Klc april 2014

Volume 6, No. 4

April 2014

Business Kelso Longview

Connection Chamber of Commerce

Calendar Friday

April 4 – Noon Relocation Ribbon Cutting Cole’s Appliance Repair 4545 Ocean Beach Highway, Longview

Tuesday

April 8 – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Business After Hours KapStone Paper & Packaging 300 Fibre Way, Longview Cost: $15 (Deadline to register, April 4) Register at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

Friday

April 11 – Noon Ribbon Cutting and Open House Reality Homes 1905 Belmont Loop, Woodland

Thursday

April 17 – 1 to 7 p.m.

Building Bridges Business Showcase Cowlitz Regional Conference Center 1900 7th Avenue, Longview Free to attend (open to the public)

Tuesday

April 29 – 4 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting Columbia River Carpet One 105 B Street, Rainier, Ore. Anniversary Open House 4 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday

April 30 – 4 p.m.

Ribbon Cutting Kelso Longview Chamber 105 N. Minor Road, Kelso Visitor’s Center Open House 3 to 6 p.m.

Friends from the Columbia River Reader were part of the Building Bridges event.

Showcase builds bonds between businesses When the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce leaders decided to change the name of the Cowlitz County Expo last year, Building Bridges summed up the format they had for the region’s business showcase.

The original plan was to draw 100-plus local businesses at the Cowlitz County Regional Conference Center sharing information – basically a business-to-business networking event, explained Chamber CEO Bill Marcum. The general public was not invited to attend.

Good was the consensus, but not good enough.

Building Bridges does what it implies – encourages businesses from Longview and Kelso, as well as those from smaller communities like Rainier, Woodland and Castle Rock to come together to bridge or build bonds and connections between businesses.

“It’s the best event in our area for networking with other businesses,” said Anne

Please see Building Bridges, page 2

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Building Bridges, from page 1 O’Connor, founder of onthemark associates, a Longview marketing firm. “The new format just seems to get better every year.

We can reach all the businesses at one time, all in one place.”

We also wanted to make sure the public was invited to attend, Marcum said.

“I think we are listening to our vendors and working each year to make the event better and better,” Marcum said. “We have condensed the event into one large room at the Expo Center, provided educational materials to the vendors to assist in their preparation, displays and goals. It’s all about making sure each vendor has a successful day”

City Bank.

Cal Dowd of Prographyx currently serves as committee chair and has been involved with the event since its inception. Marlene Johanson, Heritage Bank; Rich Coleman, Bicoastal Media; Pam Fierst, Red Lion Hotel and Conference Center; Diane Craft, Koelsch Senior Communities; Teedara Garn, TwinStar Credit Union and Mike Vorse, Minuteman Press, make up the rest of the committee who meet throughout the year to plan the event.

“The business-to-business networking is an important part of the event,” Marcum continued. “It is important to allow business owners and managers who are not able to make the daylong commitment to set up and man a booth or table the opportunity to come in and see what businesses are available locally and we hope make contacts with those businesses to receive or provide services or products.”

Once again organizers are expecting nearly 100 businesses.

There are five booth spaces left and nine tables to fill if interested. Set up begins Thursday morning at 8 a.m. Lunch is provided at noon with speakers explaining how to make the day successful. Prizes will be given away throughout the day to vendors and attendees with five major prizes awarded during the last half hour. From 5 to 7 p.m. a no host bar and light snacks will be available for everyone in attendance.

That’s why Building Bridges is scheduled for 1 to 7 p.m. April 17 at the Cowlitz County Conference Center.

The Chamber continues to sponsor and promote the event, but also receives support from the local community. Bicoastal Media has stepped up to be this year’s Premier Sponsor, contributing substantial radio air time and certificates for venders.

Other major sponsors include Prographyx, TwinStar Credit Union, PeaceHealth, Koelsch Senior Communities and Twin

If you are interested, please contact the Chamber at 360-4238400 or go online at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org and click on the Building Bridges icon.

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Team Bill Marcum, CEO Amy Hallock, Bookkeeper Brooke Fisher, Project Manager Kelso Longview Business Connection is published monthly by the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce.

105 N. Minor Road • Kelso, WA 98626 • 360-423-8400 To advertise, call Brooke Fisher, 360-423-8400 ext. 16 or e-mail bfisher@kelsolongviewchamber.org.

Ad Deadline: 20th of each month.

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April 17, 2014

1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Building Bridges

A REGIONAL BUSINESS SHOWCASE

Booth Space (36 Available)

COWLITZ COUNTY REGIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER

SIGN UP NOW!

Up to $100 off for early sign up.

Includes 2 lunch tickets • extra tickets $15

Chamber Member

Non-Chamber Member

(any area Chamber Member)

$600 before March 21 $700 after March 21

$450 before March 21 $550 after March 21

For information on joining the Chamber visit: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org/members/become-member

Table Space (84 Available)

Includes 2 lunch tickets • extra tickets $15 each

Chamber Member

Non-Chamber Member

(any area Chamber Member)

$350 before March 21 $400 after March 21

$250 before March 21 $300 after March 21

For information on joining the Chamber visit: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org/members/become-member

Additional Sponsorship Packages Available Includes booth space, logo on all printed material, logo on website, banner at event and all advertising.

Call today 360-423-8400 or register online www.kelsolongviewchamber.org Major Sponsors:

Media Sponsors:

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Moving forward from 2013 with optimism and positive energy

By Ted Sprague President – Cowlitz Economic Development Council

This is truly a remarkable time to be in Cowlitz County. The excitement of being a part of the Northwest Innovation Works project that could increase the assessed value of our county by nearly 20 percent is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

This month’s contribution to the newsletter is taken from the remarks I made at the Cowlitz Economic Development Council (CEDC) Annual Meeting as a look back at 2013 and what lies ahead in the future.

The importance of the sale of Longview Fibre from Brookfield to KapStone cannot be emphasized enough. All the moves KapStone has made to this point have been positive: hiring new workers, planning new capital investment and infusing a people first attitude at the facility. We are very excited for that company’s future.

Advancements at Lower Columbia College are turning heads across the state and across the world. They opened a brand new University Center offering four year degrees. They are building on their initial success in recruiting international students, and they are taking their corporate and manufacturing training to new levels of sophistication.

Our quality of place is being enhanced throughout the county. New streetscape in Castle Rock, planned enhancements in Longview, new Regal Cinema and anchor tenants in Kelso, a new high school and aquatic center in Woodland, hundreds of millions of dollars in grain elevator upgrades in Kalama are just a few examples of work being done.

