BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
A6
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
Firm fi lls a need in the construction industry
BIZZ
BUZZ
VIRIDIAN
CONSTRUCTION
What: Construction
company
By Bill Bradshaw
Who: Brad Emerson,
president
E
NTERPRISE — The
high demand for
construction work
led one Enterprise-based
company to create another:
Viridian Construction.
Viridian Management, a
full-service property man-
agement organization that
specializes in multifam-
ily aff ordable housing,
needs construction work-
ers to maintain and improve
the properties it manages.
Since many contractors are
already busy with other
projects, Viridian created its
own construction company
in July.
“We self-perform con-
struction trade work minus
electrical, plumbing and
HVAC,” said Brad Emer-
son, president of Viridian
Construction. “We self-per-
form projects on our prop-
erties, whether it be siding,
roofi ng, window replace-
ments, interior work, fi n-
ish carpentry, fl ooring. We
self-perform that work.”
Regional work
Although based in Enter-
prise, Viridian is licensed to
work all over Oregon and
Washington. But its primary
focus is Eastern Oregon.
In addition to Wallowa
County, Viridian does proj-
ects in Baker, Gilliam,
Grant, Malheur, Morrow,
Sherman, Umatilla, Union
and Wasco counties.
“Right now, we’re doing
a rehabilitation project over
in Pendleton on the Indian
Where: 200 E. Main St.,
Enterprise
Phone: 541-263-1951
Email: info@viridian-con-
struction.com
with the construction com-
pany’s quality of work.
Emerson said he doesn’t
expect the company will
branch out to projects unre-
lated to Viridian Manage-
ment in the foreseeable
future.
“Currently we have too
many projects to do that,”
he said.
The workers
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Brad Emerson, president of Viridian Construction, stands by an aerial lift, Monday, May 2,
2022, at the company’s equipment storage yard in Enterprise. The company was formed to
provide construction contractors for Viridian Management.
Hills apartments, a 48-unit
apartment complex,” Emer-
son said. “We’re re-sid-
ing it, doing some concrete
work, seal coat, striping and
asphalt repair. We also have
a new construction proj-
ect we’re doing over there
where we’re doing inte-
rior work, installing interior
doors, interior painting. We
have a dedicated paint team
with a paint superinten-
dent who oversees our paint
operations.”
He said Viridian doesn’t
do heating, ventilation and
air conditioning work since
they require special certifi -
cation. But they may con-
sider adding such certifi ca-
tions in the future.
“It’s a possibility,” Emer-
son said. “You have to be
a licensed electrician or
a licensed plumber or a
licensed HVAC technician
to do those.”
The competition
While Viridian Con-
struction operates under the
umbrella of Viridian Man-
agement, it’s not automatic
that the former will land the
bid.
“We all receive the
same (bidding) process,”
Emerson said of Viridian
Construction and its com-
petitors. “We all receive
the same invitation to bid.
We all go out and con-
duct proposals and what it
comes down to is what’s
in the proposal and what
are the provided numbers
and then the (Viridian)
management team decides
who’s going to be conduct-
ing the work.”
He emphasized that Vir-
idian Construction has
to come up with the best
numbers and service. In
that respect, they’re in
direct fair competition
with other contractors. Of
course, Viridian Manage-
ment is well acquainted
Viridian employs 14 peo-
ple on its Northeast Oregon
jobs, and another three in
Southern Oregon.
Viridian Management
plans to work with the Wal-
lowa County Education Ser-
vice District to set up a ded-
icated training facility for
both could come into play,
too. The ESD and Virid-
ian are considering enter-
ing into a public-private
partnership to obtain a U.S.
Department of Agriculture
Rural Development Rural
Innovation (for a) Stronger
Economy grant.
The grant, which could
be anywhere from $500,000
to $2 million, would be to
purchase the former Chev-
rolet dealership building in
Enterprise, into which the
ESD would move. It now
& Skylight
Gallery
shares a building with Vir-
idian. If the grant comes
through, both buildings
could become training facil-
ities for workers.
