February 2019 Business Connections

February

2019

Business Connection

Volume 11, Issue 2

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce

More than 600 people filled the Cowlitz County Event Center St. Helen's room to listen to speakers during the Chamber's January sQuatch Fest.

Chamber believes in sQuatch Fest Great Event!!

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Team

My first one enjoyed it a lot!

Bill Marcum, CEO

Such a great event!! Thanks!

Amy Hallock Project Manager

First one had a great time

Pam Fierst Office Manager Joelle Wilson Social Media Services

Kelso Longview Business Connection is published monthly by the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce 105 N. Minor Road • Kelso, WA 98626 • 360-423-8400 kelsolongviewchamber.org To advertise, call Bill Marcum, 360-423-8400 or email bmarcum@ kelsolongviewchamber.org Ad Deadline: 20th of each month

I

t’s the exclamation points at the end of the comments on the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page that punctuates the success behind sQuatch Fest. For believers it’s a chance to share encounters and exchange information with experts and others who have experienced the elusive ape-like creature said to roam the northwest. For those who haven’t had a personal experience but believe anything is possible, it’s a chance to rub elbows with some pretty convincing advocates. And, for skeptics, well…

“I am absolutely humbled by the attention, excitement and attendance of this event,” said Amy Hallock, Chamber project manager. “I had a vision and to see it come together, and 2,400 curious and excited people showed up is amazing. I am so thankful to the sQuatch Fest committee, Chamber staff and all the volunteers that helped with set-up, day of and cleanup. This event could not happen without each of them.”

Derek Randles and Shane Carson of the Olympic Project spoke to an audience of around 600.

This year’s Jan. 26 event, the third, drew a record crowd of 2,379. That’s up from the 1,408 attendees in its inaugural year 2017 and the 2,011 last January. Approximately 25 percent of those in attendance were from Cowlitz County. The majority came from elsewhere.

“I think the thing that amazes me most is the fact that we had people from New Jersey, Virginia, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Oregon,” Chamber CEO Bill Marcum said. “People represented Washington from Sequim to Spokane, Walla Walla to Ocean Shores and the Seattle metro area.”

The farthest attendee came from Massachusetts. As the overseer of the visitor center, those numbers speak For more sQuatch Fest, see page 3

sQuatch Fest Emmy Blue and the Squatchie dance with youngsters during a performance at the Chamber's sQuatch Fest, while across the hall contestants competed in cornhole competition and vendors sold everything from Bigfoot books to barbecue sauce.

See more photos on the Chamber’s Facebook page or click here.

2 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

sQuatch Fest, continued from page 1 to his heart. “This equates to more than 300 room nights for those attending the event and spending the night,” he said.

In addition, the vendor participation rose from 66 to 82. Vendors were selling items like T-shirts, books, food and keepsakes.

Each of the 600 chairs at the lecture series was filled, and more people stood on the fringe. Throughout the day, speakers like anthropology professor and author Jeff Meldrum, the Olympic Project’s Derek Randles and Shane Carson, Joe Beelart, and Cliff Barackman and Bobo Fey from television’s “Finding Bigfoot” series enthralled the crowd with stories, research findings and photographs.

Youngsters piled into the Kids Cave for crafts, games and dancing with the storytelling duo Emmy Blue and the Squatchie. Cowlitz County Museum storytellers captivated visitors in the Bush Cabin.

Across the hall, the 21 and older crowd could enjoy the Brew Mountain Beer Festival and Battle of the Borders Cornhole Tournament. Beer festival participants could fill their collectors mug with ales from 18 different local craft breweries. According to Hallock, 3,000 beers were poured.

Anthropologist Jeff Meldrum signs autographs after speaking to the crowd. He is author of "Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science" and Sasquatch-related field guides.

“A huge thank you to my husband Len Hallock for running Brew Mountain and to Dave Look from the Hop n’ Grape and Bob Davis from the Triangle Tavern for making sure we did not run out,” she said.

The cornhole tournament, an addition this year, was well received.

Hallock shared a Cowlitz County Cornhole post: “Squatchfest 2019 was once again a huge hit! We ended up with 132 players from 12 teams with individuals traveling in from Klamath Falls, Hoquiam, Michigan, Boise, Spokane, Sandpoint, Roseburg, Kelso, Longview, Seattle, Everett, Hillsboro, Portland, Salem the list goes on. In all we paid out 22 players a total of more than $7000 in cash and prizes ($5400 in cash).”

The day was not complete without snapping a quick photo with the festival's star. Volunteer Dustin Leinweber helped kids create Bigfoot castings to carry home.

The band Giants in the Trees took the stage to close out the day.

Feel you missed out? Hallock and crew are gearing up for sQuatch Fest 2020; mark your calendar for Jan. 25.

The big guy is not camera shy. Youngsters could also pose for a keepsake with a less intimadating version.

