September 1, 2016
Revitalization of Southern Oregon Communities
Inside this issue: Education—The foundation of Southern Oregon’s Business Future How the American Main Street Program is shaping our cities and small towns Economic news concerns of Southern Oregon
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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A few words from Greg September 2016 is on us.
Considerable activity in Southern Oregon’s economy is spurring an encouraging sign that the economic vitality of these six counties is on a promising upswing. From manufacturing to agriculture and health care we are seeing the restoration of business and job growth that has taken much too long. Many will report that the recession began in 2008 but many of us would disagree. Our recession has been going on for nearly 25 years. Still others say the current recession ended over five years ago. Again, we disagree. It is only now signaling a change in a positive direction. Across the country, and certainly in Oregon, the economy of the rural regions of the state do not reflect the economy of the heavily populated areas of Portland and the surrounding suburbs. There have been tremendous changes in the way America does business that make the effort to restore a flagging economy very difficult. There is a concentration of youth in the populated metropolitan areas because of educational and career opportunities that smaller communities have not offered in the past. It is ironic that the very technology that brought on the rush to the city of the youngest working generations, is the same technology that makes it possible for them to choose the career and residential location of their choosing. Technology has replaced many blue collar jobs with robotics and computerization. Though former blue collar jobs have changed the products being manufactured have remained. Retraining programs have helped in some situations, but often the person being replaced by computers is near enough to retirement age that most choices are much less attractive than the former jobs. Early retirement or acceptance of lower household incomes often result. Time may not cure these unfortunate circumstances but it will force changes upon us that become a “new normal”. As the generations age and industry leaders of former generations make their exits the promise of vital and productive small towns in rural America returns. The enthusiasm I see in traveling the 200 communities of Southwestern Oregon is enough to keep the confidence of this Baby-Boomer in full throttle.
Take care,
Greg Henderson Greg Henderson, Publisher greg@southernoregonbusiness.com “Education is the best economic policy there is.” Tony Blair
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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A JOURNAL FOR THE ECONOMICALLY CURIOUS, PROFESSIONALLY INSPIRED AND ACUTELY MOTIVATED
703 Divot Loop
ASSISTING THE ECONOMIES OF THE SIX COUNTIES OF SOUTHWEST OREGON
Sutherlin, Oregon 97479 www.southernoregonbusiness.com 541-315-6127
ECONOMICS
DEVELOPMENT
EDUCATION
BUSINESS
4 Oregon Economic Indicators
6 Main Street gives life to Downtown Roseburg
10 Are we doing it wrong?
20 The cost of inaccurate hiring
5 State of Oregon Workforce Numbers
7 Reedsport Main Street Program
11 Why our children are so bored in school
21 Minimum wage pay while training new employees
TOURISM
ENERGY
18 Magic Under the Stars—The Britt Music & Arts Festival
29 Hydro vs Wind vs Power?
FINAL NOTES 32 Righting the Economic Ship
12 Oregon Common Core State Standards 13 OSBA tackles revenue reform issues
23 Startups - Identifying your target market
14 Training a new generation to connect care & community
24 D.R. Johnson Press Release
15 Will they stay or go? International STEM students are up for grabs 17 What about our libraries?
Southern Oregon Business Journal
22 Employing teenagers
25 Disney— Drones— and Engineers. How ASCE innovators inspire each other 27 Cracking the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Code
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State of Oregon Economic Indicators
TM
REVIEW A reading of “zero” corresponds to the average growth rate for that particular region. In other words, the measures identify periods of fast or slow growth relative to trend.
a narrower set of variables using a different methodology used by the Conference Board to compute leading indicators for the United States. Using different indicators allows for a more complete picture of the Oregon economy.
Oregon’s economy posted some modestly softer numbers in June but the pace of activity remains generally consistent with that normally experienced during expansions. The Oregon measure of economic activity fell to 0.57 from an upwardly revised May figure of 0.81. The three-month moving average, which smooths month-tomonth volatility in the measure was 0.77, where “zero” indicates average growth over the 1990–present period. The manufacturing sector remained in modestly positive territory on the back of fairly strong average weekly hours worked in the sector. The construction sector impact was again effectively neutral. The household sector remains very supportive of the overall measure. The low unemployment rate and level of initial unemployment claims indicate the labor market remains healthy; growth in employment services (largely temporary help firms) has faltered, however. The services sector was again only marginally supportive to the overall measure of activity. The University of Oregon Index of Economic Indicators fell 0.5 percent in
June, but the May loss was revised upward to a gain. Most indicators were generally unchanged to modestly softer compared to May. Following national trends, employment services payrolls slipped and are overall tracking generally sideways in recent months, consistent with some loss of momentum typically seen in later stages of a business cycle. This could, however, be a reflection of temporary weakness in manufacturing as the impact of lower oil prices and stronger dollar continues to pass through the sector. The interest rate spread narrowed sharply in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, an event that pushed down longer term yields worldwide. Together, these indicators suggest ongoing growth in Oregon at an above average pace of activity. The ongoing US economic expansion provides sufficient support to sustain Oregon’s economy for the foreseeable future. The UO Index typically moves sideways as a business cycle matures. Such behavior is thus expected for an expansion that is now seven years old.
Tim A. Duy Director, Oregon Economic Forum Department of Economics University of Oregon duy@uoregon.edu
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Workforce & Economic Research Labor Force & Unemployment for Southern Oregon July 2016 Civilian Labor Force
United States Oregon Southern Oregon Counties: Coos Curry Douglas Jackson Josephine Klamath
Employed
160,705,000 152,437,000
Unemployed
Unemployment Rate Seasonally Adjusted (UR) (UR)
8,267,000
5.1
4.9
2,083,858
1,965,763
118,095
5.7
5.2
26,803 9,221 46,171 101,230
24,823 8,552 42,807 94,229
1,980 669 3,364 7,001
7.4 7.3 7.3 6.9
6.8 7.3 6.8 6.6
34,504 29,858
31,932 27,703
2,572 2,155
7.5 7.2
7.4 7.1
June 2016 Civilian Labor Force
United States Oregon Southern Oregon Counties: Coos Curry Douglas Jackson Josephine Klamath
Employed
160,135,000 151,990,000
Unemployed
Unemployment Rate Seasonally Adjusted (UR) (UR)
8,144,000
5.1
4.9
2,064,195
1,954,029
110,166
5.3
4.8
26,845
25,047
1,798
6.7
6.4
9,182 46,230 101,168
8,550 43,070 94,719
632 3,160 6,449
6.9 6.8 6.4
6.9 6.4 6.2
34,627 29,768
32,243 27,727
2,384 2,041
6.9 6.9
6.9 6.9
Civilian labor force includes employed & unemployed individuals 16 years & older by place of residence. Employed includes nonfarm payroll employment, self-employed, unpaid family workers, domestics, agriculture & labor disputants. Unemployment rate is calculated by dividing unemployed by civilian labor force. Data is not seasonally adjusted unless otherwise noted. Contact: Kathi Riddell Kathi.R.Riddell@state.or.us
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Main Street gives life to Downtown Roseburg By: Greg Henderson, SOBJ
“A Main Street program helps you dream.” Lance Colley, City Manager, Roseburg, OR There are three ingredients to making improvements to your downtown; energy, time and money. How much of each will depend on leadership, organization and perseverance. Local ebb and flow of business economics and the effects of national events are stumbling blocks that may slow the process, but leadership and community attitudes can overcome most obstacles. Lance Colley became Roseburg’s city manager in November 2012. He immediately climbed on board the program to improve every aspect of Roseburg’s existence. The 2008 recession hurt but rural communities like Roseburg had been effectively in recession for many years prior to the Great Recession of 2008. Rapid reduction in federal dollars from O&C agreements forced leadership in those counties to spend extended amounts of time deciding on how to continue programs that had depended on that federal injection. The future would be bleak without intelligent and creative ways to continue funding for established programs. Recognizing future needs and projections in the demographic changes that come with lifestyle changes and technological advances of the 21st Century became a necessary asset of those in decision making roles.
