Move Your Business Here!
Why Douglas County?
Simple. Moving your business anywhere is a risk…a calculated chance. Moving your business to Douglas County?
It’s the biggest chance you’ll never regret.
SUPPORT
Douglas County is a great place to do business in large part because of the support business has from local government–individual cities and Douglas County, the city of Roseburg and cities throughout the county. This business-friendly attitude is founded in local governments’ commitment to quality jobs for its citizens and overall dedication to economic growth. Local governments that understand private-sector businesses create jobs and a strong economy; that it is government’s responsibility to assist, provide incentives, deliver and/or maintain infrastructure and remove barriers to support business sustainability and growth. Building permits have a quick turn-around in Douglas County.
Businesses in Douglas County are fortunate to be part of a strong, supportive local business community. Our business and community leaders range from fifth generation Douglas County residents to newly-relocated entrepreneurs. The support for business translates into immeasurable generosity. There’s always an open door, listening ear and words of experience and wisdom from business folks throughout Douglas County to those seeking advice—whether you’re competition or generations apart, no matter. The chamber is always happy to help new (and existing) businesses make those important connections. The chamber considers its role of “convener” on behalf of business as a fundamental responsibility.
Douglas County is known for its private-public partnerships ranging from educational and workforce training programs to business financing programs. Private-sector businesses work with local government, educational institutions and local non-profits on a variety of projects to grow our local economy. Collaboration is key….and crucial to the success of individual businesses as well as the business community as a whole.
Businesses in Roseburg and Douglas County enjoy the support of the Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce, the area’s largest business-advocacy organization, county residents, local government, educational institutions and area non-profits.
Neil D. Hummel
“For The Neil Company Real Estate, the Chamber means community and change! It offers its membership strength in numbers on political, business and social issues that as one person or… Read more “Neil D. Hummel”
Charles F. Lee, P.C.
“I believe in supporting every aspect of our beautiful community. It is my goal to be both a successful lawyer and a contributing factor to the improvements and development of… Read more “Charles F. Lee, P.C.”
Gary Leif
“The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce is a vital part for growth and development for our area.”
Dan Van Slyke
“The connection between the chamber and Wildlife Safari is very important to the future of tourism in Douglas County.”
LIFESTYLE
In Douglas County, also known as the majestic Land of Umpqua, business development opportunities are as abundant as the natural beauty. Add fishing, hiking trails, parks, waterfalls, big game, big gaming, incomparable wine country, all nestled between ocean and the mountains, and you’ll see that it really is possible to work, live and play in one place. For details about our vast leisure offerings, Click Here.
You don’t just live in the Land of Umpqua, you experience it! Mountains, rivers and lakes, forests, the Pacific Ocean and Crater Lake…Douglas County has it all. And due to our generally mild climate residents are able to enjoy all the outdoor activities the Land of Umpqua has to offer, year round. Sunny days are common and extremes of any weather condition are rare.
Both employers and employees in Douglas County enjoy a reasonable cost of living, good education systems, high quality of life amenities, no sales tax, comprehensive health care system, economical housing, over 500 acres of park land, and too many to mention, civic, cultural, community, youth, faith-based, business and volunteer programs, events, activities and opportunities! For details about population, demographics and more, Click Here.
INFRASTRUCTURE
Roseburg and Douglas County are well-resourced with buildings, lands, transportation options, utilities and other infrastructure needs of existing and relocating businesses. Douglas County has available industrial sites with existing buildings and buildable footprints of 100 acres or more. Roseburg, the county and cities around the county have available prime commercial buildings and land. To see Douglas County industrial land options, Click Here. The city of Roseburg’s Community Development Department offers an online interactive map that shows commercial and industrial parcels available within the city. To access the city’s Developable Business Land Map, Click Here.
