Albany Area Chamber Network











Business leaders who spoke at the Oregon Business Plan’s annual Leadership Summit Dec. 9 warned repeatedly about Oregon’s declining economic competitiveness, often citing statistics and underlying problems described in OBI’s recently released Oregon Competitiveness Agenda.
Former Intel President Renée James, who founded Ampere Computing seven years ago, credited the state for building a sophisticated semiconductor workforce but warned that “we are dangerously close to losing everything we have worked so hard for since Intel first arrived in the mid-‘70s.”
James pointed to the state’s rapidly growing tax burden for businesses and individuals as well as its complex and confusing regulatory climate. And because local governments in the Portland area have layered on additional taxes, she said, Ampere has struggled to bring employees to its downtown Portland office.
“If we do not find balance in our ambitions,” she warned, “Oregon will be left with nothing but a declining population, declining tax bases and declining industry.”
John O’Leary, president and CEO of Daimler Truck North America, took the stage after James and warned about Oregon’s dearth of shovel-ready land for commercial and industrial use.
Oregon’s regulatory environment, its tax structure, its rigid land use system and its indifferent commitment to economic development are among the reasons the state’s economic competitiveness has declined so dramatically in recent years. Between 2023 and 2024, Oregon dropped seven places in CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business ranking. And in 2024, CNBC gave Oregon an “F” for business-friendliness, a category in which the state now tops only New Jersey and New York.
While none of this is news to most of the business leaders who attended the Leadership Summit, few attendees could miss the disconnect between the urgent problems noted by James, O’Leary and others and the priorities described by most of the elected leaders who participated in the event (this Oregon Capital Chronicle story provides a good overview of elected leaders’ priorities).
The priorities of elected leaders are important. But it’s the private sector that generates the revenue that pays for these priorities, which include education, social supports, affordable housing construction and so on. The failure of so many elected leaders to make this connection – or at least to acknowledge it – points to one of the three problems highlighted in the Oregon Competitiveness Agenda: the fact that Oregon’s political culture undervalues the private sector.
Changing Oregon’s political culture and improving what it produces will require a sustained effort. To do what James, O’Leary and others did at the Leadership Summit: Talk about the importance of Oregon’s private sector and push to address the policies and practices that prevent businesses from thriving.


January Membership Forum “Strength in Structure: Understanding Insurance and Building Codes in Oregon”
January 29th, 11:30am
drew R. Stolfi Department of Consumer & Business Services Director
Andrew R. Stolfi was appointed Department of Consumer and Business Services director in April 2020. He is also the state’s insurance commissioner. He began with the department in February 2018 as Division of Financial Regulation administrator and insurance commissioner.
Previously, Andrew spent six years in Switzerland at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors in a variety of roles, including chief operating officer and chief counsel. He held various senior management roles at the Illinois Department of Insurance, including acting director, chief of staff, and special counsel for policy and legislative affairs. His legal background includes serving as attorney and policy analyst in the Office of the Governor of the State of Illinois; judicial law clerk for the Honorable Thomas E. Hoffman in the Illinois Appellate Court, First District; and a special assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Law Department. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and a law degree with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He resides in Salem with his wife and two children.
More Info Here

Corporate Transparency Act: Filing Deadline Is on Hold Again
On December 26, 2024, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit paused the enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), thus pausing the beneficial ownership reporting requirements for U.S. small business owners. This reverses the earlier decision from December 23, 2024, to reinstate the CTA and its reporting requirements. The CTA remains on hold for now while under review.

GOLDEN TICKET WINNER:
TRENT IRWIN TNT BUILDERS

Professional Background: Trent was born in the state of South Dakota and after school moved to Arizona and started in construction. After 5 years, he moved to Oregon and grew his business buy getting in to a niche part of the building community where he saw a needOutdoor Living. Trent has 3 children, his two oldest daughters just made him a Grandpa times 2. His son is now working along side him with TnT in hopes of taking over the business one day. He is married to Adrienne and they are always looking for their next adventure.
Biggest Issue Facing Albany: Getting the word out! Albany has some really good things going on but oftentimes doesn’t get credit for being a fun urban environment The downtown revitalization is a real boon to our city and is doing a lot to encourage folks to get out and enjoy Albany.
You and your company’s community involvement: TNT does a lot with the non profit community with volunteer time and donation items Some of the non-profits they work with are Albany Downtown Association, Rotary, Furniture Share, Family Tree Relief Nursery, Altrusa, the Mid-Willamette Family YMCA, and more
Business Marketing Niche: Outdoor Living! Even in the winter months those of us in the Northwest have access to some of the greatest outdoor opportunities But it’s still the NW so we’ve focused our business on building great outdoor spaces that give families just like ours a place to relax and enjoy throughout the seasons Decks that are low maintenance and patio covers that extend the usefulness of your deck and patio.
















Thank you for playing along with Nick and Holly for the Chamber’s 2024 Elf on the Shelf Social Media Contest! You’ll see them again next December in all new locations!








