Calvin Goings Honoring our veterans’ entrepreneurial spirit. 23
South Sound Selling Salespeople have questions; Jeffrey Gitomer has answers. 23
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INSIDE November 11, 2013 | Volume 29 No. 23
NEWS
Red Wind Casino building to win back customers 6 FOCUS
Genetically engineered food war warms up 10 PROGRESS
Does Des Moines want its own chamber? 14
INDEX Featured List....................................19 For The Record.................................20 Scene & Heard.................................21 People on the Move.........................22
Job market welcoming JBLM personnel Transitioning program matches qualified military and local businesses By Holly Smith Peterson hpeterson@BusinessExaminer.com With more than 20 million veterans of all ages in the U.S., there’s a well-trained worker pool that’s until now remained for the most part untapped. However, recognizing the need for experienced employees in local businesses, as well as the need for jobs for soldiers returning from overseas or retiring, Joint Base Lewis-McChord is partnering with federal agencies and local companies to play matchmaker. “We’re partnering with the community, SHRM chapters, chambers of commerce, state agencies, and groups like Hire America’s Heroes to raise awareness of the value of hiring veterans, as well as creating a pipeline directly to corporations,” said JBLM transition services manager Robin Baker. Before this year, roughly 6,000 service members have transitioned out of military life from JBLM each year. In 2013, though, Baker said those numbers have risen to nearly 8,000 to date, or about 650 per month. The steady increase, she said, is likely due in part to the Army’s “strategic reset.” To handle this jump, besides partnering with other agencies and organizations, JBLM is also active in the Washington State Mili-
PHOTO BY HOLLY PETERSON
The Nov. 5 “Hot Shop Heroes” event at the Tacoma Art Museum was just one in a string of South Sound opportunities for transitioning soldiers to learn new civilian work skills — in this case, glass-smithing.
tary Translation Council, a team formally established by Gov. Jay Inslee in his first Executive Order. The Council was put in place to bring to the table key state officials, community partners and federal agencies to ensure a seam-
less transition for veterans into non-military life and careers. The installation also has a full-time, onsite Employment Liaison to assist in these efforts. One such liaison is the Employer Support for Guard and Reserve,
a Department of Defense agency unit with an all-volunteer manned branch in each state. Originally generated as part of the U.S. Employment and Re-employment
See JBLM, page 6
Port of Olympia Airport attracting, expanding businesses Companies across campus driving growth in aviation and other industries By Holly Smith Peterson hpeterson@BusinessExaminer.com
With more than 300 acres and nearly two dozen businesses on the property and adjacent NewMarket Industrial campus, commercial growth at the airport is indeed a
reality. Current tenants range from aviation services, light manufacturing and entertainment to the state
See PORT, page 3
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At the recent Thurston Business Showcase, no one was more excited
about business than Port of Olympia airport director Rudy Rudolph. That’s because, “We have a few businesses going like gangbusters down there,” he said.
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