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Hoffman Construction Company is a privately held construction founded in 1922. It is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It also has an office location in Seattle.[3] With a revenue of US$3.9 billion in FY2022, Hoffman was the largest general contractor in the Pacific Northwest as of June 2023.[4]
Lee Hoffman (born May 15, 1850) moved to Portland in the 1870s with his family and worked constructing bridges and other projects until his death, including the Bull Run pipeline.[5] After his accidental death on July 21, 1895, his wife Julia moved to Boston, Massachusetts, with their children, including Lee Hawley Hoffman.[6] Lee Hawley entered Harvard College in 1902, but the family returned to Oregon partly in 1903.[7] Lee Hawley graduated with a degree in architecture from Harvard in 1906, and the family returned to Portland that year, living in their home on NW 23rd avenue.[8]
The Hoffmans still owned various real estate in Portland due to the success of Lee Hoffman's earlier construction businesses, and they were turned into the family owned Wauna Land Company in 1903.[9] Lee Hawley began working for Morris H. Whitehouse’s architectural firm in 1908, with the firm later also consisting of Edgar M. Lazarus and J. André Fouilhoux.[8] Hoffman then married Caroline Couch Burns on June 9, 1910.[10] Over time, Hoffman began to focus more on projects for Wauna Land Company and less on his architectural work, leaving the firm by 1917.[11] He started working as a contractor in 1919, and by the end of 1921 had the firm of Hoffman & Rasmussen.[12] The current company was founded in 1922 by Hoffman.[13]
The company started out building primarily apartment buildings and industrial structures in Portland, and had grown to more than 400 employees by 1928.[14] One of the company's first prominent projects was building the Terminal Sales Building in 1926.[15] The next year Hoffman completed the Public Services Building, which was the tallest building in the city upon completion.[16] That year they also built the new Heathman Hotel, the Portland Theater, and an office building all on the same block on Broadway in downtown Portland.[17] In 1928, Hoffman constructed the 12-story Buyer's Building (now Loyalty Building) in just over six months.[18]
Hoffman expand to Seattle in 1929 with the construction of a 12-story apartment building at 1223 Spring Street.[16] The firm also built Cushman Dam No. 2 that year near Shelton, Washington, for Tacoma Power and Light.[18]
Oregon State Library in Salem
After the onset of the Great Depression, projects for the firm mostly dried up.[19] Hoffman went from 32 contracts in 1929 to just ten in 1932.[19] The last big project was a joint venture on expanding the Meier & Frank Building in Portland in 1930, with the next large project not coming until ten years later.[19] In 1932, the firm moved its offices into the Ladd Carriage House, where it remained until 1970.[20] During the Depression, much of the company's work shifted to government contracts, such as post offices in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Those included large ones in Salem, Longview, and Marshfield (now Coos Bay). Other public works included the Jackson County Courthouse, Tillamook County Courthouse, the Oregon State Library, the Quartz Creek Bridge on U.S. 26, Powerhouse No. 1 on the Bonneville Dam, and several viaducts in Oregon.[21] Hoffman also built the Portland Art Museum in 1931 and its 1938 expansion, as well as a new library at Willamette University in Salem (now Smullin Hall).[22]
With World War II raging elsewhere, the firm was contracted to build several buildings at Fort Lewis and a new hospital at the Vancouver Barracks in 1940, and barracks for the Navy in Bremerton in 1941, all in Washington.[23] They also built the hospital at the Cushman Indian School in Tacoma, Washington, in 1941.[23]
Following the entry of the United States into the war, Hoffman continued work on military projects including more buildings for the Navy in Bremerton and construction on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and surrounding area, both as joint projects with other firms.[24] In all, Hoffman did $49 million in work for the federal government during World War II, including work at Camp Abbot, Camp Adair, Umatilla Army Depot, and a Navy hospital in Astoria, all in Oregon.[25] Other wartime construction included an aluminum rolling mill near Spokane, McCaw General Hospital in Walla Walla, and lots of housing near industrial centers in Washington.[25]
Post World War II
