Business View Magazine | April 2019

197 Other county assets include the Oregon institute of Technology, a public polytechnic university in Oregon with the main campus in Klamath Falls, the county seat. “It’s a university-sized facility that’s growing,” says Gallagher. “They’ve just re- modeled one of their major facilities and they have another new building underway. We also have Klamath Community College. They, too, are growing like crazy; seems they are adding new buildings every year to match a growing curriculum that’s well suited to address work- force training needs.” Stork adds, “Oregon Tech was ranked in the top three public engineering schools in the west coast. To have an asset like that in a rural community such as ours is re- ally outstanding. And they’re planning on add- ing a thousand freshmen over the next decade. Enrollment growth efforts like that are one of many reasons we see a promising future for Tech Hills.”Tech Hills is a large business park lo- cated immediately adjacent to the Oregon Tech campus that brings together private land own- ers, higher education, and the medical/health industry into one unique cluster, creating op- portunities for innovation and research enter- prises to prosper in one collaborative location. Five miles southeast of Klamath Falls sits the Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, which, in addition to hosting an active general aviation community, is the only base now in the Unit- ed States that trains F-15 fighter pilots. “And they’re being considered for the F-35, when the F-15s get phased out,” Gallagher reports. “If the F-35 came to the base, it could introduce a lot of unique opportunities for cyber security, avia- tion, and aerospace industries to take place in the area,” adds Stork. Klamath County has also become a prime area for green initiatives and renewable energy. Nat- ural geothermal hot wells provide heat for many homes, businesses, and the Oregon Institute of Technology campus. In addition, the county has approved a dozen solar projects in the last five years. There is also a growing interest in new industries, such as brewing. “Entrepreneurially, there’s been an emphasis on diversification,” says Stork. “We’re diving into those markets and leveraging all the good things about Klamath that make people want to choose this area. We want entrepreneurs to have the opportunity to grow here and have their businesses come to fruition here.” Meanwhile, the County continues to offer its residents and tourists, alike, many amenities