AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016

FOR BUSINESS
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 4
USA $3.95
CANADA $6.95

WORKFORCE
PIPELINES
Can the Eugene area keep up
with increasing demand for skilled
labor and knowledge workers?

The Eugene Area Chamber Of Commerce: LEADERSHIP. COMMUNITY. RESULTS.

Publisher
David Hauser, CCE

THIS ISSUE

Director of
Communications
Katherine Movalson
Eugene Chamber
Executive Committee

Cover story

Nigel Francisco
Chair
CFO, Ninkasi Brewing
Company LLC

12

How a strong workforce

contributes to long-term economic
growth. Pictured: Connected
Lane County Executive Director
Heidi Larwick, States Industries
President Mike Taylor, and Johnson Crushers
International Human Resources Manager Avril Watt.
Photo by David Loveall.

18
20
22

Traded skill jobs in the Eugene area offer

many opportunities,including good pay
and great career paths.

High school programs create a skillsbased pipeline important to our local

employers and thus our local economy.

$PAC-089_EugeneChamber_OpenBiz_7.375x4.8126_AprMay2015.indd 1

2/25/15 11:27 AM

How the Eugene area is attracting and

retaining talent

Your business has goals. A trusted resource who

knows your industry and your market can help
you grow in a scalable and sustainable fashion to
accomplish them and more.
How can we help you thrive?

W W W. M O S S A D A M S . C O M

s A recap of the Chambers first annual Young

Professionals Summit. Page 6

Columns/Departments

5
9
30

Chamber @ Work
What the Eugene Chamber is doing to
support and promote businesses in the
Eugene area.
Four Questions
Emily Gray of Moss Adams and
Dan LaCoste of US Bank answer questions
about their businesses and Chamber membership
Business News
Promotions, new hires and new Eugene
Area Chamber of Commerce members

One way to go.

One hundred ways
to get there.

Mandy Jones
Chair-elect
CEO, Oregon Community
Credit Union
Cathy Worthington
Treasurer
Licensed Tax
Consultant,
Worthington Business
Services
Craig Wanichek
Past Chair
President & CEO,
Summit Bank
Advertising
Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce
541.484.1314
Design/Layout
Asbury Design
541.344.1633
www.asburydesign.net
Printing
TechnaPrint
541.344.4062
Eugene Area Chamber
of Commerce
1401 Willamette St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541.484.1314

CHAMBER CONTACTS
David Hauser, CCE

Elizabeth Coleman

President & CEO

(541) 242-2350
daveh@eugenechamber.com

Director of Membership Development

(541) 242-2352
elizabethc@eugenechamber.com

Beth Tassan

Jeannine Erving

Administrative Assistant
(541) 242-2356
betht@eugenechamber.com

Membership Services Manager

(541) 242-2355
jeanninee@eugenechamber.com

Barb Brunton

Katherine Movalson

Business Manager
(541) 242-2358
barbb@eugenechamber.com

Director of Communications
(541) 242-2360
katherinem@eugenechamber.com

Ashley Barrington
Administrative Support
(541) 242-2351
ashleyb@eugenechamber.com

Brittany Quick-Warner
Director of Business Advocacy
(541) 242-2354
brittanyw@eugenechamber.com

Mary O'Neil
Events Manager
(541) 242-2353
maryo@eugenechamber.com

Leigh Anne Hogue

Director of Economic Development
(541) 242-2359
leighanneh@eugenechamber.com

Open for Business:

A publication of the
Eugene Area Chamber of
Commerce
(USPS-978-480).
Open for Business is
published bimonthly
by the Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce
in February, April, June,
August, October and
December. Circulation:
3,800.
Open For Business
2016
The subscription price
is $25, included in
membership. Periodicals
Postage Paid at Eugene,
OR.
POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to
Eugene Area Chamber of
Commerce, P.O. Box 1107,
Eugene, OR 97440-1107

CHAMBER@WORK
Food, beverage sector continues to flourish

PLANNING

FOR YOUR

PEACE

OF MIND

Nick Frost
PARTNER

The areas food and beverage sector continues to thrive. Locally produced
products range from microbrews to granola to nuts, honey and more.

Progress continues on Food and

Beverage Sector strategy as The
Chamber works with 44 people from 27
organizations over the last 6 months:
Created a stronger workforce
through trainings and an education
advisory committee.
Smoothed utility costs through
EWEBs Business Growth and
Retention Program and rethought
wastewater calculations through inline
metering.
Promoted the sector through Travel
Lane Countys culinary tourism videos
and in-flight advertisements.
Created the Willamette Valley
Grown and Crafted Brand, leveraging
work led by the Willamette Farm and
Food Coalition and the Willamette Valley
Sustainable Foods Alliance.
Over 17 local food and beverage
companies have joined us to work
on support programs, branding
and promotion, workforce, utilities,
permitting and regulation, and
collaboration.

Downtown Urban Renewal District continued

Thats the whole reason Hershner Hunters newest partner, Nick Frost, is here. His
passion for estate planning, business succession and business deals is all about
eliminating uncertainty...and all the other things nagging at the back of your mind.
Nicks experience working on major transactions for one of the largest law firms in
the country means hes adept at forward thinking, strategic planning, and complex
puzzlesno matter what scale. Its a different kind of smart, with one eye firmly
fixed on the future, while examining and acting today.
Nick, and our entire team of next generation legal talent, gives us a quiet mind and
confidence that weve planned for our long-term legacy. We can help you get there too.
541-686-8511 | hershnerhunter.com

Following a 5-3 city council vote and a quiet 30

day referral period, we can confidently celebrate the
successful extension of the Downtown Urban Renewal
District. The Eugene Chamber and Downtown Eugene, Inc.
convened a group of downtown stakeholders to persuade
the Eugene City Council to extend the district and allocate
$19.4 million dollars to fund projects that will significantly
contribute to continued downtown revitalization. The
urban renewal extension will fund high-speed fiber, public
space improvements, a permanent home for the Lane
County Farmers Market, and a renovation of the old
downtown Lane Community College building into an arts
and business innovation hub.
The Eugene Chamber works to drive downtown
revitalization and this advocacy effort was successful
because of key partners including Downtown Eugene,
Inc., Travel Lane County, LTD, Technology Association
of Oregon, Lane County Farmers Market, EWEB, RAIN
Eugene, FertiLab, Downtown Eugene Merchants, LCC, AIASWO Design Excellence, Lane Arts Council, Eugene Maker
Space and numerous others.

Schematic for the proposed arts and business Innovation Hub.

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

EUGENE YP SUMMIT
It was one of the best conferences Ive been to
it REALLY gave me hope about our future leaders,
and the future of business in general.

YP Summit
participants
civic interests

55%

are most interested

in downtown
revitalization

42%
in education

45%

in local sports,
recreation, travel &
entertainment.

