From small pizzerias in the University area to wood product manufacturers in the global market, Lane County businesses come in all shapes and sizes. And although less than five percent of Lane County private firms have more than 50 employees, large companies play a valuable role in the suffering economy by offering more job opportunities, better employee benefits and consistent community support.
“Not only is Eugene a good place to start or grow a business, but all of Oregon is a great place to do business,” Weyerhaeuser Company’s regional spokesman Mike Moskovitz said.
Founded in 1900, Weyerhaeuser is an international forest products company with annual sales of $18.5 billion, according to the company Web site, www.weyerhaeuser.com. The company currently employs about 57,000 people in 18 countries, which includes the 1,600 employees in Lane County out of the 5,000 employees statewide, Moskovitz said.
As the world’s largest producer of engineered lumber products, softwood and hardwood lumber and softwood market pulp, Weyerhaeuser has faced economic setbacks in several different markets during the last few years.
“Today, our industry is challenged by ambiguities that can obstruct our progress,” Moskovitz said. “Ambiguities like worldwide economic uncertainty, unsettled wood product markets, international trade disputes and rapidly increasing energy and health care costs.”
Although the company has taken steps to meet these challenges, Moskovitz said Weyerhaeuser is not at a point of expansion because its profits go toward facility upgrades, investors dividends and better employee benefits.
Because Weyerhaeuser operates 14 businesses throughout Lane County, it belongs to many local chambers of commerce.
“They help by advocating laws and regulations beneficial to not only Weyerhaeuser, but to business in general,” Moskovitz said.
Considering the role of businesses in the local economy, Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce President Dave Hauser said the organization is committed to making the area appealing to small and large businesses alike.
“We try to make Eugene a good place to live and work in,” Hauser said.
Hauser said the three main advantages to larger businesses in Lane County are better employee benefits, more employee relocations to the area and strong community support.
“Large businesses tend to support community causes because they are in a financial position to do it in a big way,” he said.
Country Coach, Inc. is one of many large area businesses that contribute to the health of the local economy. For three decades, the Highline motorcoach builder has grown from two employees in a 2,000 square-foot facility to the 1,100 employees who occupy more than eight city blocks in Junction City.
Although Country Coach is slowly recovering from a recent slump in production because of the weak economy and other factors, it continues to donate money and support to various local causes, including the Children’s Miracle Network and Food for Lane County.
“It’s up to all businesses, large and small, to help make our community a better place to live,” said Carol Taylor Clay, Country Coach’s director of public and investor relations “And that includes social responsibility.”
University economics Associate Professor Bruce Blonigen said he has noticed more public support for small businesses because of some negative stereotypes and “bad press” associated with big business. “The public can have a romantic notion of the value of small, locally owned businesses,” he said. “But people have to be careful not to stereotype these things.”
When it comes to multi-national corporations, especially manufacturers, Blonigen said larger businesses tend to have better pay, better employee benefits and better health and safety standards overall. When large companies are mingled with small businesses in the area, Blonigen said the final product is a well-rounded and diverse economy.
“The most vibrant communities with healthy economies have a good mix of different types of businesses,” he said. “To have all economic fortunes based on one type of business is not ideal.”
Hauser agreed.
“(The Chamber’s) job is to promote a healthy local economy and that means supporting companies of all shapes and sizes,” he said. “It would be contrary to say we like one and not the other.”