Built Oregon

A Tour of Precision: Chris King’s Manufacturing Center in Northwest Portland   Visiting the Chris King manufacturing center in Northwest Portland was like stepping into a cyclist's dream world, a place where engineering perfection meets artisanal craftsmanship. For a moment, it felt like Willy Wonka’s factory, but instead of chocolate, the wonders here were made of metal, precision, and innovation. In fact, at one point during the tour, Jason Bolt turned to me and said, "This place is like Willy Wonka’s for bikers." He couldn't have been more accurate.   The level of commitment to precision, quality, and sustainability at Chris King truly knows no equal. As someone who has worked in manufacturing as a CFO for over 30 years, I can confidently say that this operation is in a league of its own. You could literally eat off the floors at Chris King. The reason? They use canola oil and walnut shells as their primary solvents or sanding agents, along with high-quality steel, aluminum, and other alloys. Everything at Chris King is recycled—yes, even the air and the oil from the air compressors that power their machinery.   On August 7th, a group from Built Oregon, a local consumer products accelerator, had the privilege of touring the facility. This group was a blend of founders and mentors dedicated to supporting Oregon’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Kris "Kirby" Bedsaul, our guide from Chris King, walked us through every stage of the operation—from the arrival of raw materials to the precision machining processes, all the way to the assembly of the finished goods.   The bikes at Chris King are legendary. One of the highlights of the tour was spotting an old downhill bike belonging to Greg Minnaar, a name that any mountain biking enthusiast would recognize instantly. That bike, a piece of mountain biking history, was casually sitting in their corporate café. (I’ll provide a link below so you can learn more about Greg Minnaar if you’re not familiar.)   Chris King’s approach to business is all about precision, doing things the right way, and taking the long road—quite literally, the long road home on your bike. It’s about organic growth, quality over quantity, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability. This tour was truly awe-inspiring and easily one of the best factory tours I've ever experienced.   I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Chris King Precision Components for allowing a group of aspiring bikers, founders, and mentors the chance to witness their world-class operation firsthand. 

A Tour of Precision: Chris King’s Manufacturing Center in Northwest Portland   Visiting the Chris King manufacturing center in Northwest Portland was like stepping into a cyclist's dream world, a place where engineering perfection meets artisanal craftsmanship. For a moment, it felt like Willy Wonka’s factory, but instead of chocolate, the wonders here were made of metal, precision, and innovation. In fact, at one point during the tour, Jason Bolt turned to me and said, "This place is like Willy Wonka’s for bikers." He couldn't have been more accurate.   The level of commitment to precision, quality, and sustainability at Chris King truly knows no equal. As someone who has worked in manufacturing as a CFO for over 30 years, I can confidently say that this operation is in a league of its own. You could literally eat off the floors at Chris King. The reason? They use canola oil and walnut shells as their primary solvents or sanding agents, along with high-quality steel, aluminum, and other alloys. Everything at Chris King is recycled—yes, even the air and the oil from the air compressors that power their machinery.   On August 7th, a group from Built Oregon, a local consumer products accelerator, had the privilege of touring the facility. This group was a blend of founders and mentors dedicated to supporting Oregon’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. Kris "Kirby" Bedsaul, our guide from Chris King, walked us through every stage of the operation—from the arrival of raw materials to the precision machining processes, all the way to the assembly of the finished goods.   The bikes at Chris King are legendary. One of the highlights of the tour was spotting an old downhill bike belonging to Greg Minnaar, a name that any mountain biking enthusiast would recognize instantly. That bike, a piece of mountain biking history, was casually sitting in their corporate café. (I’ll provide a link below so you can learn more about Greg Minnaar if you’re not familiar.)   Chris King’s approach to business is all about precision, doing things the right way, and taking the long road—quite literally, the long road home on your bike. It’s about organic growth, quality over quantity, and an unwavering commitment to sustainability. This tour was truly awe-inspiring and easily one of the best factory tours I've ever experienced.   I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone at Chris King Precision Components for allowing a group of aspiring bikers, founders, and mentors the chance to witness their world-class operation firsthand. 

Another NW Food Show is in the books, and we owe special thanks to Built Oregon for helping make this all possible! It was great watching our Emerging Products vendors get to sample their products and share their passion with everyone. We were also fortunate to have our very own Linda Addy and Brooke Bohan take the stage at the Trends Center. If you found their talks insightful or have any burning questions, please message me, and we'd love to chat with you. 👋 Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association #NWFoodShow #EmergingProducts #Hospitality #TrendsCenter #HRisCool

We're SO excited to announce that HR Annie and Built Oregon will co-sponsor five #BIPOC businesses in the Emerging Products category of the NW Food Show...for the second year in a row! Here are the vendors we'll be co-sponsoring: ⚡ Altitude Beverages 🐝 Honeybee Lemonade Syrups 🌶️ HAB Sauce ☕ Tostado Coffee Roasters 🧺 Indigenize #Hospitality folks, we'd love to see you there on April 21-22 at the Portland Expo Center! Register below!