Monica Zorza Hockett founded the company in 2010 after she saw the need for a service like hers that helps businesses focus on what they do best while keeping them in compliance and ensuring they get everything out of their business that they can. Monica combines knowledge of how books should be kept for tax purposes with understanding of what owners need to know to help them better run their business. She can therefore meet businesses in the middle, presenting their books in the way they want to see and in a manner that serves CPA review. With three employees, HRHR is also happy to announce they are QuickBooks certified consultants, meaning they can train people how to do their books using QuickBooks.

HRHR is a member of the GTA because they appreciate what the organization does for the community, from the youth robotics support to the overall purpose. It also keeps them in the loop on the local tech industry, which helps them better serve their tech business clients. Learn more at hoodriverhr.com.

About Monica Zorza Hockett, Owner, Hood River HR

Monica grew up in the Gorge, the third generation of her family to live in Hood River. After graduating from high school here at 16, she did leave -first to attend college at Arizona State and then to teach English in Germany, living in Hamburg for a year and traveling. She’s been settled back in the Gorge since 2002, marrying another long-time local from White Salmon and enjoying spending time with all of their family in the area. Their son, Maverick, also keeps her busy. He’ll turn four in June and will be joined by a little brother the same month.

Their competitive advantage is in their 22 years of manufacturing IP: while many composites manufacturers are limited to thin structures up to 0.1 inch thick, ICE has developed processes to manufacture structures up to 4-inches thick with diameters to 24 inches and lengths to 18 feet. This has allowed them to pass up commodity products like golf shafts and find industries where they can develop technical solutions working closely with their customers. ICE has developed products used in oil & gas, surveying, precision measurement, UAVs (including the ScanEagle), among others. Some of their primary customers include Baker Hughes, Lockheed Martin, Faro and they recently started development for Airbus. They even make carbon fiber furniture for Ralph Lauren, including the CF1 Chair, and continue to build windsurfing masts, being the only US producer for the last 6 or 7 years.

One of ICE’s most exciting customers is Lamborghini. Working with the company to build parts that are both structural and cosmetic, they’ve developed the carbon fiber suspension for the Sesto Elemento, a carbon X-frame brace for the Aventador and are working on carbon seats for a upcoming 2014 model. “It’s been a really good relationship”, says ICE’s CEO Steve Maier, “and speaks well to ICE’s ability to provide solutions that no one else in the world can.”

ICE and Steve Maier have been supporters of the GTA since the formation of the organization in 2004. They are a big sponsor of the GTA’s youth robotics program this year because they strongly believe in giving back to the community and in inspiring our kids into science and engineering careers. Learn more at innovativecomposite.com.

Course Title: SolidWorks, Introduction

Description: This is a hands‐on, introductory course in 3D solid‐modeling with SolidWorks. The course will be taught from a practical, methods‐based point of view using realistic and tangible modeling concepts. The course introduces SolidWorks design software as a 3‐D design and validation tool emphasizing processes and procedures for completion of any task. Upon completion of the class students should be able to create dynamic parametric models, assemblies, and dimensioned drawings.

Students attending this course are expected to have some experience with the use of computers, the Windows operating system, and a familiarity with modern program operation. Some knowledge of the principles of mechanical drafting or design is helpful, but not required.

Instructor: Adam Scheible

Days: Fridays June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Location: Hood River Indian Creek Campus, 1730 College Way, Hood River, Oregon, room 304

Cost: $399, plus $40 book fee

Registration: Call Columbia Gorge Community College at 541.506.6011, or 541.308.8211.

Kinetics has developed several codes that are used as computer research tools for concept studies and data analysis efforts by the Research Laboratories of the Air Force, Missile Defense Agency, and Navy. They have also developed several optical-signature computer programs that are used throughout the DoD aerospace community as well as next generation optical signature computer simulations, providing significant increases in the synthetic representation of infrared phenomenology.

From their office in Mill A, Washington, Dennis Crow,  Principal Scientist, applies his extensive knowledge in the physical, mathematical, engineering, and computational sciences to work conducting software research and development, as well as testing and evaluation.  Frank Gahimer, systems engineer, focuses on keeping the business systems and components operational and up-to-date with the most current technology.  Anita rounds out their team conducting the business operations management, including contracting, finances, and security.

Kinetics, Inc. is a member of the GTA because they feel it is important to promote high technology businesses and support businesses in the Gorge, provide high tech educational opportunities for young people and provide small business development assistance through the GTA’s activities.