The Roseburg Downtown Development District began in the early 1990’s primarily because of a need to build parking structures and to improve the customer experience in the downtown district. A tax of ¼ of 1% was instituted to replace revenue lost with the removal of parking meters, a revenue stream that had been pledged to repay the parking structure bond. In 2000 the citizens decided to change the funding mechanism and ended the tax. By joining the Oregon Main Street Program Roseburg was able to get involved with an organization that already had a “tried and true, well proven program.” Tastes change. Roseburg realized this when the decision was made to include the downtown in the urban renewal district in 2005. Second stories of business buildings are getting more attention and owners are encouraged to use them for more than storage areas. Street improvements and discussions about how to make curbside parking easier and more inviting are a part of the process. Additions of kiosks at primary intersections and designing more pleasing, artistic intersections all play a part in attracting customers and tourists.
According to Colley, Main Street is a catalyst that helps bring people together. It helps that Roseburg decided to include everyone in the central business district, even though there is difficulty in getting everyone to participate in the outset. The early participants though, are able to convince those slow to join that the effort is not only pleasing to the eye but good for business. The Transit Lodging Tax contributes $22,500 per year to satisfy the requirement of running the Oregon Main Street Program in Roseburg. The city has also set aside money for matching funds to building facades. “The Main Street Program is able to keep energy alive” according to City Manager Colley. Southern Oregon Business Journal
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What is the Reedsport Main Street Program? The Reedsport Main Street Program (RMSP), established on Dec 3, 2014, is based on the national Main Street Approach. Our program covers the downtown, midtown, and uptown main streets of Reedsport, our town on the south-central Oregon Coast. We rely on community volunteers to guide the direction of our program, working together to improve Reedsport. Our volunteers form four committees that focus on different topics of our revitalization efforts. Find out more about our volunteer committees. The Reedsport Main Street Program is a member of Oregon Main Street, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Want to support us? Make a donation or buy an engraved brick today!
Our Mission The Reedsport Main Street Program engages volunteers to make Reedsport, Oregon, a livable, sustainable community with a strong sense of place.
Our Vision Drawing on the rich history and natural beauty of the area, Reedsport will build its reputation for being an inviting, warm, and livable community. Community activities will reflect a new sense of pride and optimism about the future. Restored historic buildings and fully occupied storefronts will entice visitors to stop and explore all the hidden jewels Reedsport has to offer, including the Umpqua Discovery Center, delicious local dining, rivers for kayaking and salmon fishing, abundant wildlife, and scenic hikes. New and existing destination businesses that appeal to visitors and serve as community gathering spots will bring energy and vitality to the district. Uptown, downtown and midtown will be connected through beautiful landscaping, wayfinding signage and streetscape improvements that add to the community’s character. Reedsport’s logging and fishing history will be reflected in events and activities that make full use of the improved Rainbow Plaza, as well as through an expanded chain saw art sculpture program. Explore our site, get involved, and help us work towards a better Reedsport!
We are a comprehensive program, focusing on: Strengthening our economy Improving the appearance of the city Preserving and sharing our history Promoting recreational activities Fostering pride and optimism Encouraging community involvement Southern Oregon Business Journal
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A guided tour of Reedsport with City Manager Jonathan Wright was an eye-opener for what is possible when a community decides to join its energy and talent to make its community better. Everyone seems to know that an inspired and dedicated leader is necessary to keep the focus and organization together long enough for the organization to begin moving by its own momentum. Jonathan Wright seems to have that in spades. He stressed the need to have community involvement with pride in community and its offerings to visitors that may arrive accidently or because of purposeful planning. Hanging flower baskets demanding attention because of their size and beauty is one place to start. Seasonal celebrations and the assets of the region attract thousands of people from faraway places wanting to experience the sand dunes, an ocean walk or the annual Chain Saw Art completion. Reedsport is a Bike Friendly community. Making sure the tourists and the industry that tells the story of Reedsport know about this added benefit is a part of the Main Street exercise in Reedsport. Did you know there is a Downtown, Mid-town and Up-Town Reedsport? There is a very nice golf course in Reedsport as well and the city has a launching point for kayakers who want to experience the mouth of the Umpqua River. The Defeat River Brewery just opened this summer where Levi and Trevor turned their passion into an excellent business. Check them out at www.defeatriverbrewry.com. By: Greg Henderson, SOBJ
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Education The Foundation of Southern Oregon’s Business Future Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Of Course We Need Education! But We May Be Doing It Wrong Where beliefs once impressed upon society that education was reserved for the privileged few modern times dictate a far different belief. Education may begin even before birth. It may not end except at the end of life. Education and knowledge begets more of the same. With advancements in every kind of industry come improved efficiency in practices. Automation is introduced. The Henry Fords of industry create ways of doing more at lower costs and everything menial with no prerequisite skill is looked at as a potential elimination of labor costs.
Playtime reading with dad
The unskilled laborer is at risk of losing employment to a robot, or someone who will do the same task for less pay. The defense of the newly unemployed and unskilled laborer is to gain a skill-in-demand education. Learn things a robot cannot know and do things a machine cannot figure out.
The beginning of this education may occur even before we are born. The stress levels of the bearing mother and the healthy growth environment of an unborn fetus is being found to have a tremendous impact on development well into the lifetime of the human body. Schools are no longer expected to be babysitters to five and six-year-old children. Early education must begin in full stride with pre-school often addressed by parents prior to the child reaching the age of four.
Looking for “sight� words
The surprise to most who are recently introduced to this early-age teaching is the eagerness which very young children display in the more disciplined activity of learning. As a result, every phase of society is going through its own rapid learning curve of how to better educate current and future citizens. Established methods of teaching and the tools once believed to be forward thinking quickly become obsolete in this new environment. Consideration must be given at every turn about whether replacement or discarding of former practices is the right thing to do. By: Greg Henderson, SOBJ Bedtime reading with mom Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Why Our Children Are So Bored At School
The brain is just like a muscle that is trainable and re-trainable. If you want your child to be able to bike, you teach him biking skills. If you want your child to be able to wait, you need to teach him patience. If you want you child to be able to socialize, you need to teach him social skills. The same applies to all other skills.
Train delay gratification …. Excerpts from: “Why our children are so bored at school, cannot wait, get easily frustrated and have no real friends” By: Victoria Prooday
…. The ability to delay gratification is one of the key factors for future success. …. To be able to delay gratification means to be able to function under stress. Our children are gradually becoming less equipped to deal with even minor stressors which eventually become huge obstacles to this success in life. The inability to delay gratification is often seen in classrooms, malls, restaurants, and toy stores the moment the child hears “No” because parents have taught their “child’s brain” to get what it wants right away. …. Unfortunately, in order to achieve our goals in our lives, we have to do what ’s necessary which may not always be what we want to do. For example, if a child wants to be an A student he needs to study hard. If he wants to be a successful soccer player, he needs to practice every day. Our children know very well what they want but have a very hard time to do what is necessary to achieve that goal. This results in unattainable goals and leaves the kids disappointed, There are no dull moments….We live in two separate worlds. They have their “fun” world and we have our “work” world. Kids used to play outside, where in unstructured natural environments, they learned and practiced their social skills … technology made the parents less available to socially interact with their kids. Most successful people are the ones who have great social skills. This is the priority!
Southern Oregon Business Journal
…. Make the wait!! It is ok to have “I am bored” time—this is the first step to creativity
…. Gradually increase the between “I want” and “I get”
waiting
time
Teach your child to do monotonous work …. …. Folding laundry, tidying up toys, hanging clothes, unpacking groceries, setting the table, making lunch, unpacking their lunch box, making their bed Children change the moment parents change their perspective on parenting.
Victoria Prooday is a Registered Occupational Therapist with an extensive experience working with children, parents and teachers. Victoria is a founder and a clinical director of a multidisciplinary clinic for children with behavioral, attentional, social, emotional and academic challenges. Victoria holds a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from the Medical School at University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University.
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Common Core State Standards - Content Area Resources The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects and Mathematics were adopted by the Oregon State Board of Education on October 28, 2010. These standards are the foundation of the K-12 Oregon Diploma. Moving to common standards in two content areas represents a major change for Oregon. ODE and its educational partners are committed to providing educators with the tools they need to understand and implement the CCSS.
Students with Disabilities
Science
The documents on this page provide all educators with resources that focus on the needs of students with disabilities. Educators should continue to reference the resources available on other CCSS pages for content-specific information.
In the CCSS, literacy is a shared responsibility within the school. Teachers in all subject areas use their content area expertise to help students meet the particular challenges of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in their respective fields.
