By BF Editors
From the May / June 2023 Issue
BF: Tell us about Snake River and Snake River Economic Development Alliance.
Nieskens: Snake River Economic Development Alliance (SREDA) is a not-for-profit, investor-supported organization committed to diversifying our local economy by drawing in brand-new financial investment and jobs. SREDA does this by hiring brand-new business and assisting traded-sector companies already in the area broaden. SREDA is preferably situated in the Pacific Northwest and includes the counties of Payette and Washington in Idaho and Malheur County in Oregon. The business opportunities vary with a mix of reputable producers, a broadening high innovation sector, first-rate outside leisure opportunities, and a few of the country’s most habitable neighborhoods.
SREDA covers the western Idaho and eastern Oregon locations of the Treasure Valley. It lies simply west of the Boise City-Nampa MSA, Idaho’s biggest cosmopolitan analytical location. The counties in SREDA’s location comprise a regional population base of over 68,500 that broadens rapidly into over 700,000 within thirty minutes of the location.
BF: What are targeted markets for the Snake River area, and what elements help to support them?
Nieskens: Targeted markets in the area consist of farming and food processing; outside leisure markets; circulation and transport; and information centers and internet-based operations. These markets make good sense with the amazing local properties in the SREDA area such as:
- Low Cost Power
- Natural Gas Interstate Main Line
- Agricultural & Natural Resource Based
- Strong Telecommunications & Internet
- Transportation: I-84, United States Highway 95, United States Highway 20-26; Airports 1 Regional 2 regional + Boise Airport; and Union Pacific Rail & 2 brief line railways.
- Workforce: Economist established commute patterns; Local Community College – specialized training; Idaho & Oregon Employment Services; and Private labor services.
- Sewer and Water Capacity Infrastructure
- Available Land and Buildings
- Tax Incentives through the states, counties, and cities are available
BF: What is a recent significant moving or growth task in Snake River Economic Development Alliance? Please explain.
Nieskens: SREDA jobs usually include our partners consisting of regional homeowners, regional businesses, the city, the state firms, instructional entities, and the counties. Without the collaborations that we have, a number of these jobs would not have actually established. SREDA helps both existing and brand-new businesses with places, development, and other concerns that the businesses might be dealing with. We have the ability to link them with funding, policy, and other kinds of partners to help make their business effective.
In 2022, SREDA effectively helped with the growth of Pacific Fibre, a widely known business from western Washington and western Oregon. Pacific Fibre was extremely thinking about moving part of its appeal bark operations out east. They took a look at various websites throughout eastern Oregon and western Idaho. They situated a retired onion processing center in between Payette and Weiser, ID. They had the ability to rehab the center into an effective working website for their growth. With SREDA’s help, Pacific Fibre received assistance from Idaho through a facilities grant to assist with the updating of the power facilities in the area. They likewise had assistance from Washington County Commissioners and received a finished real estate tax reward for 5 years.