February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 3

Chamber CEO’s Message

By Bill Marcum

More Big Events on the Calendar Wow, what an awesome event...2,379 people attended the third annual sQuatch Fest on Jan. 26. This is up from the 1,408 attendees in 2017 and the 2,011 Squatchers last year.

We had more than 80 vendors (up from 66 last year) from all around the Northwest with all kinds of Sasquatch, Bigfoot and Yeti apparel, barbecue sauces, chips, chocolate, key chains, iron wall mounts and much, much, more. We had six world-renown speakers including Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Cliff Barackman and Bobo Fey from Animal Planet’s “Finding Bigfoot” series. Each told stories and entertained a standing room only crowd of about 600 throughout the day. I think the thing that amazes me most is the fact that we had people from New Jersey, Virginia, California, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Oregon. People represented Washington from Sequim to Spokane, Walla Walla to Ocean Shores and the Seattle metro area. This equates to more than 300 room nights for those attending the event and spending the night.

A special thank you to our sponsors (see the list on page 5) we could not put on such an event without all the support from our volunteers, local businesses, cities and the county. And a special shout out to Amy Hallock, project manager with the Chamber, great job Amy, it keeps getting better each year.

If you missed it make sure you put Jan. 25 on your calendar for 2020.

Boardsmanship sessions begin in March.

These sessions are designed for any member of a nonprofit board, but specifically geared for new board members and the presidentelect to help you understand just what your responsibility as a board member for an organization means. What things legally you are held responsible for and what your accountability is to the organization and the community. One thing is for sure...it is not just the one-hour monthly meeting. Be prepared.

March 1 – Role of the Board vs. the CEO – Mike Claxton, Walstead Mertsching March 8 – Working as a Team – Frank McShane, Square Peg Consulting March 15 – Handling Conflict (colors of the board) – Jennifer Leach, Washington State University (WSU) Extension Office March 22 – Financial Accountability – Scott Davis, Davis and Associates March 29 – Succession Planning – Chris Bailey, Lower Columbia College April 5 – Facilitating and Leading Meetings (Robert’s Rules) – Jennifer 4 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

Leach, WSU Extension office Friday mornings, 7:30-9 a.m., LCC admin building, student center conference room.

The cost is $100 (members) for all six classes, $160 (non-members) and you can bring up to three board members and your executive director for that price...Call the Chamber, 360-423-8400, to get signed up. We open just 30 spots.

This will be the seventh year of the Building Bridges Business and Tourism Expo. Again this year, WestRock and Illani Resort will be our Premiere Sponsors. The event is planned for 3-7 p.m.

March 12 at the Cowlitz County Event Center.

Our Event Sponsors are Twin City Bank, Millennium Bulk Terminals, Bicoastal, PeaceHealth, Koelsch Senior Communities and KUKN, KLOG and The Wave. All of these sponsors are in their seventh year of sponsorship and see great value in this event.

Our Media Sponsors are KUKN, KLOG and The Wave, Valley Bugler, Columbia River Reader, Minuteman Press, Global Images Graphic Design and Marketing and Bicoastal Media. Each of these sponsors assist the Chamber with marketing the event with radio spots, newspaper advertising, graphic design, logo design, social media advertising, banner advertising and signage. They also contribute a $500 gift certificate toward the $4,000 Media Kit we raffle off to one of our booth or table venders. That’s $4,000 of professional assistance from eight different professionals in 10 different areas. How can this not help your business be more successful? Thank you to these fantastic sponsors.

We have two deadlines to secure your booth or table space. Early deadline is Feb. 28. Booth space is $250 for Chamber members and $350 nonmembers. Table space is $150 members and $250 nonmembers.

After Feb. 28 prices go up to $450 member and $550 nonmember for booth space and $250 member and $350 nonmember for table space.

So don’t delay, call us today and save $100 to $200 or go online at www. kelsolongviewchamber.org and sign up. We are estimating more than 100 businesses participating.

As an added bonus our March Business After Hours will be from 5-7 p.m. at the Building Bridges Expo. We will be giving away baskets and gift certificates provided by many of the booth and table venders, nearly one every 10 minutes will be given away... traditional after hours food will be served by Summerland Catering and beverages will be available. Come celebrate a true business to business afterhours... there will be no cost to attend the event. Who knows how much fun you will be able to have during the Business and Tourism Expo.

Helping our local businesses be more successful.

Thank You to everyone who made sQuatch Fest 2019 a complete success!

The Chamber could not put on events like these without the support of our members, volunteers and community.

