Kelsey Lucas, EDCO’s managing director for Prineville/Crook County, characterizes the past year as one in which “steps to fruition have been slower,” and business activity as being “more commercial than industrial — not our typical line of work.”
Anticipating accelerated growth in the next six months — particularly in advanced manufacturing, building products, high-technology, aviation/aerospace, renewable energy, agriculture, and food processing — Lucas painted an optimistic economic picture at the EDCO Prineville/Crook County Annual Luncheon.
Her presentation to the attendees was highlighted by statistics such as:
- Anticipated population growth of 8.2 percent by the year 2028
- 1,062 new jobs by the year 2028, with an eight percent increase in the county labor force of 12,952
- From 2012-2022, the Enterprise Zone Program resulted in 32 projects, 774 jobs, and $7.18 billion in capital investment
- Nearly 16 percent more residents were employed in Crook County in 2021 than in 2016
- Unlike all comparison geographies, employment in Crook County was not impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- The 2021 GDP/worker in chained dollars in Crook County was $84,278, which exceeds rural comparators and Deschutes County
- A homegrown tech sector could contribute to gains in this metric of real GDP per worker — increasing both personal wealth and broader economic output in the region
- 21 percent of workers are employed in manufacturing in Crook County
- Retail trade construction, transportation and warehousing, and health care/social assistance round out the top five industries
- Crook County leads all rural comparators and Deschutes County in the percent of residents employed in computer and math occupations
- Small business owners/startup entrepreneurs/sole proprietors account for more than one-third of workers in Crook County
- In Crook County, nearly 15 percent more individuals identified as self-employed in 2021 than did in 2016
- 3 percent of workers in Crook County work in companies that are less than five years old
- The preponderance of people moving to Prineville are from Portland, followed by Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
