Southern Oregon Edge

Books at the Speed of Sound Craig and Michelle Black’s journey into entrepreneurship began while they were still living around Los Angeles back in the 1980s. Like many a frustrated commuter, Craig was tired of spending 90 minutes in traffic twice a day, so he started bringing books with him to read in the car while […]

Changing Healthcare to Work for Southern Oregon Over the last twenty years, AllCare IPA has grown to better serve Southern Oregon under the AllCare Health brand. AllCare Health is a physician owned organization headquartered in Grants Pass, Oregon. It started in 1994 when a small group of local physicians formed an Independent Physician Association (IPA) […]

Raising the Roof One Building at a Time Duro-Last has experienced rapid growth in recent years, with more than 750 employees across multiple facilities. It maintains its headquarters in Saginaw, Michigan. Tim Hart, Vice President of Western Operations at Duro-Last said that Duro-Last has been particularly successful in Josephine County, Oregon. Duro-Last has been able to recruit highly skilled […]

Organic Goodness Rooted in the Rogue Valley At the dawn of the organic food phenomena, one of the pioneers of what would become a multi-billion industry is Southern Oregon’s very own Rising Sun Farms. It was 1982, and owner Elizabeth Fujas had worked on an ocean racing yacht, cooking up an abundance of fresh food […]

It’s in the Hops Served in Southern Oregon as well as 16 states and three countries, Caldera Brewing Company has been quietly revolutionizing beer-making in the Rogue Valley since 1991. The brewery made a name for itself in 2005 by becoming the first West Coast craft brewery to offer its brews in cans. It has […]

Tapping Into the Tastes of the Region Nearly a decade ago, Dave Thomason passed up the greatest opportunity of his professional life. CEO of the Thomason Hospitality Group, which owns and operates more than 40 restaurants from Ashland to Beaverton, Thomason turned down former Oregon Senator and banker Brady Adam’s invitation to operate what is now […]

A Serious Crush on Wine Pallet Wine Company has had a crush on the Rogue Valley for almost 10 years, developing close relationships with local wineries to craft some of the finest vintages in the region. “It’s a great place to live — very friendly,” said owner Linda Donovan. “The wines are getting better and […]

Handcrafting Flavor in Southern Oregon Amy’s Kitchen, a pioneer in the healthy food business, made an investment in Southern Oregon 10 years ago that has been heralded as a defining moment in the region’s economy. In 2006, the Santa Rosa-based company did a lot of soul searching before selecting a tract of land north of Medford […]

Connecting Southern Oregon to the World After a long journey from faraway lands, weary travelers marvel at how easy it is to get in and out of the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport. The spacious terminal and robust Wi-Fi come as a welcome surprise for weary visitors and locals who have fought crowds, long lines and […]

Old-World Tradition With A Country Attitude. Far from any city, Taylor’s Sausage founded a family business on a solid country attitude that has earned it a big star on the region’s food and wine map. The fifth-generation company began in 1918 in Calgary, Canada, migrated to Los Angeles and then to the Bay Area. Finally, on […]

Enabling Connectivity in Venues Large and Small. JACKSONVILLE, OR — A mainstay of this small Southern Oregon community for more than a decade, Global Caché enjoys a worldwide reputation for innovative products that provide easy automation solutions. Transplants from Silicon Valley of California, co-founders Walt Keller and Robin Ford, and their daughter, Marketing Director Rusty Keller, prefer to […]

The Science of Human Performance. ASHLAND, OR — Thin, lightweight and breathable. Bio Skin from Cropper Medical is the ideal compression material for sports medicine applications. Recently, the Ashland-based company has added Bio Skin sports apparel to its roster, providing athletes with preventive support and improved performance. “It’s helping people either prevent injuries or to help themselves […]

Keeping the Rogue Valley Connected MEDFORD, OR – Hunter Communications isn’t the biggest name in the world of fiber-optic communications, but it’s the company Rogue Valley businesses turn to if they want a reliable, lightning fast connection. The company’s specialized dual-ring design provides redundant systems that surround local cities ensuring that if a line goes down another is […]

Empowering the Technology of Healthcare ASHLAND, OR – Headquartered in Southern Oregon, PLEXIS delivers enterprise core healthcare administration and claims management solutions to employer groups and healthcare payers throughout the United States and 15 countries, affecting over 70 million people worldwide. “At PLEXIS, our guiding mission is to create positive and meaningful change within the healthcare […]

