⁄From the Editor⁄ Oregon Made WHEN I’M NOT WORKING (or hiking, or playing with my unusually needy cats) I’m making something. The older I get, the more drawn I am to creative hobbies that don’t have me hunched over a keyboard or staring at a computer screen; concrete tasks like sewing, knitting or cooking win the day. Normally my work for Oregon Business doesn’t match so neatly to my personal obsessions, but everything I personally contributed to this issue had to do with either food or fabric. For “The New Weave” (p. 26), I toured Pendleton Woolen Mills’ Washougal, Wash., facility and spoke to several people inside and outside of the company about Pendleton’s unusual history as well as its unique status as one of just a handful of companies that still mill wool in the United States. And during this issue’s Tactics interview with Looptworks founder Scott Hamlin, I learned that in November the company is opening a facility that will do what Hamlin has been trying to do since he started the company in 2009: to not just repurpose waste fabrics but fully recycle them — or, as he puts it, “turn a T-shirt back into a T-shirt.” For “More Cooks in the Kitchen” (p. 18), I spoke to several small food and beverage business owners and discovered that while Oregonians take great pride in having a variety of great, locally made food products available to us, the state’s manufacturing environment makes it difficult to scale at a reasonable pace. That’s driven some makers out of state, or even out of business. But I also learned that the state is studying the problem and working toward a solution. There is, of course, more to manufacturing than food and textiles. For “The Nearer Shore” (p. 36), Sander Gusinow spoke to serial entrepreneur Joseph Lu about his plans to open a lithium-battery factory in Oregon. At first blush, it’s a surprising move, given that the majority of lithium-battery manufacturing sites are situated in China. But Lu — and others who observe the industry—say China’s days as “the world’s factory” are numbered, and reshoring is the future. How Lu’s new venture will turn out remains to be seen, but it’s exciting — and inspiring — to learn about the wide variety of things that are made in Oregon, and to see that so many industry observers are hopeful about the state’s future as a manufacturing center. VOLUME 46 ⁄ NUMBER 10 OREGON BUSINESS (ISSN 02798190) is published 10 times per year, monthly except Jul/Aug and Nov/Dec issues, by MEDIAmerica Inc. at 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223. Subscription inquiries should be directed to 503-445-8811. Subscription charge is $24.95 per year, $49.95 for two years in the USA. Single copies and back issues available at above address and at selected newsstands. The editor is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Copyright © 2023 by MEDIAmerica Inc. All rights reserved. All material is protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed in Oregon. Periodicals Postage Paid at Portland, OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Oregon Business, 12570 S.W. 69th Ave., Suite 102, Portland OR 97223 EDITORIAL EDITOR Christen McCurdy christenm@oregonbusiness.com ART DIRECTOR Joan McGuire joanm@oregonbusiness.com STAFF WRITER Sander Gusinow sanderg@oregonbusiness.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jason E. Kaplan jasonk@oregonbusiness.com COPY EDITOR Morgan Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruwan Jayaweera, Ed Herrera, Ben Quach PUBLISHING PUBLISHER Courtney Kutzman courtneyk@oregonbusiness.com EVENTS MANAGER Craig Peebles craigp@oregonbusiness.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Evan Morehouse evanm@mediamerica.net ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Greta Hogenstad gretah@mediamerica.net DIGITAL PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Alison Kattleman alisonk@mediamerica.net PRESIDENT AND CEO Andrew A. Insinga CONTROLLER Bill Lee BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN André W. Iseli PRESIDENT Andrew A. Insinga SECRETARY William L. Mainwaring TREASURER Win McCormack 6
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