November 2016 VOICE Magazine

NOVEMBER 2016

THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Change is coming

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For the first article in our series, The Changing Nature of the Tribes of Thurston County, we talk to David Burnett, CEO of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, see page 19.

Page 12

Page 9

Toyota's success & Tumwater

Thurston County Food Bank B UI L DI NG CO MMUNITY PROSPERITY FOR OVER 14 0 YEARS

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Featuring...

CONTENT & CALENDAR

Every month, the Thurston County Chamber offers several networking events, forums & workshops to the community. Here are some highlights you won't want to miss.

In this issue...

6 Caught in the Lens Photos from Chamber events.

Nov. 1

MM at Miss Moffett's/Elle's Floral Design JJoin Miss Moffett’s Mystical Cupcakes and Elle’s Floral Design on Nov. 1 at 7:30 a.m. for Morning Mixxer. Enjoy coffee, breakfast treats and pumpkin spice cupcakes! Where? 730 Sleater Kinney Rd SE, Lacey.

Nov v. 3

The Thurston Chamber Young Professionals Network (YPN) is

Toyota of Olympia

Brewing Co. on Thurs., Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m. Where? 600 Franklin St SE #105, Olympia.

15

Have questions about the Thurston County Chamber? Ever

Advocacy Update

to Member Orientation and learn how to maximize your membership! Light lunch is served. There is no charge to attend, but please RSVP at www.thurstonchamber.com

Data mining for business success JJoin the Chamber for our November Forum at the Hotel RL Olympia Nov. 9 at 11:30 a.m. This month we'll hear from Cheryl Heywood, executive director of the Timberland Regional Library. Heywood will speak about the Library's Business Research & Training Center.

Lacey Transportation District | Brigg's Village | Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy

17 Data Mining Learn how businesses can use the library to find new customers and grow

BAH at Nisqually Red Wind Casino

19

On Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. join us for Business After Hours at

The Chehalis Tribe

Nisqually Red Wind Casino, 712819 Yelm Hwy. SE

We talk to David Burnett, CEO of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises to learn about the changing nature of the tribes in Thurston County

Olympia.

BAH is a great way to meet new friends, network and enjoy great food.

For more event information, please visit www.thurstonchamber.com

www.thurstonchamber.com

Learn why Toyota of Olympia is moving to Tumwater

Chamber Member Orientation wonder who we are and how we can best serve you? Come

Nov. 17

We talk to Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food Bank

12

in a low-pressure environment. Join us at Three Magnets

Nov. 9

Non Profit Spotlight

YPN at Three Magnets Brewing Co. Y a great place to interact with younger business professionals

Nov. 4

9

Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 3

Planning for change

PUBLISHER Thurston County Chamber of Commerce

George Bernard Shaw said, "Progress is impossible without change; and those who

EDITORIAL Editor: David Schaffert Phone: (360) 357-3362

cannot change their minds cannot change

Email: dschaffert@thurstonchamber.com

anything.” Change is the common theme CONTRIBUTORS Natasha Ashenhurst

throughout the VOICE this month. The

David Schaffert Jessica Coen

leaders at Toyota of Olympia (p. 12) believe

Morgan Willie

ADVERTISING Sales and Marketing: Marny Bright, Beth Johnson, Korey Twombly or Blake

they need to, “Move forward or stagnate.”

Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food

Knoblach Phone: (360) 357-3362

Bank (p. 9) was given the mandate to modify

Email: info@thurstonchamber.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Phone: (360) 357-3362

and modernize their downtown location.

Finally, we talk to David Burnett (p.19), of

Email: info@thurstonchamber.com

Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, who believes

DESIGN Mosaic Marketing Studio

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY The Crossroads at Grand Mound, a new development by Chehalis Tribal

that change through diversification will help his organization grow and prosper. All three

Enterprises

leaders are talking about the need to grow

PRINTING

and change in order to remain relevant.

Print NW

This month, we're celebrating change and CONTACT THE CHAMBER

how leaders are moving their organizations

PO Box 1427 809 Legion Way SE Olympia, WA 98507

forward.

For this issue of the VOICE we interviewed Joe McCorkle of Toyota of Olympia, David Burnett of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises and Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food Bank. These three stories have a common theme: Change.