Special Thanks to:

Specialty Rents Tent and Event Rentals Mount St. Helens Event Sponsors—Radio Advertising:

Bicoastal Media

KLOG

KUKN

The Wave

Hoffstadt Bluffs Sponsors—Brew Mountain Beer Festival, Kids Cave, Band, Mugs:

Silver Star Triangle Tavern The Office 842 Life Mortgage Cal Portland Three Rivers Mall Hop N Grape Columbia River Sponsors:

Columbia Ford

Kelso Super 8

Bob’s Sporting Goods

Ape Cave Sponsors:

Dale McGhee & Sons Well Drilling J Squared Barrel House Heritage Bank WestRock Twin City Bank

Corwin

Elk Meadow Sponsors:

D&C Lemmons LLC Uptown Taxi Mill City Grill Gibbs & Olson Anderson & Anderson Len & Brody Hallock Vashti Langford Teedara Garn Guy Edwards Josh Carter Ashley Lachney Kelly Godden & Team Tina Hart Ron Moore Julie Rinard

Trent & Deena McGhee Pam Whittle Daryl Whittle Brenda Marcum Rachel Leinweber Dustin Leinweber Jason Meunier Marlene Johanson Keith Johanson Lisa Peters

Shawn Green Jake Anderson Chris Brand Carrie Medack Marc Silva Michael Wolf Jen Wills Debbie Peterson Brian Heard Marissa Keeney

Destry Fierst Shylah Varner Carey Mackey Jason Mackey Karen Sisson Frank Meza Frankie Powlawski Tom Rozwod Bruce Polluck Len Hiatt

Dennie Meza Mark Wilson Hannah Wilson Mark Morris Sasquatch Club Logan Heard Darlene Masters Crystal Brown Lyn Zimmerman Justin Hoist Dave Medack

We look forward to working with you again at sQuatch Fest 2020!

City of Kelso

City of Longview

By City Councilman David Futcher

By City Councilman Ken Botero

Happening in Kelso right now My musings on recent events and items of interest in Kelso right now: • Following the senseless slaughter of a clerk at Holt’s Quik Chek market, our police department did tremendous work in locating and capturing the suspect in less than 48 hours. The Kelso Police Department is a source of pride in our community, and they show why when the toughest assignments hit. We spend a lot on training for just these kinds of situations, and fortunately have rare occasion to use that training. We build relationships with others in law enforcement, and those relationships were invaluable when working to catch a suspect that won’t commit to remaining inside the Kelso city limits.

• I’ve written in this space before about the value of sports to our community. Longview is considering an expansion of Roy Morse Park that even their consultants believe would be of some benefit to Kelso, our lodging and restaurants. But the price tag? More than $85 million. While I support such efforts to provide healthy recreation and attract visitors from outside the community, that price tag would make me think twice.

In Kelso, we plan to invest in our Tam O’Shanter Park infrastructure, and while the park will continue to attract certain tournaments, the Roy Morse plan would produce a complex outshining most in the region.

• You may not think one man can affect the whole city, but Mario Segale wasn’t your typical guy. Mr. Segale owned and developed the land south of the wye where your brother-in-law has told you Costco was coming for the last 15 years. As a wealthy landowner with substantial holdings around the Tukwila area, he didn’t have the same motivation to get this particular plot developed that a less-fortunate investor might have had.

We regret Mr. Segale’s passing in late October. It appears, however, that the next generation might be more likely to bring a project to fruition in that location. The site may be developed more as a light industrial area than as your next Olive Garden, though plans are not in concrete.

Is it time for a move to Longview?

I came across some interesting facts recently that got me thinking about the opportunities here in the Jewel of Southwest Washington.

First some facts about why people move. The top five reasons people move include: •

A new or better apartment or home (15 percent)

•

A family reason, other than getting married or starting a household (15 percent)

•

A housing reason, other than wanting a new or cheaper house (14 percent)

•

To establish their own household or a better neighborhood (10 percent)

•

A new job or job transfer (9 percent)

To sum it up, we move these figures into four categories, 48 percent housing, 30 percent family, 19 percent jobs, 2 percent classified as other.

Twice as many people move within their county as move to another county. In other words, most moves are incredibly local. People who move within the same county are almost twice as likely to do so for housing related reasons.

After researching these figures I invite you to take a serious look at the possibilities for you and your family here in the Jewel of Southwest Washington, the quality of place known as Longview, Washington.

We offer you, your family, and your business organization the opportunity to become a part of a positive, historic, downtown community with many locally-owned businesses. Your family will be able to partake of the activities of our historic Columbia Theater and the community Stageworks facility with local participants.

Just a block or two away we offer Lower Columbia College with its fantastic college ranking, not only in academics but sports, and don’t forget the performing arts on the college campus too. The newly refurbished R.A. Long Park, which is the city center of Longview, provides the atmosphere of a positive community with the historic Monticello Hotel, the Longview library, with the Shay Locomotive Plaza, and City Hall. Moving away from the downtown core we find many shopping experiences, Mint Valley Golf Course and our beautiful Lake Sacajawea, a focal point in the community. Business-wise we celebrate the activity at the Mint Farm and have pride in our many opportunities for jobs in the industrial arena.