We are leading the charge with Pathways 2020 and our Literacy Council to improve the lives and opportunities of those who feel shut out of society because they fail to learn. Our Music on the Mountain concert series in the summer has developed such a strong reputation that now we have bands calling us to see if they can play. Through our partnership with the Forest Service and Cowlitz PUD, we are celebrating the transfer of the 504 power line which opens up the potential for new business and tourism opportunities on the way to the mountain.

Despite all the optimism and positive energy, we still have huge concerns on the horizon. Our healthcare system is in a huge state of flux. We are recruiting strong companies to our area, but many families are choosing to live in the Greater Portland area.

Our regulatory environment is also a challenge. Please do not misunderstand. I am not anti-regulation or anti-environment. I simply question how far we are going to go until we have gone too far. Some say we are already there.

We sit around our dinner tables and wonder why the United States doesn’t manufacture anything anymore. Then we read about requiring a company to permit a project based on how they source their material, how they ship their product, how they process their product and ultimately how their product is used in a foreign country by a different company. Everyone has an opinion on coal. Believe me, I have heard all of them along the spectrum: from U.S. coal is cleaner and will help families in China emerge from poverty, to coal is the root of all evil and will kill us all. I do not want to debate coal, but I do want to say that the precedent being set regarding it alarms me. How long will it be until our friends in the environmental community want to look at how Boeing sources its parts and how much CO2 their jets put into the air? Will they also put these new, near impossible standards on the solar panel industry, how about the wind energy industry? We need to pay attention to how we treat industry in this state. Believe me, other states are paying attention, and even more importantly, prospective companies are paying attention.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

CEO’s Message

Busy creating a better Chamber for business

By Bill Marcum Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce CEO

Business After Hours – Business After Hours for April is going to be at KapStone, formerly Longview Fibre, Paper and Packaging. This will be a great after hours April 8 and provide members with an opportunity to tour the plant and see what the new ownership group is doing to improve the company.

One major change for this event is that you MUST sign up in advance. Deadline to attend this event is 3 p.m. April 4. Due to security and safety concerns there will be NO WALK UP admission.

The Chamber is in one of its busiest times of the year and it’s been even busier as we work on a new look for our Visitor Guide/Directory that will be available early this month. The Chamber Business Directory has been retooled to give visitors a magazine of things to see and do in our area, plus a listing of all our members as of print date. The magazine will have a list of events from April-December, list of recreation – things anyone can do – festivals, activities, parks, art, golf, Mount St. Helens and music.

City Maps – The new city maps for Kelso and Longview have been sent to the printer and we should have them at the Visitor Center/Chamber office early next week. We are down to our last few maps so they will be a welcome addition to the information we pass along to our visitors and new local residence.

Here is a list of the other events and projects we are currently working on: Business and Education Pillars of Strength Awards – The Education Committee is working hard and fast to get all the scholarship applications judged in time to announce our nine $1,000 scholarship recipients at the award banquet May 7 at the Cowlitz County Regional Conference Center. Tickets are on sale for $35. Along with judging our students for the scholarships, they are also judging all the entries from the Crystal Apple education nominations. This is a huge undertaking and we appreciate our volunteers who serve on this committee. Another part of the awards banquet is the Pillar of Strength Business Awards and a separate committee of past winners works with the Chamber to select the winners in several categories.

Business Boot Camp – We have two more financial camps this month – April 4 is Monthly Financial Statements: How to read them and what to look for when trying to analyze them to reduce costs and April 11, Legislative Session Review: What happened this past session that is going to affect my bottom line? Both of these camps will be $25 each and you can bring up to three total from your business, a great bargain. The Human Resources Boot Camp, six-pack of classes, starts in May. See the ad on page 15 for details about each class. The entire series is $100, and again members can have up to three people from your business in attendance. That works out to only $5.55 per class, per person. Make sure you know how to keep your business out of court.

Building Bridges – a Regional Business Showcase – This event is scheduled for 1 to 7 p.m. April 17 at the Cowlitz County Reginal Conference Center. A committee of local business people works with the Chamber to contact local and regional businesses about participating in this year’s showcase. Traditionally, about 100 businesses set up booths and tables for this one-day networking event. The public is invited to attend, learn about our local businesses and the services and products they provide to their customers. The final day to get a booth or table is April 14; don’t miss it.

April also starts the process of putting together the annual Chamber Golf Classic. A committee will start working on securing hole sponsors, tee sponsors, lunch sponsors, dinner sponsors, 19th hole sponsors, putting contest sponsors and more. So, put June 16 on your calendar for a fun day of golf, networking and prizes.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

‘Good at what you do’ and ‘good at what you might do’

By Chuck Nau Retail Consultant and Sales and Management Trainer Murray & Nau, Inc.

• Listen. Of all the sources of information to help you know, understand, and evaluate the abilities and personalities of each of your staff, listening to individuals is the most important. Much like when you were selling, there were times to sell and times to ask questions and listen. Remember, too, that to be a good listener you should always strive to be objective. Good listening skills are paramount to looking for ways to improve productivity, identify and solve problems, plus develop your people … and GROW your business!

You love to sell even in a tough economy like today. Your customers and business, friends and associates, have repeatedly told you that you are good at what you do.

You are beginning to wonder if you would be good at what you may do, expand your business or service, slowly at first, and add employees – perhaps you could lead and manage others. Or more recently, you have been named manager, a first time event for you. You were named manager due in a large part to your success as a salesperson.

In either situation, you feel very competent and confident, even when business is tough to get in your small business environment. But now you are moving on to a new challenge and you’re somewhat unsure about just what it is that management entails.

In the past, your independence, attention to detail, strong organizational skills, perfectionist streak, and the ability to get it done (in most cases by yourself!) have served you well.

However, your movement from ‘one who does’ to ‘one who manages’ is going to require a willingness to change, a focus on energy, and a steady and dependable perseverance.

Regardless of the size or scope of your business or service, management team, or your newly assigned staff, the following recommendations will serve you well in your development in becoming an effective manager and leader.

• Embrace conflict. Conflict or complaints from your staff members and others about fellow employees or systems or procedural requirements are going to happen. Be prepared to handle the conflict fairly, positively, and in a timely fashion.

Work to have all parties involved focus on the issues at hand rather than the personalities in the disagreement. Listen, and listen again!

• Start strong, rather than easy, unsure, or misdirected.

Communicate your expectations, particularly in this challenging economic environment. When an employee or group of employees does not meet them, a casual reminder (...our work day is 8 to 5) rather than discipline may be all that it takes. However, when discipline is warranted, don’t hesitate to step up. As a collegiate soccer referee, I learned long ago that if a referee does not enforce the laws of the game, those players who were wronged will begin defending themselves.

Discipline sets the parameters, it also confirms who is in charge and keeps everyone on track.

