Oregon Business Team

Our roundup of the big business deals of the month in Oregon include Greenbrier and McCormick & Schmick’s.

Audiobooks have been around for decades, but what recovering Silicon Valley insider John Lee and his colleagues at Ashland-based Folium Partners have in mind is something altogether different. “We’re turning it into an experience; we’re presenting publishers with the opportunity to add games and other features to support the book,” says Lee.

Hard-money lending can be a hazardous occupation in the best of times. In the worst of times — say, 2008-2010 — it can be a nightmare. Everybody got hurt when property values plummeted and default rates soared during the recession, but few industries took as big a hit as did hard-money lending, the risky act of funneling loans into troubled businesses at high interest rates, using property as collateral.

ON3P Skis builds rocker style skis in Portland.

Oregon commercial fishermen hauled in 211 million pounds of seafood in 2009, a 3% bump up from 2008, but fathoms below 2005’s 313-million-pound haul.

A Willamette University class is the only student-run angel program in the country.

Bankruptcies increased again in 2010 but slower than in 2009.

  All “latest” numbers are for March 2011 unless otherwise noted. Latest Month Previous Month Previous Year Annual Change EMPLOYMENT/BUSINESS LISTINGS Total employment State of Oregon, thousands 1,782.5 1,768.4 1,740.5 2.4% Total unemployment State of Oregon, thousands 208.4 216.2 238.3 -12.6% Unemployment rate Ore. civilian labor force, seasonally adjusted 10.0% 10.2% 11.0% -1.0 Portland/Vancouver MSA; … Read more

Businessmen are once again investing in custom suits.

When the governor needed help with education reform, he turned to a powerhouse husband and wife who’ve been a team since their college days.