Portland Made: Launched, Wants to Party

Awhile back I mentioned Portland Made, a collaboration between Supportland and ADX that Supportland’s Katrina Scotto di Carlo described to me as an “ecosystem” for products manufactured in Portland. It finally launched yesterday. The official lowdown:

Portland Made is a collective of Portland-based designers, manufacturers, and local goods retailers. We connect consumers to high quality, locally made goods and designers to Portland-area contract manufacturers who can fabricate their products.

Portland Made’s aim is to promote grassroots job creation, by the people and for the people. By collecting and sharing knowledge and resources, we’ll build the local manufacturing base, create more local manufacturing jobs, and help export Portland Made goods to the world.

The public-facing website, www.portlandmade.com, features written and video profiles of Portland makers (designers who craft in wood, metal, leather, and other materials), the contract manufacturers who produce their designs, and the retailers who carry their goods. The site’s members-only portal allows participants in Portland’s manufacturing economy to network, collaborate, and discuss issues of design, production, and business development.

Sounds promising, and it will be interesting to see how well this is embraced, especially by maker members. I like the idea of a centralized online source for local products, but versions of the concept have been done before and the networking/resource tool for members seems like more of a concept that’s currently missing. Regardless, I’m very intrigued—Supportland and ADX don’t fuck around. If you are too, you’re invited to the Portland Made official launch party scheduled for April 18 (7-10) at ADX, replete with introductory remarks by Mayor Charlie Hales and State Representative Jules Bailey, DJ Leftovers food from Salt, Fire & Time, beer by F.H. Steinbart Co., and Merit Badge on cocktail duty with—of course—liquor from local distillers.

Oh! And a video: