Local businesses contribute to flights

Five Sisters businesses stepped up to pledge a minimum of $2,000 in advance ticket payments in an effort to bring Delta Airlines service to Redmond.

As of last week, 107 businesses had pledged $543,500, more than the target required to secure a contract between Delta and the organization Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO).

It appears that the effort to create Redmond-Salt Lake city service was successful.

Multnomah Publishers, O'Keeffe's Co., Eastlan, Black Butte Ranch and Metabolic Maintenance Products all chipped in funds that will be redeemed through ticket purchases after service begins in the spring. The businesses declined to state the specific amounts of their contributions.

According to Jennifer Houston of Economic Development for Central Oregon, the proposal was not a hard sell.

In fact, local businesses were eager to participate.

"I think that everyone who put forth the pledge is thrilled to have the service," she said.

Carla Powell, general manager at Metabolic Maintenance, would not dispute that belief.

"For us, as much travel as we do, it just made sense," Powell said.

Representatives from the vitamin manufacturer travel extensively to trade shows and for other business purposes. Flights take them to Las Vegas, Chicago, New Orleans, New York and Washington, D.C.

Making connections in Portland or Seattle is a hassle.

"We spent a lot of time going backwards," Powell said. "For us, it will save quite a lot of time and money."

Service east aboard a CRJ-200 jet that can carry 50 passengers sounded pretty attractive. Flights from Redmond to Salt Lake City would take 75 minutes.

And the flights promise to be more comfortable.

Mike Broadbent of O'Keeffe's, makers of Working Hands Creme, echoed Powell's sentiments. Representatives of his company travel a lot for trade shows and sales meetings.

"Soliciting a larger account, we almost always have to go meet with them," he said.

His representatives found themselves spending a lot of time sitting in airports. Broadbent hopes that the Delta deal will change that.

"Delta has a lot of flights to places we go out of Salt Lake (making for just one, hopefully brief) layover," he said.

Broadbent praised EDCO for pursuing Delta.

"I'm glad that Economic Development took the initiative to do something about the situation, because it was frustrating," he said.

Houston noted that other businesses in Sisters were very supportive of the proposed service, even though they were unable to contribute the minimum $2,000 to the advance ticket fund.

"Not every business is able to put that forward," she said.