Magic Under the Stars. JACKSONVILLE, OR – A music festival that began in the summer of 1963 on a simple plywood stage erected on a hillside in Jacksonville has become one of the most famous entertainment offerings in the Pacific Northwest. Britt Music & Arts Festival continues to bring in world-class acts for four months […]

Where Something’s Always Brewing. GRANTS PASS, OR – From its humble beginnings working out of a small pushcart in Grants Pass, Dutch Bros has grown into the most popular coffee kiosks in the Rogue Valley and in over 260 locations in seven states. Ranked by Portland Business Journal as the 74th-fastest-growing private company in Oregon […]

Southern Oregon Living in Full Swing. EAGLE POINT, OR – Bob and Chana Hyer have been busy putting their shine on one of the jewels of the Rogue Valley, the Eagle Point Golf Club. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course was named one of the ten best in the country in 1996 by Golf […]

Local Innovation. National Reputation. CENTRAL POINT, OR – Bierson Corporation has harnessed the resources of the Rogue Valley to create a small powerhouse of a company that transforms local wood products into a dazzling array of commercial and consumer goods. With almost no marketing, Bierson, based in Central Point, has developed a national reputation for fashioning three-dimensional […]

Far Reaching. Locally Rooted. MEDFORD, OR – With an international reach and a strong local presence, Boise Cascade literally rose from the ashes in 1998 and regained its footing as the region’s economic engine. A devastating fire in 1998 damaged much of Boise’s Medford Plywood facility, and the company’s 450 workers wondered about their future and whether the […]

Delivering Expertly Crafted Delight. MEDFORD, OR – Nestled in the heart of Southern Oregon, the sprawling pear orchards have long been landmarks for the Rogue Valley. Like the region’s namesake river, the wide expanse of trees supports a broad array of local businesses, big and small—none more so than Medford’s own Harry & David, which […]

MEDFORD, OR – It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but Diode Laser Concepts Inc. creates some of the most advanced high-tech gadgets right in Medford for Fortune 500 companies. “We make black boxes, with a laser coming out of them,” says Mike Robinson, who with his wife, Cindy, has owned and operated the company […]

Rollin’ On The River You can’t whitewater raft down any American river that hasn’t been already explored by an adventurer in their SOTAR. In fact, SOTAR inflatable boat owners are navigating rivers and bodies of water all over the world with their rafts, catarafts, and kayaks; built to withstand the roughest water. It’s understandable why […]

Adventures in Manufacturing Everyone who climbs aboard a Hellgate Jetboat in Grants Pass, Oregon, knows they’re about to experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that includes magnificent scenery in hydro-jet powered boats skimming along the Wild and Scenic Rogue River down through Hellgate Canyon. But what’s not quite as obvious is that the super sleek and highly […]

A River of Fun Rogue Wilderness Adventures offers outdoor enthusiasts a wide choice of energizing excursions – from half-day rafting trips to a four-day raft-supported hike along the Rogue River with hearty meals and overnights at comfortable riverfront lodges. “Tourism is exploding in Southern Oregon,” says Brad Niva, who purchased Rogue Wilderness Adventures 10 years […]

Filmmaking, Southern Oregon Style ASHLAND, OR – Not every filmmaking couple would trade their successful careers in Southern California for seemingly riskier options in Southern Oregon, but it made sense for entrepreneurs Gary and Anne Lundgren. For ten years they had traveled north of the California border on filming projects – while living and working […]

Handmade Locally. Celebrated Globally. CENTRAL POINT, OR – Meet Matilda and Charlie, two of the most hard-working members of the Rogue Creamery operation. They are intelligent, dependable, and technically efficient. They are continuously productive, but never get tired. Okay, Matilda and Charlie may need a little maintenance from time to time, but that’s because they’re […]

GRANTS PASS, OR- Sparkling steel, aluminum and exotic copper screws and fasteners are displayed in precise rows around the reception room at Oregon Swiss Precision. As a busy manufacturer for the West Coast aerospace industry, their company greeter Sensei, a silly and gorgeous lab-collie mutt, arrives out front quickly, wagging her tail to make sure […]

