Medford, Oregon is an anchor city in the Medford-Ashland Metro Area in Southwestern Oregon and serves as an economic and Medical Services hub for Southern Oregon and Northern California. The area features diversities as wide as fruit orchards and shopping malls to skateboarding, firespinning, and pow wows (see videos below).

Approximately 76,000 individuals live in the City of Medford, the County Seat for Jackson County. The area features a large shopping center - the Rogue Valley Mall - a cultural and theater complex in Ashland, and several natural attractions, along with a group of entertaining festivals, historic districts, and sprts events. Medford City was named by Money Magazine as one of the Top 25 Best Small Cities for Jobs and Business in America in 2007 - 2008.

As the Oregon and California Railroad was built out to the area that is now Medford. The town site was chosen by the railroad and was established and encouraged to grow along Bear Creek by the time the tracks met the city in 1884. Thereafter, the city became a hub of commerce and transport for the Timber and Agriculture Industries. Peaches, pears, and grapes have been a long-term foundation of the fruit trade in this area; joined by timber in the early days and to a lesser extent today.

About 20 miles to the southeast of Medford, Ashland OR was named after the counties of Ashland in Ohio and Kentucky, where founders of the Oregon city had left family members to travel west. Agriculture was a mainstay of initital local business, with the town's orchards bringing international recognition, especially the Ashand Peach that garnered honors at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Agriculture trade in Ashland depended upon the railroad for distribution as it did in Medford and both cities benefited from the booming railroad era at its height.

With approxinately 22,000 residents today, Ashland is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

The Commons is an ongoing revitalization project in the downtown urban center of Medford that is increasing the city's economic strength with new businesses and jobs. Public parking and recreation opportunities are also expanding, with overall project plans extending to the year 2017.

In relation to this revitalization, Vogal Plaza has become the center for several events, including the Art in Bloom Festival held near Mother's Day annually. The Pear Blossom Run is held around nearby Alba Park, across from city hall. The Taste of History celebration is held in the Downtown area each June.

EVERGREEN MIXED USE PROJECT

Green building and construction methods for sustainability have become a part of the Downtown revitalization project. All this includes street and sidewalks, parkways, fencing, new businesses, and re-builds.

Alternative Energy Sources

Greenberry Industrial Mechanical Contractor Medford projects include structural/mechanical work in industrial constructions such as boiler making, heavy rigging, millwright and equipment setting, pipe fitting, and steel. Partnering with Medford in alternative energy production, this company is supplying the construction management, fabrication, and field services required.

High demand jobs in the Medford-Ashland area include Teaching and Teachers' Asssitants jobs in mainstream classrooms at nearly all levels of the school system. These positions cover the full gamut od education from Elementary School to Middle School, High School, College, and Vocational Schools.

Healthcare is another local high demand job field, particularly for Registered Nurses (RNs).

Tourism is also a healthy part of the local economy, with residents from Northern California, Northern Oregon, Washington, and elsewhere regularly traveling into the area to shop and visit. 

1. Registered Nurses (RNs)
2. Operations Managers and General Managers
3. Auditing and Bookkeeping Clerks
4. Mainstream Elementary School Teachers
5. Mainstream Secondary School Teachers
6. College-Level and Vocational Teachers and Instructors
7. Mainstream Middle School Teachers
8. Retails Sales Persons and Supervisors
9. Heavy- and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
10. All Food and Beverage Preparation and Service jobs

Additional high demand jobs include:

• Teachers' Assistants
• General Clerks and Attendants
• Receptionists
• Licensed Real Estate Agents

Harry and David began as a 240 acre pear orchard at the turn of the 20th century in Medford OR. Company owners began a direct mail order fruit business and followed that with high end gift baskets containing fruits and related items. Their Fruit-of-the-Month-Club offerings are famous throughout the world.

The "H & D Green Promise" is a company project that has eliminated many tons of a paper catalogues via Internet ordering lines. They participated in financing the Jackson County Expo Solar Energy Project and others. Further, they recycle from 50 - 99% of their waste materials, depending upon the type of material. H & D has won awards for is presentations entitled "Sustainability - It's Just Good Business!"

The company regularly employees a staff of 1,700+, but requires around 6,500 seasonal workers every year. Employment Opportunities at Harry & David : CAREERS.

• Southern Oregon University Athletics
• Ashland Little League
• Medford Golf Courses
• Oregon Rodeo & Events Calendars
• Oak Knoll Golf Course - Ashland on Highway 66
• PBA Medford Open - annual pro bowlng event, televised on ESPN.
• Salmon Fishing on the Rogue River