I’m very happy to see our local (Eugene, Ore.) newspaper (The Register-Guard) leading today with this story by Diane Dietz about a local company getting $40 million in stimulus grants.
To you and me, this means “hey, it could happen to you.” Or so it seems to me.
Cascade Sierra Solutions in nearby Coburg, Ore., specializes in technical solutions to increase fuel efficiency in trucks. These are things like special add-ons to reduce wind drag, in one program. The latest grant is to install power pedestals at truck stops so truckers can plug into electric power without having to run their engines.
Cascade picked up $17 million in an earlier grant, and $22.2 million last month. It has about a dozen employees locally, but its programs are supposed to add about 1,700 jobs worldwide through greater fuel efficiency.
I’d like to think this is happening all over the country. It’s creating jobs, helping the economy and helping the clean-energy movement (or maybe just less dirty). But for today, here’s one example close to my home.
Tim Berry is the founder and chairman of Palo Alto Software and Bplans.com. Follow him on Twitter @Timberry.