English Language Arts
Administrators
Find resources to support teachers as they adjust their instruction, lesson design, and assessment practices to support students in achieving the CCSS. Organized into four categories Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Research.
The Common Core represents a change in the way teachers teach and how students show what they have learned. The success of such change requires the thoughtful attention of school leaders. This page provides resources for administrators as they guide their schools through this change.
Social Sciences In the CCSS, literacy is a shared responsibility within the school. Teachers in all subject areas use their content area expertise to help students meet the particular challenges of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language in their respective fields.
Oregon-Developed Resources
English Learners
Career and Technical Education (CTE)
The documents on this page provide all educators with resources that focus on the needs of English learners. Educators should continue to reference the resources available on other CCSS pages for contentspecific information.
Both CTE and CCSS have the goal of college and career readiness. CTE is intrinsically tied with the CCSS and can provide the context for the learning described in the CCSS.
Many districts and ESDs around Oregon have developed tools and resources to support their educators as they move forward with Common Core implementation.
Mathematics Find resources to support teachers as they adjust their instruction, lesson design, and assessment practices to support students in achieving the CCSS. Organized into four categories: Concepts & Procedures, Problem Solving, Communicating Reasoning, and Modeling & Data Analysis. Contact: Sarah Martin District and School Effectiveness Ed. Specialist, Instructional Resources Oregon Department of Education
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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OSBA work group tackles longstanding revenue reform issue The OSBA revenue reform advisory work group, led by OSBA President-elect Betty Reynolds and Deputy Executive Director Jim Green, was created to address an issue brought to the forefront during the 2015 OSBA Fall Regional meetings. Then, local school board members statewide voiced their support of revenue reform to address an issue Oregon has grappled with for decades: school funding adequacy and stability. The reality of what that might look like, however, is much more challenging. The work group has been charged with bringing a recommendation for the structure of a revenue reform package that school board members could support. Ten board members from across the state have participated in multiple meetings to discuss reform options including IP 28, Sen. Mark Hass’ plan, property tax reform, a retail sales tax and other ideas.
To hold the Legislature to the funding requirement, which is what most Oregonians thought they were voting on in 2000, the recommendation is to eliminate the “out” for the Legislature. A ballot measure would need to be created, either through the Legislature or through the initiative petition process, to require a statewide vote. The work group continues to discuss the ways to raise new, dedicated revenue for public schools and address the cost drivers of PERS and healthcare. Green and Legislative Specialist Lori Sattenspiel continue to work with legislators and education partners to address these challenging topics. The work group’s efforts are in direct response to the issues you raised at last year’s Fall Regional meetings. Stay tuned for recommendations from the work group later this summer and more information at the Fall Regional meetings in September and October.
The group agreed that any plan must provide the following four things:
Adequate, stable and equitable funding to public schools in Oregon
Funding dedicated to K-12 public schools in Oregon
New, additional revenue for public schools (cannot be revenue-neutral)
Address cost drivers (the Public Employees Retirement System [PERS] and health insurance) in the educational system to allow funds to be directed to the classroom
Betsy Miller-Jones Executive Director OSBA
1201 Court Street NE, Suite 400, Salem, Oregon 97301 | (503) 588-2800 | 1-800-578-OSBA
The work group has agreed that a core focus of the plan must include an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, subsection 1. This section was added to the Constitution by the voters in 2000 requiring the Legislature to fund schools with adequate resources to meet the Quality Education Model. But the language of this section provides the Legislature with an “out.” That “out” states that if the Legislature does not appropriate the necessary funds to meet the goals, the Legislature can simply write a report. Since 2001, the Legislature has written a report each biennium. Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Population Health Management: Training a New Generation of Students to Connect Care and Community Managing the health of Oregon’s diverse populations across clinical, social, and environmental arenas has spurred both challenges as well as innovative, collaborative strategies to improve health and wellbeing. It is now widely acknowledged that “health happens” not only within the healthcare system, but largely outside of it: in the home, at work and school, and in other community settings. Addressing the heath needs of specific populations within Oregon’s many communities is a priority among healthcare institutions, whether large hospitals or neighborhood clinics--but how exactly to connect the clinical, social, and environmental facets of health and effectively treat all patients remains an exciting, challenging and often groundbreaking work in progress. To tackle it effectively, Oregon must connect community-based health initiatives and healthcare providers so that together, the entire picture of health can improve. Population health management is an approach to health that takes into account the entire spectrum of care, including evidence-based prevention, community outreach, and effective use of healthcare data to improve outcomes. As the first university in Oregon to offer a bachelor’s degree in Population Health Management, Oregon Institute of Technology graduates will be trained to conduct research, develop interventions, and manage programs geared toward improving the health of individuals and communities. Students work at the Population Health Management Research Center in Klamath Falls, where they polish their skills through professional service in research, grant writing, program evaluation, and policy. Our PHM graduates will be beginning their careers in medicine, nursing, epidemiology, public health, and human services. As they learn about the social influences on health, making connections between the health of a community and its social and economic structure, they participate in community health efforts in the local area. Their “clients” include the Red Cross of America, Klamath County Public Health, and the YMCA. PHM students are conducting community surveys on emergency preparedness, piloting an afterschool physical activity program, and collecting data on chronic illness using GIS mapping. Building on existing community efforts empowers both local organizations and integrates students in local community. The Population Health Management Southern Oregon Business Journal
promotes and ensures an evidence-based approach to addressing health in areas of highest need, providing better care, greater access to resources, and ultimately reduce healthcare costs by taking a preventative approach. Taking into account all of the social, environmental, cultural factors that all Oregonians face is a positive movement that will ensure better health and well-being for all of us. With Oregon Tech’s early entry into Population Health Management, we are training students for the new wave of healthcare and social services that incorporates a deep understanding of local needs and a better understanding of data-driven policy. Our students are piloting such innovations, and in practicing this muchneeded skill set the are in a sense training us for the diverse world that they were born in to, but that the rest of us are just catching up to. By: Dr. Sophie Nathenson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Oregon Institute of Technology and Director of the Population Health Management B.S. Program & Population Health Management Research Center in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She attended the University of Utah, earning a aster of Science in Sociology and a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sociology. Trained in quantitative statistics methods, her research has focused on coping with cancer, religion and health, alternative medicine, and preventative medicine.
Founded in Klamath Falls in 1947, Oregon Institute of Technology is the premier public polytechnic university the Pacific Northwest. Visit www.oit.edu to learn more about Oregon Institute of Technology. www.oit.edu 14
stay in the United States after graduation, citing future job opportunities as the key factor influencing the desire to remain. Only 12 percent want to leave, but 40.5 percent are undecided. This latter group represents a sizeable pool of talented scientists and engineers who may—or may not— become part of the skilled U.S. workforce.
WILL THEY STAY OR WILL THEY GO
The most important factor in determining whether a foreign graduate student wanted to stay in or leave the United States after graduation was why the individual chose to pursue graduate studies in the United States in the first place. If the student selected future career opportunities as a reason for deciding to study here, there is an 87 percent likelihood he or she wants to stay in the United States.
Among those who did not select future career opportunities as a motivator for U.S. study, the decision to stay or go is influenced by whether they are aware of programs or policies in their home countries that encourage people to return from abroad. For those who are not aware of such home country incentive programs or policies, there is a 71 percent likelihood that they will want to stay in the United States.
International STEM Students Are Up for Grabs By: Victor Hwang, VP of Entrepreneuship www.Kauffman.org
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: If current trends continue, international students will comprise half of U.S. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) PhD graduates by 2020.
