[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