• Move off the field, into the dugout. You’re no longer a player or a doer; you are now the coach. Let go and coach your new staff. Develop a strong ability to communicate ideas and views so others will understand and accept them.

Encourage initiative, while minimizing staff frustration.

• The more you are successful, the louder your critics will be. Expect people to disagree with you. Be willing to defend what you believe is right and be flexible enough to know when to compromise.

Please see Nau, page 7

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Nau, from page 6

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Banking made easy

• Goals – Expectations – Dreams. Begin developing, outlining, and communicating your goals and expectations (and those of the business or service, too) to your staff and others.

Double check that they are S.M.A.R.T. – Specific, Measurable, Agreed upon (in the business, or among the staff), Realistic, and Time sensitive.

• Assess and enhance your resources – both your people and your physical resources. Observe, understand, and decide when it is best to utilize your staff ’s strengths, as individuals or as a group. Be sure you have thought through both individual and group reaction to your ideas or goals, or any changes in policies.

• Plan – Plan – Plan. Plan your work and work your plan.

Assign activities and assign responsibilities and continually seek feedback. Many staff members when asked will say that they want their new manager to succeed as their leader ... usually they will also say that they are going to be sure she earns it!

Management is a challenge. It is also hard work. But though the rewards are usually hard earned they are well deserved.

Have fun!...and good luck.

© Murray & Nau, Inc. Chuck Nau of Murray & Nau, Inc. is a Seattle area based consultant and sales and management trainer. He is a 25-year veteran of advertising, sales, media and management, who knows and understands the everyday challenges of starting up, growing, and surviving in today’s ever changing retail climate. He has spoken to and conducted workshops for a number of local retail and chamber organizations, national publishing groups, national retailers and manufacturers, state press associations, and newspaper groups.

Comments and questions are welcome and may be directed to Chuck via e-mail: murnau@nwlink.com or at 425-603-0984.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Lower Columbia College

Building a STEM workforce with bricks and innovative programs

By Chris Bailey President – Lower Columbia College

scientific investigative methods like popular CSI television shows.

Equally popular has been a weeklong summer camp which teaches a number of STEM-related concepts, primarily in physics and engineering. Originally planned to serve 30 students, the camp had to be expanded to accommodate double that number to meet demand its first year. LCC added resources to serve 96 students at the 2013 camp and plans a similar program for August 25-29 this year.

A family STEM night in September drew around 400 gradeschool age students and their parents to learn about science through a variety of fun, hands-on activities.

In March, nearly 500 young students from southwest Washington converged on the LCC campus to demonstrate a wide range of scientific knowledge at the Regional Science Olympiad. College faculty and staff volunteered their time to run more than two dozen events so that teams from 20 high schools and 11 middle schools could vie for spots in state and national competitions. This year marked the sixth time LCC has hosted the event. R.A. Long teams finished as high as second in their events even though they are relative newcomers to the competition, demonstrating the quality and interest in STEM among local students.

Washington could add as many as 110,000 new jobs by 2017 by closing skill gaps – the mismatch between the skills people have and those employers need, according to a report by the Washington Roundtable. Of the 25,000 jobs vacant for more than three months due to a shortage of qualified applicants, 80 percent are in high demand STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and healthcare fields.

Lower Columbia College (LCC) has been working hard for the past decade to prepare a greater number of adults for jobs in healthcare and science, technology, engineering and math fields to help meet that demand.

The new LCC Health and Science Building, scheduled to open this summer, is the most visible symbol of increased focus on STEM and healthcare careers. But several innovative programs and activities have been offered on campus in recent years to turn the spotlight on developing a local workforce to fill the new jobs.

Filling The Pipeline

Some of the first students to occupy classrooms in the new facility will have past experience on campus through participation in STEM workshops, the Catapult to College summer camp and Science Olympiad competitions for middle school and high school students – all developed to generate interest in science careers among young people.

The Saturday workshops invite students to sample science through a variety of half-day activities led by LCC faculty, such as Spiders, gathering specimens on campus to study in college labs; Frankenfoods, examining genetically-modified organisms; creating Digital Art while learning about the math concepts of fractals and tessellations; using computers to build an App or a Virtual World, and even solving a “crime” by using

Quality Education At All Levels

Employers need multiple levels of healthcare and STEM education, including short-term training certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees. LCC produces talented graduates at all of these levels.

Individual Certificate Programs, an innovative education option developed by LCC and emulated by other Washington colleges, combine college studies with on-the-job training preparing skilled workers to meet the specific needs of local employers in just 18 months. Water treatment plant operators,

Please see LCC, page 9

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

LCC, from page 8

ing – Renewed Manufacturing in the 21st Century. Ten local

veterinary technicians, chemical technicians and hemodialysis technicians are just a few of the two dozen programs offered.

LCC’s award-winning nursing program has been training skilled healthcare professionals for 60 years and our partnership with Washington State University Vancouver will meet future industry needs by providing a smooth transition to bachelor’s degree studies through our Regional University Center.

Partnering with the Homeland Security Center of Excellence at Pierce College, LCC has expanded its three-quarter certificate in Digital Forensics into an Associate in Applied Science degree program in Emergency Management. Students complete all studies on campus and online to prepare for careers in the growing emergency services fields.

At the University Center, graduates of LCC’s Information Technology Specialist program can earn a BS in Applied Technology from Eastern Washington University.

Thirty-five percent of the 2011 STEM bachelor-degree graduates at Washington four-year schools started off at a community college. Engineering students from LCC regularly finish near the top of their university classes. These students say a strong foundation in math and physics acquired at LCC prepared them well for university studies. One such graduate Sean Gestson, a returning adult student majoring in environmental engineering, earned the nation’s largest transfer scholarship – $30,000 per year from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation last year. LCC transfer students earn an average GPA of 3.34 in their junior- and senior-year coursework.

company sponsors and the Cowlitz Economic Development Council partnered with the college on this highly-successful event.

Replacing 50-year-old labs with modern facilities and equipment will certainly boost LCC’s ability to provide the skilled workforce required to grow our regional economy. But at the heart of successful STEM and healthcare education are the dedicated faculty and staff and strong community partnerships that have been part of LCC for the past 80 years.

Updating Skills For Incumbent Workers

A priority initiative for LCC this year is to develop a new corporate training program that serves local industry through customized offerings designed to help incumbent workers update their skills. Executive Director Hahli Clark is already serving training needs while building the new service. Early projects include training for local K12 educators on developing STEM workshops and successful presentation skills for local engineers.

