opinion
An Opinion:
Columbia County’s Industrial
Grade Workforce is Ready for Business
By Jeff Kemp and Tony Hyde
Columbia County’s greatest
economic asset is its highly skilled
workforce. These highly skilled workers
excel in manufacturing.
Fortunately, workers with
experience in goods producing industries-
-a full 25% of the local workforce--can
find quality opportunities throughout the
region. However, the bottom-line value
of working locally, for residents and the
community, is incomparable.
In Columbia County, there are
currently unfilled openings for skilled
workers at manufacturers--and the
Columbia County Economic Team
foresees a growing manufacturing
sector that generates many more such
opportunities for local residents in the
future.
Manufacturing is a key industry
here. It generates more wages than
any other private-sector category--$63
million in total payroll last year. And
local manufacturers need skilled
employees today.
Manufacturing jobs range in
scope from production operator to
industrial engineering manager. In
Columbia County these positions pay, on
average, $50,000 in annual wages--more
than any other category. At face value,
these wages slightly trail neighboring
counties, for example, by only $3000
per year relative to Multnomah County.
However, switching to a local
manufacturing job from a similar
position elsewhere, is like getting,
on-average, a $12,500 pay raise when
you factor the high cost of a long
commute.
A 20-mile commute each
way, at minimum, costs $5500 per
year in gas and car wear-and-tear. In
terms of lost wages, the cost of time
spent commuting is, on average,
almost $10,000 per year.
Yet, you almost can’t put a
price tag on the considerable loss of
free time. For example, commuting 45
minutes to Portland, each way, eats up 7
½ hours per week, 375 hours per year.
This grueling commute is the equivalent
of nearly 10 extra weeks of vacation per
year--time anyone would rather spend
with their family, or whatever else adds
to their notion of “the good life.”
We both are fortunate to work
locally, and spend some of our free
time in service to the community.
Community groups – Kiwanis, Rotary,
Elks Club, Chamber’s of Commerce,
for example -- are a big part of what
makes Columbia County great. We can
only imagine what it would mean to the
community if each group had 50 more
people volunteering one hour per week,
instead of commuting.
An “on-shoring” trend finally
seems to bringing manufacturing
jobs back to the U.S. after decades of
decline. Rising productivity here, and
increasing costs overseas, is leveling
the playing field. This points to new
opportunities for Columbia County’s
skilled workforce, entrepreneurs, and
the community.
The
Columbia
County
Economic Team (CCET) is hearing
from local manufacturers that they are
getting new contracts. Contracts that
were formally awarded to Chinese
competitors. Perhaps this explains,
in part, why the Oregon Employment
Department finds Columbia County
manufacturers to have added 100+ jobs
in the last twelve months.
Regional and statewide
291
A
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economic development groups are
working diligently to capitalize on on-
shoring and new export opportunities
to stimulate economic growth--and
Columbia County is well positioned
to participate in and take advantage of
these strategies.
Our robust base of industrial
sites, favorable business cost structure,
and access to markets means Columbia
County is ripe with opportunity--for
entrepreneurs, the community, and,
most of all,
Columbia County’s industrial grade
workforce.
Learn about the manufacturing
companies operating in Columbia
County by visiting the Columbia
County Economic Team’s website at
www.columbiacountyoregon.com,
and discover job openings at www.
worksourceoregon.org. There are great
opportunities in our own backyard.
Jeff Kemp is CEO of Pacific Stainless
Columbia County and a member of the
Columbia County Economic Team.
Tony Hyde is a Columbia County
Commissioner and a member of the
Columbia County Economic Team.
august14
2012
3
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Contributors
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Marc Farmer
Tony Hyde
Jeff Kemp
Dr. Carol McIntyre
DeAnna Pearl
Gayle Rich-Boxman
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Christopher Sedlmeyer
Michal Smith
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