“Right now, we’re pro-
viding on-the-job training
for some of our construction
laborers or interior work run
through our current facility
that we have here,” Emer-
son said. “Once the big
facility’s fi nal, we will be
running all our staff through
it … if it happens.”
Viridian’s leadership will
take advantage of the train-
ing there, too, he said.
“We’ll run our construc-
tion staff through that same
training program,” he said.
“We have dedicated super-
intendents who part of their
job is to train.”
The demand
He said the construction
industry is going through
high demand these days.
“It’s in very high
demand,” Emerson said.
“(With) the lack of mate-
rials and supplies, you’re
planning six months and
more ahead of time.”
While some have
attributed the diffi culty in
obtaining materials and the
high cost to the COVID-
19 pandemic, he said its
simpler.
“It’s just the high
demand of construction
right now,” he said. “I’ve
seen, in the past six months,
some products go up in
price 25%, some more.”
———
Bill Bradshaw is a
reporter for the Wallowa
County Chieftain. Have a
business tip? Contact him
at 541-398-5503 or bbrad-
shaw@wallowa.com.
Church
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CLUES ACROSS
1. Direction not used in
U.S. state names
5. Wild guess
9. Mind the ___ (subway
station warning)
12. Hieroglyphic snakes
13. Sparkly headwear
14. Pine branch hanger
15. Skin care product
17. “All finished”
18. Nay’s opposite
19. “Dancing Queen” group
20. Country side
22. “I’m open to questions!”
24. Spoke at greath length
25. The “O” of REO
Speed Wagon
26. Skin care product
29. Super cool
31. Hole in the wall where you
may pick up a check?
32. “Aw, shucks”
33. Regarding
34. Argument’s foundation
35. Comparison connector
36. Radar gun measure: Abbr.
37. Victors’ shout
38. London : Underground ::
Paris : ___
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42. Float with the current
43. Improv-style word game
46. Compose music, say
48. Fingernail job, briefly
49. Do some darning
50. Races, as an engine
51. Supermarket section
where you won’t find this
puzzle’s products
54. Kimono sashes
55. Super-
56. Facebook’s parent
company
57. Chum
58. Feel bad for
59. Sound akin to a tap on
the shoulder
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
409 West Main - Enterprise
10 AM Worship
Online AND In Person
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
For More Info
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St.
St. Patrick’s
Patrick’s
Episcopal
Church
Episcopal Church
85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449
We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am
(Guidelines observed)
Sunday School at 10:30
Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00
100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise
NE 3rd & Main St
541-426-3439
Worship Service
Sunday 9:30am
David Bruce
Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church
Lostine
Presbyterian Church
Summit Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
CLUES DOWN
1. Low-stress course
2. Fire remnants
3. “We were just talking about you!”
4. Airport screening org.
5. Remain passive
6. “Cheerio!”
7. “We ___ the Champions”
8. Caribbean island that became a
republic in 2021
9. They’re given at bedtime
10. Gothic writer Rice
11. Fellow citizen
13. Big band instruments?
14. Largely obsolete storage format
16. Amusingly indecent
21. Dark gem
23. Voice above tenor
24. Bird associated with spring
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45. React to heat, say
46. Something to harvest
47. McEntire of country
48. Catcher’s catcher
52. Boxer/poet Muhammad
53. One causing trouble
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Sundays at 10 am
Pastor: David Pendleton
541.398.0597
Hwy 82, Lostine
www.summitchurchoregon.org
Stephen Kliewer, Minister
Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828
Wallowa
Assembly
of God
702 West Hwy 82
Wallowa, Oregon
541-886-8445
Sunday School • 9:am
Worship Service • 10:am
Pastor Tim Barton
Visit Us on
Seventh-Day Adventist
Church & School
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Family Prayer - 9 AM
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:30 AM
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
305 Wagner (near the Cemetery)
P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828
Church 541-426-3751
School 541-426-8339
Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Study:
Sundays, 9:30 am
Worship Hour
Interim Pastor Rev Dr. Craig Pesti-Strobel
10:30 a.m. - Noon
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044