An export to build on
Day after day, rail cars full of a mysterious white powder, marketed by a cartel and desired by people all over the world, stream into Portland. This powder, responsible for hundreds of local jobs and millions of dollars of revenue for local businesses, illustrates an important, if not often discussed, strength of our region’s economy.

Jon Thenhaus’s latest business idea grew out of a simple desire to have an infinite supply of fresh basil within easy reach in the kitchen. That wish grew more complicated as he refined his ideas and followed his muse, from herbs to worms and fish. Nine prototypes and several “massive failures” later, the 37-year-old founder of Fishy Farm has developed an ingenious ecosystem for the kitchen or the back yard.
What do you do when your work day takes an unexpected turn that makes your original plan impossible to achieve? Management consultant Tom Cox discusses the importance of Plan B.