Oregon is gearing up for a major investment in data centers as tech companies from around the country have identified the Northwest as ripe for energy development.

Except the recent headline from The Toledo Blade refers to the city of Oregon in northwest Ohio (pop: 20,000). 

To many in the state of Oregon, business seems to be flocking elsewhere. Now, a new study by the state’s economic development agency and the University of Oregon confirms what a lot of people hear anecdotally: that other states are actively recruiting Oregon businesses. The report suggests more must be done to improve the state’s business climate and prioritize business retention and expansion.

“Survey data indicate the state has lost thousands of potential jobs and billions of potential private investments in the past five years and is poised to lose even more in the next five years,” reads the study.

Examples aren’t hard to find. The popular Dutch Bros chain of drive-through drink shops has continued its wild success since going public in 2021, with revenue topping $1.28 billion last year. But the Grants Pass-based company opted to target recent expansions in Arizona and Texas and today keeps only a small presence at its Oregon headquarters. Portland-based Columbia Sportswear chose to invest $4 million and add 175 jobs at its Robards, Kentucky, facility. Continuing the drumbeat of bad business news, last week, two publicly-listed Oregon companies were acquired by out-of-state interests, raising doubt about how long and in what form Vacasa and Radius Recycling will remain in Oregon.

To examine external recruitment efforts by other states, researchers with UO’s Institute of Policy Research and Engagement surveyed nearly 400 traded sector businesses and conducted more than 30 interviews.

Among the results: