Oregon Business Matters

Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel discusses the economic impact of spectator sports in Oregon, which account for 23% more of Oregon's economic output than the national average. Spectator sports should be thought of as traded sector economic activity, attracting people and dollars from out of state, and worth a certain degree of public investment, Etzel argues.

Hillsboro Hops President and General Manager KL Wombacher talks about the minor league baseball team's history in Oregon, its new stadium and the economic and cultural importance of the team to the Portland metro area and to the state.

In 2009, apparel industry veteran Scott Hamlin founded Looptworks to address the problem of textile waste. Looptworks, which recently moved into its new facility in Gresham, transforms excess clothing and other textiles into thread or yarn that can be reused and nonwoven fibers that can be used to produce insulation and other non-clothing products. Scott talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the company's evolution, its newly acquired Global Recycling Standard certification and the challenges of operating a business in Oregon.

ATI's Specialty Alloys and Components Division in Millersburg might be the coolest company in Oregon that few people know. It produces metals that can withstand incredibly harsh conditions, and its products are used in a wide variety of products, from jet engines to MRI machines.

Oregon Business Matters talks with John Tapogna, former longtime president of economics research firm ECOnorthwest and newly installed president of the Oregon Business Council. John and host Angela Wilhelms discuss his new role and what he believes are the five major challenges facing the state: poor school performance, insufficient housing, wildfires, the state's overreliance on the income tax and Oregon's historic ambivalence about population growth.

In this episode, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Peter Skrbek, CEO of Bend-based Deschutes Brewery, about the iconic craft brewer's history, its approach to product innovation, its connection to Central Oregon and much more.

Host Angela Wilhelms talks with Cara Turano, president and executive director of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network, about the important role of entrepreneurs in the state's business ecosystem. They discuss the major challenges entrepreneurs face, the common mistakes they make, what it's like to start a business in Oregon and more.

Jared Walczak, a senior fellow at the Tax Foundation, joins host Angela Wilhelms to discuss the organization's annual ranking of state tax environments, the State Tax Competitiveness Index. Until recently the vice president of state projects, Walczak explains how the index works and why 35th-ranked Oregon has fallen further than any other state since 2020. He also warns about the consequences of decoupling Oregon from the federal tax code.

Host Angela Wilhelms talks with Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Portland Metro Chamber President & CEO Andrew Hoan. Topics covered include unsanctioned camping, overnight shelter construction, increasing trust in government, the city's tax burden and other issues of importance to Portland's residents, visitors and businesses.

When you go to the store to buy a beverage – whether it’s a nonalcoholic drink or a six-pack of beer – you’re aware of the brand you’re buying, obviously, as well as the store at which you’re buying it. But what you don’t see is the distributor that brought that beverage to the store – and probably stocked the shelf. Beverage distributors play an important but largely invisible role linking manufacturers to retailers.In this episode, Oregon Business Matters host Angela Wilhelms talks with Paul Meade, chief financial officer at Columbia Distributing, one of the largest beverage distributors in the country. Columbia Distributing handles a broad mix of beverage brands, including Molson/Coors, 7-Up and many craft beers and other brands. The company's many Oregon partners include Deschutes Brewery, 2 Towns Ciderhouse, Migration Brewing and Del Rio Wines. Columbia Distributing is also the nation's biggest distributor of Red Bull.

Bullseye Glass is Portland manufacturing institution, producing colored glass used by artists around the world since the 1970s. This fall, the company won OBI's third annual Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest. In this episode of Oregon Business Matters, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Bullseye Glass founder Dan Schwoerer about the company's history and its unique products.

In the latest episode of the Oregon Business Matters podcast, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Ned Ford, chief operations officer for Harry & David parent company 1-800-Flowers. Ned oversees Harry & David, which maintains its headquarters - along with an impressive operation - in Medford. With the holiday season just around the corner, Ned and Angela talk about Harry & David's evolution, the complex logistics behind the company's Medford operation and, of course, pears.

Matthew Drake, CEO of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the ski resort business, including challenges posed by weather variability, running an independently owned ski resort, and the threat to resorts like Mt. Hood Meadows created by Oregon's unusual liability law relating to recreational uses.

October is National Manufacturing Month. Host Angela Wilhelms talks with OBI Senior Policy Director Duke Shepard about the importance - and struggles - of Oregon's manufacturing sector. Duke also recaps OBI's annual Manufacturing & Innovation Roadshow, which toured seven manufacturers in the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon on Oct. 6-7.

Tyler Freres is vice president of sales at Freres Engineered Wood, a family owned company that has produced timber products in Lyons and Mill City for more than a century. Tyler talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the evolution of the family business, state and federal forest management practices and Mass Ply, a cross-laminated product developed by Freres Engineered Wood that won OBI's inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest in 2023.