By, David Schaffert, THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER PRESIDENT/CEO & Jessica Coen, THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR

Phone: (360) 357-3362 Email: info@thurstonchamber.com Website: www.thurstonchamber.com

COPYRIGHT

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY INVESTORS DIAMOND INVESTORS:

printing, but the publisher accepts no

Anchor Bank Capital Medical Center Heritage Bank Phillips Burgess Physicians of Southwest Washington Port of Olympia Xerox Services

responsibility or liability for the accuracy

PLATINUM INVESTORS

All material appearing in the VOICE Magazine is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material. The VOICE Magazine takes all care to ensure information is correct at time of

of any information contained in the text or advertisements.

America's Credit Union - Lacey Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel

4 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE

Mills & Mills Funeral Home & Memorial Park Morningside Olympia Federal Savings Olympia Orthopaedic Associates Print NW Providence St. Peters Saint Martin's University TwinStar Credit Union Washington Business Bank

GOLD INVESTORS Express Employment Professionals First Citizens Bank Cabinets by Trivonna Columbia Bank The Creative Office

FirstLight Home Care GHB Insurance Great Wolf Lodge Hometown Property Management Mantis Graphix Jessica Jensen Law PS Nicholson & Associates Nisqually Red Wind Casino Olympia Furniture Company Pardiman Productions Puget Sound Energy RHD Enterprises Hotel RL Olympia Saint Martin’s University SCJ Alliance TAGS

www.thurstonchamber.com

Caught in the Lens...

6 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE

A collection of photos taken at Chamber events during October 2016.

www.thurstonchamber.com

www.thurstonchamber.com

Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 7

8 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE

www.thurstonchamber.com

NON PROFIT SPOTLIGHT

The Thurston County Food Bank is Reducing Waste & Feeding Hungry Families

By Morgan Willie

When Robert Coit accepted the title of Executive Director of the Thurston County Food Bank in 2006, he was presented with an exceptionally pivotal task. The bank’s Board of Directors requested that Coit implement a strategic plan to modify and modernize their downtown location.

Above: Thurston County Food Bank Executive Director, Robert Coit

C

oit quickly eliminated the food bank’s antiquated service model: the brown paper sack. Ordinarily, those receiving assistance from the bank collected a sack containing about 20 food items. Coit felt the timeworn model was impersonal and fairly inefficient.

“You would grab a bag and go home,” he said. “You really didn’t know what was in it. So, the old food bank story is re-gifting. A can of asparagus would sometimes end up going through the system multiple times.”

assistance and procedures they would anticipate at any supermarket or business in food service.

Part of the Thurston County Food Bank’s strategy is to mirror the trends of a normal grocery store.

Looking ahead, Coit hopes

Coit helped to initiate the food bank’s current client choice model, which provides numerous options and meal plans so that everyone takes home exactly what they will eat for the week.

for a shift toward fresh and frozen products. Canned items are a declining market, and while they still play an important

“This model has really done a nice job of reducing how much trash is around our neighborhood,” Coit noted. “We don’t end up with nearly as much trash on the street. We don’t end up with people going through their bag, deciding what they don’t like, and putting it on the street corners.”

This innovation has allowed the food bank to transform into a next-to-normal grocer, providing clients with the same sort of

role during colder months of the year, Coit would ideally like to implement a community mechanism to accommodate more fresh and frozen food donations.

Eventually, he hopes to have the financial resources and the infrastructure necessary

Continued on page 10 www.thurstonchamber.com

Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 9

Continued from page 9 to receive produce with a shorter shelf-life.

While the Thurston County Food Bank rarely ever experiences a shortage of goods, the bank assumes its own challenges as a nonprofit establishment.

“His legal skills are top notch. While for žŽĆ?Ćš Ĺ?Ćš Ĺ?Ć? ÄšĹ?ĸÄ?ƾůƚ ƚŽ žĂĆ?ĆšÄžĆŒ Ä?Ä‚ĹŻÄ‚ĹśÄ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? ĹŻÄ‚Ç Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ Ä‚ Ć‰ĆŒÄ‚Ä?Ć&#x;Ä?Ä‚ĹŻ Ä‚Ć‰Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä‚Ä?Ś͕ ZĹ?Ä?ĹŹ ĞdžͲ Ä?ĞůĆ? Ä‚Ćš ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ä‚Ć‰Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä‚Ä?ĹšÍ˜ / Ç Ĺ˝ĆľĹŻÄš ĆŒÄžÄ?ŽžͲ žĞŜĚ ZĹ?Ä?ĹŹ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚŽƾƚ ĆŒÄžĆ?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ä‚Ć&#x;Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜Í&#x; — ^ĞŜĹ?Ĺ˝ĆŒ žƉůŽLJžĞŜƚ ŽƾŜĆ?Ğů͕ ^ĞĂƊůĞͲ Ä?Ä‚Ć?ĞĚ Ez^ Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒĆ‰Ĺ˝ĆŒÄ‚Ć&#x;Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜

