Aggressive Business Retention and Recruitment Campaign
A Strategy for Oregon's Economic Prosperity
Oregon has fallen behind other states in the “nuts and bolts” of basic business retention and recruitment. While it has been good to focus on attracting new clean energy businesses, we should not do so at the expense of doing everything we can to retain our existing jobs and businesses and attracting new jobs in more traditional industries throughout Oregon. As one example, Portland almost lost 1,200 high wage jobs at Freightliner, which has been one of the cornerstones of jobs in the transportation sector. This is emblematic of the business closures that we have endured across the breadth of Oregon in this recession and we cannot afford to lose our stalwart regional employers in any part of the state. Oregon’s largest private employers, including Intel and Nike, also need stronger support to assure they retain and grow jobs in Oregon rather than investing in other parts of the world.
The Governor can and must provide strong leadership to retain and attract businesses by:
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Meeting with leaders in existing key industry clusters to get their ideas about what Oregon state government can do to ensure that businesses prosper and grow in Oregon.
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Doing everything reasonably possible to retain and attract all high wage jobs in Oregon rather than focusing on just one industry at the expense of other potential good jobs and businesses.
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Ensuring that all parts of state government—not just economic development -- recognize that small businesses are the backbone of Main Streets throughout Oregon and adopt policies that encourage rather than impede community entrepreneurs.
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Aggressively recruit foreign businesses to invest in Oregon. This was a very successful strategy in the 1980s and 1990s, when Oregon attracted significant investments from Japan while other states were more fearful of foreign trade. The new Governor has a unique opportunity to attract businesses from China and other Asian countries to invest some of their large currency reserves into foreign direct investment in Oregon. Rather than see China just as a competitor, Oregon has an opportunity to develop a special relationship for Chinese businesses to invest in high-skilled, final manufacturing, assembly, design and marketing in our state to serve the entire US market.
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Foster a business climate that encourages a strong, robust, recession-resistant economy over the long term as described in the following two sections.
Become a part of transforming Oregon.
These position papers are “dynamic” and will develop and expand as the ideas and strategies of Oregonians to help achieve the vision are incorporated. Please submit any ideas or comments you have to JohnKitzhaber.com/jobs.
