Business Acquisitions and Grant Awards Around the State

A number of acquisitions made headlines over the past two weeks:

• Laughing Planet Café, a restaurant chain with 10 locations in Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis, was sold to Portland-based Meriwether Group. All of Laughing Planet's employees will remain with the company. The Oregonian, 12/14/2012 
• States Industries, a wood products manufacturer in Eugene, has acquired California-based Drawer Box Specialties. The company will maintain most of its sales and management team in California, while States Industries plans to add 35 to its Eugene workforce of 300 in early 2013. The Register-Guard, 12/8/2012 
• Seventh Mountain Resort outside of Bend has been purchased for $5.4 million by Orlando-based Wyndham Resort Development Corporation. The Bulletin, 12/19/2012

A couple of large grant-funded projects were also announced:

• Seattle-based Principle Power received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department to develop offshore wind turbines that would be installed 10-15 miles west of Coos Bay. If the project passes the engineering and permitting phase, Principle Power intends to build and launch the wind turbines from a shipping berth adjacent to Jordan Cove Energy Partners' proposed liquified natural gas export facility. The World, 12/13/2012 
• The United Community Action Network is building a 10-unit housing complex in Roseburg for low-income residents recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. Funding for the $1.9 million project came from several state agencies and the private Meyer Memorial Trust. Construction is expected to begin in the spring. The News-Review, 12/10/2012

Get more business news in this week's full issue of Around the State.