Douglas County is located in the southwest corner of Oregon, within an eight-hour drive of both Seattle and San Francisco. Location makes Douglas County ideal for serving customers in Oregon, Washington, California and throughout the west. Douglas County offers prime transportation options to businesses. Ninety miles of Interstate 5 passes through the middle of Douglas County, in addition to other highway corridors. Additionally rural and arterial city and county road systems are well maintained for business, commercial and resident travel. Douglas County has reliable, major rail line offering freight service via Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad. The Port of Coos Bay is a deep-water port between Seattle and San Francisco. With Port of Coos Bay only 23 miles from the county border and another 84 miles from Roseburg, international shipping and access to Pacific Rim markets are available.
Roseburg has a small municipal airport, Roseburg Regional Airport, which accommodates private charters and air freight. Roseburg has two international airports less than two-hour drive. Mahlon Sweet Field, Eugene Airport is 82 miles north of Roseburg, with Alaska Airlines, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines and United Airlines operating. Rogue Valley International, Medford Airport, is 94 miles south of Roseburg with Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines.
Douglas County has four electric companies/co-ops serving its power needs, enjoying reliable service. Also available is natural gas, communications options, sanitary sewer, garbage and water services are of the highest, reliable quality throughout the county. Douglas County is wired….and, wireless…with a variety of dependable options.
COST
Even though it is a seller’s market, land and building prices for manufacturing, industrial, light industrial and commercial operations are still cost-effective throughout Douglas County. There are no county system development charges (SDC’s) and low city of Roseburg SDCs. We have enterprise zone benefits and local taxes are reasonably low. Oregon has no state inventory tax… Power is not only reliable in Douglas County, it is one of the lowest in the nation. Oregon’s fuel prices remain lower than our states to the north and south.
Workforce costs are significantly lower in rural Oregon over the urban areas of our state. Workforce education, training/retraining programs in Douglas County are kept cost-effective through private-public partnerships.
RESOURCES
There are numerous resources available to businesses in Douglas County to help them succeed and grow. Please see our Business Resources section.
WORKFORCE
Douglas County residents are known for their resilience, hardworking, “get it done” attitude. While no community has been immune to the workforce shortages and challenges facing our nation. Douglas County has a strong, competent workforce. Training and educational opportunities for employee are available and new private-public partnerships related to workforce training are always on the horizon particularly for traded sector workforce training. Umpqua Community College is focused on high-quality, customized workforce training programs and services.
Douglas County has a number of quality employment placement agencies who work with most of our local major employers assisting in the employment of qualified workers. For additional workforce resource information, Click Here to see our local employment agencies.
DIVERSE
Douglas County is privileged to have a strong, resilient business base. We are well-known for our world-class timber and wood products industry. The Land of Umpqua has also diversified with a growing tourism industry long-lead by outdoor recreation now complemented by our esteemed wineries and popular Wildlife Safari destinations. Entrepreneurism, professional services and retail industries continue to grow. The service industries with the most growth the past two decades are hospitality and recreation, business services and health care services. We continue to enjoy growth in the small to medium-sized manufacturing sector. Following is a glimpse of major industries playing a vital role in the economic health of our region.
Timber: Roseburg is nestled among some of the world’s richest timberland and has become a major lumber producer during the post-World War II housing boom. Today, Douglas County is a major, international producer of wood products. The county boasts 2.8 million acres of forest lands; 41 percent of these lands are privately owned. While Roseburg’s economy continues to diversify, the timber industry remains a key component of the community’s overall well-being. Twelve percent of the county’s workforce is employed in the forestry, logging and wood product manufacturing industries, accounting for 22 percent of the county’s total payroll.
Farming & Ranching: Agricultural industries thrive in Douglas County. The agricultural industry thrives in Roseburg’s versatile climate, contributing about $103 million to the local economy. Major crops include: berries, nuts, apples, melons and, of course, grapes. Douglas County also is a producer of sheep, cattle and a variety of other livestock.
