Fed Ex broke ground for a $100 million facility at the Port of Portland’s Troutdale site

LNG Terminal Closer To Construction Start

Solar World opened the largest solar manufacturing plant in North America in Hillsboro In October. Solar energy is one of the major growth industries in the Northwest. (Photo courtesy of Solar World)

Coos Bay - Construction could start in the fourth quarter of 2010 on a $1 billion Liquefied Natural Gas import terminal in Coos Bay, pending permit approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, says Bob Braddock, project manager of Jordan Cove Energy, the project owner. Planning for the project began about four years ago.

Black & Veatch and its consortium partners will provide engineering, procurement and construction services for the project. Construction of a $1 billion, 213 - mile pipeline between Coos Bay and Klamath Falls, Ore. would begin one year later. Owner of that phase of the project is Williams Companies, Tulsa, Okla.

The final EIS for the project is due out at the end of February 2009, says Braddock. Financing for the terminal will not be secured until the end of 2009, but will be provided by the tenants, which are expected to be world-class oil and gas producing companies. LNG will come from Australia, Peru and Indonesia.

Peak construction employment is projected at 1000.

Coos Bay has the best deep-water port between San Francisco and the Puget Sound area. When lumber exports declined in the 1980s, it fell into disuse.

Scenic Highways Receive Funding Boost

Salem - The Federal Highway Administration has awarded more than $1.7 million to Oregon’s Scenic Byways Program. Seven projects around the state will receive funds for replacing guardrail, improving coordination among agencies, purchasing land, adding signage and other projects.

The two largest amounts are over $600,000 for projects at Whale Cove on Highway 101 and the Columbia River Highway.

The funds for several byways will help reinvigorate the promotion, coordination and care of the designated areas. Others have specific needs, such as the Hells Canyon Byway, where funds will help complete the Interpretive Plan for the entire stretch of scenic roadway, or the Mt. Hood Byway, where funds will create an educational area to welcome visitors. At Whale Cove near Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast, funds will help complete the purchase of 13 acres of forest, grassy coastal prairie and rocky coastal headland.

Fed Ex Breaks Ground At Port Site

Troutdale - Construction is now underway on a new state-of-the-art regional distribution hub for FedEx Ground in Troutdale. The facility will be the first occupant of the new Troutdale Reynolds Industrial Park, at the site of the old Reynolds Aluminum plant.

The regional distribution hub will be approximately 441,000 sq ft, expandable to 557,000 sq ft at full build-out. The recent purchase of the 77.93-acre lot from the Port signaled the first step in a series of investments in the site by FedEx Ground that will total an estimated $100 million.

Workers Comp Rates Continue to Drop

Salem - Employers in Oregon will pay nearly 6 percent less on average for workers’ compensation coverage in 2009, the Department of Consumer and Business Services announced. The reduction in the workers’ compensation “pure” premium rate in 2009 marks the third straight year for a rate decrease.

In fact, the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute recognized the successes in Oregon’s workers’ compensation system in 2008 in a national study. The study, called “Lessons from the Oregon Workers’ Compensation System,” highlighted several lessons other states can learn from Oregon, including cooperation between management and labor; accurate and timely benefits for injured workers; reduced litigation over benefits; and return-to-work programs that help injured workers get back to work faster.

The pure premium rate is the base rate employers pay their insurance company for workers’ compensation coverage. On average, Oregon employers can expect a 5.9 percent decrease in pure premium in 2009, but some employers will see rates go up and others may see no change. Specific cost changes vary from business to business, depending on the employer’s industry, claims experience, workforce, and other factors.

Pape Adds Locations in Oregon and Nevada

Eugene, Ore.— The Papé Group, has acquired certain assets of three Bobcat dealerships, which it will add to its Bobcat West locations. The acquisition includes dealerships in Reno, Nev., Portland, Ore. and Hubbard, Ore. The purchases, which closed December 31, 2008, will expand the sales and service network for both Bobcat West and the other equipment dealerships of The Papé Group.

Costs of the acquisitions was not disclosed. The company also recently added a new vendor, Camoplast, which  manufactures specialized rubber track undercarriage components, sub-systems and assemblies.