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SEDCOR

Strategic Economic Development Corporation

A YEAR IN REVIEW

SEDCOR

Strategic Economic Development Corporation

440 Church St SE, #610 Salem, OR 97301 503-588-6225

www.sedcor.com

SEDCOR Staff Erik Andersson President 503-837-1800 eandersson@sedcor.com

Jenni Kistler Director of Operations 503-588-6225 jkistler@sedcor.com

Naureen Khan Marketing & Engagement Manager 503-837-1802 naureen@sedcor.com

Abisha Romano Economic Development Manager 503-837-2131 abisha@sedcor.com

Alex Paraskevas Economic Development Manager Rural Innovation Catalyst 503-837-1803 • alexp@sedcor.com

Filed Under: Lessons Learned When SEDCOR moved offices this year, we went through tons of files, paperwork of all sorts, agenda packets from meetings that took place 20 years ago, recruitment proposals that never made the cut. These days, when we respond to a recruitment candidate, it is all digital. Site brochures, zoning maps, infrastructure plans, incentive information, workforce and demographic information, all a series of attachments to an email cover letter. But 20 years ago, SEDCOR staff compiled binders of that information, pages and pages of documents, marketing materials and demographic information.

Erik Andersson

Included in these files were binders of information on the SEDCOR President project that ended up being Sanyo Solar. In these reams of paper I saw how SEDCOR replied to the original Business Oregon lead, worked with the City of Salem to address the company’s need for additional detailed information and hosted delegations from Japan to help land this project. A delegation of city, state and SEDCOR representatives also traveled to Japan. All of these papers and files serve as a reminder of the amount of group effort it took to help bring Sanyo’s investment to Salem. The plant opened in 2009 with much fanfare, employing as many as 150 people before it announced its closure just 8 years later. When I started at SEDCOR, we were actively promoting the building as an available property, but one built with a single purpose which made it a tough sell. We were fortunate that the Reich Brothers, a New York-based industrial real estate firm acquired the building with the intent of repurposing it; it eventually became Salem’s second Amazon facility. I bring this up as going through these files was a humbling experience. So much of what we do in economic development may not come to fruition, and if it does, it may take several years to do so. When we talk about SEDCOR’s work, we often highlight that while recruitment projects like Sanyo Solar garner the press coverage, it’s business retention and expansion (BRE) that is responsible for the vast majority of new jobs and investment in a community. Every one of our traded sector businesses is a target for other communities’ recruitment efforts, so we need to value the companies that made the decision to establish, locate and grow here. Over the past several months there has been a lot of attention to the work of the Oregon Prosperity Council, a state initiative which brought together representatives from a variety of industries from around Oregon to identify strategies to strengthen Oregon’s economy and business climate. After much outreach and public input, the group came up with several recommended actions, including tax and regulatory reform, education and workforce modernization, environmental and land use permitting streamlining and an overhaul of business incentives. We’ll be watching closely as these recommendations work their way through the 2027 Legislative session. These are not new issues that Prosperity Council is attempting to address. Going back to the topic of SEDCOR’s move, among the binders I went through was the work of the Industrial Lands Task Force, formed in 2003 to address a critical lack of project-ready sites needed to attract manufacturing investment, growth and job creation. Then SEDCOR president Ray Burstedt served on that task force, which included Salem’s Mill Creek and Woodburn’s Opus parks in its sites of statewide significance for job creation. Of course both those sites have attracted significant investment and job creation in the intervening years, demonstrating that if state and community leaders, landowners and economic development professionals work together, we can make Oregon an attractive location for investment and job creation. After over two decades, I look forward to seeing what we come up with next.

A New Look for Our Year in Review You may have noticed that you’re receiving this Year in Review in the early fall, rather than at the start of the calendar year as in year’s past. We’ve decided to align our annual report more closely with the end of our fiscal year, June 30th, so that the stories and numbers we share reflect a complete, accurate picture of our full program year. This shift also allows us to better align our reporting with our budget and planning cycles, giving you a clearer sense of what SEDCOR accomplished and where we’re headed next. We hope you enjoy this new format, and as always, thank you for being part of the SEDCOR community.

