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Wednesday,June16,2021
Columbia Gorge News
www.columbiagorgenews.com
Window manufacturer expanding in Odell
Housing highest
bar to meeting
worker needs
made it worse, and my advis-
ers suggest there is going to
be a tight market” as the state
reopens.
Brown added that be-
By Mark Gibson
Columbia Gorge News
ginning June 19, Oregon
workers on unemployment
would again be required to
Cardinal Glass Industries
document their efforts to find
in Odell is growing.
The large industrial facility, work. “That might change the
dynamic a little bit,” she said.
built on the site of a former
lumber mill, specializes in
insulated glass windows that
incorporate two panes of
tempered glass sealed with
“The[job]marketwas
an air space between them.
tightevenbeforethe
In early June, Oregon Gov.
pandemic.Thepandemic
Kate Brown toured the fa-
hasmadeitworse,andmy
cility, which is growing both
physically with a planned
advisorssuggestthereis
145,000 square foot plant
goingtobeatight
expansion and internally,
market”asthestate
with 370 employees currently
reopens.
working multiple shifts — the
facility runs 24 hours a day,
Kate Brown
six days a week. Currently, an
Governor of Oregon
additional 30 employees are
needed and when the expan-
Supply and demand
sion is complete an addition-
al 50 jobs will be created.
Reppen told Brown the
Plant Superintendent Sorn company, like many in
Reppen told the governor the Oregon, has been having
company has been working
supply issues during the pan-
with high schools and com-
demic. “We are having some
munity colleges in the Gorge issues. No show stoppers yet,
but it has been very touch
area to train and find work-
and go.”
ers. “We want local people,”
Maintenance Manager
he explained, noting worker
Shane Thoms said “on time,
housing is a major issue in
complete deliveries is our
recruitment. The company
pays well, he added, starting buiness model, and that’s
been a real challenge.”
workers at $18 an hour with
On a tour of the facility,
benefits. Many of the avail-
Thoms pointed out large
able jobs are open to high
stacks of windows packaged
school graduates with no
and ready to ship. “This will
college training. Promotion
all be going out on tonight's
within the company is done
internally, so there are oppor- truck,” he said. “There is
nothing built up, it's all going
tunities for advancement.
out.”
“The number one hurdle
•••
is housing,” he said of the
Thoms noted Cardinal
struggle to find workers.
IG in Odell is just one of
A lot of local employers
the company’s glass manu-
are competing for the same
workers, he added. Some
facturing plants. “We have
employees remain unavail-
invested heavily in research
and development,” he said.
able due to the pandemic,
The company has one site
he added, because they are
dedicated to robotics and
staying home to take care of
automation.
their families.
Thoms noted the company
Gov. Brown noted the
plans a long future in Odell.
tight job market was not
The plant was developed
likely to change soon. “The
market was tight even before with support from the state’s
Brownsfield program, an on-
the pandemic,” agreed Gov.
Brown. “The pandemic has
going program which helps
■
Oregon Governor Kate Brown, seated at left, meets
with leaders at Cardinal IG in Odell. The company
manufactures insulated windows and is planning
to expand their local facility. Pictured left to right
are Brown, Maintenance Manager Shane Thoms
and Plant Superintendent Sorn Reppen.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown pauses
by racks of window separators
with Plant Superintendent Sorn
Reppen during a tour of Cardinal
IG in Odell. The company manu-
factures insulated windows and
is planning to expand their local
facility. At right, Brown speaks
with a worker during the tour.
landowners evaluate and
cleanup former industrial
sites, and is a perfect location
for manufacturing sealed,
insulated glass. “We are 700
feet above sea level, and that
is perfect,” Thoms said. Once
sealed, the windows shrink
and expand with elevation.
Sealed in Odell, they can be
shipped almost anywhere
without imploding or ex-
ploding do to changes in air
pressure between the panes
of glass. “The glass swells
and shrinks with altitude,” he
explained.
The expansive, well-lit plant operates 24/7, six days a week.
Mark B. Gibson photos
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