CEDC and Chamber Work in Tandem to Improve Big Picture for Business
business, chamber of commerce,
The spirit of cooperation is alive and well in Cowlitz County. The Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce and the Cowlitz Economic Development Council have partnered on projects for the past four years, working to increase the presence of business and industry in the area, as well as provide optimal operating conditions for existing enterprises.
Together, their efforts and expertise pay off for businesses large and small.
“We look at each other as collaborators,” says Ted Sprague, president of the Cowlitz Economic Development Council. “We both see the big picture. There is a division of labor that makes a lot of sense.”
“We both realize we can’t be everything to everyone,” says Rick Winsman, president and CEO of the 800-member chamber.
The chamber focuses its efforts on commercial and retail businesses.
“We spend our time working with small businesses,” Winsman explains. “Small businesses represent 75 percent of all new jobs created.”
The economic development council concentrates on industrial and manufacturing clients.
“I believe manufacturing is the core of the economy, and everything grows from that,” Sprague says.
Expanding the area’s industrial and manufacturing sector creates somewhat of a snowball effect: More jobs are created and higher wages are paid, so residents can spend more money with local businesses.
The CEDC remains focused on further diversifying the local industry mix, which has been based mainly on natural resources such as lumber, pulp and paper.
“Our goal is to bring in recession-proof industries to try and balance the economy more,” Sprague says.
The collective effort of the two agencies presents an image of a community that has a plan for businesses looking to expand or relocate to the area.
“They see a community that is all on the same page and rolling in the same direction,” Sprague says. “You don’t see that everywhere, the spirit of cooperation we have in this community.”
In addition to working together directly, the two agencies have a good deal of peripheral involvement, particularly in the area of workforce development. Both participate on the Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, which provides skills assessments and training, then employment with partner businesses.
Winsman also points to Lower Columbia College as a leader in workforce education, providing a skilled workforce that is powerful tool in recruiting new business.
Sprague and Winsman also serve on the boards of each other’s organizations.
“We’re the cheerleaders for the business community. We’re out there in front pointing out the area as a great place to locate businesses and families and have them in a good environment for education and recreation,” Winsman says. “It’s a very engaged community for all the right reasons in all the right areas.”
Story by Greta Sharp