Healthcare: Top rated quality with steady growth one of our fastest-growing industries is health care. Not just important for the jobs it adds to the local economy but, for the role it plays in supporting existing and attracting new business.
Manufacturing: Douglas County is attracting more companies. In recent years Douglas County has attracted a number of companies engaged in manufacturing, a growing job providing sector. These businesses may well have located to other parts of the country, but chose to bring these familywage jobs to Roseburg and Douglas County. The selection of our community is due to a number of noteworthy characteristics, including varied transportation infrastructure, availability of a qualified workforce, suitable industrial sites and, most importantly, the lifestyle Land of Umpqua residents enjoy.
Tourism: Area attractions continue to draw more visitors each year. Many of our residents first discovered the Land of Umpqua as visitors. Our central location to many recreation destinations and attractions, world class fishing, internationally-recognized wines and Interstate 5 access draw an ever-growing number of visitors each year. The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce built a state-of-the-art, informative visitor center to welcome those visitors to the Land of Umpqua. Be sure and check out all the great attractions, activities and events we have to offer both residents and visitors alike.
Business Resources
Grant Opportunity News
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STARTING A BUSINESS
Planning to start a new business? Start with a checklist.
BUSINESS RESOURCE LIBRARY
Best Practices for Victim Response and Reporting of Cyber Incidents
Cyber Incident Response Handout
Commercial Food Waste Prevention
Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”)
Document Destruction Checklist
Start a New Business Checklist
… look for more additions to our resource library in the future.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce
The Roseburg Area Chamber of Commerce (“RACC”) is the largest business membership organization in Douglas County. As the region’s leading advocate for business, the RACC works with business and community partners to create a strong local economy, promote local business, promote the Land of Umpqua as a visitor destination and represent business interest through political activity.
The chamber provides business with promotional opportunities, business educational and training programs and quality business networking opportunities, to name a few. The chamber works with many business assistance programs locally and statewide. Click to Join Us!
CCD Business Development Corporation
A federally recognized Economic Development District for Coos, Curry and Douglas counties, CCD’s objective is to promote job-generating business expansion. Services to businesses include:
• Business lending – SBA & business Oregon, EDA, UDSDA
• Management consulting for business start-ups, acquisitions and expansions
• Enterprise zone management offering tax abatement incentives to businesses
• Working with firms that are considering relocating to or expanding in the area
City of Roseburg
The city of Roseburg requires registration of those who come into the city limits who provide a service, products or trade and are paid for services rendered. As long as the ownership and location of the business remain the same, this is a one-time registration with a one-time $150.00 non-refundable fee. change of ownership of location requires a new registration and fee. Payment can be made by cash, check or credit card.
Before you sign a lease or purchase property to start your business, please review the information provided. Starting a business requires preparation and collaboration with the city and/or county. The information provided is designed to help you better understand the requirements and begin preparation for your new business.
Douglas County
Douglas County has a total area of 5,134 square miles (13,300 km2), of which 5,036 square miles (13,040 km2) is land and 98 square miles (250 km2) (1.9%) is water and is the fifth-largest county in Oregon by area. It is also a great place to do business beginning with its pro-business mentality and its goal to diversify the local community.
Douglas County offers development financing, business start-up, acquisitions & expansions, business/industrial recruiting, retention & expansion, partnerships with county & community organizations to assist local business and Commercial Lending. Douglas County also provides a robust transportation system providing access to a general aviation airport, local transit system and an expanded freeway system that links to the main roads within Douglas County.
Umpqua Community College
UCC is a comprehensive public community college. The college serves more than 13,500 unique students each year, offering transfer programs and strong career and technical education (CTE) programs in a variety of high-demand fields such as business, computer science, engineering, human services and nursing.
UCC also provides workforce development, a truck driving program and other career training programs imperative to local business. The college works closely with local businesses and professionals to ensure students are learning the skills needed to be successful in the workforce. The Umpqua Small Business Development Center operates under UCC.
