In the latest episode of the Oregon Business Matters podcast, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Ned Ford, chief operations officer for Harry & David parent company 1-800-Flowers. Ned oversees Harry & David, which maintains its headquarters - along with an impressive operation - in Medford. With the holiday season just around the corner, Ned and Angela talk about Harry & David's evolution, the complex logistics behind the company's Medford operation and, of course, pears.

Matthew Drake, CEO of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the ski resort business, including challenges posed by weather variability, running an independently owned ski resort, and the threat to resorts like Mt. Hood Meadows created by Oregon's unusual liability law relating to recreational uses.

October is National Manufacturing Month. Host Angela Wilhelms talks with OBI Senior Policy Director Duke Shepard about the importance - and struggles - of Oregon's manufacturing sector. Duke also recaps OBI's annual Manufacturing & Innovation Roadshow, which toured seven manufacturers in the Willamette Valley and southern Oregon on Oct. 6-7.

Tyler Freres is vice president of sales at Freres Engineered Wood, a family owned company that has produced timber products in Lyons and Mill City for more than a century. Tyler talks with host Angela Wilhelms about the evolution of the family business, state and federal forest management practices and Mass Ply, a cross-laminated product developed by Freres Engineered Wood that won OBI's inaugural Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest in 2023.

If you follow college sports, you've heard the term NIL, which stands for "name, image and likeness." You also probably know NIL refers to the payment of collegiate athletes. Beyond that, you can be excused for knowing little about the complex world of collegiate athlete compensation.

In this episode of Oregon Business Matters, host Angela Wilhelms talks with an expert in this rapidly evolving area. Max Forer is a partner with Miller Nash in Oregon and a former offensive lineman with the Oregon Ducks. If you're at all curious about collegiate sports, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Brian Hall, CEO of rapidly growing NIC Industries. Based in White City, NIC Industries manufactures powder coatings and liquid ceramic coatings, which it sells around the world. The company's products include its successful Cerakote car-care line, which can be found in retail stores around the country.

NIC Industries is a 2025 recipient of OBI’s Visionary Award, which recognizes people, companies and organizations that strengthen Oregon’s economy and contribute significantly to shared prosperity.

Brian himself was honored in June as EY’s 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year for the Mountain West region, which includes Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Brian and Angela talk about the evolution of NIC Industries, the benefits and challenges of operating in Oregon, and Brian’s successful approach to leadership.

Family owned Duckwall Fruit packs and ships more than two million cartons of premium pears every year in Oregon's Hood River Valley. In this episode, host Angela Wilhelms talks with Duckwall Fruit's Sara Duckwall and Ed Weathers about Oregon pears, running a century-old family business and much more.

For the past 15 years, Jeff Stone has the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which represents the state's expansive nursery and greenhouse industry. It is the state's largest agricultural sector, and Oregon is the nation's third largest nursery state in the country after California and Florida. About 80% of what Oregon's nurseries grow is sold outside the state, contributing to Oregon's trade surplus.

The Oregon Business Matters podcast talks with two pillars of Oregon journalism. Patsy Smullin is owner and president of California Oregon Broadcasting (COBI), the parent company of KOBI-TV in Medford. And Bob Wise is president and general manager of KOBI-TV. KOBI is an NBC affiliate in Medford.

Bob Wise has worked at KOBI-TV for more than 20 years. And last November, Patsy was honored as a "giant of broadcasting and the electronic arts" by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation.

Patsy and Bob talk with host Angela Wilhelms about their years in the broadcast business, the shifting journalism landscape, the importance of local news providers and much more.

Jordan Papé is one of Oregon’s busiest people. He’s the president and CEO of The Papé Group, a multigenerational family business that operates in nine states throughout the west. He is highly engaged in civic and public life, and he serves on OBI’s board of directors.

The Oregon Business Matters podcast talks with Jordan about the evolution of his family’s business, its work to fuel vehicles with clean hydrogen, the advantages and challenges of operating in Oregon, and more.