The people who started Central Oregon’s first two bioscience companies were drawn by the outdoors, rather than the presence of a research institution.
And perhaps because of that, Bend Research Inc. and Grace Bio-Labs lacked nearby industry peers in their early years.
Bend Research founders Harry Lonsdale and Richard Baker arrived in Tumalo in the mid-1970s.
When Grace Bio-Labs co-founders Chuck McGrath and Jennipher Grudzien came from the Detroit area in the mid-1990s, Bend Research was well-established, but it was the only major player in town, Grudzien said.
Image: http://www.bendbulletin.com
