler officially steps into this role beginning Wednesday, June 3rd. Schoessler currently serves as the housing finance section manager for the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department. [more]

May 13, 2008: Congratulations go to Tim McCabe, a former president of OEDA, who is the new director at the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department effective today. We wish him every success in his new role and look forward to a productive working relationship in the future. [more]

March 29, 2008: The formal announcement of a proposal for a major reorganization at the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department was made today with unanimous support for OECDD Economic Development Commission and presented to Governor Kulongoski. The recommendation in essence is to separate business development from infrastructure activities. Although both functions are equally important, they have different objectives, deliverables and customers. The change is designed to position Oregon for economic success and provide clear goals for future activities and will focus on clarity, accountability and viability. This greater clarity of purpose will better guide staff, partners and the legislature as they make difficult budgeting decisions.

The Commission found that the Business Trade Development and Innovation / Economic Strategies divisions had integrated goals to keep, grow and attract businesses and are well aligned with the goal of job creation. They would become a separate department dedicated to business development work. However the Community Development Division is not – its focus is on infrastructure such as safe drinking water, wastewater systems, and public works projects. These functions would be refocused to ensure a sustainable relationship between natural and build environments and will use an asset management model as a framework for investments. Environmentally progressive public works projects would be rewarded.

The details of this proposal will evolve and some will require enabling legislation during the 2009 legislative session. I have attached a press release, and an overview of the change that provides more details for your convenience. You will be hearing about this in the press very soon. If you have questions or information please contact Perrin Damon at 503-986-0101 or perin.camon@state.or.us or Nathan Buehler at 503- 581-5115 or Nathan.beuhler@state.or.us

Reorganization Fact Sheet [click here] More Informationn [click here]

January 9, 2008
Oregon Economic & Community Development Department announces grants and training opportunities now available for Oregon Small Business [more]

January 9, 2008
SEDCOR (Strategic Economic Development Corporation|Marion and Polk Counties) Announces New Membership Manager [more]

October 16, 2007: OEDA presents the 2007 Awards of Excellence [more]

October 16, 2007: Seattle Times - Tapping Tidal Energy: the Wave of the Future [more]

September 27, 2007: Oregon Coast Home to West Coast's First Ocean Wave Energy Test Buoy. [more]

September 27, 2007: Molalla, Ore., Reinvents Local Economy - Northwest Polymers and Cencast, Inc. Chose new Business Park instead of relocating outside Oregon. [more]

September 14, 2007: Solar grown in Oregon, including North America's largest PV factory from PHOTON International. [more]

September 9, 2007: "Collaboration, Innovation and Sustainability" is the theme for the Competitiveness Conference, which is attracting worldwide participants to Portland, Oregon. The Competiveness Institute (TCI) conference will be held in Portland, on October 8 - 12, and is jointly hosted by the states of Oregon and Washington and the City of Portland. [more]

August 11, 2007: Site Selection Magazine (July 2007) - Industrial Tight Rope, Gov. Ted Kulongoski explains how he balances Oregon's need for new industry with his state's commitment to sustainable development [more]

August 11, 2007: Newport News Times (July 25, 2007) - Garmin International Expands Presence in Oregon [more]

August 11, 2007: Building-Products.com (June 20, 2007) - Murphy Plywood's Builds LVL Plant, Takes Over Veneer Facility [more]

August 11, 2007: Business Development Outlook - The State's Silicon Forest Provides Ideal Workers for SolarWorld Group [more]

July 20, 2007: Garmin International, Inc. grows through their expansion in Salem and acquisition of Nautamatic Marine Systems, Inc., in Newport, OR. [more].

July 14, 2007: SiC Processing Announces Ribbon-Cutting for First U.S. Facility [more].

July 2, 2007: E-Cargo News Asia - Automakers fuel Port of Portland growth [more].

July 2, 2007: Area Development Online - Port of Portland Growing to Accommodate Auto Imports [more].

July 2, 2007: Logistics Management - Toyota Auto Distribution Expands at Port of Portland [more].

July 2, 2007: Maritime Transportation - Automakers Fuel Portland [more].

July 2, 2007: Additional Press on Solaicx Ingot and Wafer Manufacturing Plant in Portland, Oregon.

• Portland Business Journal - Another Solar Company Chooses Portland [more].
• Oregonian Business Updates - Portland Facility to make Silicon Wafers for the Solar-power Industry [more].
• Alternative Energy - Solaicx annonces New Solar Manufacturing Building [more].
• KGW.com - Solar Manufacturer plans Oregon Facility [more].
• Oregonian - Solar Developer plan Rivergate Wafer Plant [more].
• Renewable Energy Access.com - Solaicx Announces 48 MW Solar Facility [more].
• Solarbuzz - Solaicx locates new Ingot and Wafer Plant in Portland [more].
• U.S. Industry Today - Solaicx to locate in Portland, Oregon [more].
• Manufacturer.com - Oregon Solar Sector on rise with Solaicx Plant [more].
• Earthtimes.org - Solaicx picks Portland for New Facility [more].
• Sustainable Industries - Solaicx eyes Portland [more].

June 26, 2007: IntraCellular Diagnostics relocation to Medford will add to state's growing biotech cluster [more].

June 14, 2007: SEDCOR Members Honored at Annual Luncheon for contributions to industry and community [more].

June 12, 2007: Solaicx, a leading manufacturer of mono-crystalline silicon ingots and wafers used in the solar energy industry, announced it will be locating its first high volume manufacturing facility in Portland [more].

June 4, 2007: Port of Portland Hosts Toyota Groundbreaking of $6.5 Million Facility Expansion [more].

May 9, 2007: Murphy Engineered Wood Products to Open New Modern Plant in Southern Oregon [more].

March 13, 2007: Hillsboro, Oregon Selected for Solar World Groups Production Facility
[more]

February 26, 2007: Oregon Iron Works - First in U.S. to Manufacture Modern Streetcars
[more].

December 13, 2006: PepsiCo to open $200 million plant in Albany, Oregon [more].

December 12, 2006: www.oregonprospector.com Ranks Number One on Google Searches for "Industrial Buildings and Lands" [more].

November 13, 2006: Ashland, Oregon, Receives International Recognition as Model for Economic Development [more].

September 22, 2006: Agri-Plas, Inc. - Nation's Largest Recycler of Agricultural Plastics Opens in Brooks Oregon [more].