Oregon business unfriendly? Not according to Forbes (Portland, Salem: 2013, home)

[hamellr]

One of the common statements I read in this forum specifically is "Oregon is business unfriendly." And people say that large companies are "fleeing" the State due to the environmental protections and high taxes here. In fact, the opposite is true.

Well, Forbes Magazine disagrees with that. They say:

"Our ranking measures six vital categories for businesses: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life. We factor in 37 points of data to determine the ranks in the six main areas. Business costs, which include labor, energy and taxes, are weighted the most heavily. We relied on 11 data sources, with research firm Moody’s Analytics as the most-utilized resource"

They peg Oregon in the #9 spot, behind Washington (#7) and Nebraska (#8). Utah comes in at #1 on their list, while interestingly, North Dakota is at #4.

The Small Business & Entrepreneur Site, doesn't agree quite that much. Based on just tax information and only regarding Small Businesses, Oregon is firmly middle of the road.

"SBE Council's "Business Tax Index 2012" pulls together 18 different tax measures, and combines those into one tax score that allows the 50 states and District of Columbia to be compared. Among the taxes included are income, capital gains, property, death/inheritance, unemployment, and various consumption-based taxes, including state gas and diesel levies."

The Tax Foundation puts Oregon at #13, only four places behind Texas (#9) which seems to be constantly touted as "the best" for Business.

Thumbtack.com Small Business Survey, in partnership with Kauffman Foundation has an interactive map that puts Oregon at #20 overall. Their map measures a variety of figures, Ease of Starting a business, Tax Codes, Environmental Regulations, Zoning, Training Programs, and several others.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by hamellr

One of the common statements I read in this forum specifically is "Oregon is business unfriendly." And people say that large companies are "fleeing" the State due to the environmental protections and high taxes here. .............

...........and the minimum wage is often mentioned, too. As if that would make much difference.

Many people don't realize that manufacturing, and not just computer chips, etc., is a very important part of Oregon's economy: Oregon's surprising manufacturing sector could be base for economic rebound | OregonLive.com

Most of these manufacturing jobs require a very high degree of skill.

[Nell Plotts]

There is a reason why Vancouverites commute to Oregon daily.

[hamellr]

16 new Businesses opened in the City of Portland in the month of April. Anyone know how many closed? Is this above, under, or merely average?

[oldtrader]

Here are the latest Tax Foundation ratings.

2013 State Business Tax Climate Index | Tax Foundation

[Larry Caldwell]

Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, log prices are the highest they have been since 2001. I'm not the only land owner who is harvesting this year, which puts a huge wad of cash into Oregon's economy. It's all new wealth, as opposed to the suck-you-dry consumerism of the big box stores. Besides the payday for forest owners, it employs logging contractors, truck drivers and mill workers. It's going to pay for a new roof and paint job on my house, plus a new shop building. It will employ roofers, painters, carpenters, cement masons, electricians and plumbers.

I was driving through the Willamette Valley last weekend, and really enjoyed the new filbert orchards, the winter wheat, spring wheat, vineyards, blueberries, blackberries, ryegrass and dozens of other crops. Agriculture is still the state's largest industry, by a substantial margin, thanks to land use laws that have prevented urban sprawl. All those crops are new wealth too.

Manufacturing has always been the core of Oregon's economy. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. We make a lot of stuff, from lumber to home aids tests to wines to smoked salmon.

"Oregon's other manufactured goods include lumber and plywood, trucks, streetcars and barges, energy-related items such as wind turbine towers and oil tanks, medical equipment, and an impressive array of food products. "

[Steve Pickering]

The state past a bill last session just for Business. And a special session at that.

[karlsch]

Oregon again ranks high for business tax friendliness:

Western U.S. best for business, Tax Foundation says

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I think Oregon also benifits by being so close to California. People have been fleeing that state for decades and Oregon is amoung those states benefiting.

[rdickers]

Agriculture is still the state's largest industry, by a substantial margin, thanks to land use laws that have prevented urban sprawl. All those crops are new wealth too.
Preventing urban sprawl is one thing, denying space for beneficial growth is quite another. Headlines in our local paper over the past year have been: July 13, "Industrial Lands Bill Killed", August 15, "Nyssa Works on Industrial Lands Plans", October 9, Nyssa, Vale Slog Through Industrial Lands Process". These are just three of hundreds of articles going back thirty years or more that cover the inability of smaller communities to zone land for industrial use, which has meant, in the final analysis, the denying of rural communities the ability to compete for jobs. The problem, of course, are the onerous rules imposed by Salem to protect land zoned for farming, whether it is capable or not of growing anything or if there is water available for farming does not matter. While you on the west side of state can trumpet land use, it sounds more like a bray from over here.