REGION
Saturday, August 22, 2015
East Oregonian
PENDLETON
Industrial evolution
Local businesses
expanding space,
adding jobs
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
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and wool are helping expand
Pendleton’s
industrial
productivity.
While only Hill Meat
Co. is adding jobs at this
point, Newly Weds Foods
and
Barhyte
Specialty
Foods are adding additional
manufacturing space while
Pendleton Woolen Mills
has added a new loom that
should increase the factory’s
productivity by 10 percent.
When asked why their
company was expanding,
owners and managers gave a
simple answer — business is
good.
Mike Barhyte, president
of operations for Barhyte
Specialty Foods, said reve-
nues have been growing by 8
to 10 percent a year in recent
years.
With a strong presence in
the Midwest, Barhyte said the
company would add a 30,000
square foot warehouse to its
Airport Road facility, saving
the business from having to
continue to keep its products
in satellite storage spaces
across the city.
Barhyte
said
the
company, which specializes
in making condiments, could
potentially add new jobs in
the future if the business
continues to grow.
Bob
Bahrns,
plant
manager for the Pendleton
Newly Weds Foods facility,
also left the door open to
more expansion if business
continued to climb.
Facing a similar problem
to Barhyte, Bahrns said
Newly Weds is in the process
of adding 40,000 square feet
in additional storage, which
allows the food processing
company to store its inven-
tory on-site instead of a
warehouse in Umatilla.
In addition to adding
20,000 square feet to its pork
Staff photo by Jonathan Bach
Day-shift manager Kevin Schmidt, 51, fixes a yarn break by hand on Pendleton
Woolen Mills’ new Itema R9500 loom.
“As the looms
reach maximum
efficiency we will
be able to assess
the increased ca-
pacity of blanket
production and
full potential.”
— John Boston, Pendleton
Woolen Mills manager
Staff photo by Jonathan Bach
A touch screen control panel of the Pendleton Woolen
Mills’ new Itema R9500 loom.
processing plant, Hill Meat
CEO Jim Cheney said the
company will also add more
employees.
Cheney said Hill Meat
could add 30 more jobs to its
workforce, which is currently
between 90 and 100.
Pendleton needs expan-
sions like Hill Meat to make
up for the jobs lost when
Blue Mountain Recovery
Center closed last year and
took 118 jobs with it.
Pendleton city govern-
ment has made numerous
investments to attract new
industrial
development,
including the construction of
Barnhart Road and starting
years to help them invest in
a new Jacquard loom to help
the Pendleton Unmanned the company meet increased
Aerial Systems Range with demand for the fabric.
In exchange for the tax
the intention of eventually
bringing a UAS manufac- abatement, the mills pledged
to increase productivity by
turer to town.
:KLOH FLW\ RI¿FLDOV 10 percent.
Pendleton Woolen Mills
continue to wait for those
investments to pay divi- manager John Boston wrote
dends, Pendleton’s current in an email that the new
industrial sector is doing its loom has met expectations.
“As the looms reach
own expansions.
One of the few growing PD[LPXP HI¿FLHQF\ ZH
businesses
that
won’t will be able to assess the
undergo a physical expan- increased capacity of blanket
sion is Pendleton Woolen production and full poten-
tial,” he wrote.
Mills.
———
As a part of a program
Contact Antonio Sierra at
for the Pendleton/Pilot Rock
enterprise zone, the mill’s asierra@eastoregonian.com
taxes were abated for three or 541-966-0836.
Page 3A
BRIEFLY
Inland Musicians
set rehearsals
PENDLETON — The
Inland Northwest
Musicians are getting set to
warm up their voices and
instruments.
Rehearsals for the
2015-16 chorale season
begin Monday from 7-9
p.m. at Harris Junior
Academy, 3121 S.W.
Hailey Ave., Pendleton.
The weekly practices
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concerts, which are Oct.
17-18.
The orchestra’s weekly
rehearsal begin Thursday
from 6:30-9:30 p.m., also
at the junior academy.
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10-11.
Tryouts aren’t required
for participation. For
those interested in joining
the chorale, contact Salli
Ketchersid, 541-314-5833
or email ketchersid@
eotnet.net.; and for the
orchestra, contact R. Lee
Friese at 541-289-4696 or
innw@machmedia.net.
Fish Fry offers
seafood and
entertainment
PENDLETON — A
VSHFWDFXODUEXIIHWZLWK¿VK
and coconut shrimp, beef
or chicken satay and an
assortment of tropical fruit
and salads is featured in the
Round-Up Fish Fry.
The event is Wednesday
from 5-7:30 p.m. at
McKay Creek Estates,
1601 Southgate Place,
Pendleton. The cost is $8
for adults and $4 for 12
and under.
