2025 What It Means to Be Green Now THE END OF FOREVER Oregon’s new anti-PFAS bill HOT SPOT Kah-Nee-Ta’s next chapter Q3 2025 | OregonBusiness.com plus
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2025 What It Means to Be Green Now THE END OF FOREVER Oregon’s new anti-PFAS bill HOT SPOT Kah-Nee-Ta’s next chapter Q3 2025 | OregonBusiness.com plus COVER: Jason E. Kaplan & Joan McGuire ⁄Contents⁄ Q3 2025 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 18 Western Aircraft The efficiency of pointto-point air travel brings environmental as well as economic opportunities. JASON E. KAPLAN CORRECTIONS n The Q2 edition Powerlist, a ranked list of financial planners in Oregon and southwest Washington, contained erroneous information about the number of people employed by Coldstream Wealth Management. The firm employs 17 licensed professionals and has 29 employees in Oregon and southwest Washington. n The article “The Future Is Now” incorrectly described Toya Fick’s role at Meyer Memorial Trust. She is the president and CEO of the organization, not the executive director. Oregon Business regrets the errors. CHECK OUT THESE EXCLUSIVES (AND MORE) ON OREGONBUSINESS.COM n OHSU, Legacy Call Off Merger — Deal that would have reshaped health care in Oregon had been in the works for 18 months. n In Conversation: Adam Davis, Executive Director, Oregon Humanities — Davis talks about federal cuts facing state humanities councils, why he believes his organization’s work matters and why he isn’t afraid to speak out. n Port of Portland Cancels DEI Policy to Avoid Losing $145M in Federal Funding — Members of the Port board express regret but worry about risk to the regional economy. n Portland’s Pike Place — Two decades in the making, the James Beard Public Market speeds toward a 2026 opening, though uncertainty remains. 100 BEST NEWS The 2025 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon Survey Is Open! Find out how satisfied your employees are with their jobs through our anonymous and confidential survey. Register at www. OregonBusiness. com/2025register. For information on how the survey works, visit OregonBusiness.com/Statements. 2025 Follow @OregonBusiness for breaking news, blogs and commentary. 14 FEATURES 30 What Does It Mean to Be Green in 2025? Cover Story Three thought leaders on what’s changed — and what hasn’t — in the world of sustainable business 33 100 Best Green Workplaces 2025 This year’s leaders in sustainable business practices 42 Springs Forward What the reopening of KahNee-Ta Hot Springs Resort means for Warm Springs REGULARS 04 From the Editor 06 Newsfeed 10 Tactics Mitch Daugherty, manager of Prosper Portland’s newly created Office of Small Business, talks about his plan for the position. 14 Spotlight What Oregon’s newly passed PFAS ban means for fire departments 22 Profile Erick Widman, founder of Passage Immigration Law, talks about what it’s like to be an immigration lawyer under Trump 2.0. 26 Powerlist Law firms ranked by the number of Oregon attorneys 46 Storyteller-in-Chief Music Millennium owner Terry Currier on the surprise resurgence of physical media 48 Policy Brief Robert “Bobby” Brunoe, secretary-treasurer/CEO of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 2
⁄From the Editor⁄ Evergreen Thinking EVERY YEAR SINCE 2009, Oregon Business has published a list of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon (p. 33). The list is derived from results of two surveys —our 100 Best Companies to Work For list and our 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For list — which we also conduct and publish annually, and both of which contain a section about sustainable workplace practices. Planning this issue got me thinking about how the concept of sustainability — and sustainable workplaces — has changed in the past 16 years. We reached out to a few leaders in the sustainable business and environmental advocacy space to talk about those changes (“What Does It Mean to Be Green in 2025?”, p. 30). Workplace norms have shifted, and the political and economic environment seem to be shifting almost hourly, and all of our subjects shared thoughts about how their organizations are adjusting to those shifts. While many things have changed, we found, many of the core principles have stuck around. There is sometimes a downside to sticking around, particularly in the case of PFAS — “forever chemicals” historically used in some consumer products (like cookware) but also in firefighting foam, which are impossible to remove from the environment once used. This spring Garrett Andrews looked into state legislation — which passed as this issue went into production — to do away with the last of PFAS in Oregon fire departments (“Removal From Action,” p. 14). While PFAS has largely been phased out in Oregon fire departments, the bill ties up some loose ends to ensure safer firefighting practices. Also for this issue, Jason Cohen wrote about the reopening of Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation (“Springs Forward,” p. 42). The resort closed seven years ago but has been revived through a partnership between the tribe and Mt. Hood Skibowl. Cohen dove into the history of the waters and space, the reasons for the resort’s 2018 closure—and why stakeholders are hopeful this iteration of the business will succeed. VOLUME 48 ⁄ NUMBER 3 OREGON BUSINESS (ISSN 02798190) is published quarterly 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 $15.95 per year, $27.95 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 © 2025 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 Garrett Andrews garretta@oregonbusiness.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jason E. Kaplan jasonk@oregonbusiness.com COPY EDITOR Morgan Stone CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robert “Bobbie” Brunoe, Jason Cohen, Terry Currier 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 4