After the war, the firm began a long-term relationship with Crown Zellerbach Corporation in which Hoffman remodeled Crown's pulp and paper mills in West Linn and Camas.[26] Hoffman also received several projects from the First National Bank of Oregon in 1946 to remodel and expand several branches in Portland and build a new one in Salem.[20] Also during the 1940s, the firm built a store and warehouse for Sears in Eugene, along with expanding the Portland store.[20] The next significant project came with constructing the new Oregonian Building in 1947 in downtown Portland.[27] The next year the company started construction on a new plant for Nabisco in Portland,[28] and in 1950 finished an aluminum plant for Alcoa in Vancouver, Washington.[29] During the 1950s Hoffman completed many projects for lumber industry companies such as Weyerhaeuser, Boise Cascade, Crown Zellerbach, and Georgia-Pacific, among others, plus more work at Hanford.[30]
In 1955, Burns Hoffman became president of the firm, with the company now called Hoffman Construction Company and owned by brothers W. Burns and Eric as father Lee Hoffman moved away from day-to-day work.[31][32] Eric Hoffman (1923–2016) became president of the company in 1956 and became chairman in 1974.[33] Lee Hawley Hoffman died on August 8, 1959.[34]
Standard Insurance Center in Portland, Oregon
The firm also built Portland's Wilson High School, finishing the project in 1956,[35] and expanded the Public Services Building that same year.[36] Hoffman's next big project was building the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, along with a Sheraton Hotel in the Lloyd District, both in 1959.[37] In the 1960s, the company continued with industrial construction from British Columbia to Northern California.[38] Burns Hoffman resigned as president and left in 1965, with brother Eric buying out his brother and becoming president as well the sole owner.[38][32] Cecil Drinkward came to Hoffman in 1967 as a vice president, and his son Wayne joined in 1985.[32] Cecil Drinkward became president in 1974.[33] In the late 1960s, the company shifted emphasis from paper and forestry industry where they started to commercial construction.[39]
As the 1970s began, the company finished construction on the Georgia-Pacific Building (now Standard Insurance Center), the new headquarters for Georgia-Pacific.[40] In 1970, it finished the building, and moved its own headquarters to one of the 30 floors.[41] That year it also won the contract to build the First National Bank Tower (now Wells Fargo Center) in Portland, which was completed in 1971.[42] Additional projects in the 1970s included the new campus of St. Vincent Hospital west of Portland, St. Peter Hospital near Olympia, part of the campus of The Evergreen State College, the Health Sciences Building on the Sylvania campus of Portland Community College, and Salem's new civic center.[43]
At the end of the decade, Hoffman finished the Sixteen Hundred Bell Plaza tower in 1977 and then finished One Union Square and the Westin Building both in 1981, all in Seattle.[48] Meanwhile, in Portland the company finished One Main Place in 1980, the Portland Building in 1982, the PacWest Center in 1985, the Justice Center in 1982, the Performing Arts Center in 1987, and the One Financial Center (now Bank of America Center) in 1987.[49] Other notable projects in the 1980s included the Farm Credit Banks Building in Spokane, plus the ARCO Tower and SOHIO Alaska Petroleum Company Headquarters in Anchorage, as well as water treatment plants in California and Alaska.[50] In 1983, the company moved its headquarters to what is now Unitus Plaza at 1300 SW Sixth in Portland.[41]
During the 1990s Hoffman shifted much work to construction for hi-tech companies such as Intel. This included work at Intel's Aloha Campus, New Mexico fabs, Chandler, Arizona fabs, and at its Hillsboro campuses.[51] Other projects included the Casey Eye Institute at OHSU in Portland in 1991, the Snake River Correctional Facility, the new Doernbecher Children's Hospital, as well at projects at Willamette University, Reed College, Oregon State University, Lewis & Clark College, Linfield College, and the University of Portland.[52] It also built the Oregon State Office Building in 1992 and Metro's headquarters in 1994, both in Portland's Lloyd District, and Portland's new federal courthouse.[53] Outside of the Northwest, the firm had projects in Washington, DC, Hawaii, and New York.[54] By 1994 the firm had grown to $613 million in contracts.[55] The younger Drinkward took over as Hoffman president in 1992.[32]
Hoffman moved into the Fox Tower in downtown Portland in 2000 after constructing the building, and added a permanent lobby exhibit showcasing the company's history.[58]
