Central Oregon: The Silicon Valley of the PNW

By Allie Hardy | Jocelyn Otani |Karissa Wilburn | Harley Garner | Sam Saunders

In Central Oregon, young entrepreneurs can find an ideal home to establish their brand by making use of the resources offered by government and support organizations and the area’s rich culture. Cities like Bend in Central Oregon have grown a culture of collaboration and support through careful planning; where innovation is not hoarded or kept secret, it’s shared among veteran businesses and start-ups alike. Many regions that relied on logging and agriculture during their inception have faltering modern economies today, but with effort from both the private and public sector, central Oregon proves that collaboration, not competition, is what drives forward momentum. This is essential to brands seeking a collaborative economic community in Central Oregon who can benefit from an equally competitive and collective environment.

History

Central Oregon has a rich and fairly recent history. It has thrived on its natural beauty and abundant resources the region has to offer since its founding. With origins as a logging town, Central Oregon has expanded into an area that attracts technologically-savvy people with entrepreneurial drive due to its low cost of living and surrounding outdoor activities. Despite having a somewhat slow beginning, the region has grown into an internationally known area for recreational and outdoor activities and for well-known brands such as HydroFlask and Ruff Wear that find ways to create economical drive from the outdoorsy nature of Central Oregon. With the innovation and mutual respect between brands and the natural environment of Central Oregon, things in Central Oregon can grow to embody the title of the Silicon Valley of the Pacific Northwest.

Government and Support Organizations

Collaboration among start-ups and business-minded people in Central Oregon is influenced by a group of support and government organizations who have similar goals of encouraging economic vitality for small and local businesses. Bend has been labeled the “Silicon Valley of Oregon” by Mitch Daugherty, the founder of Built Oregon, an online publication that follows stories of start-ups in Oregon in an effort to increase those brand’s economic viability. We argue that Central Oregon is the Silicon Valley of the entire Pacific Northwest because of the different business culture that exists there versus Seattle or Portland. Steve Blank writes on forbes.com “What I found in Bend was a deeply entrepreneurial community that is leaps and bounds beyond just a destination resort town…its ability to [keep up with bigger tech cities] is tied to the deep entrepreneurial DNA that permeates the region (a very similar characteristic to Silicon Valley), originally out of necessity and now out of strategy.”

Culture

The people of Central Oregon share drive for collaboration which is reflected in its culture. The culture of the region is centered around building a supportive community by capitalizing on businesses that reflect the beauty of the region’s physical surroundings. A culture is defined by its people, and the people of Central Oregon define themselves by how they spend their leisure time. Many people in the region have an ‘ing.’ From skiing and hiking to grilling and brewing, finding an activity to be invested in outside of work is easy to do.

Whether it is by channeling creativity or utilizing the surrounding environment, the residents of Central Oregon continue to encourage new and different types of play. Residents of the region trust in its progressive approach to city planning and expansion—making decisions that not only allow for individuality and forward economic movement, but also a common well-being. Whether it’s HydroFlask donating 6,000 water bottles to help eradicate homelessness in Oregon, or Ruffwear exploring new ways to keep our best friend along outdoor adventures even when the ground is frozen, these local brands are cultivating community roots and values.

Due to its proximity to popular outdoor sites, much of Central Oregon is centered on enhancing tourism programs year round. Over thirty different organizations make up the Arts and Culture Alliance, committed to sustaining and promoting art programming for residents and visitors alike. The region’s robust creative environment allows for a collaborative community. These organizations and the locals of the area allow for the future of Central Oregon to remain a collective community. Due to its steady growth as a community, in both population and new businesses, Central Oregon is a vivacious launch pad for opportunity rather than a too-exclusive niche. Combined passion, enthusiasm, and authenticity make up the essence of Central Oregonians. The passions of locals influence a relaxed and fluid atmosphere while still encouraging productivity in a healthy balance of work and play.

Brands in the Area

With so much value placed on outdoor recreation in the area, companies who cater to the outdoorsy culture are finding a successful way to build their business. Central Oregon has recently become a hub for breweries, biology, technology, and recreation on the west coast. Among the brands founded in Central Oregon are Deschutes Brewery, an award-winning and the fifth largest craft brewery in the world; BendTECH, a start up technological community; and Hydroflask, hydration gear focused on outdoor recreation. It’s no coincidence that these businesses have chosen Central Oregon to build their companies. With relatively inexpensive operating costs, low housing prices, and local government support through tax abatement, the area attracts young and motivated entrepreneurs looking to plant seeds for start-ups. These businesses are able to teach us more about the area and its attributes. Central Oregon alone has twenty-six breweries. Instead of creating a highly competitive market, this saturation in the industry has created a growing subculture that has brought people in the community together.

A common industry isn’t the only thing connecting these brands to each other and the region. Many brands in Central Oregon identify with a ideology seen in brands across the Pacific Northwest: an urge to give back. In 2014, Deschutes Brewery donated over $285,000 to more than 500 nonprofits. According to HydroFlask’s website, the brand “proactively seeks out non-profit partnerships that align with our…business values.”

Local businesses aren’t the only brands giving back to their community in Central Oregon. Oregon State University launched a sister campus called OSU-Cascades in 2001. With Central Oregon Community College providing lower division coursework at a more affordable price and the opening of OSU-Cascades, higher education has become a more accessible option to people in central Oregon. In an effort to benefit the whole of Oregon, OSU-Cascades bachelor’s and master’s degree programs are key contributors to achieving Oregon’s overall education goal increase. The goal is by 2025, “40 percent of Oregonians will have a bachelor’s degree, 40 percent will have an associate’s degree and 20 percent will have a high school degree.” This step towards educational for all Oregonians embodies central Oregon’s overall attitude of encouraging collective success.

Advantages of the Area for Brands

There are many advantages Central Oregon has in the attraction of brands to the region. It is becoming a major technological hub in the Pacific Northwest because of the promotion of authenticity, adventure, and individuality. The unique combination of Central Oregon’s climate—with over three hundred days of sunshine every year, its proximity to outdoor recreational activities, and its growing technology industry makes it a thriving region. Central Oregon CEO Dan Hobin of G5 says of the workers Central Oregon attracts: “If they were in Seattle or San Francisco, they’d have a much bigger job, but they don’t want to be in Seattle or San Francisco…They want a 10-minute commute and a cost of living that’s one-tenth what it would be. The result is, you get people who are more engaged in what they do.”

How many places are there where you can work at your biotech start-up company Monday through Friday, ski Mt. Bachelor on Saturday, and then finish off the week with a bar crawl at some of the world’s best craft breweries, all while supporting local businesses? Having opportunities like these attracts people to the area who are passionate about whatever they do. Central Oregon not only attracts  brands, but also innovative workers who want the job of a Silicon Valley or Seattle company, but the speed of a resort town.

Supporting each other is what Central Oregonians have done and will continue to do. Their respectful nature drives them to lift others up to succeed when they need help whether it be in the beer, restaurant, or outdoor supply business. In the stead of competition, collaboration is king in this region, with a focus on investing in the future rather than trying to capitalize on the current moment. Where many early agricultural towns have faltered, Central Oregon continues to evolve, adapt, and push forward with the interest of the greater good at the forefront of their actions. At its current development stage, Central Oregon attracts technology-savvy people because of its collaborative community organizations and ability to maintain a resort town feel while encouraging productivity and economic vitality.