“There is competition among nonprofits,� Coit said. “We all need support.�

Facing donor fatigue is a common challenge for the bank. “We want consistent giving throughout the year so that we can manage inventory and push it out as quickly as it comes in. The

Advancing his clients’ legal interests since 1987: Employment law

ideal circumstance is not a giant peak [in quantity] and then a long dry spell,� Coit stressed. “The traditional food bank model has those peaks and valleys. We’re really trying to get away from that.�

Contracts

Coit regularly seeks new opportunities to provide the best

Real estate

service possible at the food bank. His most recent idea has

Government

involved forming business partnerships with Thurston County Solid Waste, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and

Call (360) 464-6533 www.richardhugheslaw.com 324 West Bay Dr. NW, Ste. 201, Olympia

the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “We look for other relationships that could benefit the people we serve. We’re kind of cutting edge in that,� Coit said. “The bottom line is that not a lot of food banks think of solid waste as a resource. They don’t think of the Department of Ecology as a regular partner. They certainly don’t think of the EPA as a collaborative partner when talking about fighting community hunger.�

These organizations have considerable incentive to work with the food bank for many reasons, but perhaps their greatest motivation is to prevent excessive food waste and to keep it out of our country’s landfills.

A

Little TIME

WILL HAVE A

Big IMPACT

Coit spoke to this notion in depth. “I want to find food, divert it from the landfill, and feed hungry families,� he began. “When I read statistics that say around 42 percent of what we grow and raise ends up in a landfill, [I feel] that’s just not okay. That resonates with people. Think of all the gas and transportation

Continued on page 11

BE A MENTOR RESILIENT KIDS ‡ STRONG FAMILIES ‡ HEALTHY COMMUNITIES swwabigs.org | 360.943.0409

10 • November 2016 ď Źď€ Thurston County Chamber VOICE

www.thurstonchamber.com

Continued from page 10

Photo on left: Unloading food colllected around town. Upper right: Volunteers sort through donations. Lower right: The Thurston County food bank is located downtown at 220 Thurston Avenue NE, Olympia. costs related to that – all the water that

the public is safe and protected. They

“The quality is better, there is a waste

was related to it. Then, we take half of

wanted to make sure we were putting in

reduction element, an EPA related

what we grow and raise and put it into a

place the same practices and rules that

element, and it feeds more hungry

landfill? We can do better than that.”

any restaurant or food establishment

families,” he said.

would follow. One of the things we The food bank’s latest and greatest

decided we could do was burritos.

Coit conducts a best practice search

effort has been to rescue otherwise

The kitchen is designed to repackage

every quarter to keep up with trends

unused food from sources such as local

burritos.”

in the nonprofit realm. “I’m generally allowed two crazy ideas at a time by the

schools and restaurants. Refrigerated sprinter vans are used to collect various

So, for example, when the food bank

board of directors. Those ideas have to

donations throughout the community

obtains a donation of rice and beans, a

evolve into programs with sustainable

on a weekly basis, bringing the food to

volunteer will roll the rice and beans

support in order to survive. A lot of the

the bank which will later be repurposed

into a soft tortilla. It receives a brief label

services we provide started out as one of

and repackaged. The food bank’s kitchen,

of ingredients and is ready to be enjoyed

those crazy ideas,” he stated. “We want

while tedious at the start, has been a

the day of.

to change what a food bank or a food pantry is, but keep the system in place.”

tremendous aid to clients in search of a quick meal.

Coit is particularly happy to see the success of the repacking kitchen. He is

If you would like to make a contribution

“The repack kitchen was a long process.

glad to see efforts being made by the

to the food bank this holiday season, visit

The Thurston County Department

community to keep valuable sustenance

www.thurstoncountyfoodbank.org for

of Health was a key partner,” Coit

out of our landfills.

information on pick-up locations and

mentioned. “They want to make sure www.thurstonchamber.com

volunteering. ● Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 11

Success Drives Toyota of Olympia to Tumwater Toyota of Olympia is moving from a 5 acre lot at the Auto Mall in Olympia to a sprawling 28 acre lot in Tumwater. Above, Shane Rotter tours the construction site.

