Contact Information:
Anne Mangan, PDC 503-823-2594
Nathan Buehler, Business Oregon 503-689-3559
Marian Hammond, GPI 971-570-7946
March 14, 2014
Portland, Ore. — Today a partnership of economic development organizations welcomes the news that Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, is opening its North American operational headquarters in Portland, Oregon.
Airbnb will employ 160 people at its new offices, expected to open later this summer. The Portland Development Commission (PDC), Business Oregon, Greater Portland Inc (GPI) and Worksystems, Inc. have been working in partnership with Portland Mayor Charlie Hales to bring the company to the region.
“This project bolsters an already strong and growing cluster of software firms and technology talent in Portland,” said Patrick Quinton, PDC executive director. “We’re especially pleased to welcome Airbnb to the Oldtown neighborhood and its emerging entrepreneurial scene.”
Airbnb joins a list of software firms that have recently expanded in Oregon, from big names such as Salesforce.com, Ebay and Garmin, to homegrown startups such as Puppet Labs, Urban Airship, Viewpoint Construction and Jama Software.
“Software has been a fast-growing complement to the tech manufacturing sector,” said Business Oregon director Tim McCabe. “I’m proud of the partnership of our organizations to take advantage of these opportunities and bring new jobs to Oregon.”
All three organizations work together to market the state and the region around the U.S. as well as overseas for business expansion.
“The Greater Portland region continues to be a strong draw for companies like Airbnb,” said Sean Robbins, president and CEO of Greater Portland Inc. “It’s another proof point that Greater Portland has entered a new chapter in its economic history—one in which global brands see the region as a place that they can invest and grow.”
For more on Airbnb and its plans, visit the company’s blog post.
Also see coverage in The Oregonian and Portland Business Journal.
About Portland Development Commission (PDC)
Created by Portland voters in 1958, PDC plays a major role in making Portland one of America’s most livable cities. As Portland’s economic development and urban renewal agency, PDC seeks to create one of the world’s most competitive, equitable and desirable cities by investing in job creation, innovation and economic opportunity throughout Portland.
About Business Oregon
Business Oregon is the state of Oregon’s economic development agency and works to create, retain, expand and attract businesses that provide sustainable, living-wage jobs for Oregonians through public-private partnerships, leveraged funding, and support of economic opportunities for Oregon companies and entrepreneurs.
About Greater Portland Inc
Greater Portland Inc (GPI) is a regional partnership helping companies expand and locate to the Portland-Vancouver area, which includes seven counties and covers two states. Leveraging the region’s assets, GPI and its partners work in lockstep to nurture and recruit businesses that bolster the local economy and promote long-term job growth.
