Groundwork - April 2025

groundwork   |    noun   |     graʊndˌwɜrk

• a foundation; basis
• work that is done as a preparation for work that will be done later

What exactly is economic development? What does City staff do to develop the local economy?

Economic development is the practice of creating policies, programs, and partnerships, and projects that improve the economic well-being and quality of life within a community or region.

Generally, economic development involves efforts to:

• attract and grow businesses (that in turn create jobs)
• enhance infrastructure (that spur private development)
• support entrepreneurship
• develop a talented workforce

A complete economic development program focuses on both the local sector — locally-owned businesses that serve local customers (such as cafés, pet stores, etc.) — as well as the traded sector, composed of industries and businesses (manufacturing, software development, aerospace, logistics/wholesale trade, etc.) that export products and services beyond the immediate community. The traded sector is important for economic development because it drives economic growth, increases productivity, and generally creates higher-wage jobs.

Because the City is a provider of tax-funded public services (such as law enforcement, the library, parks, etc.), Economic Development staff focuses primarily on activities that lead to new property tax generation, which can be realized through the improvement of existing buildings, the addition of new buildings, or the installation of taxable machinery and equipment.

Two recent examples demonstrate successful economic development at work locally:

Several years ago, staff began meeting with Precision Countertops, which specializes in fabricating and installing custom countertops for both residential and commercial applications. Precision, a long-time lessee, wanted to build and own their own facility. Staff helped them identify land and understand the city development approval process, and the company is now constructing a state-of-the-art fabrication facility and showroom on Garden Acres Road in the Coffee Creek area.

California-based Twist Bioscience has invested more than $80 million in fixed assets and real estate in the City, and delivered over 200 new high-wage jobs. They were recruited to Wilsonville by the City, in collaboration with partners at Oregon Bioscience Association and Greater Portland Inc. (the regional economic development organization). The City’s “Wilsonville Investment Now” (WIN) program provided a short-term tax rebate incentive that tipped the scales in Wilsonville’s favor.  

Business recruitment, retention, and expansion are a critical part of the City’s work to support and grow the Wilsonville economy.

Stay tuned to this space to learn more, and visit LetsTalkWilsonville.com  to let us know what topics you’d like to hear more about.