The Intel D1X project built by Hoffman was named as the largest construction project in Oregon history in 2017. Intel hired Hoffman for this project in 2010. The newspaper reports "several billion dollars" but the exact amount is a "closely guarded secret".[59] In 2015, Hoffman filed a $50.8 million lien on the D1X, and the lien stayed in place two years later in June 2017.[59] In December 2017, The Oregonian followed up to report that Hoffman had withdrawn the "mysterious $50 lien". According to a statement provided by Intel, ""We are pleased that the dispute has been amicably resolved. The terms and conditions of the resolution are confidential,"[60]
Hoffman Construction was issued a warning by the City of Portland in September 2020 for having utilized a subcontractor which obtained women-owned status fraudulently so they can be awarded jobs as a subcontractor on Portland city government projects under a program designed to help disadvantaged business. This came after the subcontractor under question was caught.[61]
In 2023, the firm was ranked by Portland Business Journal as the #1 most admired real estate and construction company in Oregon.[62]
Major Projects
Multnomah County's New Courthouse in progress. (April 2019)Doernbecher Children's Hospital in PortlandHenry M. Jackson Federal Building in Seattle
Hoffman is known for building the Fox Tower, Memorial Coliseum, the Oregon Convention Center and the Wells Fargo Center.[39]
Portland Building in Portland, Oregon,[72] completed in 1982, the concrete building envelope started leaking about five years after completion, then progressed to leaks around windows. Problems continued to worsen over the years despite repair attempts.[73]
Hillsboro is the 5th most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Situated in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city hosts many high-technology companies, such as Intel, locally known as the Silicon Forest. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 106,447.
Silicon Forest is a nickname for the Washington County cluster of high-tech companies located in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon, and most frequently refers to the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon.
Hillsboro Airport, also known as Portland–Hillsboro Airport, is a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It is one of three airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the Port of Portland. Established in 1928, it is Oregon's second busiest airport at over 200,000 operations annually. HIO covers 900 acres and has three runways.
PacWest Center is a 30-story, 127.41 m (418.0 ft) office skyscraper in Portland, Oregon. It is the fifth-tallest building in Portland, and the fourth largest with 491,528 sq ft (45,664.4 m2). The building was designed by Hugh Stubbins & Associates of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and completed in 1984.
New Seasons Market is a chain of neighborhood grocery stores operating in the Portland, Oregon metro area, and southwestern Washington. Some of the products offered are organic and produced locally in the Pacific Northwest, but conventional groceries are also sold.
Tanasbourne, Oregon, is a neighborhood in Washington County, Oregon, where NW 185th Avenue and the Sunset Highway intersect. It is located within the greater Portland metropolitan area. The area includes portions of Beaverton and Hillsboro, and is generally considered to be south of U.S. 26, north of Walker Road, west of 158th, and east of Cornelius Pass Road. Adjacent to Aloha and part of the West Metro region, Tanasbourne has many shopping areas and is the former home of the defunct Tanasbourne Mall.
The Parr Company Inc. is a lumber and building supplies dealer based in Oregon. The Hillsboro, Oregon, based company has 44 locations in Oregon and Washington and is the 18th largest residential building supplies dealer in the United States.
Bellevue Towers is a high rise condominium complex in downtown Bellevue, Washington. Construction began in 2006 and was completed in 2009. The 42 and 43 story towers have 539 condo units, 17,000 square feet (1,580 m2) of retail space, and eight levels of underground parking. The project is 85% sold as of January 2013. Bellevue Towers stands on a 2.43-acre (9,800 m2) site.
The Hillsboro Civic Center is a government-built, mixed-use development in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The development includes the city hall for the county seat of Washington County, located west of Portland, Oregon. Covering 6 acres (24,000 m2), the Civic Center has a total of over 165,000 square feet (15,300 m2) in the complex. The total of six stories for the main structure makes the building the tallest in the city, tied with Tuality Community Hospital. In addition to government offices, the Civic Center includes retail space, public plazas, and residential housing. The complex was built to centralize city government functions under one roof.