SEDCOR Staff

Erik Andersson President

Jenni Kistler Director of Operations

Naureen Khan Marketing & Engagement Manager

Abisha Romano Economic Development Manager

Alex Paraskevas Economic Development Manager Rural Innovation Catalyst

Tony Schacher Immediate Past Chair General Manager Salem Electric

Erik Frisk General Manager Garmin AT, Inc.

SEDCOR Executive Committee

Scott Snyder Chair General Manager The Grand Hotel in Salem

Cyrus Ward Vice-Chair Senior Manager - CPA Aldrich CPAs + Advisors

Ryan Mosgrove Secretary/Treasurer AVP/Business Banking Relationship Manager Key Bank

Timothy Murphy Senior Vice President DCI

Liz Schaecher Program + Engagement Director Oregon Aglink

SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

SEDCOR Board of Directors

Ryan Allbritton Chief Banking Officer Willamette Valley Bank

Marin Arreola President/Business Consultant Advanced Economic Solutions, Inc.

Curt Arthur Managing Director Capacity Commercial Group

Ricardo Baez President Don Pancho Authentic Mexican Foods, Inc.

Theresa Beach Business Development Manager Portland General Electric

Jeremy Brown Owner, CabinetDoor Services

Shawn Daley Vice President of Strategic Initiatives George Fox University

Rich Duncan President Rich Duncan Construction, Inc.

Margaret Gander-Vo Real Estate and Land Use Attorney Saalfeld Griggs PC

Dr. Jessica Howard President/CEO Chemeketa Community College

Julie Hoy Mayor City of Salem

Kent Kaufman President/Owner Kaufman Companies

Lyle Mordhorst County Commissioner Polk County

Kim Parker-Llerenas Executive Director Willamette Workforce Partnership

Jesse Peters President Western Oregon University

Jan Looking Wolf Reibach Economic and Lands Director, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Scott Salazar Regional Business Manager Pacific Power

Kate Schwarzler Owner Indy Commons

Jon Schaub Strategy and Analytics Manager, Johanson Transportation Service

Victoria Shinn VP Commercial Loan Officer People’s Bank

Matt Sturzen Attorney Sherman Sherman Johnnie & Hoyt, LLP

Reneta Wakeley Special Projects Director City of Woodburn

www.sedcor.com

SEDCOR Road Map: The SEDCOR staff, in collaboration with our Executive Council and Board of Directors, worked with Kinesis, a creative and strategy agency, to develop our five-year strategic plan. This plan guides our focus across six interconnected priority areas that reflect our values and our mission to support business and community prosperity throughout the Mid-Willamette Valley. Everything we accomplish across these areas is grounded in relationships, SEDCOR’s unique role is connecting businesses, community leaders, and partners to move projects forward. In the last year, SEDCOR played a role in every project highlighted below, supporting our businesses and partners through tools such as incentive navigation including the Enterprise Zone and the Rural Industrial Improvement Program, as well as helping secure the financial and technical resources that made growth possible.

Expansion, Retention & Targeted Recruitment of Traded Sector Businesses

Coordinator, the meeting provided an opportunity to hear from the Oregon Department of Aviation regarding its strategic plan for the airport. SEDCOR emphasized the need The past year was active across nearly every industry for certainty that the airport provides long-term viability sector. In aviation and aerospace, the sale of Ulven for future investment, given recent conversations with Aerospace & Precision Solutions in Hubbard to the Van’s and LifeFlight about Northwest Manufacturing opportunities for expansion. Group was finalized in SEDCOR staff then toured June. The new ownership LifeFlight, AeroMetal is investing $2.1 million in International and Helicopter Across fiscal year 2025-26, SEDCOR machinery and equipment, Transport Services, meeting and SEDCOR secured an expansion, retention, and recruitment with company ownership Enterprise Zone property and listening to concerns efforts contributed to: tax incentive for the about access to their facilities project. Van’s Aircraft being impacted by potential began preparing for the future changes at the airport. production increase expected from the Federal Aviation Food and agriculture Administration’s MOSAIC remained the region’s rule, which affects lightanchor. Crystal Creek sport and experimental Dairy Service completed aircraft nationwide. SEDCOR their plant upgrade at the is working with the Oregon new production facility on Department of Aviation Highway 51 in Independence. and the Governor’s Office The vertically integrated family business now runs its own on the long-term viability of the Aurora Airport as a site sheep farm and dairy outside of Falls City, the ice cream for the company’s expansion, and connected the company production facility in Independence, and retail stores in with the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership to downtown Dallas and at the Forge building in downtown explore production support. SEDCOR staff participated in Salem. They were in leased production space at the an Aviation Town Hall with tenants of the Aurora Airport. Willamette Valley Cheese locations outside of West Salem Convened with help from the Governor’s Regional Solutions but moved to this facility 18 months ago. They have greatly

