The improved Asian economy and the growth of e-commerce have both had a major impact on the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon is an ideal location to take maximum advantage of these economic trends.

AMB Property Corp. and Trammell Crow Co. are constructing a 159,500 square foot distribution and air cargo handling center at Portland International Airport. The center will be used for expedited and perishable air cargo in the e-commerce and express shipping industries.

“We see Portland, with its gateway to Asia and its prominence in the new Internet economy, as an important staging and shipment point for time-critical cargo," said George Lippe, president and CEO of Trammel Crow, a commercial real estate service company. “Portland International Airport is an ideal location for these new logistics centers."

In 1998, Portland International Airport ranked 27th among U.S. airports based on air cargo tonnage.

The Port of the Dalles, one hour east of Portland, features an excellent quality of life, particularly for fans of the outdoors. The Port of the Dalles is part of the Columbia River Gorge, the windsurfing capital of the United States. It is also close to Mount Hood, offering residents opportunities for water sports, skiing, and mountain biking.

This quality of life undoubtedly contributes to a relatively low turnover rate among Port of the Dalles businesses. Another factor contributing to low turnover is a slightly higher unemployment rate.

The Port of the Dalles is the site of a state enterprise zone, which provides qualifying companies 100 percent property tax abatements over a period of three to five years.

Companies locating in the Dalles Business Park are eligible for these enterprise zone benefits. The business park is under construction at the Dalles Industrial Center, where the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Munsen Paving and Excavating, and Crestline Construction are also building new sites.

Relocation help

Companies moving to Oregon, or any other state for that matter, can get help from a firm based in Portland. The Dickinson Consulting Group helps companies select a site and work through the logistics of moving workers into a new area.

Dickinson handles a variety of issues for employees, including spouse/partner re-employment, home purchase assistance, introduction to doctors, information on school districts and setting up bank accounts, just to name a few.

Dickinson’s area is not limited to Oregon. Dickinson worked with Georgia Pacific when that company moved its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Ga.

- — Ann Morris