Business in the Greater Portland Area: A Success Strategy
C2M is strategically based in the Greater Portland area, globally connected at the gateway to the Pacific Region combined with lower cost of doing business on the West Coast. The region provides a deep talent pool, infrastructure and connectivity to help business succeed.
“Greater Portland counts majestic Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge among its natural attractions and is home to some of the world’s leading household brands: Nike, Columbia Sportswear and Intel. Travel + Leisure rated Portland, with its 288 parks, the greenest city in America in 2012. With breathtaking natural beauty and a rich history of innovation, the Portland-Vancouver region has defined itself as a world-class destination for business and life.
Greater Portland is known across the nation for its green enthusiasm, but that’s only part of the story. With a gross regional product topping $124 billion, the region is also home to globally competitive companies – Nike, Vestas and Wieden+Kennedy to name a few – as well as scrappy start-ups (62,000 started in 2012 alone!). All of this is made possible and attractive by the region’s top-tier talent, strategic location and quality of place.”
“Oregon isn’t a place you see as much as you do. We have hiking trails through alpine passes, ancient fossil beds and overlooking the Pacific. Whether you’re into road biking, mountain biking or in-town cruising, Oregon has the trails and paths to suit your cycling. And with more than 200 public courses, it’s no wonder Oregon ranks so high for golf fans.”
“Portland has been described as America’s most European city: a great walking city with tons of public transportation, a progressive atmosphere that celebrates the arts, a culture of great food, artisan coffee, beer and wine and neighborhoods chock full of shops selling handmade clothes, crafts and furniture. It is one of the easiest cities to spend time outside. The mountains, waterfalls, wine country that Oregon is so famous for are all a short drive away.”
For C2M, the City of Portland provides the best possible business environment to incubate innovative new companies in various sectors including technology. In Portland’s early history, the city took shape along the Columbia River, making it a valuable port city. Early Portland was also noted as a milling town with raw forest and agricultural materials produced close by. This pioneering spirit persists today as the city has come to be an economic center for the expanding high tech industry, a fertile ground for entrepreneurship and start-up activity.
While Silicon Valley has been the focus of much of the media coverage and public imagination of the development of America’s technological future, there are many other smaller tech clusters located around the United States. One of these, known as the Silicon Forest, is centered immediately west of Portland, Oregon in the city’s Beaverton and Hillsboro suburbs. This reflects the collection of technology companies located there, including: Genetech, Intel, Mentor Graphics, TriQuint Semiconductor, Linux Technology Center, and Tektronix. Computer manufacturer Intel is the city’s largest employer, providing jobs for 15,000 people. Further, Seattle, WA is highly accessible from Portland, and is the home to many major information and communications technology companies including: Microsoft, Amazon.com, Real Networks, and Nintendo.
Portland as a cultural center for young, educated adults is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the progressive intertwining of media and technology. With the city’s high quality of life, environmentally conscious urban planning, mild climate, and cultural institutions, it is attractive to the kind of young entrepreneurial talent that drives tech innovation.
“Known as one of the nation’s most livable cities, greater Portland pulls in young people—aka talent—who serve signature industry clusters including athletic apparel and gear (home to Columbia Sportswear, Adidas and Nike), green development (two of Architect Magazine’s top 10 green firms are here) and any number of companies helping turn out windmills and solar panels and fuel cells.”
More facts about the Portland Metropolitan Region:
