2008
2007
2006
- Portland ranked Most Sustainable City in the U.S.
- Oregonians share views on growth, economy and government
2005
- Oregon tax rankings: 41st in per-capita taxes, 30th in total revenue
- Biotech giant Genetech grows into Hillsboro, Ore.
- Northwest utilities are renewable energy leaders
2004 — 2001
- Medical products firm consolidates manufacturing in Oregon and New York
- Schnitzer Steel expands operations
- Keen Footwear steps into Portland
- MathStar expands staffing in Hillsboro
- LaCrosse Footwear leases new headquarters
- Board gives Clackamas County top ranking for economy
- Portland named cleanest city in America
- Portland is number four on list of most unwired cities
- Yahoo selects Hillsboro for new call center
- Agreement reached on $25 billion Intel Oregon investment program
- Study touts Nike’s economic impact on Oregon
- BHI releases Metro Area and State Competitiveness Report 2004
- Oregon workers’ comp rates relatively low, study finds
- Newberg will remain home to Action Equipment
- Credence moving jobs to Hillsboro
- Outdoor gear maker WaterMark selects Portland area for headquarters
- Acumed adds 140 jobs
- New Wachovia Corp. contact center in Salem will employ at least 500
- Portland emerges as one of five sites considered for new Siltronic plant
- Portland’s green practices earn magazine’s 2004 Impressive City Award
- Sun Microsystems consolidates manufacturing in Oregon
- State grant to fund Salem aviation company expansion
- Supreme Trucks opens Woodburn factory
- Governor announces shovel-ready industrial sites
- Grant funds Portland-area economic development strategy
- New state initiatives bolster business climate
2008
State of Oregon, PGE and Renault-Nissan form electric vehicle partnership
The Renault-Nissan Alliance announced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show that Nissan and the state of Oregon are forming a partnership to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle charging network. PGE is working with the state and the auto manufacturer toward the development of an easily accessible and reliable network of charging stations.
Oregon, top green state
Business Facilities’ 2008 annual look at the top-ranked localities for economic development placed Oregon as the No. 1 “greenest state.” In addition, Portland is the third “greenest city,” and Oregon is fourth best in sales tax environment and tenth best in overall tax climate among states.
Oregon economic development receives national recognition
Site Selection magazine has named the SolarWorld site development project among the top 2007 North American economic development deals. Important factors for the SolarWorld move included the facility, the State of Oregon property and business energy tax credits and availability of highly skilled workers.
California solar company chooses Portland
Rec Solar, a California company that installs solar energy systems, has opened an Oregon sales office, joining the fast-growing list of solar companies that have pumped more than $470 million into the Oregon economy in the past few years.
Popular Science ranks Portland ‘America’s Greenest City’
According to the Popular Science magazine, Portland is “America’s Greenest City” with half of its power coming from renewable energy resources. The survey evaluates cities with populations greater than 100,000 across four broad “green” categories.
2007
Portland named among Fast Company’s 2007 ‘Fast Cities’
Portland has been listed as a top Green Leader in Fast Company’s “Fast Cities 2007.” Lauded for having the most buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, Portland also receives praise for its savvy urban planning, “eat local” revolution, farmers markets and world-class vineyards.
Solaicx announces 48 MW solar facility in Portland, Ore.
Solaicx, a manufacturer of mono-crystalline silicon ingots and wafers for solar photovoltaic applications, has selected Portland, Oregon, as the location for its new silicon manufacturing facility.
Solarworld AG to move largest U.S. solar-wafer and cell factory to Hillsboro, Ore.
Solarworld AG, a German company with locations in Sweden, Germany and the United States, will move its solar-wafer and cell production facility from Vancouver, Wash., to Hillsboro, Ore. Solarworld plans to invest $397 million to double its solar-cell and wafer production by 2010 and add 1,000 new jobs.
Portland ranked Most Sustainable City in the U.S.
Portland came out on top of SustainLane.com’s 2006 sustainability rankings of the 50 most populous U.S. cities. The rankings were based on a range of environmental factors: Breathable air, clean drinking water, renewable energy, parks, green buildings, farmers’ markets, affordable housing, recycling, walkable communities, and, especially, public transit.
Oregonians share views on growth, economy and government
What do Oregonians think about growth and the economy? In a PGE-commissioned survey, 500 Oregonians expressed their views on growth, the economy and how government spends money. See the February 2006 survey results (PDF).
