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With the slumping economy making headlines nationwide and unemployment numbers on the rise, the new Jefferson County economic development manager has a big job ahead of him.
It took more than a year and the support of the entire county to hire Wayne Pearson and open a Madras-based economic development office. The 64-year-old Illinois native, who has lived in Madras for the past couple of years, said the current economic climate might actually help him recruit businesses to the area.
“There are companies throughout the country, and primarily on the West Coast, that are looking at the cost of doing business in the locale they are in. ... Companies that have got to be saying, the cost of doing business where I’m at is greater than it needs to be,” Pearson said.
Pearson’s job will be to recruit business to the area, but also help the existing businesses grow. Jefferson County joined forces with private businesses, the cities of Madras and Metolius, along with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Crooked River Ranch to fund the $74,500 position, including salary and benefits.
Pearson worked in the publishing and commercial print industry for most of his career, most recently with Consolidated Graphics, based in Texas.
The Economic Development for Central Oregon office in Bend started opening satellite offices about five years ago. The first office was in Redmond.
“It’s hard for us from a Bend office to have all the connections you need to be successful, to put projects on the ground,” said EDCO Executive Director Roger Lee.
Lee admitted Pearson will probably have to work twice as hard to recruit businesses to the area and help the current ones in this economy.
“He’s not waiting for the phone to ring,” Lee said.
“Now is a good time to sew the seeds that can be harvested later,” he said.
Last week was Pearson’s first week on the job. He said it was spent outlining some short-term goals and meeting with a committee of community members that will serve as an advisory board.
Pearson said his first priority will be to take inventory of all the commercial property within Jefferson County. He will find out what parcels are available to break ground and develop, and what obstacles are in the way.
“Before we start talking to people, we need to understand what land is available before we make proposals,” he said.
Jason Carr has served as the Prineville-Crook County economic development manager since last June.
He said his advice to Pearson is to build as many relationships as possible.
“The biggest thing is getting out to as many businesses as you can and build relationships within the community, let them know how economic development can benefit them and the local economy in general,” he said. “That’s what you have to do more than anything.”
Carr said he’s helped several new businesses in the county expand in the time he’s been in Prineville. More than that, his job is to help them see where their needs are and show them incentives that can help offset the costs of their expansion. For example, when Woodgrain Millwork in Prineville decided to include a pellet division, Carr helped the company receive energy tax credits from the state of Oregon.
The economy is tough everywhere, but in September, Jefferson County had the third-highest unemployment rate in the state, according to the Oregon Employment Department’s most recent numbers.
For September, Crook and Jefferson counties posted 8.5 percent and 8.1 percent unemployment rates, respectively. Deschutes County had a 6.8 percent unemployment rate for the same period.
“We’ve got to be patient. It doesn’t happen overnight,” Pearson, who has a five-year “understanding” with the county, he said.
“I think Jefferson County has some real attributes,” he said.
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