Added to the economic excitement and the livability for your family in Longview, we have the leadership of a community that listens to its citizens and works toward building a quality of place.

1157 3rd Avenue, Suite 218 1157 Longview, 3rd Avenue, WA Suite 98632 218 1157 3rd360.952.3100 Avenue, Suite 218 Longview, WA 98632 Longview, WA 98632 www.amadaseniorcare.com 360.952.3100

360.952.3100 www.amadaseniorcare.com www.amadaseniorcare.com 6 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

The safety of your experience in foremost in the minds of the leadership with the support of the police, fire, and social groups that form a partnership to make your journey a safe and rewarding experience.

In closing, I invite you to take a serious look in answering those concerns that I mentioned in the opening remarks, and invite you to join this positive community known at the Jewel of Southwest Washington, our quality of place, Longview, Washington.

Lower Columbia College

Calendar Wednesday February 6 – 7:30-9am Education Foundation CEDC

Thursday February 7 – 7:30-8:30am Ambassadors Meeting Columbia Bank

Monday February 11 – Noon Chamber Executive Board Mill City Grill

Tuesday February 12 – 5:30-7:30pm Business After Hours Port of Longview Long-Bell White House

Monday February 18 Presidents Day Chamber Office Closed

Tuesday February 19 – Noon Chamber Board Meeting Mill City Grill

Every Monday February to April–7am Legislative Briefing Red Lion

Every Wednesday Chamber Connections KEDO/1400 AM or 99.1 FM 3-4pm Stream live at www.kedoam.com

By Chris Bailey President

Why LCC and Education, in General, Matter to Me

I run into people, every day, who assume (because of my current position) that I was born into wealth and a highly educated family. I was born a lawyer! The truth is, I come from logging family roots. I, and my siblings were first-generation college graduates. My parents’ belief in education ultimately helped transform me and my family to a better life, just as we preach to our children and our Lower Columbia College students every day.

My grandpa on my mother’s side, Ralph D. Foster, was a logger and yarder operator for the Long-Bell, the city founder, R.A. Long’s company here in Longview. My grandma, Anona Foster, was a homemaker and local artist. Anona’s mom (and my great grandma), Nellie Connelly, whom I remember, came to the United States on a boat as an immigrant from County Cork, Ireland. When her husband died in his early ’40s, Nellie continued to run her small dairy farm in Ryderwood, Wash., for four decades on her own. The Fosters raised my mom, Twila, in Ryderwood. Mom struggled in school but attended a year of college at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., studying music. I am proud of my Irish-immigrant heritage and my Long-Bell heritage and that my mom attended some college.

I was a fifth generation Lewis County resident. My father’s family immigrated here from Austria in the mid-1800s settling at the SwissGermanic community of St. Urban (outside of Winlock, Wash.) in the mid-1800s. My dad, William J “Bill” Bailey, was the oldest of five children growing up during the heart of the Great Depression. He was “John Boy Walton.”

He grew up in Winlock and was Winlock High student body president. He described his family as “the poorest of the poor” during the Great Depression. My grandfather, Carl Bailey, was an independent logger. My grandmother, Marie, stayed at home. The family of seven lived in an 800-square-foot house. When my dad blew out a shoe, his parents cut the heels off of my Aunt Betty’s shoes so dad had shoes for school. My dad served in World War II, in combat overseas, and completed some college but never completed his bachelor’s degree. When he returned and married Twila, he was a quiet but effective community leader in Lewis County. Without a college degree, he became an owner of a suc-

cessful life insurance brokerage, a licensed public accountant and vice president/controller of a chain of banks. He defined “servant leadership.”

His contributions to nonprofits are too numerous to list. His funeral was standing room only.

Despite not getting college degrees, my parents believed in the value of education. They mortgaged and remortgaged their homes to ensure the first children got quality college educations.

Being number five of six siblings, those options ran out for me, but the expectations of my family did not. I had to find a way to pay my own way. My parents inspired me to work, get scholarships and use student loans to improve my life through education. I was lucky (and encouraged) to get a quality degree (business administration) through Western Washington University and a law degree through the University of Washington School of Law. My parents talked me out of quitting law school my first year. If not for their presence and encouragement, I would not have the job of my dreams: President of Lower Columbia College.

Subsequently, I had to deal with my son, Brennan, who dropped out of college after one year because “college wasn’t for him.” He ran his own real estate business for four years, but eventually sold it, to return to college. Brennan decided that going back to school was an investment in his future. He not only has obtained his bachelor’s degree in education, but also is in the process of obtaining a PhD in educational leadership. And last year, my son, Brennan, was accepted into Harvard University for a master’s degree in education policy. He received that degree last spring.

