Oregon's Defense Industry

Oregon's defense industry has historically been a small part of the state's economy, but that's starting to change. After years of hardly any growth for the industry, Department of Defense spending in Oregon nearly doubled between 2006 and 2007, and by 2008 spending topped $1.4 billion. That was triple the value of orders Oregon's defense industry received just five years earlier.

Oregon defense contractors serve the needs of all branches of the military, but the Army stands out as the industry's largest customer. With $1.16 billion in contracts awarded in fiscal year 2008, the Army accounted for 81 percent of Department of Defense procurements in Oregon.

Driving Oregon's growing defense industry are the state's "smart and flexible manufacturers who are willing to try new things," according to Brice Barrett, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC).

The future of Oregon's defense industry looks good according to Barrett. There have been some "big deals" for defense manufacturers.

For more info, check out the full article,
written by Senior Analyst Nick Beleiciks (Nick.J.Beleiciks@state.or.us 503-947-1267)