Business Portland News & Event Round Up, July 6

Recent business stories of note:

• In June, the Portland MSA ranked 17 out of 100 metros for economic recovery

The national recovery remains shaky and softening GDP growth are cause for concern

• Portland is No. 4 for High-Tech metros

While technology is an important driver of economic growth and development, it needs to be part of a broader social and cultural ecosystem before it can generate real prosperity

• A Beaverton software company is moving to downtown Portland

Irving, CA based Evisions said it will consolidate its 35 employees in a 13,036-square-foot office at ADP Plaza

• East Portland gets an Enterprise Zone

The state of Oregon has approved PDC’s application to establish an Enterprise Zone (E-Zone) focused predominantly on geography east of Cesar Chavez Boulevard

• SoloPower has landed more financing

SoloPower is hiring up for its Portland manufacturing facility

• Portland's Skylab Architecture has partnered with prefab builder on new modular home concept

A partnership between Skylab Architecture and Method Homes resulted in Homb, a new kind of green home

• Portland is one of the world's best cities for architecture lovers

Although Chicago has the most LEED-accredited buildings in the U.S., Portland has the sixth highest number

• Portland comes in at No. 13 on the Creativity Index

The Creativity Index is a measure designed to capture a metropolitan region’s economic potential and embodies a mix of things that allow the city to succeed in the creative economy

• The nation’s first nationwide bicycle insurance program has launched in Portland

The demand for bicycle insurance has never been higher

• A new study shows that biking customers spend more on average

Survey results suggest that patrons who arrive by automobile do not necessarily convey greater monetary benefits to businesses than bicyclists

• Portland businesses are helping keep the city's park system up and running

To help close a budget gap, private businesses and sponsors donate money

• A new hotel slated for the Pearl District has received approval from the Portland Design Commission

A six-story, 225-room, 170,000-square-foot hotel is proposed for the Northeast corner of Northwest Ninth Avenue and Marshall Street

• Neighborhood Notes has a roundup of 18 neighborhood businesses that opened in June

If the sun didn't often shine on Portland this June, Portland's rising indie business stars certainly made up for it

• Portland’s LaCrosse Footwear is to be acquired by a Japanese company

ABC-MART is looking to expand the Danner Boots brand globally

• The future of footwear competition may shape your next shoes

At Pensole, the Portland-based footwear design school, a group of students are crafting what they think the footwear of the future will look like

• The Portlandia bump and Oregon's thriving film scene

What’s with all the TV shows set in Portland these days?

• Bamboo Sushi opened on NW 23^rd and plans expansion into California

Bamboo Sushi is one of 33 registered Benefit Corporations in Oregon

• A hotel is being planned for the St. Johns neighborhood

St. Johns has a history of being a strong community and one that is economically diverse

• Word on the street is that Kenny & Zuke’s is looking to expand into Pix Patisserie’s space on North Williams Avenue

Meanwhile, Kenny & Zuke’s has significantly expanded production

• Pix is vacating both of its current locations for a new eatery on East Burnside Street

The last hurrah is on July 30

• Two NE Portland businesses have bounced back after 2011 fireworks fire

Illegal fireworks-caused fire on July 4^th, 2011

• 10 things to do in Portland from the Vail Daily

If you're a caffeine fiend, be sure to try Stumptown coffee while in Portland

• The Wall Street Journal refers to Portland as the New Utopia

Portland has become the symbol of utopian living: affordable, environmentally-friendly, and full of sweet pleasures

• Stumptown is expanding to Los Angeles

Stumptown has bids out on a few spaces

• Screen Door landed on TripAdvisor's top restaurants list

Screen Door occupies the No. 10 spot on TripAdvisor’s 2012 Travelers’ Choice Restaurants awards

• Oregon’s breweries crafted 1,168,000 barrels of beer during 2011

Portland currently has 49 breweries within its city limits, more than any other city in the world

• What will be the sources of the Next American Boom?

Nanotech, 3-D printing and other innovations point to a coming golden era

Some business announcements and events of note:

• Downtown Portland’s Clean & Safe has a new website

• The 2012 National SBIR/STTR Conference will be held in Portland in November

• IdeaMensch Portland is July 9

• The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network hosts Eat, Drink and Start a Business on July 11

• Also on July 11, you can Get Slightly Famous

• The 2012 BizGrowth Summit and Small Business Awards is July 26

• SEMPDX’s Rooftop Networking Party is August 14

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