PDC Serves Small Business

PDC is a leader in providing programs, as well as financial and technical assistance, to small businesses.

Two program examples: PDC’s partnership with Mercy Corps and Cascadia Fund to increase financing opportunities for minority and women-owned and emerging small businesses; and a newly developed small business micro-loan program using New Markets Tax Credits. By the numbers: 64%, or 275 of 426, of PDC’s 05-06 business contacts were small businesses; 95%, or 117 of 123, of PDC’s 05-06 Storefront Program grant recipients were small businesses; 75% of PDC’s 05-06 business loan recipients, or 43 of 59, were small businesses.

For more information about small business services, please contact Jennifer Nolfi at 503-823-0271 or by email.

Potential for Growth: Web Design and Development

Join the rock stars of design, user experience and business strategy at Web Visions 2006, July 20-21 at the Oregon Convention Center. WebVisions explores the future of design, content creation, user experience and business strategy to uncover the trends and agents of change.

PDC is proud to be a sponsor of this event, as well as a participant in Thursday’s panel, People and Business: Thinking Globally, Thursday, July 20, from 10:45 to 11:40 a.m.

For more information visit WebVisions 2006.

Portland Ambassadors Take an Active Role – Join Them!

Business leaders can take an active role in supporting economic growth by joining the Portland Ambassadors, a private sector group which partners with PDC, Regional Partners and other economic development entities. The Ambassadors organization expands our regional capacity to recruit and retain business, increases awareness of the city and region as a welcoming and desirable place to do business, and links local business to public resources.

In the past few months Ambassador members have visited Philadelphia for a Best Practices research mission, and Lyon, France to represent Portland ’s sustainable business development efforts. Individual members participate in local business visits with PDC staff.

Get involved! For more information visit www.pdc.us/ambassadors or email Ambassadors.

The Companies We Work with Say It Best

“You guys in the Portland region have done a great job and your responsiveness, hospitality and efficiency rival some of the best known states and countries: North Carolina, South Carolina, Ireland and Singapore. You are up there with them.”

– a representative from Genentech   

Genentech recently announced its expansion into Hillsboro with a projected 150 new jobs. PDC responds to an average of 120 businesses annually which are investigating the Portland area for expansion or relocation. We work with multiple private and public partners to market and sell the Portland region as a business location.

PDC Invests Public Dollars to Multiply their Impact

This past fiscal year, expanding companies invested $121 million in private capital, leveraged by PDC financial assistance. PDC loans and grants to nearly 60 businesses in 2005-06 promote business growth, job creation, more livable neighborhoods and support for services like schools, public safety and parks. To find out more about business financing, visit www.pdc.us/business or call Alan Stubbs at 503-823-3321.

PDC Joins State Trade Mission to Japan and Korea

PDC Economic Development staff accompanied the governor and other partner agencies on a trade mission to Japan June 24-July 2, intended to reinvigorate networking and relationships with current clients and prospects to ultimately increase investment in Oregon from Japan and increase recruitments of Japanese companies to Oregon.

Staff also attended Global City Forum in Lyon, France, along with Commissioner Sam Adams, the Office of Sustainable Development, and Portland Ambassador members, to meet with potential investors in the Portland region. For more information about PDC’s international marketing and recruitment, contact Jim Thayer.

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