Accomplishing Greatness In the early 2000’s, Jessica Gomez and her husband, Patrick Kayatta, made history when they became Medford’s first microelectronics manufacturing company. Today, Rogue Valley Microdevices is not only a local model for successful business development with 300 percent growth, they have also earned a reputation as a global industry leader. Jessica and Patrick […]

Each day, nearly 300 people converge in a White City, Oregon, facility to create new technology, engage in lean manufacturing, and serve a global customer base that spans more than 170 countries. And while it’s true that the city – just north of Medford – is small and relatively unknown, its owners, leaders, and workforce […]

Ask Adam Cuppy, Trever Yarrish, and Sean Culver why they are building a coding company in Southern Oregon and they respond with, “Why not?” Then, inquire about their firm’s 1,400 percent growth in just over two years and they smile and say, “Great, right?” The Medford-based company, Coding ZEAL, is a global web and mobile […]

ASHLAND,OR – Ask Cynthia Rider why any business would want to locate in Southern Oregon and you will get an impassioned monologue: “People move here because they love this place. It’s not any one thing. The quality of life here is so special. It’s everything from the obvious natural beauty to the variety of resources. […]

MERLIN, OR – What do wearable heart monitors, home appliance sensors, traffic management and even inventory and supply chain networks have in common? They are all part of the new Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is an exponential leap in technology made possible with innovations from Southern Oregon’s Linx Technologies. ABC In the past, […]

ASHLAND,OR– If you use a drill for your profession or do-it-yourself projects, you may well know Darex. Based in Ashland, Oregon, Darex is the creator and manufacturer of the world’s best selling industrial drill sharpeners. Unhappiness living and doing business in Chicago was the impetus for a nationwide search for a place that had four […]

GRANTS PASS, OR – What do dragonflies, pool balls, ferns, cave paintings and koi have in common? You can find them adorning the numerous, varied sinks in the Marzi Sink Factory’s Grants Pass, Oregon, showroom. And in high-end luxury homes throughout the world, including those of Clint Eastwood, Prince and Meryl Streep to name just […]

GRANTS PASS, OR – Met One Instruments (MOI) moved to Grants Pass, Oregon, in 1980 from the Silicon Valley, and it has been riding a rapid growth curve ever since. “It just stopped making monetary sense to be there,” said Peter Pomponi, Vice President of Sales. According to their CFO Riley Loftin, “The business environment […]

MEDFORD, OR – With 100 dealerships in 12 states, Lithia Auto Stores could have located its national headquarters anywhere, but chose to build a LEED silver certified facility in Medford, Oregon. “We made a conscious decision to locate our new headquarters here,” says Tom Dobry, vice president of marketing. “Here we have the best of all worlds—an […]

CENTRAL POINT, OR–  After moving from Ohio to the Rogue Valley to be closer to his wife’s family, Norm Kester started a company in his garage. That was 12 years ago. Now, the veteran-owned ophthalmic coatings company, has its headquarters in  Central Point, Oregon, and sells globally. Quantum Innovations was named one of the “100 Best […]

MEDFORD, OR – The principals at Ogden Roemer Wilkerson Architecture came to Southern Oregon for the lifestyle and stayed for much more. Ken Ogden “fled” from Los Angeles 20 years ago after a close brush with a gang-related drive-by shooting. He didn’t mind leaving the four-hour-a-day commute either. He loves living in a place where he can […]

MEDFORD, OR – Procare Software creates the world’s leading management tools for child care businesses. Recently, they outgrew their office space and rather than move out of Southern Oregon, owner Jeff Blum chose to build their new corporate headquarters in the heart of historic downtown Medford because Southern Oregon has everything their business needs to thrive. The quality […]

ASHLAND, OR – What brings a software development company to Southern Oregon? After living in California and Arizona, Jim and Dena Teece chose to move their company, Project A, to Ashland, Oregon, for a combination of business and personal reasons: good transportation options, FedEx service, a small college-town atmosphere, a brew pub and it was friendly […]

GRANTS PASS, OR – Nathan Sleadd was raised in Grants Pass, Oregon. On one hand, Nathan had a classic American entrepreneurial childhood operating a lemonade stand, picking berries and doing yard work for hire. On the other hand, it was Oregon. “It’s just a bit unique. People aren’t afraid to be different here.” Homeschooling taught him […]