The new airport terminal and the development of Malheur Lumber Companys biomass pellet plant are good news for Grant County. They both bring unexpected partnerships and economic expansion to the county. 

    The airport terminal created a partnership with the U. S. Forest Service that supports fire suppression efforts, provides easy access to those developers and businesses wishing to invest in Grant Countys economy, and assures Grant County residents continued air services for emergencies and specialized medical care. 

    The development of the biomass plant brings approximately 14 new jobs and helps sustain the 80 or more jobs currently at Malheur Lumber. Wood products such as the ones being manufactured by Malheur Lumber are plentiful and renewable and will help to sustain Grant Countys future into perpetuity.   

    From Enterprise Zone applications to studies concerning composting animal material, the Grant County Economic Development has had a busy year. The staff is working on the boundary change application for the Grant County Enterprise Zone. On July 1, the state approved the renewal application for the enterprise zone, but recently the four original partners have been looking at adding portions of Seneca and of the Silvies Valley Ranch to the zone. (Grant County and the cities of John Day and Mt. Vernon have approved the change; Prairie City will take it up next month.)  

    For those businesses and industries that are competing in the traded sector (non-retail) the enterprise zone provides three- to five-year property tax abatement on new construction and equipment with a value of $50K or more. The new construction or equipment must also generate new jobs within the enterprise zone boundary. The boundary change requests that Senecas industrial park and a portion of the commercial district be added to the Enterprise Zone. The City of Seneca would then become a partner in the Grant County Enterprise Zone.  

    The boundary change request will also include portions of the Silvies Valley Ranch where the lodge exists and a small piece of that portion of land where the airstrip is located. 

    The renewal application for the enterprise zone took more than four months to complete; the boundary change is a less formal request, but spreads over the same amount of time since there are specific obligations the zone partners must complete. The boundary request has to be approved through resolution by each of the partners. After that it can be sent to the state for approval.  

    The countys Economic Development office just finished a 16-month project, funded by the USDA Rural Development program, to complete a business plan for a local vegetable farmer and a feasibility study to ascertain whether composting animal matter is a viable addition to a local business.  If implemented, these two businesses could create four to five new jobs in Grant County, and possibly more in the future.  

    The office has also worked with Mike Slinkard and his new product line, Human Energy Concealment Systems (HECS).  This new product line fits right in with one of the State of Oregons five industry clusters: Footwear, Outdoor Gear & Apparel.  

  HECS has gained a tremendous amount of interest this hunting season after the January 2010 launch of the company.  Slinkard reports that sales are growing, but even bigger news for HECS is the recent endorsement of its wetsuit project by the Pelagic Shark Research Foundation of Santa Cruz, Calif. The foundation found that divers and swimmers wearing HECS aquatic fabric received much less attention from sharks than those not wearing it. The company is in serious negotiations with two major wetsuit/swimwear companies for inclusion of HECS in their new lines.

   In November HECS also announced that it has appointed the Virginia Beach-based Energy Shielding Systems division of Combat Coatings LLC as exclusive national and international government and military distributor of the HECS technology and product line. This should yield interest from various government and military factions.

    In addition, the Economic Development office helped several small retail businesses write business plans, conduct market analysis, and research investor opportunities.  Future projects include working with RARE-AmeriCorps representative Hannah Ancel to research the possibility of a community commercial kitchen in Grant County. Hannah is also helping the John Day Farmers Market prepare to take electronic benefit transfers in the next season. This will help those using the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to spend their benefits on fresh local food.  

    The office also is working with a group of local businesses and community members to strengthen the community partnerships with the SolWest Fair.  The group hopes to increase local participation in the fair by adding new classes, workshops and vendors who promote traditional skills along with exploring more renewable energy possibilities. More on this will be available soon.  

    Sally Bartlett is the Grant County economic development coordinator. Her office provides help with business plans and development. Located in Suite 4 at 530 E. Main St. in John Day, the office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.