Oakridge Global

Today, Oakridge is an attractive destination for international tourists. Oakridge has the possibility to return to its position as a global producer of manufactured exports. In addition there are opportunities for creative and artistic exports as well as technological innovation. Oakridge offers prime manufacturing development opportunity at the shovel ready Oakridge Industrial Park.

Oregon Exports

One significant strength that Oakridge offers is the extraordinary support that local businesses are provided by the state of Oregon. Oregon is a progressive state that is interested in assisting local businesses find a foothold in international markets. International trade is a cornerstone of Oregon’s economy. Oregon had $14.9 billion in exports of goods and services in 2009, with nearly 5,000 individual Oregon companies exporting abroad.

Business Oregon

Business Oregon partners with Oregon businesses through a variety of projects, most notably for international trade are the staff global trade specialists that help Oregon businesses make critical connections at trade shows and find new markets for their Oregon-made products.

Building Opportunities for Oregon Small Business Today (BOOST)

This program provides working capital to help small businesses hire qualified Oregonians, creating jobs and reducing the state’s unemployment.

Business Oregon’s Global Strategies Section

Provides a suite of services to help Oregon companies export their products to international markets, develop innovative new products with R&D (research and development) assistance from Oregon’s university system, identify emerging economic trends and opportunities and use broadband technology to expand their reach.
This year the agency also launched the Northwest Connectory, an internet-based tool to help make business to business connections among Oregon manufacturers.

Oregon Innovation Council (Oregon InC)

Drives innovation at Oregon companies by providing shared research and development services and other tools to increase competitiveness.

Global Trade Assistance

Business Oregon employs global trade specialists, as well as overseas trade representatives in Japan, China, Korea and Europe, who assist small- and medium-sized Oregon businesses increase their exports. Services include one-on-one business counseling, market research, market entry strategies and due diligence assistance to identify and evaluate international partners (i.e. agents, distributors and customers). Global Trade staff also serve as primary points of contact for trade missions to foreign markets and incoming delegations with an interest in Oregon’s economic landscape. In addition, Business Oregon offers the Oregon Trade Promotion Program (OTPP), which helps companies seeking to expand sales abroad or enter new foreign markets by providing small grants ($2,500 or less) to off-set the costs associated with participation in international trade shows.