The 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon


GreenLogoOregon is known for its green-minded citizens, and many workers are attracted to firms and organizations that practice green, not just pay lip service to it.

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0614100bgOregon is known for its green-minded citizens, and many workers are attracted to firms and organizations that practice green, not just pay lip service to it.

Our sixth annual 100 Best Green Workplaces survey shows just how important employees rate sustainable practices. Recycling, energy conservation and buying local are just a few of the policies employees want to see in their workplace. The best green companies and nonprofits are acting on these preferences, offering bonuses for biking and taking public transport; recycling and composting; and cutting energy use.

Employers’ efforts to green their workplaces parallels what is happening at the regulatory level. State authorities are implementing energy efficiency policies in the electric utility sector and transitioning transportation to cleaner fuels. Gov. John Kitzhaber’s 10-year energy plan calls for all of the state’s new electricity demand to be met through energy efficiency and conservation. 

Momentum is also increasing in the western U.S. to create a regional partnership to combat climate change. The Pacific Coast Action Plan, an agreement signed by governors of Oregon, Washington, California and the premier of British Columbia last year, calls for harmonizing greenhouse-gas reduction targets and putting a price on carbon emissions. 

These are just some of the examples of how greening the workplace is part of a broader effort to green the economy.


0614100bg2Who are the 100 Best Green workplaces?
Almost 70% of the 100 Best Green Workplaces are for-profit companies, with nonprofits making up the remainder. Education, training and community development made up the largest sector (20%), consisting solely of nonprofits. Architecture, engineering and design made up the next largest segment (11%), followed by consulting (7%). Sectors with just a small percentage of green workplaces include healthcare; advertising, marketing and PR; accounting; telecom and internet; and utility.

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How satisfied are employees with green practices in the workplace?
Participants of the 100 Best Green Workplaces survey were most content with their workplaces’ policies for recycling paper, glass, metals, packaging and other materials. They also had a high satisfaction rate for their workplaces’ sustainability mission. “Opportunities for participation in sustainability activities — both in our workplace and communities — are encouraged at all levels of our organization,” says one staffer.

On the flip side, employees participating in the survey were least content with their employers’ rewards and recognition of workers for meeting sustainability goals, such as taking public transport. “I would like to see more initiative in the offering of transportation subsidies,” says one employee. Employees also had lower satisfaction rates for their workplaces’ efforts to reduce toxic materials and chemicals, to conserve water and to measure progress toward sustainability. Greening the workplace is a well-established business practice, but it appears many employers have yet to tackle tougher challenges, such as reporting on steps taken towards meeting green goals.

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How employers rate their sustainable practices
Companies and nonprofits were required to fill out 15 questions that showed to what degree workplaces support and promote sustainable practices. All participating companies scored highest on their support for recycling materials, such as paper and glass. They also scored highly on buying local materials and supplies, as well as conserving energy, such as turning off unused equipment and using energy-efficient light bulbs. Companies got lower overall scores for more sophisticated green practices, such as buying renewable power or carbon offsets. They also ranked lower for rewarding or recognizing employees for being sustainable and investing in green facilities, such as LEED-certified buildings.

How are the Companies judged?
The 100 Best Green Workplaces were determined by 16,000 employees from more than 400 companies and nonprofits that took part in two anonymous surveys: The 2014 100 Best Companies and 2013 100 Best Nonprofits projects. As part of the surveys, Oregon workers rated their satisfaction with and the importance of 10 statements related to sustainable practices at their workplaces, such as green missions and goals, recycling and waste reduction, support for public transit, energy and water conservation, and buying local. Employers were also independently scored on 15 questions about their sustainability policies. 

For more information on our 100 Best, click here.