W

By Natasha Ashenhurst

hen Joe McCorkle joined the Toyota of Olympia team as

The Rotter’s philosophy focuses on one

general manager in November 2013, he and owners Dustin

simple idea—develop exceptional, long-

and Shane Rotter agreed on daring company goals. They put

term relationships with your employees

their plan into action and, three-years later, the business is

and your customers.

moving from a 5 acre lot at the Auto Mall in Olympia to a sprawling 28 acre lot in Tumwater.

McCorkle, a 35-year auto industry veteran, initially had no interest in moving to the

Long-Term Employee Relationships

Pacific Northwest when approached by Dustin, but after meeting with the Rotters he

The Toyota of Olympia team believes that

changed his mind.

employees are a company’s biggest asset.

McCorkle said, “The foundation of our

“We all went to dinner. [Dustin and Shane] were open and upfront about where the

philosophy is to build good relationships

store was and where they wanted the business to go. They had the vision; and they

with employees. We do this by creating

wanted to bring me on as general manager to help execute that vision. On the airplane

a culture where the team gives 130

ride home I sent my wife a message that I liked these guys and it would be a good fit,”

percent. Then, when they aren’t here

said McCorkle.

they give 130 percent to their hobbies and extracurricular activities. It is about

The three have a good working relationship, each overseeing a specific area of the

work-life balance, and I believe we have

business; Dustin is the majority owner of the franchise, Shane manages the real estate

that here.” He says that when you have

holdings and McCorkle manages the day-to-day operations. Together, they put their

happy employees they are able to deliver

plan into action, which is producing tremendous results.

an outstanding customer experience.

12 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE

www.thurstonchamber.com

Long-Term Customer Relationship

of Olympia. The Rotters are sentimental.

“Our goal is to deliver an experience to a

decided that they either had to move

customer that exceeds their expectations.

forward or stagnate,� said McCorkle.

They have strong ties to this area. They were raised here, but they ultimately

Our goal is to get you in and out of the store in an hour or an hour and a half.

Finally, they found property in Tumwater,

We don’t want to take all of your day. We

on Tyee near The Home Depot.

revenue will help stabilize and grow the

want to expedite the transaction time,� said McCorkle.

city budget,� he said.

“We wanted to work with a city who would be a good partner. After a

Meanwhile, the Toyota of Olympia is

Once they implemented this philosophy

preliminary conversation with the

and began experiencing success, it put

executives at Tumwater, we decided it

pressure on Toyota’s infrastructure. They

would be a win win. The move is very

had a new car lot, a used car lot and

good for [Tumwater] and very good for

inventory storage, all separately located,

us,� said McCorkle.

which limited the team’s ability to exceed customer expectations. “When your cars are located on three

contribution to the City of Olympia is

different properties it is difficult to exceed

about $1.5 million and Toyota expects a 30

customer expectations. For example, if

percent sales increase at the new location,

someone says, ‘I want to look at a red

meaning the dealership could generate

Camry,’ We don’t have time for someone

between $1.3 million and $1.95 million in

to go grab the car from another lot, drive

sales-tax revenue annually for Tumwater.

it over here. I need to have that red Camry Initially, that additional tax revenue will pay for the expansion of Tyee to Littlerock

Tumwater is to get everything under one

Road, said John Doan,

roof in order to provide a better level of

Tumwater’s City

service to the consumer,� he said.

Manager. “It is a $5

Award in 2015, the highest honor that can be achieved by a Toyota dealership.

McCorkle. "When you take care of people,

Olympia’s annual retail sales-tax

“The main driver of our move to

sells cars. The dealer won the President’s

“This business model just works," said

According to McCorkle, Toyota of

on this lot.

continuing to change the way the industry

they like to talk about you. And when it comes to employees, we have 140 of the funniest people in the world working for this company. They make this business culture something you want to come into every morning and that just makes all the difference.� �

Natasha Ashenhurst is a freelance writer for the VOICE Magazine. natasha.ashenhurst@gmail.com

Integrity, Excellence and Focus For your legal and tax needs

million project cost to Once the team made the decision to seek

finish that road, but

a larger space, they began looking at

opening up the road

their options. They looked near Chehalis;

also opens up other

they looked throughout Olympia and

opportunities in that

Tumwater.

location. In the long

Call 360-616-1749

term, we’ll pay off the “It was a hard decision to look outside

road and the added

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creating a positive climate for business and community

ADVOCACY UPDATE

One of the Thurston County Chamber’s primary missions is advocacy, which can take many forms—providing beneficial services and products to Chamber members; supporting nonprofit, education and government organizations; and, of course, lobbying government bodies on issues impacting business and community.