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SPORTS ●Blazing away. The estate of billionaire Paul Allen has put the Trail Blazers up for sale. Allen’s sister, Jody, has controlled the team since his death in 2018. His will called for the franchise to be sold “at some point” in the future. The team is valued at $3.6 billion. Allen bought it in 1988 for $70 million. FARMS AND FORESTS ●Confection connection. Italian candy maker Ferrero has deepened its investment in Oregon with a $500,000 donation to Oregon State University for research into hazelnut production. The company uses Oregon hazelnuts in its celebrated Ferrero Rocher candies and the popular chocolate-hazelnut spread Nutella. MANUFACTURING ●Closing its doors. Jeld-Wen announced the closure of its Chiloquin door-making factory. The company, headquartered in North Carolina, was founded in Klamath Falls and was once the largest private company in Oregon. ECONOMY AND FINANCE ●Crossing streams. Umpqua Bank will change its name to Columbia Bank, a Tacoma, Wash.-based institution that bought Umpqua in 2021. The Lake Oswego-based bank is the largest bank based in Oregon. ●Dealt a bad hand. Around 250 UPS “manual” workers will lose their jobs with upcoming automation at the Swan Island shipping hub. After posting a $1 billion loss last year, the company is consolidating operations near dozens of shipping hubs in the U.S. TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION ●Air(port) exclusion zone. Portland International Airport unveiled a new, exclusive common-use lounge. For $40, travelers of all airlines can access private seating, showers, Wi-Fi, a chef-curated menu and a bar. POLITICS ●Greener pastures. Former Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan was fined $3,600 for failing to disclose a consulting side gig in the pot industry while serving as Oregon’s second-highest- ranking public official. The once-rising Democratic pol apologized, calling her actions “indefensible.” ●The business front. Federal police arrested the owner of regional money-serve business La Popular, who allegedly used the company to launder $18.5 million in dirty money for drug traffickers. The 39-yearold owner faces 20 years in federal prison if convicted. REAL ESTATE ●Humane resources. In light of federal cuts, the global humanitarian nonprofit MercyCorps has opted to sell its Old Town headquarters building. Leaders say the organization pals Deek Heykamp and Bryan Knudsen. ●Industrial metal techno. Albany-based Metal Technology was acquired by California-based military tech firm Karman for $90 million. Karman expects to secure defense work through Elon Musk’s SpaceX. TECH ●Cleaning house. San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe announced it will close its office in Southwest Portland. The software company allowed 56 employees to continue to work remotely, but 47 were told to relocate to California or Washington or be laid off. ALCOHOL AND CANNABIS ●Hard hats, hard liquor. In April the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission broke ground on a new distilled- spirits distribution center in Canby. The $87.6 million facility, dubbed “Project Meadowlark,” is intended as a modern update to the current facility in Milwaukie, in operation since the 1950s. ARTS AND MEDIA ●Best Enterprise reporting. The Malheur Enterprise printed its final edition after 115 years in operation. Husband-andwife owners Les Zaitz and Scotta Callister opted to retire in May, 10 years after purchasing the paper and winning numerous journalism awards. ●If You Give a Mouse a Pickle. Owners of the collegiate summer-league Portland Pickles have sued the Walt Disney Company for trademark infringement for naming a team the “Pickles” on the company’s streaming program “Win or Lose.” will still employ people in the Portland area, but the office, which lists for $18 million, had become “underutilized.” ●Firm footing. An expansive economic development effort to make Portland a footwear and apparel mecca called Made in Old Town announced its first four tenants, who are expected to arrive in August. When fully built out, project leaders say Made in Old Town will cover eight to 10 buildings and employ 400 people. ●Crane bust. The semiannual RLB Crane Index recorded the lowest mark for Portland in more than a decade with just five cranes in the air earlier this year. RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS ●Love me, love my dogs. California-based hot dog spot Wienerschnitzel has targeted the Pacific Northwest for expansion and is looking for franchise owners to manage new Oregon locations. The chain hasn’t had a restaurant in Oregon since one in Portland closed 20 years ago. ●Adventure capitalists. The longtime owners of outdoor- gear retailer Next Adventure announced they will shutter all four of their Oregon locations this year. The company, with a flagship store on Portland’s Central Eastside, was founded 28 years ago by childhood ⁄Newsfeed⁄ Paul Allen’s estate has put the Portland Trail Blazers up for sale. SHUTTERSTOCK 6
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⁄Tactics⁄ You’ve mentioned being familiar with some of the challenges that small businesses face in Portland. Can you elaborate on that? Every small business faces different challenges, whether you’re a creative agency or food and beverage manufacturing company or retail business. For the retail business, it might be foot traffic, or public safety, or any of the challenges around unknowns, around tariffs increasing, goods going up or the cost of labor. Whereas for food and beverage manufacturers, it might be access to capital, getting new markets, how do you grow outside of Oregon? So what we’re really trying to do is not make this an umbrella agency where every small business is the same, because we know every small business is different. Every business district is different. Every part of the city is different. So we’re really approaching it from a one-on-one, human-empathy-focused approach. We want to know what your business is, what your exact challenges are, and then try to find the resources to help people. Certainly the things that I hear from folks [in the business community] are just figuring out what’s the right point of contact, how to get somebody on the phone who can be a liaison to the city, whether they’re concerned about public safety or, very specifically, permitting. I will say when this office got funded, permitting was top of the list. And I will say, over the past months, the permitting team over there has been amazing. They’re helping us write all the website content. There’s going to be a permitting page on the website. There’s no getting around [the fact that] permitting can be difficult and slow, but we’re also trying to work with them on thinking about the process and walking me through it. Our liaisons kind of walked through it last week step by step. Then there were certain points where they even realized, “Oh, that wording is a little bit confusing.” So it’s almost like, how many times can we maybe work with them to bring in small-business owners or those