Spring Industry Tour Announced by SOREDI

SOREDI members are invited to attend the next Industry Tour, which will feature a tour of Highway Products, Croman Corporation and CraterWorks MakerSpace, with a stop for lunch at The Talon Grill at Eagle Point Golf Course. This exclusive members-only event is designed to give area business leaders, elected officials and educators 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 a light breakfast and coffee at the SOREDI office, in the People’s Bank building on Barnett Road, Medford. The tour begins with family-owned Highway Products. For nearly 40 years, they have built their reputation on trustworthiness while producing a massive range of military-grade aluminum truck accessories and custom fabrication projects.

Next, guests will visit Croman Corporation. Since 1975, Croman has been providing heavy lift helicopter services in support of fire suppression, logging, construction projects, emergency response teams, Department of Defense projects and more.

The third stop of the day will be the new CraterWorks MakerSpace. Operating in partnership with School District 6, CraterWorks provides the tools and equipment required to design, prototype and manufacture virtually anything – all under one roof. This arrangement provides Career Technical Education to D6 students as part of their academic programs while connecting students to local entrepreneurs, experts in trades and skilled artisans – building a unified production and academic community.

Along the way, guests will stop at Eagle Point Golf Course to visit the new chalets and to enjoy lunch at The Talon Grill. At 2:30, the bus will return guests back to their cars in the People’s Bank parking lot.

“If you haven’t been on a SOREDI Industry Tour, you are missing out!” says Kathy Trautman, Business Development Manager at SOREDI. “Once you’ve attended an Industry Tour, then you begin to understand what this region is all about. We have so many amazing products being manufactured and a skilled workforce humming along, just below the surface. Even though I’ve attended ever tour, I never stop being surprised and impressed by all the expertise I see and by the value of the networking that happens on this bus.”

The tour will take place from 8:00 am to 2:30 pm, Thursday, May 30. Participants will meet at 8:00 am at SOREDI, 1311 Barnett Rd. Suite 301, Medford. The cost to SOREDI Members is $45. These tours are members-only events.  Our local educators participate at no charge thanks to our generous sponsors; US Bank, Quantum, Southern Oregon University, Rogue Community College, Timber Products Company. Lunch at The Talon Grill 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.