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Sedcor quarterly report highlights hazelnut talks, business expansions and new entrepreneurship programming
Summary
Sedcor presented its January–March 2025 report to the Marion County Board of Commissioners, outlining retention and expansion projects with local food processors, hazelnut industry outreach with Ferrero, workforce events and new entrepreneurship training including an AI webinar series.
Sedcor representatives presented the regional nonprofit’s quarterly economic-development work to the Marion County Board of Commissioners on April 30, describing business retention and expansion projects, outreach with a major international buyer for Oregon hazelnuts, and new entrepreneurship and workforce programming.
The presentation matters because Secor’s work supports local employers, helps secure buyers for county agricultural products and connects entrepreneurs to training and investors, county staff told commissioners.
Kip Morris, Sedcor’s business retention and expansion manager, summarized projects the organization helped advance between January and March 2025. Morris said Sedcor facilitated meetings that put Ferrero — the maker of Nutella — in contact with local hazelnut growers and that the company reported $3.2 billion in sales and aims to double those sales in coming years. “They want Oregon to be a part of their strategy,” Morris said, noting Ferrero’s interest in the quality and consistency of Oregon hazelnuts.
Morris described several local business retention and expansion examples: Whiskey Hill Smokehouse, which is doubling production and buying a new facility to increase jerky output; Pye Fabrication (formerly Bechtel Industrial Solutions), which invested about $130,000 in new CNC equipment and applied for enterprise-zone machinery tax treatment; and a dual operation consolidating Accents of Wood and Miller & Sons Nursery. Morris also said Sedcor is assisting a project labeled “First Stage,” a confidential processing reconstitution expected to locate in the county.
On events and entrepreneurship, Morris and Sarah Cooley, Marion County economic development specialist, said Launch Mid Valley delivered an “AI Advantage” webinar series beginning April 21 to help entrepreneurs use artificial intelligence, and a two‑day “Launchpad for non‑techies” boot camp trained 14 participants to build AI‑powered apps without coding. The presentation also described a revived Oregon startup conference pop‑up where local food and beverage entrepreneurs can sell products and practice pitches for buyers and investors.
Morris reported January–March metrics for Marion County: 11 community visits, 36 business visits, 11 Secor events, 25 partner‑hosted events, 46 committee meetings and 11 trainings. He listed upcoming Secor events in May and June and said county goals include making the Mid‑Willamette Valley a more inclusive place to start and grow businesses, with strengths in agriculture, food production and manufacturing technology.
No formal action was required of the commissioners for the presentation; commissioners thanked the Secor team and asked few questions.
Looking ahead, Morris said Secor will continue retention visits and workforce partnerships and encouraged commissioners to share event information with local businesses.