who don’t understand permitting and be like, “Let’s walk through it and just see if we can make it a little better.” But by and large, they’ve been amazing to work with so far. They really kind of see us as a partner in helping small businesses. A lot of it’s just knowledge of “Don’t sign a lease before you actually talk to permitting,” because a lot of small businesses don’t. And then there’s a change of occupancy, and then once that triggers, everything happens, like sidewalks, trees. So their big thing is just talk to us first, because a lot of small businesses don’t have an architect or a developer who understands the permitting process. Mitch Daugherty Opens the Door Daugherty, who was hired last fall to lead Prosper Portland’s Office of Small Business, launched this spring as a first point of contact between business owners and the city. INTERVIEW BY CHRISTEN McCURDY Mitch Daugherty launched his first business partly out of necessity. He’s advocated for entrepreneurs ever since. Or as he puts it: “All I’ve done is run small businesses and nonprofits.” Daugherty launched Arizona Outback Adventures— an adventure travel firm since acquired by REI — after graduating with a degree in conservation biology in 1995 and struggling to find work in his field of study. After leaving AOA, he founded Morange Design, a full-service design firm he led until 2021. When he moved to Portland in 2003 looking for design work, Daugherty got involved with Oregon Entrepreneurs Network and served on the board for seven years, two of them as chair. From August 2014 until October 2024, Daugherty served as the director of Built Oregon, an organization he co-founded at first to tell the stories of small businesses across the state, and that has since launched a mentorship program, distributed more than $300,000 in grants to BIPOC-owned businesses and launched a festival celebrating Oregon-based consumer products. Last fall Prosper Portland — the City of Portland’s economic-development agency—announced that it had hired Daugherty to run its Office of Small Business. When this issue went into production in late April, Prosper had planned to officially launch the office in May and had hired four additional staff to report to Daugherty. “What the city was missing was that part of supporting small business where if you’re a small business, you can come to a front door and talk to a human being, and they can help you navigate all the challenges of city governments,” Daugherty says, noting that a number of other cities already have an Office of Small Business or something similar. The creation of the new office grew partly out of COVID, during which Prosper created a website with guides for navigating grants and small- business loans, and resources for creating a small- business website. In April Daugherty spoke with Oregon Business about what he wants the new office to do for Portland business owners. This interview has been edited for space and clarity. 10
We still have really high retail vacancy in downtown and in a lot of the urban core. Do you see the city as having a role in filling some of those spaces? I think there’s a role in working with partners on those. One of my approaches is, with the business districts, all the neighborhoods, and then also downtown: How do we make these businesses that are here right now sustainable and successful, and then recruit around them? Yes, there are a lot of vacancies, but if we fill these three vacancies and then these three closed, it’s just kind of a whack-a-mole. JASON E. KAPLAN What are you hearing from businesses that are really established in business districts that are suffering? I think it’s, one, all the costs have gone up just in general, and two, there’s just an uncertainty about everything. That can range from taxes to tariffs, the cost of goods to access to capital like SBA loans. Everybody is so worried about all these layers, let alone getting enough foot traffic in the door to buy their locally made products, or their beer or their coffee or something like that. It’s different in every area. Downtown’s a lot different than Multnomah Village. Multnomah Village is doing well because the community supports it. And I think there are other districts that have communities around them, but there are certain areas where public safety is still an issue, and vandalism, and I don’t think we can shy away from some of those issues when dealing with supporting small business. It sounds like you see your role as less in recruitment than in just supporting the businesses that already exist, and even sort of nurturing them and building business districts around those businesses. At least from the office standpoint. I think from a Prosper standpoint, there’s the Business Advancement Team, which does a lot of the recruitment and retaining of businesses, that works with [Greater Portland Inc.], that works with Business Oregon, so you have the three layers of those all working on that aspect. But I think that I will say, from 2010 to 2020, when they recruited businesses here, a lot of them were recruiting based on getting talent here too, and the talent wanted to be here because of the neighborhoods, the local coffee shops, the craft-beer scene, the foods. The role also for us is to show that part of Portland’s appeal to recruit companies is supporting the small businesses that make people who come here to work for that company want to live here, want to engage in the community, just like they have for the past 20 years. I think that’s sometimes missing a bit — like the neighborhoods and where these people are actually going to live. The housing piece is beyond your purview, and yet it really does underpin everything, doesn’t it? The housing piece, the lease rates — there’s a lot of stuff that’s out of our purview, as you say, but these all affect small businesses. I think there are definitely some challenges for Portland’s future, but I think that when you drive around some of these neighborhoods, you start to see it over the last year and a half: The foot traffic’s up, you feel the vibrancy coming back. I walk by bars and restaurants in Montavilla or Hawthorne and they’re busy on, like, a Thursday afternoon at three o’clock. So you can see those signs of resurgence in a lot of the areas around, too. What are things that give you some hope about this office moving forward? I think what gives me hope is the same thing that’s given me hope for the past 15 years: It’s the founders and business owners themselves. When you take the time to meet them and build those relationships, you realize whether it’s Ian [Williams] at Deadstock [Coffee] or Brianne [Mees] of Tender Loving [Empire]; they’re the ones building this city from the ground up. When the story of Portland gets told, it’s usually told through that lens instead of the big companies. I can sense the turning around of Portland over the past year, and so now it’s really around, how do we kind of help it move a little faster? And I think that is giving these small businesses the hope and the support needed to become sustainable, then profitable. Because for a lot of small businesses, profitability is the hardest one. 11
