Oregon Business Team

Summer is cooked.  Put away the shorts, grab your sweatshirts and get ready for fall. And we know what that means. College ball is finally back.

As the campaigns for local and state offices heat up, we asked readers to tell candidates what was important to them.

There is only one plant in the CEO’s office at Dennis’ 7 Dees, a nondescript tree shrub with large green leaves. But outside David Snodgrass’ window is a well-tended and landscaped garden with native bushes, shrubs and other flora designed by his business, Oregon’s largest landscaping and garden store business. The soft-spoken 56-year-old likes to say landscaping and gardening is in his blood.

Fort George Brewery is set to fire up its recently installed 30-barrel brewing system by the end of September, an expansion in the blighted area of downtown that is paving the way for new jobs.

Recent disasters around the world have helped boost the fortunes of FLIR Systems, the Wilsonville-based manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras used in the private and government sectors.

New California regulations coming in January will hit the wallets of Oregon truckers.

A new drop tower that simulates a weightless environment at Portland State University isn’t just a cool toy for researchers. There’s also opportunity for business applications.

Oregon’s tattoo industry has flourished in the past few years despite the bad economy, with the number of licensed practitioners growing 350% in the past decade and the number of schools almost tripling.

A free-trade agreement with South Korea could help Oregon’s blueberry market bounce back from the depths of 2009.