He loves his new job as a first grade teacher in Toledo!

Education opens doors and changes families.

My great-grandmother, grandparents and parents would be so proud! So are Brennan’s parents. Education has improved the lives of our family. From Long-Bell to Harvard, our family is proud of our own progress and our current contributions to this community.

Think Lower Columbia College and the Lower Columbia Regional University Center – think of it not only for you and your family, but also for your colleagues and co-workers. We transform lives, and families for generations to come! Be a part of transforming lives through education.

February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 7

Cowlitz County Commissioners

By Dennis Weber

Meet the New County Elected Officials (Including Port of Longview and PUD) County Assessor Emily Wilcox Born and raised in Longview, Emily graduated from R.A. Long High School and Lower Columbia College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in management and organizational leadership from George Fox University in Newburg, Ore. Prior to joining the assessor’s office as a property appraiser, Emily Wilcox Emily worked for the county auditor. Although this office is listed as a partisan office, Emily chose to run as an independent because she believes there’s no room for politics in assessing private property. She and her husband have one daughter.

County Auditor Carolyn Fundingsland A lifelong resident of this community, Carolyn graduated from Kelso High School and Lower Columbia College. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. The county’s chief elections officer for more than a decade, Carolyn was the 2017 Election’s Employee Fundingsland of the Year for the state of Washington. After being appointed to fill a vacancy, Carolyn ran for election as an independent because she believes our elections process should not be administered on a partisan basis. She and her husband are raising one son.

County Sheriff Brad Thurman A 30-year veteran of the Cowlitz County Sheriff ’s office, Brad is a graduate of R.A. Long High School and Lower Columbia College. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Portland State University.

Brad’s law enforcement experience includes time as a drug investigator and as a detective sergeant. He Brad Thurman also led the deputies’ labor organization and served as chair of the Cowlitz County Republican Central Committee. He values positive collaboration with other law enforcement agencies.

Brad and his wife have two sons.

County Treasurer Debra Gardner While born here in Cowlitz County, Debra received her higher education in California and has a degree from Diablo Valley College. Employed by Cowlitz County now for more than 20 years, she started at the events center and for the past 13 years she has worked for the treasurer, most recently as Debra Gardner deputy treasurer and investment officer. Customer service is her highest priority. She and her husband have three stepsons and a beautiful granddaughter. She is a Democrat.

8 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

PUD Commissioner Duane Dalgleish, District 2 Duane brings 30 years of private business experience to the nonpartisan PUD Commissioner position. That experience provides him a unique insight into PUD operations because it was in industrial/commercial electrical wholesale services.

In addition, he served for six years on the PUD’s Duane Dalgleish citizens Electric Rate Advisory Committee. As he says, “Conservation and alternative energy is important but it has to be cost effective to make sense for our community.” He will also be working with legislators to help make that happen.

District Court Judge Debra Burchett, Position 1 Judge Burchett is a fourth generation resident of Cowlitz County whose first career in marketing took her to the Midwest. She earned a law degree in Columbus, Ohio and then more than 20 years ago relocated back to Washington state, first working for the Grays Harbor prosecutor. Since returnDebra Burchett ing, Judge Burchett has been a district court and juvenile justice prosecutor, a public defender and mental health law specialist. A Kelso Rotarian, the judge has raised a son and serves on Cowlitz Legal Aid and Red Hat Boards.

District Court Judge Jaime Imboden, Position 2 Judge Imboden and his wife were both raised in Cowlitz County and are raising their children here. He brings a wide variety of legal experiences to the job: contract disputes, property rights, employment discrimination, personal injury, probate, Jaime Imboden landlord-tenant conflicts and insurance coverage.

The judge says his goal is to carefully listen to each side without bias or prejudice and determine the appropriate sentence based on the facts and the law. He previously served as District Court Judge Pro Tem.

District Court Judge John A. Hays, Position 3 Winning election to a vacant position, Judge Hays took office last year once election results were certified. A 30-year resident of Cowlitz County, he and his wife have raised three children. Judge Hays has considerable experience: previously a Judge Pro Tem and 30 years practicing law, including 60 jury trials, 20John A. Hays plus appearances before the state supreme court, and 500-plus appearances before the state appeals court. Other service commitments include Cowlitz Legal Aid, DAPC, Red Cross and Boy Scouts.

PRESENTED BY

Building Bridges

March 12, 2019 • 3:00-7:00 pm

BUSINESS & TOURISM EXPO & BUSINESS AFTER HOURS • Cowlitz Regional Conference Center

Booth Space (36 Available) Non-Chamber Member

Chamber Member

(any area Chamber Member)

$350 before February 28 $550 after February 28

$250 before February 28 $450 after February 28

For information on joining the Chamber visit: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org/members

Table Space (84 Available) Chamber Member

Non-Chamber Member

(any area Chamber Member)

$250 before February 28 $350 after February 28

$150 before February 28 $250 after February 28

For information on joining the Chamber visit: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org/members

Additional Sponsorship Packages Available Includes booth space, logo on all printed material, logo on website, banner at event and all advertising.

