Building better lives, and a greener economy

Plastic bags in various sizes are one of the main products produced at Step Forward Activities in Baker City. From left are Tim Smith, Bill Selves, Maelene Brisco and in background is Dorothy Graham. (Baker City Herald/S.John Collins)

“We now have a bag that will dissolve and fade away to vapor in just 60 days,” said Gene Button, executive director at Step Forward Activities in Baker City. “These biobags clearly are our future.”

Step Forward Activities is a nonprofit corporation that employs 47 full-time staff who operate five group homes for people with developmental disabilities,

Step Forward also has a manufacturing plant in Baker City that provides jobs to residents of the group homes and others with developmental disabilities in manufacturing, packaging and shipping trash bags, recycling ink and toner cartridges for computer printers, and other ventures.

“We just bought the bag manufacturing machine (last) Monday from Green Bay, Wisconsin. That will be dedicated to biobags,” Button said.

Sales of standard trash bags will continue as usual, with biobags available for a slightly higher price to city, county and state agencies, as well as businesses and individuals.

He said a crew of around 45 people with developmental disabilities do all the work.

 “They make the plastic bags, put them in boxes, load the boxes on pallets, fill and ship the orders,” Button said. “Every dollar they earn saves the taxpayers 35 cents in subsidy payments.”

Workers on the plastic bag line are paid on a piece rate, but earn no less than minimum wage. Workers who recycle printer cartridges are paid by the hour on a sliding scale. However, Buttons said wages paid to workers who are less productive due to disabilities include some government subsidy.

He said plastic bags proved to be a recession-proof product in 2009. Of course, he said, sales have been helped by a state law requiring state agencies to purchase products manufactured by disabled workers,

“Last year our sales topped out at more than $5 million, for our best year ever,” said Button, who has seen sales grow from around $300,000 a year during his 20-year tenure as executive director. The corporation began operations in Baker City in 1976.

Workers with developmental disabilities are also available to do other work by contract, such as stuffing envelopes for Eastern Oregon Visitors Association.

“I like being around the people and being able to teach them new things,” said Jodie Radabaugh, who has been on the staff at Step Forward Activities for 12 years and is production manager for the trash bag manufacturing lines.

“They learn all kinds of skills — patience, attention to detail, being on time, being responsible and following staff directions,” Radabaugh said. “They all take a paycheck home, and that makes them feel better about themselves.”

In the past some of the Step Forward Activities clients also made straps for eyeglasses, pumpkin bags for Halloween and several other products.

In addition to creating jobs, Step Forward Activities operates a prison industries plant that manufactures computer printer cartridges with inmate labor from the Powder River Correctional Center in Baker City.

The company is also a Hewlett-Packard authorized sales agent for printer ink and toner cartridges.

“We’ve got contracts to supply trash bags and printer cartridges all along the I-5 corridor, but our sales in Baker County are nil,” Button said.

However, he said the sales staff has launched a new effort to educate area resident about the advantages of buying trash bags and printer cartridges from Step Forward.

“Our biggest problem is people don’t know they can come in here and buy printer stuff. They can walk in and buy plastic bags, ink cartridges and toner cartridges,” Button said.  

The manufacturing plant is at 3720 10th St. in Baker City. The phone number is 541-523-7475.