Jackson County makes a play for sustainable business

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Rogue Valley Microdevices

A grassroots effort to re-brand Jackson County as "Sustainable Valley," build a business accelerator and nurture family-wage jobs in Southern Oregon is halfway to its initial fundraising goal of $180,000 to get the program off the ground.

Jackson County Government pledged $50,000 toward the effort earlier this month and individual businesses and business organizations have kicked in another $40,000. Once organizers raise the full amount they will incorporate Sustainable Valley as a nonprofit, select the site for a Sustainable Valley Accelerator put together a three-year business plan and raise an additional $500,000 for ongoing operations.

"With the timber industry tanking, there's no strong foundation for family wage jobs," said lead organizer Mark VonHolle, vice president of S&B James Construction Management. "We think sustainability can change that."

VonHolle and others, including Jessica Gomez, co-chair of the effort and president of Rogue Valley Microdevices, a solar and microtechnology company in Medford, are in the midst of raising money to reach the initial goal.

"I haven't had anyone say no yet," VonHolle said.

The effort is modeled after similar programs in Silicon Valley and seeks to build on the region's base of sustainability-oriented companies such as electric vehicle companies Brammo Motors, Barefoot Motors and Ambiente Motors and biomass companies such as Biochar Global Solutions and Biomass One.

Upwind Solutions, a wind turbine maintenance company in Medford, closed on a $28 million venture investment from a group including Silicon Valley stalwart Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers earlier this year.

A story in the Medford Mail Tribune reports a warm reception to the idea from county officials, one of which called Sustainable Valley, "the best and brightest idea we've heard in a long time."