© JUSTIN KRUG PHOTOGRAPHY
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⁄Spotlight⁄ BY GARRETT ANDREWS PFAS FIREFIGHTING FOAM was common in emergency services not that long ago. But the field has a far greater focus on employee health and safety today than when Jay Alley started in the 1980s. For decades firefighters were taught that it was as safe as dish soap. When working with it, in training and in the field, they’d often use their bare hands. “Of course back then, three-fourths of those guys smoked like chimneys,” says Alley, now chief of Stayton Fire District. “But over the years there have been great enhancements to safety. And of course, with that comes a cost.” Compared to even five years ago, the field of emergency services is now far more aware of the risks of firefighting foams that contain poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade in nature. Extensive and ongoing research finds PFAS can contaminate groundwater and lead to a range of human health problems. A 2016 study by the U.S. Geological Survey documented PFAS contamination in drinking water in 33 states, an estimated 45% of the nation’s tap water. Many affected communities are located near firefighting training facilities, airport hangars, military bases and industrial sites. It’s considered a major problem because exposure to PFAS is known to have harmful effects on humans, including developmental effects on fetuses and young children. Other studies point to possible links to cancer, a subject of increasing concern to firefighters, who are afflicted by the disease at a rate notably higher than the general population. PFAS chemicals are highly resistant to heat, water and oil — properties that make them ideal for smothering fuel-based fires like those that can break out in airport hangars and garages. As a result, foams containing Removal From Action Firefighting foam containing cancer-causing ‘forever chemicals’ is being phased out in Oregon — but its legacy will linger. PFAS have been an industry standard since the 1960s, and most agencies keep small amounts on hand. But safe and effective foam alternatives now exist, and a statewide effort is underway to collect and dispose of what’s left of Oregon’s dangerous PFAS fire foam. A bill in Salem that passed out of both chambers of the Legislature and was headed for the governor’s desk as this issue went into production would make Oregon the 16th state to ban PFAS foam and establish a date next summer to phase out all remaining inventory around the state. SB 91 PHOTOS BY JASON E. KAPLAN Jay Alley, chief of the Stayton Fire District, holds a hood on the left that is PFAS-free and an older hood on the right that contains PFAS. Crystal Weston is the policy director at Oregon Environmental Council. 14
State Senator Janeen Sollman sponsored the foam bill. passed the Senate with only one vote against. A petroleum industry group that had opposed the bill withdrew its opposition after the amendment process. SB 91 wasn’t the only attempt to rid Oregon of forever chemicals this legislative session. A second bill, much broader in scope, House Bill 3512, targeted a host of consumer products. Supporters expected it to elicit opposition from numerous industries that rely on PFAS throughout their supply chains. And with a record number of bills before the Legislature this session, they ultimately thought the timing might be off and pulled back. “It often takes more than one session to make sure everyone has a good understanding and is able to get behind it,” says Crystal Weston, policy director for the Oregon Environmental Council, a chief supporter of both bills. “[HB 3512] was a bit more ambitious, and with a record number of bills, it was just a bit harder to get over the line.” Sen. Janeen Sollman, sponsor of the “foam bill,” SB 91, learned about efforts in other states to ban PFAS at a 2024 legislative conference. Back home, she went on ride-alongs with local fire agencies and learned they’d already phased out their PFAS foams, and that the Port of Portland had switched to a safer alternative at Portland International Airport. She wanted to ensure all remaining foam containing PFAS is phased out, as well. “We need to do all we can to protect those who protect us,” she tells Oregon Business. With a July deadline, SB 91 would allow agencies to use up existing stock, then purchase new foam that doesn’t contain PFAS, which is now readily available. For companies that want to transition sooner, a number of private businesses assist with PFAS cleanup and disposal of existing stock. The formal job of collecting and disposing of the state’s remaining PFAS fire foam would fall to the Department of Environmental Quality, which has a plan for collection and disposal involving the Columbia Ridge Landfill in Arlington. Elimination Factor For its fire- and water-resistance, PFAS are found today in many consumer products from waterproof clothing to carpets to nonstick pots and pans. These chemicals are also highly mobile in the environment, which allows them to travel easily through soil, water and air. Over time, they build up in the environment as well as in human bodies, and they’re now known to cause severe risks to both. PFAS firefighting foam, developed in the 1930s, is so common today because it’s so effective, according to Karl Koenig, president of the Oregon State Firefighters Council, which represents most of the state’s firefighters. “There’s just nothing else that works as well,” Koenig says. “But what makes it so effective also makes it so harmful in nature.” Tracking down the last remaining PFAS foam won’t be easy. By this point, most of Oregon’s more than 300 fire stations have already switched to safer alternatives. This includes all of the heaviest PFAS users, like Portland International Airport, one of the first major U.S. airports to move entirely to the P3 alternative. Last year the Pentagon started phasing out PFAS at military Karl Koenig is president of the Oregon State Firefighters Council. 15
