Document text
Portlander gets state award PORTLAND -- Peter Stott of Portland's Crown Pacific Partners led the list of business owners honored Thursday night at the Oregon Entrepreneurship Awards banquet. Stott aced out a field of three finalists -- including Lithia Motors chief executive Sid DeBoer -- to claim the Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year award. The sixth annual award presentation is among the highest honors available for Oregon business people. It is sponsored by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum, a nonprofit group devoted to improving the climate for emerging, growth-oriented Oregon companies. Stott was honored for guiding his 11-year-old forest products manufacturing and wholesale company to remarkable growth, forum officials said. Crown Pacific Partners, (CRO on the New York Stock Exchange), has $700 million in annual revenue and 1,200 employees. Under DeBoer's leadership, Lithia has gone on a dealership-buying binge since going public in 1996. It has grown from five to 38 dealerships and now has annualized revenues of about $1.3 billion. The other finalist was Scott Thomason of Portland's Thomason Auto Group, one of the Northwest's largest auto firms, with 10 new and 12 used car dealerships. Other award winners were: Oregon Emerging Company Entrepreneur: Paul Gulick, chief executive of Wilsonville-based Clarity Visual Systems. Award officials say the manufacturer of electronic display systems is the state's fastest growing company, its revenues having grown by 3,000 percent from 1996 to 1998. Oregon Technology Entrepreneur: Alex Thurber, founder of Portland-based Thurber Works. Award officials say Thurber Works, which offers Web development, e-commerce and network services, is the state's fastest-growing technology company and the 75th-fastest-growing in the nation in terms of revenue. Oregon Service Entrepreneur: Irving J. Levin, founder of Beaverton-based Renaissance Holdings Inc. The sub-prime credit card provider has grown from five to 600 employees since 1991 and has 800,000 card holders and $79 million in net annual sales. Oregon Manufacturing Entrepreneur: Jana Taylor, founder of Tualatin-based Jana's Classics. The frozen cookie dough manufacturer has seen revenues grow at a rate of more than 70 percent a year since it was founded 14 years ago. The forum also presented its first lifetime achievement award to Tom Holce of Holce Investments, a venture capital company that has invested in more than 25 young companies around the Northwest. Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA