For business...
Why select an Oregon certified industrial site?

Certification assures you that requirements are met on a site and that construction may begin in 180 days or less -typically less (within 90 days). Premium certified sites thus save businesses significant cost and production time in siting their projects.

To certify industrial lands, the State of Oregon works with local property owners, realtors, municipalities and collaborating state agencies to compile a comprehensive certification notebook.

The information contained in these notebooks has proven invaluable to site selectors looking to locate or expand a business in Oregon. Since this is material a company would have to compile anyway, having it readily available, along with government assurances about its accuracy, can shorten a project’s timeline dramatically.

Available to a prospective business upon request, certification notebooks contain documentation about utilities available at a site, local workforce availability, easements and liens, and any improvements on the site, as well as state or local development incentives.

State agencies provide clearances for environmental contamination, wetlands, endangered species and cultural resources. Local governments provide assurances that the industry certification profile conforms to local zoning regulations and that there is local support for the development. Any systems development or other charges are clearly identified.

The certification process itself demands extensive local and state government collaboration. Those working relationships will continue as you launch your project, helping your company move through any future regulatory matters smoothly and efficiently.

In August 2005, Lowe’s broke ground on a certified industrial site in Lebanon, Oregon. The company’s real estate manager had this to say about Oregon’s certification program:

"You cannot put a dollar value on having that work done in advance. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that it was not money well spent…the work you provided gave our engineers a big head start on evaluating the site and really helped move this site forward in our process."

Selecting a certified industrial site in Oregon gives your company the singular advantage of time and money saved. Begin your search here [link to search page] to see how one of these premium, shovel-ready sites can advance your company’s project.

For Oregon communities...
Why should we certify industrial property?

The state’s Certified Industrial Lands program translates community development into accelerated economic growth.

Today’s corporate real estate market demands industrial sites that offer strategic advantages for project development. Oregon’s Certified Industrial Lands program meets this demand by creating an inventory of highly marketable, shovel-ready industrial sites.

Certifying an industrial site in your community will make your location competitive among corporate site selectors, allowing you to seize growth opportunities when they arise.

The State of Oregon is dedicated to your success. To help municipalities complete planning and infrastructure work needed to meet certification requirements, the state provides:

   a. Loans from Special Public Works and Port Revolving Loan Funds
   b. Limited grant funds from the Strategic Reserve Fund and Special Public Works Fund.
   c. Professional consultation throughout to help you make your site marketable.

"The certification process as a whole paves the way for business even beyond the certification documents," said Governor Kulongoski. "It sends the message that Oregon wants industry and we are ready to work together to help companies do business here. It also protects the public interest by ensuring that environmental stewardship, land use and community concerns are resolved before a prospect steps onto the property," he said.

Ultimately, certifying an industrial site involves no extra work or funding than would normally be required for developing property in your community. It simply involves completing the infrastructure and regulatory work in advance.

A certified site shortens a company’s project timeline significantly and, thus, makes your community more attractive than others the company may consider for investment. With government assurances about the accuracy of site information, one or more certified industrial sites in your community will put you “on the map” among influential site selectors.

Call the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department today to learn how the Certified Industrial Lands can help your community grow.

Case study
Lowe’s Regional Distribution Center in Lebanon, Oregon

Lebanon City Administrator John Hitt understood the added value certification would offer his business prospects and pushed to get a Lebanon industrial site enrolled in the state program.

"Every time someone from industry would call me, they asked the same questions: What does the land cost? Is the land for sale? What type of infrastructure is in place? And I had to tell them I didn't know. When you say that, the company looks elsewhere. Timing is critical to most projects of this type,” he said.

To earn the "certified" stamp, State of Oregon development officers collaborate extensively with landowners, local governments, regional development groups, and the state’s seven economic revitalization agencies. A third-party, private sector verifier serves as independent review for the hundreds of documents that are submitted to the state in just one application for certification.

"The state process was so much more detailed than what we were doing on our own," said Hitt. "It gave us high visibility and a higher profile statewide."

The 204-acre site certified in Lebanon and selected by Lowe’s in 2005 for a regional distribution center had been on the market for more than 17 years. Once it was certified by the state, the property sold in six months. The project brings 300 jobs and millions in corporate investment to the community.