In February, LCC Continuing Education offered a half-day conference for CEOs, CFOs, production managers and human resource managers on Competitiveness in Manufactur-

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Council of Governments

Transportation package hangs in limbo as session wanes

By Scott Patterson Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments Executive Director Legislative session expected to adjourn this month without approving new transportation package – Just about two weeks ago Senate Transportation Committee Co-chair Curtis King released an updated version of his new transportation revenue package that no longer had the state Route 432 Rail Realignment and Highway Improvement Project in it. Since that time, following a number of discussions on the Senate side, it once again appears unlikely that any action will be taken on the transportation package. While there is still a little more than a week left in session, most of the attention seems to be turning to the supplemental operating budget. As you know, Cowlitz County and all of southwest Washington received very little in the way of any new projects as part of the Senate proposal. Having some additional time beyond this session gives projects like SR 432 more time to be discussed with Legislators.

The new transportation revenue package will certainly be frontand-center when the legislature reconvenes for the new biennium in 2015 (or sooner if the governor calls a special session, which is always a possibility).

News from our nation’s capital – Last month I attended the National Conference of Regional Councils (NARC) annual meeting in Washington, D.C. I felt the agenda topics covered were broadbased and informative. We heard from senior officials from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), EDA (Economic Development Administration), FHWA (Federal Highways Administration) and FTA (Federal Transit Administration). I was also able to meet with staff from U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s office and provide them with a comprehensive update on the SR 432 Project.

While I can’t provide you with a thorough review of the conference, I do want to highlight one issue that generated the most discussion, and that is the upcoming federal transportation reauthorization law, which expires later this year. The current law, MAP-21, was adopted just a couple of years ago and it included a number of major policy shifts, many of which have not yet been implemented 10

due to the lengthy “rulemaking” process of the US Department of Transportation. While it is unlikely we will see any major new initiatives, there are major issues Congress must tackle, including the depletion of the Highway Trust Fund. In a sign many say is positive, President Obama recently released his “Four Year Transportation Objectives,” which is not something he has done before.

USDOT announces next round of TIGER grants – Any jurisdictions that have major transportation projects may be interested in pursuing this opportunity. The TIGER or Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant is now available; $600 million is available nationwide. The NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) can be found on USDOT’s website at www.dot.gov/ TIGER, as well as information on planned, informational webinars.

Out and about – Below is a recap of some of my recent meetings: • Attended the MPO Statewide Directors meeting • Attended the MPO/RTPO/WSDOT Coordinating Committee meeting • Attended the SR 432 Project Management Team (PMT) meeting • Met with Ted Sprague, CEDC • Met with Karyn Criswell, Enviroissues • Attended the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce State of Education luncheon • Attended the Cowlitz Area Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting Facilitating Growth Through Leadership and Action

We are a membership based not-for-profit organization.

Join us today!

Resources • Access • Partnerships

1452 Hudson St. • US Bank Building Suite 208 • Longview, WA 360.423.9921 www.cowlitzedc.com

Hosted by:

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 KapStone (300 Fibre Way, Longview) 5:30-7:30 p.m. $15 advance (No at door registration) Register at: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org Note: Due to the event being held at an industrial site, proper safety precautions must be adhered to. Please do the following: -Wear closed toed and durable shoes (no high heels) -Attendees must check-in at the front gate first -Attendees must wear a vest and glasses given to you by gate staff No walk-ups at event due to mill security. Must register by Friday, April 4th!

Tours of the facility will be given at the event!

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

SWWDC

WorkSource better reflected as the employment office

By Julia Maglione Communications Manager Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council As the workforce investment board for Cowlitz, Wahkiakum and Clark counties, the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC) funds and oversees the WorkSource centers in Kelso and Vancouver.

WorkSource is sometimes erroneously referred to as the “unemployment” office. Fact is, WorkSource is the “employment” office and, similar to a staffing agency, can help your business find qualified job applicants and fill open positions. The big difference is, these services are free!

WorkSource in Kelso wants to partner with local businesses, understand your needs and help you find the right people so your business can thrive.

The business services team can help you: • Write job descriptions • Advertise your jobs • Learn about new approaches for hard-to-fill jobs • Recruit qualified veterans and their spouses • Host job fairs and hiring events • Conduct interviews and/or group orientations • Identify potential sources of subsidies or grants to help pay for training the new employees you’d like to hire (or improving skills of existing employees) An area that sometimes causes a bit of confusion about WorkSource is the online job postings at www.Go2Worksource.com.

When you are assisted by a staff member, they handle all the details. Your job openings are posted anonymously (if you wish), for up to 90 days, and all candidates submit their information to WorkSource. After screening the applicants, WorkSource refers only qualified candidates to you for interviews. Think of all the time you’ll save and hassles you’ll avoid by getting this assistance!

If you prefer self-service, after a simple online registration where you create your own account at Go2WorkSource.biz, you’re ready

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to post job openings or search resumes. This do-it-yourself service is similar to other mass job posting boards. Anyone who sees your listing can apply, whether they’re qualified or not, and then you wade through lots of applications to find the gems.

Individuals are not screened or vetted by WorkSource. So, while they may have seen the job you posted on the WorkSource site, they were not referred to you by WorkSource. Only candidates

Please see WorkSource, page 17

Save the Date: Jingle in July July 4, 2014 Jingle in July 5k Fun Run/Walk

Registration opens May 1, 2014

8am • Three Rivers Mall, Kelso www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

Questions? Contact the Chamber 360.423.8400

2014

Business & Education Awards It is time to honor those in our business and education community who have excelled!

Wednesday, May 7, 2014 Cowlitz Regional Conference Center 5:30-6:15 Dinner Buffet 6:15 Program Begins $35 per person or Table of 8 @ $280 Registration (Deadline May 2nd) Register at: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Mind Your Own Business (at the Library)

Project Read one of many literacy programs aiding local businesses

By Chris Skaugset Longview Public Library Director

I mentioned Microsoft’s IT Academy last month to help with the technology literacy, so I won’t say more other than to mention it again as a free resource to increase your own, or your staff ’s, competence with Microsoft Office products up through Microsoft certification. The library currently has classes to help people with new e-Readers or pads. We are looking to start some Internet basics classes as well. For more information visit our website www. longviewlibrary.org or call us at 360-442-5300.

We also have resume help for those who are just entering the job market, or perhaps re-entering the job market and need to dust off and spruce up what they have. In either case, Leon Lowman is here and is willing and able to help anyone with their resume. To set up an appointment, Leon can be reached at 360-442-5308 or leon. lowman@ci.longview.wa.us.

What I would really like to focus this month on is Project Read.