Oregon tax rankings: 41st in per-capita taxes, 30th in total revenue
A U.S. Census Bureau study showed that Oregonians enjoyed one of the nation’s lowest tax burdens in 2005, ranking 41st in the amount of per-capita taxes residents paid. Based on total state tax revenue, Oregon ranked 30th among the 50 states with $6.5 billion collected. See the Portland Business Journal website to learn more.
Biotech giant Genetech grows into Hillsboro, Ore.
San Francisco-based Genentech has selected a 100-acre site in Hillsboro as the future home of a new facility that will fill and package commercial drugs. The biotechnology company listed Oregon’s advantageous business environment, high-quality available labor force and development-ready land with supporting infrastructure as key factors in the decision. To learn more, see the Portland Business Journal website.
Northwest utilities are renewable energy leaders
Portland’s two electric utilities ranked second and third in U.S. renewable power sales, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In 2005, Portland General Electric customers bought nearly 400 million kilowatts of power generated by geothermal plants, dams and wind farms in 2005, which PacifiCorp customers bought more than 234 million kilowatts. See the Portland Business Journal website for details.
Medical products firm consolidates manufacturing in Oregon and New York
Welch Allyn Inc., a leading global manufacturer of frontline medical products and solutions, will consolidate domestic production at its two largest facilities in Beaverton, Ore., and Skaneateles, N.Y. The Beaverton facility will absorb defibrillator manufacturing operations from Chicago, with staffing expected to expand by about 10 percent.
Schnitzer Steel expands operations
Schnitzer Steel Industries Inc., will nearly double the metal shredding capacity of its Portland metal recycling operation with installation of new state-of-the-art equipment.
Keen Footwear steps into Portland
Keen Footwear has moved north from California to join Portland’s robust athletic footwear and apparel industry. A labor pool of footwear experts and easier access to outdoor opportunities were key factors in attracting the growing company to Portland. See the Portland Business Journal website for details.
MathStar expands staffing in Hillsboro
Minneapolis-based MathStar has expanded the executive team at its Hillsboro development site and plans to hire 20 more employees by the end of 2006. The company designs and develops ultra-high-performance semiconductors for image processing, digital signal processing and embedded reprogrammable logic markets. For more details, see the Portland Business Journal website.
LaCrosse Footwear leases new headquarters
LaCrosse Footwear Inc. has signed a long-term operating lease for a new 145,000-square-foot building in Portland to house its corporate headquarters and a distribution center. The company, which. manufactures rubber, leather and vinyl footwear for sporting, recreational and occupational markets, expects to move in June 2006. For more details, see the Portland Business Journal website.
Board gives Clackamas County top ranking for economy
The Oregon Progress board recognized Clackamas County as the top ranked county in the economy category. The category is measured by job growth/loss, per capita income, wages and unemployment. See the press release (Microsoft® Word document) for details.
Portland named cleanest city in America
Reader’s Digest has named Portland the cleanest city in America. Based on five measures of cleanliness — air pollution, water pollution, toxic emissions, hazardous waste and the number of sanitation workers per capita — the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas were scored. See article on The Business Journal website.
Portland is number four on list of most unwired cities
Portland is topping the list of America’s wireless cities. Intel’s 3rd Annual “Most Unwired Cities” survey ranks the top 100 U.S. cities and regions for the greatest wireless Internet accessibility.
Yahoo selects Hillsboro for new call center
Yahoo, the Silicon Valley search engine company, has selected Oregon to be home to a new 170-person, customer-service center due to open in August 2005. See news article on City of Hillsboro website.
Agreement reached on $25 billion Intel Oregon investment program
Intel has reached agreement on a Strategic Investment Program agreement with Washington County that would cover up to $25 billion of additional Intel investment in Oregon. See Intel’s presentation (PDF) about the program.
Study touts Nike’s economic impact on Oregon
Nike Inc.’s Oregon activities add nearly $2 billion to the state economy, according to a study conducted for the company by EcoNorthwest, a Portland-based consulting firm. See article in the Portland Business Journal.
BHI releases Metro Area and State Competitiveness Report 2004
Portland ranks as number three among U.S. metro regions in the Beacon Hill Institute’s Metro Competitiveness Report for 2004. Cities are ranked based on their strengths in technology, security and human resources. See the Beacon Hill Institute for details.
Oregon workers’ comp rates relatively low, study finds
Results of a newly updated study show that Oregon’s workers’ compensation premium rates have continued to improve relative to other states’ rates, with Oregon’s 2004 premium rates ranking 42nd in the nation. See article in the Portland Business Journal.