The proportion of international PhD-level students on temporary visas to study STEM subjects in the United States has doubled over the past thirty years. Further, these students are much more likely than domestic students to major in and graduate with STEM-related doctoral degrees and to pursue careers in high-tech firms. The United States stands to lose its significant investment in these highly qualified Those who plan to return to their home countries after graduation cited student — and their STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, family as the most potential contributions to influence in U.S. entrepreneurship and Engineering and Math education. We focus on important the decision to leave the innovation — if they these areas together not only because the skills United States. return to their home and knowledge in each discipline are essential countries after complet- for student success, but also because these International graduate ing degrees or post- fields are deeply intertwined in the real world students who want to seek doctoral work. employment with a and in how students learn most effectively. company or start their We explore why foreign own companies are signifgraduate students choose to study in the United States icantly more likely to want to remain in the United and what compels them to either remain in the States (77 percent) than are those who want to country or return home after earning their degrees. remain in academia, work for a governmental We also compare their future plans with those of agency, or work for an NGO (68 percent). domestic graduate students. The primary factor that attracted foreign students These findings have important policy implications. In to complete their graduate studies in the United 2014, immigrant entrepreneurs founded 29 percent of States was higher quality of education (84 all new U.S. startups, nearly twice as much as that of percent), followed by future career opportunities U.S.-born adults. Although the United States remains (74 percent), wanting to experience living abroad an innovation powerhouse, it runs the risk of losing its (45 percent), opportunity to work with specific competitiveness unless it changes its legal immigrafaculty (37 percent), and wanting to live in the tion policies to ease the long and arduous process now United States (22 percent). More than 55 percent required of highly skilled foreign STEM workers. of foreign students felt their U.S. academic experi- INTERNATIONAL STEM STUDENTS: IMPORTANT ences were much better or very much better as TO U.S. INNOVATION compared to their home countries. International students studying in the United States
Most international students (48 percent) wish to
Southern Oregon Business Journal
on temporary visas accounted for nearly two-fifths 15
(39 percent) of all PhDs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in 2013—a proportion that has doubled over the past three decades. Moreover, international doctoral students were significantly more likely than domestic students to major in and graduate from STEM disciplines in the United States. If these trends continue, we estimate that the majority of STEM PhDs from U.S. universities will go to international students by the year 2020. This represents a considerable investment of public and private resources, the return on which may well be lost to the United States if the most highly qualified of these students are compelled to leave the country after they complete their degrees or postdocs. Of these international students, 69 percent came from China, India, South Korea, and Taiwan.2 These are emerging economies that are seen as increasingly challenging to U.S. dominance in science and technology, and which also are building their own research and university systems. Understanding why international students seek U.S. PhDs and what motivates them to stay or leave upon graduation has important implications for the future of U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and economic progress.
EDUCATION IN OREGON: Beyond the Challenge 1 in 5 Oregon Kids live in Poverty. Annie E. Casey Foundation, Oregon Kids Count Profile 2015 Oregon students are ranked #38 in the nation for performance, which is not at all surprising given our investment in schools ranks at #39. Source: OregonLive US School Performance Rankings, June 2015 Funding is about 25% below what an expert, non-partisan committee on quality education in Oregon says it would take to help 90% of Oregon students graduate. Source: Oregon Quality Education Commission 2014
Views expressed here reflect the authors’ personal perspectives, not the policy positions of their home organizations. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation Grant No. SES 0938099. This article is based on a study conducted by Richard Appelbaum and Xueying Han at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Southern Oregon Business Journal
1 in 4 Oregon students – that’s 10,000 kids – fails to graduate from high school on time. Source: Oregon Department of Education, 2014-5 four-year cohort rates for students entering HS in 2011-2 16
Our Beginning in Libraries
What About Libraries? “Getting people to understand the great social value of our free public libraries has become increasingly difficult over the past twenty years. I have heard it argued that maintaining a library at public expense is a waste of tax revenue in this age of easy internet access. This line of reasoning always seems to come from people who are perfectly able to pay the small necessary annual tax and who haven’t actually set foot in a public library for several years. If a public library was a mere tool, like a screwdriver, a dictionary or the internet, such talk would be reasonable. Fortunately, our free public libraries are much more than that. Both the internet and the library are sources of information. The difference is that the virtual help offered by the worldwide web is impersonal, while libraries have librarians. ……… I have often, over the years, thought of our free public libraries as temples of knowledge. It is only lately that I have come to understand that they are temples of compassion as well. The creation of free public libraries is, in itself, a compassionate act. Properly understood, compassion is a matter of acknowledging that others are equal to us and therefore deserving of the same respect and kindly assistance that we would accord ourselves……….. The premise underlying free public libraries is neither a liberal nor a conservative reason for having them. It is, however, an American premise: That all of us need to have an equal opportunity to educate ourselves. I like to think of them as both the university of the poor and the place where the truly educated go to continue to learn.”
Southern Oregon Business Journal
From: http://peterboroughtownlibrary.org/history/ In 1833, Reverend Abiel Abbot, Peterborough’s Unitarian minister, proposed the creation of the Peterborough Town Library, a central collection of books that would be owned by the people and free to all inhabitants of the town. The 1830’s was a time of social ferment in New Hampshire, as it was throughout the Northeast. It was a time of active improvement, of the belief that “society must direct mankind towards moral perfection.” It was a time when Dr. Abbot’s innovative thoughts on books and education received a receptive hearing. He gave practical expression to an idea, the tax-supported public library, hardly second in importance to the public school itself. On April 9, 1833, at Town Meeting, a proposal was made and passed “that a portion of the State Literary Fund be used for the purchase of books to establish a library, free to all the citizens of Peterborough.” Library experiments in Peterborough encouraged the New Hampshire State Legislature to become the first state to pass a law authorizing towns to raise money to establish and maintain their own libraries From:http://www.libraryhistorybuff.org/ peterborough.htm "The account of the establishment of a town library at Peterborough, New Hampshire, is unique in that here we have an instance of what appears to be the spontaneous generation of an entirely new form. Here, without the stimulus of private donation, without the permission of state legislation, without the semblance of a model in the mother country, a tax-supported town library was born. By: Robert Leo Heilman Myrtle Creek, OR bdheilman@mbol.us
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Photo by Jim Craven | jimcravenphoto.com
Magic Under the Stars
JACKSONVILLE, OR - A music festival that began in the summer of 1963 on a simple plywood stage erected on a hillside in Jacksonville has become one of the most famous entertainment offerings in the Pacific Northwest.
Donna Briggs, President & CEO Britt Music & Arts Festival www.BrittFest.org 350 S 1st St Jacksonville, OR 97530 (800) 882-7488
Britt Music & Arts Festival continues to bring in world-class acts for four months during the summer, putting on about 40 shows that feature everything from classical music, to rock, pop, jazz and more. With an audience capacity of 2,200, today Britt continues to expand its offerings into a more diverse entertainment lineup while expanding its educational outreach. Britt also offers educational programs with the goal of connecting the community with as many diverse music education and listening experiences as possible. In one of these programs, Britt has recently invested more time and resources into sending professional musicians into schools, to give school-age children valuable opportunities to learn from career musicians. Internships are also available for students who want to work alongside Britt professionals. Students sign up from Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College and around the U.S. During the Britt Orchestra season, musicians in the orchestra come from all over the country to spend three weeks at Britt. They are hosted in local homes, which helps offset the high cost of lodging and also gives locals a chance to connect with these musicians, and musicians a chance to create a second home.
“The fact that it sits on this amazing hillside surrounded by ponderosa pines with the beautiful village of Jacksonville behind it and the stars above – it’s magic” -Donna Briggs President & CEO Britt Music & Arts Festival
Standing on Hilltop in Jacksonville in 1963, Portland conductor John Trudeau and his friend Sam McKinney gazed in wonder across the valley toward Medford.
541) 773-8946
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Magic Under the Stars
Inspired, Trudeau and McKinney knew they had found a home for their summer classical music festival. They set to work and erected a simple plywood stage and tin-can lights. On Aug. 11, 1963, with the help of an orchestra made up of local and regional players, a Northwest music tradition was born. By 1978, the pavilion was constructed and Britt Music & Arts Festival was drawing crowds and attracting tourists to the Rogue Valley. Bench seats were added in 1987, and accessible restrooms were built in 1993, along with an accessible entrance.
Photo by Jim Craven | jimcravenphoto.com
They were on the estate of Jacksonville pioneer Peter Britt, whose legacy is synonymous with this historical community. Trudeau and McKinney were enchanted by the natural acoustics of the setting as well as the breathtaking splendor they saw all around them.
