2021 Annual Report - Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

CATALYST. CONVENER . CHAMPION .

PRESENTED BY

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT This past year has been one like no other — full of challenges, hardships, and uncertainty. However, it was underscored by remarkable resilience, much of that apparent in the day-to-day activities of Tri-City Regional Chamber members.

In the pages that follow, you’ll see how our work continues to help businesses withstand changes due to the pandemic as it continues to make its mark on how we do business. We hope this report inspires you to become even more involved with the Chamber during the upcoming year and to encourage others to join us. Without you, none of this would have happened. With you, this report promises greater things to come.

I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to our members, Board of Directors, Board Chair, Shae Frichette, volunteers, community partners, and especially the Chamber staff for the support, leadership, and dedication in 2021. With your continued commitment, we will find ways to keep moving forward, respecting the gravity of the current situation but also looking beyond it to continue building for the future.

Sincerely,

Lori Mattson, IOM President & CEO

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Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

VISIONARY LEVEL MEMBERS

DIRECTOR LEVEL MEMBERS

EXECUTIVE LEVEL MEMBERS

www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chris Rivard, Past Chair/Treasurer

Andy Stirling, Chair Elect

Frichette Winery

Christopher E. Rivard PS

Numerica Credit Union

Meghan Rose

Alma Feil

Kedrich Jackson

Chris Robbins

Matt Sweezea

Iron Mountain Management, LLC

HAPO Community Credit Union

American Tax Consultants

Cascade Natural Gas Corp.

Primerica Advisors

Lori Mattson, IOM

Elisabeth Holt

Austin Regimbal

Stephanie Barnard

President & CEO

Vice President

Marketing & Communications Director

Government & Regional Affairs Director

STAFF

Shae Frichette, Chair

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Jim Arneson

Amy Basche

Community First Bank/HFG Trust

Hanford Mission Integration Solutions

Jody O’Connor

Liz Renz

Logan LaPierre

Brooke Myrland

PTAC Counselor

Office Manager

Program Manager

Workforce & Education Manager

Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Torey Azure

Roschel Bladow

Paul Carlisle

Andrew Chung

Greg Cullen

Chauné Fitzgerald

BrandCraft Marketing

AgriNorthwest

Executech

Gesa Credit Union

Energy Northwest

Salon Remedi/ TressFX Beauty

Dee Gray

Dave Haller

Jodi Henderson

Trish Herron

Wendy Higgins

Charles Laird

CHPRC/JACOBS

Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits

Benton PUD

Battelle

The Lodge at Columbia Point

Tippett Company

Dave Lajeunesse

Whitney LaMarche

Antonio Lopez

Vicki Monteagudo

Brian Moreno

George Rangel

Carbitex

Veolia Nuclear Solutions

Tri-City Dental Care

Century 21 Tri-Cities

Moreno & Moreno

Bechtel National, Inc

Brad Rew

Jessica Schneider MD

Katherine Sierra-Kelly

John Solheim

Derrick Stricker

Karthik Subramanian

Gale-Rew Construction

Empowered Health

Gravis Law

Trios Health

StrickerCRE

Washington River Protection Solutions

David Tobias

Cynthia Vaughn

Ryan Weld

Stephanie Williams

Tyson Foods

Magnolia Music Studio

Tire Factory

Kadlec

www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business. We promote regional prosperity and strengthen our member businesses through advocacy, leadership, networking, and innovative business programs.

The Regional Chamber is a catalyst for business growth, the convener of leaders and influencers, and a champion for a strong community.

MEMBERSHIP DATA TOTAL MEMBERS:

953

NEW MEMBERS IN 2021:

60

TOP 10 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY PRIMARY CATEGORY LISTINGS 5.3%

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Healthcare Industry

4.2%

Restaurants

Automotive

Real Estate

Non-Profits

Hotels/Lodging

2.5% 2.6% Insurance

Agriculture

2%

3.6%

Contractor/Construction

3.2% 3.4%

3.8%

Financial Services/Banks/Credit Unions

6.6%

Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

MEMBERS BY CITY

49% KENNEWICK – 462 26% RICHLAND – 248 15% PASCO – 145 2% WEST RICHLAND – 18 8%OTHER – 80

MEMBERS

BY TIER LEVEL Entrepreneur ($361)

629

Business ($618) 215 Corporate ($1,082) 58 Executive ($2,164) 10 Director ($5,408) 8 Visionary ($10,815) 7 www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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THE REGIONAL CHAMBER PROVIDED CRITICAL SERVICES TO OUR REGION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In March 2020, before the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order was issued, the Chamber launched the Tri-Cities Open for Business webpage, helping to provide resources for businesses and visibility to members deemed “essential.”