... and their

engagement
aspirations

56%

in nonprofit board or
committee service;

65%

We believe
a community
is at its best
when everyone
can participate.
Events bring people together. They're good for individuals, good for communities
and good for business. Lane Transit District does its part by providing transportation
to many area events. It's one of the ways we are helping to sustain a healthy and vibrant
local economy. More at LTD.org

Bus EmX RideSource Park & Ride Vanpool School & Employer Programs

occasional volunteer
events

Nearly 350 young professionals attended the first-annual event.

Summit inspires, energizes

On Thursday, June 2nd, Venue 252
buzzed with the energy of nearly 350 young
professionals at Eugenes first-ever Young
Professionals Summit hosted by the Eugene
Chamber.
The all-day event included keynote speaker
Jesse Thomas, triathlete and founder of Picky
Bars, emcee Jordan Kent, former NFL player
and University of Oregon graduate, closing
speaker Celeste Edman, CEO of Lunar Logic,
and a lineup of local leaders and panelists
who discussed relevant issues, such as
entrepreneurship, personal development and
career growth, as well as community topics
including Eugene downtown revitalization and
Civic Stadium.

The purpose of the Summit, which will

now be an annual event, was to motivate and
retain the next generation of the communitys
business leaders by helping them foster
meaningful relationships and engage in
positive community change. In addition to
information and inspiration shared by speakers
during the Summit, representatives from local
nonprofits tabled at the Young Professionals
Network afterward, informing attendees about
community involvement opportunities.
Overall, the event created an atmosphere
where young professionals could learn, discuss,
and define how they envision the community to
become a place where they want to put roots
down.

6 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

37%

serving on a city board

or committee

THANK YOU
The YP Summit would
not have been possible
without generous
support from our Title
Sponsor, University
of Oregon Lundquist
School of Business;
Reception Sponsor,
Moss Adams; Gold
Sponsors, CBT Nuggets,
Essig Entertainment,
and Hershner Hunter;
and several supporting
sponsors as well.

This is what drives us.

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Managed Services Professional IT Services Cloud Hosting

I T S O LU T I O N S

You didnt get into business to do IT.

We did.

Four questions
We asked local businesses to respond to questions that give insight into
their companies and the value of their Eugene Chamber membership.

Emily Gray
Moss Adams, LLP
Recruiting/Sales and
Marketing Coordinator
What do you wish other people knew
about your company? What might
someone be surprised to know about
your company?

A lot of people would be surprised

not only by the scope of services Moss
Adams provides, but also by the diversity
of clients both in industry and size. We
are a middle-market, niche-based public
accounting firm. We only serve markets
we understand in and out so we can truly
act as a trusted advisor. We have a number
of large metro offices but we see the value
in smaller, boutique offices, too.
We love being in Eugene because we
can provide our local clients face-to-face
service, while utilizing the resources of a
national firm. Also, not many know that
Moss Adams has been in business for over
a century!

When you work for a company that specializes in technology like I do, its even more
important that our IT operations are top-notch. Thats why we chose to work with Contin.
Chuck Dinsfriend, Director of Technology

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

8 OP EN FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

541-607-3789

1-866-227-1168

www.continu.net

info@continu.net

I grew up in Eugene and remember

being anxious to get out! I went to college
at the University of Puget Sound, studied
abroad, moved out east and wound up
back in Eugene with the thought of moving to Bend or Portland. But Eugene has
a new energy today. Business is getting
back on its feet, young professionals are
passionate about creating a bright future
for their friends and family, the University
is making great strides as a frontrunner
in academia and research and most importantly, people who live here love their
community. There is a sense of pride that

PHOTO BY WENDY GREGORY

You are a young professional. What

attracted you to Eugene and kept you
here?

Moss Adams Recruiting/Sales and Marketing Coordinator Emily Gray.

we associate with the community we

share, and its something I used to take for
granted.
As a young professional, its inspiring to
live, work and play with people who want
to see big things happen in their backyard.
I think that energy and passion will have a
great influence on Eugenes future and Im

excited to see where it will take us!

Tell us about recruiting young
professionals for Moss Adams.

As a recruiter, Im charged with selling the firm and placing people in offices
Continued on page 11

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Four questions

Four questions

Dan LaCoste

Continued from page 10

our community you would find a large sum

started with U.S. Bank. Something we are
very proud of !

U.S. Bank Regional

President
Oregon West Region
Community Banking

What element of the Chamber has been

most beneficial to your company?

The Eugene Chamber offers a great

resource for anyone in business, thinking
of getting in business or just wants to get
involved in our community.
With the leadership of the Chamber, the
revitalization of downtown has been one of
the best improvements Eugene could have
made. We love being in the middle of the
new and long-awaited downtown! Business
certainly has increased over the years and
I am certain everyone is feeling it. I love
walking to the DAC every day and seeing all
the new commerce downtown. I am now
proud of an area I once avoided.

Tell us a little bit about U.S. Bank and

how you got into this business?

In 1997 my brother Kevin, who had

been with U.S. Bank for 6 years, suggested I
apply for a personal banker job since I have
an affinity for numbers. I had no plans of
being a banker before his suggestion. Turns
out it was great advice and I have never
looked back.
U.S. Bank is a 150-year-old institution.
While we operate as a regional bank, we
are backed by the capabilities of the 5th
largest bank in the US and that is pretty
powerful. Fortune ranked U.S. Bank No. 1
Super Regional Bank for the sixth year in
a row and we are recently won the Ethisphere award for the 2nd consecutive year,
as one of the Worlds Most Ethical banks.

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Continued from page 9

where they will fit best. It can be hard to
compete with the glamour that comes with
some of our metro offices especially when
a recruit is coming out of college and has
dreams about big-city life. I leverage the fact
that Eugene actually has a lot of the things
a big city does, without all the hustle and
concrete and it comes with a cheaper
price tag than, say, Portland or Seattle. With
a slightly smaller office in Eugene, new staff
has the opportunity to work on a range of
clients, which is always very attractive to
young professionals in the world of public
accounting.

We recruit those who see the importance

of work-life balance and appreciate a community. One of our newer staff accountants
who is a transplant from Chicago recently
said, Eugene offers a very tight-knit and

supportive community feel the kind that

fosters collaboration. Upon moving here, my
husband and I found that to be a key element of the growing entrepreneurial scene.
What element of the Chamber has been
most beneficial to your company? Why
would you recommend the Chamber to
a friend?

We really value what the Chamber provides young professionals. With programs
like Leadership Eugene-Springfield, the
Young Professionals Network, and the
Young Professionals Summit, the Chamber
helps our YPs stay plugged into the business
community and engaged with other young
professionals.
Feeling connected to the community in
some way is the best avenue to help retain
top talent to the area.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

U.S. Bank has been Eugenes community bank longer than any other financial
institution. And we have 12 branches in
Eugene alone. We operate under a community model, giving us all the local controls to make most decisions very timely.
Also, through the recent recession we were
able to grow our employee base while many
other banks closed their doors.
We have always been part of this community and we are huge advocates for getting involved. We not only offer paid time
to our employees to volunteer, we donate
an hourly rate while they work. It is a huge
win-win.
What about your business is uniquely
Eugene?

