Local Assets
Oregon based businesses enjoy financial benefits designed to make running a company easier and more successful. Oregon's worker's compensation rate has lowered every year for the past twelve, and it's 65 percent lower than California's. No other state can say that. Our ports and transportation of goods are streamlined for leading efficiency. Oregon's tax system favors you. There's no sales tax, inventory tax, state business or occupations tax. Energy costs are also low, up to 50 percent lower than those of our southern neighbor. In fact, Oregon is in the lowest 25 percent of overall business costs in the nation. So thriving here isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Learn more in the Book of Oregon (PDF - 1 MB).
Klamath County has some unique assets as well. Read on . . .
ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS
STANDARD MANUFACTURING
| Metro Area | Employee Payroll | Fringe and Mandated Benefits | Utilities | Building and Lease Payments | Property Tax | Total Operating |
| Klamath County | $7,342,900 | $1,993,801 | $196,076 | $1,249,950 | $184,005 | $10,966,733 |
| Reno | $7,907,120 | $2,219,248 | $286,458 | $1,334,580 | $200,942 | $11,948,348 |
| San Jose | $9,093,240 | $2,607,348 | $241,230 | $2,049,147 | $237,801 | $14,228,765 |
| Where did this information come from? Check the detailed report [PDF - 96K]. | ||||||
KCEDA Spearheads Development
The Klamath County Economic Development Association
Thirty years ago a group of dedicated citizens from the private and public sector decided something had to be done to enhance Klamath County's economic development potential. These leaders were concerned about Klamath's future especially regarding diversification and opportunities for young people. The result was KCEDA.
KCEDA has served as "lead" for economic development contact since 1975. KCEDA is a unique organization, reflecting the best of private responsibility and public dedication. Its mission: to provide, through tailored recruitment and retention/expansion programs, new opportunities for jobs, a diversified, value-added industrial base and expanded economic development.
KCEDA's staff and executive committee duties include targeting and marketing Klamath County for new business and reporting back to various business and public leaders on its efforts. Part of KCEDA's responsibility includes analysis of our livability and workability - those aspects that make a person or business stay, expand or locate here.
An increasingly important role for KCEDA is providing staff and project "leads" to TEAM Klamath, a term given to representatives from Klamath county, the City of Klamath Falls, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Community College, Lake Employment Training Institute, Klamath Community Development Corporation, Klamath County Chamber of Commerce, and the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department (our state partners). By all working in concert, TEAM Klamath has been able to avoid duplication, maximize cooperation and ensure the best utilization of scarce funds for all its endeavors.
Recently announced plans in industrial development and especially in such high tech endeavors as fiber optics, software development, the Lane/Klamath Fiber Consortium (a private project), and precision machinery include: NEW Corporation, Thermo Pressed Laminates, Sturdi-Craft, and Electro Scientific Industries. Most of these new endeavors have been done cooperatively with Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) which has the "first hired and highest paid" students of any public university in Oregon.
KCEDA has many important priorities for the future of Klamath County. In addition to industrial development, it is committed to enhanced telecommunications and transportation, "value-added" agriculture, increased commercial development, and small business assistance throughout the county; and working with our neighbor to the east - Lake County - in supporting a South Central Oregon Economic Development District.
If you are interested in finding out how TEAM Klamath can assist your business please contact L.H. "Trey" Senn, Executive Director at the address above.
REGIONAL PROGRAMS
The Klamath County Economic Development Association helped forge a strong partnership between Klamath and Lake Counties. With KCEDA's assistance the two counties successfully formed one of the first recognized regional partnerships in the state.
The South Central Oregon Regional Partnership has become the primary platform for regional planning efforts in community and economic development. The 33-member board representing both counties rotates its regular meetings between Klamath and Lake County locations. At each meeting the board of directors addressed such important issues as telecommunications infrastructure and capacity, transportation, planning, community services, and business development.
In addition to their role as a Regional Partnership, board members have been officially recognized as an Area Commission on Transportation giving the region distinction and credibility in state transportation decisions. The board has set its sights next on the federal designation as an Economic Development District. Our standard across the state in collaborative strategic planning.
FINANCIAL PACKAGING
One of the most difficult hurdles all businesses face is accessing appropriate financing and adequate capital resources. KCEDA is dedicated to helping all businesses, large and small, throughout the county by guiding businesses through the range of financial products available. There are a variety of ways to pair public and private dollars to best serve the financial needs of businesses. KCEDA staff can work with individual private businesses to determine if there is a public loan program available to help with unique capital needs.
KCEDA works hand-in-hand with the Small business Development Center at OIT and other partners including Southern Oregon Women's Access to Credit, Oregon Department of Economic and Community Development and the Small Business Administration to provide assistance for development and growing businesses. For more information contact Tonya Dowse, Regional Programs Director, at 541-882-9600.
AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture has been designated as the main focus for the Klamath and Lake County Economic Development District (EDD). Ever-changing agricultural markets and the need for economic diversification present a new opportunity for economic development within the two-county area.
Currently, there are two types of value-added agricultural markets being recruited to Klamath and Lake counties. The first, greenhouse and aquaculture farms, utilize the area's unique geothermal water as a source of heat. The industry also benefits from the region's 300+ days of sunshine annually.
The second agricultural market opportunity is dairy processing. Such a facility would utilize the dairy production of the two-county area, while encouraging a new market - organic dairy farming. Organic dairy production is safe for the environment and brings a premium price for its products.
These are just a few examples of what the EDD is trying to accomplish for Klamath and Lake Counties. Diversification and marketing of this unique and highly productive area constitutes the efforts the EDD is putting forth to sustain agriculture in the two-county area. For more information contact Andrew Stuedli, Agricultural/Environmental Manager at 541-882-9600.