D.R. Horton Hosts Ribbon Cutting for Stewart Crossing Development

The Chamber held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, October 20th, to celebrate with D.R. Horton the success of their new development, Stewart Crossing.  Guests were treated to tours of their new model homes and enjoyed a lunch of pizza and cheesecake from some of our favorite chamber members, Trackside Pizza and D'lectable Desserts.

In the past four months, D.R. Horton has sold 48 homes in their first of three development phases.  In the next three to four years they anticipate the sale of approximately 400 homes in the Stewart Crossing development.  Their sales associates shared that they sell many homes to our military and retired military and they see many people moving from the Federal Way and Tacoma area because of price point and commute time.  Factors such as Sound Transit and great public schools are also a consideration for buyers.

On behalf of the Puyallup Sumner Chamber, congratulations to D.R. Horton and their success in the Stewart Crossing development.

 

Stewart Crossing, D.R. Horton's premier Puyallup Valley community. Offering 3 designer collections starting in the mid $200's combining country and city living perfectly.

*  Square footages range from 1,525 to 3,011 sq. ft.
*  All home sites will come fully landscaped, front and back
*  5 minutes to downtown Puyallup, train stop or freeway 167 and easy access to Highway 512 and I-5
* Conveniently located just 17 miles to JBLM-exit 120, 32 minutes to SeaTac
* Puyallup School District

Governor Inslee Celebrates State Transportation Package

Governor Inslee and key leaders celebrated the recent state funding package Tuesday at the Port of Tacoma.  The reception included the unveiling of Connecting Washington highway signs for the SR 167, I-5 at JBLM, Port of Tacoma Road and Schuster Parkway Trail projects.  These Pierce County projects will significantly improve freight mobility, create economic vitality and jobs, improve safety and provide more transportation choices.

The Connecting Washington package represents the largest single investment in transportation in state history.  It provides jobs, safety and critically-needed traffic relief.  It’s estimated that this $16 billion state investment, coupled with its $15 billion authorization for Sound Transit light rail expansion, will provide more than 200,000 family-wage jobs across our state.  Over $1.4 billion is provided to fix our bridges and help keep our system safe.  And $1 billion is provided to clean transportation elements that help relieve traffic congestion and reduce emissions.  Further funding is provided for important road projects, ferries, freight, rail, state patrol and local transportation improvements.  The package also provides electric vehicle and other alternative fuel incentives.

The Chamber appreciates all of the hard work done by our elected officials who supported this important legislation, especially Rep. Hans Zeiger, for investment in our transportation infrastructure and to ensure freight mobility for our region and the State of Washington.

 

Puyallup Custom Frame & Art Re-Opens With New Owner

Chamber members gathered to celebrate with new owners of Puyallup Custom Frame & Art, Joel and Heidi Boyd.  Our Ambassadors in blue turned out for the grand opening and ribbon cutting on Friday, October 2nd in downtown Puyallup.

The Boyd's have invested a lot of time and energy into the remodel of the Frame and Art shop and have established many relationships with local artists and residents.  Heidi specializes in art restoration while Joel and manager, Zen Englund, focus on the framing part of the business.

It has been a pleasure to get to know these new downtown business owners and our Chamber wishes them much success in the coming months and years.

Puyallup Voter Pamphlet Available for November Election

As election time draws near, the Chamber has worked to provide members with information about business issues, local races and the candidates running for office.  

Our annual Candidate Forum was held October 9th at the Best Western Premier Plaza on So. Hill.  Candidates met with our members and answered questions relating to business.  If you were not able to attend the Forum, we have created a Voter Pamphlet with detailed information about the Candidates running for Puyallup City Council and their responses to questions about business topics like utility taxes, economic development, city budgets and more.  If you would like to read more about the Candidates and their perspectives about business, click here for a copy of our 2015 Voter Pamphlet.  

A big thank you to Diagnostic Imaging Northwest, our pink sponsor for our October luncheon and Rachael Costner for bringing an important message to our members about Breast Cancer, and to our guest moderator,Tom Pierson, President of the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber.

 

Seongnam Chamber of Commerce Visits Puyallup

The Chairman of the Seongnam Chamber of Commerce, Yonghu Park, visited the Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce last week to learn more about our local business climate. We shared many economic statistics about our community demographics as well as the current status of residential development, recruitment and expansion of existing businesses.

Myung Park, Executive Director of International Education, who also met with our Chamber is working with various colleges and universities abroad, including Korea, to advocate for international studies at Pierce College.

We look forward to continuing our discussions and partnering with Pierce College regarding international studies and local workforce development and appreciate their making time to learn more about our region.

Spooner Farms Display a Heck of a Lot of Pumpkins

This is definitely the time of year to stop in and enjoy Spooner Farms with your family and friends.  There is a sea of pumpkin orange at the farm with a majestic view of Mt. Rainier.  Congressman Denny Heck met with owners, Jeff and Andrea Spooner and their son, Sam, to discuss general issues impacting their business in agriculture.  

The Spooners shared with Congressman Heck that new farming equipment is very expensive, but with the addition of GPS, it keeps fertilizer and weed and pest control costs at a minimum. Also discussed was the rising cost of health care and the fact that the minimum age for farm workers is now 18 years due to liability issues.  They also entertained us with story about someone calling 911 because they couldn't find their way out of the corn maze.

A big thank you to the Spooners for making the time to speak with Congressman Heck and the Chamber during their busy season.  What a great way to combine work with a fun holiday tour in a local pumpkin patch.

 

"Scare"-crows Visit Sumner Veterinary for Halloween After Hours

Once again Sumner Veterinary hosts a fun and "scary" business after hours event in October.  It's our annual event where chamber members can bring their pets and introduce them to other members and try out the boarding facilities while partaking of food and beverages.  

This year Act 1 Theatre Productions "set the stage" for the fall holiday atmosphere by performing Ease on Down the Road for those of us enjoying the autumn evening in Sumner.  If you haven't been to Sumner Veterinary before, feel free to drop in and ask for Mike or Tracy.  They'd love to give you a tour.  They're even working now with members of the new Gordon Family YMCA and providing short term boarding while utilizing the Y facilities or taking a class.  

A big Chamber thank you to Dr. Wendt and the whole gang at Sumner Vet.  Once again you really outdid yourselves and we truly enjoyed seeing you all again.

If you'd like to inquire how Act 1 can work with your business for events and product marketing, contact them at act1theatreproductions.com or 253.447.4139.