MAY 2008

When PDC helps business,
we help people

Prosperous businesses create jobs – and increased employment opportunities contribute to economic growth and community growth. As the city’s economic development agency, PDC contributes to the growth and diversity of Portland’s business climate through financial and technical assistance programs and partnerships. One recent example: Quadrant Security Systems at 437 SE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., a longtime Portland business which provides custom installation of low-voltage wiring and equipment for both commercial and residential properties. Quadrant purchased a 1930s, Art Deco-style building which allowed the company to nearly double its office and warehouse space – but the building, previously used as an auto repair shop, needed improvements to serve Quadrant’s needs. The company tapped into a PDC financial package which included a Quality Jobs Program (QJP) loan and Economic Opportunity Fund (EOF) grant to assist with the building’s interior remodel, as well as a Storefront Improvement Program matching grant which provided funds for new storefront windows and architectural assistance with Formwest (formerly Archscape Architects). All three programs are available through PDC’s Economic Development department. For more information, call 503-823-3321 or visit www.pdc.us/business.

Handmade bikes on display
– see the video!

Ten custom bicycles will be on display at Portland International Airport’s artOBJECTS showcase in Concourse E through mid-October. The bikes, all created by Oregon builders, demonstrate a combination of engineering skills, precision metal craftsmanship, cutting edge design, and a passion for cycling shared by the represented bike builders. The ten examples on display represent only a few of the builders working in Oregon, but they share the common goal of providing a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted machine that is both a unique ride and a functional work of art.

Organized by the Port of Portland, Sweetpea Bicycles, Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) and PDC, the exhibit features frames selected by a committee of RACC representatives and Oregon framebuilders.

Because the display will be accessible to ticketed passengers only, PDC also created a short video about the exhibit and the local framebuilders, which is posted on PDC’s Youtube site, RACC’s website at www.racc.org and www.bikeportland.org.

The exhibition represents many hours of planning, selection and coordination on the part of the sponsoring organizations, with additional assistance from River City Bicycles, which provided care and storage of the exhibit bicycles before the installation. The framebuilder exhibit is one of several initiatives coordinated by PDC and the cycling industry to support local bike-related business development.

PDC Economic Development staff members attend trade shows and work closely with local cycling and activewear companies to help this industry grow in Portland. To find out more, contact Jennifer Nolfi at PDC.

We work with you – whether artisan baker or interior designer - to find the right financing package

One of our citywide programs is the EDA Revolving Loan fund, used to assist new and existing businesses with working capital, equipment purchase, property acquisition and/or tenant improvement. Two recent recipients are Little T, a retail bakery/café conceived by one of the top artisan bakers in the country to be a creative, youthful, and unpretentious spot on SE Division; and Relish, a home accessories shop which is expanding into home décor products and services in a new building in NW Portland. Each business worked with PDC to access EDA funds for working capital. Find out more at www.pdc.us/bizfinance or contact Neal Fitzgerald at PDC.

PDC connects people and resources

The Portland State Business Accelerator (PSBA) recently welcomed WeoGeo, a Florida company which began moving its operations and employees to Portland in February and plans to complete its move in June. PDC began working with WeoGeo in fall 2007 and helped the company connect with the PSBA. WeoGeo is building a web marketplace for mapping the world – its product allows scientific and technical users to store, search, sell and exchange high-resolution CAD and GIS mapping products. Know a business that might want to relocate to Portland? Contact Lynne Boussi at PDC for more information!

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