Brothers Grimm a Hilarious Success

Once again Act 1 Theater has brought together local performers and resources to create a hilarious show for our community.  The fast paced program had audience members laughing and echoing various lines of the performers.  If you have not had a chance to attend one of their shows, plan a fun family evening out together and support one of our local members.  You'll be glad you did.

Legislators Discuss Transportation Issues & Solutions

The Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce attended the South Sound Chamber of Commerce Coalition breakfast on October 30th at the ShoWare Center to listen to local legislators talk about the status of a potential special session to address transportation issues before the end of the year.  Most acknowledged a window of opportunity this

November where transportation issues could be discussed and potential solutions agreed upon.  As a result of the breakfast, the SSCCLC will be rallying their chambers and business members to renew efforts to contact local legislators with messages of support and engagement.  

Leadership Institute 2014 Kick Off

Our Chamber welcomes the new Leadership Institute Class of 2014 as they met for the first time last week.  Program facilitator, Sandy Maynard, kicked off the program with new participants as well as alumni and invited local leadership expert, John Norland, to speak about servant leadership and it's impact on our communities.  A big thank you to the Fairfield Inn and Suites for hosting our evening retreat program and Friday regular class, and BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse for a great evening meal.

 

Senate Hearing Session Testimony Portrays a Unified Message for SR167

Last Wednesday's Senate hearing session on transportation was an experience in endurance. With over 300 people attending, the three hour time allotment allowed for only 75 speakers from the audience. 

                                                                     Photo courtesy of Port of Tacoma
But those 75 speakers included local business owners, electeds, chamber representatives and community members, all impacted by transportation in our region.  

A common theme among those testifying is that 30-40 years is long enough to wait to complete a major freight corridor like SR167 which ends in a field in Puyallup, that without an investment in our region's transportation infrastructure between the Ports of Tacoma and Seattle we will begin to loose our competitiveness in the global economy, and that state finance and construction project reform is necessary to maximize and leverage all transportation revenue received. 

All three of our legislators in the 25th District, Senator Bruce Dammeier, Representative Hans Zeiger and Representative Dawn Morrell, were present to hear testimony.  Representing the Puyallup Sumner Chamber business interests, Chairman of the Board, John Rader, and myself spoke to the legislators in attendance to explain how completion of SR167 would positively impact our local business communities, and again left a list of the more than 100 chamber members who signed letters requesting our state legislators to support a transportation package that completes SR167.  A big thank you to all our members who participated in submitting letters.  Our Chamber has gotten a lot of "mileage" out of them this year.

Business Education Kicks Off for 2013-14

There's no grass growing under the feet of our Business Education Committee this year and if you want to keep up with these three ladies, you'd better lace up your shoes pretty tight!  Committee Chairperson and Chamber Board Member, Tana Hasart, runs a tight and detailed ship with lots of fun and energy.  

Starting this month we've kicked off our Lunch and Learn sessions which includes creating business plans, financial planning for your business and coaching time for members working on their organizations.  These 45 minute lunch sessions are free to Chamber members so if you're interested in participating, just call or email our office. 

The 2013-14 Leadership Institute program kick's off next Thursday evening, October 24th, with a robust class of 18 members.  

And in November the committee's newest program to partner local businesses with the Puyallup and Sumner School Districts will be introduced at Emerald Ridge with a focus on local workforce development.  The goal is for this program to be implemented at all high schools in the Puyallup and Sumner districts in the next one or two years and to assist with job placement for graduating students.

Here you see the heart of our committee, Patti McMullan, Career Specialist, Puyallup School District, Tana Hasart, Seattle University professor and education consultant, and Sandy Maynard, Chief Technology Officer Sumner School District and facilitator for our Leadership Institute.  Our chamber can't thank these three ladies enough for all their time and dedication to our business education programs.  A focus on local workforce development is a great investment in our business communities.

Local Business Importing & Exporting Luncheon

Did you know that Certificates of Origin are required in order to export locally manufactured products?  And did you know that Chambers of Commerce are the only places to obtain them? Well I didn't when I first accepted the position of President & CEO for our Chamber, but in the last three years I have signed well over 4,000 of them for local businesses exporting their products to other countries.  

