KNIFEYTOWN Portland knife makers forge a coalition SPINY SOLUTION Diving deep to save the kelp forest ON THE AIR OPB’s new CEO sounds off Q1 2025 | OregonBusiness.com OUR ANNUAL BOOK OF LISTS COVER ILLUSTRATION: Joan McGuire ⁄Contents⁄ Q1 2025 FEATURES 20 Making a Splash Immersion Research makes a hybrid manufacturing model — making some gear in-house and some overseas — work in the Gorge. 26 How Do You Stop an Invasive Species? Try Eating It. Two Oregon Coast entrepreneurs have a delicious plan to put a dent in purple sea urchin populations — and help kelp forests in the process. 32 Reporting for Duty Rachel Smolkin stepped into her role as the CEO of Oregon Public Broadcasting last fall. We talked to her about her vision for the state’s largest newsroom. 37 2025 Power Book Cover Story Our annual collection ranking Oregon’s major players in banking, legal services, higher education and more REGULARS 04 Editor’s Letter 06 Newsfeed 10 Tactics Mike Williams, president of Washington Trust Bank’s Oregon region, on what sets his institution apart — even from other community banks. 16 Spotlight: The Cutting Edge Portland-area knife makers have formed a Knife Center of Excellence. Subscribe to our weekly e-newsletter featuring the best of OregonBusiness.com, plus articles from our print publication. To sign up, go to OregonBusiness.com. BRAND STORIES 14 Get There Oregon Tools for employers to improve their employees’ commutes — and satisfaction 24 Twenty Ideas Developing custom software solutions, from idea to implementation 30 Oregon Institute of Technology Enrollment is booming at state’s tech college. JASON E. KAPLAN CORRECTIONS The story “Sound the Alarm,” which ran in the October/November/December 2024 edition of Oregon Business, erroneously stated that Live Nation had promised to require proximity clauses, when in fact they promised not to require them. Oregon Business regrets the error. The story “Reading the Room,” which ran in the October/November/December 2024 edition of Oregon Business, erroneously reported that Literary Arts employed seven staff in 2018 when renovations began; the actual number was 16. In addition, the story stated that the price tag for renovation of the organization’s new building was $16.5 million, but that figure includes staffing and furnishings, not just physical-renovation costs. Oregon Business regrets the errors. CHECK OUT THESE EXCLUSIVES (AND MORE) ON OREGONBUSINESS.COM n Intel CEO Gelsinger Abruptly Resigns — The longtime Intel employee had a tough mission to restore the company to its past glory, but he oversaw major layoffs and revenue decline. n Not So Run-of-the-Mill — Three years after her Portland Garment Factory burned down, Britt Howard tackles a new next challenge with an organic-fiber mill in Slabtown. n In Conversation: Former Congressman Les AuCoin — AuCoin spoke to Oregon Business about being honored by Pacific University, the 2024 elections — local and national — and why civics education is more important than ever. n DEQ Holds Hearing, Takes Comments on Controversial Proposed Columbia River Refinery Project — The $2B NXTClean Fuels facility has several regulatory hurdles to clear before construction can begin in 2025. n Shari’s Closes All Oregon Locations — Oregon-based diner chain was down to 17 restaurants after starting the year with 42. Follow @OregonBusiness for breaking news, blogs and commentary. 16 60 Storyteller-in-Chief Junki Yoshida’s positive revenge 62 Downtime Live, work and play with Cobi Lewis of Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon 64 Policy Brief ADP’s Jason Delserro on how companies can stay competitive in a hot labor market 2
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