Few of our readers think the economy is getting better or that their region is headed in the right direction.

J. Clayton Hering, president of Norris, Beggs & Simpson, pushes his company through a historic real estate downturn.

When it staged its first leadership summit in 2002, the Oregon Business Council faced an incoming governor, high unemployment, a sluggish economy and a state budget shortfall of nearly $2 billion.

Portland Metro business owners have been slashing asking prices when selling their companies, even though their revenues have been about the same for the past couple years.

Joel Grover worked at the Bike Gallery in Portland for more than 20 years before he decided to set up Splendid Cycles on his own in May, selling nothing but cargo bikes.

As other agricultural businesses in the area such as plant nurseries struggle because of the anemic housing market, 60-year-old food processor New Season has seen steady sales over the past five years thanks to vegetable powders it produces for a line of Japanese soups and its strong relationships with local farmers.

Intel had just announced in late October that it would invest billions of dollars and create thousands of jobs in Oregon, and Sen. Ron Wyden was beaming. His tie was Intel blue, his re-election campaign was gaining momentum (he would end up winning comfortably) and he was full of praise for Ronald Reagan.

The big deals, mergers and transactions of this month include new Intel plants and a new low-income apartment complex from nonprofit Macdonald Center.

The state’s long-suffering timber industry is shipping more logs than ever to China as prices in that market rise while others remain stagnant.

Harry & David wasn’t planning to move to cage-free eggs in the company’s bakery products, but the idea certainly fit the corporate strategy “to make the most natural, wholesome product possible,” according to VP Pete Kratz.