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THE BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015
re on’O eSSrae um S
BRIEFING Workers’ comp
costs todecrease
Workers’ compensa› tion costs in Oregon are expected to decreasean average of 5.3 percent next year, the state an› nounced Tuesday. The Department of Consumer and Busi› ness Services approved the average decrease in what’s called the pure premium, which is the portion of the premium employers pay insurers to cover anticipated claims costs for job-related injuries and deaths, according to a news release. While the pure pre› mium is the keyfactor for annual cost chang› es, it makes up only a portion of the costs of workers’ compensation, which pays lost wages and medical bills for workers injured on the job. It’s the third consec› utive year of average decreases, the news release stated. An individual em› ployer, however, may see a larger decrease, no change or evenan increase depending on the employer’s industry, claims experience and payroll, according to the news release. Also, pure premium doesn’t take into account the expenses and profit of insurance companies. The rate decreasebe› comes effective Jan. 1, but employers will see any changes whenthey renew their policies next year.
The increase comes amid atime of rapid job growth By Steven DuBois
5.9 percent in July. It was 5.2 percent in April. The gradualrise comes at a time of robust hiring. The agency says Oregon’s payroll employmenthas expanded by 60,400 jobs during the past 12
The Associated Press
months. The state hasn’t had a
be growing faster than new gust 2014. ’Ibesday’s employment re› jobsbecause offactorssuch as jobseekers moving to Oregon port shows Oregon added from other states. 4,400 jobs in August, following Another consideration is the a revised gain of 7,400 jobs in joblessrateisbasedonasurvey July.
more money than they did a year ago," Cooke said. "We’ ve had this big drop in gas prices
of about 1,000 households and
restaurants."
has a relatively high margin of PORTLAND A jobs boom run like that since June 1996 to error 0.7 percent. The payroll has not translated to a sharp May 1997. employment figures are based drop in Oregon’s jobless rate. Normally, the unemploy› on alargersurvey ofm orethan The Oregon Employment ment rate wouldn’t rise at a 8,000 establishments. Department said Tuesday the time of rapid job growth. But Though the jobless rate has unemployment rate increased David Cooke, a state econo› jumped in recent months, it has to 6.1 percent in August from mist, said the labor pool might fallen from 6.9 percent in Au›
The leisure and hospitali›
ty industry added 2,100 jobs, making it responsible for near› ly half of August’s gain. "Nationally, there has been a large uptick in consumer spending on restaurants, so
— Bulletin staff reports
earnin en Ie Ieneuzs i w ie in risan in a Ias 4, ee
Vernon G. Breit, P.O.Box 100, Prineville Kevin W. Myers, 20818 Cross Court, Bend Joshua A. andTalitha 0. Woodruff, 2666 Altair Court, Bend
Filed Thursday RaeAnn E. Adams, 1600 NWHickory Place, Redmond Tanya S. Young, 507 SE 11th St., Redmond
one of the main beneficiaries of that extra spending power is Most Oregon industries have shown a healthy uptick in jobs over the past year, with retail
trade joining leisure and hos› pitality at the top of the heap. Only two industries have been
Businesses to compete for slot at
conference Bulletin staff report Ten companies have been selected to compete
for a chance to pitch their businesses to investors next month in the ear›
ly-stage competition at the Bend Venture Conference, Economic Development
for Central Oregon an› nounced Tuesday. Representatives from
the companies will give three-minute presen› tations Sept. 24 during
EDCO’s Central Oregon Pub Talk at McMenamins Old St. Francis School. An
audience vote will deter› mine which five startups
will go on to compete for $15,000 at the BVC. The conference expects to ex› ceed investments levels in
2015 from previous years, according to its website.
The companies and their business models are: Airfit, which places workout and shower fa›
cilities behind security screening in airports. EZ Local Eats, a
StephenHamway/The Bulletin
mobile app for finding and ordering from food trucks. Foodfu, an iPhone app
Inmate Chris Bookhart, who graduated Tuesday from an entrepreneurship program at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras,
that allows users to create
holds a drawing of the logo for his future business, Fresh Start Cleaning Service.
cooking competitions like those on television. HerbAdvisors.corn, a
By Stephen Hamway The Bulletin
MADRAS
Chris Wim›
berly calls his epoxy-based material used by his most recent venture, Garage Re› naissance Flooring, "the Fer›
rari of garage flooring," due to its resistance to stains and damage. The company is slated to open in Bend in 2018 when
center. Eight of the program’s graduates this year present›
including a lack of access to
using the funds from the
startup capital and an inabili›
ed their completed business
ty to use Web-based learning material in the classes, the
three books he self-published during his time in prison as startup capital. His company,
plans to a panel of three busi› nessmen and women during the program’s graduation ceremony. "We’ re looking for ways to add value for the inmates
here," Curley said. Curley said the program
Filed Friday Hailey R. O’Neil, 957 SW 14th St., Redmond Jack Ceumasand Vivian Garcia-Coumas, 61186 Hilmer CreekDrive, Bend
Filed Monday Jeffrey H. andAlicia D.
na and edible products.