With an audience capacity of 2,200, Britt is able to attract world-class acts Lost in the splendor today, and continues to expand its offerings into a more diverse entertainment lineup, all while maintaining the intimate yet awe-inspiring setting that Trudeau and McKinney first beheld more than 50 years ago. “The fact that it sits on this amazing hillside surrounded by ponderosa pines with the beautiful village of Jacksonville behind it and the stars above – it’s magic,” said Donna Briggs, president and CEO of Britt. That natural setting is what makes Britt so popular for both audiences and artists alike, or as Briggs likes to say, “Location, location, location.” In years past, the Britt has experimented with adding other venues into the mix. Briggs says that what came back from the patrons was that they wanted to be on the Britt hill instead. After learning that simple lesson, Britt is more committed than ever to making that hilltop in Jacksonville even more viable and alive with the sound of music. “Britt is about the venue,” Briggs said. That doesn’t mean Britt plans to stop evolving. Staff is working on plans to improve and expand reserved seating in the near future. Britt is also looking at more food options for patrons who want to sample the foodie scene in the Rogue Valley. And, of course, Britt will continue its tradition of attracting world-class acts. “The goal of the season is to offer a diverse array of artists that are financially viable,” Briggs said. “That doesn’t always mean we’re going to make good money on the act.” The Steve Miller Band does make money for Britt, for instance, while a jazz band may not. “It’s a balancing act,” Briggs said. But Britt is more than a four-month music and entertainment festival that offers about 40 classical, rock, pop and jazz concerts, and more. Britt also offers educational programs with the goal of connecting the community with as many diverse music education and listening experiences as possible. In one of these programs, Britt has recently invested more time and resources into sending professional musicians into schools, to give school-age children valuable opportunities to learn from career musicians. Internships are also available for students who want to work alongside Britt professionals. Students apply from Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, and around the region and the U.S. During the Britt Orchestra season, musicians in the orchestra come from all over the country to spend three weeks at Britt. They are hosted in local homes, which helps offset the high cost of lodging and also gives locals a chance to connect with these musicians, and musicians a chance to create a second home. Since Britt’s outdoor concert season is seasonal in nature, its contingent of 13 full-time staff members grows to 65 when it’s show time. In addition, 80-90 volunteers work the grounds for each show. Britt has about 350 volunteers who rotate among shows, and is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. All play an important part in bringing the wave of music to that Jacksonville hillside. “Jacksonville is a beautiful place to be in the summer,” Briggs said. Britt Music & Arts Festival | 350 S 1st St., Jacksonville, OR 97530 | www.brittfest.org | (800) 882-7488
541) 773-8946
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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The Costs of Inaccurate Hiring Turnover costs: For a production worker is $30,000 (TRW Corp.) For a $48,000/year professional it’s $76,000 (DDI) For a sales person it’s $155,000 (Riordan Research) For an engineer it’s $180,000 (TRW Corp.) For a mid-level manager it’s $320,000 (TRW Corp.)
Facts & Statistics More than 50,000 organizations in the U.S. alone use testing to help them make decisions about hiring, placement, and promotion. A survey of 500 top HR executives found that 76% of these companies test 150 or more people/year and 35% test over 500 people/year. 30% also said that they would increase their use of pre-employment testing during the coming year. An individual being hired at even a modest level of annual compensation ($25K), benefits, and employment-related expenses represents at least a $1.5M investment in current dollars over the course of that person’s entire career. Employees who love their work take 25% fewer sick or personal days. Companies are now burdened with legal exposure to so-called "negligent hiring"; that is, the failure to uncover a job applicant’s incompetence or lack of fitness for a job. Interviewing alone, using the most advanced techniques and with no limit on time expended, selects accurately about two-thirds of the time. However, it’s been demonstrated that most hiring decisions are really made during the first five minutes of the interview! The accuracy hit-rate plummets under these circumstances. High performers are as much as 25-50% more productive than sub-par performers. If an organization could accurately hire only top performers they would, then, likely see a reduction in their payroll alone of upwards of 25%. Southern Oregon Business Journal
A study in the Journal of Applied Psychology (1990, 75 (1), pp. 28) found that the more complex the job, the greater the difference in productivity between top performers and average performers. The percentage difference in productivity ranged from 52% in low-complexity jobs to 85% in medium to 127% in high-complexity roles. Over 2.5 million "honest/integrity tests" (i.e., pencil-and-paper tests - not polygraphs, which have been banned as a pre-employment screening device) are administered annually. Integrity testing is the most delicate area, legally speaking, yet millions are still given each year
True turnover costs equal the sum of:
out processing management down-time related to the exit Reduced productivity, increased rework, and morale problems prior to termination decision severance (pay, benefits, and/or outplacement) replacement (advertising, recruiter’s time, interviewer’s time, agency/search fees, candidate expenses [travel, moving, and hiring incentives] duration-of-vacancy costs training for replacement learning-curve inefficiencies for replacement operating costs (lost sales, continuous process deterioration, etc.) re-integration inefficiencies of replacement into organization, team, staff, and other internal stakeholders disruption of relationships with external stakeholders and increased risk of losing such relationships because of poor service, discontinuity of service, or ill-will litigation exposure for wrongful discharge and/or negligent hiring tarnishing of reputation as employer-of-choice adverse impact on organization’s unemployment compensation profile
Legal Issues Title VII (1964) Civil Rights Act encourages companies to use psychological selection techniques to augment objectivity and fairness. EEO Guidelines state: " ……………… tests, when used in conjunction with other tools of personnel assessment, …... aid in the development and maintenance of an efficient workforce and … aid in the utilization and conservation of human resources." Presented By: TRW, Corporation, DDI, Riordan Research
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making $9.75 per hour who have been with the company for a long period of time may expect a pay raise to reflect their value to the company when other wages are raised to the minimum. While this is not required under the law, it’s a consideration for employers to ensure higher employee morale. Southwestern Oregon Community College
DOWN TO BUSINESS A look at small business questions from the Southwestern Oregon Community College Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
A summary of the minimum wage rates is available at http://www.oregon.gov/boli/WHD/OMW/ Pages/Minimum-Wage-Rate-Summary.aspx. Businesses with questions about the new minimum wage rules are encouraged to contact the technical assistance for employers program at 971-673-0824 or bolita@boli.state.or.us. By: Arlene M. Soto CMA, Southwestern SBDC Director
Do I have to pay the Oregon minimum wage to new employees who are in training? According to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) www.oregon.gov/boli, Oregon employees must be paid at least the minimum wage for hours worked unless otherwise exempted in the law. The Oregon Legislature enacted Senate Bill 1532 in 2016 which sets a series of annual minimum wage hikes beginning July 1, 2016. As of July 1st 2016 the standard minimum wage for the state is $9.75 per hour. This senate bill also established a higher minimum wage rate for employers located in “the urban growth boundary of a metropolitan service district” and a lower rate ($9.50 per hour) for employers in designated nonurban counties. Each year on July 1st the minimum wage increases. From July 1, 2023 on, the minimum wage will be adjusted based on the “increase, if any, to the U.S. City Average Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers.” Employees in training are not exempt from the minimum wage rules.
The SBDC is a partnership of the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Oregon Small Business Development Center Network, the Oregon Business Development Department and Southwestern Oregon Community College. Arlene M. Soto has been the Director of the Southwestern SBDC since July 2007. To ask a question call 541-756-6445, e-mail asoto@socc.edu, or write 2455 Maple Leaf, North Bend, OR 97459. Additional help is available at the OSBDCN Web page www.bizcenter.org.
Employers in Oregon are also required to post required minimum wage notices in a conspicuous location at their business. Posters are available through BOLI at no charge to businesses. These posters provide information to employees to help them understand their rights under the law and where to turn if they have questions. Businesses with employees need to be aware of the financial impact new minimum wage rates will have on their business. All employee wages need to be at least at the minimum level. Employees currently Southern Oregon Business Journal
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WORKPLACE SOLUTIONS
Employing Your Favorite Teenager What Your Business Needs to Know When Employing Minors Summer is almost over, and the some kids will be going back to school at the end of August, but many business owners will still receive requests from friends, family and employees to offer summer or after-school employment to minors. It’s a great way to help the younger generation gain some real-world work experience and provide them with their first job. But providing that job to a minor is no longer a simple matter. There are real-world restrictions and regulations that all employers must know under Oregon and federal laws, including applying for the proper certificates when employing minors in the workplace. Employment guidelines for minors - To see if your business can employ minors and in what capacity, check the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) website for detailed information and guidelines on working hours/schedules, rest periods/ breaks, meal times, weight lifting/equipment restrictions and rates of pay. There are strict limitations on the number of hours a minor may work and on the types of work permissible. 16 and 17-year-olds may work up to 44 hours per week. 14 and 15-yearolds may work at most 18 hours per week during the school year and 40 hours per week when school is not in session. Is your business safe to employ minors? BOLI website also keeps a list of jobs and occupations that are restricted by age and/or are prohibited in employing minors. Some are obvious in their restrictions: running power-driven machinery and working with explosives, radioactive substances and hazardous chemicals. There are also certain industries and worksites such as mining, roofing, construction sites and logging where employing minors is forbidden— but there are some exceptions for work Experience/ student-learner programs which meet specific government criteria.
