Relocating to Portland

The Perks of Living in the Largest City in Oregon

With the abundance of craft beersinnovative cuisinelush outdoor spaces and bike-friendly cities, it’s no wonder that Oregon was the top destination for people moving out-of-state in 2017, and has been a top contender for years.

Proximity

Whether you’re in the mood to hike, ski, camp, fish or perhaps even spend a day in wine country sipping on Oregon’s finest Pinots, Portland’s location offers easy access to a plethora of activities.

Multnomah Falls

Forest Park – 10 minutes – One of the largest urban forests in the United States, with more than 80 miles of trails, fire lanes and forest roads. The park stretches for more than seven miles along the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains, overlooking Northwest Portland and the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.


Columbia Gorge – 1 hour – a popular destination for hiking, biking, sight-seeing, fishing, and watersports. The area is known for its high concentration of waterfalls, with over 90 on the Oregon side of the Gorge alone.

Wine Country – 45 minutes – A short drive from the city, the Willamette Valley wows with lush scenery and delightful wines.


Mt. Hood – 1 hour –Hang out at the historic Timberline Lodge year-round and enjoy some skiing with gorgeous views. Forests and valleys fill with lavender and wildflowers in the spring, and apples and pears and berries in the summer and fall. 

High Desert – 3.5 hours – This 127-mile eastern byway ventures out among Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert, linking to three other tour routes for an awe-inspiring look at Oregon’s Wild West.


The Coast - 1.5 hours - We have easy access to the beach! There are numerous spots to check out, anywhere from the Columbia River all the way down to California. Breathtaking views of cliffs, coves and the gorgeous shoreline.

Fun, Unique Neighborhoods


NW 23rd – Discover boutique shopping, great food choices, and an eclectic mix of shops and services to satisfy any need.


Alberta – Independent and diverse, this Northeast Portland neighborhood is full of art, shopping and a plethora of dining options.


Laurelhurst – A neighborhood of vintage homes and undulating streets surrounding a park of the same name, straddling the NE and SE sections of Portland.


The Pearl – Reclaimed warehouse spaces house The Pearl’s many bars and restaurants, from craft breweries and artisan coffee shops to fine dining mainstays.


Downtown – From the theaters and museums of the Cultural District to parks that play host to festivals and farmers’ markets, downtown puts a wide range of entertainment within easy walking distance.


East Moreland – An early-twentieth century, tree-lined quiet neighborhood in inner Southeast.


Food / Beer / Wine

Portland is a no-brainer when it comes to popular destinations for beer lovers. The city has the Pacific Northwest advantage of access to the best ingredients (we’re talking water, hops, malt and yeast…all of them), and houses close to 60 breweries. Popular spots include Hopworks Urban Brewery, Breakside Brewery and Cascade Brewing. It’s hard to walk anywhere in Portland without seeing a fun spot to grab a nice craft beer.


As for food, the list of fun, delicious and innovative restaurants could go on forever. Notable Portland favorites, though, come from John Gorham, one of Portland’s most celebrated restaurateurs. His restaurants are well known for their American-European and Middle Eastern flair, as well as their party-like atmosphere. Each is a unique experience and well worth a visit! You can learn more about the chefs and the restaurants here.


Shopping


There is no Sales Tax in Oregon so… go for it!! Whether you’re in the mood for boutiques (NW 23rd , or The Pearl, to name a few), or mall shopping (outdoor: Pioneer Place; indoor: Lloyd Center), you will not be disappointed by all of the awesome Portland shops.

Sports

Portland loves its sports!


Men’s Professional Soccer: Portland Timbers – 2015 MLs Champs. Sit in the Army section if you’re feeling energetic! 


Women’s Professional Soccer: Portland Thorns – Throw on some red, grab a beer and cheer on the 2017 champions.


Men’s Professional Basketball: Portland Trail Blazers – Always great energy at the Moda Center when the Blazers are in town!


Weather

The Rose City’s reputation as a dreary place where it never stops raining is often the only frame of reference non-local candidates have when we first talk with them about Portland.


While there are a few rainy months in Portland, the average annual rainfall is about 36 inches, which is about half of the average annual rainfall for the top 10 rainiest states. And the weather is getting better every year, with mild winters and summers that make enjoying the spectacular outdoor landscapes surrounding Portland even easier.


We still recommend that candidates pick up a sturdy rain jacket when they relocate to Portland, but the weather should not be a barrier to getting here.


