(Photo above: Wild Harvest out of Redmond)
A partnership between Economic Development of Central Oregon and Deschutes County has allowed three local growing companies, Navis, Vantage Clinical Solutions and Wild Harvest, to convert loans for $50,000 each into grants after fulfilling their obligation to create a certain amount of jobs.
Kyle Buehner, CEO of Navis of Bend, said the company has far exceeded the jobs it was required to create starting with approximately 26 employees and now closer to 200. The wages for these jobs are competitive for the average wage in the region. First offering hospitality sales and marketing software solutions out of Sunriver in 1987, the company now serves clients around the nation like Vail Resorts, Sundance Resort and in Flordia, The Baltimore and Reunion Resort. Navis continues to invest in the community helping to attract other software companies and encouraging more businesses to come here from outside the state.
Tannus Quatre, CEO of Vantage Clinical Solutions of Bend, says their company has gone from 11 to 20 employees and expects to add another five in the coming year. Vantage got its start in 2005 when founders recognized how easy it was to feel burnt out in the medical world. They took this epiphany and decided by helping clinicians think and act like entrepreneurs by providing smart management systems, solid business knowledge and support with the launch of innovative healthcare endeavors, they could improve healthcare. Today, Vantage continues to improve healthcare and its systems through fostering and developing innovations and partnering with companies like Salus Healthcare, AMBA and Smart Solutions.
Pam Martin, co-founder of Wild Harvest based in Redmond, said they are ahead of schedule in their hiring going from 25 jobs to 50. Martin explained that they could hire more if they just had the right applicants. Recently purchasing a half million in equipment, the company produces herbal supplements made from plant material with the highest level of integrity. Wild Harvest moved from Sandy to Redmond in 2014 where they are now executing their mission to nurture good, healthy soil and clean water, save and replant Non-GMO seeds which will ensure potent and healthy herbal supplements. A full listing of open employment is available on their website.
