As we have for the past 10 years, this week we celebrated companies whose performance – specifically in 2014, but over the past few years – has been among the fastest growing in the region. It is particularly rewarding to see many of our finalists reflecting the goals of the county’s economic development plan, a poignant reminder of the power of writing down our goals.
It was nearly four years ago when the Columbia River Economic Development Council took over stewardship of a Countywide Economic Development Plan, crafted with the assistance of Tip Strategies of Austin, Texas. The four guiding principles of that plan are: Collective Identity, Prosperity, Business Vitality and Economic Vitality.
Those guiding principles were supported by five goals for the plan including, establishing an IT sector hub; expanded influence of higher education through Clark College and WSU Vancouver; advancing foreign direct investment; building vitality community wide with emphasis on expansion; recruitment and entrepreneurship; and finally investing in the infrastructure to support these goals.
The plan further describes business vitality in a region as having “a higher level of entrepreneurship, the attraction of rapidly-growing businesses, and a business climate more conducive to expansion.” I hope you’ll agree that you see this theme running throughout our group of finalists.
The 16 finalists in our annual Business Growth Awards represent a variety of sectors including food and beverage, professional services, manufacturing and retail. Across the board they are entrepreneurs – some whose businesses are now mature with over a decade of success, while others are just emerging from the startup stage in the technology sector. Regardless, each of them has demonstrated courage and commitment, making a contribution to our community’s vitality.
Beginning on page 6 of this edition you can read about each of these dynamic and growing companies. While only one in each category was singled out as an award recipient, each of the companies deserves hearty congratulations for their success.
Not surprisingly, there are a number of companies in this year’s pool of finalists that have been finalists previously in the Business Growth Awards, indicating they have been successful over a period of years and continue with that growth.
As we read these exciting stories of growth, it is worth reminding ourselves about doing business with others right here in Southwest Washington. When we do business with our neighbors, the multiplier on the dollars we spend is nearly 30 percent more than when we use vendors outside the market. Which of us couldn’t use a 30 percent increase? If we all made this type of commitment, by next year we would need the entire Fairgrounds facility to accommodate our Business Growth Awards finalists. The awards program notwithstanding, finding supply chain providers locally is just another element of building vitality in the community.