Call today 360-423-8400 or register online: www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

REGISTER NOW!

MAJOR SPONSORS:

Up to $200 off for early sign up.

KOELSCH

COMMUNITIES SINCE 1958

MEDIA SPONSORS:

Business Toolbox

By Jerry D. Petrick Certified Business Adviser

Understanding the REAL Cost of Employee Turnover As we enter 2019 and begin to experience the new minimum wage; recent expansion of employee leave benefits; and future changes in TOTAL employee costs we need to recognize that our employees are truly our greatest resource. They are our best opportunity to pivot, adjust, improve, and enable our businesses to thrive.

Whether your business employs a handful or dozens of people; the impacts of turnover are many, varied, and expensive! Most of the business owners I’ve worked with tend to view turnover as “just a cost of doing business” – rarely do they appreciate the “true” financial impacts; let alone the intangible effects to morale, efficiency, customer service, and profitability.

CALCULATE COST OF TURNOVER Employee Cost Annual Base Salary Benefits Cost Monthly Salary + Benefits Daily Salary + Benefits

Daily Cost of "Covering" Position

$

0 0

Based on 2080 working hours

$

0

33% of Daily Salary + Benefits

0 $

0

Cost To Hire HR or Hiring Manager Salary Hourly Rate

$ $

0 0

Candidate Screening (Hours)

0

Interviews (Hours)

0

Total Hours to Fill Position

0

Cost to Fill Position

$

Based on 2080 working hours

0

Training Cost Trainer or Manager Salary Daily Rate

$ $

Total Training Cost

0 0

$

0 Time required for the new hire to reach 100% Productivity

Days to Productivity Daily Employee Cost

$

50% Productivity Loss

0 0

Days to 100% Productivity

• Incentive compensation plans vs. straight hourly/salary programs

Based on 2080 working hours

0

Total Training Days

• Value of training and development investments

After you have taken a fresh look at your own business and turnover; contact me and

$

# of Days Position Vacant Total Cost to "Cover" Position

• Quality of your management/supervisory team

At right is a helpful tool that enables you to more fully know and understand the TRUE costs of churn in your talent. Take a few minutes to use this model to identify the turnover costs of just one of your positions; perhaps the position that has the highest level of turnover in your business.

Estimated at 30% of base salary

$

Loss of Productivity from Other Employees Filling in for Vacant Position

I strongly encourage you to take a closer look at the implications of employee turnover in your business. At a minimum, please carve out a few minutes to calculate the financial costs of turnover by using the guide below. Once you have a clear understanding of what the REAL costs are when someone leaves your company you may have a change of heart regarding:

• See your employees as RESOURCES vs. assets [integral to your business success vs. a line item on the balance sheet – or worse seeing them as an EXPENSE needing to be reduced or minimized]

For position to be filled

$

$

0

Prior to reaching 100%, assume individual works at 50% Productivity

0

Add all costs associated with backfilling the position

Total Cost Total Cost of Turnover

$

NOTE: These calculations DO NOT include the costs to market/post/recruit candidates to replace an employee who has left.

we can re-evaluate your approach and perhaps shift your priorities. Your business and your people will appreciate the difference.

This article was compiled by Jerry Petrick, MBA, and Certified Business Adviser with the Washington State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Longview.

Jerry provides no-cost, confidential business advisory services by appointment. He can be reached via email jerry.petrick@wsbdc.org

10 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

2019 Small Business

BOOT CAMP 2019 Series begins Friday, March 1 Friday Mornings ★ Lower Columbia College

7:30 am - 9 am ★ Student Center Conference Room

bOARDMANSHIP six pack

Sponsored by:

Role of the Board vs the CEO Facilitator: Mike Claxton, Attorney, Walstead Mertsching, Legal Counsel for the Kelso Longview Chamber and former YMCA board member.

March 8 Working as a Team Facilitator: Frank McShane, Square Peg Consulting March 15 Handling Conflict (colors of the board) Facilitator: Jennifer Leach, WSU Extension Faculty March 22 Financial Accountability Facilitator: Scott Davis, CPA, Davis and Associates, CPAs March 29 Succession Planning Facilitator: Chris Bailey, President, LCC April 5 Facilitating and Leading Meetings (Roberts Rules) Facilitator: Jennifer Leach, WSU Extension Faculty March 1

$

No pricing change since 2013!

100 Members

★ $160 Non-Members

leadership Six Pack Starts May 17

❝ The Boardmanship Boot Camp is perfect for those boards who want to go to the next level. From basic board principles to finances to strategic planning, it has everything your board needs to make the next year what you want it to be. If you’re sick of just getting by and want to be an active board of directors to help your non-profit, I highly recommend this Boot Camp for you.

