[07] Industrial and Commercial Organization

Lumber & Forestry
OR's major industries are in lumber, wood, timber, forest-product manufacturing. Around one-half the land area of the state is forested, with 40% production in commercial timber. Commercial forests are controlled by 60% public agencies and 40% private owners. The rest of the forest is under preservation, and recreational use.

Lumbering began in the Oregon Country in 1827 at Fort Vancouver. The first sawmill in the Willamette Valley was established by Ewing Young on Chehalem Creek in 1837. Young's mill supplied lumber for incoming settlers. In 1844 Henry Hunt established a mill above Astoria to make lumber for export to California. Later, the gold rush in California created a lucrative market for Oregon mills. By 1849 there were 37 sawmills in operation in the lower Willamette and Columbia region. The huge forest products industry continues to be a major part of Oregon's economy even after its downturn in the 1980s.

Since 1938, Oregon has ranked first in softwood lumber. By the late 20th century only 40% of the forest income was from lumber. Plywood accounts for 1/3rd of the value of forest products. Pulp, paper plants, hardboard, and particleboard plants contribute the remainder.

Fishing & Canning
Due to its situation near the ocean, it also has a large salmon fishing industry. Chinook, pink salmon and shellfish are valuable fishery products. Canning is also prominent in OR.

Commercial salmon fisheries developed in the 1860s, supporting early salmon-canning enterprises in Astoria, Tillamook Bay, Yaquina Bay, and Gold Beach. By the turn of the twentieth century commercial fishing was an important part of the economy of every major coastal town. Sportfishing later joined commercial fishing as an important part of the coastal economy and today it is a mainstay of the economies of Depoe Bay, Newport, Waldport, Florence, Winchester Bay, Gold Beach, and Brookings.

The Northwest salmon-canning industry got its start in 1866, when Hapgood, Hume & Co. built a cannery on the Columbia River at Eagle Cliff, on the Washington side.

By 1881 salmon canning was a major industry in the Pacific Northwest, and Astoria, by now the largest town on the Oregon coast, was its center. At the peak of the salmon canning industry there were thirty-nine canneries along the Columbia, and many others on Oregon's coastal rivers.


Locations of salmon canneries on the Columbia River and Oregon Coast
(click to enlarge)

Metals-related industries are conentrated in the Portland metropolitan area.

High-technology industries are found in Portland and the Willamette Valley.

Nike Retail Servies
The company's beginnings was at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Co-founder Phil Knight attended school there and co-founder Bill Bowerman coached track there.The business partnership began in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). In 1972, BRS introduced a new brand of athletic footwear called Nike, named for the Greek winged goddess of victory. The first track star to wear Nike shoes was Steve Prefontaine, who was a native of Coos Bay, Oregon, and ran for the University.

The world headquarters for Nike are in Washington County,Oregon. This is near Beaverton, a suburb of Portland. There are 16 buildings at world headquarters. istribution centers are also operated in Wilsonville, Oregon. Apparel and equipment products are shipped from distribution centers in Tigard, Oregon. Approximately 7,000 work in Oregon at world headquarters, off-campus buildings, the Wilsonville distribution center and various retail venues combined.

The first Niketown opened in Portland, Oregon, in 1990. They employ over 4,000 Nike retail associates in the US and stores have been in operation worldwide since 1984. As of May 31, 2004, Nike had 137 factories in the Americas (including the US).

Stock Symbol: NKE
- became public in Dec 1980
- traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Subsidiaries:
-Nike IHM, Inc. - Oregon based; makes AIR-SOLE cushioning components used in Nike footwear products and sells a low quantities of various plastic products to other manufacturers.
-Cole Haan Holdings, Inc.
-Bauer Hockey
-Hurley International LLC
-Converse, Inc.
-Exeter Brands Group LLC

Other Businesses
According to Oregon Business Magazine, they rated the top 100 businesses to work for in March 2007. In the top 5, most companies are communication-related industries. This list shows the top 5 (out of 100) surveyed large companies (those that have over 250 employees). The methodology used to determine the list are factors such as benefits and compensation, work environment, decision-making and trust, performance management, and career development and learning opportunites.

