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George
vs Ross: A new outlook on government
Amundson, Larson will vie for city council spot
Church picks up the global warming torch
|
Saxton campaigns in Newberg |
The candidate for governor vs incumbent Ted
Kulongski tours A-dec Inc. Thursday |
By Schellene
Clendenin, Newberg Graphic
reporter
E-mail Schellene at
sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
One of the issues gubernatorial candidate Ron Saxton would like to
see come under scrutiny by the Oregon Legislature is improving
economic growth among new businesses and helping existing businesses
grow and be successful.
To gauge what
businesses need Saxton is touring the state, visiting a variety of
businesses and talking with owners to discover their needs and what
he can do, should he be elected, to meet those needs.
Newberg is no exception. On Thursday morning Saxton was given a
personal tour of the A-dec Inc. plant by owner Ken Austin Sr. They
were accompanied on the tour by Yamhill County Commissioner Leslie
Lewis.
“(Austin) didn’t want to be governor, so I thought I’d give it a
go,” Saxton joked as the tour began.
Saxton said one concern voiced by many businesses is whether
employees are properly prepared by the state education system to go
straight to work after graduation. Saxton characterizes himself a
passionate advocate for education.
He also discussed the need for businesses to expand to remain
successful.
As the group meandered through the maze of cubicles and machinery
in different parts of the dental manufacturing complex, Saxton shook
hands with employees, greeting them and asking them how long they’ve
worked for the company. Few answered with less than three years and
many had worked for the company for decades.
Austin stopped to show Saxton several cubicles that serve as
display models for visiting dentist interested in buying from A-Dec.
“You’ve certainly got a great product to market,” Saxton said.
Then Austin guided Saxton through one of the warehouses to meet
workers working on the hardware needed to run the dental equipment.
He walked beneath copper tubing that lined the ceiling of the room.
Wires fed through tubes and meandered down workstations to the
floor.
Newberg, Saxton said, is one of many cities he will visit on the
campaign trail. “All of Oregon is important to me.”
The tour was cut short when Saxton had to leave for his next tour.
His next stop? A visit to a window manufacturing company in
Tualatin. |
|
From
Sept. 23,
2006, Newberg Graphic
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