Gary Chapin KLTV Board President

❞

360-423-8400

www.kelsolongviewchamber.org

2019 January 15: Specialty Rents February 12: Port of Longview March 12: Business and Tourism Expo April 9: Three Rivers Christian School May 14: Life Works June 11: Antidote July 9: Three Rivers Eye Center August 13: Monticello Park Prestige September 11: Cowlitz County Title October 8: Steele Chapel November 12: Silver Star December 10: Holiday Mixer

Longview Downtowners

By Lindsey Cope President

We Are a Partnership!

For a number of years, the Longview Downtowners name was the Longview Downtown Partnership, which I feel is a great description of what our organization really is. It takes a partnership of volunteers, sponsors, business owners, property owners, real estate professionals, property management groups, media outlets and many others to truly develop a downtown district. It requires many people from diverse backgrounds and interests to incubate the placemaking we are all ultimately working toward. This month, we would like to exemplify some of those partnerships that are launching us into a refreshed area for historic downtown Longview.

Volunteers – A huge thank you to AmeriCorps member Angelica Rowe for gathering needed information from business owners for promotion. We also would be remiss if we failed to mention those who participated in our clean ups in 2018. With their help we were able to collect over 1,000 pounds of garage keeping our streets, alley ways, sidewalks and raingardens clean and safe! Most recently, a group of almost 20 volunteers led by Bobby Davis and his team assisted us in the hanging and removal of our holiday decorations on blustery Sunday mornings! We would not be able to keep up on the storage and maintenance of the decorations or shopping bags if it weren’t for Bobby Davis!

Sponsors – We could not do what we do without our members. From May 2018 to the present time, we are proud to boast almost 50 paid members. Thank you for your financial and time investment! We also are grateful to the 31 sponsors of last year’s flower baskets, the City of

Longview for hanging and watering them, and those who have already expressed interest in 2019. We would not want to forget the businesses that provided space for our events or donated goods to promote them also!

Real Estate/Property Managers – We are grateful for the interest generated and partnerships of CPI, Inc. as well as the professionals at Woodford Commercial Real Estate and Agent Paul Young for assisting our new businesses in finding space or lending us space for events.

Thank you for your time and investment in downtown Longview!

Media – To every person who has engaged with our social media, Bruce Pollock and Bicoastal Media, The Daily News, KUKN/KLOG/The WAVE, Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce, and our home-grown Facebook news pages – thank you for covering our events and progress!

Shop Local – THANK YOU to every person who has stopped in to our boutiques, shops, restaurants, and service providers. We thank you endlessly for shopping local and supporting our businesses. Afterall, we would not be here if not for you.

Keep your eyes peeled! Joanna Asplund and the team at the Tibbetts Mercantile are spearheading our first LOVE LOCAL campaign! Additionally, we are already gearing up for our second annual Shamrock Saturday shop local event and a few new events along the way. We love what we do, and we love who we get to do it with and for! We appreciate you and your partnership!

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Frank Panarra, President

Ken Botero Longview City Council

Cherelle Montanye St. John/PeaceHealth

Bianca Lemmons, President Elect Cowlitz County Title

Bob Crisman Gallery of Diamonds

Bruce Pollock Bicoastal Media

Chris Roewe, Vice President Woodford Commercial Real Estate

Rich Gushman Gibbs & Olson

Tom Rozwod NORPAC

Neil Zick, Treasurer

Wendy Hutchinson Millennium Bulk Terminals

Ted Sprague Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Michael Claxton, Legal Counsel

Marlene Johanson Heritage Bank

Lisa Straughan Express Employment Professionals

Wendy Kosloski Teague's Interiors

Dennis Weber Cowlitz County Commissioner

Foster Farms

Twin City Bank

Walstead Mertsching

Nick Lemiere, Executive Board Edward Jones

Nancy Malone Mayor of Kelso February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 13

Business After Hours

Winner! Winner!

Chamber Ambassador Pam Whittle, aided

by Carey Mackey and Chris Roewe, found a winner during January's Business After Hours event at Specialty Rents and Events.

A special thank you to Kelly Godden and her staff for an outstanding event. Three of the night's winners were Sally with Walsted Mertsching, Marne Botero and Jose Fagoago with Foster Farms.

See more photos on the Chamber’s Facebook page or click here.

14 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

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Building a strong foundation for students At this time last year, Kelso citizens overwhelmingly voted to approve a construction bond and educational levy to improve the learning experience for our students. We are so thankful for the support and generosity of our community, and continue to work diligently to be good stewards of the funds allocated for public education.

