Business Development, Business Recruitment Tags: business, components, construction, development, economic, funding, industry, infrastructure, rail, recruitment, Shutler, wind
Posted on August 31st, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
GILLIAM COUNTY AWARDED STATE FUNDING
FOR RAIL EXPANSION PROJECT AT SHUTLER STATION
Arlington, Ore. – Gilliam County has been selected as one of forty-one projects to receive funding through Oregon Department of Transportation’s ConnectOregon III grant program. Gilliam County is slated to receive $624,800 to construct approximately 2,250 linear feet of additional rail siding at Shutler Station Industrial Park outside Arlington, to aid in the offloading of “unit” train deliveries. These 6,000+ foot trains are a standard delivery size for wind turbine components. Construction is slated to begin within 4 to 6 weeks and be completed by the end of January 2011.
This grant award is the culmination of a state application process that began in November 2009. The additional siding, owned by Gilliam County, will increase the current rail car capacity to nearly 9,000 linear feet. This will enable more efficient offloading, staging and storage of wind components on adjacent Industrial Park grounds. To date, unit trains have been offloaded at the site, but the currently available 5,900 linear feet of rail makes servicing such trains logistically difficult. Additional rail footage at the site will also eliminate concerns of congestion on the Condon subdivision rail line, which serves Waste Management’s Columbia Ridge Landfill – particularly as wind project construction and municipal waste traffic increase. “We’re excited to see this project receive ODOT funding,” says Economic Development Officer Jessica Bates. “This project helps solidify Gilliam County as a strong partner in the wind energy industry, and that will bring more jobs to the area – both in this construction phase and moving forward into long-term maintenance of these wind projects.” The project creates and/or retains at least 8 full-time jobs with related businesses, with the potential to support 20 more in the future.
Shutler Wind Distribution Center is rapidly becoming a popular offloading and storage location for wind farm manufacturers due to its central location and close proximity to a large portion of wind projects currently under construction. The site is able to serve projects within 100 mile radius, bringing components up the Columbia River Gorge via rail from their original manufacturing location. This can substantially decrease, or in some cases eliminate, the transportation of components up Interstate 84.
In addition to wind component transloading, this additional rail spur will expand Gilliam County’s economic development portfolio, allowing additional footage for existing business uses and future recruitment efforts. Questions may be directed to Jessica Bates, Gilliam County Economic Development Officer, jessica.bates@co.gilliam.or.us or call 541.384.2060.
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Business Development Tags: aid, business, Business Development, development, economic development, funding, gilliam county, loans
Posted on June 28th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
I’m pleased to announce that Gilliam County’s Business Development Loan Program is now open and taking applicants. This new program is open to Gilliam County businesses and non-profit organizations employing at least one part-time individual. If your business is looking to expand, diversify, or just needs a little boost of working capital, our program gives you a great option for favorable rates and terms. Funding can be used independently or as gap financing.
Starting a new business venture? This program can work for you too! Click here (http://bit.ly/aqKvDB) to download the program’s informational brochure for a more complete picture. Additional information and application packets can be obtained at several locations around the county: the Gilliam County Courthouse (the Economic Development department), Pioneer Community Development Corporation in Condon and any Gilliam County Bank of Eastern Oregon Branch. For electronic versions, email me at jessica.bates@co.gilliam.or.us or visit the County website at www.co.gilliam.or.us and click on Departments> Economic Development (or click this link: http://bit.ly/c6GMN1).
Department office hours are Monday – Wednesday, 7:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M, and Thursday, 7:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Stop in or call 541.384.2060 with any questions.
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Posted on June 7th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
PRESS RELEASE
June 7, 2010
GILLIAM COUNTY COMPLETES STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Condon, Ore. – Gilliam County this week released its Strategic Action Plan for Economic Development 2010. This community-developed plan will strategically coordinate efforts of development partners over the next 5 years. Built using a “foundation up” approach, participants represented municipal governments, organizations and local interest groups from around the County. These individuals collectively forged a vision of economic prosperity for the County and outlined measurable steps to achieve that vision.
A culmination of work that began in early 2009, the document outlines collective goals and strategies spread over eight development areas: business development, infrastructure, housing, recreation and tourism, education, healthcare, technology and communications and community image. Under each strategy, projects are identified, incorporating the work of 11 different organizations around the County.
To aid in the implementation of the plan, each project has a “Lead Agency” identified; an organization willing to spearhead and monitor project developments. These groups will report to yet-to-be-appointed Economic Development Advisory group (coming 2011), to report project progress and suggest modifications. The five-person Advisory Group will also be responsible for complete plan reviews – at least bi-annually – as well as development of a new strategic action plan at this document’s end.
Copies of the plan may be obtained by request at the Gilliam County Courthouse, Economic Development Department, or viewed online HERE. Other questions? Contact Jessica Bates, Gilliam County Economic Development Officer at 541.384.2060 or by email at jessica.bates@co.gilliam.or.us.
-END-
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Rural Tourism Posted on June 2nd, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
Another great post from RippleNW.org – this time centered on the topic of rural tourism and how it can impact long-term economic development.
We’ve all been asked that question, “What’s there to do around here?” Here’s one example of how a local community’s passionate residents have made an impression on one blogger – and how that impression can lead to new, equally passionate residents and economic growth.