This month, in honor of Green Mt. Coffee Roasters receiving a Globe Award from the World Trade Center in Tacoma, we invited three of our local businesses to speak at our luncheon regarding their experiences with importing and exporting products to and from the United States.  We also invited Michael Fowler from the World Trade Center Tacoma, who is also a consultant for the Tacoma-Fuzhou Trade Project to speak about the process of becoming an importer/exporter.  Our three local businesses included Green Mt. Coffee Roasters with their emphasis on importing coffee beans from two dozen countries as well as their Keurig coffee machines made in China; Troutlodge, Inc. who ships eyed salmonid eggs (including Rainbow Trout, Silver Steelhead, Arctic Charr and Coho Salmon) to nearly every state in the country plus over 60 other countries around the world; and Dillano's Coffee Roasters, named Roaster of the Year by Roast Magazine, who opened as an espresso cart in 1992, evolved into a full time wholesale roasting plant in Sumner and grew from a tiny three-person outfit to a nationally recognized roaster with more than 1,500 customers across the county employing more than 65 people.

A big thank you to Michael Fowler from the World Trade Center, Tacoma, Andrew Barfoot from Troutlodge, Inc., Mark Ireland, Dillanos Coffee Roasters and John Rader, Green Mt. Coffee Roasters, for sharing your business experiences and answering our audience questions.  It was fun to learn more about what our local businesses are doing.  And a big Chamber thank you to our luncheon sponsor, Diagnostic Imaging NW, and the Best Western Premier Plaza for their wonderful hospitality.  

Pink Power at the Bridge

Another great pink partnership this last weekend at Sumner's annual Come Walk with Me event  hosted by the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse and the Good Samaritan Foundation.  Here we see Sumner's Mayor Enslow and Mt. Rainier Coffee Company owner and Chamber board member, Rod Stephens, demonstrating the "Power of the Pink".  The event organizers were anticipating over 1,200 walkers and countless volunteers and visitors to this year's early morning celebration and the photos look like they may have exceeded their expectations.  Chamber Board members, Rod Stephens and Tracey Pidge squared off against each other again this year issuing their annual challenge to each other to collect the most bras to string across the bridge.  Mr. Stephens enlists the help of his fellow board members, while Ms. Pidge utilizes her contacts with our Chamber Ambassadors in Blue.  We are still awaiting the challenge results here at the Chamber office.  A hearty congratulations to the Foundation staff and volunteers for another successful year and for continuing their work to support our local breast cancer outreach programs.
  

Photos courtesy of City of Sumner

Another New Business for Benaroya Business Park

The Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce is once again partnering with the Tacoma Pierce County EDB and the City of Puyallup to welcome "Project Westy", the newest business planning to move into the Benaroya Business Park on So. Hill.  The new company will make an announcement of their plans on Wednesday, October 9th, and our Chamber is working with them to provide relocation packets and hiring information.  Stay tuned for more information about this new company in the coming weeks.  If you are interested in participating in our Welcome Home relocation information program, or our tourism information program for visitors attending conferences, expos and other activities at the Washington State Fair and Event Center, please contact our office at 253.845.6755 or  membership@puyallupsumnerchamber.com.

FAIR BOOTH RESULTS EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

The results are in from our work at the Chamber Fair Booth this year and we want to thank all of our member businesses who participated and volunteered to work, bring prizes and handouts for our visiting guests.  

All in all we distributed over 3,000 member Directories, 5,200 local area Maps, 6,100 Visitor/Restaurant Guides, 3,200 rhubarb pie recipe cards and postcards, over 2,500 local event fliers, and more than 10,000 various art, trails, parks, history walks, Mt. Rainier and other local publications.  Some were distributed in the popular lime green bags we gave away for survey participants, and most were picked up by folks walking by and asking questions or whose children played in our Trivia Prize Wheel activity.  In addition, our Chamber promoted providing relocation or tourism packets of information for those planning tours or relocating employees as these resources are gaining in popularity for our local businesses and hospitality experts.  A big thank you to the Washington State Fair for allowing us to host our annual Chamber Information Booth.  Some of the Survey Information is included below.  More information will be published in the coming weeks.

2013 Fair Booth Survey

Total survey responses:  1,225 

34.2%  people who indicated likeliness to move in the next 12 months

35.6% people indicate they are planning to purchase an automobile in the next 12 months

41% are planning on travel or hotel stay in the next 12 months

24.8% are planning on doing home improvements in the next 12 months

19.4% are planning a major electronics purchase in the next 12 months

9.1% are planning on purchasing an RV/Boat/Recreational Equipment purchase in the next 12 months

2.36% are planning on purchasing a new home or vacation property in the next 12 months

14.9% Small to Medium business owners or managers

32.5% Rent and 67.5% Own their homes

46.9 % Have children under 18 years