At the end of the day what really makes

a bank unique is the people that work for

PHOTO BY WENDY GREGORY

What might we be surprised to know

about your company?

U.S. Bank Regional President Dan LaCoste

you. We have a very unique tenure of

employees in this market. We have many
20-year, 30-year and even 40-year U.S.
Bank employees right here in Eugene. We
employee about 140 people locally and in

1 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

my humble opinion have the best in the

business. We joke here that we are the
training ground for leaders in our industry.
If you could do a survey of bank leaders in
Continued on page 11

SERENITY LANE

COBURG CAMPUS

www.serenitylane.org

541-687-1110

alcohol & drug treatment

NOW OPEN!

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

11

Connected Lane County

Executive Director Heidi Larwick,
States Industries President
Mike Taylor, and Johnson Crushers
International Human Resources
Manager Avril Watt.

COVER STORY

JOBS IN
THE PIPELINE

A strong workforce drives economic growth, but the supply

of qualified workers in Lane County isnt meeting demand
Story By SOPHIA MCDONALD BENNETT | Photo by David Loveall

A business is only as strong as its employees.

Without people hammering nails, welding steel
and running computers, buildings dont get built,
equipment doesnt get assembled and well,
these days, nothing gets done.
A strong workforce is foundational to
having a functioning society, says Mike Taylor,
President and CEO of hardwood plywood panel
manufacturer States Industries. If you want to
have successful businesses in Eugene, you have to
have a strong workforce.
Demand for skilled workers and knowledge
1 2 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

workers is only going to grow. The Oregon

Employment Department projects Lane County
will add 16,800 jobs between 2014 and 2024,
an 11 percent increase. Having a well-trained
workforce is essential to attracting the businesses
that will create these positions, as well as
supporting local companies that want to grow.
Its the number one question we hear when
a business is considering coming to the area: Do
we have the talent base they need? says Kristina
Payne, Executive Director of Lane Workforce
Partnership. Its the same thing with existing
A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

13

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

The Eugene Chamber of

Commerce is taking an active
role in strengthening Lane
Countys workforce pipeline.
Heres what weve been doing
over the past year:
n Co-sponsored a
Manufacturing Career Day at
Lane Community College that
served 45 high school students.
n Assisted with planning for
Construction and Utilities
Career Day in October 2016.
n Arranged for nearly 100
Willamette High School students
involved in career and technical
education programs to tour
local manufacturers.
n Audited and assessed
career and technical education
programs currently offered
at Lane County schools in
partnership with Connected
Lane County.
n Organized the Eugene Young
Professionals Summit to help
young professionals feel more
connected and engaged in the
community.
n Established a workforce
training advisory committee
made up of local business
leaders.
n Encouraged employers to
work more collaboratively on
workforce issues for example,
creating coalitions of employers
that need people with similar
skills so they can join together to
recruit workers.
n Collaborated with Lane
Workforce Partnership
and others to market the
opportunities that exist within
the region.

1 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Top 50 jobs
The top 50 jobs for Lane County based on online job listings for May 2016.
Occupation

PHOTO BY WENDY GREGORy

What the Chamber is

doing on workforce
development

companies in the area that are deciding

whether they want to stay or relocate. Even
if potential employees dont have the specific
skills an employer needs, Payne says businesses
will still come to the region if it has strong
workforce training programs in place.
Unfortunately, the supply of qualified
workers in Lane County isnt meeting the
demand right now. A short-term contributor
is the unemployment rate, which the Oregon
Employment Department reported was 4.8
percent in May 2016. There simply arent
enough qualified people to fill open positions
right now.
But there are also longer-term factors that
are clogging the workforce pipeline. Lane
County citizens faced massive layoffs during
the Great Recession. That forced many midcareer workers to look elsewhere for employment. Those who were able to retire often took
that option, leaving businesses scrambling to
find young people to replace them.
For companies seeking skilled laborers,
that is a challenge akin to finding a bar that
favors big-name beers over local microbrews.
Over the past 20 years, constant news reports
about manufacturing jobs being outsourced
or replaced by technology led high school
students to stop seeing skilled labor as a viable
career path. Budget cuts and waning interest
meant vocational training programs all but
disappeared from schools. Instead, young
people were pushed toward a higher education.
Its reasonable to assume a number of them
chose to attend the University of Oregon; 51
percent of the schools students are Oregon
residents. In 2016 4,192 students were granted
bachelors degrees. Business administration
was the most popular major among undergraduates, followed by journalism, sociology
and economics.
That doesnt mean employers looking for
knowledge workers had an easier time recruiting them. Students tend to migrate to bigger
cities after graduation. These moves are often
fueled by the perception that theres no way to
earn a living in the Eugene-Springfield area,
and that young people will find more friends
and fun things to do in bigger cities. This brain
drain affects local employers, but it also makes
it harder to keep entrepreneurs and innovation
in the region.
Changing those students paths and opinions, as well as providing more opportunities
for mid-career workers, is essential to unclog-

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

Lane Workforce Partnership Executive

Director Kristina Payne says businesses
will come to the region if it has strong
workforce training programs in place.

The responsibility for

creating the workforce
lies with many players
schools, businesses,
local government,
business incubators,
chambers of commerce
and others.
ging the workforce pipeline. It also strengthens the community as a whole. If high school
students who arent interested in pursuing a
college degree can find family-wage jobs after
graduation, it provides a stream of workers
for businesses and a stable life for them. If
college graduates stay put, it makes Eugene
more appealing to young people who follow
after them. When mid-career workers feel
confident that if one job disappears, it wont
be too long before another one will take its

Number

Occupation

Number

Registered Nurses

529

Nursing Assistants

50

Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

214

49

Retail Salespersons

129

Janitors and Cleaners, except Maids and

Housekeeping Cleaners

Social and Human Service Assistants

117

Cooks, Restaurant

47

Physical Therapists

107

Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers,

Hand

46

Construction Carpenters

46

First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and

Serving Workers

97

Customer Service Representatives

94

Tellers

45

Insurance Sales Agents

90

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

45

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

86

Cashiers

45

Personal Care Aides

82

Accountants

45

Medical Assistants

81

Sales Agents, Financial Services

45

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers,

Iincluding Fast Food

79

Computer User Support Specialists

43

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

42

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

74
74

First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers,

and Repairers

41

Occupational Therapists
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative
Support Workers

68

Stock Clerks, Sales Floor

41

Construction Laborers

41

Medical and Health Services Managers

67
66

Sales Representatives, Wholesale and

Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific
Products

38

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational

Nurses
Family and General Practitioners

55

Driver/Sales Workers

38

First-Line Supervisors of Production and

Operating Workers

54

Internists, General

37

First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers

37

Executive Secretaries and Executive

Administrative Assistants

54

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social

Workers

Helpers--Production Workers

37

Critical Care Nurses

36

52

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except

Legal, Medical, and Executive

36

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

52
51

Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine

Specialists

34

Medical Secretaries
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers

50

Coaches and Scouts

33

Pharmacists

50

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

33

place, theyre more likely to stay put.

Jennifer Adams, Director of Human
Resources for Bulk Handling Systems,
which manufactures recycling and materials
handling equipment, sums up the need for a
strong workforce this way: Its the lifeblood
of thriving businesses. If we cant find people,
were going to have to look out of the area or
even outsource. We want to keep things in

house here. Continuing to develop the workforce at all ages is a win for the local economy
and a win for the local businesses out there
looking for people.
The responsibility for creating the workforce lies with many players schools, businesses, local government, business incubators,
chambers of commerce and others. These
stakeholders are coming together in ways not

seen in decades to work toward solutions. The

results so far are a great source of optimism.
In a decade, businesses will be less likely to
ask who will be operating their cranes and
running their automotive shops. Instead,
theyll be looking at how their hard-working
and well-trained employees can help them
become even more competitive in a global
marketplace.

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

15

Customized marketing solutions

for local businesses.
What do you need to grow your business or organization? The answer is different for everyone. Thats why our work is specifically tailored for every client.
Whatever your marketing challenge is, talk to us. Because the first thing we do is listen to you to discover what youre trying to achieve. And then we help you reach your goals.

Website Development

Breeden Homes
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skilled and responsive. They even gave us new ideas like
pulling our construction photos in from our Facebook page
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Robert Breeden, owner

Video Production

Digital Advertising

Search Marketing

Website Development

(Pay Per Click)

Eugene Family YMCA

RG Media Company produced seven outstanding videos
for our series, The Y. For a better us. Their staff was
extremely flexible and really put the interview subjects at
ease. We had a vision for what we wanted to achieve and
they made it a reality.
Jeff Oliver, Director of Communications & Operations

Prevedello Hettick
Marketing Company
Advertising on registerguard.com gets results for our
clients. The online sales staff have well-researched
suggestions for creating effective campaigns. We like the
direction RG Media Company is heading with their digital
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John Prevedello and Scott Hettick

Bakers Boots & Clothing

Im thrilled with the results Ive seen from my digital
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Kyle Baker, Manager

Pacific Cascade Federal Credit Union

I cant praise their work enough. RG Media Company not
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Debi Bennett, Marketing Director

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Let our experts take your marketing to the next level. Contact Advertising Sales Manager Matt Harestad at 541-338-2259 or matt.harestad@registerguard.com
A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

17

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

Skills-based jobs offer great opportunities

New jobs in expected
in manufacturing,
construction, natural
resource extraction
For years the narrative has been the same:
The United States is losing manufacturing jobs.
And even if you could find a job in manufacturing, theres no future there. No money, no
opportunities for advancement, no respect.
Local employers have to disagree. Data from
the Oregon Employment Department shows
that Lane County will add 16,800 jobs between 2014 and 2024. Although jobs in health
care, social assistance and business services will
add the most positions, the Eugene-Springfield
area is expected to add 1,700 jobs in manufacturing, 900 in construction and 300 in natural
resource extraction (including logging, sand
and gravel). Many of these high-demand jobs

training, they can move into positions that pay

up to $19.50 an hour.
An aging workforce means young people
will have plenty of chances to move into
higher-paying positions in the coming years.
Mike Taylor, President and CEO of hardwood plywood panel manufacturer States
Industries, says the company is dedicated to
offering their employees multiple opportunities for advancement. They can even help with
professional development. If people are interested in learning to be electricians, machinists
or millwrights, well pay for their schooling at
Lane Community College, he says.
Besides providing a good wage and
chances to tackle new challenges, Adams says
young people should know theres no shame
in pursuing a career as a skilled laborer. Bulk
Handling Systems wouldnt exist without our
production group, she says. Its an incredibly
important piece of our business.
Although skilled labor careers still involve
plenty of hard work, Peter Lauf, CTE Out-

still offer above-average wages. Wood products

is the largest subset of manufacturing and can
provide an average annual salary of $51,874.
Avril Watt is the Human Resources
Manager at Eugene-based Johnson Crushers
International ( JCI), which manufactures rock
crushing and screening equipment. They employ 239 people in positions such as welding,
machining and engineering. She wishes young
people were better educated about the earnings available in manufacturing careers. JCIs
welders start at $17 an hour and can work
their way up to $27 an hour.
Were providing living family wages for
our employees, says Jennifer Adams, Director of Human Resources at Bulk Handling
Systems, which manufactures recycling and
materials handling equipment. We are more
than willing to bring in someone who just
graduated from high school and has a few
years of experience in metal shop and start
them at $13 an hour. If they show interest
and are willing to go through some additional

reach Coordinator for the Lane Education

Service District (Lane ESD), points out
that todays jobs arent necessarily the dirty
and dangerous ones young people may associate with the automotive, construction,
and manufacturing fields. He uses Springfield
High Schools auto technician program as
an example of how technology continues to
shape the workplace.
Its not so much bruised knuckle wrench
work, Lauf says. Its, Ill take this tablet and
connect with cars onboard computers. Were
going to start the car remotely and and run
diagnostics without even picking up a screwdriver. Its really more sophisticated stuff than
I think we tend to imagine.
Watt says everyone at JCI respects the
hard work of the companys skilled labor
force including the laborers themselves. My
folks here take great pride in building a machine thats worth several million dollars and
then sending it off with a Built in the USA
sticker, she reports. Theres a real sense of accomplishment that the USA can manufacture
and still compete in world markets.

About Johnson Crushers International

Career Development Program
Johnson Crushers International
(JCI) is among several local employers
offering tours to high school students
interested in manufacturing careers.
But the company is taking their
workforce development efforts one
step further by instituting a career
development program.
Each year, JCI hopes to identify and
hire at least one student in a key area
such as welding, machining or sales.
Each student will work alongside a
professional for a number of hours
each week depending on their school
schedule. The company will pay them
less than a typical new hire, but each
young person also gains valuable
training and on-the-job experience.
The whole idea is to see if this is the
sort of job theyd like, says Avril Watt,

Well positioned to assist with appeals, trials, and procedural issues throughout Oregon.

JCIs first participant in the career

development program was a young
man from Willamette High School
who worked as a machinist. The
experience was very positive, Watt
says, and the company offered him
a job upon graduation. He decided
to enlist in the military instead, but
he plans to enlist in an engineering
capacity. Eventually hell utilize savings
and veteran scholarships to pay for a
college degree. Skills learned at JCI will
put him in a better position to advance
his career inside the military and to
succeed once he gets out.

