A Few Words from Jim – July 2023

Jim Teece Head Shot

This is always the last thing I write for each issue. Sometimes I think it should be the first. A guiding light. A beacon. But no, it’s always the last thing. A recap. A taillight. Or as I like to think of it, the afterburner.  We gathered to celebrate the work life of Ken Trautman…

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People’s Bank Co-Founder Ken Trautman retires 

I have written about Ken and the bank he co-founded (People’s Bank) many times over the years. I met Ken while we both served on the Jackson County fair board. One of my companies (Project A) banked with People’s Bank because it is a community bank and the manager of the Ashland Branch was a…

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Rogue Valley Travel Impacts 2022

Preliminary data for 2022 from a Dean Runyan Associates study for the Oregon Tourism Commission shows that total direct travel spending in Oregon rose 23.2% in 2022 compared with the 2021 figure. Travel spending rose from $11.0 billion in 2021 to $13.9 billion in 2022 and was $1.1 billion above the pre-pandemic 2019 level. Travel…

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New Evergreen Federal Bank branch gets net zero ready with Stracker elevated solar trackers and a rooftop system

Evergreen Federal Bank is coming to Ashland with a state-of-the-art, fully solar-powered branch. The solar power system, which includes high-power elevated solar trackers trackers by Stracker Solar and rooftop system, was designed to provide all the energy the 6,110 square-foot facility will need and achieve net-zero status for the new branch.  “We look forward to…

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OIT Students present research at annual IdeaFest and compete for prize money

Annually, Oregon Tech hosts IdeaFest, an event that celebrates student research while enhancing students’ ability to present their findings. Held at both the Klamath Falls and Portland-Metro campuses, IdeaFest is the university’s largest display of student research. With the Wilsonville Area Chamber of Commerce sponsoring the May 31 Portland-Metro event, students competed for a chance…

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Arcimoto Announces Availability of the All-New Electric Modular Utility Vehicle

All-New Electric Utility Vehicle Provides Optimal Performance for Industrial, Commercial and Ground-Support Applications Arcimoto, Inc.® (NASDAQ: FUV), makers of purpose-built electric utility and consumer vehicles, today announced the availability of a new model offering, the Arcimoto MUV (Modular Utility Vehicle). This marks the first on-road modular utility vehicle in the company’s lineup of small footprint electric…

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SOU shifts to four academic “schools”

(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University’s 46 undergraduate and 10 graduate-level academic programs will be distributed among four “schools” rather than the university’s seven current “divisions” when the 2023-24 academic year begins in September. The organizational shift will eventually eliminate the cost of three director-level positions and will build greater efficiency into SOU’s administrative structure.…

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The Top Line in Business Performance

If I was pressed to name the ONE item most difficult to manage in small businesses today, I believe I would settle on the people aspects of having a business. Without people involved, so many reasons for having a business vanish, such as having a market to sell to or having staff available to produce…

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Oregon to Receive $689 Million for Broadband Infrastructure

Funding designed to improve access to high-speed internet for rural, underserved communities Salem, OR—Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will be allocating $688.9 million to Oregon to help improve access to affordable, high-speed, reliable internet in unserved and underserved communities across Oregon. The funding allocation will be used…

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