Business & economy

Border board awards Edge Performance $400,000 to expand, add 14 jobs

The board in charge of spurring economic development in Malheur County has awarded Edge Performance Sports in Ontario a $400,000 grant to help the longtime retailer double the size of its showroom and create 14 jobs.

Ryan Gentry, Edge Performance owner, told the Eastern Oregon Border Board on Monday, Jan. 6, that the expansion, which will cost more than $4.5 million, will increase the size of the existing facility by about 15,000 square feet to just under 30,000.

The 20-year-old company sells dirt bikes, ATVs and jet skis at its 1625 N. Oregon St. facility. Gentry said the company bought 20 acres near there as part of its expansion.

The project, which has yet to go through the city permitting process, will double the showroom and expand the service shop, according to the application for funding. The project will also add a conference center and employee training rooms, the application notes.

Gentry said the project will also improve parking and access to the business, which is located off Interstate 84.

Edge Performance’s current revenue is $30 million, according to Gentry.  He said the business is projected to hit $40 million over the next two years.

Since opening in 2004, the company has grown from four employees to 34, according to Gentry.

The challenge, he said, is competing with companies in Idaho that, unlike Edge Performance, have tax and wage advantages.

Those competitors, Gentry said, are making investments, so his business needs to expand to stay viable. He said when Edge started, people didn’t anticipate how much the sports vehicle business would grow.

Gentry noted that Edge Performance brought “advanced business practices” to the industry, increasing the company significantly. Now, Gentry said, new players are entering the field who are “doing business better.” These new companies have “massive facilities” and more resources.

Edge has held its own as one of the largest sports vehicle retailers in the Northwest.

“We compete well because we do business well,” Gentry said, “but I don’t want to lose that competitiveness by not having an adequate facility.”

He said a key aspect of the project will be increasing the service shop. Many of Edge’s customers rely on the machines they have purchased from the company for their businesses. As the business has grown, getting people through the service department has become difficult, he said. Gentry said increasing the size of the shop will alleviate those wait times.

Of the 14 jobs the expansion will create, several will be for technicians that service the machines Edge Performance sells, Gentry said.

“Our job is to employ people and support families in our region,” Gentry said. “We’re very committed to that.”

Motivational phrases selected by employees adorn a hallway at Edge Performance Sports in Ontario. The company recently was awarded $400,000 to expand as it anticipates adding 14 employees. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)
An expansion will give Edge Performance Sports in Ontario more room to service motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs and other power equipment. The company recently was awarded a $400,000 to help pay for the project. (LES ZAITZ/The Enterprise)

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