Southern Oregon Business Journal
Get ready to apply for your employment certificate. - Oregon employers who hire minors must apply for and obtain an annual employment certificate from the Child Labor Unit of BOLI before a minor can report to work. Employers must verify the age of every minor hired and must also apply each year for a single annual employment certificate. The certificate covers all minors employed, even in multiple locations. The employer estimates the number of minors to be employed during the year, lists their job duties, and identifies equipment or machinery they will use. BOLI´s Child Labor Unit reviews the application and, if approved, sends the validated certificate to the employer. The certificate must be posted in a conspicuous place where employees may readily review it. Yearly renewal notices are sent to employers who have a certificate on file. You can avoid the hassle of applying and obtaining all the proper certifications and recordkeeping by utilizing a staffing firm like Cardinal Services—who can perform hassle-free summer hiring and assure your business of regulatory compliance specifically on behalf of employing minors. Teen employment still endures - Do the restrictions and regulations that apply to minors in the workplace make it worth employing a minor? Only you can determine the value of employing your favorite teen. But don’t fret! There are still the traditional jobs that BOLI allows all minors to engage in that are excluded from child labor regulations. Your favorite teen can still deliver your newspaper, babysit and mow your lawn, but at private residences only. Victoria Simpson | Customer Service Manager Cardinal Services | Workplace Solutions 800.342.4742 | Ext: 2305 victoria@cardinal-services.com www.cardinal-services.com Got a hot HR topic that needs discussing? Email SOBJ with your question and we’ll tackle it in a future column!
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5 CRITICAL TIPS FOR IDENTIFYING YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
your purposes. Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to do some searching. You never know—the research you need may indeed exist.
By: ADRIANNE GLOWSKI
If you’re unable to identify secondary data that is useful for you and you have the budget to do so, you may want to conduct primary research. This could involve surveys, interviews or even focus groups. Though primary research can be expensive, it could allow you to get answers to questions specific to your business.
If you’ve just launched a startup, you’ve likely spent a lot of time planning and building your business. Part of that planning process involves—or should involve— deciding who will be on the receiving end of your marketing efforts. Your products might appeal to a large group of people, but it doesn’t make sense to try to market to everyone. You obviously want as many people as possible to know about your business. But the more potential customers you want to reach, the more time and money it’s going to cost to do so. Defining a target audience might feel constraining to you, but just remember that you’re not excluding anyone; you’re choosing where to spend your time and money. Selecting a target audience will help save you resources. Focusing on a portion of the people who might be interested in your products will allow you to communicate and engage with that segment more deeply.
HERE’S HOW TO GET STARTED: 1.) Consult your business plan. Look at the goals you’ve set for yourself and analyze the products and/ or services you offer. Think about how your products or services fulfill a need or solve a problem for a potential customer. Also, think about how you differ from other companies in your industry—what makes you stand out? Broadly think about who might be interested and who may benefit from having access to what you offer. Figuring out your selling point is the first step in identifying your ideal target audience. Next, think about what information you need to know and why. What do you need to know about your potential customers in order to reach them? As you consult your business plan and decide who you want your audience to be, remember that it is ultimately about the customer. Don’t think about who you would like to sell to, think about who is looking for the products and services you offer. 2.) Begin researching. Start with secondary research. There are a lot of existing sources that can help you pull together information about your industry, the market, your competition, and the broad potential customer you have already identified. The best part is that someone has already done the work and, in many cases, the information won’t cost you anything. The downside is that the information may not be focused in a manner that is 100% useful for Southern Oregon Business Journal
3.) Develop a customer profile. After performing research, you’ll want to create a customer profile. This is more than a brief statement; it’s an in-depth description of who your typical customer may be and includes demographic and psychographic information. Demographic information: This may include age, gender, location, ethnic background, marital status, income, and more. Psychographic information: This type of information goes beyond the “external” and identifies more about a customer’s psychology, interests, hobbies, values, attitudes behaviors, lifestyle, and more. Both types of information are essential for developing your customer profile. Demographic information will help you identify the type of person who will potentially buy your products and services. Psychographic information goes one step further and nails down why that potential customer may buy. 4.) Find out where your audience is. It’s not enough to just say who your target audience is. Find out which websites they visit and which social networks they most frequently check. Are they glued to their email? Are they addicted to apps? The information you put together for your customer profile, combined with knowing where your audience hangs out online or how they use technology, will facilitate the delivery of your message. 5.) Monitor and evolve. The work doesn’t end after you’ve identified your target audience. It’s essential to continually perform research to stay current on market and industry trends and your competition. It’s also important to see if and how your current and potential customers evolve. Before you begin marketing to your potential customers, make sure you know how you are going to track sales, interactions, requests for information, and more. All of these touch points are important to record. This information will help you identify trends, patterns, and possible areas of improvement, which will continually help your marketing efforts as your business matures. http://technori.com/2013/02/3122-5-critical-tips-for-identifyingyour-target-audience/
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE D.R. Johnson Passes Two Critical Tests for Safety of its Cross-Laminated Timber Panels – Flame Spread and Fire Resistance Results are “a first” for CLT manufactured in North America, says expert BY: Lauren Garetto | Quinn Thomas RIDDLE, Ore. (August 9, 2016) – D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations, the nation’s first certified U.S. manufacturer of Cross-Laminated Timber, has become the first North American CLT manufacturer to achieve significant fire safety requirements under tests designed to gauge flame spread and fire resistance. No other manufacturer of CLT has been certified under the new APA/ANSI manufacturing standard and has subjected its panels to such rigorous tests. “We’re proud of our team and the quality of the CLT panels they’re manufacturing,” said Valerie Johnson, President of D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations. “Our panels are manufactured to the highest possible standards and perform safely under tough conditions. These tests prove you don’t sacrifice safety when you build with CLT.” The flame spread test was performed by QAI Laboratories in California using the standard flame spread and smoke density classification tests in accordance with ASTM Designation E84-15b, "Standard Method of Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.” The test identifies the rate of the spread of fire across the building material, and it places the results into three classifications: A, B, and C, with A being the highest rating and C being the lowest. D.R. Johnson’s CLT panel achieved an A rating, meaning there was minimal spread of fire across the building material over the test’s standard time period. The fire resistance test was performed by Southwest Research Institute in Texas using ASTM E119-16, “Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials.” This test evaluates the duration for which a building material will contain a fire, or retain its structural integrity, during a predetermined fire exposure time. For D.R. Johnson’s CLT panels it was determined that the underside of the CLT panel would be exposed – other CLT tests encased the panel in drywall - and that the test would last for 2 hours. Despite being fully exposed, the panels passed the test, meaning it contained the fire and held its structural integrity for the full 2 hours. “This is the first time in North America that a CLT panel has achieved both of these fire safety requirements, which is excellent,” said David Barber, Principal at Arup and one of the nation’s leading fire protection engineers. “It’s a sign that advanced wood products, when engineered to the highest standards, are a safe alternative to other traditional building materials.” Both tests were conducted in the United States in the late spring and summer of 2016.
“Any new building material is bound to face questions about its safety and reliability,” said Johnson. “We are committed to meeting those questions head on and producing the highest-quality CLT panel available.” About D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations: D.R. Johnson began manufacturing wood products in Riddle, Oregon in 1951. Its Cross-Laminated Timber manufacturing business, D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations, is the first company in the U.S. to receive APA/ ANSI certification to manufacture structural CLT panels. It has several projects under development, making it the only certified U.S. manufacturer of CLT panels currently serving the domestic market. For more information, please visit. www.oregonclt.com.
Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Disney – Drones – and Engineers ASCE Innovators and Disney Imagineers Inspire Each Other
By: Ben Walpole ASCE Innovation Contest Grand Challenge Industry Leaders Council Innovations
The contest winners took a behind-the-scenes tour, including a look at handmade models for new attractions, a visit to the sculpture studio featuring hundreds of busts of some of Disney’s most iconic characters, a trip inside Imagineering’s virtual reality room, and a visit with Lucky, an animatronic dinosaur. “It was fantastic for a geek like me to be able to see that kind of stuff,” said Magalen, a coastal engineer for HDR Inc. in Portland and a former president of the ASCE Oregon Section. “To see what the Imagineers get to do on a daily basis, the innovation and the use of the advanced technology, it was really spectacular.” The Disney-sponsored event was the final one for winners in each of four categories in ASCE’s inaugural Innovation Contest, launched last winter by the Industry Leaders Council as part of the ASCE Grand Challenge to reduce infrastructure life-cycle costs, one of ASCE’s three strategic initiatives. While the tour was inspiring, the presentations – wherein the winners got to share their innovative ideas with a group of high-ranking Imagineers – were the event’s highlight.
The ASCE Innovation Contest winners in the Internet of Things category enjoyed a sunny day at Walt Disney Imagineering. Rule No. 1 about business trips to Disney: Never tell the kids. Jason Magalen, P.E., M.ASCE, learned the hard way last week in the midst of his visit to Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, CA, as a winner of ASCE’s Innovation Contest. “I was on the phone with my kids, and my wife told my kids that I was going to Disney, which caused their already-in-progress meltdown to be exacerbated,” Magalen laughed. Magalen and other winners of the contest’s Internet of Things category enjoyed an extremely productive day at the Imagineering campus, the home of all design and development for Disney parks and attractions around the world. Southern Oregon Business Journal
Martin Voorma presents his “Smartline” idea. Magalen’s submittal, “Rise of the Drones: How Unmanned Surveying Can Help Make Our Coasts Resilient,” investigated ways to use small unmanned aerial vehicles to collect data about coastlines. “With the advancement of technology in the form of drones and small UAVs it just seems to make a lot of sense,” he said. “The accuracy is improved. The 25
economy is improved. You can collect more data, more frequently, for less money.” Magalen’s drone proposal proved to be the tophonored innovation in the contest. It received the Overall Winner award for Greatest Impact in Achieving the ASCE Grand Challenge, the Best Value Award in the contest’s Resilience category, and the Most Efficient Award at the Disney event. Martin Voorma, an innovation manager for Arcadis, came all the way from the Netherlands to present his “Smartline” idea, which earned the Most Innovative Award. “Advanced Drone Technology to Handle Disasters in Underground Construction and Mine Sites,” submitted by Purushottam Gupta, earned the Internet of Things Best Value Award. It shared Best Student Innovation recognition with “Capitalizing on the Internet of Things to Promote Water Conservation,” submitted by Morgan DiCarlo, S.M.ASCE, a recent graduate of New York’s Stony Brook University. (DiCarlo talked about her Innovation Contest experience with ASCE News.) “I thought the presentations were great. We’re always looking for innovations,” said Minerva Perez, P.E., manager of civil engineering for the Environmental Design and Engineering studio of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Local Knowledge. Regional Leader.
AmeriTitle began as a single office in Klamath Falls, Oregon in 1985. Today, AmeriTitle has 42 offices in 3 states: Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
“It was very inspiring that there are a lot of people out there looking to make things better, and we can definitely learn from all of their work.” As for Magalen’s kids? Don’t worry, he did well at the Disney Imagineering Store to make sure they didn’t feel too left out. “The day was fantastic,” he said. “I felt really honored to be asked to be a part of this.”
1495 NW Garden Valley Blvd. Roseburg, OR 97470 Ph: (541) 672-6651 Fax: (541) 672-5793
Ben Walpole is associate editor for ASCE News, celebrating member achievements, updating members on Society news, and promoting civil engineering as a whole.
Barry Robinson General Manager barry@ameri-title.com
http://news.asce.org/asce-innovators-and-disneyimagineers-inspire-each-other Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Cracking the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Code By: Victor Hwang Vice President of Entrepreneurship
How can cities build thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems? That’s an increasingly common question. But it’s a tough nut to crack. In my new role heading up the Kauffman Foundation’s Entrepreneurship program, we have determined that taking on this big challenge—helping cities strengthen their ecosystems—is now a top priority for us. This means new tools, resources, and ideas. It’s the dawn of a new model for economic development. And Kauffman wants to help it happen. We decided to begin by listening, learning, and collecting the best ideas in the world. So, when we got the opportunity to host a “master class” on building entrepreneurial ecosystems at the President’s recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit, we seized the opportunity to get started. Collaborating with 8Works Consulting, a design firm that specializes in helping organizations create change, we created an experience unlike any other conference breakout session. We developed an interactive “ecosystem hack-a-thon” that flipped everything around—we asked participants to be the teachers. We tasked entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, youth, and experts from more than 170 countries around the world to share their real-world solutions. And they rose to the challenge. We ended up with a huge gallery of ideas. They include almost everything imaginable, from gatherings where entrepreneurs openly share failures, to new experiments in capital formation, to innovative ways to measure how ecosystems grow. You can get a sense of the event’s energy in this video, and you can see many of the solutions generated by participants below.
Southern Oregon Business Journal
http://www.kauffman.org
Help yourself to any ideas you like. Or use them as inspiration for creating your own strategies for cracking the code. Over the coming year, Kauffman will be collecting ideas like these, synthesizing them into useful tools, disseminating those tools for the world to use, and convening a community of practitioners. In addition, we will be hosting a first-ever “E*ship Summit” for ecosystem builders to share and learn with one another. Sign up to stay up on plans for the Summit in 2017. In the meantime, I will be sharing with you other plans and insights along the way. It’s time to make the field of ecosystem building a professional practice. I hope you join us! Ecosystem Hackathon: How are you building your entrepreneurial ecosystems?
“There’s these two boxes: a problem box and a solution box. Most people spend all their lives looking for solutions in the problem box instead of just looking in the solution box.” Ken Kesey
We believe entrepreneurs are among those uncommon people who spend their lives in Kesey’s solution box. It is this mindset—this way of viewing the world—that helps entrepreneurs see solutions where others see problems, even as we are all looking at the same things. Drawing inspiration from Kesey’s quote, we asked hackathon participants to transform a meeting room into a Global Entrepreneurial Solution Box, exemplifying projects, experiments and ideas that are helping build and grow entrepreneurial ecosystems the world over. 27
Tracking the pulse of renewable energy for the future of Southern Oregon Businesses SOLAR ENERGY
HYDRO POWER WIND POWER Southern Oregon Business Journal
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Hydro vs. Wind vs. Solar Power? Written By: Sharibkhan Maradukhel
Introduction Electricity is energy produced by behavior of electrons and protons. Electrical energy or power is not actually or potentially supplied by nature; it has to be produced or generated by various secondary means, converting one form of energy into another. In the modern world, there is an unending need for energy to power electrical appliances, such as fans, lights, communication infrastructures, machines and computing systems, and other devices operated by electrical energy. Nowadays, power can be generated from several renewable and non-renewable energy sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear, geothermal, solar, wind, hydro, wood, biomass, and more. All these energy sources have pros and cons, but renewable energy sources have comparatively less environmental impact. However, renewable sources, including hydro, solar, and wind, also have certain advantages and disadvantages, which make the decision, about how to produce the energy optimally, even more difficult. Therefore, the in-depth examination of these three renewable power sources will provide an idea about which source works best and in what situations. Though it largely depends on availability of renewable sources in a particular region, the comparison of these sources will give a description about which source is best needed by energy system, when factors like climate, security of supply, and environment are considered.
Modern age hydro power harnesses the energy of moving water to produce electricity. The electricity produced by hydro power refers to hydroelectricity. It is generated in a hydro power plant, which uses the gravitational force of falling water from higher altitudes or potential energy of water flow in rivers and tidal basins to drive turbine blades. The turbines are further conjugated with huge magnets of an electric generator that produce electricity by converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. The major driving force behind hydro power is dams and water reservoirs (acting like a large battery) that create a large supply of water, used to regulate the energy extraction when needed. The power generated as an output from an electric generator is proportional to the volume and speed of the water falling on turbines. In most countries, electricity needs and demands are moderately fulfilled by hydroelectric power generation. In 2006, nearly 20% of the global electricity consumption was fulfilled with hydro power, making it the most consumed renewable energy source in the world (Maehlum, 2014). It is, by far, the leading renewable source of energy in most countries. As of 2011, over 160 countries were using hydro power capacity, with 11000 hydro power stations having a total global installed capacity of approx. 936 GW. China is the leading hydro power generating country, followed by Canada, USA, and Brazil (World Energy Sources: 2013 Survey, 2016).