Here are a few of the issues we are actively engaged in this month:

Fund the Lacey Transportation Benefit District with a 0.2% Sales and Use Tax In January 2016 the Lacey City Council voted to form a transportation benefit district, a tool to fund city road improvements. The City of Lacey staff is preparing a resolution that, if approved, would submit a ballot proposition to the voters during the February 2017 special election, to impose 0.2 percent sales and use tax to fund the District. The Chamber Board of Trustees voted to support the City of Lacey’s Transportation Benefit District ballot measure.

Brigg's Village Text Amendment Briggs Village is the only “Urban Village” in Olympia’s comprehensive plan. The Urban Village concept is to allow for amenities to support those that live within a planned development. The current owner is marketing the property extensively to attain needed commercial business. Currently drive-throughs are generally not supported in the Urban Village code. The request by owner is to expand the OMC 18.05.060 and 18.05A.095 to allow drive-throughs for restaurants, pharmacies, and other pedestrian-oriented/walk-in businesses, in addition to banks. Drive-throughs would be limited to a single lane. The Chamber Board of Trustees supports the proposed text amendments for the Briggs Urban Village Properties.

Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy The Thurston Chamber actively supports the Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy along with community partners. The purpose of the strategy is to identify priorities and actions to move our community's vision for downtown forward over the next six years. The priorities include: strengthening existing and local businesses, improve the street-scape so that downtown invites more pedestrian activities, patron and investors, encourage more residents, improve identity and perception within Thurston County, actively promote tourism and connect to other community and economic development efforts so that downtown is supported by a strong local economy.

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Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 15

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data mining for business development

CHAMBER FORUM

Cheryl Heywood, Timberland Regional Library's director, will speak about using library resources to grow your business

O

ver a decade ago, libraries were places to find books, magazines and newspapers, or to find a quiet nook for reading and research. Today, libraries are active community centers filled

with both physical and digital information.

Today’s libraries have resources to help establish a new business, grow an existing business, expand employee skills and help people land a job.

On Wednesday, November 9, join the Thurston Chamber Forum and hear from Timberland Regional Library (TRL) Director, Cheryl Heywood.

Heywood will talk about tools available through the TRL to grow your business, including workforce training, data mining for business development technology. developm p ent and business technolog gy. y ●

Thurston Chamber Forum Wed., Nov. 9, 11:30 a.m.

Hotel RL Olympia www.thurstonchamber.com Thank you to our Forum sponsors, Window Genie, Thompson's Furniture & Gifts and Pacific Medical Centers

www.thurstonchamber.com

Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 17

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wabizbank.com

Chehalis Tribe's Business Model: Diversification

PROFILE: CHEHALIS TRIBAL ENTERPRISE

Chehalis Tribal Enterprises (CTE) proposed development, The Crossroads at Grand Mound, a vision for southern Thurston County.

by Natasha Ashenhurst.

DAVID BURNETT BELIEVES THAT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING TOMORROW YOU NEED THE FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOU

“There was a point in time where you couldn’t get sick from April to October because [tribal medical

HAVE BEEN. WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH BURNETT, CEO OF CHEHALIS TRIBAL ENTERPRISES,

centers] had run out of money by April,” he said.

TO TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS SUCCESSES OF THE CHEHALIS TRIBE AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE BUSINESSES OF THE TRIBES WITHIN THURSTON COUNTY, BURNETT BEGINS

fund basic services. One of those funding sources was gaming. In 1988, the federal

BY FRAMING THE STORY WITHIN ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT.

government passed the Indian Gaming Act.

The Framework of History Burnett explained that for most of the 18th century, it was federal policy to assimilate tribal members into the dominate culture—also called the Termination Era. From 1953 to 1964, the government terminated recognition of more than 100 tribes. Many tribes persevered and activists drew attention to a policy that wasn’t working. The federal government changed its policy with the enactment of the Self Determination and Education Act of 1975. This act restored tribal communities, self-government and cultural renewal.

Indian Gaming Act “The gaming act became a real springboard for business development in Indian country. In the mid90s, when all the legal and

“As a government, tribes have the same inherent authority of any government, and one of those is taxation,” Burnett explained. “However, when your population is less than 1,000 there is no taxation scheme that would support a functioning government.”

administrative challenges were cleared, the casinos began to open up,” he said.