Project Read is a literacy program that matches learners with tutors who work together one on one to help the learner achieve whatever goal they have set for themselves. These goals can range from learning to read and write, improve English conversation skills, learn English as a second language, pass the GED, or become a United States citizen just to name a few. The tutors are all volunteers who have committed their time and energy to help others attain their goals. The volunteers are trained and then matched with a learner whose goals meet the abilities and interests of the tutor. It is a hugely successful program and when it began nearly 30 years ago, it was a model for the rest of the state and across the nation for a library-based literacy program. These are partial numbers, but during 2013 Project Read helped 12 people gain their citizenship, three people get GEDs and seven people get promoted or gain fulltime employment. They also helped people earn their high school diploma, pass job-related test such as the Certified Nursing Assistant exam, phlebotomist exam, CDL exam, and finally they helped 25 people get enrolled in an educational program or moved up in their current program. If you know of someone who could use the service or if you yourself are interested in becoming one of our many volunteers you can contact Elizabeth Partridge at 360-4425321 or elizabeth.partridge@ci.longview.wa.us.

I’m sure there are many services at the library that wouldn’t surprise most people. These include things such as borrowing materials, story times for children, and answering people’s questions. As one would expect, the library tries to focus a lot of time and energy on literacy. Literacy support can take on many different forms depending on the type of literacy. There is of course the standard reading, writing, and mathematics that I think most people are aware of, but there is also health, financial, technology, and information literacy as well. You might not be aware of some of the literacy-based services at the library so I thought I would discuss a few of them here.

Your first question might be wondering what literacy has to do with business in Cowlitz County. And let me tell you that literacy has everything to do with business in Cowlitz County. If you don’t believe me (I might be somewhat biased) ask Ted Sprague the head of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council and Chair of the Cowlitz Literacy Council. He understands how important literacy is to bring business to Cowlitz County. Cowlitz County is well below the state average in the number of people with a bachelor’s or higher degree: 15.9 percent for Cowlitz, 31.6 percent for the state.

While some of this is attributable to the types of employment currently available in our county, it does not help us bring students back after college or to lure businesses and industries here. They like to start up in areas where they can hire the people they need for all levels and with our education attainment numbers being so much lower makes us less attractive than other areas. Small businesses also need literate (in all of the ways that I described earlier) people as well in order to start-up, succeed, and grow in the future.

There are not too many jobs in the world anymore where literacy, in one form or another, isn’t needed and this number continues to get smaller.

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2014 Small Business

BOOT CAMP Friday Mornings ★ Lower Columbia College

7:30 am - 9 am ★ Heritage Room at LCC - Admin. Bldg.

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Financial Six Pack

March 7 Managing the Numbers to Profitability.

Facilitator: Chris Bailey, LCC President March 14 Cash is King - Understanding your business’s cash generating capability and value.

Facilitator: Frank McShane, Cascade Networks March 21 Budgeting - Income, Expenses and Payroll.

Facilitator: David Futcher, Futcher-Henry CPA March 28 Taxes and Your Business - City, State & Federal. Facilitator: David Spurgeon, Chase Spurgeon April 4 Monthly Financial Statements - How to read them and what to look for?

Facilitator: Frank McShane, Cascade Networks April 11 2013 Legislative Session: How is it going to affect my bottom-line?

Facilitator: Kris Johnson, New AWB President

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Sept. 5 Marketing - Behind the scenes, analysis, budgeting and understanding. Facilitator: TBA Sept. 12 Marketing - On Stage, Strategies, tactics, implementation. Facilitator: TBA Sept. 19 Social Media Marketing - What is it really and why do I need it?

Facilitator: TBA Sept. 26 Sales People - Value, expectations, inspection of those expectations. Facilitator: TBA Oct. 3 Sales 101 - Bring your sales people any and all. This session is for them. Facilitator: TBA Oct. 10 Customer Service - How to answer the phone to working with difficult customers.

Facilitator: TBA Bring any and all of your employees, this involves the entire business.

May 2 Hiring the Right Person - Does the person fit the job? Company? Facilitator: Darci Hoffman, WorkSource May 9 Employee Handbook - Important? You Bet! Facilitator: Don Schilling,HR Director, Weyerhaeuser May 16 Most Common HR Mistakes - They could cost you money. Facilitator: Gary Parafinczuk, Sr. Director, Human Resources, Kapstone May 23 The New Marijuana Law - How to protect your business/employees Facilitator: TBA May 30 Attract and Keep your best Employees What the experts say. Facilitator: TBA June 6 Firing in an At Will State - Risks and Rewards. Facilitators: Lisa Straughan and Kari White, Express Employment Professionals

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Business Toolbox

JUMP-STARTING YOUR BUSINESS IN 2014

What kind of year did your business have?

By Jerry D. Petrick Certified Business Adviser Happy spring! Tax season is in full swing and many of us will engage in the annual ritual of evaluating of our business’ performance – maybe for the first time since last tax season.

If you are a business owner, part of your review probably includes at least a cursory look at the health and future of your business. Many of us stop looking shortly after we determine whether it was a ‘good’ (the number at the bottom of the Profit and Loss or Income Statement was positive) or ‘bad’ (the number at the end of the statement was negative) year.

If it was a ‘good’ year; we breathe a sigh of relief and cross our fingers that the current will also be ‘good’. However, if we had a ‘bad’ year we: rationalize, ignore, panic, or feel compelled to take action – we may not know what to do but we know we need to DO SOMETHING! How do you know if you had a ‘good’ year? Compared to what?

Do you have a business plan, expense budget, sales projections, and accurate, timely financial data? If you don’t have these critical business basics in place how do you know how your business is performing and how or what to improve?

Let’s talk about some steps you can take to look at the health of your business and determine what to: stop, start, or continue doing. The following areas are most commonly the cause of financial distress in business: LOW CASH We have all heard the adage ‘cash is king’ – why is that so?

Cash gives us flexibility to take advantage of opportunities like trade discounts; negotiate more favorable terms than your competition etc.

More sales does NOT equal more cash!

In fact, it is very common that a company with rapidly

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growing sales will find itself challenged to make payroll on a monthly basis and/or show low or no net profit. To determine where your cash is or has gone, look carefully at your balance sheet. Some causes of low or declining cash are: • High current liabilities (money you owe others in the next 12 months) • Too much inventory (gathering dust, getting out of date, being damaged; requiring counting, storing, insuring…you get the idea) • Too much customer credit – you are now in the banking business (whether you knew it or not) are you lending your money in the form of credit at NO INTEREST? LOW GROSS MARGINS How well do you know your true costs? Do you have ‘hidden’ costs in your business? Hidden costs are those you incur do to inefficiencies in your business operations. Things that contribute to low or declining gross margins include: • Poor pricing (based on ‘mark-up’ vs. ‘margin’ – they are not the same) • Bookkeeping errors • Shrinkage (product damage, theft, obsolescence etc.)