Rank 2014Rank 2013COMPANY/ORGANIZATION/WEBSITECITYSCOREDESCRIPTION
14Rose City Mortgage
rosecitymtg.com
Portland296.66Socially responsible mortgage broker
21Research Into Action, Inc.
researchintoaction.com
Portland291.73Energy-efficiency and renewable energy program evaluation and market research firm
310Rogue Creamery
roguecreamery.com
Central Point290.77Artisan cheese producers
418Columbia Printing & Cleanroom Inc.
colprinting.com
Portland288.18Cleanroom consumables, digital and commercial printing
57Oregon Environmental Council
oeconline.org
Portland285.86Environmental conservation
62Standing Stone Brewing Company
standingstonebrewing.com
Ashland285.82Restaurant and brewery
7NRLifeSource Natural Foods
lifesourcenaturalfoods.com
Salem285.63Independant natural foods retailer
88Capital Pacific Bank
capitalpacificbank.com
Portland285.44Business banking and financial services
948Anthro Corporation
anthro.com
Tualatin284.97Furniture design and manufacturing
105DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland
doubletreegreen.com
Portland281.82Sustainable hotel in downtown Portland
1117The Hershey Co./DAGOBA
dagobachocolate.com
Ashland280.36Maker of chocolate and confectionary products
1212Tualatin Valley Water District
tvwd.org
Beaverton280.31Provides water to more than 200,000 people in  Washington County
13NRSERA Architects
serapdx.com
Portland278.77Sustainable architecture and design firm
1461REACH Community Development
reachcdc.org
Portland277.86Affordable housing development, repair and management
15102AJ’s Auto Repair
ajsautorepair.com
Salem277.28Automotive repair and maintenance
1611Capitol Auto Group
capitolauto.com
Salem276.41Automotive sales and service
1726Vernier Software & Technology
vernier.com
Beaverton276.25Web design, software and hardware for teaching science, math and engineering
1846Friends of Zenger Farm
zengerfarm.org
Portland275.51Farm-based education for young people and families
1935PECI
peci.org
Portland274.90Designs and manages energy-efficiency programs
2029Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest
jvcnorthwest.org
Portland274.75Recruits, places and supports full-time volunteers serving social service agencies, schools and nonprofits
2153Image Pressworks
imagepressworks.com
Portland273.84Commericial printing firm
2254Trash for Peace
trashforpeace.org
Portland273.09Promotes reducing, reusing, and recycling waste
23NRAdelante Mujeres
adelantemujeres.org
Forest Grove272.99Provides education and empowerment opportunities to low-income Latina women and their families
2433Realty Trust Group
realtytrust.com
Portland272.85Local real estate company
25NROn-the-Move Community Integration
onthemoveonline.org
Portland272.73Inclusion services for adults with developmental disabilities

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Rank 2014Rank 2013COMPANY/ORGANIZATION/WEBSITECITYSCOREDESCRIPTION
2619PAE
pae-engineers.com
Portland271.76Mechanical/electrical engineering and sustainable design 
2723Boly:Welch
bolywelch.com
Portland270.94Provider of consulting and recruiting services
2827Ater Wynne LLP
aterwynne.com
Portland270.21Multisector law firm
2949Green Hammer
greenhammer.com
Portland270.12Architecture and design firm
3014Isler CPA
islercpa.com
Eugene269.17Certified public accountants and business advisors
3142Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
neea.org
Portland268.61Regional energy-efficiency programs
3225Xanterra Parks & Resorts
craterlakelodges.com
White City267.87Park management company
3328Perkins Coie LLP
perkinscoie.com
Portland267.47Multi-sector law firm
3499Yost Grube Hall Architecture
ygh.com
Portland267.02Architecture and design firm
35NRBRING Recycling
bringrecyling.org
Eugene266.79Runs reuse and recycling programs
3624EARTH2O
earth2o.com
Culver266.39Water delivery and bottle manufacturer
3731Portland YouthBuilders
pybpdx.org
Portland266.30Alternative high school for low-income youth
3892RHT Energy Solutions
rhtenergy.com
Medford266.07Energy engineering consulting firm
3940Bonneville Environmental Foundation
b-e-f.org
Portland265.48Energy, carbon and water use consultants
4037Hopworks Urban Brewery
hopworksbeer.com
Portland264.87Eco-brewpub with organic beers and local ingredients served in a sustainably built/operated building
413Gerding Edlen
gerdlingedlen.com
Portland264.86Real estate development, property management and investment management
4278PREM Group
premgrp.com
Portland264.76Real estate management company
43228Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center
greshamchamber.org
Gresham264.17Chamber of commerce
4415Green Acres Landscape Inc.
greenacreslandscapenc.com
Salem263.86Landscape contractor and maintenance company
4521Salem Convention Center
salemconventioncenter.org
Salem263.54Full-service convention center
46NRMount Pisgah Arboretum
mountpisgaharboretum.org
Eugene263.51Living tree museum with eight miles of trails, public facilities and environmental education programs
47130Levi Strauss & Co.
levistrauss.com
Eugene263.36International jean and apparel company
47NRHolst Architecture
holstarc.com
Portland263.36Architecture and design firm
4983Barran Liebman LLP
barran.com
Portland262.79Employment, labor and benefits law firm
5069Earth Advantage
earthadvantage.org
Portland262.69Sustainable buildings research and consulting
50NRCascade Employers Association
cascadeemployers.com
Salem262.69HR training, consulting and recruitment

