Economies of scale, or how to make more money

This is the K-man coming at you again. It has been a while since I blogged, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been anything happening at MetroEast. Quite the contrary, many things are afoot.

On October 6 myself, along with help from Arlene Stevenson, spent the morning at beautiful Persimmon Country Club videotaping the 12th annual Economic Summit put on by the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center. The summit was a packed house event, as there were numerous industry experts giving presentations on how East County can economically better position itself not only locally, but globally.

 The theme of this years summit was: "From big business to main street – your vital role in our region's economic vitality".

Speakers included:

Keynote address:  Oregon State Treasurer Ted Wheeler spoke on how broad economic issues at the state level apply to business success in East County.

Gresham Mayor Shane Bemis talked about how the City of Gresham is working for business success and the impact of that work in the broader regional community.

Jill A. Miles, National Recruitment Officer for Business Oregon revealed where East County stands in the current business recruitment as well as regional strengths, opportunities for growth and how the process of coordinated site selection works.

Michele E. Reeves, Principal for Civilis Consultants gave an enlightening look at economic development and identity and how to leverage our region's story for lasting economic improvement.

The day ended with a panel of East County Champions explaining why the getting is good with their success stories from East County. These guests included:

• Paul Burkhart, SEKO Worldwide

• Rick Schermerhorn, Imperial Manufacturing

• Dave Earnest, NACCO Materials Handling Group

Thank you to Arlene Stevenson for assisting with the production.

Look for replays on MetroEast channels. It will also be available online on bliptv.