Portland locals have a saying – “there is no such thing as bad weather…just bad rain gear”.


Cost of Living

Along with the question about compensation often comes a follow-up about the area’s complete cost of living. At 10% above the national average, Portland’s cost of living has earned a bit of a bad reputation, especially among candidates from Midwestern cities.

Compared to other metropolitan areas on the West Coast, however, Portland is still one of the most affordable options.


The median home price in San Francisco, for instance, is $774,500 more than the median home price in Portland. And, towards the end of 2017, Portland was knocked from the top three metros for rising home prices, getting overtaken by Las Vegas and San Diego. 

Candidates may have to pay more for a cup of local coffee or a slice of pizza if they move to Portland, but after speaking to someone who actually lives here, people quickly realize that the city is more affordable than some statistics seem to imply.


When the topic of compensation arises, often in the context of concern, we ask candidates about how they invest in their quality of life.


Portland often ranks among the top cities to live in based on quality of life, with good reason: It’s one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world with one of the best public transportation systems in the country. It’s surrounded by natural beauty, with mountainsforest trails and coastal beaches only a short drive from the metro area. And with flourishing foodbeermusicarts and sports scenes, there really is something for everyone.


Once non-local candidates hear about the lifestyle in Portland, compensation becomes less of an obstacle to bringing them out here.


Tax Structure

While Oregon has an income tax of 8.5%, it is offset with ZERO sales tax and lower property taxes as compared to its peers on the west coast. In a variety of studies, Oregon has ranked in the top 3 fairest tax systems. 


The national average for state and local taxes as a share of income is 10.4%, where Oregon sits below the national average at 10%. 


Property taxes are based on assessed value of the property and based on voters passing Measure 50, when a home sells, the value is not reassessed. In addition, Oregon does not have an excise tax on homes sales as compared to its neighbor to the north with an average tax of 1.28% of the sales price.


Exciting & Growing Businesses

Despite the small-city, Portlandia-inspired perception, Portland is home to thousands of thriving businesses that span a variety of key industries, including software, technology and manufacturing. Recently, Portland has developed a reputation as a “no-brainer” city for big tech companies such as eBaySalesforceAutodesk and Airbnb to open up satellite offices.


Many footwear and apparel companies call Portland home including Nike, and Columbia Sportswear, along with Adidas’s North American headquarters.

The tech scene has never been more promising, with organizations such as Puppet LabsWacom TechnologyJama Software and Exterro choosing to remain in or move their operations to Portland. New start-ups are garnering the attention of investors every day, and growth opportunities abound.


In addition to footwear and technology, Portland has a reputation for fostering premium food brands such as Kettle ChipsTillamook Cheese and Dave’s Killer Bread that are quickly becoming household names around the country.


In Conclusion…

With its mild climate, beautiful seasons, and easy access to a variety of topographies, Portland has so much to offer, and we are lucky to call this city home!


Check out 180one’s other posts about Portland!