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Rank 2014Rank 2013COMPANY/ORGANIZATION/WEBSITECITYSCOREDESCRIPTION
526Sokol Blosser Winery
sokolblosser.com
Dundee262.30Vineyard, winery, and tasting room
53NRTreasure Valley Children’s Relief Nursery
tvcrn.org
Ontario262.09Child-abuse prevention programs
5458Terwilliger Plaza
terwilligerplaza.com
Portland261.24Continuing-care retirement community
5532Family Relief Nursery
familyreliefnursery.org
Cottage Grove261.05Child-abuse prevention programs
5655Landscape East & West
landscapeeast.com
Clackamas261.01Landscape maintenance and installation
5788Oregon Wild
oregonwild.org
Portland260.98Protects and restores Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife and waters
58NRPort of Portland
portofportland.com
Portland260.91Operates airports, marine terminals and industrial parks in the greater Portland metropolitan area
59NRWillamette Valley Vineyards
wvv.com
Turner260.60Vineyard and winemaker
60150McKenzie Commercial Contractors
mckenziecommercial.com
Eugene260.52Commercial construction services
6163R&H Construction Co.
rhconst.com
Portland259.40General contractor of commercial construction projects
6243Walsh Construction Co.
walshconstructionco.com
Portland259.19General contractor with green building focus
6351Sponsors Inc.
sponsorsinc.org
Eugene259.04Re-entry services to people with criminal histories
6452Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort
skihood.com
Mt. Hood258.89Ski resort and ski instruction
65NRRogue Valley Habitat for Humanity
roguevalleyhabitat.org
Medford258.63Affordable housing agency
66NRWillamette University MBA – Atkinson Graduate School of Management
willamette.edu/mba
Salem258.11Graduate school of management
67NRAssistance League of Salem-Keizer
assistanceleaguesalem.org
Salem257.89Community-based philanthropic programs
68126Fortis Construction
fortisconstruction.com
Portland257.59Employee-owned general contractor
6981Childpeace Montessori School
childpeace.org
Portland257.49Independent Montessori school
7065Neil Kelly Company
neilkelly.com
Portland256.82Residential design and remodeling contractor
71NRRecology
recology.com
portland256.41Integrated waste hauling, processing and recycling
72NRMicro Enterprise Services of Oregon
mesopdx.org
Portland256.30Capital and coaching for entrepreneurs in Washington, Clackamas, Multnomah and Columbia counties
73176VanderHouwen & Associates
vanderhouwen.com
Portland255.83IT, accounting/finance and engineering staffing
74NRDallas Retirement Village
dallasretirementvillage.com
Dallas254.96Retirement community offering independent and assisted living
75232Coquille Indian Housing Authority
coquilleiha.org
Coos Bay254.26Tribal housing authority

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Rank 2014Rank 2013COMPANY/ORGANIZATION/WEBSITECITYSCOREDESCRIPTION
76214Portland Homeless Family Solutions
pdxhfs.org
Portland254.09Provides temporary, emergency shelter to homeless families with children
77162Matrix Networks
matrixnetworks.com
Portland253.78IP communication services
7871Oregon Supported Living Program
oslp.org
Eugene253.31Community inclusion and supported living programs
7960Northwest Family Services
nwfs.org
Portland253.30Skills-based activities and workshops for young people and families 
80NROpenSourcery
opensourcery.com
Portland253.04Open-source development firm
81NRMaxwell PR + Engagement
maxwellpr.com
Portland252.89Public relations and consumer engagement agency
8274Wauna Federal Credit Union
waunafcu.org
Clatskanie252.81Financial services and banking
83NRMarmoset LLC
marmosetmusic.com
Portland252.80Boutique music agency
84NRConservation Services Group
csgrp.com
Portland252.70Energy-efficiency and clean-energy programs
8547King Estate Winery
kingestate.com
Eugene252.55Wine producer and restaurant
8698Hartmann&Forbes Inc.
hfshades.com
Tualatin251.73Maker of window and wall coverings
87NROtak Inc.
otak.com
Portland251.60Architecture and design firm
88NRMt. Ashland Association
mtashland.com
Ashland251.40Alpine recreation and ski instruction
8982Carr Auto Group
carrauto.com
Beaverton251.20Automotive sales and service
90180EasyStreet Online Services
easystreet.com
Beaverton251.09Managed and hosted IT services
9139CLEAResult
clearesult.com
Portland250.97Designs, manages and implements energy programs
92NRClassique Floors
classiquefloors.com
Portland250.79Floor-covering contractor
9322Aim High Academy of Martial Arts
aimhighma.org
Beaverton250.74Martial-arts instruction
94NRHydro International
hydro-int.com
Hillsboro249.08Manufacturer of water and wastewater treatment equipment
9530DeSantis Landscapes
desantislandscapes.com
Salem249.07Landscape maintenance and construction
95121So Delicious Dairy Free
sodeliciousdairyfree.com
Springfield249.07Manufactures nondairy food products
97110Northwest Newborn Specialists PC
nwnewborn.com
Portland248.97Physician group focused on newborn care
9844Mercy Corps
mercycorps.org
Portland248.06International community development and emergency relief services
99NRHealthCo Information Systems Inc.
healthcosystems.com
Tualatin246.68Provides software to the medical industry
10045Consumer Cellular
consumercellular.com
Portland246.62Wireless service provider

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