Funding brings more jobs to Ontario
Sunday, April 25, 2004 9:15 AM PDT
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| TAMI HART | ARGUS OBSERVER
Celia Gonzalez (left) and Caser Reyes clean out the bins used to store onions at Select Onion Thursday. |
Larry Meyer Argus Observer ONTARIO
With a funding package provided by the State of Oregon, Select Onion, an Ontario-based onion processor, will be able to complete its expansion into a new production facility and create new jobs in the Ontario area.
Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced the financing package last week saying, "Ontario's deep roots in agriculture make it an ideal match with Select Onion's position as a provide of superior, value-added food products. This expansion will give the Ontario community new, quality jobs while positioning Select Onion for enhanced sales and growth."
"We decided we needed to control our product as far up the chain as we can. Creating value-added product is key to staying competitive in today's markets," Farrell Larson, who co-owns Select Onion with Dan Hart, said.
Larson said the company takes onions, removes the tops and tails and outer layers of the skins to make them 100 percent usable to the customers.
"We ship them all over the United States and Canada," Larson said.
Besides shipping the onions trimmed and skinned, Select Onion also ships onions sliced, diced and slivered for used by major food processors and food outlets such as McDonalds and Wendy's.
With its refrigeration system, Larson said the company is able to store and process onions through June. The company is also able to service 12-month contracts by purchasing onions outside of the Treasure Valley.
Larson said they are keeping a close eye on the progress of early-variety, or over-winter, onions now being developed and tested. Those varieties would allow Select Onion to grow all of its onions in the local area, he said.
"Creating value-added products is key to staying on competitive in today's economy," Larson said. "We process 100 million pounds of onions per year," he said.
Larson also said Select Onion will have the ability to increase their output as the business expands.
"We raise the majority of our onions on close to 10,000 acres," Larson said, comprising Larson Skyline Farms and Hart Farms. They also buy some from other growers, he said.
Larson said buying in the Treasure Valley is key to the company's success. Aside from the obvious benefits of purchasing locally, Larson said food safety awareness has increased since the Sept. 11 attacks. Being able to track how the onions are processed, including the use of herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers is a common concern.
"It's important to control the process from the field," Larson said.
To handle increased product demand, the company has constructed a nearly 50,000 square-foot, $4 million building at its facility along Stanton Boulevard, just off Interstate 84.
The $400,000 Oregon Business Development Fund loan and $100,000 Governor's Strategic Reserve Fund grant from the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department will be used to complete the project, including the purchase of new equipment, Larson said.
The new facility is scheduled to be fully operational at the start of harvest in late summer and will increase the company's employment by 30, to 70 or more.
Larson said the governor was very helpful in getting the funding from the state. Kulongoski realizes that economic development has to start with natural resources.
"He is willing to invest in the future of Oregon," Larson said.
Larry Meyer is a reporter for the Argus Observer. He can be contacted at (541) 889-5387, or by e-mail, LarryM@argusobserver.com.
No Dhimmi wrote on Aug 14, 2009 9:38 PM:
And this isn't "racist," because Islam is not a race, anymore than Communism or Nazism are races, both of which killed far fewer people than Islam.
Disgusting. "