The Chamber created and maintained a COVID-19 Resource Guide. The weeklyupdated guide contained vital information about grants, loans, services, and benefits available to businesses.

Chamber staff launched the Rapid Response Line where business owners could receive personal assistance navigating through COVID-19 information and resources.

The Regional Chamber, along with TRIDEC and Visit Tri-Cities, launched the Tri-Cities Open and Safe Coalition: a region-wide initiative to protect public health and restore our local economy.

The Chamber distributed PPE to help businesses reopen, including face masks, infrared thermometers, cases of hand sanitizer, and much more.

The Chamber created the Franklin County Rapid Response Grant Program and distributed $600,000 to 64 business in need in the fall of 2020.

Chamber staff facilitated nearly 20 Ask the Experts: Responding to COVID-19 sessions - a free webinar series highlighting timely topics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regional Chamber staff generously gave their time to local government and leadership sponsored efforts to lead COVID-19 economic recovery.

At the 2021 Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon, the Chamber recognized a local company (RDO Equipment Co.), government entity (City of Kennewick Parks and Recreation Dept.), and non-profit organization (Tri-Cities Food Bank) with Most Valuable COVID-19 Response Awards.

WE ARE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THE CHAMBER BECAUSE THE CHAMBER ADVOCATES FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS. IT WAS VERY EVIDENT DURING COVID THE IMPORTANT ROLE THEY PLAY. ~ Wendy Higgins, The Lodge at Columbia Point

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Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

BUSINESS ADVOCACY

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce is a strong and credible voice in the business community and local and state legislature. Together, with our Board of Directors and committees, we advocate to elected officials on business and community issues that impact our region, the region’s quality of life, and the cost of doing business.

SESSION SPOTLIGHT In January, the Chamber launched Session Spotlight – a series of short, business-focused, weekly video updates, highlighting legislative happenings in Olympia that were relevant to the Tri-Cities business community. Session Spotlight kept Tri-Citians informed of pending business-related legislation and provided information about opportunities to testify or submit written comments on key issues.

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SESSION SPOTLIGHT EPISODES

1,621

TOTAL VIEWS

VOTE FOR BUSINESS The 2021 Vote for Business Candidate Questionnaire and Candidate Forums provided Tri-Citians the only business-focused voter’s guide in the region. A total of 48 city council and port commission candidates responded to questions about the economy and local business concerns.

8,419

FORUM VIEWS

1,439

QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE VIEWS

OTHER BUSINESS ADVOCACY EFFORTS – BY THE NUMBERS

After a thorough approval process, the Chamber took positions on many issues and wrote (or signed onto) 31 position letters to leaders such as members of the U.S. Congressional delegation, the Governor, the Washington state legislature, heads of state, and other organizations.

The Chamber joined in 9 coalition efforts with AWB’s Grassroots Alliance, the U.S. Chamber, the Tri-Cities Legislative Council, and other community stakeholders.

The Local Government Affairs Committee (LGAC) reached consensus and made recommendations to the Regional Chamber’s Board of Directors on over 30 advocacy issues in 2021.

LGAC convened 74 community leaders and elected officials to engage in discussion on issues, policies, and positions relevant to the Tri-City business community.

Received over 2,500 survey responses that addressed local issues around COVID closures, business recovery, and a wind energy project.

The Tri-Cities Legislative Council (TCLC) conducted 23 community stakeholder briefings in 2021 to identify top priority issues for the Tri-Cities in preparation for the 2022 legislative session.

www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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PROGRAMS

The Regional Chamber offers a valuable set of business programs throughout the year, including Ask the Experts, the Small Business Incentive Program, Economic Gardening, and more.

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with STCU, offered a free webinar series for business owners to stay informed of important business topics.

The Ask the Experts program aims to connect business professionals with a panel of experts to discuss a variety of topics, such as human resources, taxes, legal issues, and new legislation.

10 Ask the Experts Webinars in 2021

3,200 Viewers*

Offered in partnership with Washington River Protection Solutions, the Small Business Incentive Program helps strengthen small businesses in the Tri-Cities by providing grants to purchase key products or services. A total of 30 businesses were selected to receive $1,000 each in grant funding in 2021.

334 Grants Distributed**

$330,000 Awarded**

ECONOMIC GARDENING The Regional Chamber’s award-winning Economic Gardening Program offers a unique opportunity for businesses to expand beyond their current footprint. In contrast to traditional business assistance programs that focus on finances, Economic Gardening provides information related to strategic growth. Information provided to participating businesses can then be used to develop new markets and refine business models. All research is gathered by a team of experts located throughout the United States.