FISCAL YEAR GROWTH IMPACT

• 22 traded-sector projects tracked, including 18 retention and expansion projects and 4 recruitment projects • 166+ new jobs in the project pipeline

• $5.12 billion in the incentive pipeline

SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

2025 – 2026 Update expanded their cold storage space and have new equipment to increase production volume. They intend to double the size of their herd next year to meet their demand. SEDCOR continues to work with NW Hazelnut and the Hazelnut Growers of Oregon in a variety of ways. SEDCOR brought together representatives of several state agencies, the Energy Trust of Oregon and the US Department of Energy in meetings to coordinate technical assistance resources to study options to address the significant amount of hazelnut shells that remain after processing. We were also proud to facilitate an AgLaunch/Farmer Innovation Network webinar featuring Larry George of NW Hazelnut, which allowed farmers across the country to learn from the company’s innovative model. SEDCOR was grateful to have the Hazelnut Growers of Oregon host a sold-out Industry Tour for our members this past year, spreading the word about the prominent role the company plays in the international market. SEDCOR visited with the leadership team of the NORPAC facility in Brooks, part of the Oregon Potato Company which includes National Frozen Foods in Albany and fifteen other sister companies. NORPAC installed new optical sorters and a pureed product line at its Brooks facility, reaching a peak employment level of 900 in late summer, and SEDCOR connected the company with the Oregon Department of Agriculture for property tax incentives and the Willamette Workforce Partnership’s Train to Retain program to upskill existing employees. Whiskey Hill Smokehouse applied for

the Enterprise Zone program to support a second Hubbard location, a project estimated at $778,000. Wurdinger Manufacturing, which builds hazelnut farming and custom farm equipment and employs 24 people in Silverton, is working with a coalition of SEDCOR, Business Oregon, OMEP, and the Willamette Workforce Partnership to align workforce and growth resources. Pacific Fir Lumber of Sheridan was reopened on November 31st. SEDCOR engaged local, regional and state partner organizations to facilitate a response to the closure and a plan to address the issues identified by the State Fire Marshall’s Office. 28 jobs were retained. On the recruitment side, SEDCOR coordinated preapplication meetings with City of Salem staff for Oakline at Mill Creek, a Verrus data center proposed for the Mill Creek Corporate Center. Those meetings identified potential issues that would need to be addressed including as water usage, access and the presence of heritage oak trees on the proposed site. SEDCOR has worked to educate our partners and the community on the role of an economic development organization in these early discussions, and the importance of pre-application meetings to ensure that potential issues are identified early in the process. While the project remains uncertain due to public outcry and political concerns, the project could bring up to a $5.1 billion in investment and 74 well-paying permanent jobs, in addition to significant long-term construction employment. Continued on page 8