installations, which helped the Klamath Falls International Airport — co-located with an Air National Guard base — receive funding to replace its PFAS fire foam. Fire agencies around the country had been waiting for the federal government to approve an alcohol-free substitute foam. When the federal government approved Silv-Ex Class A foam in December, Redmond Municipal Airport, the state’s fourth-busiest commercial airport, contracted with a third-party cleaning company to remove its PFAS fire foam. “It was quite the procedure,” says Dustin Miller of Redmond Fire & Rescue, which performs fire service at the Redmond airport. “And it was ridiculously expensive.” Switching out 1,000 gallons in total — including 420 in its main engine and 200 in its backup rig — cost around $56,000. The last remaining PFAS fire foam in Oregon is likely squirreled away in 5- to 10-gallon jugs in some of the state’s smaller mom-and-pop fire stations. Fire engines often came preloaded with it, and PFAS may be contained in an untold number of disused apparatus rusting around the state, Miller says. He knows of one old foam trailer near La Pine once owned by the Burlington Northern Railway that likely still has PFAS fire foam. What to do with PFAS foam after it’s located is another problem. Manufacturers like 3M and Johnson Controls offer incentives for tradeins, but this method isn’t favored by environmental advocates, who say it merely transfers the problem to other locales. The same is true for disposal in local landfills, which can allow PFAS to leach through into waterways, groundwater and wastewater streams. The region’s wastewater-treatment facilities aren’t equipped to treat complex chemicals, according to Priya Dhanapal, the City of Portland’s deputy administrator of public works. The problem is inherent in PFAS’very design as ”forever chemicals.” Current wastewater-treatment technologies are unable to destroy the strong carbon-fluorine bond. “This presents a significant challenge for public utilities, whose services are impacted by PFAS pollution from industries, businesses, and households,” Dhanapal writes in testimony to state legislators. “In addition, improper disposal of PFAS-containing materials can impact both drinking water and wastewater, as we’ve seen across the country.” A 2024 study testing data from 21 Oregon wastewater-treatment facilities found that landfill leachate discharges more total PFAS than all other industrial categories evaluated combined, according to the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies. Nationwide, the Department of Defense has identified more than 700 sites where PFAS has leached into groundwater, including 11 in Oregon outside military and National Guard installations. A $3.2 million cleanup is underway at McNary Field in Salem, and the Army plans to perform smaller cleanups at Camp Rilea near Warrenton and the Pendleton Armory. As Miller of Redmond Fire & Rescue notes, a more difficult task might be to find an airport in Oregon that doesn’t have PFAS in the soil. “It was in heavy use for decades,” Miller says. “We trained on it. So it’s there, even if we can’t see it. And it’s going to be around for a while.” Gearing Up After collection and disposal, much work will remain to rid Oregon of forever chemicals. That’s because PFAS is found everywhere in society, from cosmetics to furniture to packaging. And because of its exceptional heat-resistant and water-repellent properties, PFAS is also commonly found in firefighting gear. Exposure to PFAS chemicals, even in small amounts over time, has been linked to serious health effects including thyroid disruption, liver damage and reduced vaccine response, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Other health impacts include high cholesterol—which is notable given cholesterol’s connection to heart attack, the leading cause of death among firefighters. A study by the Department of Health and Human Services found a link in PFAS in firefighter turnout gear to cancer, which firefighters face at a rate 14% higher than the general population. At the moment, fire agencies around Oregon are replacing their gear in a piecemeal fashion as equipment reaches the end of its life cycle. All told, outfitting one firefighter costs between $5,000 and $7,000. “We’re always trying to keep our people safe,” says Jay Alley, Stayton fire chief. “I can justify the cost if I replace items as they wear out. But I can’t justify carte-blanche throwing everything away and starting over. Gear’s not cheap to start with.” Jay Alley explains how the foam works on the tank truck. 16
Ferguson Wellman: 50 Years of Growth, Stability and Service • Broad ownership: 39 of our 63 employees are shareholders • Diverse client base: With offices in Portland and Bellevue, we manage $8.9 billion in assets for 1,026 individuals, families, corporations, foundations, endowments and Taft-Hartley plans • Community support: We manage $775 million for 62 nonprofits and volunteer on more than 60 boards and committees • Expertise and experience: Customized investment strategies and holistic wealth management solutions from a team holding 33 professional designations Data as of December 31, 2024 In 2025, Ferguson Wellman celebrates 50 years. Our journey has always been defined by our mission: investment excellence, lifelong relationships. The newly renovated main terminal of Portland International Airport was the perfect setting to capture this moment in our history. It reminds us that as we navigate the highs and lows of the capital markets, we endeavor to create meaningful connections with clients and professional partners. Offices in Portland and Bellevue. DollarSense is designed to provide participants with a fundamental understanding of investing and budgeting basics.Through12 videos, participants will learn or be reminded of essential investing concepts, such as stocks, bonds and asset allocation, as well as strategies for saving, taxes and risk management. Whether you’re looking to improve your financial literacy or brush up on some key concepts, DollarSense has something for everyone. Access videos using the QR code below. To celebrate 50 years in business, we’ve shared our client education program - free to the public. DollarSense offers two self-paced, microlearning programs: Investing Essentials and Money Matters.
