Columbia Sportswear may be the next business to flee downtown Portland after a series of frightening encounters with the city’s homeless population, including car break-ins, human waste dumped by the office’s front door and threats to its employees.
In an op-ed piece published earlier this month by The Oregonian, Columbia Sportswear President and CEO Tim Boyle said he is concerned he made a mistake when he opened a headquarters for the company’s Sorel footwear brand downtown, calling the situation “outrageous and unacceptable.”
“In fact, I am so concerned about the safety of our employees at the Sorel headquarters that we are taking the next 90 days to re-evaluate our location decision,” Boyle wrote.
Since moving the 50 employees downtown, workers immediately reported being harassed and threatened by homeless individuals near the new offices.