KEY STATISTICS

102 www.sedcor.com

Events Hosted

283

Mentions in the News

Member Organizations 7

SEDCOR Road Map Update: 2026 – 2027 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 Object Permanence, a record pressing plant establishing a facility in Salem, was approved for the Enterprise Zone. The $395,000 project will create up to six jobs, and SEDCOR is helping identify local farmers to grow sugar beets, a required input for the eco vinyl product the company is licensing. At the invitation of Yamasa International, SEDCOR presented to Nishiyama Seimen, a Sapporo-based ramen manufacturer exploring a U.S. facility in the future as it expands from Asia to Europe and eventually North America. Oregon Mining & Agriculture Fabrication was approved for the Enterprise Zone incentive for their facility in Independence. The company bought the former Forest River building and will be investing $2.2 million in improvements and new equipment. OMAF will grow from 9 to 17 employees as a result of the expansion, moving from the former GK Machine facility in Donald. As the company is eligible for the extended abatement Enterprise Zone incentive, SEDCOR continues work with the school districts and zone sponsors, Polk County and the cities of Dallas, Independence, and Monmouth, to formalize the required School Support Fee, a payment in lieu of property tax. Also in Independence, the former Marquis Spas building sold to Mulhern Belting, a conveyer belt manufacturer from New Jersey. This is the company’s sixth location in the US and the first one on the West Coast. From preliminary conversations, it sounds like the company will be making some building improvements, including new loading docks and a new roof to start. These projects continue to strengthen community tax bases while building long-term employment stability for the MidWillamette Valley.

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship remains a central pillar of SEDCOR’s work. SEDCOR secured $385,000 from Business Oregon to continue building Launch Mid-Valley as a Regional Innovation Hub, connecting entrepreneurs with investors, educators, and mentors across the region. The Hub continues to support Launch Mid-Valley Coffee Clubs, and kicked off 2026 with a January PubTalk in partnership with the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and Columbia Bank, drawing nearly 50 attendees to Venti’s in Salem.

• 6 Coffee Clubs meeting regularly across the region • 173 networking events • 1,225 total number of entrepreneurs served • $30,000 given at Pitch Willamette, where entrepreneurs pitch directly to regional investors

The Latino Microenterprise Development Program received an additional $130,000 from Business Oregon’s Economic Equity Investment Program. Two cohorts in Salem and one in Independence were completed this past year, representing 50 entrepreneurs and business owners. The program is a cooperative effort between SEDCOR, the Latino Business Alliance, Advanced Economic Solutions, and the Chemeketa Small Business Development Center. To date, over 300 people have completed the program. SEDCOR continues to lead the region’s Regional Innovation Cluster work with AgLaunch. Grain Weevil, one of the most visible agtech startups in the AgLaunch portfolio, spent three days in the valley in June demonstrat- Continued on page 25

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SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

What if you helped create bold, lasting change? What if you became a catalyst for positive change in Oregon? What if you helped provide a solution to a potent need in your community? What if you used your time, talent and treasure to help fellow Oregonians thrive? Maybe you start a scholarship. Or support a nonprofit — or join an OCF committee. We’re your statewide community foundation, and together we turn ‘What ifs’ into powerful ‘Why nots.’ What if you joined us? O R E G O N C F.O R G /W H AT I F

SEDCOR 2026 Award Winners Congratulations to this year’s annual award winners! We’ll follow up more in the next edition with each of the winners on their work and why they received the award. ✦ Agri-Business of the Year: NW Hazelnut / Hazelnut Growers of Oregon ✦ Business Partner of the Year: Commercial Business Furniture ✦ Community Leadership: Jose Gonzalez ✦ Community Service: Life Flight Network ✦ Dynamic Development: The Forge ✦ Economic Development Champion: Arthur Chaput ✦ Entrepreneur of the Year: Lucky Crow Farm & Eatery ✦ Innovative Product/Process of the Year: UrbanForm ✦ Manufacturer of the Year: Cabinetworks Group ✦ Outstanding Public/Private Partnership: Carlton Sidewalk Project - City of Carlton, Willamette Workforce Partnership, Willie Kostenborder, Yoop! ✦ Small Business of the Year: Jackman Industries

New Members in the Last Year 2025 – 2026

7 Oaks Engineering, Inc. AHIVOY (Asociacion Hispana de la Industria del Vino en Oregon y Comunidad) Best Property Company Cascade Creatives Chiron Security Solutions EC Electric Habitat Energy Harcourts Silverton The Independence Hotel Instruction Construction Jarvis Bridge Halttunen & Weyer, LLC

Kashmir Storage Keudell Morrison Wealth Management Lucy Escobar Coaching and Consulting, LLC Max’s Booch McMinnville Properties Moser Roofing MPP Piping, Inc. Noosh Stump Removal and Landscape Management OneEnergy Renewables Oregon Community Foundations Re:Source

The Roosevelt Society, LLC RWE Saffron Supply Company Salt Creek Cider House Selectemp Employment Services Simple Home Offer Standard Nursery, LLC Strategic Simon, LLC Torus Valentine Ridge at the Historic Heater Farm WaFd Bank Wurdinger Manufacturing, Inc.

SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

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Year in Pictures More pictures from the Carlton Sidewalk Project.

Summer ‘25 Industry Tour at Durant Olive Mill in Dayton.

Ricardo Baez at Don Pancho’s new facility’s grand opening!

Dean Craig from WWP helping out at the Carlton Sidewalk Project.

Abisha receiving OEDA’s Economic Development Champion award, which Naureen got to present to her.

David Briggs of Saalfeld Griggs kicking off SEDCOR’s 2025 Annual Awards & Membership Meeting. 12

Spotted at the HIVE Groundbreaking - Santa Claus!

Erik Frisk kicking off our Fall ‘25 Industry Tour at Garmin AT.

Fun running into partners at the OEN awards!

Helle Ruddenklau on a panel at AgLaunch’s Annual Meeting. SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

Erik presenting at Capacity Commercial’s Economic Forum.

The Oregon Dept. of Ag. team at the Ag Breakfast.

Winter ‘26 Industry at GK Machine + Canopii.

2026 SEDCOR Ag Breakfast, brought to you by Sherman Sherman Johnnie & Hoyt (and squishy tractors).

Robert Wallace of WyEast RC & D presenting to a packed room at the Ag Breakfast.

Winter ‘26 Industry Tour at GK Machine + Canopii.

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Year in Pictures

Launch Mid-Valley Startup Bootcamp, featuring the amazing judges of the weekend.

Spring ‘26 Industry Tour at Hampton Lumber.

Fun being had at the SEDCOR Annual Golf Tournament Par for the Panel.

Andrea Salinas presents check to Barbara Roberts CTEC. www.sedcor.com

Naureen and Abisha “catching opportunity” at the NAWIC.

Chief Prosperity Officer Tim Knopp presenting at the SEDCOR Mid-Valley Economic Summit.

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Summer ‘26 Industry Tour at HGO.

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SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

2026 Insights from our EDMs As we wrap up 2026, we connected with our economic development managers to gather their insights on the past year and their expectations for the year ahead.

Abisha Romano Yamhill County Economic Development Manager

What surprised you most this year, positively or negatively? There has been a lot of publicity this year regarding the Governor’s Prosperity Council’s report which has garnered both praise from those who feel “it’s about time” the governor is prioritizing economic development and addressing the dire business climate in Oregon, and criticism from those who feel this plan completely missed the assignment by not addressing affordability and livability for the hard-working residents of our state. What surprises me most is the general public’s lack of understanding about how the US mixed economy works and the value that healthy, well-supported businesses bring to our communities.

What’s a moment from this year that reminded you why this work matters? We often hear about business overregulation in our state, and it can be hard to truly capture the impacts of an overly aggressive regulatory environment in play. This year I was contacted by a local business who had been struggling to understand - let alone meet - the regulatory www.sedcor.com

requirements of a state department who, by their account, was consistently moving the target and overreaching their regulatory authority. SEDCOR was also contacted by the city and asked to help the business navigate these requirements in an effort to retain this vital employer. In partnership with the city, the county, Regional Solutions and Business Oregon, we were able to help the business navigate the regulatory requirements (after determining which were truly applicable and who had authority to enforce them) and establish internal processes to better position themselves for future health. We also advocated for state funding for a future expansion and a significant investment in their existing facility. We ultimately retained this company and the valuable jobs they provide in our region. Recently the city manager offered praise and gratitude to SEDCOR for our work in this business retention effort and it reminded me that our work is one of the pillars that healthy communities are built on – residents being gainfully employed by healthy businesses.

What’s a project people might not know about that deserves more attention? We continue to be very proud of our partnership with the Continued on page 21

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SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

BRE Insights – continued from page 19 material, adaptive regulation, new financing methodologies and workforce training for the future of housing construction have all come together to build for-sale singlefamily homes for Newberg’s middle-income workforce. As this project progresses, the partners continue to identify development hurdles that collectively add time and cost to housing construction. A final report of these findings and recommendations to decrease these time-consuming, cost-bloating hurdles will be published. I am hopeful our membership will continue to follow us on this journey of discovery.

