Industry Tour of White City Area Businesses Announced by SOREDI

SOREDI members are invited to attend the next Industry Tour, which will feature a tour of the Willow Springs Road location of Erickson Air-Crane, Inc, Ravenswood Leather, Dogs for Better Lives, Ameriflex Engineering LLC (you might have heard of them as River Hawk Boats), with a lunch stop at the Rogue Community College Table Rock campus. This exclusive members-only event is designed to give participants the opportunity to learn about the diversity of businesses based in this two-county region. While touring these interesting locations, participants often learn about hidden employment opportunities and have the ability to network with other SOREDI members.

The tour begins at 8:00 am with coffee at Rogue Regency Inn’s own Chadwick’s. One of the leading global aviation services providers, Erickson Air-Crane will be the first stop on the tour.  Erickson’s services include civil aviation, global defense and security, as well as manufacturing and maintenance, repair & overhaul of aircraft. The company was founded by a second-generation logger, Jack Erickson, in 1971, and timber harvesting and firefighting are still among the core services of the company. Next, guests will visit Ravenswood Leather in Central Point. Ravenswood tailors custom leather clothing for daily wear, renaissance fashion, superhero outfits, cosplay costumes and medieval apparel. The third stop of the day will be the Table Rock campus of Rogue Community College, where various pathways from education to employment prepare individuals of all backgrounds for the local workforce. RCC partners with school districts for career technical education programs, provides workshops for high school students as they explore various career options, and connects adult learners of any age to the high wage, high demand careers available in our region. RCC is committed to serving as an economic engine for Southern Oregon and you might recall that RCC hosted the SOREDI Southern Oregon Manufacturing Summit in October of 2017. Next on the tour schedule is Dogs for Better Lives (formerly known as Dogs for the Deaf) in Central Point. Dogs for Better Lives is a not-for-profit organization that trains Assistance Dogs (hearing, autism, and program assistance dogs) and has recently expanded Autism Assistance Dog Program into Portland, Oregon metro area, while also helping local communities, such as the Eagle Point School District, who received their first Program Assistance Dog, Dallas, from the organization. The final stop on this tour of White City area companies, Ameriflex Engineering, LLC dba RH Boats, designs and manufactures boats that range from 14 to 32 feet that delight serious anglers, guides, as well as first-time boat owners around the world. Learn all about how this company founded in 2008 manufactures heavy gauge all welded aluminum watercraft like Sea Hawk Pro and Off Shore and Fish Rite boats here in the heart of Rogue Valley. The bus will return you to your car at Rogue Regency Inn around 3:15 pm.

“Many positive things have come out of the SOREDI Industry Tours,” says Kathy Trautman, Business Development Manager at SOREDI. “One example is the formation of the Business Education Partnership Committee.” Trautman continues, “In addition, internships for students have come about as a result of educators touring local businesses and learning what great careers are available right here in our region. We are committed to providing a stronger workforce pipeline in Southern Oregon. These Industry Tours are just one of many initiatives we take on to help fill that need for regional businesses.”

The tour will take place from 8:00 am to 3:15 pm, Thursday, June 7. Participants will meet at 8:00 am Rogue Regency Inn, 2300 Biddle Rd., Medford. The cost to SOREDI Members is $45. These tours are members-only events.  Our local educators participate at no charge thanks to our sponsors BlueCross BlueShield and US Bank. Lunch at RCC Table Rock campus is included.

About SOREDI: SOREDI is a private, membership-based, non-profit organization, governed by a board of directors. Its eight-person staff is charged with local business expansion and new business recruitment efforts, financial assistance to start-up companies through its business loan fund, and management of Enterprise Zones in Jackson and Josephine Counties. The agency was formed as a regional economic development agency in 1987. Learn more at https://soredi.org.