Click Here to see Community Profile details and information.
Starting A Business
If you’re thinking of starting a business, here’s checklist to get you started. It isn’t by any means all-inclusive for every business, but it will give you a good idea of how to get started…..
- Determine your business idea or concept and then ask the hard question, “Is it viable?”
- Decide on a business name and how you want your business structured. How are you going to legally organize your business/company—a sole proprietorship, a partnership, and LLC or a corporation (S-corp. or C-corp.)? Need qualified assisting deciding which option is best for you and your business, you may want to hire an attorney with this particular expertise.
- Write a business plan. At least develop an initial business plan; there are all kinds of great resources and examples available.
- Apply for your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) if you are organizing as a corporation, LLC or partnership (or a sole proprietorship with employees). You’ll need a FEIN to open a checking account or prepare employee payroll.
- Open a company bank—checking, money market, etc—account.
- Secure office, warehouse or retail space. If you are planning a home-based business then you’re already set, but depending on your kind of business you’ll probably need to arrange for office space to be leased. If funds are not an issue then you may opt to purchase building or office space. It’s wise for most start-ups or new businesses to lease rather than buy until established. Contacting a local commercial realtor for assistance is recommended. Once secured, you’ll need to make arrangements for utilities, office furniture and equipment, whether purchased or leased. Also check to see if you’re community has a business incubator available for start-up businesses and, if so, see your business qualifies.
- Obtain necessary licenses and/or permits. Conditional on your type of business, you may need federal, state and/or local licenses and/or permits. Most businesses do not require a federal license or permit but there are some (i.e. investment advising, broadcasting, selling alcohol, to name a few). Best to investigate to be certain. A number of professions do require a state license or permit (building contractors, barbers, real estate agents, to name just a few). Some licensing requirements are based on products sold. Better safe than sorry on this topic. If you have any questions contact the secretary of state’s office or hire an attorney to assist you. Most cities or counties require you to obtain a business license, even for home-based businesses. If your business is within Roseburg city limits, you will need to register business. Links to resources can be found below.
- Hire employees, if needed. If your business plans to hire full-time or part-time employees, even if you only hire yourself, you may need to register pertinent state agencies or obtain workers compensation insurance, unemployment insurance or both.
- Establish your business’ accounting and record keeping system(s). Internally set up the necessary accounting and record keeping system or hire an external firm to managing these important business functions for you. Familiarize yourself with the new taxes and fees your new business will be required to pay and when (monthly, quarterly, annually). This is a good time to establish your company’s document retention and destruction policy based on state and federal requirement. See an example Document Destruction Schedule.
- Obtain business insurance. There are numerous types of liability insurance for businesses. Your best bet is to contact your local insurance agent to ensure you secure the best insurance for your particular type of business to protect you, your business and your employees.
- Putting organized systems in place. The last thing we usually think about when just starting a business is preparing if someone else needs to take over and operate for you. Unexpected things happen in life and every business should have processes in place to make sure orders can be processed, customers are served and bills, employees and taxes get paid. This is a good time to create your business’ emergency operations plan for all those “it will probably never happen but just in case” occurrences. See a Disaster Planning Toolkit. Establishing systems, as automated and efficient as possible, could literally save a company.
- Develop your identity, your brand. Who are you as a business? What do you stand for or believe in? Branding can include your logo, tagline, font, color scheme. Order letterhead, envelopes, business cards, promotional materials/brochures.
- Get the word out! You’ve created your new company. The resources and systems are all in place. You have your brand, now it’s time to get the information out to your potential customers. Develop a marketing plan for your products and/or services that will target your desired customers. And, be sure and join your local chamber of commerce to help your business succeed! Click here to Join Us!
Click the links below to view available online government resources:
Oregon Department of Business & Consumer Services
Business Xpress–Oregon Licensing and Permits
WorkSource Douglas – Oregon Employment Department
Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries