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Chamber of
Commerce

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the companys Human Resources

Manager. If the trainee is a good fit and
would like to stay on, JCI can hire them
and feel confident that theyre getting
someone with the right skills.

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A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

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WORKFORCE PIPELINE

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

High school programs feed demand

Lane County schools
and businesses are
partnering to advance
their shared goal of
developing a stronger
workforce
This October, EWEB will open up its west
Eugene facility and let a small group live out
their wildest bulldozer-driving, pole-climbing, leak-detecting and wheelbarrow-racing
dreams.
This isnt your normal career fair, and it
isnt aimed at soon-to-be college graduates or
mid-career professionals. Construction and
Utilities Career Day gives high school students a chance to leave their typical campuses
and explore career options at EWEB. Besides
engaging in activities like driving heavy equipment and participating in nail hammering
contests, participants can visit booths staffed
by local businesses to learn what opportunities
await them after graduation.
The long-term success of this event inspired
the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce,
along with Lane Education Service District,
Lane Workforce Partnership, Lane Community College and partners in the business
sector, to create a Manufacturing Career Day
for high school students interested in pursuing
skilled labor positions post-graduation. The
inaugural event at Lane Community College
served 45 youth. Next years event will be even
bigger and is expected to draw a large volume
of employers and potential employees.
These are just two examples of the myriad
ways Lane County schools and businesses are
working together to advance their shared goal
of developing a stronger workforce. Although
educational institutions play a vital role in
creating the workforce of tomorrow, they
can do a better job of meeting that mission
if they have information and support from
industry. Likewise, employers that participate
in programs designed to move students into
fulfilling careers will be more successful at
recruiting and retaining successful employees.

The Chambers Manufacturing Career Day at Lane Community College gave 45

students an inside look at options after graduation. Students now have access to
more than 70 different career training programs while enrolled in high school.

The Eugene Chamber of Commerce plays an

important role in connecting the two groups.
One of the most important ways schools
are improving the workforce pipeline is by
increasing the number of vocational training
programs available in schools. According to
Kristin Gunson, MS, Career & Technical
Education Regional Coordinator for Lane
Education Service District (Lane ESD),
students now have access to over 70 different
career training programs while theyre still
enrolled in high school. Ninety-two percent
of students take at least one of these professional development classes at some point
while theyre in high school. Approximately
1,000 graduate every year with enough experience to pursue an entry-level job.
Administrators use data from the Oregon Employment Department to determine
which programs of study will be offered at
which schools. Decisions are made based on
the industries in the area, or whether jobs are

2 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

ranked as high demand and high wage. Work

on this front is also being done by Connected
Lane County, a superintendent-led effort
to support students at critical points in their
educational journey, in cooperation with the
Chamber and Lane Workforce Partnership.
Right now this coalition is auditing career
preparatory programs that currently exist in
local schools. The goal is to see where gaps
exist and do more to fill them.
Right now this group is utilizing data from
the Technology Association of Oregon to
conduct a spatial analysis of where the jobs are
located in relation to local high schools. Once
they have that information in hand, schools
can connect students with nearby companies
for professional development opportunities.
The coalition plans to do a similar analysis for
the food and beverage industry at some point.
Heidi Larwick, Connected Lane Countys
Director, says their partnership with the
Chamber and Lane Workforce is also helping

create better connections between schools and

industry. Superintendents are individually
meeting with local industry leaders to design
and ensure the curriculum will adequately
prepare students for the positions that will be
open in the future, she says.The manufacturing sector annually offer a Career Technical
Education teacher a summer internship with
various companies so the teacher can experience first-hand the types of skills that are
necessary to teach their students.
Along with preparing students for the jobs
that are in high demand in the region, schools
are emphasizing the soft skills young people
need to be successful in any modern job. A
lot of times employers have their own training
programs, Gunson says. The skills we want
to teach are problem solving, teamwork, the
value and purpose of work, and workplace
etiquette.
Other new programs to link schools and
industry are growing or coming online on a
regular basis. Willamette High School and
the Chamber worked together to arrange
tours of local manufacturing firms for nearly

100 students enrolled in technical education

programs. Similar tours will be available to
other area schools in the next few years. And
Lane ESD recently received a grant for its
STEM Hub program, which is a multisector
initiative that brings formal educational institutions (schools) and non-formal educators
(businesses, community organizations like
the Science Factory, and others) together to
increase the number of learning experiences
available to young people.
We want to provide rich experiences for
people in the formal schooling systems, but
research shows theres a lot of really valuable
learning that happens in those non-formal
environments, says Steven Braun, PhD, the
programs Director.
Rather than creating new programs, the
STEM Hub seeks to educate people about
why STEM (science, technology, engineering
and math) education matters, and coordinate
the efforts of all partners. To the former
point, Braun says that communities are better off when residents receive an education
that promotes innovation and gives them the

tools to make the things they dream up. Thats

why schools such as Springfield High School
and Hamlin Middle School are investing in
educational spaces similar to maker labs, and
businesses such as Lunar Logic and Concentric Sky are engaged with the Coder Dojo
program at Lane Community College.
To the latter point, Braun shares this comment: To become STEM literate is to have
a multitude of great experiences. In order to
do that, its really important that providers
all communicate and collaborate. It has to
do with getting people to walk in a direction
together.
Schools and businesses are still exploring
the best ways to align their common missions, but Lane County residents can expect
good things in the future. Everybody Ive
talked to says this is the first time theres been
this high a level of engagement between the
superintendents and industry, Larwick says.
Everyone feels really positive about the direction this is headed. Theres a lot of excitement
and support from the entire community.

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

21

WORKFORCE PIPELINE

What will it take to attract young talent?

Downtown revitalization and housing
availability important factors
The battle to attract and retain young talent is heating up as businesses and communities all over the country are striving to and in some
cases struggling to figure out what it is they need to do to lure young
professionals. Our community is no different. A recovering economy
and a growing technology sector has local employers and community
leaders rethinking how to attract and convince current students and
young workers to remain in to our region.
Young adults are far mobile and in-demand professionals arent
afraid to pick up and move for a great job or a cool new city. According
to a 2014 study by City Observer, the presence of young professionals
in a city is a direct reflection of its health and well-being, as young
migrant professionals are key to fueling economic growth and urban
revitalization.
Perhaps just as important for college towns like ours, where
thousands of talented graduates leave the community every year, is
identifying and pursuing what inspires them to plant their roots in a
community. A study produced by IndyHub, an Indianapolis nonprofit
focused on young professional advocacy, explored what makes a young

person loyal to their city. Based on a loyalty scale developed to measure the likelihood that a young professional would stay or leave, their
research found that loyalty was greatly influenced by ones satisfaction
with their social life and their level of civic engagement. Those who
were extremely or very aware and involved civically had a low risk of
leaving the area.
Helping young professionals build relationships and encouraging

