(JoHanna and Jeremy Symons, shown with their family, will soon build a 40,000-square-foot meat processing facility north of Madras | Photo courtesy of Symons Beef Products)
A meeting with key players from Madras, Metolius and Culver made an immediate impression upon Brenna Fulks when she began her new job as EDCO’s Jefferson County Director last October. “All these folks — from the county, city, and chamber — were comfortable getting together and collaborating,” she said. “They have been fantastic, and it’s neat to see their excitement and engagement.”
A seasoned community and economic development professional with a deep-rooted passion for revitalizing rural communities, Fulks previously served as the Deputy Executive Director for a three-county economic development district in western Montana, and as Executive Director of the Klamath Falls Downtown Association.
Jefferson County had been without an EDCO presence since 2019, a void lamented by people such as County Commissioner Kelly Simmelink, who said, “Factors such as available land and access to air, train and highway networks make Jefferson County highly desirable. Inquiries have increased and we are without a person locally to develop and nurture these leads.”
Fulks’s arrival was understandably greeted with enthusiasm. “We are excited to have such an experienced economic development leader to develop and nurture opportunities locally,” said Madras City Administrator Will Ibershof.
“There are so many different things happening,” Fulks observed, as exemplified by:
- The establishment of businesses such as Midtown Coffee, Urban Home, a bookstore, White Buffalo, and Great Earth Café in Madras’ downtown area.
- Completion of the Madras Municipal Airport’s master plan, and the hiring of Lorraine Martinelli as airport manager.
- The decision of companies such as Daimler Trucks North America, Brightwood, New Moon Aviation, and Erickson Aero Tanker to become tenants in the Madras Industrial Park. “So much potential is there,” said Fulks.
- Expansion of the City of Madras Enterprise Zone that, as Fulks noted, “took only a month. The process happened so quickly.”
- Collaborative efforts, including the revitalization of Madras’ downtown core, that “are critical to attracting larger employers.”
- Three EDCO projects in the works.
Perhaps the “jewel in the crown” of EDCO’s efforts since Fulks has become an advocate for Jefferson County businesses are Symons Beef Company’s plans to build a 40,000-square-foot meat processing facility just north of Madras. “The Symons have such a solid concept,” said Fulks, “and JoHanna is an absolute pleasure to work with.”
Symons, who has presented the couple’s plans to Jefferson County commissioners, and COCC’s Small Business Development Center, recalled when she was first put in contact with Fulks. “The rest is history,” she said.
“Brenna has been instrumental in helping us, making the process easier than we ever expected. I admire her promptness and professionalism, and the fact that she’s not afraid to build relationships. She has been awesome.”
In line with EDCO’s emphasis on job creation, Fulks pointed out that Symons Beef Company initially plans to expand from its current 10 full-time workers and a few who are employed part-time to a projected 40-50 jobs, hopefully growing to about 70 employees within three years.
Describing the climate she is working in — as exemplified by Symons Beef Company — Fulks said that “Jefferson County is really open to growth, business development, and sustainability. In my opinion, the resultant revitalization and renewed interest in towns such as Madras is akin to a renaissance.”
Symons Beef Company is ‘Ready for the Next Step’
If all goes according to plan, and with the assistance of EDCO and other partners, the co-founders of Symons Beef Company will soon start building a 40,000-square-foot meat processing facility on their property just north of Madras.
“My husband Jeremy and I always wanted to grow our 800-acre ranching and feeding operation to be vertical — allowing us to become involved in every step of the production process from start to finish, or all the way from the ranch to the plate,” said JoHanna Symons. “The expansion will give us more control over the cleanliness and safety of our all-natural, hormone-free products, and puts wind in our sails.”
The couple feel it’s critical to oversee the harvesting part of the process, rather than dropping off live animals at local butcher plants, which eventually were unable to handle their demand. (The Symons Beef Company herd now consists of 10,000 cattle.)
“We were so inexperienced when starting out, but learned in a few years what takes others a lifetime,” Symons said. “We’re super grateful, and are now ready for the next step.”
Once constructed, the new facility will process about 50 head of cattle a day with coolers for up to 200 head, which will be a great help for other area ranchers. As EDCO’s Brenna Fulks noted, “The lack of a local meat processing plant has resulted in folks having to transport their cattle to California and Washington.”
Symons Beef Company’s owners project that the company’s expansion will also result in the creation of about 70 jobs within three years.
“Jeremy and I have always worked hard to ensure that every aspect of our production is directed toward producing clean, wholesome beef and upholding the integrity of the Symons brand, JoHanna Symons said. “This next stage in our evolution will be instrumental in helping us reach our goal of providing the highest-quality beef in Central Oregon.”