Fresh Start Cleaning Ser›
Outdoor Logic, which develops products to as›
vice, is targeted at hospice
sist in outdoor-activity
preneurs throughout Central Oregon.
services, hospitals and other companies that deal with
participation. QuakeWarn, a busi›
hazardous materials on a daily basis.
ness that provides early
"We’ re limited in some of the tools that we have," Cur› ley said. "But as far as the ap›
"It’s a big market, and
proach to starting a business, I’m not scared to get wet," it’s the same." Wimberly expects to com› minimum-security inmates Bookhart said. plete his sentence at Deer in good standing with the Wimberly, a former busi› Graduate Brian Haggerty, Ridge Correction Institution prison who submit a business ness management student at who plans to start a mobile for convictions on first-de› plan and have it approved. the University of Oregon, said bike repair company with gree robbery and burglary. Three-hour classes, on en› the program’s main advan› his son in Portland in 2017, Wimberly graduated Tues› trepreneurial topics ranging tage over other entrepreneur› said the program helped him day from the fourth annual from how to register a busi› ship classes was the authen› solidify an idea that had been Deer Ridge Entrepreneur› ness to in-depth discussions ticity of the instructors, each bouncing around in his head ship Program, a 10-week on sales and marketing, are of whom had hands-on expe› for a while. "These (instructors) really course held at the prison. It’ s taught once every other week rience with entrepreneurship. operated by the Small Busi› by business advisers from the The proposed business› made it real for me," said ness Development Center at Small Business Development es ranged from a Port› Haggerty, who was convicted land-based healthy food cart Central Oregon Community Center. Curley added that of first-degree encouraging College through a found› the inmates also meet with to a fitness consulting firm child sex abuse. "They helped ing grant from the former business advisers during the in Eugene. Inmate Chris me take it from ’I want this Redmond-based nonprofit off weeks in groups of three Bookhart, who’s serving to happen’ to ’I can make this Partnership to End Poverty, to four. time for robbery, said he was happen.’" according to Steve Curley, While Curley said the in› planning to open a hazardous — Reporter: 480-678-3357, director of the development mates face unique challenges, materials cleaning service shamvsay@bendbulletin.com
Donald Sutherland, 5100 NW FrankWay, Redmond Geraldine 0. Camarero, 2916 SW IndianCircle, Redmond Lynn A. Kraft, 20639 Wild Rose Lane,Bend
website for reviews of dif› ferent strains of marijua›
overall strategy is similar to the center’s work with entre›
accepts applications from
BANKRUPTCIES Chapter 7 Filed Sept. 8
over the year, and it looks like
people are going out to eat flat mining and logging, and more frequently and spending financial activities.
Software company gets Invesbllent Bend software company LeadMethod has received an un› disclosed investment from Texagon Capital, a private equity firm that operates in Bendand Houston, according to a news release issued Tuesday. LeadMethod helps companies automate the way they capture and distribute leads, with the ultimate goal of increasing sales. The investmentbyTexagon is the second invest› mentLeadMethod has landed in less than two months. In late July, Cascade Angels Fund announced a $100,000 investment in Lead› Method. Texagon Capital’s in› vestment was its first in an Oregon-based com› pany, according to the news release. Founders of the firm previously invested mostly in energy companies that provide equipment or services to the oil and gas industry, the news release stated. Brad Goebel, Texagon’s managing principal, lives in Bend part time, and he’s interested in diversifying the firm’s portfolio and exploring investment oppor› tunities in local tech companies, the news release stated.
er
warnings of earthquakes. Radventure, a peer› to-peer marketplace that
connects travelers with locals, who provide the travelers with information
so they can explore their destinations like a local. SnoPlanks, which
makes high performance hand-made bamboo
snowboards specifically geared toward powder and big-mountain riding. StaBallizer, an exer›
cise device designed to improve core strength.
Sunshine Network, which is developing mobile apps to connect
users and allow them to interact.
BEST OFTHEBIZ CALENDAR Burlington, 17842 Bear Paw Lane, Bend Steven T. andJanet S. Johnson, P.O.Box6482, Bend
Chapter 13 Filed Sept. 9 Jay D. andStormy D. Gore, HC63, Box90, Madras
Filed Monday Don P. andLeonaS. Rairigh, 28145 U.S. Highway 20East, Bend
TODAY •LadorandEmployment Law Update:A presentation covering newOregonlabor and employment laws from the 2015 Oregon legislative sessions; $30 for members of the Human Resource Association of Central Oregon, $45 nonmembers; 7:30 a.m.; Shilo Inn, 3105O.B. Riley Road, Bend, 541-408-4557, www.hrcentraloregon.org. THURSDAY BusinessStartup Class:Cover basics in this two-hour class and decide if running a business is for
you;$29;6p.m.;La Pine Public Library, 16425 First St., La Pine, 541-383-7290,cocc.edu/sbdc. Introduction to 30CAD: Class designed to explore and familiarize participants with 30 CAD, starting Thursday with weekly meetings through Oct. 22; $150; 6 p.m.; E::SpaceLabs, 48 SE BrIdgeford Blvd., Bend, www.espacelabs.corn/autodesk› fusion-360.html. FRIDAY ContractorsCCBTest Prep Course:Two-day live class to prepare for the state-mandated
test to become alicensed contractor; $359; 8 a.m.; Central OregonCommunity College Technology Education Center, 2030 SECollege Leep, Redmond, 541-383-7290; www. cocc.edu/ccb. TUESDAY •SCOREBusinessCounseling: Business counselors conduct free one-on-oneconferences for local entrepreneurs; 5:30 p.m.; DowntownBendPublic Library, 601 NWWall St., Bend, 541-706-1639. Mid OregonCredit Union
InsuranceWorkshop:Learn how insurance ratesaredetermined and what youcandoto affect those rates; 6p.m.; Mid Oregon Credit Union, 1386 NE Gushing Drive, Bend,541-382-1795. Green Drinks: Combined with the BendEnergy Challenge Week presentations, feed, music; free; 6p.m.; BendArea Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 224 NEThursten Ave., Bend, 541-385-6908. For the complete calendar, pick up Sunday’sBulletin or visit bendbulletin.corn/bizcal