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EDCO reports pipeline of manufacturing and bioscience projects; housing and capacity remain constraints
Summary
EDCO updated BDAB on recent business‑attraction and start/scale activity in Bend, highlighting bioscience and consumer packaged‑goods clusters, a pipeline that EDCO said could generate roughly 700 jobs and $300 million in capital, and ongoing limits posed by housing and infrastructure.
EDCO provided a quarterly update to BDAB on April 7, describing its current pipeline, event programming and two foundational workforce and incubator initiatives targeting bioscience and consumer packaged‑goods companies.
Don (EDCO) told BDAB that EDCO’s events and networking programs remain a core part of its work and that the organization is managing a pipeline of approximately 100 projects across start, grow and move categories. EDCO said the current pipeline could generate roughly 700 jobs and more than $300 million in projected capital investment if projects proceed as expected.
EDCO emphasized two near‑term projects: (1) a customized bioscience workforce training program being developed with Central Oregon Community College (COCC) to support manufacturing needs in local bioscience firms; and (2) a vision exercise to establish an incubator for consumer packaged‑goods (food and beverage) entrepreneurs to support product development, packaging and logistics for founder‑led small firms.
The presentation noted that bioscience projects, though a minority of total project count, account for a disproportionate share of projected new jobs and higher wages. EDCO also said that supply constraints — most notably access to housing for workers and company staff — remain the most binding constraint on business attraction and expansion in the Bend market.
EDCO described outreach channels that now include digital marketing leads, one‑on‑one company efforts and new convenings such as a Bend Business Roundtable that connects large local employers with city officials. EDCO said the digitized lead program, created in 2023, represents about one‑third of its new‑client leads.
Don told BDAB that some medium‑ and large‑scale industrial prospects continue to seek ground with rail capacity or other specific infrastructure that Bend currently cannot offer, though forthcoming sites such as portions of Juniper Ridge and the Stevens tract were noted as potential opportunities for more industrial and housing capacity.
EDCO also said it has started an internal strategic‑plan update and will coordinate with the city’s InvestBend and other regional planning efforts to align targets and programs. EDCO said its role includes event programming (Made in Bend tour May 8), start‑up support and business retention and growth work for established manufacturers and technology firms.
BDAB members asked EDCO to continue reporting on material pipeline outcomes (jobs and capital), workforce training development with COCC and how EDCO’s efforts can better align with city housing and infrastructure initiatives.