2 Businesses Completed the Program in 2021 20 Businesses Have Gone Through the Program Since 2014 Confident Compliance, a program offered in partnership with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries through a contractual agreement, continued through the first half of 2021. During these months, virtual webinars were offered, covering a range of topics applicable to small businesses in Washington. Topics included How to Protect Workers from COVID-19,” “How to Create an Accident Prevention Program,” “Overtime Rules for Executive, Administrative, and Professional Workers,” and more.

17 Confident Compliance Workshops

250 Workshop Participants *Views span from August 2020-August 2021 **Since 2011

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Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

WORKFORCE & EDUCATION

In 2021, the Regional Chamber partnered with the Association of Washington Business (AWB), Battelle, Columbia Basin College, and Washington State University Tri-Cities to launch the Washington Workforce Portal – an online platform that connects students across the state with real-world work-based learning opportunities.

WASHINGTON WORKFORCE PORTAL PILOT LAUNCH

The Washington Workforce Portal launched in February 2021 in two pilot markets: Tri-Cities and Spokane.

The Chamber executed a comprehensive outreach plan to connect with 175 local employers, encouraging them to add internship opportunities to the portal.

The program’s initial successes met and/or exceeded AWB’s year-long goals, adding 15 local employers, over 160 students, and 12 internship postings shortly after launch.

Due to the success of the pilot program, Association of Washington Business Institute (AWBI) asked the Chamber’s Workforce & Education Manager to serve as a near-peer mentor to advance AWBI’s efforts to replicate the Washington Workforce Portal into additional counties throughout Washington State.

WASHINGTON WORKFORCE PORTAL BY-THE-NUMBERS

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OPPORTUNITIES POSTED

267

STUDENTS

38 16 2

EMPLOYERS

HIGH SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING COLLEGES/UNIVERSITIES PARTICIPATING

WORKFORCE & EDUCATION DEPARTMENT NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Co-hosted an “Internships 101” webinar in June to answer questions from local employers regarding the legality of hosting interns.

Presented to 18 local stakeholder groups throughout 2021 to increase knowledge of the portal and increase community buy-in.

WASHINGTON WORKFORCE PORTAL PARTNERS

www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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EVENTS

Throughout 2021, the Regional Chamber offered its members impactful event programming – both virtually and in-person.

8 VIRTUAL EVENTS

Monthly Membership Luncheons, Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon, Tri-Cities Diversity Summit 2,679 Virtual Event Viewers

4 IN-PERSON EVENTS

Monthly Membership Luncheons, Business After Hours 723 In-Person Event Participants

33 PRESENTERS

19 Luncheon Presenters 14 Tri-Cities Diversity Summit Presenters

MEMBER RECOGNITION

In addition to the Chamber’s traditional annual and monthly awards, three new awards were added in 2021 – the “Most Valuable COVID-19 Response Awards.” These awards honored a company, government entity, and a non-profit organization that stood out in our region during a trying time.

20 AWARD RECIPIENTS

9 Outstanding Member of the Month Award Recipients 3 Most Valuable COVID-19 Response Award Recipients 2 Chamber Impact Award Recipients

3 Business on a Roll Award Recipients 2 Tri-Cities Champion of Diversity Award Recipients 1 Chamber S.T.A.R. Award Recipient

THANK YOU, SPONSORS

The high-quality of the Regional Chamber’s in-person and virtual events could not be achieved without the support of these generous sponsors.

45 EVENT SPONSORS

Ag World Support Systems AgriNorthwest Basin Pacific Insurance & Benefits

Battelle* Bechtel* Benton PUD

Bite at the Landing BNSF Railway BrandCraft Marketing

Breshears Professional Photography Carbitex Cascade Natural Gas*

Charles Schwab Christensen Inc. Columbia Basin College

Energy Northwest* Gesa Credit Union Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington & Northern Idaho

Goose Ridge Estate Winery Gravis Law Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health

HAPO Community Credit Union HPM Corporation Kadlec*

Kennewick Flower Shop KNDU TV Loftics Aerial Photography

MacKay | Sposito Numerica Credit Union Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

PayneWest Insurance Retter & Company – Sotheby’s International Realty Three Rivers Convention Center

Townsquare Media UpAngle Drone Services Veolia*

Washington State University Tri-Cities* *Sponsored multiple events

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Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

WASHINGTON PTAC

The Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) advises businesses on how to win government contracts and subcontracts. The one-on-one technical assistance includes bid reviews, marketing assistance, contract performance, small business certifications, and more. PTAC also hosts procurement training classes and seminars, and helps businesses register with the correct databases to compete for government contracts. There are eight PTAC offices across Washington State. Nationally, there are over 90 PTAC centers hosting over 400 business counselors providing no-cost, confidential, one-on-one technical assistance in all aspects of selling to federal, state and local governments.

