To help recruit new business and boost growth, both Sisters and La Pine are expected to have their own economic development managers by the end of summer.

The city of La Pine contributed $20,000; the city of Sisters contributed $30,000; Deschutes County has chipped in a total of $40,000; and local businesses will pay $15,000 to fund the salaries and operating expenses of the two part-time positions, said Roger Lee, executive director of Economic Development for Central Oregon.

The positions will give EDCO, the regional economic development organization, a total of six local managers dedicated to specific communities in Central Oregon.

Lee said the model of having both regional and local offices is unique.

Communities often create competing local organizations instead of working together. But, by having multiple local representatives working under the regional umbrella, he said, efforts won’t be duplicated and resources can be shared.

“When a company is trying to locate, there are decisions that need to be made at the local level. It’s harder to have close working relationships with eight mayors and eight city managers than it is with one,” Lee said. “Local EDCO managers know how to navigate the local way of doing things to create a better job environment for job creation and to help attract and retain existing employers.”

Rick Allen, city manager of La Pine, said having a dedicated EDCO manager will get La Pine “in the game.”

“La Pine has probably some of the best industrial land that is developed, ready to go,” Allen said. “We have a substation built with electricity in the middle of our industrial park that can supply any high-tech kind of firm … like call centers and data centers.”

For the past 20 years, the La Pine Industrial Group has handled economic development and sales at the industrial park but was limited to that area of county land and could only sell to new businesses, he said.

The new EDCO manager, who will be based in La Pine City Hall, will have the ability to help La Pine recruit new businesses and expand existing businesses in a much broader geographic area spanning from Sunriver to La Pine, Allen said.

Andrew Gorayeb, city manager of Sisters, agreed having a local EDCO manager will be a benefit.

“We need focused effort and energy with respect to supporting our existing business community and enhancing it with additional businesses,” Gorayeb said. “Sisters is definitely open for business, and we’re willing to bend over backwards to accommodate any new business that wants to come to town.”

Gorayeb said Sisters has a need for business in general: retail, manufacturing and commercial businesses.

“I’m not a big believer in whale hunting. … I’m a great believer in diversity,” he said. “I’d rather have 10 medium to small-sized business than one giant one that could blow out of town in a heartbeat.

“Sisters needs diversity and jobs and lord knows we’ve got available land and available buildings.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7818,