Overview

This tilt-up concrete warehouse and office building housed Tektronix, Incorporated's, Stock Department beginning in the summer of 1957. It was the first building in the new 313-acre Tektronix Industrial Park that was built out over a period of about 20 years. It followed the model of the high-tech-focused Stanford Industrial Park (later renamed "Stanford Research Park"), begun near the Stanford University campus in 1951. Tektronix became a leading manufacturer of oscilloscopes and other electronic equipment during the period from 1946 until 2007. the firm developed the reputation as a humane and compassionate employer during its 61-year independent existence.

Building History

Construction on this first warehouse building in Beaverton's Tektronix Industrial Park began in 03/1957 and was completed by summer of that year. The principal designers were Stevens and Thompson, Engineers, with the assistance of Gordon E. Trapp, Architect. The website Vintage Tek.org published a page from the company newsletter Tek Talk of 05/1957 that described this warehouse: "Construction of our new warehouse is progressing rapidly in spite of weather handicaps that slowed initial stages of building in March and April. Located south of the railraod and west of the Beaverton Airport, the structure has been designed to feature a parking area and landscaped approach on the south-east corner. A concrete block unit of 1000 sq. ft. attached to the warehouse on this corner will house office facilities for users of the building. The warehouse itself will be tilt-up concrete construction with glue laminated beams. Covering a storage area of 32,000 sq. ft., the building will be compared by early Teks to the first building on the Sunset Hiway site which was planned for production purposes and was only 23,000 sq. ft. in area. Part of the total 32,000 sq. ft. will be subleased by Tektronix to Beaverton Transfer. Designed by Stevens and Thompson, a Portland engineering firm, the warehouse will be an attractive building that can be readily expanded to take care of increased needs for warehousing in the Beaverton area. The storage space may be effectively increased by a last minute provision for future construction of a balcony over part or all of the warehouse. Two doors will be sixteen ft. wides so skids of aluminum sheet cane be taken by lift truck from the freight car right into the building without shifting the load. The extra wide doors permit the twleve foot lengths of skids used to handle the aluminum to go through the doors lengthwise. In addition to metal stock, such supplies as laminations, CRT bottles, cardboard cartons and eventually ceramic materials which will lend themselves to warehousing will be stored there. Many of theses materials are purchased in carload lots at the present time; with a railroad spur now available the advantages of railroad freight direct to door shipping will be gained. Tektronix has been renting about 19,000 sq. ft. of storage in Portland warehouse. Material now housed in these areas will be transferred to the new building as well as most of the central stock items now served from the Main building." (See Vintage Tek.org, reprint of "Warehouse Firest Building in Park," TekTalk, 05/1957, n.p., accessed 11/14/2023.)

The Tektronx Industrial Park was owned by the company's retirement fund: "The land on which the warehouse is located remains the property of our Retirement Trust and will be leased by Tektronix, Inc. and others as more of the Industrial Park is developed." (See Vintage Tek.org, reprint of "Warehouse Firest Building in Park," TekTalk, 05/1957, n.p., accessed 11/14/2023.)

PCAD id: 24865