MAY 2007: FROM THE EDITOR
Our own corps of
discovery
Innovation takes the spotlight this issue, starting with our
cover story on the extraordinary discoveries of eight local
companies. We are rich, as senior writer Abraham Hyatt finds,
with ideas and inventions, some of which have the power to save
fish, decode the universe and repair ailing bodies.
While we aren’t developing life-saving technologies here
at the magazine (oh, but to find the cure for writer’s
block), we have our own cup of innovation brewing. In this
issue we introduce two new regular features aimed at giving the
readers of Oregon
Business a bigger dose of statewide intelligence. The
first, on p. 8, is Economix, a monthly column that will explore
Oregon’s economy. Three of the state’s leading
economic analysts will wade through the confusing fiscal
flotsam and jetsam to explain what makes our economy tick, and
why you should care.
Our rotating lineup starts with John Mitchell, a well-known
figure on the regional economic scene. He’s been an
economist with U.S. Bank for almost 25 years, the past 10 years
as its Western region economist (and, if you’ve heard his
annual ode to the economy, not a bad poet). For our inaugural
column, Mitchell tackles what makes Oregon’s tax system
unique (decorum prohibits the other adjectives), and the
wide-ranging implications of that.
Batting in June will be Tom Potiowsky, a fixture for six years
as the state’s economist and the head of the Office of
Economic Analysis (and the guy who forecast the state’s
tax revenues). Potiowsky returned to teaching last year at
Portland State University, where he is an economics professor.
Rounding out the lineup in July is Eric Fruits, a senior
economist at the Portland consulting firm ECONorthwest and an
adjunct professor at PSU.
All three are ready to take on the assignment of dissecting
our financial fun house. Says Mitchell in a sentiment echoed by
his colleagues: “I want to have people think about
something they didn’t before.” With these three
experts writing exclusive analysis for Oregon Business each month,
readers can count on it.
Deal Watch is our second new feature. Each month it will track
the latest in notable mergers, acquisitions, IPOs (if they ever
return to Oregon), capital raising and real estate
transactions. Deal Watch, on p. 9, is researched by Mark
Druskoff, a veteran business writer and editor with a decade of
business publishing experience, including as editor of Minnesota Business
magazine.
The deal landscape is ever-changing and fascinating, and
Druskoff’s research captures it in an easy-to-digest
chart. We’ll also go a little deeper into one deal. This
month, managing editor Christina Williams looks at the
Blackstone Group’s rapid buying and selling of 40
Portland-area hot properties.
“Oregon is pretty active for the size of the
state,” observes Druskoff. “Pound for pound, it has
a pretty strong and diverse mergers and acquisitions deal flow.
It shows a vibrant entrepreneurial scene.”
Celebrating innovation is also part of the fun when we hit the
road later this year in our barnstorming Business is Good!
tour. It starts Sept. 10 in Astoria, rolls through 18 Oregon
communities and winds up in Portland on Oct. 5. Check out our
website at www.oregonbusiness.com/tour. Entrepreneurial juice
is found across the state and in all industries, and with the
tour and other special coverage, we will continue our focus on
innovation throughout the year. We’re scouring the state
for people engaged in all types of ground-breaking work, from
education to technology to the environment to government. If
you know of someone leading the way, drop me a line at
feedback@oregonbusiness.com.
If you’ve got the cure for writer’s block, call me
direct.
— Robin Doussard
editor@oregonbusiness.com
