OREGON KEY INDUSTRIES Clean Technology Wood & Forest Products Advanced Manufacturing High Technology Outdoor Gear & Activewear
Firms (2010): 417
Employees (2010): 12,989
Export Value (2011): $311 million SNAPSHOT
Sales (2007): $5.2 billion INDUSTRY
Outdoor Gear & Activewear “Oregon is the ideal place to build, test and photograph The Pacific Northwest is a goldmine for the active outdoor lifestyle, with outdoor products. Where else diverse landscapes and limitless opportunities for adventure. When coupled with a competitive business environment, Oregon delivers the ideal location can you find snow, desert, for outdoor gear and activewear companies to hit the trail running. mountains, forest, rivers, lakes
Nike and Columbia Sportswear were born and raised right here and oceans all within a few in Oregon, and adidas America is headquartered here as well. Along with hours of travel?” these global brands, growing, mid–size companies like Keen, Dakine, Ruffwear
and LaCrosse/Danner have benefited from the extensive design and Will Blount
logistics expertise found in the region. Oregon’s proximity to the Pacific President, Ruffwear Rim lets these companies interact with counterparts in Asia, as well as exchange materials and finished goods. WWW.OREGON4BIZ.COM
State agencies, educational institutions and local partners have a track record of supporting businesses as they develop and grow in Oregon. Along with Business Oregon, organizations like Oregon State University’s Design & Human Environment Department, The Art Institute of Portland, Portland Development Commission, Economic Development for Central Oregon and Hood River County are working directly with these companies to help them grow. Innovation in product design, green design and sustainability has positioned Oregon to be a global leader in outdoor gear and activewear. Outdoor Gear
Outdoor gear companies have sprouted up across OUTDOOR GEAR Oregon, largely because this is where many of their 1,851 jobs customers come to play. We work with manufacturers 113 companies and designers of products for the full gamut of outdoor $70.9 million in exports $874.8 million in sales activities, such as bicycling, windsurfing, mountaineering, skiing, rock climbing, backpacking, boating, hunting, fishing and camping.
With a sweeping coastline, snow-capped mountain ranges, rocky high desert and countless lakes, rivers and streams, Oregon is a place where outdoor gear gets pushed to its limits. The outdoor-oriented culture in Oregon draws young creative entrepreneurs who come to the state to not only enjoy the bounty of its geography, but to make a living by creating a better shoe to climb a rock, or a better bike tire to descend a mountain.
With a balance of manufacturing prowess, innovative designers and an outdoor-focused culture, Oregon has proven to be the ideal location for gear manufacturers like Leatherman Tools, Dakine and Yakima. 775 Summer St. NE, Suite 200 Salem, Oregon 97301 Activewear 503–986–0123 www.oregon4biz.com The unusually large collection of talented designers and logistics professionals assembled in Oregon around global giants Nike, adidas and Columbia Sportswear, as well as many medium-sized firms, has set the stage for new companies, new ideas and new opportunities. Seattle Washington This industry growth has been fueled for the past Portland 10-20 years by the increasing popularity of outdoor sports, the development of new fabrics and Oregon technologies, and the fusion of outdoor-inspired styles into the broader ACTIVEWEAR fashion world. 11,138 jobs 304 companies Because companies like $239.7 million in exports Nevada Nike, Pendleton $4.3 billion in sales San Francisco Woolen Mills and California Columbia Sportswear started their businesses in Las Vegas Oregon decades ago, Oregon’s outdoor gear and Los Angeles activewear industries have had plenty of time to establish a well developed network of workers, suppliers, distribution networks and other critical industry tools. WWW.OREGON4BIZ.COM