SCAPPOOSE, Ore. — Oct. 2026 — Thomas Kimsey, Associate Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Capital Access, visited the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center Research & Development (OMIC R&D) on Monday, Oct. 5. More than 15 local business owners, civic leaders and economic development partners joined him at the Scappoose facility to discuss SBA resources and see how OMIC R&D supports Oregon manufacturers.
Kimsey oversees the SBA’s Office of Capital Access, which administers the agency’s lending programs, and its Office of Manufacturing and Trade. He brings more than 30 years of experience in SBA and USDA government-guaranteed lending, including time as a small business owner.
The afternoon opened with an introduction to OMIC R&D, Oregon Tech’s applied research facility focused on advanced manufacturing. Throughout the visit, Kimsey connected with business owners and community leaders from Columbia County’s manufacturing, construction materials, engineering, utility and hospitality sectors, learning about their companies and the role SBA resources can play in supporting local growth.
Attendees included former State Senator Betsy Johnson; Scappoose City Manager Ben Burgener; Laurie Joseph of the City of Scappoose; Kellie Jo Smith of Columbia County; Valerie Egon of Business Oregon; Shaun Stewart of Columbia River PUD; Joseph Wyno of the Oregon UAS Accelerator; and representatives from CalPortland, Flighthouse Engineering, Hangsterfer’s, NW Innovation Technologies, Rightline Equipment, Scappoose Hospitality Group and Scappoose Sand and Gravel.
Kimsey was joined by SBA colleagues Bryan Zulko, Kelly Chambers, Matthew Schmidt and Joe Smetak.
Kimsey and attendees then toured OMIC R&D’s additive and subtractive manufacturing spaces. In the additive lab, the group saw technologies including continuous fiber composite printing, laser powder bed fusion, cold spray, binder jet and wire arc additive manufacturing. In the subtractive space, they saw the advanced machining equipment OMIC R&D uses for research and industry projects.
“Small manufacturers are the backbone of Oregon’s economy, and access to capital is often what determines whether they can adopt new technology,” said Don Hendrickson, Executive Director of OMIC R&D. “Having Associate Administrator Kimsey here, face to face with our local business community, helps connect the federal resources available to the companies that can put them to work.”
OMIC R&D holds a Center of Innovation Excellence designation from Business Oregon for additive manufacturing outreach, helping small and mid-sized Oregon companies evaluate and adopt new production technologies.