• Low productivity • Poor buying (see ‘Low Cash’ above) • No cash discounts on payables (see ‘Low Cash’ above) Every industry has different dynamics at play that impact margins and profitability; things like seasonality and fixed costs. Knowing what is common in your industry for companies of your size is critical to identify how competitive your operations are. We at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) have access to industry benchmark information for many industries and will help you analyze and diagnose issues in your operation – let’s work on this together.

Please see Petrick, page 17

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Petrick, from page 16

are critical for your business success and together make up your business ecosystem. My encouragement to you is to use this annual tax review as your trigger to look at your business in a new, more insightful, way. Many of us spend virtually all of our time working ‘IN’ our business and very little working ‘ON’ our business. Let’s commit to spending more time working ON OUR BUSINESS in 2014. The great news is you are not alone in this effort. Your SBDC Business Adviser is here to provide you with professional, no cost, confidential, appointment based business advice. I invite you to take advantage of this resource…your competition probably is!

This article was prepared by Jerry Petrick, MBA, CGBP, SPHR, PMP and Certified Business Adviser with the Washington State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Longview. Jerry provides no-cost, confidential business advisory services by appointment. He can be reached via e-mail jerry. petrick@wsbdc.org

LOW NET PROFITS I’m always fascinated by this area – my assumption is that most business owners are in business, at least in part, to generate wealth for themselves, their families and communities.

However, so many appear to be satisfied as long as their gross sales are growing; without regard to the profitability of those sales. Let’s take a look at what contributes to low net profits despite increasing sales: • Low gross margin • Low sales • Poor expense control • High interest expense • High hidden costs All of these elements – cash, gross margin, and net profit –

WorkSource, from page 12 who submit their information and are screened by WorkSource will be referred to you by your WorkSource representative. Everyone else is simply responding to a posting on a website.

Keep in mind, self-service also means no staff assistance, so you miss out on all the benefits listed above, including recruiting, screening and potential training dollars.

In these times of doing more with less, WorkSource provides personalized services and assistance to help you find the right people.

They’ll listen to your needs and offer options and solutions, at no cost.

Contact a WorkSource Business Services Representative at the Kelso office at 360-578-4219 to find out how they can address your staffing needs. They’re committed to helping your business succeed.

Julia Maglione is Communications Manager at the SWWDC. She can be reached at jmaglione@swwdc.org or 360-567-3176.

The Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council (SWWDC), a nonprofit organization founded in 2002, is the workforce investment board for Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties. SWWDC brings together funding, state agencies, local service providers, colleges and community organizations to provide employment and training services to businesses, job seekers and youth. Learn more at www.swwdc.org.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Kelso

Longview

Construction boom a boon

My Longview, the next step

By City Manager Steve Taylor

By City Councilman Ken Botero

Construction in Kelso is the talk of the town with ground broken for the Regal Cinemas multiplex, new retail space erected at Exit 39, and concrete poured along the West Main Realignment Project. The energy from these projects, coupled with the commercial investment of the past two years, lends excitement across the community that is both contagious and refreshing.

Over the past couple of issues we have taken a look at why people move to specific areas and what is my partnership? This month I would like to take us on the NEXT STEP in building a quality of place.

Our local community has many groups of people who are interested in and are willing to work toward the goal of a revitalized “Quality of Place.” The organizational element brings together the public sector, private groups and individual citizens to provide effective, ongoing advocacy for our Quality of Place. When we talk about the advocacy of our Quality of Place we look at the element which involves strengthening our existing economic assets.

The City is working to wrap up construction in West Kelso

by May, with regular traffic flow allowed in the next two weeks. West Main businesses, motorists, and residents have weathered the delays like champions, and their patience has been appreciated. Recently, questions have been posed to the City Council from business owners and residents alike – what happens to West Main after the work crews leave and traffic is rerouted to Catlin Street?

West Main Street and Kelso’s downtown are unique gems that are prime candidates for revitalization and hold the key to fulfilling our community’s goal of achieving “quality of place.” The City is currently engaged in a comprehensive planning effort that will refine land use goals and identify opportunities for investment and improvement in our core central neighborhoods. West Main Street is a candidate for streetscape improvements that, along with the addition of new land uses and improved public spaces, can transform an underinvested commuter corridor into a mixed-use pedestrian-friendly destination. The City has submitted grant requests for new trees, sidewalks, and intersection upgrades along West Main, and will focus its comprehensive planning activities on potential zoning and regulatory changes that allow greater flexibility for West Kelso businesses.

We are fortunate in the Longview community to have the appropriate concept and the visual quality of our Quality of Place, that creates a safe, vibrant environment for all of those residing in our community. The City of Longview and the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments have teamed up to work with those special groups and citizens to help make that vision of Quality of Place a reality.

Likewise, Downtown Kelso has seen new commercial investment, and its business association, the KDRA, is actively promoting downtown events and festivals that bring customers in their front doors and dollars in their registers. The City’s façade improvement and mural program, originally developed in the late 1980s to incentivize investment in our historic downtown using proceeds from repaid HUD loans,

The City of Longview administers a below-market rate, variable term loan program to assist new and expanding industrial and commercial businesses. The purpose of the Revolving Loan Fund is to create new jobs, strengthen the city’s economy, encourage revitalization of downtown Longview and encourage development of the City’s Mint Farm Industrial Park and other industrial parks. With this program a project must be within or near the Longview city limits. Loans are for new, start-up businesses as well as for existing small to large firms desiring to expand or start new product lines. These funds are to be used for

Please see Kelso, page 19

Please see Longview, page 19

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Longview, from page 18

please don’t hesitate to contact City Manager Bob Gregory or Assistant City Manager Dave Campbell at 360-442-5004.

fixed assets for land, building, new construction, reconstruction, expansion and modernization. Loans range in size from $10,000 to $100,000, with an average of $50,000. All projects receiving funding must create and/or retain at least one job per $8,000. Interest rates are designed to assist businesses with special credit problems. The minimum rate will be four percentage points below current U.S. Treasury rate for loans of similar size, maturity, and purpose.

Kelso, from page 18 is an underused asset that provides low- or no-interest loans to eligible businesses looking to improve façades and signage that meet historic design standards. Once a critical mass of improvements is manifested, a destination is formed and people will congregate for commercial and social purposes to experience that “quality of place.” As planning in West Kelso moves forward, similar design standards may be an outcome of that process along with the possibility of expanding the incentive program to help businesses improve their structures to meet those standards.

We have looked at why people, and businesses would move to Longview. We have looked at what partnership would I provide in moving into Longview, active involvement and sharing ideas and time. With those two elements in place “I” would move to Longview knowing that there are resources to help “me” help the citizens of Longview build their dream of a “Quality of Place.”

The City Council is eager to hear thoughts and ideas on how the City can better facilitate renewal and revitalization of our core commercial zones. Let’s keep the momentum rolling in Kelso and become a premiere destination for the region.