Company's location (city) and website.

US Cellular
Medford - http://www.uscellular.com/

Microsoft Corporation
Tigard - http://www.microsoft.com/

Qualcomm
Portland - http://www.qualcomm.com/

Carr Auto Group
Beaverton - http://www.carrauto.com/

Edge Wireless LLC
Bend - http://www.edgewireless.com/

Sources
Nike
OregonBusiness.com
Oregon History Project
Encyclopedia Britannica
Oregon Secretary of State Archives Division

[08] Connect Me Now!

Freeways
The major interstate in OR is the I-5. This runs north and south in California and into Washington state.

The state's interstate freeway system performs a vital function in the movement of people and cargo, with I-5 serving as the backbone for West Coast travel and the I-5/I-405 loop staking claim as the single most important transportation system in the State. The loop functions as the heart of the region's transportation system, connecting major community centers and providing access to National and regional transportation routes. The loop also provides access to the downtown Portland area on both sides of the Willamette River, which is important because downtown Portland serves as the cultural and civic center for the region and is home to about 20 percent of area employers.

Some cities located along or near the I-5 include: Portland, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Salem, Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Sutherlin, Rosenburg, Grants Pass, Medford, and Ashland.

The I-5 is the preferred transportation corridor for quick north-south travel through Oregon. It is intersected by I-84, which travels east-west along northern Oregon . The length of the I-5 in Oregon is around 312 miles in length, with an estimated driving time of 4 hrs. & 41 minutes.

PDX - Portland International Airport


Terminal Map
Oregon's largest airport is located in Multnomah County. PDX is approximately 9 miles northeast of Portland. PDX services 15 major airlines, with Alaska/Horizon Air offering the most flights. It accounts for 90% passenger travel and over 90% air cargo.

Location: 7000 NE Airport Way, Portland, OR 97218

The Port of Portland
The Port of Portland was created in 1891. It was created to dredge a shipping channel from Portland to the Pacific Ocean. It owns marine terminals, four airports (Portland International, Hillsboro, Mulino and Troutdale) and seven business parks. By operating the dredge Oregon, it maintains the 40-foot-deep navigation channel on the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers.

Funding is divided among general port operations and aviation. General port operations include marine and industrial development, navigation, engineering, and the administrative divisions. Aviation is comprised of Portland International Airport (PDX) and three general aviation reliever airports located at Hillsboro, Troutdale and Mulino.

Rail
Railroads in OR were built around the 1870s. It allowed the agricultural economy a way to transport products without direct water access.

Portland, OR's Union Station

One way to travel by rail is through Amtrak Cascades. They are European-style trains with service in the Pacific Northwest. Daily service is available from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia, with three daily round trips between Seattle's King Street Station and Portland's Union Station.

TriMet
Public transportation by bus, streetcar and lightrail is available through TriMet, which encompasses the Portland metro area and includings most of Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties. The most popular bus lines run every 15 minutes or better daily. There is no charge to ride in TriMet's fare-free zone, which includes most of Portland City Center and the Lloyd District. All TriMet service is accessible to people with disabilities.

Live Conditions
To check current road conditions in any location in Oregon, visit Trip Check.

Sources
Amtrak Cascades
TriMet
I-5 ORregon
Port of Portland

[05] Let's Talk Politics

OR State Capitol, Salem

State Governor
Theodore R. Kulongoski (D)
Elected in 2002 & reelected 2006
Term expires: January 2011

Senators (Congress)
Gordon Smith (R)
Ron Wyden (D)

House of Representatives (Congress):
Earl Blumenauer (D)
Peter DeFazio (D)
Darlene Hooley (D)
Greg Walden (R)
David Wu (D)

Electoral votes: 7

State Legislature
House: 60 seats
Senate: 30 seats


OR Capitol's House Chamber

Oregon has three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial.