BY NATALIA HURT Since the dawn of aviation, efficiency has powered progress—unlocking longer ranges, accessible pricing and lower fuel usage—shaping an increasingly more climate-conscious industry. This natural evolution has helped transform charter air travel into a practical choice and expanded its role within the nation’s transportation ecosystem. Western Aircraft, a Boise-based airline and leader in aviation services, embraced light, point-to-point travel early on, appreciating its impacts on carbon, comfort and convenience. “Charter aviation has evolved. Every stakeholder — air traffic controller, operator, flight planner — is working toward optimizing routes, altitudes and schedules,” explains Josh Weinshank, Director of Operations, Western Aircraft. “There’s a natural migration toward being as fuel-efficient as possible, and that brings both financial and environmental impacts.” Caption 1 Ironic, perhaps, that a sector often associated with excess, lives and dies by its level of efficiency. Wastefulness undermines competitiveness, accessibility and sustainability, something the public values increasingly more. The right tool for the job: light, precise air travel “More and more, people are seeking efficient forms of travel,” Weinshank continues. “It’s about choosing the right tool for the mission. And a lot of the time, it just so happens that our PC-12s are exactly the right tool, so clients will take that over the jet.” Western Aircraft owes its success in precision travel partly to putting its eggs in the right basket, in this case, the right aircraft: the Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine turboprop aircraft that has managed to stay light while maximizing cabin space and comfort. By 2010, Western Aircraft had become the world’s largest PC-12 dealer. “It’s a very sought-after airplane with How evolutions in charter aviation bring environmental and economic opportunity “…People are seeking efficient forms of travel. It’s about choosing the right tool for the mission.” JOSH WEINSHANK, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, WESTERN AIRCRAFT Western Aircraft: The Efficiency of Point-to-Point Air Travel 18 BRAND STORY PRODUCED BY THE OREGON BUSINESS MARKETING DEPARTMENT
legions of fans worldwide and a sales backlog,” Weinshank says. “We started our charter operation with it. It was a beautiful airplane then, and it just gets better and better.” Powered by the PT6 Pratt & Whitney engine — an industry stalwart with over a billion flight hours logged — the PC-12 combines reliability, comfort (think roomy and quiet) and fuel economy. It emits 40 percent less carbon than a leading light jet, due to features such as a first-of-itskind digital autothrottle and aerodynamic wingtip devices. Decisions around exterior paint and interior fabric have led to a decrease in harmful chemicals and material waste. Cutting wasted time: from empty legs to nights on the road Still, aircraft selection is just one part of the efficiency story. The greater opportunity lies in what charter aviation can eliminate: indirect routes, missed connections, overnight stays and time lost in transit. For businesspeople, point-to-point travel brings increased productivity and fewer nights in a hotel. For private travelers, it could mean making it home for a once-in-a-lifetime event or simply in time to tuck the kids into bed. “A common misperception is that it’s always high-net-worth individuals flying with us,” Weinshank notes. “And that’s actually not true. People travel with us for any number of reasons — especially when time is critical.” Western Aircraft actively markets and fills empty legs both through its own platform and that of third parties. For travelers open to it, it facilitates flight sharing, making flying more accessible and sustainable at the same time. The point-to-point model: bridging infrastructure gaps Charter air travel brings an alternative to centralized hub-and-spoke flight maps, diversifying available options. This approach is especially impactful in the US, where flight routes concentrate around high-traffic urban hubs, leaving large swathes of the country underserved. Following the pandemic, many Americans relocated away from major metro areas as remote work and satellite offices took hold — making flights from smaller airports hugely relevant. “I would like to see charter leveraged more for really efficient point-to-point use cases,” Weinshank shares. “Currently, if someone wants to fly from Boise to Reno they have to connect through Portland or Seattle or Salt Lake City, for example, consuming valuable time.” Agile charter aviation services could address gaps within the nation’s travel and logistics operations without demanding large infrastructure investments. “There are opportunities everywhere. Because of the sheer size of the US, we probably rely on air travel more so than European countries, who have highspeed rail as a realistic alternative,” Weinshank adds. “It’s about finding solutions for unmet transportation needs, and these solutions will have trickle-down effects on regional innovation, development and prosperity. We as a team are excited by the potential here.” Expanding economic opportunity: full-service aviation & logistics partnerships Today, Western Aircraft holds a long list of titles: charter airline, new and preowned aircraft dealership, fixed-base operator, authorized service center, certified aircraft repair station and worldwide parts distributor — with a team of 350 specialists in maintenance, avionics, interiors and more. “Our strength is in the verticals and in program management,” Weinshank notes. “We just have so 19 BRAND STORY