Bridgeport Village is a lifestyle center located in Tualatin and Tigard, Oregon, United States, operated by CenterCal Properties. The center opened on May 19, 2005, and is located in one of the Portland metropolitan area's most affluent areas. The center has a variety of services, including valet service, restaurant reservations, a courtesy shuttle to vehicles, and umbrellas available to borrow for free. The center features a water and fire fountain, and an Italian gazebo and kiosks by Neri.
Umpqua Bank Plaza is a 19-story office building in Downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Faced with red brick, the structure is 263 feet (80 m) tall and has 265,000 square feet (24,600 m2) of space. Opened in 1975 at a cost of $16 million, the building was designed by Wolff, Zimmer, Gunsul, Frasca. Originally named the Benjamin Franklin Plaza after tenant Benj. Franklin Savings and Loan, the building was later renamed after current tenant Umpqua Holdings Corporation.
The Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building is a high rise structure in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1975, the 18 story-tower is owned by the Federal Government. The international style office building has more than 370,000 square feet (34,000 m2) of space. Designed by the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architecture firm, the building is named after Wendell Wyatt and Edith Green who both served in the United States House of Representatives.
Kaiser Westside Medical Center is a hospital in the Tanasbourne neighborhood in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in August 2013 with 126 hospital beds, the Kaiser Permanente facility is planned to later expand to 174 beds. It was designed by Ellerbe Becket Architects and Petersen Kolberg & Associates Architects/Planners. The $220 million hospital includes Kaiser's Sunset Medical Office that opened in 1987 on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area.
One Main Place is a privately owned commercial office building in Downtown Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located at the west end of the Hawthorne Bridge, the 20-story skyscraper is 270 feet (82 m) tall. Completed in 1982, it is the fifteenth tallest building in Portland, and the sixteenth largest by square-foot. Designed in the modern style by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, it is a concrete and glass tower.
Shute Park Plaza is a shopping center located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Situated along Tualatin Valley Highway, the 18-tenant center takes its name from Shute Park, which is located across the highway. The land the mall sits on was once part of the park, housing a baseball diamond. Shute Park Plaza opened in 1985 at a cost of $6 million.
Ron Tonkin Field, originally Hillsboro Ballpark, is a baseball park in the northwest United States, located in Hillsboro, Oregon, a suburb west of Portland. The stadium has a capacity of 4,500 spectators and is the home for the Hillsboro Hops of the Northwest League and the Post 6 Barbers of the American Legion Oregon Zone 2 Division. Groundbreaking for the $15.55 million venue was on September 21, 2012, with the first game played nine months later on June 17, 2013.
First & Main is a 17-story, 210.34 ft (64.11 m) office tower in downtown Portland, Oregon, at First and Main streets. The building was completed in 2010 at a cost of $100 million with Hoffman Construction Company as the general contractor for developer Shorenstein Properties.
Omega Morgan is a privately held company headquartered in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1991, the 350-employee company specializes in heavy lifting, specialized transportation, machinery moving, crane and rigging services, plant relocations, equipment installations, millwrighting, and applied and industrial metrology.
400 SW Sixth Avenue is an eleven-story office building in Downtown Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Originally known as the First National Bank Building, it opened in 1960 as a six-story bank building. The 139-foot (42 m) tall mid-rise contains 216,108 square feet (20,077.1 m2) of space, with retail on the ground floor. From 1995 to 2016 the primary retail tenant was Camera World.
NV is a 26-story residential high-rise in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon. Formerly known as The Overton, the 272-foot (83 m) tower opened in 2016.
↑ Post, Nadine M (August 14, 2020). "Drastic Rebuild Resurrects Graves' Landmark Portland Building". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2020-10-07. By 1988, there was evidence of efflorescence. Then, the building started leaking around the windows. Despite repairs, the conditions worsened... The original painted-concrete envelope leaks started about five years after the original building's completion in 1982. Numerous attempts over the years to plug the holes failed.
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