Florence Enterprise Zone

Florence's Enterprise Zone allows qualifying businesses to receive a 3 – 5 year property tax exemption on site and building improvements. The Enterprise Zone freezes your tax rate at the level it was before you increased your property's value with improvements. Both new and existing businesses can qualify for Enterprise Zone benefits. In exchange for tax exemptions, qualified businesses are expected to increase employment, and, for the extended 5-year exemption, compensate new hires at a higher than average wage. 

• Does my business qualify? 

• Does my investment qualify?

• Next Steps if You Qualify

• How does my business qualify for the extended 4th & 5th year exemptions?​

Does my business qualify?

Qualified Business Types: Manufacturers, processors, shippers, assembly, storage and other operations that provide goods, products, or services to other businesses. Florence also extends exemptions to hotels, motels, and destination resorts, unlike many other Enterprise Zones in Oregon. 

Qualifying Businesses with Special Conditions: Retail/Financial call centers and "headquarters" facilities (see application for conditions) 

Businesses that DO NOT Qualify: Retail, health care, construction, financial services, professional services 

If you think your business qualifies based on these criteria, read on to see if your investment will qualify. 

Does my investment qualify?

Eligible Investments: Newly constructed buildings/structures, new additions/modifications to existing structures, newly installed machinery and equipment, personal property in excess of $50,000

*All investments must be located within the Enterprise Zone to qualify.* 

Investments that are NOT Eligible: Land, previously used property (assessed value at the time of application), miscellaneous personal property 

Next Steps 

If you think your business and your proposed investments meet the Enterprise Zone criteria, you can submit an Oregon Enterprise Zone Authorization Application to Florence's Zone Manager

If your application is approved, you are agreeing to improve our community without taking business away from the surrounding area. To maintain your benefits, you must: 

• Increase full-time, permanent employment of the firm inside the Enterprise Zone by the greater of one new job or 10% (or less with special-case waivers); 
• Have no concurrent job losses outside the Zone boundary inside Oregon; 
• Maintain minimum employment level during the exemption period; 
• And enter into a first-source agreement with local job training providers. 

How does my business qualify for the extended 4th and 5th year exemptions? 

To qualify for further years of exemptions, we ask that you commit to further improving our workforce and community. You must: 

• Compensate new workers at or above 150% of the average county wage; 
• Satisfy additional criteria that the City of Florence might reasonably request as part of the agreement (determined on a case-by-case basis); 
• And receive written agreement of extension from the City.