If you follow college sports, you've heard the term NIL, which stands for "name, image and likeness." You also probably know NIL refers to the payment of collegiate athletes. Beyond that, you can be excused for knowing little about the complex world of collegiate athlete compensation. In this episode of Oregon Business Matters, host Angela Wilhelms talks with an expert in this rapidly evolving area. Max Forer is a partner with Miller Nash in Oregon and a former offensive lineman with the Oregon Ducks. If you're at all curious about collegiate sports, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Brian Hall, CEO of rapidly growing NIC Industries. Based in White City, NIC Industries manufactures powder coatings and liquid ceramic coatings, which it sells around the world. The company's products include its successful Cerakote car-care line, which can be found in retail stores around the country. NIC Industries is a 2025 recipient of OBI’s Visionary Award, which recognizes people, companies and organizations that strengthen Oregon’s economy and contribute significantly to shared prosperity.Brian himself was honored in June as EY’s 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Mountain West region, which includes Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.Brian and Angela talk about the evolution of NIC Industries, the benefits and challenges of operating in Oregon, and Brian’s successful approach to leadership.

Family owned Duckwall Fruit packs and ships more than two million cartons of premium pears every year in Oregon's Hood River Valley. In this episode, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Duckwall Fruit's Sara Duckwall and Ed Weathers about Oregon pears, running a century-old family business and much more.

For the past 15 years, Jeff Stone has the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which represents the state's expansive nursery and greenhouse industry. It is the state's largest agricultural sector, and Oregon is the nation's third largest nursery state in the country after California and Florida. About 80% of what Oregon's nurseries grow is sold outside the state, contributing to Oregon's trade surplus.

The Oregon Business Matters podcast talks with two pillars of Oregon journalism. Patsy Smullin is owner and president of California Oregon Broadcasting (COBI), the parent company of KOBI-TV in Medford. And Bob Wise is president and general manager of KOBI-TV. KOBI is an NBC affiliate in Medford.Bob Wise has worked at KOBI-TV for more than 20 years. And last November, Patsy was honored as a "giant of broadcasting and the electronic arts" by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.Patsy and Bob talk with host Angela Wilhelms about their years in the broadcast business, the shifting journalism landscape, the importance of local news providers and much more.

Jordan Papé is one of Oregon’s busiest people. He’s the president and CEO of The Papé Group, a multigenerational family business that operates in nine states throughout the west. He is highly engaged in civic and public life, and he serves on OBI’s board of directors.The Oregon Business Matters podcast talks with Jordan about the evolution of his family’s business, its work to fuel vehicles with clean hydrogen, the advantages and challenges of operating in Oregon, and more. 

Just in time for Oregon's summer tourist season, Oregon Business Matters talks with Escape Lodging Chairman and co-founder Patrick Nofield. Escape Lodging owns and manages hotels and restaurants in Cannon Beach, The Dalles, Beaverton and elsewhere in Oregon. Nofield also serves as board chair for the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association.

Epic Aircraft's E1000 GX won the 2024 Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest. Epic President and CEO Doug King joins the podcast to talk about the Bend-based company, the E1000 GX and the challenges of operating a business in Oregon.

An interview with Oregon state Sen. Mike McLane, a Powell Butte attorney with more than 20 years of military service who has served as a circuit court judge, as Oregon House Republican leader - and even written children's books.

This bonus episode is a recording of comments made by OBI President and CEO Angela Wilhelms at the organization's Annual Meeting June 4 in Salem. Wilhelms' comments describe the policy-driven challenges facing Oregon's businesses and the failure of Oregon's political leaders to acknowledge, much less correct, them.

Dr. Memo Diriker is a faculty member in Salisbury University's Franklin P. Perdue School of Business and the founder of the StratACUMEN Group, which OBI engaged to analyze Oregon's regulatory environment. Dr. Diriker joins the podcast to discuss his team's work, Oregon's regulatory burden and ways other states have found to eliminate excessive regulations.

Sarah Pope is executive director of Stand for Children Oregon, one of the state's most influential public education-advocacy organizations. She talks with Oregon Business Matters about Oregon's ongoing struggles with statewide standardized test scores, what might be causing the problems and what policymakers can do to address them.

State Sen. Daniel Bonham and Rep. Christine Drazan are the two highest ranking Republicans in the Oregon Legislature. They talk to Oregon Business Matters about what spurred their interest in legislative service, what leading caucuses in the legislative minority entails and more.

State Sen. Kayse Jama and state Rep. Ben Bowman are two of the Legislature's highest-ranking Democrats. They talk to Oregon Business Matters about what spurred their interest in public service, what legislative leadership entails and more.

About the Oregon Business Matters podcast, produced by Oregon Business & Industry, Oregon's statewide chamber of commerce.

Oregon Business Matters talks to John Horvick of DHM Research about how he got started in the public opinion research business, how polling has changed during his nearly two-decade career, how the views of Oregonians have changed and more.