For more information on the Longview Revolving Loan Fund,

The Sky is the Limit!

We started in a garage in April 2007. Twin City Bank has provided us the necessary funding to grow our business into a multi-million dollar company.

By early fall Twin City Bank will help us move into our new 15,000 square foot facility with room to continue our growth.

Jon Hansen, General Manager Sid Somers and Steve Norby Fabricast Valve

729 Vandercook Way Longview, WA 98632 1-800-319-2265 | 360-414-4101 Creating products to fuel the world

www.knifegates.com

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twincitybank.com

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Longview Downtown Partnership

Give the things you love about living here a shout out

By Alice Dietz Longview Downtown Partnership President

doesn’t require a long drive, I can go five miles in any direction and get to a unique destination. We can do yard work all day on a Saturday and walk downtown and get a beer at Ashtown Brewery. We can walk to one of many neighborhood parks.

Catch a baseball game. Watch a movie at the Kelso Theatre Pub. Check out the best make-up selection at Ulta (my husband wouldn’t list that one). Go golfing at one of our many golf courses. The point I’m trying to make is that when looking at our town, do you consider where we were, where we have been and where we are now? I do, and I’m proud to have moved back to Cowlitz County to raise our family. If you need ideas of things to do, send me an e-mail, I’d be happy to chat.

I still hear people say that there is nothing to do in Cowlitz County. When I operated my downtown business, which had been in the same location for more than 14 years, people would stop in and say, “Are you new? I’ve never heard of this place.” Is there really nothing to do in town or are those of us who think there is nothing to do, really looking?

As 30 year olds in Longview, having decided to raise our families in this town, it’s depressing to hear people only talk about the negative. What community has a theater pub? What town do you know of that has a four-mile lake that is surrounded by iconic structures? Where can you enjoy three rivers and a volcano all in one day? Next time you are describing your community, if you don’t have anything good to say, maybe you should ask yourself, “Why do I live here?”

LDP Business Whoop-Whoop goes to Hole-E-Rollers Bagels located inside The Merk. Check out this hip little bagel shop. She makes her bagels from scratch and they are awesome! I haven’t tried one yet, but next on my list is the bagel dog. Keep it up downtown, you are getting cooler and cooler!

We chose to live in Longview for many reasons. We have great traffic. If I want to take my boys on an adventure that

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Anne O’Connor onthemark associates

Bianca Lemmons Cowlitz County Title Company

Michael Julian Kelso Theater Pub

Chris Bailey Lower Columbia College

Clayton J. Bartness, DC Longview Chiropractic Clinic

Chet Makinster Longview City Council

Jerri Henry, Past President Futcher-Henry CPA Group Joel Hanson, President KLOG/KUKN/The Wave

Dennis Weber Cowlitz County Commissioner Bob Crisman Gallery of Diamonds

Michael Claxton Walstead Mertsching

Ted Sprague Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Lance Welch PeaceHealth

Steve Taylor Kelso City Manager

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Diane Craft, Vice President Koelsch Senior Communities Linda DiLembo Three Rivers Mall Julie Rinard Community Home Health & Hospice Neil Zick, Treasurer Twin City Bank

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

PeaceHealth

Choose local, high quality care

By Dr. C.R. Kim Medical Director of Radiation Oncology PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center Chamber members know the importance of encouraging our community to shop local. Choosing local services builds a healthy business community and choosing local medical services builds a strong health care environment close to home.

When it comes to radiation oncology services, it doesn’t get much better than those provided locally at PeaceHealth St. John.

PeaceHealth St. John Radiation Oncology has been a part of this community since 1981. Our mission in the Radiation Oncology department is to provide compassionate, state-ofthe-art, quality radiation treatment to cancer patients while integrating education, clinical research, and radiation physics to achieve improved outcomes.

You and your family also have access to some of the most advance technology available to you close to home. At PeaceHealth St. John Radiation Oncology, we use state-of-the-art machines to deliver treatments, including intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Through computer targeting, this technology delivers a high dose of radiation more precisely to a tumor, thus sparing surrounding healthy tissue. Other advanced technologies such as RapidArc, align radiation therapy and onboard imaging (Cone Beam CT) are selectively used to optimize the accuracy and speed of tumor targeting depending on the needs of the individual patient.

Your local Radiation Oncology is a COC (Commission on Cancer) approved program. We are working collaboratively with PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center for an integrated program giving patients even greater access to services with the same great mission for patient care.

Radiation Oncology also provides a van service daily to and from the beach communities to allow patients to ride for free to their daily radiation treatments since the Radiation Oncology is not available. This service is funded with the help of generous philanthropic donations as well as great support from the PeaceHealth St. John Foundation.

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We treat approximately 350 new patients a year in Radiation Oncology. The care each patient receives comes from highly skilled specialists and caregivers, with a heart for the patient. All our caregivers are board certified in our specialties, physician, medical physicist, dosimetrist, and radiation therapist. Our caregivers have a heart for patient centered care and rank among the highest for employee satisfaction utilizing data from the Morehead survey group.

With top-notch caring professionals to serve you and access to all the latest equipment to serve the needs of our community, our sincere hope is that, should you need our services, you’ll choose local care to avoid the drive and keeping you close to your home and loved ones.

Thank you for choosing local and supporting your community to build a healthy, vibrant future for all.

Dr. Kim is certified by the American Board of Radiology, Radiation Oncology. He is also the Clinical Assistant Professor at the Department of Radiation Oncology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon.

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Community News

Columbia Bank’s David Green leads CAP Board of Directors

the skills of employees. For more information visit the Chamber website at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org or watch the video http://coggno.com/tools/video_tool/play_free/56495

David Green, manager of Columbia Bank’s Longview branch, has been elected President of the Lower Columbia Community Action Program (CAP) Board of Directors.

Prior to this, Green had served as secretary of the Board in 2013 and also is currently a member of the Board of Directors for Stageworks Northwest in Longview. A native of southern Idaho, Green spent 30 years in Salt Lake City with his banking career. He served on the Kearns (Utah) Town Council, and as president of the Utah Jaycees.

He has lived in Longview for the past 3-1/2 years, and is also a member of Longview Noonday Rotary.

Joining Green on the CAP Board for 2014 is Vice President Dian Cooper of the Family Health Center, Treasurer Mary Gillespie, who is the outgoing president, and the Rev. Don Hagner of Calvary Baptist Church holding the position of secretary.

It is required by statute that one-third of the CAP Board’s members represent disadvantaged populations, one-third represent the business community, and one-third represent state and local government.

Board directors are voluntary positions.