About Anita Gahimer-Crow, Business Operations Manager, and Dennis Crow, Owner and Principal Scientist

After spending his vacation windsurfing in the Gorge for several years, Dennis chose to settle and grow his company here in 1995. Dennis is an avid outdoorsman and can be found outside working on one project or another when not in his office. Anita is a born-and-raised Skamania County resident who left the Gorge in 1967, returning in 1995 to become the Port of Skamania County Executive Director.  Anita is an Economic Development and Finance Professional who serves on several local Boards as well as being a Board member and Secretary of the Rural Community Assistance Corporation which serves the 13 western states and Pacific Territories by providing technical assistance and financial resources for multiple housing and water projects in rural communities. Dennis is a volunteer Search and Rescue Diver for the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office and Anita is an 18-year volunteer Washington State Fish and Wildlife Hunter Education Instructor. Dennis and Anita live on 72 acres of forest land in the Little White Salmon River Canyon and have four grandchildren between the ages of one and three!

Owner Brian Prigel returned to his machining roots when he started his business in the Gorge. After learning the trade in a high school vocational program, machining has always been at the core of his work. It was purely coincidence that the Gorge’s UAV industry took off at the same time that he opened, keeping him very busy with 10 employees currently. The majority of Prigel’s customers are still in the UAV industry, including GTA Members Hood Tech, Insitu, Real Carbon, Cloud Cap, Sagetech and Zepher, among others, while he’s slowly expanding his customer base to other areas such as renewable energy.

From their facility in Odell, Prigel Machine builds parts for companies that produce small numbers of their own designed product. They are continually adding capabilities as well, with machinery upgrades such as the new VF-5, a versatile 5-axis machining center. Prigel is also excited to announce that within the next month they will break ground on a permanent home next to their currently-rented facility. The 12,000 sf building will not be too much larger but will be a better facility for their machinery and type of work with a more efficient layout for material flow.

Prigel Machine is a sponsor of the GTA for the ability to network in a different environment than the typical customer relationship. Brian is also a strong believer in the GTA’s efforts to encourage our regional students to pursue careers in science and technology through the GTA’s youth robotics program. The difficulty of finding qualified, trained employees in the region has been a struggle for the business, and any efforts to help produce an educated local workforce “is a wonderful thing for the area,” says Brian.  Learn more at prigelmachine.com.

About Brian Prigel, Owner, Prigel Machine & Fabrication

Hire’s lengthy experience and highly-qualified electricians given them a competitive advantage. In fact, many other electrical contractors in the Gorge were trained at Hire Electric as apprentices.  With about 10 electricians on staff currently, Hire works primarily on commercial projects, from long term contracts with The City of the Dalles and Oregon Cherry Growers to one-time projects such as new grain storage bins in Roosevelt, WA and a fish hatchery near Roseberg, OR.

The Solar Division at Hire Electric is headed by Jonathan Lewis. Promotion of this part of the businesses is what brought them in as members of the Gorge Tech Alliance. They can evaluate the solar and wind potential of your home or business and help put together your best option for taking advantage of the available renewable resources. Their analysis and reports offer a detailed description of system components, potential output, available incentives and an installed cost proposal. Recent projects can be seen on their website here and have ranged from the a medical center in Richland, WA to the Hood River Middle School and of course many residential installations. They also offer an e-newsletter covering the latest renewable energy incentive information for Oregon and Washington, sales and price reductions for solar or small wind, updates on the jobs they’ve done, trends in the renewable energy industry and new product offerings. Sign up here or contact Hire at 541-296-5574 for more information. Visit their website at hireelectric.com.

About Mindy and Dan McHale, Owners, Hire Electric

Dan and Mindy have been married for seven years and have owned Hire Electric for the last three of those. Born and raised in The Dalles, Dan grew up with his Dad working for and then owning Hire Electric. Dan joined the business himself in 1981 and proudly bought it in 2009. Outside of Hire, Mindy is also a massage therapist in The Dalles and the couple enjoys playing golf together. Although he doesn’t do it much lately, Dan used to hunt and fish a lot and remembers hunting birds and deer in Sherman County wheat fields. Dan also has three grown children – two sons and a daughter – who all live in Corvallis and they enjoy spending time with them when they can.

The technology program in Wasco County’s 4-H office really began in 2007 when Lynette Black took over as 4-H Youth Development Faculty for the office and began writing grants for a tech program. She had heard concern about a lack of ready workforce for the tech companies coming into the Gorge and determined that 4-H could help build a tech-focused educational feeder program. With their concentration on elementary and then middle school students, they fed into the high school’s tech programs and on to Columbia Gorge Community College or OSU.

Their tech programs today are some in-school and some afterschool, during the school year and in summer programs and from Maupin and Dufur to The Dalles and Mosier. Programs include Junior FIRST LEGO League and FIRST LEGO League teams, renewable energy programs, GPS and GIS work and the latest development – Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) in the form of submersible robots. They also periodically offer robot trainings for adult mentors and coaches, including one this Saturday in The Dalles.

The submersible robots are about one to two feet square, are made out of PVC piping and right now run on switches and wires without programming. Future developments could get kids building their own sensors and motherboards and maybe even building a ROV to track salmon that other Wasco County 4-H programs have raised and tagged! The group is gearing up now for the Marine Advanced Technology Education ROV Competition at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport in June.

The tech program is an expensive one and Wasco County 4-H appreciates grant support they’ve received from many groups, including GTA Members Google and Insitu. They’ve also received equipment donations and educational support from other members. Wasco County 4-H is a member of the GTA in support of the Gorge’s tech sector and to make connections for new resources and volunteers in recognition of the amazing knowledge base among the group. Learn more at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/wasco/fourh

About Holly Morris, Educational Program Assistant, Wasco County 4-H Program

 Holly’s family moved to the Gorge when she was just five, first stopping in Parkdale at her grandparents’ pear orchard before quickly planting their own roots in The Dalles. Holly received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management from Oregon State University and is happy to now work for OSU (a Beaver through and through!) as Educational Program Assistant for Wasco County 4-H where she leads most of the tech programs. Speaking with her for just a moment makes her passion and dedication for her work clearly visible. Outside of work, she enjoys gardening, sustainable living and her kids (ages 18, 16 and 7).

• Project Planning and Organization: May 11 and 18
• Project Management Communications and Teamwork: June 8 and 15
• Project Management Tools: June 29 and July 6
• Project Leadership and Conflict Management: July 20 and 27

“We heard from a number of our tech members that this need existed among their employees. Rather than sending a few employees at a time to Portland or elsewhere, we researched if we could bring the professors to us if we got enough people together,” says Jessica Metta, GTA Executive Director. “Unfortunately, this wasn’t a training that CGCC could offer in the short-term, but they’ve been a great partner at helping solve our tech workforce needs.” The GTA was also pleased to offer a 10% discount for GTA Members.

To register now or learn more about PSU’s program, click here.

Course Summaries:

• Project Planning and Organization: Well-run projects depend entirely on the foundation laid in the initial planning stages, care and precision in project organization, and excellent teamwork. This course offers a detailed look at the characteristics of projects and a hands-on team simulation of the project planning and management process.
• Project Management Communications and Teamwork: This course shows you how to approach the people and team issues associated with your projects. Project team leaders must understand themselves, know how to build successful teams, and know how to run effective meetings.
• Project Management Tools:  This course shows how elements of project management can be made more predictable and scientific through use of a structured system and integrated tools based on those developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
• Project Leadership and Conflict Management: This course covers the art of leadership in the project team. Project leaders must be adept at building trust, making and keeping agreements, and negotiating conflict with project team members. In addition, facilitating project meetings, establishing clear decision-making protocols, and conflict-resolution strategies are all leadership requirements within the team. This course is highly interactive with discussion and group case study.

When his college friend Steve Sliwa called to have Brad join him in the Gorge on a small project called Insitu, Brad was happy to get back into aerospace. While his current title is Senior Project Manager, Brad has done a lot of different things since joining: program management, project management, work on payloads, sensors and optics, marketing work and most recently, passing the Patent Bar Exam and managing their patent portfolio.

Brad is currently focused on technology’s effects on marketing and business, directly and indirectly. Or in other words, technology futures, competitive analysis and patents in particular. “I’m looking for the next thing – which technologies will affect us, which will provide opportunities. You have to sift through technology predictions to determine what is pure science fiction and what will affect you, while at the same time trying to create the next science fiction thing yourself.”

Brad is a member of the GTA because he loves living in the Gorge and believes in its potential for technology businesses, startups and research, demonstrated by the tremendous accomplishments and growth of several technology companies and educational projects over the past couple of decades, especially since 2001.  And he wants to help foster more!

One of Brad’s most recent personal accomplishments is the publication of a children’s book titled “The Stars are Mine.” Written and illustrated solely by Brad, the book reflects his love of children and is available through iTunes here. He is looking forward to publishing it in print and e-format soon.

Perhaps the most interesting and appreciated connection Brad has made via the GTA recently was with Dave Fenwick, longtime GTA Board Member. Dave owns vLetter, which provided its commercial SmartFont handwriting technology service to create a computer typeface of Brad’s hand for his book. vLetter also allowed the read aloud edition of the book for the iPad to highlight each of the words as it is spoken, while maintaining the hand-drawn look and feel of the original book.  Contact Brad at brad@brad.net.

More About Brad…

Brad came to the Gorge in 2003 to work with his old friend Steve Sliwa on Insitu, which was started by another old friend Tad McGeer. Starting as a consultant, he relocated fully in 2004 when he came on as an employee. The work was unique and gave Brad a chance to get back into aerospace after being in software for a long time. “And the idea to actually be working on an aircraft system was really nice,” says Brad. Outside of work he enjoys running, reading, haunting Hood River/ Bingen area coffee shops and eateries and serving on the Boards of both CASA and as Treasurer of the GTA. An interesting fact about Brad: he was on the team that attempted to launch the first commercial rocket in the US in 1981. “It was quite an adventure,” says Brad. “We tested the rocket to destruction; the rocket launched and achieved an unexpected altitude, but only 2/3 of the rocket got off the pad!”