Tillamook is a classic example of an Oregon community balancing traditional industry with modern economic-development strategies. The coastal town of 4,900 people, which already has a strong base in forestry and agriculture, is making big strides in promoting tourism. Now it looks like high tech is making inroads, bringing potential for jobs that pay enough to support the occasional splurge on a big weekend vacation. ... The challenge of relying on tourism to bring employment is that those jobs tend to have lower wages than, say, the wood-products sector. But Tillamook is well positioned to attract another industry; specifically, aerospace companies that test and build unmanned vehicles, Biggs says. The community is one of only three places in Oregon where it is legal to fly unmanned vehicles, and the one closest to high-tech businesses in Hillsboro and Portland. The burg already has Near Space, a local company that makes and operates high-altitude balloons on behalf of NASA and the United States Department of Defense. If Biggs has his way, aerospace may become the fourth leg of Tillamook’s economic stool.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Jul 2014 18:22:43 +0000
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