Chamber partners with Coggno The Kelso Longview Chamber, in conjunction with Coggno. com, is happy to announce a new service for its members – a selection of online training courses for purchase directly from the Chamber website. The Chamber staff has hand-picked courses it believes are relevant to businesses and their employees, covering topics in human resources, compliance, software, social media, business management and more. All courses will be available on-demand, 24/7, and administered through an employee’s workstation. When purchasing the courses through the Chamber site, participants will also receive a free Learning Management System, or LMS. This tool makes it simple to distribute, monitor, and report on employees’ training. The training courses are specifically designed to address many of the issues around risk and liability faced by businesses today, as well as develop

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Community Home Health & Hospice offers free grief support Community Home Health & Hospice (Community) offers grief support to the community for anyone who has lost a loved one through an accident, violence, suicide, natural causes or military activity. Support groups are free of charge and facilitated by staff and volunteers with specialized grief training.

Groups meet at the Avery Center, located at 1000 12th Avenue in Longview. There are groups for every age. For youth 5-18 please call for pre-registration. For youth ages 5-13 a parent/ guardian is required to be present.

• Children’s support (ages 5-10), first and third Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Pre-teen/early teen support (ages 11-13), first and third Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Teen support (ages 14-18), second and fourth Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Parents group, first and third Tuesday, 6-7:30 p.m.

• Adults (ages 36 and older), first and third Monday, 1-2:30 p.m. and second and fourth Monday, 6-8 p.m.

• Traumatic death grief group, second and fourth Monday, 6-8 p.m.

Please call for young adult (ages 19-35) times.

Contact Shelley Maryott-Moore, bereavement coordinator, at 360-703-0336 or smaryott-moore@chhh.org, with additional questions.

Hospice Thrift Shop seeks energetic volunteers The Hospice Thrift Shop is seeking energetic volunteers to staff its retail thrift store. Volunteers assist four hours a week in their favorite area such as processing or merchandising donations, ringing up purchases or assisting customers. There is extra need for volunteers with the ability to lift and carry heavy items. No retail experience is needed; training will be provided. All store proceeds support the nonprofit Community Home Health & Hospice. For more information contact Debbie Peterson, thrift shop manager, at 360-577-6292 or dpeterson@chhh.org.

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Welcome New Members

Chamber membership has its privileges Celebrate new Chamber members with us Business Association with opportunities to promote trade through Chamber socials, special events and committee participation.

• Annual Meeting and Banquet • Networking Events • Committee Participation • Business Contacts • Quarterly Membership Meetings • Civic Representation • Monthly Business After Hours Business Services include marketing for your business, referrals and access to Chamber publications and research data.

• Mailing Labels • Membership Window Decals • Member Referrals • Ribbon Cutting • Web Site Links • Member to Member Discounts • Membership Directory • Tax Deduction

* Mary Kay (Maria Frey) * Southwest Washington Regional Airport *Rapha Healthcare Clinic *Cowlitz Chaplaincy Packages

• Newsletter • Business Card Display • Use of Chamber Logo

Basic Membership Package – $275 or $26 per month.

Bronze Membership Package – $500 or $46.66 per month.

Silver Membership Package – $1,000 or $86.33 per month.

Gold Membership Package – $2,500 or $211.33 per month.

Platinum Membership Package – $5,000 or $416.66 per month.

Diamond Club Membership Package – $10,000 or $834 per month.

Representation through action committees, Candidate Forums and up-todate Action Alerts.

• Legislative Representation • Issues Tracking and Information • Task Forces • Candidate Forums • Legislative Update Breakfast • Demographics Publication

Join today! Call 360-423-8400 Trusted.

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1159 14th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632 Phone: 360.423.5330 ■ www.cowlitztitle.com

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Ambassador of the Month

A trio recognized for Chamber honor

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This month the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce is pleased to recognize a “trio” as Ambassadors of the Month for March.

Pam Fierst with the Red Lion Hotel, Nick Lemiere with Edward Jones and Russ Chittock with Express Employment Professionals received the honor.

“Thank you for all of your support and dedication to the Chamber,” Chamber Project Manager Brooke Fisher said.

Chamber Ambassadors, known as The Red Coats, are an integral part March March March of the Chamber of Commerce. The Ambassador team is made up of Pam Fierst Nick Lemiere Russ Chittock active Chamber volunteers whose responsibilities include meeting and Red Lion Hotel Edward Jones Express Employment greeting at Chamber events, welcoming new members and assisting at Kelso Professionals ribbon cuttings and community events. Ambassadors juggle busy professional careers while making time to assist the Chamber at a variety of events year long.

If you would be interested in wearing a red coat and representing the Chamber, contact Brooke Fisher at the Chamber office.

RED TENT EVENT FOR WOMEN

Our years of experience add up to Consistent, Courteous & Complete Title & Escrow Services.

WE ARE WIVES, MOTHERS, BUSINESS WOMEN, OWNERS OF BUSINESSES, WORKERS, CAREGIVERS, DAUGHTERS, SISTERS, GRANDMOTHERS, HOUSEKEEPERS,

CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, ORGANIZERS. WE WEAR MANY HATS

AND WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER

Connie Bjornstrom Lindsey McTimmonds

LeeRoy Parcel

TO SHARE OUR WISDOM AND STRENGTHS

AND SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

Dennis Bird

Alison Peters

Phone: 360.425.2950 Fax: 360.425.8010

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Bonnie Woodruff

Joel Lengyel

1425 Maple St. Longview, WA 98632

Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Ribbon Cuttings

A Healthy Start Rapha Healthcare Clinic celebrated its new membership with Chamber Ambassadors March 20 at its 1424 16th Avenue location in Longview.

Service to Others The Cowlitz County Chaplaincy recently joined the Chamber and Chamber Ambassadors welcomed the organization with a ribbon cutting March 21 at their offices at 1530 Olympia Way in Longview.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Lower Columbia Professionals

B-i-n-g-o!

The Lower Columbia Professionals hosted Bingo Night at the American Legion-Post 155 hall March 13. The LCP offered at least 11 games and there were plenty of winners, but the biggest winners will be the Kelso and Longview high school area seniors who will benefit. Proceeds from the event go to the LCP Scholarship Fund to support local graduates. Shawn and Leigh Green, Cheyanne Magley and Lonnie Knowles (above) give dabbing the thumbs up, while (below) Cowlitz County Auditors office ladis, Shannon Cahool from Fibre Federal and Lonnie Knowles of Steart Title show off their prizes.

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Kelso Longview Business Connection

April 2014

Business After Hours

March Madness Shawn Green with ServPro advances to the next round during the Chamber of Commerce’s Business After Hours at Hometown National Bank March 11.

Getting Schooled Susan Cusick, Rob McGregor and Chris Bailey provided Chamber and community members with the latest news on Kelso and Longview schools and Lower Columbia College at the State of Education Quarterly Luncheon March 6.

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