THE BIRTH OF A COALITION LEADS TO A THRIVING INDUSTRY   

The Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition (PNDC) was founded in 2005 with the goals of helping Pacific Northwest businesses win more federal defense/security contracts and helping those companies spend their subcontracting dollars with suppliers throughout Oregon and Washington.


Back in 2005,  Les de Asis, Founder and CEO of Benchmade Knife Company; Clackamas County Commissioner Martha Schrader; Chandra Brown, Vice President of Oregon Iron Works; Rick Williams, retired Navy captain and director of the Columbia Region at SAIC; and former OECO President Barry Hendrix gathered together to discuss and plan how to better assist Pacific Northwest defense suppliers. Their original vision of having regular government contracting training and business-to-business networking events continues to this day.

Both the Oregon and Washington congressional delegations have been supportive of the coalition. In 2007 they obtained federal appropriations designated to fund an industry database and research program to identify members who could fulfill federal defense and security contracts. In more recent years, Northwest Congress members have partnered with PNDC members to advance federal regulatory, budget, and policy priorities of PNDC member businesses.

What began as a coalition of just a few companies has grown into a strong association of over 300 Northwest defense and security industry businesses.