Contract Awards: 275

Contract Amount Total: $39,890,207

Active Clients: 192

Client Counseling Sessions: 739

New Business Consults: 13

Job Gain/Retention Equivalent: 798

Contracting Events/Workshops: 23

Contracting Event/Workshop Attendees: 663

www.tricityregionalchamber.com

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MYTRI 2030 REGIONAL VISION PROJECT:

SHAPING THE FUTURE OF OUR REGION Based on the belief that our collective future is enhanced through collaboration, myTRI 2030 is a regional visioning initiative with the fundamental goal to create a shared vision for the region and drive collaborative action.

Over the last 18 months, the myTRI regional vision has been in good hands. Volunteer experts and practitioners in agriculture, education, energy, inclusion, life, and prosperity have led the way - persevering through COVID by working and meeting via Zoom with determination to bring myTRI 2030 to fruition.

The Agriculture Council is working on a project aimed at attracting a talented workforce and illustrating the many agriculture career opportunities in the region.

The Education Council is partnering with the STEM Nexus Initiative to develop experiential learning programs and STEM education outreach for underserved and underrepresented students.

After data gathering and evaluation, the Energy Council is focused on establishing the Tri-Cities as a national leader for energy storage research and development, manufacturing, and deployment, and establishing the Tri-Cities as a hub for advanced reactor research and development, manufacturing, and deployment, including advanced nuclear fuels.

In partnership with the Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health, the Inclusion Council’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Project is underway. Its purpose is to align all DEI efforts/committees/councils in the region, to cultivate and connect resources to needs, and promote best practices.

In partnership with the Life Council, Visit Tri-Cities funded and developed a Calendar Share feature on their new website with the intent to draw our community together, attract tourism and stimulate our local economy. The Calendar Sharing feature is now active and has the opportunity for refinement based on user input.

The Chamber’s Regional Affairs Committee is working closely with the Opportunity Area Council Chairs to ensure significant evidence of impact during 2022 as the myTRI councils focus on building teams and timelines to tackle transformative projects that will advance the quality of life for all Tri-Citians.

If you would like to support, volunteer, or join the myTRI movement, visit the website today at myTRI2030. com. A special thank-you to our investors, for believing in a regional vision and making myTRI 2030 a reality.

MYTRI 2030 FOUNDERS

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Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce

COMMUNICATIONS THE REDESIGNED TRICITYREGIONALCHAMBER.COM The Regional Chamber’s redesigned website launched in February 2021. The new tricityregionalchamber.com features an updated look and enhanced functionality for smart phones.

82,585

PAGE VIEWS

42,932

UNIQUE VISITS

SOCIAL MEDIA The Regional Chamber’s influence continues to grow on social media. The Chamber’s Facebook page has the largest following of any chamber of commerce in Washington state.

127,839 2,835 42,201

FACEBOOK REACH INSTAGRAM REACH T WITTER IMPRESSIONS

8,293 1,974 4,361

FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS T WITTER FOLLOWERS

FOLLOW US! facebook.com/TriCityRegionalChamber instagram.com/tricityregionalchamber twitter.com/tricitychamber

YOUTUBE With an increased emphasis on video production, the Regional Chamber’s YouTube channel saw substantial growth in 2021! All the Chamber’s Virtual Luncheons, Candidate Forums, and Tri-Cities Diversity Summit sessions are available to watch at your convenience.

35,100

IMPRESSIONS

5,200

VIDEO VIEWS

LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE! youtube.com/TCRCofCommerce

EMAIL The easiest way to keep up with the Chamber’s programs, events, and news is through receiving Chamber communications through email. Each week, the Chamber sends the Monday V.O.I.C.E. eNewsletter, Friday eBlast, and other emails to a growing number of subscribers.

7,194 www.tricityregionalchamber.com

TOTAL SUBSCRIBERS

21% AVG.

OPEN RATE 15

Protecting the Community and the Columbia River

Sponsoring rivershore enhancement for nearly 20 years

Bringing online the world's largest facility to turn radioactive waste into glass for safe disposal

Partnering with local businesses and supporting our nonprofits

bechtel.com