There is an interesting phenomenon that happens when business executives and professionals settle here. They prefer to stay here – even if their original job disappears. They launch a new career, decide to commute or start a new enterprise.
What is the magnetic force preventing these executives from packing their earthly possessions and heading to their next ladder-climbing gig across in the country or world? How does their geographic home somehow trump their career on their personal priority list? What is it that makes them want to stay here?
The nearly universal response is, "We love it here!"
This response is spoken regardless of lifestyle. Loft or acreage. Entertainers or solitude. Outdoor recreation or indoor activity. Family or none. Private or public school. Advanced degree or not.
There is just one problem. We don't have enough jobs here for our workforce.
Currently, we have enough jobs for about three-fourths of our working population. We send some 60,000 residents on a daily commute to Oregon despite the onerous Oregon income tax. Hundreds of others commute elsewhere.
We need bedrooms AND boardrooms. Being a bedroom community is not sustainable.
If we want to achieve workforce equity – that is, have the equivalent of a job for every worker – we'll need to attract or generate about 100,000 positions over the next decade.
We have been fortunate in recent weeks with the news of Fisher Investments bringing more jobs to the region and with S.E.H. America announcing plans to further expand here. These companies generate excellent family-wage jobs.
One can only wish tremendous success for other companies hitting their growth stride, such as Papa Murphy's, nLight Corporation, Agave Jeans and dozens of emerging businesses.
There is something even larger at stake than securing jobs for our people.
Development has been the engine of economic progress. However, we need a stronger and more solid business foundation to weather the natural ebb and flows in development. By some estimates, about 40 percent of our economic activity in the past decade is purely a result of development.
Attracting businesses here does not happen overnight. We already have well-intentioned organizations working on the challenge, such as the Columbia River Economic Development Council and the promising===
new organization Greenlight Greater Portland.
Business recruiting often requires business and government working collaboratively for months to pave the way. We also must overcome certain limitations such as our antiquated state Business and Occupation Tax based upon gross receipts rather than profits. There is also the consideration that other states offer attractive financial and relocation incentives.
Nevertheless, now is the time to move our collective recruiting efforts into high gear as businesses – regional, national and international – consider relocating to areas with a ready workforce.
Unfortunately, few executives think about Southwest Washington as a place to re-locate their business operations. We are not considered a "top place." And we may not even be considered a "place" at all.
We simply have not told our story.
However, together, we can put our region on the map relatively quickly.
Through a combination of branding and promoting our region, supporting our current businesses, and actively recruiting additional business, we can more completely engage the range of talent that already loves living here. We will be moving our region toward a more sustainable economic future.
Only then will Southwest Washington meet its full potential as a great place to live AND work.
Ron Arp is president of Amplify Group, a communications and PR firm in Brush Prairie, Washington. He can be reached at rarp@amplifygroup.com or 360.601.2991
