PORTLAND-- U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) received a shout-out from ESCO Corporation CEO and Oregon Business Chair Steve Pratt in his opening remarks at the Oregon leadership summit Thursday morning.

“Senator Smith has been a great friend of the Oregon business plan,” Pratt said. “He has worked in a bipartisan way to set the tone with his colleagues and get work done.”

Smith and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland) together played an integral part at the Oregon Leadership Summit since its inception in 2002, but Oregon’s outgoing junior Senator will now be replaced by U.S. Senator-elect Jeff Merkley (D-Portland).

Pratt also included Smith’s former state director in his remarks.

“Kerry Tymchuck has been a champion as well,” Pratt said.

Smith may be finishing up his final term in the U.S. Senate, but he will still probably play an integral role in Oregon’s business world. He said in his concession speech in November that he looked forward to getting back into the pea fields for his business, Smith Frozen Foods, a large frozen food company based in Weston, Ore.