(Photo | courtesy of Tumalo Cider Co.)
The Producers, Innovators, Artisans & More of the Region
The question of, “What do we make here in Central Oregon?” is a broad one. Central Oregon contains a multitude of industries and exports; a list that constantly changes as the years go by and the local economy grows and changes with the population, and the world around us. The most populous city by far, Bend, has grown significantly from those early days when the primary industry in the town
was logging.
As the logging industry fell, a variety of other industries rose to prominence. In the modern day, and in terms of the number of employees, the Central Oregon economy is primarily made up of jobs in industries like; leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; professional and business services; and education and health services.
However, even these facts don’t paint the whole picture of what we make here in Central Oregon. Steve Curley is the REDI (Redmond Economic Development Inc.) Director at EDCO, a nonprofit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders with a mission to create a diversified local economy and a strong base of middle-class jobs in Central Oregon. This involves tracking traded-sector businesses that play a crucial role of infusing new capital into our local economy.
Talking to Steve, it became evident that there is a massive variety of products that we make here in Central Oregon. Aside from obvious products like timber and lumber goods, or craft beer, Central Oregon has some standouts.
In Bend, Steve talked about the biotech industry, and specifically, the Bend companies that supply a large proportion of research and development, as opposed to the actual manufacturing of pharmaceuticals. “The type of technology required for the actual manufacturing mostly exists in other parts of the country, whereas much of the R&D happens here,” Steve said. “That’s a big export.”
Another notable field is the growing local tech industry. Not only is Central Oregon producing things like apps and other software at growing rates, we’re also making the cooling systems that massive tech companies need to operate their data centers. BASX in Redmond manufactures the HVAC cooling systems that companies like Meta use in data centers, like those built out in Prineville.
On a more nature-based side of things, Central Oregon is also a massive producer of farm and ranch goods, from animal-based products like high-quality meat dairy, to Indigenous ancestral seeds and plants at Sakari Farms in Sisters, and plants used for herbal supplements at Oregon’s Wild Harvest.
Consumer products make up another chunk, representing an estimated $24.4 billion of Oregon’s $270 billion GDP. Consumer product manufacturers transform, ferment, package, preserve, bake, or dry agricultural produce into shelf-stable beverages, ready-to-eat snacks and home goods. Across Central Oregon, hundreds of brands have launched and succeeded in building global sales distribution channels to meet consumer demand.
And of course, one must include outdoor products in a list of things made in Bend. Thanks to a plethora of educational opportunities and programs that connect individuals to both the outdoor industry and resources to help launch a company, the outdoor industry is a booming one in the region. Companies in this industry are fueled by Bend’s entrepreneurial spirit, and of course, the natural bounty of recreation that surrounds us.
The answer to the question of, “What do we make here in Central Oregon?” should realistically reframe the question to ask, “What don’t we make here in Central Oregon?” With so many unique and diverse industries, Central Oregon makes everything a market could demand.
