Oregon Business & Industry

What Oregon Business & Industry does

Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) is Oregon's largest statewide business advocacy organization, representing 1,600+ member businesses that collectively employ more than 250,000 Oregonians across every region and virtually every industry sector. Formed in 2017 through the merger of Associated Oregon Industries (founded 1895) and Oregon Business Association (founded 2000), OBI carries over 125 years of combined institutional history and is headquartered in Salem with a regional office in Portland. The organization's core function is policy advocacy and government relations on behalf of Oregon's private sector, with a focus on tax/fiscal policy, regulatory burden, manufacturing competitiveness, workforce development, energy and environment, transportation, and labor/employment policy.

OBI's portfolio of services includes legislative representation before the Oregon Legislature and state agencies, economic research and publications (Oregon Scorecard, Oregon Competitiveness Book, manufacturing reports, tax burden analysis), industry councils (Manufacturing Council of Oregon, Oregon Retail Council), policy committees across six domains, political action committee services, and member engagement events such as the Oregon Economic Summit, Vision Oregon, Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest, Oregon Civics Bee, Oregon Leadership Academy, and the Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow. Distribution to members occurs through Capitol Connect and Oregon Business Insider newsletters, the Oregon Business Matters podcast, webinars, and direct lobbying and account management by a 15+-person staff supported by a 70+ member Board of Directors. An affiliated nonprofit, the OBI Research and Education Foundation, sponsors policy research and education.

The organization operates as a nonprofit trade association generating revenue primarily through recurring membership dues from Oregon businesses of all sizes, with tiering likely tied to company size and industry sector; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market combines direct membership sales, event-driven engagement and visibility, and community-led coalition building around shared policy priorities. Notable advocacy outcomes include defeating a multibillion-dollar corporate tax initiative in 2024, securing an 80%+ voter repeal of a local payroll tax via ballot referral, and negotiating bipartisan campaign finance reform. In 2026, OBI escalated to litigation as a strategy, joining lawsuits against Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act, Oregon climate rules, and HB 4027 in partnership with NAW, labor unions, and other Oregon business groups.

Name

Oregon Business & Industry

Legal name

Oregon Business & Industry

Website

https://oregonbusinessindustry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Oregon Business & Industry is Oregon's largest statewide business advocacy organization, representing 1,600+ member businesses employing 250,000+ Oregonians through policy advocacy, legislative representation, research publications, and industry councils across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OBI generates revenue primarily through membership dues from Oregon businesses. Membership provides access to advocacy representation, networking opportunities, research publications, and member benefits. Dues structure likely varies by company size and industry sector.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Oregon Business & Industry is a statewide nonprofit business trade association that sells membership to Oregon businesses and, in return, delivers policy advocacy and legislative representation before the Oregon Legislature and state agencies, economic research and publications, networking events, industry-specific councils, and political action committee services. It does not sell tangible products, software, or technology; its core offering is membership-based advocacy and association services for Oregon's private sector.

Product overview

Oregon Business & Industry (OBI) is a statewide business advocacy organization, not a technology product company. OBI offers a portfolio of member services including advocacy representation, research publications (Oregon Scorecard, Oregon Competitiveness Book), newsletters (Capitol Connect, Oregon Business Insider), podcasts (Oregon Business Matters), events (Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest, Oregon Civics Bee, Oregon Economic Summit, Vision Oregon, Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow), and policy committees. These are advocacy, research, and networking services rather than technology products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oregon Scorecard
• Oregon Competitiveness Book
• Capitol Connect Newsletter
• Oregon Business Insider Newsletter
• Oregon Business Matters Podcast
• Coolest Thing Made in Oregon
• Oregon Economic Summit
• Vision Oregon Event
• Oregon Leadership Academy
• Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow
• Policy Committees and Industry Councils
• Political Action Committee Services
• Oregon Civics Bee

Quantifiable outcome

• Led coalition to defeat multibillion-dollar corporate tax initiative in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 March 2026OBI joined with NAW in filing a lawsuit to block enforcement of Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act (RMA). The lawsuit, supported by multiple organizations, highlights concerns about the law's fees, transparency, and broad scope, claiming it negatively impacts members' profitability and regulatory control. NAW serves as the primary plaintiff with OBI as a supporting partner in this coalition effort to challenge the EPR program.
• Oregon Business Groups CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2026Three Oregon business groups are opposing new recycling legislation through a coordinated effort. OBI is part of this coalition that includes organizations focused on privacy policy, targeted advertising, and the opt-out process for Oregon residents' rights under the Recycling Modernization Act.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Association of Washington Business: Statewide business advocacy association representing Washington employers through lobbying, policy research, and member services. Closely analogous to OBI in mission, model, and member-base structure; differs only by geography.
• California Chamber of Commerce: California's largest broad-based business advocacy organization, providing legislative representation, compliance resources, and policy research to member companies. Same core business model as OBI: subscription dues, state capitol lobbying, employer coalition-building.
• Texas Association of Business: Statewide business advocacy organization in Texas representing employers through government affairs, research, and member programs. Directly comparable to OBI in scope, funding model, and advocacy focus.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: National federation representing the interests of U.S. businesses through federal advocacy, policy research, and member services. Larger and federally focused but overlaps with OBI's policy advocacy and business coalition mission.
• National Association of Manufacturers: National manufacturing industry advocacy group with strong policy research and lobbying operations. OBI's manufacturing policy work (Manufacturing Council of Oregon, manufacturing reports) intersects directly with NAM's priorities.
• Business Roundtable: Association of CEOs of major U.S. companies that engages in federal and state policy advocacy. Some OBI board members come from Business Roundtable-affiliated companies (e.g., Intel, Nike), creating both partnership and coalition overlap.
• National Federation of Independent Business: National small-business advocacy organization with state-level chapters. Comparable membership model and policy advocacy focus, particularly on tax and regulatory issues that OBI's small-business members also prioritize.

Regional players

• Portland Business Alliance: Regional business chamber serving the Portland metro area, with overlap in committee representation and policy priorities (Duke Shepard managed the Portland Business Alliance's economic development plan). Partial competitor for regional advocacy and member engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oregon-business-industry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oregon Business & Industry