their involvement in local committees, volunteerism and civic projects

are key to ensuring they stay put and call our community home.
When the Chamber looks at barriers to economic growth for our
area, attracting and retaining talent is high on the list. For over a
decade our chamber has supported young workers through our Young
Professionals Network events and encouraged civic education through
our annual Leadership Eugene Springfield program To put a hyper
focus on the goals of building relationships and encouraging civic engagement, the chamber recently produced the first ever Eugene Young
Professionals Summit. (See page 6)
Looking at our own community in a survey of 150 attendees following the Eugene Young Professionals Summit, those who would
consider moving away cite a lack of community connectivity and lack
of downtown vibrancy and entertainment options as key factors. Availability and affordability of downtown housing was also a top concern.
In the next five years the respondents would like to see a priority put on
job growth, economic vitality and downtown revitalization, including
solutions for homelessness.
So what do we need to do to create a highly attractive community
where young professionals stick around?
Civic leaders need to stay focused and committed to downtown
revitalization, increased housing availability, and increasing job opportunities for young people. Collaborative and creative solutions to
homelessness will contribute to our success in building a highly attractive workplace and serve the entire community. But most importantly,
we need to support and empower young professionals to take a seat at
the table and be a part of building a community for the next generation.
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6/24/16 9:12 AM

WORKFORCE PIPELINE
Contacting Career
Services at UO
Looking to hire a Duck or offer an
internship? The UO Career Center
is available to collaborate on your
search for competent, engaged and
professional candidates. Whether
you are offering career positions,
internships, and part-time jobs,
they will connect you with the right
students and alumni. There is no fee
for employers to post opportunities.
www.career.uoregon.edu/employers

conscientious. It is very rewarding to work

with them; I see my younger self and my
daughters future in them.
The club and mentors like Wagoner transformed Petris approach to her career.
Ive gained a better understanding of what
to expect when I graduate and important
perspectives on how to approach my career
path, Petri said. I dont think I would feel as
confident about graduating next year if I didnt
One hundred members of the UO Women in Business Club participate in skill building workshops with seasoned professionals.

UO sees success with Women in Business Club

By Molly Blancett
University of OREGON

Launching a business career as a recent

college graduate can be a daunting goal, with
countless companies and steep competition
for coveted openings.
Tualatin native Sahar Petri experienced
a hint of that fear when she started business
school at the University of Oregons Lundquist College of Business.
It was overwhelming trying to figure out
what direction I wanted to go with such large
class sizes, she said.
Confidence soon replaced her concerns
thanks to advice she took from a friend to
join the Women in Business Club.
Its one of the best decisions Ive made at
UO, Petri said.
The Women in Business Club provides a
community for aspiring businesswomen to be
successful in the business world. While housed
in the Lundquist College of Business, the club
is open to all majors and is 100 members strong.

I dont think I would feel as

confident about graduating
next year if I didnt have the
advice of the women who
take time out of their lives to
come talk to us.
Sahar Petri

Members holds panels, skill-building

workshops and talks with professional speakers. They recently traveled to Los Angeles and
met with the NFL Network, GUESS and the
media company 72andSunny.
As a result of the site visit I got to see the
environment of several different companies
and meet several different people, said sophomore member Ashley Rendall. I now have
network and connections with people from

2 4 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Top degrees from the University of Oregon

for the graduating class of 2016
Family and Human Services
Business Administration

Political Science
Accounting
Art

Human
Physiology

Journalism

Psychology

General Social Science

Economics

have the advice of the women who take time

out of their lives to come talk to us.
For Petri, the proof is in the placement.

She recently started her dream internship at

adidas thanks to networking and interviewing
skills she credits to Women in Business.
Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

SERVING OUR MEMBERS

WITH UNCOMMON CARE SINCE 1949.

For more information on the Women in

Business Club, go to wib.uoregon.edu.

(the) NFL. How many people can say that?

After that trip I became more confident with
what I wanted to do and the environment in
which I want to work .
More than 100 professionals attend the
clubs annual networking gala. Each woman is
matched with a student to talk about different
career paths over dinner.
Whitney Wagoner, director of the UOs
Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, spoke at
this years event and actively mentors future
female business leaders like Petri and Rendall.
Women must help, support, nurture and
champion each other if we are going to reach
our collective potential, Wagoner said. I am
inspired by these young women. They make
me optimistic about the future. They are
bright, hard-working, creative, confident and

Come in and find out what Uncommon Care feels like.

NWCU.com
(800) 452-9515

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

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25

BUSINESSNEWS
Promotions/
New Hires

BUSINESSNEWS
Center, providing non-operative care,
access for urgent work-in patients, and
participating in Physician Assistant
education.

Photos appear left to right from top.

Names in bold indicate Eugene Area
Chamber of Commerce members. If you
are interested in joining the Chamber,
please contact us at 541-484-1314 or
info@eugenechamber.com.
Seneca Sawmill
Company hired
Cameron Krauss as
its new Senior Vice
President of Legal
Affairs.Cameron will
oversee all legal and public policy matters
for the Seneca Family of Companies.
He earned a BS in Fisheries and Wildlife
Science from Oregon State University,
and his JD from the University of
Oregon.Along with handling Senecas
day-to-day legal activities, he will continue
to play a major role working in the natural
resource community.

WHA Insurance Agency, Inc. welcomed

Basilio Coln and Karisa Marshall
to their team. Basilio is an Insurance
Producers for the Commercial insurance
department. Karisa joined the Processing
department.

Joe Napiltonia joined Northwest

Community Credit Union as Chief Risk
Officer. He will oversee legal matters and
credit union compliance.
Jayson Davis was
promoted to Vice
President, Business
Client Advisor at
Summit Bank. Jayson
has expertise in
commercial lending and over 20 years of
banking experience.
Pearl Buck Center Incorporated
welcomed Jaclyn Umenhofer as their
Associate of Resource Development.
Jaclyn was born and raised in Springfield,
Oregon and graduated from the University
of Oregon. She is eager to further PBCs
mission of offering people with disabilities
and their families quality choices and
support to achieve their goals.
Dr. Thomas K. Wuest
is now the Chief Medical
Officer for Centene/
Trillium/HealthNet
plans for the Oregon
region, overseeing
medical management of nearly 200,000
people under Medicaid, Medicare, and
Commercial plans. He still maintains a
half-day clinic once a week at the Slocum

Windermere Real
Estate/Lane County
added four Brokers
to its staff. Alinne
Cabral Umberger is
fluent in Portuguese
and is originally from Brazil. Freeman
Corbin has over 15 years experience
in real estate purchasing, selling,
development and investment along with
experience in marketing and executive
entrepreneurship. He is also a mentor
for RAIN Regional Accelerator and
Innovation Network. Tiffany Harness
previously worked as a substitute
educational assistant with the Bethel
School District, and as a pharmacy tech
and in customer service. Dustin Vollstedt
is a University of Oregon graduate and
worked for the US Forest Service for
seven seasons. Troy Welch (not pictured)
is a new Commercial Broker with
Windermere. He has 13 years experience
and specializes in small and large acreage,
horse properties, farms, ranches and
timber land. Windermere Real Estate/
Lane County also added Josh White
as a Managing Principal Broker. Joshs
sales volume since 2007 is nearly $35
million and he has served on the Board of

2 6 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

Directors for the Eugene Association of

Realtors.

