Can’t talk about Recovery enough
Years ago, a mentor of mine told me that when we keep our focus on “the goal” we can’t help but to pursue it and make it so. It’s the role of the subconscious to make true what we think about. Remembering that, it occurs to me that we can’t talk enough about the recovery.
The more we talk about initiatives and businesses that are doing well, the more we focus on recovery. The more we focus on recovery, the more we buy into the belief that we will make it happen.
Of course, the reverse is also true. If we focus on what isn’t working then our mind believes that’s what we want and the situation worsens. If you think back a couple of years, that’s exactly the kind of thinking that hastened the recession.
To that end, here are three things to remind us of how much better things are today than what we’ve experienced the last two and a half or three years.
Port of Vancouver
After a delay of nearly two months due to inclement weather back in February, the Port of Vancouver finally shared the success of not only the port (in advancing the West Vancouver Freight Access rail project and attracting six new or expanding tenants to port property), but also for many of their import/export tenant companies.
A couple of the companies new to the port already have very familiar names in the marketplace. Farwest Steel Inc. and BHP Billiton both have identified the Port of Vancouver as their location of choice and are finalizing a process that will bring nearly 400 regular jobs to Southwest Washington in the next few years. Less well know are Keyera Energy, a propane distributor; Country Malt, a small batch malt distributor and a subsidiary of Great Western Malting; Sunlight Supply and United Grain Corp. which is in the midst of a $70+ million expansion of its facility at the port.
Each of these companies is expanding or has brought new facilities and jobs to the port. Equally as impressive, is the growth in import/export tonnage in all but one of their major product lines (much of which resulted from the successful completion of the Columbia River Channel deepening project allowing much larger vessels carrying greater volumes per ship call).
Just a few of the numbers:
Total tonnage at the port grew last year by 18 percent, wheat exports were up 16 percent and steel scrap exports increased 48 percent. The one category that dropped in 2010 is the wind turbine imports. Due to the lack of financing available for wind energy, the development of wind farms in the Northwest slowed significantly. That problem is lessening and 2011 promises to be up substantially in this category.
2010 Business Growth Awards
Yes, businesses did grow last year and on Thursday, April 21st at the Heathman Lodge in Vancouver, we will once again celebrate the finalists in five categories from Startup to those in business longer than 10 years.
We can think of no better way to spur the recovery than to focus attention on those who in the depths of the country’s most challenging economy in decades made the necessary changes to their businesses in order to not only survive, but to grow. This year’s inspiring companies didn’t just increase revenue either. Their facilities grew, their capacity increased and they added jobs.
Visit https://www.vbjusa.com/events/business-growth-awards/#awards to see the list of this year’s finalists. Then, make plans to attend the Finalists Reception & Showcase and visit with these successful companies.
Greenlight Greater Portland
The announcement this week that our friends to the south of the river will finally have a public/private partnership when it comes to economic development activities promises to provide a coordinated effort around regional economic development for the first time. It brings together two organizations, Portland/Vancouver Regional Partners (the public group) and Greenlight Greater Portland (the private group).
Clark County has had such a public/private model for more than 25 years with the Columbia River Economic Development Council. When it comes to recruiting new business and industry to the region the fact is the private sector cannot be successful without the public sector. Likewise, the public sector can’t be successful without working with and through the private sector.
With Greenlight Greater Portland in place (they will retain that name for the merged organization) and the “Land Here, Live Here” regional marketing campaign gaining momentum, the region is well positioned to take advantage of the recovery.
