Southern Oregon Regional Economic Development, Inc. (SOREDI) announced Pacific Fibre of Longview, Washington has expanded to Jackson County and has co-located with Hilton Fuel of Central Point, creating new jobs in Southern Oregon.
SOREDI has been acquainted with Pacific Fibre for more than 10 years, as previous to the recession the company had considered opening a satellite operation in the region. Today the company which manufactures a variety of bulk supply bark products is investing over $3 million in capital equipment and has already hired 5 of at least 7 new employees to ramp up their operations.
Pacific Fibre, founded in 1982, is recognized as a large volume supplier of top-quality bark products in the western United States. The expansion to Central Point will allow them to more readily serve their wholesale customers across numerous states and lesson transportation costs to California and Nevada markets. The company opened a similar operation in Molalla, Oregon a few years ago. Chief Financial Officer Mark Fahey was already versed in enterprise zone benefits and immediately knew to reach out to SOREDI, who manages enterprise zones in Jackson and Josephine Counties.
Fahey notes, “We are excited for this partnership with Hilton Fuel, as they were our first Southern Oregon customer many years ago. We could not have asked for a better arrangement in establishing our Southern Oregon presence. The transition with Hilton Fuel and the help of SOREDI has been instrumental in our ability to ramp up quickly.”
Having leased 10 acres from Hilton Fuel, the co-location is a bonus for the veteran landscape supply company, now in its 60th year of business and employing 60 employees. According to Mike Hilton, CEO, the partnership with Pacific Fibre “assures a long term supply of bark product for the local market.”
Executive Director Colleen Padilla comments “We had put this prospective recruitment project from 2005 in our ‘dead’ file many years ago and are thrilled to see it come back to life! Pacific Fibre’s selection of Jackson County for its expansion is a win-win for both Pacific Fibre and Hilton Fuel… it’s a celebration of success pertinent to two of SOREDI’s key functions – to help new business locate facilities and help existing business prosper in Southern Oregon.”
For more information on Pacific Fibre or Hilton Fuel & Supply, please visit their respective websites: www.pacfibre.com, and www.hiltonlandscapesupply.com. Job inquiries for Pacific Fibre may be directed to James Bobst, jbobst@pacfibre.com.
SOREDI is a private, membership based, non-profit organization, governed by a 23-member board of directors. Its six-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.