Casinos brought economic

From 1975 forward, a lot of tribes relied heavily on grants and contracts from the federal government to provide funding for housing, education and health care. Many tribes quickly learned that this funding was not enough to provide basic services for tribal members.

www.thurstonchamber.com

Tribes sought other ways to

prosperity to many tribes, including the Chehalis.

Today, the Chehalis Tribe owns Lucky Eagle Casino,

Thurston County Chamber VOICE  November 2016 19

51 percent of Great Wolf Lodge and

said. And when he talks about return

tribes, including the Chehalis, are giving

Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, which is

on investment through business

beyond the 2 percent mandated by the

a holding company for a construction

diversification, he is also talking

act. What we found was that by getting

company, two convenience stores, a mini

about investment in youth and job

involved in the charities there was an

storage facility and several commercial

diversification.

appreciation for involvement and it was good for business. Now we’ve gone

properties that it leases to businesses like He explained, “The casino provides

beyond giving and have a policy in place

a lot of customer service jobs. Lucky

that encourages our employees to get

Burnett took on the role of CEO seven

Eagle employs 600 workers. Great Wolf

involved in the community by sitting on

months ago. Before his role as CEO, he

Lodge employs 600 workers; our other

boards and volunteering their time, not

served for 12 years as Chehalis Tribal

businesses employ 250 workers. We have

just writing checks,” he said.

Chairman. “When I came on in March I

enough jobs so everyone can work. We

saw that it has been too many years since

are providing over 1000 jobs to non-

[Chehalis Tribal Enterprises] created a

tribal members in Thurston County. Now

new business. I knew we had to take one

that we’ve invested in the education of

of our ideas and make it a reality,” he

our young folks, we have people coming

said.

back with college degrees and skill sets

Starbucks and Jack in the Box.

beyond customer service. We need to He and his team decided to focus on just

provide higher-level jobs so they have

one thing—a hotel project. They devoted

a place to grow into. If we can create

all of their resources to open the hotel.

several smaller businesses we can create

Once they had the hotel underway other

a lot of resources while, at the same time,

projects began to move forward as well.

create management level jobs,” he said.

Soon, they’ll open a restaurant, another

Now that new projects are in motion, Burnett can focus his efforts on foundational work, such as developing a corporate model for Chehalis Tribal Enterprises in order to attract bank financing.

Burnett believes that there is a misunderstanding about why tribal businesses exist in the first place. He said, “We don’t spend a lot of time in our educational system teaching that among the families of government that tribes are a government. It is important that people understand the role of the tribe and that 100 percent of business profits go to the tribal government.

In one sense, we have a 100 percent

hotel and a truck stop.

Focus on Diversification

Misconceptions

Burnett believes diversification will help the tribe maintain financial strength when the Cowlitz tribe opens a casino south of Thurston County, 16 miles north of Portland.

tax on our businesses. Our businesses exist to provide resources to the tribal government, and the tribal government understands the importance of new business development, which then gives us the resources we need to invest in new business,” he said.

He believes that business and government are a partnership worth celebrating.

“My goal now is to work to develop

Giving Back is Good Business

Looking into the future Burnett sees a

major source of revenue for the tribal

Moreover, while tribal business is

Enterprises. “We have things to learn

government. In order to equal the

providing jobs, it gives substantially to

about being in business,” he said,

casino’s revenue, we’ll have to develop

the community. Burnett explained that

“We’re going to get better at this. We

many different businesses,” he said.

when tribes began opening casinos,

have low hanging fruit. You go from

charities that relied on activities like

casinos to gas stations to construction

Burnett believes diversification will help

bingo for funding were worried that they

companies. We will start acquiring

the tribe maintain financial strength

would have to close their doors without

more existing businesses that provide

when the Cowlitz tribe opens a casino

those revenue streams. The tribes

vertical integration. Eventually, our

south of Thurston County, 16 miles north

responded that they were not interested

economic need of federal grants and

of Portland.

in putting charities out of business, so

contracts will lower. We will realize

they agreed to set aside 2 percent of

full sovereignty once tribes become

revenues to charities.

financially independent. I would love to

sufficient new business so we aren’t entirely reliant on Lucky Eagle as the

In the past, Burnett measured business

positive trend line for Chehalis Tribal

see a day when we can tell the federal

success by the number of jobs created and positive cash flow. Today, however,

“I don’t believe that anyone could have

government, ‘Keep your grants and

his yardstick has changed. “We need

foreseen the success that we have

contracts. We don’t need them.’” ●

to look at return on investment,” he

today,” said Burnett. “In fact, most

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