In the early days of the West, people did what they wanted, where they wanted. It was the Wild West, at the forefront of the nation’s development. Today the West is again leading the charge in a national movement towards the creation of the country’s burgeoning green economy. But “green” businesses have flocked here thanks mostly to a hodgepodge of cultural forces and efforts designed to clean up the environment, not attract business. That’s starting to change as California, Oregon and Washington begin developing cohesive plans to convince “green” businesses to locate here. In the first of a two-part series on the West Coast business climate, Sustainable Industries looks at what’s happening in the Northwest. In July, we’ll look at California’s take on how to attract and grow sustainable industries.

The Oregon trail
Jennifer Allen, former sustainable business liaison for the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, is probably more familiar with the history of Oregon’s efforts to attract sustainable businesses than nearly anyone else in the state.

Allen, now the associate director of Portland State University’s Center for Sustainable Processes and Practices, sits on numerous nonprofit and advisory boards, and participates in several policy and business strategy efforts underway throughout Oregon. On a recent trip to the East Coast, Allen says she was struck by the natural advantages the region has for building an economy based on sustainable business practices.

“Being back on the East Coast, it reminds me how much support there is for sustainable business on the West Coast,” she said from an airport in Washington, D.C. “It’s a lifestyle thing. It’s an ethical thing. There’s a real desire to maintain and invest in the quality of life you have there.”

Oregon, in particular, has developed a reputation for its high quality of life, and glowing profiles of Portland have appeared in national papers and magazines highlighting its outdoorsy culture, haute cuisine and environmentally friendly image. But the state has also earned a reputation for high unemployment and fierce competition for jobs of all types.

The state’s effort to attract and retain businesses of all stripes is directed by the Oregon Business Plan, created by the Oregon Business Council in 2003. The plan’s main initiatives are focused on improving the state’s system of public financing; improving its education and workforce training system; and making it easier to start new businesses and commercialize products based on technical research in the state.
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