Oregon Business Matters

Paul Snyder, president and CEO, Oregon Symphony

The Oregon Symphony, now in its 130th year, is Portland's largest performing arts organization. It entertains hundreds of thousands of people annually, many of them in Portland's Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Oregon Symphony President and CEO Paul Snyder talks with Oregon Business Matters about the variety of programming the symphony produces, its impact on the regional economy, the importance of private sector philanthropy and much more.

Dave Larecy, Chairman and CEO of Con-Vey

Dave Larecy is chairman and CEO of Roseburg-based Con-Vey [https://con-vey.com/]. For decades, the company has produced production lines for wood products and other industries. Con-Vey makes the machinery that other companies use to make plywood, beams, oriented strand board and many other things that make modern life possible. Con-Vey's production lines are so sophisticated and so highly automated that it has even established its own robotics business, 7robotics [https://7robotics.com/]. Listen to this fascinating conversation about an Oregon company that manufactures machinery used by businesses across the country - and in other countries as well.

Jim Etzel, Chief Executive Officer of Sport Oregon

Sport Oregon CEO Jim Etzel discusses the economic impact of spectator sports in Oregon, which account for 23% more of Oregon's economic output than the national average. Spectator sports should be thought of as traded sector economic activity, attracting people and dollars from out of state, and worth a certain degree of public investment, Etzel argues.

KL Wombacher, president and general manager of the Hillsboro Hops

Hillsboro Hops President and General Manager KL Wombacher talks about the minor league baseball team's history in Oregon, its new stadium and the economic and cultural importance of the team to the Portland metro area and to the state.

Scott Hamlin, founder of Looptworks

In 2009, apparel industry veteran Scott Hamlin founded Looptworks to address the problem of textile waste. Looptworks, which recently moved into its new facility in Gresham, transforms excess clothing and other textiles into thread or yarn that can be reused and nonwoven fibers that can be used to produce insulation and other non-clothing products. Scott talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the company's evolution, its newly acquired Global Recycling Standard certification and the challenges of operating a business in Oregon.