Kudos

Janelle Breedlove
joined the Eugene,
Cascades & Coast
Sports Commission
as Group Housing
Manager, building on
her career in the lodging industry.

Shelton Turnbull became Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified,
demonstrating their commitment to
responsible environmental practices across
their entire supply chain.

Christine Richman
joined the QSL Print
Communications
sales team. A native
of Eugene and UO
graduate, Christine
brings fresh insight and perspective to
QSL with experience from both sides of
the client/printer relationship.
King Estate Winery promoted two sales
veterans who will manage the 10-person
sales force. Randy Ford is now Senior Vice
President of Sales, Eastern U.S. With King
Estate since 2007, he will continue to be
based in Daytona Beach, Florida. Edward
Holmes is now Vice President of Sales,
Western U.S., including Canada. Based
in the greater Seattle, Washington area,
Holmes has been with King Estate since
2011.
Jiaer (Vanessa) Yuan
joined Kirk Martins
State Farm Agency
as a marketing intern.
She is a senior at the
University of Oregon,
originally from China.
Brad Jones was
promoted to Senior
Accountant at Moss
Adams. He provides
audit and tax support
for clients primarily
in the forest products industry and
government sector.

Crescent Park Senior Living was awarded

the Good Neighbor Award from the Lane
Senior Support Coalition (local nonprofit for
low income seniors) for helping to raise over
$3,800. This is the largest amount raised
at one event and only the second time the
award has been presented.
The Pearl Buck Center named their
2016-17 Board of Directors: President Erik
Hasselman, Assistant District Attorney
for Lane County; Vice PresidentTina
Gutierez-Schmich, Bethel School District;
Past President Tim Keeley, Bethel Schools
(retired);Secretary Selene Jaramillo,
Lane County Public Health; and Treasurer
Michelle Grassauer, Horsfall & Fipps.
Additional members are Scott Bales, Royal
Refuse; Kelly Beckley, Beckley & Bons,
P.C.; Kate Bergman, EWEB (retired); Frosty
Cummings, Jedi Services (retired); Cinda
Gangle, Client Advocate; Denise Ghazal,
Pacific Continental Bank; Paul Jorgensen,
4J School District (retired), Frank Lawson,
EWEB; Bonnie Merten, bjm Presentations;
Jim Torrey, past Mayor, Eugene 4J School
District Board Member.
Court Appointed Special Advocates
(CASA) received the following foundation
grants over the past several months
to train and support new volunteer
advocates:Storms Family Foundation
(10,000); Central Lutheran Foundation
($2,000); Oregon CASA Network ($20,000);
Collins Foundation ($20,000); Cottage
Grove Community Foundation ($2,311); WLS
Spencer Foundation ($20,000); John Serbu
Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
($19,547); Wheeler Foundation ($5,000);
Wells Fargo ($1,000); Washington Federal
Foundation ($500); Windermere Foundation
($2,026); Eugene Active 20/30 Club
($2,000); Baker Family Foundation ($1,000);
Autzen Foundation ($5,000); Thurston High
School Community 101 ($2,000); and RBC
Wealth Management ($5,000).

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EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity.

A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

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BUSINESSNEWS
Craig Wanichek,
President and Chief
Executive Officer of
Summit Bank, was
appointed to the
Federal Delegate
Board of the Independent Community
Bankers of America (ICBA).
The US Small Business Administration
(SBA) Portland District Office
announced Summit Bank is the
number one community bank lender
in Oregon for SBA Financing with over
$2,000,000 in SBA loans this year.
For the second year in a row Essex
General Construction was named
one of the 100 Fastest Growing Private
Companies in Oregon by the Portland
Business Journal. Additionally, after
opening their Portland office in January
2015, the Portland Business Journal
ranked Essex as the 29th largest
General Contractor in the Portland
Metro area.
OMT Mortgage moved to a new
location at 2645 Suzanne Way, Suite
2-D, Eugene, 97408.
BRING advanced two spots on this
years 100 Best Green Workplaces
in Oregon list, released by Oregon
Business, making it the top sustainable
organization in Lane County. BRING
entered the list at #35 in 2014 and shot
up to #14 last year.

The Arts & Business Alliance of

Eugene announced its Business
Recognizing Arts Vision & Achievement
(BRAVA) awards for 2016. Dottie Chase
won the Arts and Letters Award for
service on the Boards of Directors
for the Lane Arts Council, Jordan
Schnitzer Museum of Art, Jacobs
Gallery, Gallery at the Airport and the
Emerald Art Center. The nonprofit New
Zone Gallery received the Fentress
Endowment Award for nurturing both
emerging and established artists for
over 30 years. Recognition for Arts and
Business Partnership went to three
such collaborations: Artsdigital and
Threadbare Print House, designer
Mitra Chester and St. Vincent de
Paul Society of Lane County and the
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art and
Imagination International Inc.

BUSINESSNEWS
The Oregon
Community Credit
Union Board
welcomed Jeanine
Wallace and elected
her OCCU Board
Secretary. Other officers include Chair
Bev Anderson; Vice Chair Genevieve
Parker, and Treasurer Mandy Jones.
Marathon Coach set an industry
record with its 1250th bus conversion.
Marathon Coach is the first and only
company to build over 1,000 custom
luxury bus conversions.

Mike Boring of KEZI

was awarded Eugene
Active 20-30 Clubs
2016 Lifetime
Achievement
Award.Mike served
the Eugene Active 20-30 Club from
1993-2004 as President of both the
Club and the Foundation and chaired
many volunteer projects. He continues
to remain involved supporting future
leaders in the Eugene/Springfield
community.

Eugene Active
20-30 Club also
announced its new
Board: President
Loni Waltasti
(pictured), Old
Dominion Collision
Repair Center; 1st Vice President
Laura Harris (pictured), University of
Oregon Purchasing and Contracting
Services; 2nd Vice President Matt
Snyder (pictured), Murphy Company;
Immediate Past President Brian
Jones, Entrepreneur; Secretary Alex
Harris, University of Oregon Central IT;
Treasurer Meghan McMahon, Cascade
Title Company; and Activator Ashely
Hensley, St. Vincent de Paul. Directors
are Jackie Merrill, Moss Adams, LLP;
Larissa Straily, University of Oregon
Conference Services; Tyson Woodard,
Woodard Family Foundation and Abigail
Gamez, GloryBee Foods.

Eugene Commercial and Rain Dance

Real Estate have merged to form
RealNW Group.