Learn more at: http://www.ripplenw.org/authors/20/posts/135
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Business Retention & Expansion Posted on May 24th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
I’ve recently begun to follow and participate on RIPPLE – a economic and community development web-resource developed by Rural Development Initiatives. RDI has been instrumental in the Ford Institute Leadership Program, which Gilliam County has been participating in over the past 4 years.
This blog post entitled “Poor Ways for Economic Development” was written by an Lily Brislen of The Partnership for Economic Development in Douglas County, Oregon. The article really hit home to me. Only by rethinking our “business as usual” and focusing on new, cooperative ways can we continue to help business owners prosper in our area. Great food for thought.
Read the post here: http://www.ripplenw.org/authors/17/posts/124
jb
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Posted on March 4th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
By the end of the year, Gilliam County will be home to yet another cutting edge clean and renewable energy technology.
S4 Energy Solutions, a joint venture of Waste Management and InEnTec, LLC., yesterday announced plans to construct a Plasma Gasification operation at the Columbia Ridge Landfill outside Arlington, Oregon. The state-of-the art technology was originally developed by InEnTec, based in Bend, and will convert municipal solid waste into clean fuels and renewable energy. This pilot project will test the large-scale commercialization of the new technology.
Set to begin construction this summer, the project will up to 28 jobs during the construction phase, with 16 new positions created after the facility comes online towards the end of this year.
Learn more about the technology and the project in this press release from S4 Energy Solutions: http://bit.ly/9kTG9n
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Posted on January 26th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
Gilliam County and its economic backbone, the Columbia Ridge Landfill, are the cover story feature in this month’s Oregon Business magazine. Click the link below to read the article, featuring insight from past Gilliam County Judge Laura Pryor and current County Commissioner (and Walsh Trucking manager) Dennis Gronquist.
Article: http://www.oregonbusiness.com/articles/79-february-2010/2888-the-trash-trade
Click this link to see the “behind the scenes” video from the article’s author on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSKENEQVMws
~jb
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Posted on January 26th, 2010 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
Press Release
| Contact: Jessica Bates
Phone: (541) 384-2060 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10 A.M. PDT, January 26, 2010 |
GILLIAM COUNTY WELCOMES WIND DISTRIBUTION CENTER
Arlington, Ore. – This week Gilliam County welcomed the first shipment of wind turbine components to Shutler Station Industrial Park, the first phase of a new development plan know as Shutler Wind Distribution Center. This new development was sparked by the efforts of the Gilliam County Court, Arlington’s Proctor Transport, and Morgan Industrial, a heavy equipment hauling and rigging company based in North Plains, outside Hillsboro, Oregon. Morgan Industrial will operate the approximately 15 acre transloading facility loading, offloading and storing wind components slated for construction in Gilliam County and surrounding areas. The new business is anticipated to create eight (8) new jobs in the coming months.
Gilliam County began exploration of this new development track last year after the completion of the rail spur at Shutler Station attracted increased interest from regional transloading businesses and component manufacturers. Phase two of this development includes the construction of an additional 2,250 linear feet rail siding parallel to the current track. This addition will allow for more efficient handling of 6,000 ft. unit trains, the preferred method of rail transport for most wind turbine equipment manufacturers. To that end, in November 2009 Gilliam County applied for Oregon Department of Transportation’s ConnectOregon III grant funding. Funding decisions for this grant program should be announced by August 2010. A master development plan for the site is also underway.
This first shipment includes turbine blades from Seimens. The blades will be stored on site through May, before they are delivered to the construction site at the Biglow III project in Sherman County. The next shipment of components will bring turbine towers, split into three sections, for storage until use at the Leaning Juniper II outside Arlington.
“This is an exciting new path for Shutler Station,” said Gilliam County Economic Development Officer Jessica Bates. “We’re setting up to expand the economic impact of the growing number of wind farm developments in our County, and really capitalize on this industry to bring in new jobs and new businesses to the area.” It is estimated that with the 2,684 MW of wind generation capacity currently planned or proposed for Gilliam County in the next 5 years, plus the long-term maintenance of each completed farm, the new Distribution Center could become a hub of Wind Industry-related business, seeing heavy use for the next 30 years and beyond.
For more information, please contact Jessica Bates at 541.384.2060 or by email at Jessica.bates@co.gilliam.or.us.
-END-
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General Posted on September 24th, 2009 by GilliamCoEDO | No Comments »
Thanks for your interest in Gilliam County Economic Development! If you’re reading this, you’re interested and plugged-in to what’s going on in your community – and I’m excited about that. Thank you for taking the time to stop in!
This blog was started in hopes of connecting with the public, community partners and regional collaborators as development activities continue across the County. My goal is to have new updates available at least every two weeks, hopefully more frequently. This venue is also meant as a forum for comment and interaction, so please feel free to join in the conversation! This office is a public, local government entity and is interested in your ideas, thoughts and opinions.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog in your Dashboard if you’re a Wordpress member and if you’re not, consider signing up. It’s quick and it’s free. You can also follow quick updates via Twitter at http://twitter.com/gilliamcoedo. There’s a lot of great things on the horizon, so stay tuned!
~jb
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