BIZ REPORT — Portland based Columbia Sportswear announced this month it is laying off 75 employees which is 4% of their workforce.  At the same time Columbia is opening a store at Portland International Airport and also at three other locations in Minneapolis, Seattle and Chicago. President Tim Boyle stated, […]

By Phil Peach, Oregon Remodelers Association, There is still a lot of uncertainty about the future of the construction industry, and whether we are at the “bottom” of the economic downturn, how long the recovery will take, when new homebuilding will return and what effect that will have on the […]

By Bill Conery, Businomics, Conerly Consulting, Yesterday I explained the basics of a credit default swap.  Now let’s explain how they sunk AIG.  The obvious risk of the CDS is that the original bond issuer (Barb in the simple explanation) cannot repay her debt.  In AIG’s case, they did extensive […]

Test your knowledge on events that happened this week. 1. NBA coaches this week agreed to… A) Wear designated clothing brands during games as a promotion B) Hire a law firm to sue referees for repeated errors C) Ban the use of non-recycled cups at courtside 2. Which Governor was […]

From Oregon Small Business Administration, Manuel Castaneda , president of Pro Landscape,Inc., is the Oregon Minority Small Business Person of the Year for 2008 announced SBA Portland District Director Harry DeWolf. The award was presented at the Minority Business Opportunity Committee’s (MBOC) Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week awards luncheon on […]

From Oregon State University College of Business, CORVALLIS, Ore. -A new study by Oregon State University researchers shows that promoting the fact that the business is a “family” business positively influences customer purchasing decisions.  Family businesses are important to the United States economy, comprising an estimated 80 percent of the […]

Oregon Biz Report, Starbucks has been running TV ads and web videos giving free coffee to anyone who says they voted on election day.  Krispy Creme offered free doughnuts and Ben and Jerry’s free ice cream.  But it may be illegal in many places. The Secretary of State in Georgia […]

Bill Conerly, Businomics, Conerly Consulting LLC With today’s new GDP figures for Q3, I’ve updated my forecast.  Here’s how it looks: GDP forecast That last blue column, the slightly negative one, is last quarter’s 0.3% decline.  I forecast declines in the current quarter as well as the first quarter of […]

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–With a story of devastating destruction followed by unwavering hope and hard work, New Canal Lighthouse in Louisiana captures the spirit of New Orleans’ rebuilding efforts and has earned the top spot in this year’s JELD-WEN Reliable Lighthouse Restoration Initiative. Guided by nearly half a million votes […]

1. The US launched air strikes into what nation this week? 2. Which company did not see their profits rise over 30% this week? A) Viacom B) Comcast C) Sony