What’s on the horizon for 2026-2027 that you’re watching closely?

Newberg Workforce Housing Consortium (NWHC) and the Missing Middle Housing Fund (MMHF). This year the partners are building the Housing Innovation Village Experience (HIVE) – the first housing development of its kind in the nation – where innovation in housing design/

Like the rest of the state, particularly those of us charged with the responsibility of driving economic and community development, I am eager to see how the state will develop and deploy an economic development strategy. Though SEDCOR actively sits at the table in these discussions with Business Oregon, strategic deployment at a statewide level will ultimately sit with the governor’s office. Continued on page 23

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BRE Insights – continued from page 21 was under better circumstances rather than several high profile business relocations out of the state, but at least we’re having the conversation about culture, regulatory environment, and broad business climate, and hopefully Oregonians are beginning to understand that healthy businesses, and the healthy tax base that comes with them, are good for all of us.

What’s a moment from this year that reminded you why this work matters? One of the fun projects of the year was working with Oregon Mining and Ag Fabrication on their expansion into a new facility in Independence, where they’ll continue growing their business and physical footprint. They filled an industrial building that had been vacant for a couple of years since Forest River moved out, and they were welcomed with open arms by the City Council. It’s been great seeing them get their new shop up and running.

What’s a project people might not know about that deserves more attention?

Alex Paraskevas Polk County Economic Development Manager

What surprised you most this year, positively or negatively? As cliché as it is, the last year seems to have exemplified “the only constant is change.” Shifts in trade policy, tariffs, inflation, and more meant flexibility was the name of the game. The governor’s establishment of a Prosperity Council also put economic development at the forefront of public consciousness for the first time in years. I wish it I’m really excited about the new formal partnership between SEDCOR and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, one of three pilot regions in the state where ODA has created Regional Food and Ag Business Development Centers. This type of work is directly in SEDCOR’s sweet spot, working with existing traded sector businesses to make sure they’re happy, healthy, and growing.

What’s on the horizon for 2026-2027 that you’re watching closely? This ODA partnership was an unexpected project, and we’re grateful they saw the strength of our relationships and regional knowledge in selecting us. We’re hoping it’s a program we can continue into 2027 and beyond.

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SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

SEDCOR Road Map Update: 2026 – 2027 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 ing its grain bin robotics and conducting customer discovery visits that SEDCOR arranged with West Coast Companies, Coleman Farms, and Beef Northwest. SEDCOR staff also joined a field day at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora with three John Deere engineers and their prototype electric tractor, exploring the on-farm infrastructure and agrivoltaics that could improve farm profitability. SEDCOR was invited to be a partner in Oregon State University’s Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) initiative, a consortium of 99 businesses and organizations working together to establish a Regional Innovation Engine centered in the Willamette Valley. The consortium was approved for $160 million in federal funding investment over the next decade that will allow Oregon companies to improve chip design and manufacturing, recruit and train a highly skilled workforce, and develop the supply chain around the state to foster regional economic growth. SEDCOR partner Chemeketa Community College is part of the FAST core team and we look forward to working with them to provide resources for our Mid-Valley region

Infrastructure & Workforce Housing Infrastructure remains a foundation of sustainable economic development, especially workforce housing. SEDCOR is working with the Missing Middle Housing Fund on the development of the HIVE (Housing Innovation Village Experience) project in Newberg. We were excited to break ground on the project last December, and at the time of publication, construction is in process. The project involves a cottage cluster of ten homes, affordable to buyers making 80%-120% of the median household income, built by five different developers. Developers and housing innovation partners are bringing new materials (such as geo-polymer blocks and mass timber) and funding approaches to the project. A “street of dreams” type engagement event is planned in fall 2026. In more traditional infrastructure work, SEDCOR has secured contracts with three cities for services including industrial site readiness, Enterprise Zone management, business retention and expansion and targeted business recruitment. The SEDCOR team is grateful for the partnerships with the cities of Independence, Silverton, and Sheridan. SEDCOR also continues to partner with the City of Salem on a variety of economic development activities and projects and is thankful for the support.

