He Arrived in Oregon With Nothing in 1978. What He Built Will Blow Your Mind.

He Arrived in Oregon With Nothing in 1978. What He Built Will Blow Your Mind.

Vietnamese Immigrant — QB Fabrication

Ben Quatch — known around his shop as "Oz" — came to Oregon in 1978. He and his wife arrived in the Northwest after the Vietnam War, started from scratch, and eventually founded QB Fabrication and Welding in Clackamas County.

That was over 38 years ago.

Today, QB Fabrication is the only metal fabricator in the entire Northwest that builds steel lattice transmission towers — the massive high-voltage power line structures that carry electricity across the region. Their clients include Portland General Electric, Bonneville Power Administration, and customers stretching across the western US and Canada.

A $50,000 Grant and a Standing Ovation

At a recent Clackamas County Commission meeting, QB Fabrication was recognized with a $50,000 county grant to purchase new equipment. The investment has already paid off: a fabrication process that used to take 12 hours now takes two.

The commissioners didn't just hand over a check. They gave Oz and his team a standing ovation, a photo op, and an open invitation to come back for more support.

That's not a typical government meeting moment.

Why This Matters Beyond the Ceremony

QB Fabrication has 38 full-time employees. They want to grow. And they specifically want to grow here — in Clackamas County.

That's not guaranteed. Businesses at this scale have options. The fact that a company doing nationally significant infrastructure work wants to stay in this county is a real thing, and it deserves more attention than it usually gets.

Economic development gets talked about a lot in abstract terms — incentive packages, workforce housing, business climate. QB Fabrication is what it actually looks like in practice. A family that built something real, in a place they chose, making infrastructure that keeps the lights on across the West.

This is the story worth telling.

Jennifer Schurter serves buyers, sellers, and investors throughout South Clackamas County and the North Willamette Valley — including Canby, Oregon City, Wilsonville, Aurora, Hubbard, Molalla, Woodburn, Newberg, Sherwood, Tualatin, West Linn, Lake Oswego, and the greater Portland metro south. Her goal is simple: to be the most knowledgeable, most responsive, and most genuinely helpful real estate agent in the area — every single time. Jennifer is a licensed Oregon real estate broker with Real Broker LLC.

Have questions or want to get started? Connect with Jennifer here: https://jenniferschurterhomes.com/connect-with-jennifer — She'd love to hear from you.