WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021
HermistonHerald.com
EasternOregonMarketplace.com
New warehouse may bring 75-100 jobs
Meyer Distributing plans to open Penney Avenue site in December
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
A new warehouse starting con-
struction in Hermiston is expected to
hire 75 to 100 people once it is com-
pleted later this year.
Meyer Distributing, a distribution
company headquartered in Jasper,
Indiana, received a building permit
from the city of Hermiston in March
to begin work on a new $11 million
warehouse. Meyer Distributing CEO
Jeff Braun said he expects the ware-
house to begin operations in Decem-
ber 2021.
According to its website, the fam-
ily owned company is “a leader in spe-
cialty products marketing and distri-
bution” and uses strategically placed
warehouses around the country to dis-
tribute auto parts, sanitation supplies
and lifestyle products.
After the Hermiston warehouse
opens near the end of 2021, Braun said
the company expects to hire between
75 and 100 people by the end of 2022.
He said starting wages for all positions
will be at least $15 an hour, and the
company will likely begin hiring in
November of this year.
The Hermiston warehouse will
house inventory ready to be shipped
to customers in the region. Braun said
the building will be 169,080 square
feet, and the building permit fi led with
the city values it at $11,111,618. It will
be at 975 E. Penney Ave., in Hermis-
ton’s southern industrial area, about
one-half mile west of Ranch & Home.
Braun said the company’s head-
quarters of Jasper, Indiana, has a popu-
lation of approximately 16,000 people
in a county with a population of about
43,000 people.
“We are aware of how important an
impact a company like ours can have
on the local community and look for-
ward to being a good partner with the
city and its citizens,” he said in an
email.
For more information about the
company, visit www.meyerdistribut-
ing.com.
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Meyer Distributing, a distribution company headquartered in
Jasper, Indiana, plans to construct a new $11 million warehouse
at this site located at 975 E. Penney Ave. in Hermiston.
UPDATES
Umatilla
County
moved to
moderate
risk level
HERMISTON HERALD
Umatilla County will
move to moderate risk
level for COVID-19 on
Friday, April 9, according
to an announcement from
Gov. Kate Brown.
The change from high
to moderate loosens some
restrictions on businesses
and gatherings. Restau-
rants, for example, can
now off er indoor dining at
50% capacity or 100 peo-
ple, whichever is smaller,
instead of 25% capac-
ity or 50 people. Indoor
entertainment
venues,
such as movie theaters, as
well as recreational facil-
ities, such as gyms, can
also move to 50% capac-
ity or 100 people, which-
ever is smaller. Retail
stores can operate at 75%
capacity instead of 50%.
Morrow
County
remains at low risk for at
least another two weeks.
The change for Uma-
tilla County to move to
a lower risk category
comes as most counties
in Oregon are seeing their
COVID-19 cases begin
to trend upward instead.
This week six counties
moved from moderate to
high risk, and fi ve more
counties were put in the
“warning period,” giv-
ing them two weeks to get
their numbers back down
again before they are
switched to a higher level.
While risk levels had
previously been based on
case counts and test pos-
itivity rates, Brown said
Oregon Health Authority
will also begin including
hospitalization numbers
in the count to present a
more accurate picture of
risk to the community as
vaccinations protect more
people from severe cases
of COVID-19.
On Tuesday, April
6,
Umatilla
County
announced its 83rd death
of a person with COVID-
19. The county reported
the patient was a 47-year-
old male with underly-
ing conditions who tested
positive Feb. 2 and died
April 3 at a hospital in
Portland.
INSIDE
Umatilla Chamber of Commerce/Contributed Photo
The owners of Acapulco Mexican Food show off their 2020 Business of the Year award in front of their business.
Small town spotlight
Umatilla recognizes its
‘distinguished citizens’
By JADE MCDOWELL
NEWS EDITOR
Umatilla Chamber of Commerce/Contributed Photo
Marcelino Cruz, second from right, owner of Novedades Cruz convenience
store, accepts the 2019 Citizen of the Year award from the Umatilla
Chamber of Commerce.
Umatilla Chamber of Commerce/Contributed Photo
The Banner Bank staff at the Umatilla branch accepts an award for 2019
Business of the Year.
A3  All Oregonians age 16 and
up will be eligible for the COVID-19
vaccine starting April 19
A6  The Farm-City Pro Rodeo is
planning a rodeo for 2021
There were plenty of congrat-
ulations to go around on Friday,
April 2, as the Umatilla Cham-
ber of Commerce handed out its
Distinguished Citizen Awards
for 2019 and 2020.
Salud Campos, executive
director for the chamber, said
after last year’s awards banquet
was canceled at the last min-
ute due to the initial COVID-
19 lockdowns, the chamber
wanted to make sure those who
would have been recognized
still got their award. She vis-
ited those awardees, as well as a
new group honored this year, to
hand them their plaque and off er
congratulations.
“They were thrilled,” she
said.
Some winners said they were
honored, while others described
themselves as humbled or sur-
prised, she said. After a long
year for everyone, Campos said
it was nice to be able to recog-
nize the good in Umatilla.
“I want to thank everyone who
has kept our businesses going
during the pandemic and shop-
A7  The Hermiston Chamber of
Commerce has purchased a new
building
ping locally,” she said. “We’re
a small community, but we sup-
port each other a lot.”
2020 award winners
Janet Nagy Leitch was honored
as Umatilla Citizen of the Year
for 2020.
Leitch, a 1966 graduate of
Umatilla High School, is pres-
ident of the Umatilla Alumni
Association and secretary of the
Umatilla Museum and corre-
sponding historical foundation.
“She has been involved in
Umatilla her whole life, and her
years of service are appreciated
by all and an example of com-
munity service for all to learn
from,” the chamber’s nomina-
tion of her stated.
Acapulco Mexican Food was
named Umatilla Business of the
Year for 2020.
The food truck cooks “deli-
cious,
authentic
Mexican
dishes,” according to the cham-
ber, and are known for their
homemade tortillas, tortas, bur-
ritos and fi sh tacos.
“Owner Margarito Corcuera
plans to get more involved in the
See Awards, Page A9
A8  Hermiston Parks and
Recreation holds Flashlight Easter
Egg Hunt