Owner Lynda Parrish Receives 2020 Women In Leadership and Management Award

If you’ve been around the taprooms, there’s a good chance you’ve seen or spoken with owner Lynda Parrish. Around Portland Cider Co. we know and love Lynda for her work ethic.  We also love her unique sense of British wit & humor, with her English roots. Recently, Lynda has been awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Clackamas Chamber of Commerce as part of its yearly Women in Leadership & Management Awards. 

Back in 2012, before the Craft Cider boom, Lynda and Jeff brought Portland Cider Co. to life. Lynda has always been an integral part of the company and leading innovation (like her recent push to move the cider from bottles into 19.2 oz cans). Through the years, Lynda has taken on every facet of the company, at times acting as CEO, CFO, Retail Manager, Sales rep, HR manager, and bartender. 

The apple stops here! Lynda, we are so proud of all that you have accomplished, and we are so lucky to have you here at Portland Cider Co. as a trusted leader. Cheers!

It all began when she left her corporate job in 2012 to commit her full attention to creating what would become Portland Cider Co. Lynda, in collaboration with her husband Jeff, started out making small five-gallon batches of cider in their guest room closet. In 2013, she opened a small tasting room with just 6 taps in Oregon City, where she and Jeff would press apples for TWO straight days to fill their single 1000-gallon tank.

Today, Portland Cider’s cidery is located in Clackamas in a 20,000 sq. ft. facility with six 5,000-gallon tanks, the Portland Cider Co. taproom is in Hawthorne, and they have two pubs. They employ over 22 employees, produce over 15 different ciders, and have won over 50 awards of recognition for its unparalleled quality and taste. 

The new state-of-the-art production floor has recently added a canning line for 12-ounce 6-packs and 19.2-ounce “Proper Pint” single cans. If you were to tour the facility, you wouldn’t be surprised to see Lynda with her sleeves-rolled-up working on the production line.

Any of the Portland Cider Co. team members would say that Lynda leads by example and is a role model to the whole team, but also to the greater community. She guides her employees to success with a gentle hand, patience, and a lot of support. Lynda likes to shine the spotlight on her employees. She hires people who share her strong work ethic and willingness to learn on the job and frequently invests in team members’ ongoing education surrounding alcohol production. 

Following Lynda’s lead, Portland Cider Co. has become invested in giving back to over 14 different organizations in the community. The month of October is Portland Cider Co.’s largest fundraising month of the year - $2 from any 6-pack cider case will be donated to Hunger-Free Schools, a segment of Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, along with 10 percent of sales from the new PDX Community Cider. 

For all of these reasons (and more!), Lynda has been awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year award as part of the Women in Leadership & Management Awards. These awards are peer-nominated and given to those who have made significant contributions to their community, much as Lynda has. 

“She’s always behind the scenes, juggling more balls in the air than I could keep in a basket!” said Deron Davenport, Head Cider Maker. 

Lynda is a role model for her employees, community, and other cideries that she mentors throughout the U.S. Cheers to you, Lynda!