Oregon Steel parent's move to Ill. may help Ore.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon Steel Mills is moving its headquarters to Chicago in a move its parent company hopes will boost business in Oregon, where its manufacturing plant will remain.

Evraz Inc. North America is moving about 60 managers from Portland to Chicago, The Oregonian reports.

Mike Rehwinkel, CEO of Evraz North America, said Oregon may actually profit from the $3 billion Russian-owned company's move to a centrally located city where managers can increase business for the Portland plant.

Oregon Steel, which traces its Portland origins to 1928 and employs about 500 in the city, makes steel pipes and plates.

Rehwinkel said in an interview the move has nothing to do with Portland's business climate or voter approval last year of Oregon ballot measures 66 and 67, which raised taxes on corporations and high-income earners.

"It's about growing jobs in Portland for Evraz, which means we need to be in Chicago to do that," Rehwinkel said. "Oregon is a key ingredient to our future endeavors."

Portland Mayor Sam Adams said Thursday he had no advance notice of the company's plans to move.

Adams said Rehwinkel made it clear there was nothing the city could do to change the decision, which was driven by a desire to get the company's sales force closer to key customers.

"Obviously, you want to keep all the headquarters you can," Adams said.

Joe Cortright, an economic consultant in Portland, said Evraz is a global company, and cities like Chicago offer a host of advantages.

The loss of headquarters is symbolic, just as it was when Seattle lost Boeing Co.'s headquarters to Chicago. But the principal asset for Portland is the manufacturing jobs, Cortright said.

Evraz plans to open its Chicago headquarters in June, closing its home base on the 22nd floor of a downtown Portland office tower. Portland headquarters employees who don't want to move with the company will receive severance packages.

___

Information from: The Oregonian, http://www.oregonlive.com