CORIL Expands Business Partnerships With Local Companies
by JIM LEE of CORIL
In this current month where we celebrate the 17th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many companies throughout the Central Oregon region are setting examples for our community in extending quality opportunities to those with disabilities to experience meaningful employment. Two of those companies are O’Keeffe’s Working Hands and Foot Crème in Sisters and a recent start up company here in Bend by the name of Dust-Aid.
Central Oregon Resources for Independent Living empowers people with disabilities to maximize their independence, productivity and inclusion in community life. A portion of CORIL’s services are provided from a 5,000 square foot Work and Life Skills Center here in Bend where those with disabilities perform contracted work at the Center. When requested, enclaves are sent out into the community to perform work at the business site. Both of these scenarios can lead to independent jobs in the community. Our business partnerships include: Columbia Aircraft, US Allegiance, Round Butte Seed, Window Alert, and Bend Mailing.
Creating win-win business partnerships is one of CORIL’s key values and we recently asked two of our most recent partners to describe a little about their companies and how they came to utilize CORIL as a business resource to prepare and package some of their products for distribution.
How did your company get started and what are your basic product lines?
Tara O’Keeffe-Broadbent, Working Hands and Foot Crème
“O’Keefe’s is a family owned business incorporated since 1994 but our product development goes back 25 years when, as a pharmacist, I created a unique crème for my father whose work as a rancher in the Klamath Basin was taking a toll on his hands and feet.”
Andrea Wordhouse, Dust-Aid
“Dust-Aid was developed in 2006 by Ross Wordhouse as a tool for cleaning the sensor on digital cameras. As a professional photographer, Ross often would find himself out in the field with a dirty sensor and nothing with which to clean it. The few products available were not approved for airline travel so when on location he was out of luck.”
What made you decide to engage CORIL as a job partner in helping you with your business needs?
Tara O’Keeffe-Broadbent, Working Hands Crème
“We were originally referred to them by Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) and we decided to engage CORIL as a job partner because we needed dependable people to help with projects.”
Andrea Wordhouse, Dust-Aid
“I had become familiar with CORIL while working on a campaign for them as a member of the AdFed of Central Oregon. I was impressed with the range of services and quality of work they offered.”
What has been your experience to date of contracting with CORIL in terms of how you measure the success of a business partnership?
Tara O’Keeffe-Broadbent, Working Hands Crème
“The business partnership has exceeded my expectations. Everyone at CORIL has a great attitude and our projects are often completed ahead of schedule. CORIL has made a huge difference in both my confidence in the program and my bottom line. Their workers continue to be a great asset to our company and to our community.”
Andrea Wordhouse, Dust-Aid
“I am thrilled with the success of our partnership. CORIL’s team has been efficient, flexible, and extremely accommodating. The cost, quality, and efficiency of using CORIL as a business resource has been instrumental in the success of Dust-Aid.”
What might you say to another company who is considering utilizing CORIL for their mailing, product fulfillment or data scanning and storage services?
Tara O’Keeffe-Broadbent, Working Hands Crème
“If another company was considering CORIL as a job partner, I would let them know that CORIL’s excellent communication in negotiating project details leads to outstanding results.”
Andrea Wordhouse, Dust-Aid
“I would suggest that anyone interested in using CORIL simply call and make an appointment to tour the facility and talk with the staff. I was already familiar with CORIL when I called them, but while visiting the facility became enlightened as to all the additional services they offered and was impressed with the organizational efficiency of the clients and the staff working with them.”
Do you have any other thoughts and comments?
Tara O’Keeffe-Broadbent, Working Hands Crème
“Personally, it brings me great pleasure to support this group of motivated and spirited individuals.”
Andrea Wordhouse, Dust-Aid
“Unlike so many other vendors we work with who simply do the job, CORIL really has made the utmost effort to join us in a partnership with the same concern and desire for our products and success as we have. CORIL has been instrumental in assisting us in achieving our goals and I would tell anyone interested in using CORIL that it is a true pleasure having had the opportunity to work with their team.”
CORIL and Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO) will co-host their Third Annual Celebrating Community Partnerships Luncheon at St. Charles Hospital on Tuesday, September 25. Interested community and business members wanting to know more about CORIL’s job partnership opportunities or to attend this upcoming event, should contact Jim Lee at jiml@coril.org or 541/771-6184 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 541/771-6184 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. For more information about CORIL’s full scope of services go to their website at www.coril.org.