Koke New Century, Inc., the

parent company for QSL Print
Communications and instaprint,
expanded its wide-format print
capabilities to include printing directly
to rigid sign materials up to four feet by
eight feet in size and up to two inches
thick.
Iris Vineyards Estate Tasting will be
open seven days a week this summer
and they will host a summer concert
series on Friday nights from 6:00 9:00
PM.
Three Rivers Casino Resort in
Florence has dedicated 40 percent of its
gaming floor asnon-smoking, becoming
one of the largest non-smoking gaming
areas in Oregon. The non-smoking
section is nearly 12,000 square feet with
150 games.

New Members

Bell Real Estate, Inc.

When you join the Eugene Area

Chamber of Commerce, you become
part of a vibrant and prosperous
community of creative entrepreneurs,
forward-thinking innovators and
visionary business leaders. Were
pleased to welcome these new
members who have chosen to take
advantage of the Chambers tools,
resources and expansive network to
grow their businesses:

Castle Megastore Eugene

www.mckenzieleasing.com

Nobel Peace Laureate Project

www.castlemegastore.com

Driftwood Shores Resort &
Convention Center

www.nobelpeacelaureates.org

www.driftwoodshores.com

www.performancemobility.com

Eugreen Health Center

Todds Auto Body, Inc.

www.eugreenhealth.com

www.toddsautobodyinc.com

Farwest Steel Reinforcing Co.

Western Shelter Systems and

CrewBoss

Performance Mobility

www.farweststeel.com

Amica Mutual Insurance

www.amica.com

Ida Keir Law

www.westernshelter.com

www.idakeirlaw.com

b Bar and Grill
www.b2barandgrill.com

Bell Law Offices, PC
www.belllawoffices.com

Integrated Business Solutions,
LLC
www.ibsnwteam.com

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

Kadels Auto Body, an ABRA

Company
www.kadels.com

Windermere Real
Estate/Lane County
announced that Ron
Tinsley earned a
principal brokers
license. Tinsley has a
5 star rating on consumer sites for his
professionalism and customer service.
The Eugene Marathon earned Gold
Level Certification from the Council
for Responsible Sport, employing 45
distinct best practices.

Join the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce!

Eastern Europe Explorer
Spain & Portugal Highlights

featuring 2 Nights in Krakow, Warsaw & 3 Nights in Prague

featuring Lisbon, Seville, Madrid & Barcelona

Featuring RT Air (PDX) 7 nights Accommodations 11 Meals

Warsaw City Tour & Old Town CzestochowaAuschwitz Krakow City Tour &
Wawel Castle Wieliczka Salt Mine Kromeriz Prague City Tour &
Hradcany Castle Charles Bridge and more

Featuring RT Air (PDX) 9 nights Accommodations 13 Meals

Lisbon & Alfama Quarter Evora Seville & Cathedral of Seville
Granada Alhambra Palace & Generalife Toledo Madrid & Royal Palace
High Speed Train/Madrid to Barcelona Barcelona Sightseeing and more

9 Days March 21, 2017

$3,195*per person/double

11 Days November 7, 2017

$4,295* per person/double

*Rate reflects $100 booking discount. See detailed trip flyer for details.

CST #2048841-40

2 8 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

McKenzie Leasing and Finance,

Inc.

www.bell-realty.com

*Rate reflects $100 booking discount. See detailed trip flyer for details.

For more information :

(541)228-5642 or eugene.chamber.travel@gmail.com
Attn: Pat May
A U G U ST/ S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

29

LAST CALL BY DAVE HAUSER

Taking encouraging steps

to improve our workforce

verywhere I go these days, I see signs that say

Were hiring. This is one reminder that many
local businesses are struggling to find qualified
workers right now.
The other is the feedback I hear from our
members. Companies are not certain where their next skilled
laborer is coming from, theyre worried about whether theyll be
able to hire all the people they need today and down the road.
Although there are limited opportunities in the short term,
our community is taking encouraging steps to improve the
size and quality of our workforce in the future. Local school
districts have stepped up their efforts to prepare students for
a wide variety of careers in the highest-demand fields in our
region.
This training isnt happening in a vacuum. As youll see
in this issue of Open for Business, industry partners play a
big role in efforts to create the next generation of workers.
Businesses are offering education partners feedback on the
skills they need in employees. Theyre also opening their
doors to students by offering tours, internships, job shadow
opportunities and more.
The narrative around education is changing as well.
Students are no longer getting the message that to succeed in
life, you must get a four-year degree. Instead, our high schools
are letting them know they can pursue any dream they want.

And that if they want to be a machinist or plumber, theres no

shame in pursuing that over becoming a doctor or CEO of the
hot new internet start-up.
While K-12 schools are one of the most important players
in workforce development, the University of Oregon, Lane
Community College, and other institutions are also vital to the
workforce development picture. Our biggest challenge with
knowledge workers is retaining them. After their education
in Eugene, young people tend to leave for what they view as
greener pastures in the big city.
Were working on ways to convince them that Eugene has
nearly all the upsides of a big city with fewer downsides. We
continue to work with the UO Career Center to show students
that good jobs with opportunities for advancement really do
exist here. Projects like our Young Professionals Summit aim to
help them feel more invested and interested in putting down
roots in the community. Stopping this brain drain and keeping
innovation local is an important piece of our workforce
development puzzle.
When businesses look to expand or move to Eugene, one
of the first questions is always, When I hang out my Were
Hiring sign, will anyone respond? And will they have the skills
my business needs?
The answer has to be yes. And thanks to efforts like those
described on the preceding pages, Im confident it will be.

Business partnerships
Talent retention
Higher education

Workforce

Eugene Area
Chamber of
Commerce

AirportConnector is providing public transit service to the

Eugene Airport via LTDs Route 95. This new service is taking
community members to work, class, and flights every weekday.
It is provided through a partnership between Lane Transit
District, Lane Community College, and the Eugene Airport.

LTD.org/Air
541-687-5555

Manufacturing careers
K-12
3 0 OP E N FO R BUSI N ESS | EUGEN E AREA CH AMB ER O F COM M ERC E

PO Box 1107
Eugene, OR 97440-1107

SUCCESS STORIES START HERE

What does success mean to you? At Kernutt Stokes, we take a unique approach to our client relationships. We
go beyond what you expect from the traditional CPA, offering clients value-added business advisory services.
Our knowledgeable, professional team can help clients address even the most complex challenges and, in the
process, reduce your headaches and risks. We hope to have the opportunity to help you write your success story.

For me, success means exceeding expectations. Its hearing a client tell me that they appreciate
my understanding of their business, seeing our recommendations implemented, receiving a
referral without asking, and keeping a client for many years.
STEVE RITCHIE, CPA, CFE, Partner

Certified Public Accountants & Consultants

1600 Executive Parkway, Suite 110, Eugene, Oregon 97401

541.687.1170 | kernuttstokes.com