May 24, 2011

A private event at the Umpqua Bank Innovation Lab in South Waterfront tonight will celebrate the announcement of two significant investments in the Oregon Sustainability Center (OSC): the selection of Sanyo/Inspec as the solar provider for the Center, and Umpqua Bank’s commitment to open a new store in the building, which will be located at SW Fourth Avenue and SW Montgomery Street, next to the Portland State University campus.

Consistent with the OSC’s commitment to innovation, the photovoltaic modules Sanyo has proposed for the Center are among the most efficient panels in the world. Key components of this product will be produced locally, giving the solar manufacturing an Oregon workforce component: Sanyo Solar of Oregon’s manufacturing plant in Salem, which employs more than 200 Oregonians, will produce the solar wafers that are a critical component in photovoltaic systems.  Inspec, a local firm, will manage the system design and installation for the building.

Umpqua’s commitment to become a tenant in the world-leading OSC underscores the bank’s leadership in green, community-based lending.  To be located on the ground floor, Umpqua Bank’s OSC store will leverage interactive technology and other design features to educate consumers and businesses about sustainability, serve as a neighborhood gathering place and encourage community involvement. This new location will be one of 27 Umpqua Bank stores in the Portland metropolitan area.

Tonight’s event will also launch the OSC Founders Circle, a private-sector effort to secure additional investment, innovation and job generation at the OSC.

“The Oregon Sustainability Center exemplifies Oregon’s commitment to creating jobs and economic activity without sacrificing long-term environmental stewardship,” said Governor John Kitzhaber. “I want to thank Umpqua, Sanyo, and the other businesses that have given their support to this project — and to the larger vision of Oregon as a leader of sustainability in the nation and the world.”

Portland Mayor Sam Adams said, “The Oregon Sustainability Center capitalizes on our growing concentration of firms in clean technology and green building, offering job-generating initiatives, and opportunities for partnership and private-sector innovation. This growing partnership in the OSC–a landmark project for the city’s Economic Development Strategy and Climate Action Plan–is invaluable.”

“Investment in sustainable technology and education encourages the kind of innovation that spurs long-term economic growth,” said Ray Davis, CEO of Umpqua Bank. “The Oregon Sustainability Center is about the future – of Oregon’s position nationally and internationally as a leader in sustainability and of what’s possible in commercializing green technology to advance business innovation. It aligns with Umpqua’s commitment to invest in Oregon’s economy and we are very pleased to be one of its first tenants.”

More than 80 percent of the OSC’s available office, research and classroom space has been designed for contingent lease commitments. The Center is envisioned as one of the highest performing commercial buildings in the world and will achieve triple net-zero performance in energy, water and wastewater management.  It is designed to pursue the world’s most stringent green building criteria, the Cascadia Region Green Building Council’s Living Building Challenge™.

The Oregon Sustainability Center project is led by the Oregon University System, Portland Development Commission, the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and the Oregon Living Building Initiative. For more information visit www.oregonsustainabilitycenter.org

ABOUT SANYO

Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. is a global leading company providing solutions for energy, environment and lifestyle applications. The Energy System Solutions Division of Sanyo North America Corporation, a subsidiary of Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., is headquartered in San Jose, California, and handles sales and services for photovoltaic and Smart Energy Systems. For further information, please visit Sanyo’s web site at http://us.SANYO.com.

ABOUT INSPEC

InSpec Group is an innovative multi-disciplinary engineering and construction group providing facility and energy solutions to customers across the nation from offices on the U.S. West Coast, southeastern U.S. and the American heartland as well as Tokyo, Japan.  For more information on InSpec Group, please visit http://inspecgroup.com

ABOUT UMPQUA BANK

Umpqua Bank, headquartered in Roseburg, Ore., is a subsidiary of Umpqua Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: UMPQ). Umpqua Bank has been recognized for its innovative customer experience and banking strategy by national publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, BusinessWeek, Fast Company and CNBC. Umpqua Holdings Corporation is headquartered in Portland, Ore. For more information, visit http://www.umpquabank.com.