much experience with this. It’s really our niche.” Although Western Aircraft values its reputation as a leading charter airline, the organization has also established itself as a full-service aviation partner for innovative logistics programs. Nowhere is this more evident than in the evolution of its Lanai Air partnership. The Hawaii-based initiative sees Western Aircraft operating under the trade name Lanai Air and working in close partnership with the island’s major business operator to serve tourists and residents. What began as an agreement to operate flights for Four Seasons guests traveling between Oahu and Lanai, matured into a multi-faceted program—charter, commuter, cargo—that supports the island community and economy. Western Aircraft now plays a critical role in Lanai’s transportation ecosystem: It provides residents with reliable access to Oahu for essential services, including medical appointments, and manages all import-export flights. Behind the scenes, Western Aircraft handles scheduling, public ticketing, fleet maintenance and contingency planning— crucial when dealing with unpredictable weather. On average, Lanai Air operates over 1,000 flights per month within the State of Hawaii. “This has grown into a really targeted, smart, well-oiled program,” Weinshank says. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our decades of experience and wideranging expertise come together to serve this project.” Connecting more places, more responsibly Western Aircraft plans to pursue further partnerships, helping develop solutions and strategies tailored to specific goals across diverse regions. “We’re easy to work with and easy to partner with, because we fundamentally espouse transparency,” Weinshank reflects. “We almost have an old-school “It’s about finding solutions for unmet transportation needs, and these solutions will have trickle-down effects on regional innovation, development and prosperity.” JOSH WEINSHANK, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, WESTERN AIRCRAFT way of doing business. What you see is what you get. There are no surprises or weird hidden costs. And that’s worked well for many years.” With a firm belief in the importance of charter air travel, Western Aircraft is focused on leading the way in personalized service, planet-conscious efficiency and pioneering logistics solutions. “We’re not just delivering a seamless, high-quality flight experience,” Weinshank concludes. “We’re helping shape a smarter, connected, responsible future for air travel — one that includes more people, more places and, ultimately, leads to more opportunity.” n 20 BRAND STORY
Plus January 2024 | OregonBusiness.com A FAMILY AFFAIR The Suhs invest in Northeast Portland A BROKEN SYSTEM How do we fix glass recycling? Our Yearly Guide to Top Businesses & Nonprofits Leaders weigh in on what’s up next and where they’ve been July/August 2020 | OregonBusiness.com THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE ELDER CARE Nursing homes reexamine approach to services BUYING LOCAL Small farmers reap bene ts of supply-chain breakdown HOPE FOR HOSPITALITY McMenamin brothers plot future for pub chain Digital Doctor Telemedicine has transformed health care. But is it here to stay? Dr. Elizabeth Powers, Winding Waters page 33 July/August 2022 | OregonBusiness.com THE HEALTH CARE ISSUE IS BALA BACK ON ITS FEET? Footwear startup tries a heel-turn WHO CARES? Oregon’s caregiver shortage spirals ON CALL Nurses join the gig economy plus A Rebirthed Tradition More Oregonians seek midwife care $4.99 May 2019 | OregonBusiness.com TSUNAMI THREAT *][QVM[[M[ LQ ٺ MZ WV PW_ \W XZMXIZM A BAD REP +WUKI[\ PMIL [MMS[ JZIVL ZMLW PEOPLE BUSINESS ;\I\M TMVLMZ [MMS[ P]UIV \W]KP / / Broadband gives life to rural economies, but not all can get connected GOT DATA? Natasha Allen, welding instructor November / December 2021 | OregonBusiness.com The New Face of Manufacturing Can a new training center remake the industry? ALWAYS HUSTLING College athletes cash in PLAYING DEFENSE Can Oregon become a big defense-industry player? Plus THE MANUFACTURING ISSUE Prime The Manufacturing Issue BIG CHEESE The cream rises to the top in Oregon’s artisanal cheese industry GRÖN IN OREGON A cannabis company goes global THE CHIPS ARE IN Making room for the semiconductor industry A FOUNDATIONAL SHIFT OCF’s new director $4.99 November/December 2022 | OregonBusiness.com February 2020 | OregonBusiness.com THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ISSUE BEEFING UP BOOKKEEPING Accountants turn their hand to advising KEEPING IT LOCAL Why consultants are working less and ying fewer miles ROBO LAW How AI is changing the face of the legal profession The Great Disruption May 2020 | OregonBusiness.com HILLSBORO’S DATA CENTER BOOM Big Tax Breaks But Few Jobs PORTLAND’S NEW TECH WAVE Growth Pressures Sector’s Identity ADDICTION IN THE WORKPLACE The Cost of Not Helping Employees Coronavirus Pandemic Forces Adaptability and Innovation July/August 2019 | OregonBusiness.com The leaders retooling the next generation of coordinated care organizations State Health ERIC HUNTER CEO, CAREOREGON LAST ACTS /ZMMV J]ZQIT[ ÆW]ZQ[P BRAIN WAVES 6M_ TQNM NWZ WTL LZ]O[ OPEN SIGNAL <M[\QVO I]\WVWUW][ JZWILJIVL / / of Are you in? Of course you are. Subscribe Today. Get your All-Access Pass to OB Prime when you subscribe to Oregon Business. ■ Four quarters (one year) of Oregon Business print edition, plus the digital edition of Oregon Business, readable on any device. ■ Special monthly emails that may include bonus story content, event discounts, special research stories, and/or additional photos. OregonBusiness.com/subscribe $4.99 June 2019 | OregonBusiness.com The Brave New World of Green Businesses redefine the mantle of sustainability LOADED UP Electric grid gets a revamp CAP AND TRADE An investor’s perspective BEYOND RECYCLING Three portraits from the 100 Best / / PLUS EXCLUSIVE: Intel CTO on the future of tech February 2021 | OregonBusiness.com THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ISSUE Scotty Fenters, farmer FACING DROUGHT Searching for Solutions in the Klamath Basin BETTING ON THE FUTURE Port of Portland rethinks growth plans COLLABORATIVE SPACES New era of of ce design RUSH TO THE SCREEN Digital marketing dominates ad spend WHAT’S NEXT FOR COLUMBIA RIVER PORTS? Also RECLAIMING WILLAMETTE FALLS Tribes make new plans for site PIPE DREAMS Irrigation gets a makeover $4.99 January 2022 | OregonBusiness.com P OB2 W0O 2OE R2K Little Loans, Big Results What microfinance is doing for Oregon entrepreneurs April 2023 | OregonBusiness.com MONEY IN THE BANK How consumer banks are dealing with increased interest rates MAKE IT WORK Staffing trends in 2023 plus THE FINANCE ISSUE ELECTRIC MINDS How Oregon companies are using AI A FLUID SITUATION Will OSU’s new tech hub make the grade? A Special Rep t February 2024 | OregonBusiness.com THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE
⁄Profile⁄ Erick Widman, principal at Passage Immigration Law, talks about how his firm is adapting to a second Trump administration. BY CHRISTEN McCURDY ERICK WIDMAN’S INTEREST IN IMMIGRATION law came of personal necessity. Widman grew up in Silicon Valley. After attending UCLA and law school at UC Davis, he took a job teachinglawinHungary—wherehemetaHungarianwoman and married her in 2001. “She was my first immigration law client, in a sense, and that persuaded me to get into immigration law,” Widman tells Oregon Business. When he first returned to the U.S., Widman was in-house counsel working on business contracts and immigration for Philips Electronics in Silicon Valley, before moving to Portland in 2008 and opening his own practice. That practice — Passage Immigration Law — now has a staff of 12, including five attorneys, and satellite offices in Seattle and Los Angeles as well as its Portland headquarters. Earlier this year, Passage moved its Portland headquarters to the Pearl, a decision made partly due to the Pearl’s central location — but more important, the new office is located directly across the street from the Portland field office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. “I have a business immigration background because of Philips Electronics. But starting out, getting my first set of initial clients, it was often people like me: Americans who had married foreign nationals,” Widman says. He worked with those couples to handle green cards, a process called adjustment of status. Over time the firm’s focus shifted to family and business integration — and now, in view of President Donald Trump’s second term, removal defense. “It’s just going to be necessary to have that practice area,” Widman says. Widman spoke to Oregon Business in January, just days after Trump was inaugurated for his second term. The vibe, he said at that time, was already noticeably different. “There was kind of a sense [during Trump’s first term] they knew they wanted to get tough on immigrants, but many people point out they didn’t really know what they were doing and kind of sloppily constructed executive orders,” Widman says, such as a Muslim ban that was shut down multiple times. “This time, however, it’s much more focused, much more deliberate. They learned a lot of lessons,” Widman says. But the administration was still issuing executive orders that faced immediate legal challenges—including one challenging birthright citizenship, which was shut down in Washington state with an injunction within hours of its issue. (That legal challenge was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court as this issue went to press.) When Widman spoke with OB in January, he said clients and potential clients were reaching out with a host of concerns across the firm’s major practice areas, with family-based immigration clients worrying about family members; businesses or immigrants who have immigrated on work visas expressing concern about threats to programs like the H1B visa program; and deportation defense, where there is the most fear. When OB spoke with Widman again in April, he said his office was receiving a wider variety of inquiries, including from individuals who, as naturalized U.S. citizens, are concerned about being denaturalized. That process is rare; those who are denaturalized are generally accused of “doing really horrible things,” like lying to get citizenship, Widman says. A lot of the firm’s work involves reassuring people that they still have rights—and that includes holding open houses and workshops with the community to educate people on their rights — and reassuring them that the judiciary is not going to go away, that so far many executive orders have been met with immediate legal challenges and injunctions. DAY TO DAY, THE WORK INVOLVES MEETING with clients and potential clients about their concerns. Most of the time, he said, “people do have a remedy. If they’re nervous, they can naturalize.” He has spoken to clients who want to leave the U.S. and want to discuss their options, but so far such inquiries are the minority. “There’s some of that, for sure, but day to day, we’re talking to nervous people about their options, and the challenge is showing them what they can count on in weeks to come, because things are changing so quickly. Where is the certainty that they can that the rug won’t be pulled out from under them?” Widman says. Dealing with that uncertainty means the work can be not just demanding but can burn attorneys out. “Trump 1.0 burned out a number of good immigration attorneys, and removal-defense work is the toughest — the tears, the stress, the high-stakes situations, that’s really rough. And in general, there are all kinds of studies out there about how lawyers have high rates of alcoholism, high rates of stress and anxiety. So you combine these things together, it could be really, really toxic,” Widman says. He works to encourage high morale in the firm — encouraging staff to praise each Rights of Passage “It’s not a liberal or conservative issue; Americans are concerned about due process. It invokes freedom of speech and fundamental liberties that are key for everybody. It’s not a political issue. It’s ‘What does it mean to have a democratic republic?’ Really foundational stuff.” ERICK WIDMAN 22
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