Estacada EDC advances strategic plan draft with OEM manufacturing focus; staff to draft RFQ, pursue storytelling and workforce ties

The City of Estacada Economic Development Commission on May 13 reviewed a subcommittee draft of a strategic plan that recommends prioritizing light OEM manufacturing and related supply-chain businesses for the city’s industrial campus, and directed city staff to prepare a request for qualifications (RFQ) or scope of work for a full strategic plan.

Commissioner David Cross summarized the subcommittee’s work and urged a focused approach: “Estacada is really already well well tooled ... It already has a great strength in manufacturing and OEM development,” he said, arguing that concentrating on OEM and manufacturing could build an industry cluster that would, in turn, attract final-product manufacturers to the industrial park. Commissioners discussed related secondary priorities identified in the draft: mass timber and wood products, tourism and outdoor recreation, and downtown revitalization.

City staff recommended converting the subcommittee’s draft into an RFQ or request for information so the commission could review the proposed scope of work. “Take this plan and draft up, like, a RFQ or request for information to bring back in January so then the committee could say, yes,” a city staff member told the commission. Staff said the RFQ should include logistics, a business recruitment strategy for the roughly 50-acre industrial park, marketing and messaging, and recommendations for aligning training and school programs with industry needs.

Commissioners and staff emphasized storytelling and marketing as tools to recruit businesses. Commissioners suggested short videos and profiles showing local manufacturers and the industrial campus’ capabilities. “When you tell a story, you create emotional engagement. And it's the emotional engagement that will create the buy in,” one commissioner said.

Members also discussed operational gaps that could limit local hiring, notably transit. A commissioner observed that current public transportation does not provide service between Estacada residences and the industrial park: “If you live in Estacada, you cannot take the bus to the industrial park,” a commissioner said, identifying a potential barrier to creating local jobs that employers in the park could fill.

The commission discussed outreach and events as part of the strategy. Commissioners proposed holding an industrial-campus open house paired with National Night Out (a tentative date of Aug. 5 was noted) to introduce residents to employers, showcase career pathways, and include entertainment such as the high school jazz band. Commissioners suggested sponsorships, school involvement for volunteers, and working with public-safety partners if the event hosts equipment or demonstrations.

Workforce-development links and school partnerships featured in commissioners’ reports. Commissioner David Cross reported the school district has hired a full-time coordinator to develop career and technical education (CTE) pathways and said the district approved a $500,000 purchase of updated curricula to support manufacturing and related programs. Cross said the district plans to move the auto shop toward a diesel technician program, partner with local employers, expand manufacturing curriculum with Clackamas Community College, and launch a new electrical engineering CTE program with employers including PGE; he said the district is pursuing a pre-apprenticeship relationship with PGE.

Next steps: staff will prepare a draft RFQ/scope of work for the strategic plan and circulate it to the commission and subcommittee for feedback. The commission also asked staff to continue planning for the industrial-campus open house and to coordinate with businesses, the school district and public-safety partners on the event plan.