The Executive branch is composed of six statewide elected officials that administer and manage state agencies. The officials are the Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Labor and Industries, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Governor is responsible for submitting a budget to the Legislature covering all state agencies every two years.

The Legislature's main functions are to finance state government, enact laws and provide an area for discussion of public issues. It reviews and revises the proposed budget and passes tax laws to provide revenue. The laws enacted by the Legislature establish state policies that, along with the adopted budget, direct all state agency activity.

The Judicial branch's function is to interpret the actions of the Legislature and state agencies as they relate to the Oregon Constitution. They also deliberate on civil, criminal and governance issues.

Voting Time...
Total Voter Registration, Nov. 2004: 2,141,249
Democratic 829,197 (38.72%)
Republican 761,717 (35.57%)
Non Affiliated 477,682 (22.31%)
Others 72,653 (3.39%)

Oregon has lead a vote-by-mail process. It experimented vote-by-mail in 1981 and became permanent in 1987. It was the first state to hold a Federal primary totally by mail in 1995. In 2000, Oregon was the first state to conduct a presidential election by mail with 80% of the registered voters participating.

36 counties
5 largest counties: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Lane, Marion.

240 incorp. cities.
5 largest cities: Portland, Eugene, Salem, Gresham, Beaverton.

Counties of OR

Oregon's main political parties are the Democratic and Republican parties. Its minor state parties include the Constitution, Libertarian, and Pacific Green parties.

There are slightly more Democrats registered in OR as of 2000. In the Presidential election of 2004, OR's electoral vote went to Democrat candidate John Kerry.

Below is a breakdown of voter registration (by major political party lines) from 1910 to 2000.

Below is a breakdown of Democat and Republican registered voters by county.

Sources
U.S. Census Bureau
Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon
Welcome to Oregon

[06] Agriculture and Related Industries

According to the OR Dept of Ag, there are 6 major growing regions in the state.



1 - Coastal Oregon
2 - The Willamette Valley
3 - Southern Oregon
4 - Hood River Valley
5 - The Columbia Basin
6 - Southeast Oregon
Coastal Oregon
The Pacific Ocean provides many sea items like oysters, clams, salmon, bass, and scallops. Dairy farms found along the coast are well known for the cheese they produce. Dairy production is the largest near Tillamook on the north coast. Specialty crops in this region are cranberries and lily bulbs, which flourish due to the mild climate. Cranberries are produced along the south coast near Bandon and Port Orford. Easter Lilies (right)are found in abundance along the southern tip of the coast.

The Willamette Valley
This area runs from Eugene to Portland. This is a diverse area includes over 170 different items including grains, hays, nuts, berries, wines, Christmas trees, dairy, poultry and beef. Many sheep farms reside here, too. The capitol of OR, Salem, is located in this Valley; In the past, many pioneers settled here because of the fertile land. Lumber and farming became the first commercial enterprises as the farmers established saw and grist mills on Mill Creek. The mills were also relied on by neighbors to grind wheat and saw trees off lots.

Southern Oregon
In the hilly and mountainous areas of s. OR, sheep and cattle graze the land. Fruit, potatoes and livestock are also found here. Hood River Valley High quality tree fruits such as apples and pears are grown here. In The Dalles area to the east, there is a vast production of cherries.

The Columbia Basin
About 60% of the wheat production in the state takes place here. Farms here range from 4,000 acres or larger. Crops here include potatoes, alfalfa, wheat, watermelon, carrots, onions, field corn, etc.

Southeast Oregon
The livestock industry dominates this region where there is a low annual rainfall. Major crops include onions, potatoes, and sugar beets.

OR ranks first in production of...
Hazlenuts (filberts) (100% of U.S. production). [pic on right]
Fescue (100% of U.S. production).
Ryegrass (100% of U.S. production).
Blackberries (94% of U.S. production).

**National ranking highlights - 2004**




Sources
Stuff About States.com
Salem: Agricultural Overview
Agriculture in Oregon
ODA