Timber to Tech: Oregon’s Remarkable Remix
In Oregon, we’re fortunate to see the misty green embrace of ancient Douglas firs reaching skyward, and just beyond, the ever-growing jungle of Silicon Forest. It’s a sight that beautifully encapsulates the story of our evolving economy: Oregon’s leap from timber to tech.
A Legacy Carved from the Woods
Oregon, lovingly known to locals as the ‘Beaver State’, has an economy deeply rooted in our plentiful forests. Timber has long been our lingua franca, the heartbeat of our livelihood. But drive eastward beyond Mt. Hood or south towards Crater Lake and you’ll see the footprint of a changing Oregon – of an economy transforming as surely as the leaves of our native Bigleaf Maples transform each fall.
For generations, towns like Bend and Grants Pass were fueled by the lumber industry. Mills were the local economic engines, directly or indirectly supporting families through the state. At the height of timber’s reign in the late 70’s, timber jobs accounted for nearly 80,000 positions. Oregon’s identity was carved out in the hum of chainsaws and the whirr of mill saws – in the community rallies for the Roseburg Lumberjacks or the potlucks beneath the Hoskins-Coquille trees.
The Winds of Change Are Blowing
However, to quote an old saying we tend to use a lot in Oregon, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. It’ll change.” And change it did. With the decline of the timber industry, many saw the impending storm clouds on the economic horizon. But just like Oregonians always do when a squall hits out on the Willamette Valley, we put on our rain boots, grabbed our trusty umbrellas (though, real Oregonians scorn the use of ‘brollies’, we opt for a simple hoodie), and forged ahead into a new frontier.
Welcoming the Silicon Forest
With the entrance of the 21st century, Oregon began a shift. This isn’t to say we abandoned our ties to timber. We still proudly don rain-soaked flannels and celebrate our logging roots each year at festivities like the Vernonia Jamboree and Logging Show or the Philomath Frolic & Rodeo. Rather, we’ve adapted, inviting in a vibrant, diverse technology-fueled economy. We’re no longer just the lumberjack sibling of the West Coast—we’re making our name in the tech world.
Companies like Intel, Oracle, and Google have found homes in Washington County, turning it into yet another valley that, echoing its Californian cousin, has earned the nickname of ‘Silicon Forest’. Smaller cities are getting involved too. Bend, for example, has embraced tech, resulting in a vibrant startup culture filled with entrepreneurial spirits looking to set the world alight with their innovation. Medford’s Rogue Valley, too, is welcoming in bright sparks of the tech world.
Oregonians, in our true pioneering spirit, are undertaking this new economic ascent with the same care for our environment that we have always had. Companies like Elemental Energy, a local solar installation company, or Metal Toad, a Portland-based digital transformation service, are focusing on tech that enhances, not neglects, our treasured natural environment.
Blend, Not Replace
Oregon’s transition from timber to tech, though necessary, has been carefully managed, our identities are deeply tied to our towering Douglas firs and verdant valleys. It’s a part of us and while we’ve welcomed tech like an old friend in for a cup of hot cocoa on a chilly Portland evening, we haven’t let it consume us.
Even as Ports Portland cleans up and repurposes industrial sites, we can see the remnants of the old and the introduction of the new. Iconic St. Johns Bridge still stands tall, and the buzz of Intel’s drones fills the airspace formerly thick with industrious sawdust.
Tech hasn’t uprooted timber – it’s just a new branch in Oregon’s growing economy. It’s a balance we Oregonians managed to strike with the same ease we balance our love for craft beer with our passion for Pinot Noir. It’s our Oregon way of ensuring every corner of our state continues to thrive – from the windswept beaches of Cannon Beach to the rugged peaks of the Wallowas. We’ve traded logging boots for laptops, axes for apps, but in our hearts (and certainly, in our wardrobes), we’re just the same.
And remember, whether you’re renewing your Timber Association Membership, placing another order of Pendleton camp blankets, or are about to hop on a conference call with Silicon Valley – this is still Oregon. We’re still carving out our story, our way. So, go grab a pint of Deschutes at your local pub, take a stroll along the Columbia River Gorge, continue to tip your hat to both the past and the future simultaneously, because that’s what we Oregoneans do. We adapt, we transform, and we endure. Here’s to the plaid and silicon future of Oregon!