Mid-Valley Regional Identity SEDCOR continues to implement the Board’s shared vision for the Mid-Willamette Valley as:

A great place to start or grow a business An equitable and inclusive business community A region with unique strengths in agriculture, food production, manufacturing, and technology ing and support from the Willamette Workforce Partnership, private donors, and the city, alongside business donations of materials and services. The SEDCOR Construction Alliance awards an industry-recognized certificate upon completion of the program. The SEDCOR Construction Alliance expanded careerconnected learning into two more schools this year. At the request of John F. Kennedy High School in Mt. Angel, the Alliance connected the school with Instruction Construction’s pre-apprenticeship program, which will become the first construction-based dual credit curriculum at JFK. The Alliance made the same connection for North Marion High School, and partnered with the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency to bring pre-apprenticeship training to justice-impacted participants. This becomes the third certificate-based program of its kind, joining the Welding and Warehouse and Logistics certificates offered through Chemeketa Community College.

For more than two decades, workforce development has remained one of SEDCOR’s core strengths. Our team continues to serve as a connector between employers and educators to align training with real-time industry needs.

The Alliance is also running a Train-the-Trainer program with local construction companies, using the ADDIE process to build task-based organizational learning. FOCUS Heating and Cooling is the first company to complete it. Across the manufacturing sector, SEDCOR continued to connect employers including NORPAC and Pacific Coast Producers with the Willamette Workforce Partnership’s Train to Retain program to upskill incumbent workers.

SEDCOR reestablished the Sidewalk Program in Carlton, an opportunity to provide hands-on training for “Opportunity Youth”, those aged 16-24 who are not in school and not working. Two projects have been completed in Carlton with fund-

SEDCOR continued its work with the Sheridan School District in the development of curricula for the Barbara Roberts CTEC center. SEDCOR worked with the Grand Ronde Tribe to build and launch a Fire Science Continued on page 26

Workforce Development

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SEDCOR Road Map Update: 2026 – 2027 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

Program, where students gain skills that include fire prevention/ suppression training and emergency response activities. At completion, students will be eligible to receive EMR, wildland fire, and national NFPA Firefighters 1 certificates. plants decor patio gifts workshops clothing

5711 Gaffin rd se Hwy 22e exit 4

Stakeholder Engagement We want SEDCOR to be recognized among businesses and community as a regional expert and invaluable catalyst in the field of economic development. Our biggest potential lies in the connections we make between people, companies, and communities. Engaging our stakeholders is critical to that process. The Oregon Department of Agriculture launched a pilot program to develop three Regional Food and Agriculture Development Centers (RFAD) to support Oregon farms and food businesses with the tools and resources they need for business growth, expansion and retention. SEDCOR was chosen to be one of the RFAD Centers, recognition of the years of experience and success of the organization working with Mid-Willamette Valley food, beverage and agriculture businesses. This year’s events brought members together across the region. Our quarterly Industry Tours continue to be a successful way to show members firsthand what products and businesses are made in the area, highlight the economic impact of these businesses on the local community, and showcase the projects SEDCOR is involved with. Each tour has reached capacity, with the largest group being 50 at Hazelnut Growers of Oregon. The Launch Mid-Valley and Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Pop-Up and Pitch Marketplace brought more than 200 people to the Grand Hotel lobby in November. The 2026 SEDCOR Ag Breakfast at the Chemeketa Ag Hub in February hosted 182 registrants, and the Mid-Valley Economic Summit, formerly the Oregon Economic Forum, returned with 137. SEDCOR coordinated a roundtable on tariff challenges for Senator Wyden and Congresswoman Salinas in August. Participating businesses reflected the range of industries that make up the local economy, including Garmin AT, Natural Plant Products, Oregon Fruit, the Oregon Wine Board, Silver Falls Coffee, High Impact Technologies, and Oregon Business & Industry. SEDCOR also participated in a manufacturing roundtable with Congresswoman Bynum, hosted by the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership, sharing information culled from outreach visits and other similar events that addressed impacts of tariffs and regulation on Mid-Valley manufacturers.

SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review

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SEDCOR’s 2026 Year in Review