By Catherine Landgraf December 31, 2024
Senior Vice President of Operations ABOUT THE COMPANY A-dec is the premium leader in the dental equipment industry designing and manufacturing products that span dental chairs, lights, handpieces, furniture, air management, infection control and delivery systems found in dental offices and operatories. With over 1300 employees, and headquartered in Newberg, Oregon, A-dec’s familial culture and values have been attributed to their commitment to the Newberg community and its employees through various investments and programs. ABOUT THE POSITION The Senior Vice President of Operations is responsible for leading A-dec’s Manufacturing, supply chain, and planning functions to create a competitive advantage for the company for both existing and new products. Leading a team of Directors and Managers, this position ensures the continuing advancement of quality performance, cost effectiveness and safety of the manufacturing function while developing new ways to improve the service level for customers and meet the financial objectives of the organization. The Senior Vice President of Operations manages the manufacturing, supply chain and planning functions to ensure continuous improvement, employee engagement and talent development. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Participate as an active member of the executive leadership team providing the vision, leadership, and roadmap necessary to achieve the company’s strategic initiatives consistently and predictably. Define and communicate the vision for Manufacturing and visibly champion current and long- range objectives or programs to ensure successful implementation. Develop annual Manufacturing objectives and ensure tactical plans are executed throughout operations along with aligning metrics, employee goals, and visual dashboards to ensure business objectives are met within operational and regulatory boundaries. Define the skill sets and training programs required to produce increasingly complex products and maintain an effective talent base across the manufacturing, supply chain, and planning teams. Define and establish staff planning parameters necessary for effective operation of Manufacturing processes to include shift schedules, staffing levels, overtime limits, temporary employee ratios, etc. Provide direction, leadership and guidance to ensure relentless focus on delivering results and engage and empower team members to create a culture of safety, quality, continuous improvement, and personal development. Lead the development and implementation of the Manufacturing expense and capital expenditure budgets. Oversee the Manufacturing capacity plan and optimize utilization across Manufacturing while ensuring the production plan is achieved and meets the sales forecast in a timely manner. Lead Manufacturing Engineering in the transformation and optimization of Manufacturing areas to maximize quality, safety and operational efficiency. Lead the Supply Chain team on Production Planning and supply chain requirements to meet customer demands. Collaborate with cross-functional development teams to continuously achieve successful implementation of new or improved manufacturing systems and ensure utilization of capable, cost-effective production processes for manufacturing operations. Partner with Product Development and New Product Introduction (NPI) teams to ensure new product and innovation projects are executed as planned implementing manufacturing processes and testing to proactively resolve identified process capability conflicts. Work collaboratively across the broader organization to leverage corporate resources and align Manufacturing with top level initiatives. Mentor and coach talent across the business to ensure the organization is developing a pool of operational leaders. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES Ability to create and communicate vision as well as understand the big picture and translate to application Ability to proactively identify, anticipate and resolve problems and be comfortable relying on instincts to make decisions Ability to work cross functionally with all levels of the organization Ability to motivate and engage the workforce, create effective teams and build peer relationships Ability to create and implement strategies Ability to initiate self-development Comprehensive knowledge of quality management systems/ISO, lean manufacturing, and the product development process Advanced oral and written communication skills with public speaking experience EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Bachelor’s degree in business or engineering along with relevant work experience required, MBA or M.S. in related field preferred At least 15 years of progressive leadership experience with 5+ years in a senior leadership position managing a similar scope and sized operations and manufacturing team. Experience in strategic planning for organizations of similar size and/or scope as well as managing the vision and purpose of a division and or business segment of an organization Strong project management experience Experience in mergers and acquisitions preferred Experience managing a vertically integrated operation preferred Experience leading corporate-wide projects or initiatives Medical device industry / dental or medical device fields experience preferred Experienced in establishing partnerships with other companies and external organizations preferred Interested in Learning More? 180one is a retained search firm and has been engaged by A-dec to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley / 503-334-1350 / tom@180one.com
By Catherine Landgraf December 30, 2024
We are pleased to announce we have recently been recognized as one of Oregon’s Most Admired Companies. The Portland Business Journal sent a survey to some 3000 CEO level executives asking them what companies they most admire in 10 different categories. 180one was selected as a finalist in the Recruiting/Consulting category and invited to attend the awards ceremony, where we stood out with the 9 th place spot. It was a great event to be honored at, and share the moment with our clients who were also recognized in the Top 10 of their respective categories such as A-dec, Hyphn, Salt & Straw, Leatherman, Columbia Sportswear, and R&H Construction.  When we started 180one in 2007, our main mission was to help Portland businesses grow and thrive by providing them the access to the executive-level talent they deserve. And do it in a way that allows us to truly partner with our clients and build relationships with them outside of any of the searches they engage us on – since we work and live in the same community as our clients. 17 years later, to be recognized today as a Most Admired Company by our clients is a testament to our team’s professionalism, how they’ve partnered with our clients, and the work they’ve performed on our clients’ behalf. Thank you to our clients for your support over the past 17 years, and we look forward to being your search partner in the years to come.
By Catherine Landgraf December 18, 2024
180one is pleased to announce our recent partnership with VSG and the resulting placement of their new Vice President of Sales and Business Development! Dover’s Vehicle Service Group is the global leader in designing and manufacturing vehicle service, collision and automotive OEM equipment. It is one of the founding companies of Dover Corporation, an eight billion dollar diversified global manufacturer. VSG consists of fifteen leading vehicle lifting brands (Rotary, Forward, Blitz, Ravaglioli etc.), collision repair (Chief), wheel services, diagnostics (Butler, Rotary, Chief and Ravaglioli) and tier-one automotive brands (WARN Automotive) with operations worldwide, including regional business operation centers and large manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Congratulations to VSG!
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