Pros
Hydro power plants are utilized to produce baseload electricity and balancing electricity, which can meet the fluctuations in demand.
Hydro electric generators can instantly switch on and off; therefore, they are one of the most responsive energy sources during varying energy demands, especially in peak seasons.
A significant quality of hydro power is it produces a great amount of electricity, without relying much on climatic conditions, air current flow, and complex start-up processes.
Besides reliability and large power output, hydro power sources are flexible, because they are subjected to easy adjustments of water flow and electricity output (Kadar, 2014).
The operating costs and maintenance costs are typically low, as they are almost entirely automated and have no fuel requirement.
Hydro power can provide start-up power, control frequency, and follow load, which assists in
Hydro Power Hydro power is one of the ancient energy sources; it has been widely used for several hundred years. In ancient periods, energy was generated through water by building hydro wheels to run mills. With time and with technology, hydro power has developed vastly.
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protecting against system wide failure that could lead to equipment damage (Hydroelectric Power , 2005).
Also, they have low failure rates and long economic life, i.e., they can be operated for several years due to greater life cycle.
Cons
Despite certain advantages, the main disadvantage of hydro power is it is not appropriate for most locations, due to resource inadequacy.
It has some environmental consequences. Though it causes no greenhouse emissions, damming of water and modifying water flow greatly affects the river ecosystems and has impingement on landscapes. They present migratory obstacles for underwater species, especially fish. In addition, during reservoir construction, there may be formation of carbon dioxide, causing different environmental impacts (Maehlum, Hydroelectric Energy Pros and Cons, 2014).
Constructing a hydro power plant is expensive.
The electricity generation from hydro sources depends on availability of water, so it may prove ineffective at times of drought.
They operate only at high speeds and require sizeable modification of water resources.
electricity demands. There are typically two types of wind power generation: off-shore and on-shore. Wind power generation is one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels, because it provides environmentally and economically superior output. It is estimated that, by 2050, power generation from worldwide wind energy sources will increased to 18%, from around 3%. The current share of worldwide wind power capacity is around 430 GW, with China and US as the leading wind power producers, followed Germany, Spain, and India.
Pros
Wind power is the eco-friendliest and greenest energy source of electricity generation, as the energy produced is free from harmful gas emissions.
They perform well in stormy weather conditions.
The potential of generating power from wind energy sources is massive (over 400 TW); it is 20 times more than global demands (Maehlum, Wind Energy Pros and Cons , 2015).
They typically have operational costs.
Wind power sources are space efficient, as they do not require a large area for construction. The land where wind turbines are located can be used for other purposes.
A highlighting advantage of wind power is they have good potential for residential use, yielding energy savings and protecting residents from power outages (Maehlum, Wind Energy Pros and Cons , 2015).
Available in various sizes, they have low cost per watt hour and predictable power output (Edvard, 2010).
Wind Power Since ancient times, wind has played a pivotal role as an energy source to drive steam engines. But wind generators for producing electricity were formulated in the 19th century to reduce dependence on hydrocarbons and other sources. Wind energy has been evolved as a major renewable source and is emerging at a rapid rate. Wind power plants utilize the kinetic energy of flowing air to generate power mechanically. The energy of wind motion is harvested by turbine blades that activate an electrical generator. They have an in-built automated control system, but they require monitoring by manual procedures. The trend of generating electricity from flowing winds is quickly evolving in many countries, as it is one of the eco-friendliest sources of power generation. Wind energy sources constitute about 5% of the total Southern Oregon Business Journal
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maintenance
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Cons
The biggest disadvantage of wind power is that wind is sporadic throughout the year; therefore, it cannot meet constant energy demands. 30
Initial installation and manufacturing investment is too high in cases of industrial setup and domestic setup. It is subjected to generation volatility and unusual behavior in case of frequency deviation (Kadar, 2014).
Wind power generators create sound pollution as wind turbines are noisy, while operating.
It may somewhat impose threat to wildlife. Flying creatures, such as bats, birds etc. near wind turbines are in great danger.
Solar Power Electrical energy generation from solar (sun’s) radiation is a comparatively new idea, rapidly booming in the electricity market. Sun is a colossal source of energy. The energy from the sun could be harnessed using solar (photo-voltaic) cells to convert it into electrical energy. When sunlight composing small particles strikes on photo-voltaic cells, the cells absorb energy. This creates an electrical imbalance in the cell, and particles move faster, creating electricity (Dreier).
The two technologies include photovoltaic systems that directly convert sunlight into electricity and concentrated solar power (CSP) that uses the sun’s energy to make steam, which drives turbines to produce electricity. Photo-voltaic technology is widely used, with approx. 98% of installed capacity, whereas CSP share is about 2%. By 2013, the total worldwide installed capacity of solar power was around 142 GW, with Germany being the highest solar power producer, followed by EU, China, US, and Japan (Sawin, 2014). It is estimated to supply approx. 1% of the total electricity consumption, but it is a rapidly growing alternative energy source and is expected to reach 3.5% by 2025 (Solar Generation, 2006).
wildlife.
Solar power sources can be used virtually anywhere, as they can harness electricity in remote locations, not connected to an electrical grid (Bratley, 2010).
They are the quietest source of electricity generation.
The maintenance and infrastructure are costeffective, as they do not require high wiring costs.
Solar power plants are space efficient, because they are generally installed on roof-tops, so they eliminate the need for a large space.
They have long use life, and they are not manually monitored.
The photovoltaic technology has low material consumption, smooth appearance, simple installation, and unobtrusive operation.
Cons
The biggest disadvantage of solar power generation is high initial installation cost. Solar cells are expensive, making it costly to generate power from solar energy.
The output and efficiency vary in different regions, depending on climatic factors.
Daylight hours are limited; therefore, solar photovoltaic cells are constrained by intermittency issues (Solar Power).
The mechanical resistance of cells is weak.
Conclusion It has been deduced that no single renewable energy source works supremely at all times and in every situation. All these renewable energy sources have certain environmental impacts. Wind power and solar power are rapidly growing technologies, and in the future, the electricity generation from these sources is likely to increase rapidly. Each power source has specific advantages and disadvantages; hence, they must be used in combination to cover for their drawbacks.
Pros
It is the most environment friendly source of generation, as it produces no harmful gas emissions or pollution, nor poses any threat to
Southern Oregon Business Journal
By: Sharibkhan Maradukhel
Sr Cost Consultant at Turner & Townsend-Canada
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Righting SW Oregon’s Economic Ship Rural America’s economy has suffered as active educated, new generations make moves to metropolitan areas. They satisfy the business need for tech savvy and ambitious employees eager to enter the business world at a time of world-wide need with competition for quality employees at its highest. Scarcity of trained, experienced and educated new-hires is a world-wide issue. Demographic forecasts correctly predicted changes in current population shifts and industrial advances since the entry of millennials born since 1981. Attitudes affected by these changes are nearly impossible to predict. Unknowns regarding retirement plans of Baby Boomers contribute significantly to the hiring and expansion plans of employers. Small business entrepreneurialism has sparked a motivated optimism that waned during the Great Recession. The Southern Oregon Business Journal is dedicating segments of future issues to the challenges of business in breaching the difficulties of this extreme change in demographics and worker availability. Small business start-ups are providing a petri dish to the experiment wanting to discover how to enter a new era of business management. The forging of the template is going through extensive testing that will likely provide ideas and discoveries entirely new to the way business of every sort is conducted. Each of the six counties of SW Oregon is fortunate to have youthfully enthusiastic entrepreneurs with bright ideas and immense talent. Short-term goals must include ways to keep this asset in the region. With this resource stabilized recruiting new business and talented employees from outside the area will be easier to accomplish. Facing the future head on requires an attitude of cooperation and collaboration between communities, counties and business leadership. The business journal intends to be committed to the effort in every way we can.
Greg Henderson, Publisher greg@southernoregonbusiness.com Southern Oregon Business Journal
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