[Annual Awards 2007] EDCO - Economic Development For Central Oregon

On October 24th, EDCO hosted its fourth Annual Awards in recognition of Central Oregon’s primary employers who have created new jobs and investment in our communities. This year we recognized six outstanding contributors in the following categories:

Category	2007 Winner
Central Oregon Product of the Year	Breedlove Guitar Company Peter Newport Breedlove Guitar Company was awarded Central Oregon Product of the Year for their creation of custom, high quality guitars and mandolins that carry a lifetime unconditional guarantee. Their products are made of the finest raw materials, including unique and rare tonewoods, and finished by teams of the finest craftsmen in the country. Breedlove's customers include top recording artists in pop, rock, country, bluegrass and folk music. Because of the company's strategic development of business at both the national and international level, 98% of revenues come from sales outside Oregon, making it a model exporter and ideal traded-sector employer.
Central Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year	PV Powered Roger Laubacher Erick Petersen Steve Hummel PV Powered was selected EDCO's Central Oregon Entrepreneur of 2007 award based on the execution of their vision to spur widespread adoption of solar power. The company focuses on assisting distributors, dealers, and installers to be successful and ensures that their products are the best supported, easiest to install, and most reliable solar inverters in the industry. Since its inception five years ago, PV Powered has grown from a handful of employees to nearly 50 today and is planning for future growth.
Outstanding Partnership in Economic Development	Project: Bond/Wilson Roundabout at the Old Mill District Mary Campbell, River Bend Partners Eric Gerding, Gerding Edlen Nick Arnis, City of Bend Transportation The partnership that built the roundabout at the intersection of Bond and Wilson in Bend includes the River Bend Limited Partnership (RBLP); Gerding Edlen; the City of Bend; the 500 Bond project; the Trono Group, LLC; and the Oregon Dental System (ODS)/Western Title project. Participants recognized that to move forward on several critical development projects, the roundabout needed to be privately funded and fast tracked. The entire project spanned less than 9 months and was built at no taxpayer cost.
Manufacturing Excellence	Structus Building Technologies Bill Scannell Dave Slavensky Structus Building Technologies has embraced the three key criteria for the Manufacturing Excellence award -- process excellence, product innovation, and and a culture that supports continuous improvement. The company has been very open in sharing what has worked for them in embracing Lean manufacturing principles and has been an evangelist to get companies in other sectors to adopt continuous improvement process through active leadership in the direction of the High Desert Enterprise Consortium (HiDEC).
Private Sector Person of the Year	Wayne Purcell The Riverhouse Convention Center Criteria for the Private Sector Person of the Year includes outstanding leadership qualities, initiative in getting others to take action, and concern for Central Oregon and its future. Wayne Purcell received the award for 2007 for the expansion of The Riverhouse Convention Center, which now houses the largest single meeting room east of the Cascades and has proven to be a boon for the local tourism development and convention business. Unlike most convention center development today, The Riverhouse project was entirely privately financed with no public financial liability for either construction or operation of the facility.
Public Sector Person of the Year	Judge Scott Cooper Crook County Judge Scott Cooper exemplifies the qualities sought in Public Sector Person of the Year, with the leadership he's exhibited in Crook County as well as his efforts on behalf of the the Central Oregon region at large. Judge Cooper is well known for his incredible work ethic, tenacity, and prolific writing. He's served in both public and private non-profit organizations, including regional representation on Connect Oregon, which brought funding for expansion of the Redmond Airport, a reloading facility in Prineville, and a new bus barn for Bend's newly launched transit system. Judge Cooper was also instrumental in creating a new partnership between Central Oregon Community Investment Board (COCIB) and EDCO, resulting in the Business Development Opportunity Fund, which has been widely used to recruit new companies to the region and to help existing companies expand operations.