Hermiston Chamber of Commerce

Congressman Greg Walden is coming to Hermiston

2009-03-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

The Hermiston Chamber of Commerce will be hosting Congressman Walden on Monday, April 6, 2009 at the Hermiston Conference Center from 9am-10:30am. We would like to invite the community and Chamber members to have coffee with the congressman.

Greg was a small business owner for over 21 years, Greg is very interested in hearing your perspective on the current economic situation here in our area.

Please RSVP to the Chamber at 541-567-6151 or e-mail to info@hermistonchamber.com

Fiesta Foods to Come to Hermiston

2008-12-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

By Eric Florip-The East Oregonian
The city of Hermiston netted its latest new business arrival last week, when Pasco-based Fiesta Foods acquired the building that housed Super 1 Foods on Highway 395. The company plans to open a new grocery and retail store there by next spring, said Fiesta Foods president and owner Craig Gaylord.

The company also aims to revamp the 40,000-square-foot building and add another 6,000 square feet, Gaylord said. The entire project will cost about $7 million.

"It will basically, by the time we're done, be a brand new building," he said.

The building has stood vacant since May, when Super 1 Foods closed its Hermiston location. Gaylord said he expects construction to begin at the site within 30 days to aim for the spring 2009 opening.

Gaylord brings some familiarity with Hermiston to the new venture, which will be Fiesta Foods' fourth overall store and first in Oregon. He owned a grocery store at the same location when it operated as a Shop N' Kart.

Hermiston emerged as a front-runner for the new location partly because of that connection and market familiarity. The city's relatively large Hispanic population - a group Fiesta Foods caters toward - also helps, he added.

But the departure of Super 1 Foods opened the door in the first place, Gaylord said.

"Hermiston kind of came up because Super 1 closed," he said. "I really wasn't looking at Hermiston until that happened, and then I saw an opportunity."

The new Fiesta Foods store will include several departments including a bakery, meat market, juice bar and a tortilleria making fresh tortillas from scratch. Hermiston's location will also include something new, Gaylord said - an in-store barbecue with grilled items. The company opened its first store in Pasco, Wash. in 2003.

Hermiston City Manager Ed Brookshier called the store a "good boon for the local economy," likely to bring several jobs with it. He said a number of businesses expressed interest in the old Super 1 Foods location once it emptied, but the city stayed in contact with Fiesta Foods throughout the process.

The announcement also comes on the heels of another significant business development for the city. Last month, international seed producer Pioneer Hi-Bred announced its own plans to build a production plant in Hermiston.

"It's important to always be aggressive," Brookshier said of the city's recent partnerships. "A real secret to economic development is never, ever rest on your laurels."

Brookshier said one development can often lead to another as businesses try to locate in a high-activity area.

"We try to keep that momentum going," he said.

The city's planning department is already working with Fiesta Foods to expedite the project, Brookshier said. Gaylord said the new store will offer a very different feel than previous stores at the prominent location, including his own Shop N' Kart venture.

"We're very excited to be coming back," he said

Welcome to the Hermiston Chamber Blog

2008-11-18T16:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Hermiston!

Hermiston is a diverse community we are the Gate Way to Eastern Oregon in terms of transportation infrastructure, physical location and a strong history of growth, we continue to see a strong housing market and new construction. Hermiston grew from 15,410 in 2006 to 15,780 in 2007. Hermiston is the fastest growing city in Eastern Oregon for its size and is 5 minutes from the mighty Columbia River.

The Chamber is continuously looking toward the future and our organization strives to take advantage of a strong local and national economy. We are focused on expanding the value we provide to members, as well as enhancing the process of identifying and acting on current and future issues which affect all businesses in the Greater Hermiston area.

Central to these goals are the partnerships we facilitate and nurture. Partnerships which encourage the collaboration of business, educators and elected officials to build a common vision of what our community will become in the next decade. This is accomplished by developing partnerships that are results-oriented and which foster regional growth and cooperation. As your Chamber, we make each year a year of innovative growth and development.

Without our members support, our mission of promotion, economic development and membership services would not be possible.

With Warm Regards,

Debbie Pedro-Executive Director