Special entertainment
includes Coyote Joe and
Little Joe, the Round-Up
and Happy Canyon courts,
the Happy Canyon Can
Can Dancers, Eastern
Oregon Philippine-
American Community
Dancers, Zoe Hern on
ukulele, Pastor and
Carolyn Clemons and the
Main Street Cowboys and
Side Saddlers calliope.
For more information
or to RSVP, contact
mckaycreekcrd@
prestigecare.com or
541-276-1987.
Dinner in the
Dark supports
vision center
RICHLAND, Wash. —
A dinner fundraiser that
helps people experience
what it might be like to be
blind will raise money for
the Edith Bishel Center
for the Blind and Visually
Impaired.
Dinner in the Dark
features guests partaking
in the event while
blindfolded.
In addition to the
meal, the event includes
a no-host bar and silent
and live auctions. Also,
casino games, including
blackjack, beat the dealer
and roulette will be hosted
by the Pasco Lions Club.
Tickets are now on sale
for Dinner in the Dark,
which is Thursday, Sept.17
from 6-9:30 p.m. at the
Shilo Inn, 50 Comstock St.,
Richland, Wash. The cost
is $40 per person or table
sponsorships, seating eight,
for $375.
Located in Kennewick,
the Edith Bishel Center is
dedicated to serving the
blind and visually impaired
in southeastern Washington
and northeastern Oregon. It
offers training, education,
products and resources
for the visually impaired
community.
For more information,
to purchase tickets or
donate auction items,
contact 509-735 0699,
cynthia@edithbishelcenter.
org or visit www.
edithbishelcenter.org.
SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS
Submit information to: community@eastoregonian.
com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at
333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211
S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-
966-0818 with questions.
HERMISTON
Council to consider tougher pot biz ban
Already passed ban on medical
marijuana dispensaries in March 2014
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
A resolution on the
Hermiston city council’s
agenda for Monday night
would double down on the
city’s harsh stance against
marijuana-related
busi-
nesses.
The resolution would
direct staff to begin the
legal process of amending
Hermiston’s zoning ordi-
nance to ban all commercial
marijuana activity, including
commercial grow sites,
processors, wholesalers and
dispensaries.
Under state law, it
remains legal for residents
21 and older to possess
marijuana and grow up to
four plants.
The council already
passed a ban on medical
marijuana dispensaries in
March 2014, and its current
codes prohibit land uses not
in compliance with federal
law. However, in light of
the passage of House Bill
3400 in June allowing bans
in jurisdictions where more
than 55 percent of voters
turned down Measure 91
legalizing
recreational
marijuana use, amending
the zoning code to comply
with the new law adds an
extra layer of certainty in
the city’s desire to keep out
marijuana businesses.
A public hearing on a
proposed landscaping ordi-
nance is also on Monday
night’s agenda.
The ordinance requires a
certain percentage of land
on new commercial devel-
opments be landscaped,
and requires developers
to purchase a landscaping
ordinance after presenting
a plan that meets the city’s
approval.
City staff have requested
that the city continue the
hearing to a new date
instead of taking testimony
on Monday. That gives
them more time to research
The Center for Excellence
in Dermatology
welcomes
Heidi Tate, PA-C
to our satellite clinic
in Pendleton, Or.
She is located in the Family Medicine building,
behind the Interpath building at
2450 SW Perkins Ave, Pendleton, OR.
Services related to the diagnosis and treatment of
skin cancers, moles and sun damage. General services
including the evaluation and treatment of acne,
psoriasis, warts and eczema will also be available.
Stop by the new office and meet the medical staff
dedicated to taking care of all of your skin needs.
Appointments
are available
Mon-Thurs 8am-5pm
Call toll free:
1-855-525-4677
Pendleton Office:
541-276-6936
questions raised at a recent
public hearing held by the
planning commission.
On Monday the city
also will consider two
requests that authorize staff
to execute an agreement
with Ascent Architec-
ture for design of the
Harkenrider Center and an
agreement with Columbia
3DFL¿F &RQVWUXFWLRQ IRU
completion of the taxiway
rehabilitation project at
the Hermiston Municipal
Airport.
Before the council meets
at 7 p.m. at city hall, 180 NE
2nd St. in Hermiston, the
council will meet for a work
session open to the public
at the Hermiston Family
Aquatic Center to take a tour
of the facilities.
———
Contact Jade McDowell
at jmcdowell@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-564-4536.
And you thought
your kids got
GRASS STAINS
September 16-19, 2015
Buy tickets at PendletonRoundUp.com
2016 Tickets Now Available