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KEEN Footwear may have only moved to Portland five years ago – a nanosecond compared to industry giants like Nike and Columbia – but the creative company is far from being the awkward new kid on the block.

A transplant from California, KEEN moved to Portland in 2006 when the company’s search for a team to develop the business was met with a massive response from the 503 area code.

“Portland had a certain allure,” said Keen President and CEO James Curleigh, whose enthusiasm and easygoing demeanor personify the “create, play and care” philosophy touted by the company. “You come to Portland not to conform; you come to Portland to contribute to the culture. For a young company born this century, we have our own eclectic angle.”

That angle can be appreciated in KEEN’s corporate office on Northwest 13th Avenue, where a Frisbee golf basket, a foosball table and a kayak decorate the large warehouse-like space, and shoe displays sit under panoramic photographs of the natural landscapes they’re designed to navigate.

But take into account the growth of the company and it’s obvious that the fun vibe of the office is balanced with hard work. Since the move, KEEN has doubled its office space and workforce, added a storage facility and opened a retail store below its headquarters as well as a state-of-the-art factory on Swan Island.

Curleigh worried that the fast growth would leave KEEN feeling “too corporate,” especially if co-workers didn’t know each other’s names, so the company created its own family tree. The massive painted tree, complete with names and photos, has extended to more than one wall to accommodate the company’s 100 employees.

Along with the unique culture, Curleigh credits the apparel and outdoor cluster in Portland with providing the positive pressure it takes to stay creative and sharp in the industry.

Besides offering excellent and diverse outdoor testing grounds, Portland has inspired the innovative “Commuter” shoe for bikers as well as a new utility division to produce industrial footwear. The company’s first foray into the construction world was the Portland Boot – “as fit for hoisting girders in the sun as it is unloading a container ship in the driving rain” –  followed by the Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Atlanta and Detroit boot designs. Plans are already in the works to design and produce more industrial footwear designs.

The construction industry isn’t the only sector that KEEN has reached out to in Portland.

“We’ve come not only to live in the community, but to engage in the community as well,” said Curleigh, who encourages groups such as Friends of Forest Park and River Keepers to utilize his immense space for meetings.

“We’re knocking out this wall next week and taking over the space next door,” Curleigh added with a casual wave of his hand.

It looks like they might need to clear more space for the family tree, because KEEN has only just begun “creating, playing and caring” in Portland.

What was the best piece of advice you ever received?

“My dad always said keep your options open, and don’t have a plan B. Have three plan As.”

Who was your mentor, and how did he or she help shape you as a person?

“My mentor is my twin brother. We took very different paths, so we operate in different worlds, but we keep each other in check based on the fact that we’re identical twins. We can be very direct with each other.”

Tell me something about yourself most people wouldn’t know.

“I love to cook for myself late at night. I’m not hungry at 5:30 or 6 p.m. when my kids eat. We get them to bed, and at 10 o’clock, I’ll cook a gourmet meal for myself. It’s like creativity and calmness at the end of the day. Last night, I cooked some polenta with parmesan cheese and bruschetta with dried salami.”