A press release hit my mailbox a few weeks ago that said only 10% of business professionals make New Year's resolutions that are related to their jobs or careers. Instead, most set goals such as getting more exercise and eating better.

So much for press releases. In fact, work-related New Year's resolutions do seem to be top of the mind for many Oregon business leaders.

Vic Bartruff will be working on "letting the world know we're here and looking for ways to grow." Bartruff is CEO of 2-year-old Pinnacle Bank in Beaverton, which has gone from five employees to 13 since its founding and will add more staff in 2005. "The last two years have been challenging, but we have a good base and there's been a change in the business attitude in Oregon. Last year people started stepping out and 2005 will be even better." And in the new year, Bartruff resolves to lighten up. "We spend a lot of time together and we work hard. There will be opportunities for stress and we want to mitigate that by having some fun."

Ask Alicia Johnson what challenge she anticipates meeting in the coming year and she responds instantly: change. Her firm, Johnson & Wolverton of Portland, consults with broadcast networks about how to reach their target audiences. "Our clients face huge changes that are coming faster than they imagine," she says.

The rapid spread of TiVo -- digital video recording -- means viewers can skip the ads; soon, advertisers could be skipping out on broadcasters. Johnson will have to help clients reconnect with viewers and advertisers using new communications channels, before her clients are swamped by this tidal wave of change.

Dallas Stovall's New Year's resolutions for Bright Wood Corp. of Madras are all about efficiency. The company will have to waste less, use more and save money

to keep growing. "Our customers are always pursuing lower costs," he says, "so we need to be proactive." The pressure's especially intense for Stovall's molding and millwork company, given the low U.S. dollar (which makes imported raw materials more costly) and low-cost competition from Canada.

Stovall thinks a lot about how to do right by his 1,500 employees. "When you've never had a layoff and you want to maintain benefits that are cost-effective," he says, "you have to make the right decisions to keep things moving forward."

A somewhat daunting resolution for 2005 comes from Aaron Silverman: Grow the business of Greener Pastures Poultry by a factor of 10.

The three-farm cooperative in Noti has gathered quite a following among Oregon foodies for its naturally raised chickens and turkeys. But right now, Silverman and his wife are running the processing operation, too. As soon as they've lined up new business partners and regulatory approvals, they'll go from processing 20,000 birds a year to as many as 200,000, and they'll bring in new staff to manage the processing operation.

"That would be a huge burden of stress off our little family," says Silverman. "We have a 2-year-old daughter and 14,000 chickens. Being so busy, most of our relationships with customers have gone on autopilot." Silverman says he wants to get back to the fun of farming.

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Copyright 2005 Oregon Business magazine