working ”* closely with similar programs in British Columbia and Washington. We have the opportunity to solve regional problems that no state is able to on its own.” It has been demonstrated that the import replacement concept can easily adapt to meet local needs. The overall cost of starting a marketplace is minimal. Such programs are usually able to secure the support of people on both ends of the conventional political spectrum. But it would seem that those programs that are most successful are the ones that give the process time to grow, and that include the essential aspect of a brokering office. Government programs that try to “add on’ a marketplace project to an overburdened staff or create a computer bulletin board without a live broker to facilitate, cannot expect to generate the kinds of revenues that the Oregon Marketplace has secured. Import substitution is a relatively new concept, often lacking the funds made available to more traditional economic development strategies. But one of the organization’s founders, Glenn Gibbons remains committed to the idea. “Import substitution is a laborious process that will never be as sexy as recruiting large firms to a region. Import replacement has never pretended to be the sole avenue of community prosperity. I do not want to question the recent moves of the organization to facilitate out of state contracts but I would hope that it does not forget the ideas that were central to its founding.” Another founder suggested that import replacement remains one of the most viable strategies for enhancing local ownership, which carries with it many community benefits. Locally-owned firms have generated most of the new family-wage jobs since World War II. Because they tend to be smaller, local businesses tend to be more flexible in the marketplace. Their ability to customize leads to a diversity of local products, and their close contact with customers makes them more efficient at custom work. They are responsible for many innovations, despite a lack of large well-funded research and development operations. When an out-of-state interest takes over a local bank, the lawyers, accountants or even supplies tend to come from outside the local community. Local banks, even more conservative ones, usually show greater flexibility in dealing with other local businesses. Businesses based out of the region often fail to recognize the talent that exists in the community, and tend to favor high-level transfers from their other facilities instead of letting local employees rise through the ranks. The local entrepreneur’s commitment to a particular community often means support for local charities, and a stronger will to weather through difficulties. The community is also more committed to aid the survival of local businesses. Despite the benefits of local ownership, we live in an era when it is increasingly difficult for a community to impose restraints on economic policies and conditions created by a global market, national governments, transnational corporations and international financial agencies. Import replacement programs, as pioneered by Oregon Marketplace, remain a proven means to facilitate greater regional autonomy and self- reliance. Their program deserves the careful attention of everyone interested in creating a more just economic order. For additional information on starting an import replacement program, contact Oregon Marketplace directly. Consulting services are available at very modest fees, as well as an excellent manual that includes sample forms and a description of the recommended software. Write Oregon Marketplace, 618 Lincoln Street, Eugene, Oregon 97401, USA. (503) 343-7712. Page 22 RAIN Spring 1993 Volume XIV, Number 3
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