Newberg will remain home to Action Equipment
Action Equipment, a manufacturer of vibrating screeners, conveyors and feeders, will expand its operations in Newberg, following a city resolution on re-zoning land where the company plans to relocate. See the Newberg Graphic for details.
Credence moving jobs to Hillsboro
Milpitas, Calif.-based Credence Systems Corp. plans to consolidate three separate manufacturing facilities into a single facility in Hillsboro, the company announced in November. See the Portland Business Journal for details.
Outdoor gear maker WaterMark selects Portland area for headquarters
Outdoor equipment maker WaterMark plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and 70 employees from Northern California to the Portland area beginning in February 2005, joining what it called a significant number of outdoor industry businesses in Oregon. For details, see the Outdoor Industry Association website.
Acumed adds 140 jobs
Hillsboro medical equipment maker Acumed has announced plans to expand and add 140 manufacturing and engineering jobs over the next five years. See the Portland Business Journal for details.
New Wachovia Corp. contact center in Salem will employ at least 500
Wachovia Corp., a prominent banking and financial services company, has started building an 108,000-sq.-ft. call center in Salem that will add 500 new jobs by first quarter 2005. The center is expected to begin operations in November.
Portland emerges as one of five sites considered for new Siltronic plant
Portland is one of five sites under consideration by Siltronic Corp. for locating a new silicon wafer manufacturing plant that would bring at least 500 new jobs to the city. Siltronic is expected to make its decision by July.
“We are aggressively pursuing this opportunity and we’re optimistic about Portland’s chances, not only for the Siltronic investment but for more business development to come,” said Peggy Fowler, CEO of Portland General Electric and co-chair of the Portland Ambassadors committee leading the effort. Portland is the only finalist in the western hemisphere, Fowler said.
Portland’s green practices earn magazine’s 2004 Impressive City Award
Portland is one of five cities chosen by Colorado-based Delicious Living Magazine for environmentally friendly practices. For details, see the Portland Business Journal article.
Sun Microsystems consolidates manufacturing in Oregon
Sun Microsystems, Inc., a leading provider of server computers that run corporate networks and websites, is consolidating its U.S. manufacturing and transferring production to Hillsboro. The transfer, which will add about 100 more people to the 250-member Sun workforce in Hillsboro, will be completed this year. For details, see the Portland Business Journal website.
State grant to fund Salem aviation company expansion
With the help of a $125,000 grant from the Oregon Governor’s Strategic Reserve Fund, a Salem aviation technology company announced it will expand its Salem airport facilities to include a 6,000-square-foot research facility and a 6,000-square-foot hangar. Garmin AT Inc. will retain 150 engineering and manufacturing jobs and expects to employ 166 within the next two years. For details, see The Portland Business Journal article, Salem company gets expansion help from state.
Supreme Trucks opens Woodburn factory
Indiana-based Supreme Corp. expanded its truck and bus manufacturing operations in December 2003, opening a new, 108,000-square-foot plant in Woodburn that will employ about 120 people. The Woodburn plant will first produce 840 trucks for Budget Rental. See The Portland Business Journal article, Truck maker opens facility in Woodburn.
Governor announces shovel-ready industrial sites
On May 3, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski unveiled the state’s first 11 certified industrial sites where the state promises that construction can begin within six months of a company’s decision to locate on them. He also unveiled OregonProspector.com a website geared for out-of-state site selection consultants that lists available business property, including certified sites. The website was created in a collaborative effort by Pacific Power, PGE and four other utilities. “This site is a great example of teamwork among Oregon utilities, and the public and private sectors working in partnership,” said Charlie Allcock, PGE’s Economic Development Director. See the governor’s press release (PDF) for more information.
Grant funds Portland-area economic development strategy
A group of regional economic development organizations received a $75,000 federal grant to complete a comprehensive strategy for the Portland-Vancouver, Wash., area. The group is developing plans around four industry clusters: silicon; micro- and nanotechnologies; cyber-security; and metals and transportation equipment. Learn more in the Portland Business Journal news article.
New state initiatives bolster business climate
An article in the Business Xpansion Journal outlines several new business initiatives from the state of Oregon. Among those highlighted:
- A new $6 million workforce development plan announced by the governor that makes training funds available to existing firms to meet their workforce training requirements.
- A workers’ compensation reduction.
- Plans to launch the Oregon Certified Sites program in coming months.
See the article titled, Oregon’s development efforts yield positive business climate.