Made in Oregon (company)

Made in Oregon is a private company founded in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1975 by Portland businessman Sam Naito.[2] The company is a gift retailer that specializes in Oregon-made products. It was originally owned by Norcrest China Company, an import business co-owned by Sam Naito and his brother Bill Naito,[2] until Norcrest was reorganized as H. Naito Corporation in 1992.

This article is about the gift retailing company. For the Portland, Oregon landmark sign that once had this wording, see White Stag sign.
Made In Oregon
TypePrivate
IndustryRetail
Founded1975 (1975)
HeadquartersPortland, Oregon, U.S.
ParentNaito Corporation[1]
Websitemadeinoregon.com

The first Made in Oregon store opened in 1975 in an 812-square-foot (75.4 m2) space at Portland International Airport,[2] and was one of the first retailers in what became the Oregon Market inside the airport.[3] The idea of offering products from one state was then a novelty; now the concept has been often copied.[2] The chain had expanded to 11 stores by 1989[4] and had stores in 12 locations in 1998.[5]

As of 2010, Made in Oregon had 9 retail locations, including two locations in Portland International Airport, four elsewhere in the Portland Metro Area, and one each in Eugene, Salem and Newport.[6] The company also has a mail-order catalog and an e-commerce website where it sells goods from more than 2,000 Oregon manufacturers and artisans. Products sold include food, clothing, jewelry, and arts and crafts.[2]

"Made in Oregon" sign
Main article: White Stag sign
The former "Made in Oregon" sign in Portland

From 1997 until 2010, a lighted neon-and-bulb sign located atop the White Stag Building at 70 NW Couch Street in downtown Portland, facing the Burnside Bridge, advertised the company. In place since the 1940s, the sign is one of the identifying landmarks of Portland[7] and was designated a City of Portland Historic Landmark in 1977.[8] During the Christmas season, the nose of the deer glows red in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.[9][10] The sign was leased from Ramsay Signs by Made in Oregon owner H. Naito Corp. (formerly Norcrest China Co.). In 1996, Bob Naito, then vice president of H. Naito Corp., said the company had offered to buy the sign, but that Ramsay Signs was "unwilling to sell it."[11]

In September 2010, ownership of the sign passed from Ramsay to the City of Portland,[12] and in November the wording was changed from "Made in Oregon" to "Portland Oregon".[13]

See also

References
  1. "About Us". Naito Properties. Archived from the original on 2001-12-02. Retrieved 2009-10-12.
  2. Colby, Richard (February 28, 1988). "Made in Oregon shops offer unique marketing style". The Oregonian, p. D1.
  3. Hamburg, Ken (August 27, 1989). "Sales take off at redesigned airport shopping area". The Oregonian, p. B1.
  4. Key, Janet (July 3, 1989). "Marketers Find Riches in Our Reborn Regionalism". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  5. Jaquiss, Nigel (July 29, 1998) Empire of the Sons Archived 2007-07-29 at the Wayback Machine (sidebar to a longer article, "Naito Divided"). Willamette Week. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
  6. "Store Locations". Made in Oregon. 2010. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  7. KPTV staff (March 9, 2009). "'Made in Oregon' sign change sparks debate". KPTV. Archived from the original on 2009-12-06. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  8. "Commission designates White Stag sign Portland landmark". The Oregonian, October 13, 1977, p. A17.
  9. Bella, Rick (September 26, 1989). "Naito vows to light stag: Rudolph's nose will glow again to delight a zillion Metro-area kids". The Oregonian. p. B3.
  10. Rollins, Michael (December 30, 1986). "Public fawns over old White Stag sign". The Oregonian, p B8.
  11. Rubenstein, Sura (December 4, 1996). "White stag leaves men seeing red". The Oregonian, p. 1.
  12. Hallman Jr., Tom (September 16, 2010). "City owns 'Made in Oregon' sign and hopes to have it ready for holiday season". The Oregonian. Retrieved September 16, 2010.
  13. "Change Under Way For 'Made In Oregon' Sign". KPTV.com. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on September 13, 2014. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
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