Officials with Economic Development for Central Oregon, or EDCO, have high hopes for 2013.

Executive Director Roger Lee says 2012 was the best year ever for numbers of companies: new jobs and capital investment in the region, and 2013 looks to be a banner year.  “We see some of the signs of growth in the economy slowing, but at the same time, I think we still have some growth period to capitalize on here. Very brisk for us, we have between 90 and 100 companies in the final stages of making a decisions on locating here or growing or starting up. So it's brisk activity."

Lee says the success of expanding opportunities for education in Central Oregon are a real draw for new business to consider moving here.