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Coalition Launches Web site, E-newsletter

Published: October 09, 2007
Norm Eder, (503) 802-4101
Conkling Fiskum & McCormick
Portland, OR

The region’s fastest growing public-private partnership – the Manufacturing 21 Coalition (MFG 21) – rolled out its own Web site this week at www.manufacturing21.com.

Organized in 2004 with a dozen founding members, MFG 21 has grown to an “investor” membership of more than 80 organizations, such as private businesses, labor, education and workforce training providers, as well as local workforce development boards.

MFG 21 advocates for the manufacturing industry in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Its goal is to tackle two big 21st Century challenges – sustaining a highly skilled workforce and expanding our region’s capacity to support innovation through applied research and development.

The economic impact of manufacturing in Oregon is broad and deep. Active in every county, manufacturing provides more than 200,000 jobs to Oregonians, representing a larger share of the workforce than in California, Washington or the nation.

In 2006, durable goods manufacturing in Oregon represented more than 20 percent of growth in the state’s gross domestic production (GDP), and 19 percent of the total state GDP, or $27.2 billion for 2005. Eighty-five percent of Oregon exports are in manufactured goods, generating more than $10.5 billion dollars in sales. The industry’s payroll in the state was $7.8 billion, according to 2005 census data. The average annual manufacturing wage in Oregon is $58,656.

In Washington, there are approximately 290,000 manufacturing jobs statewide. In Clark County (Vancouver area) almost 14,000 persons are employed in the manufacturing sector, contributing to a median household income of $51,682.

“Manufacturing is reinventing itself as a high-tech, high-performance, high-wage enterprise,” says David Marks, Coalition chair and CEO of Marks Metal Technology in Clackamas, Oregon. “The state is home base for scores of innovative companies aggressively competing in national and international markets.”

Later this fall MFG 21 will introduce an electronic newsletter as part of the Web site, says Norm Eder, MFG 21 executive director.