"Choose Klamath — it's just better here" is not just a slogan but a belief that fuels the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) and their ongoing efforts to enhance the region's business climate.

Today, the agency has expanded its scope and impact significantly — now providing businesses a full spectrum of services to help assist their development process from ideation to completion.

The organization has gained strong recognition from developers throughout the nation — providing businesses support with:

  • Site selection
  • Incentive packaging
  • Permitting assistance
  • Workforce programming
  • Market research
  • Financing
  • Infrastructure
  • Legislative advocacy
  • Referrals

A "One-Stop Shop" for Business

Working across business recruitment, expansion, and scalable entrepreneurship — the KCEDA agency has truly evolved into a 'one-stop-shop' for enterprises looking to locate or further grow operations in Klamath County.

That comprehensive approach is exactly what differentiates effective regional economic development agencies from less-effective ones. Companies considering where to expand or locate need answers to dozens of questions — and being able to get all those answers from one coordinated agency dramatically reduces the friction of choosing Klamath.

Recent Wins

The organization's work has greatly contributed to the area economy in recent years — playing a key role in growing capital investment and new construction in the region like never before.

Playing an integral part in facilitating important developments, KCEDA has helped make projects like the following become reality:

  • Swan Lake Energy Project
  • Wilsonart
  • Fairfield by Marriott
  • Rjourney RV Resort
  • Craft3
  • Growler Guys
  • And more

Each of those projects represents significant capital investment, job creation, and tax-base growth for Klamath County.

Recovery from the Great Recession

For many years following the Great Recession, new construction in Klamath County had been nearly absent.

The financial crisis and its repercussions were particularly difficult for rural communities like Klamath — placing hardship on local businesses of all shapes and sizes.

The grueling length of the region's economic recovery undeniably became one of the basin's defining challenges.

KCEDA's work in the recent years has been a major driver in changing that recovery trajectory — and putting Klamath County back into growth mode for the first time in over a decade.

What "Choose Klamath" Promises

The KCEDA pitch to businesses considering Klamath includes:

Quality of Life

  • Low cost of living relative to West Coast markets
  • Outdoor recreation unmatched in the Pacific Northwest
  • Strong community — a sense of place that bigger metros lack
  • Lower commute times — most of the basin is 15 minutes from anywhere

Workforce

  • Oregon Tech — engineering talent pipeline
  • Klamath Community College — vocational and technical training
  • KCSD's CTE programs — high-school pipeline into skilled trades
  • Migrating workers who value the basin's quality of life

Infrastructure

  • I-5 and Highway 97 access for north-south distribution
  • Rail connectivity for industrial users
  • Klamath Falls Airport for regional connectivity
  • Power, water, and broadband infrastructure suitable for diverse businesses

Incentives

  • Strategic Investment Program opportunities for major projects
  • Enterprise Zone designations in parts of the county
  • Workforce-training grants
  • Energy-efficiency incentives for green-tech businesses

Land

  • Available industrial land at affordable price points
  • Site readiness through KCEDA-facilitated infrastructure
  • Permitting clarity — the basin's regulatory environment is workable

Why This Matters Beyond Recent Projects

Each major project KCEDA helps land has multiplier effects:

  • Construction jobs during build-out
  • Permanent jobs post-opening
  • Supply chain spending with local vendors
  • Workforce housing demand that drives residential investment
  • Tax base growth that funds schools, roads, public safety
  • Community investment as new companies become local sponsors and donors

Each successful KCEDA recruitment also signals to the next prospective company that Klamath is a place where things get built — making the next recruitment easier.

A Recipe for Growth

Klamath County's growth potential is real:

  • State employment data shows the county leading Oregon in growth rate
  • Bedrock employers — Kingsley Field, Sky Lakes, Oregon Tech, KCC — ready to grow
  • Major projects — pump storage and Klamath River dam removal — beginning soon
  • A recipe for great things to happen in the basin

For Klamath Basin business owners and community members reading this: KCEDA is your economic-development engine. Engaging with them — whether you're a business considering expansion, a property owner with industrial land, a workforce trainer, or a community advocate — strengthens what they can deliver.

How to Engage KCEDA

Whether you're:

  • A business considering relocating or expanding to Klamath County
  • A landowner with industrial-zoned property
  • A workforce trainer or educator wanting to align programs with industry needs
  • A community member who wants to understand what's coming next

— KCEDA is the call to make.

Choose Klamath

The phrase "Choose Klamath — it's just better here" isn't just marketing.

It's a promise to businesses considering the basin that they'll find:

  • A community ready to welcome them
  • An economic development agency that handles the complexity
  • Infrastructure, workforce, and quality of life that supports growth
  • Other businesses already here who chose Klamath and are thriving

That's a real value proposition. And it's working.

Watch this space — the next wave of Klamath County economic development is just getting started.