Blog

Message from the CEO: March 2023

Photo of Mount Jefferson

The 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly convened​ for the 2023 Session on Tuesday, January 17th, and over the next few months, hundreds of bills will be considered. EDCO is hard at work ensuring state and local leaders understand all the direct, indirect, intended, and unintended consequences of their decision-making. EDCO is focused on providing information and education […]

Brian’s Cabinets

Image of Brian's Cabinets custom cabinets with logo

Established in 1977, Brian’s Cabinets is Central Oregon’s largest custom cabinet manufacturer.  Since purchasing the business in 2003, Todd Hakala and his team of professional designers, engineers, craftsmen, and installers have built a reputation for exceptional service and quality. A resident of Bend since childhood, Hakala has navigated through tremendous economic shifts over the past […]

Building Central Oregon’s Local Workforce

Youth CareerConnect interns photo gallery and logo

Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) is committed to helping develop the regional workforce by fostering connections between businesses and local students. Part of that commitment includes managing Youth CareerConnect (YCC), a regional initiative that provides career services and internship opportunities for high school, college and alternative school students. Since its inception in 2017, YCC […]

Hand in Hand Productions

Photo of Hand in Hand Productions logo.

Audio-Visual Support For Any Event The pressure’s on. You have a big idea for the company-wide meeting and your boss expects something special. Something better than the usual snoozer that no one wants to take credit for. “I can pull it off myself using Zoom or something, right? How hard can it be?” If you […]

Addressing Website Accessibility

AccessiCart logo

AccessiCart was first established as Bet Hannon Marketing in 2008 and has been remote since the very beginning, with team members from across the US and as far away as South Africa. As an early adopter of remote work, Hannon joined EDCO for the networking. As she says, “Being a part of EDCO has introduced […]

Keep the Holidays Local

Keep the Holidays Local This holiday season, Central Oregon companies need your support. And there's no shortage of what is made right here in our own backyard! That perfect gift you've been searching for may just be listed below. Happy holidays from EDCO! For more gifting ideas, make sure to check out Bend Marketplace. Specialty [...]

Prineville-based SherpTek receives Excellence in Economic Development Award

Photo of Overlanding Vehicle.

SherpTek is the first automotive outdoor industry company in Prineville and the company worked hand-in-hand with Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) to effectively facilitate their 150-mile relocation to the Crook County community. After 13 trips over a mountain pass in the dead of winter to transport gear, they took occupancy and became operational in […]

Member Spotlight: CiES

CiES aviation images

Have you ever noticed in movies, anytime something goes wrong with an airplane, the pilot starts tapping on the fuel gauge? As Scott Philiben, President of Bend-based CiES explains, “That actually comes about because small to medium size aircraft haven’t been able to reliably and effectively measure fuel.” The problem is so well known across […]

Meta Champions Workforce Development in Central Oregon with $250,000 Grants

Jon Stark of EDCO, William Marks of Meta, and Heather Ficht of East Cascades Works.

October 14, 2022 (Prineville, Ore.) – Four Central Oregon entities—East Cascades Works, Crook County School District, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and EDCO’s Youth CareerConnect—are receiving grants totaling $250,000 from Meta to support youth workforce development and career skills training across Central Oregon. The funding bolsters the Central Oregon component of Future Ready Oregon, a […]

Member Spotlight: The Partners Group

Independent and Privately Owned – Founded in the Northwest in 1981, The Partners Group helps businesses and individuals solve problems and grow through custom strategies in insurance, employee benefits, and financial consulting. Headquartered in Oregon, TPG has grown to over 200 employees, with offices in Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Idaho, and is ranked one of […]