After considerable input from the community, we ran the bond based on six priorities that rose to the top: safety and security, elementary school replacements, school modernization, adding and updating classrooms, traffic and parking, and updating athletic facilities. Since passing the bond and levy on Feb. 13, 2018, we haven’t stopped working to make these priorities a reality for our students, staff and families. One year later, here’s the progress we have made in each area.

Safety and Security Our team met with two companies to hear proposals on safety and security elements for the new schools at Wallace and Lexington. The accepted plans will set the safety standards for upgrades to all existing schools. Intended security elements include door access control, video surveillance, exterior lighting, fencing, building design modifications, and communication systems.

School Replacements The majority of the work so far has been focused on the elementary school replacements. After selecting Integrus Architecture as our architects and hosting months of committee meetings to determine necessary educational specifications and desired design elements, schematics for new schools at the Wallace, Beacon Hill and Lexington sites were drawn up. We secured FORMA Construction Company as our General Contractor/Construction Manager (GCCM) to build the schools. The schematic design estimating process revealed the unprecedented rise of labor and materials costs, and geotechnical engineering results at both the Wallace and Lexington sites indicated soil and ground conditions that require deep, robust soil improvements to ensure the foundation systems meet today’s building standards for public spaces. These two things caused a cost overrun of roughly $14 million for the elementary projects. After considering several options, the school board approved a solution – combining two of the three new elementary schools into one larger school at the Lexington site in order to meet all the priorities of our bond measure. Schematics for both Wallace and Lexington are in the final design stages and soil stabilization for both sites will begin this summer.

The permitting process is in the works for Wallace in preparation for a spring construction start. Some construction activity could begin as early as April, and would consist of moving portables, sewer line relocation, and the possible relocation of the playground equipment.

For more Kelso Schools, see page 17 16 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

Capital bond measure information The Longview School Board plans to put a capital bond measure to a public vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, to request funding to replace and/or make repairs to our aging schools and facilities.

You might ask why we are talking about the bond measure now.

Well, it is because the school district wants your participation in the bond planning process and it takes time to go through a public process where ideas are shared and feedback is gathered to reflect the values and wishes of our community.

The district is holding community information and input sessions to gather information from the public, families, business leaders, staff, and anyone else who is interested in being a part of our planning process. The first input session was on Jan. 24, with additional sessions scheduled for Jan. 30 and Feb. 4. People can also provide input by attending school board work sessions and board meetings. These meetings are advertised on the district’s website at www. longviewschools.com.

At the community input sessions, participants receive information about our facility needs, the bond process, and the different options under consideration for a capital facility bond package. These interactive meetings have time set aside for participants to ask questions and express their thoughts. Information gathered from these meetings will become part of a record that is communicated to school board members, who will use the information to guide their decisions.

Over the past year, a Facilities Advisory Committee comprised of citizens, teachers, school administrators and consultants met to examine district facility needs and information about why the last bond measure narrowly failed. They heard reports from the City of Longview about new housing and apartment development, reviewed safety and security options, the current condition of each school building, and a report by the Longview Public Schools Athletic Facilities Task Force about athletic facility repair needs.

The information the city provided detailed expected growth largely west of Longview, where multi-family apartments and new housing developments will be built.

Safety and security discussions focused on entrances and exits.

Keeping students and staff members safe is critical, so developing options to improve and control the flow of people on school property is important.

Discussion and analysis of the current condition of school buildings and a goal of reducing or eliminating the use of portable classrooms was considered in developing bond options. The committee also looked at major projects related to roofing, electrical, plumbing and heating/cooling systems that will need repairs or replacement in the near future. During this process, they reviewed construction cost estimates and building design options and made sure that consultants included estimates that would cover the cost of soil conditions For more Longview Schools, see page 17

Kelso Schools, continued from page 16 School Modernizations Modernization projects include upgrades to plumbing, heating, ventilation, cooling, roofs, windows, and siding. We’ll begin implementing some of these improvements at Huntington Middle, Butler Acres Elementary, and Carrolls Elementary in the near future. The schedule for these projects is in the works and dependent on the release dates of School Construction Assistance Program (SCAP) matching funds from the state. The modernizations to these buildings total almost $45 million in total project costs and will provide substantial improvements to each of the buildings.

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Designs for updating Kelso High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms were approved by the board in December. Remodels are being scheduled for the automotive, manufacturing, welding, and culinary programs. Collins Architecture was selected as the architectural/engineering consultant for the CTE upgrade, along with updating the bleachers, handrails and gym floor at Kelso High School. We anticipate construction for this work will begin this summer.

Traffic and Parking Traffic flow and parking improvements are planned for some of our schools. One way we’ve started working on this is by purchasing seven properties around Wallace Elementary and four around Butler Acres Elementary. These properties have been cleared to make room for improved traffic flow and more parking, both recommendations from the traffic study that was conducted.

Athletic Facilities The artificial turf at Schroeder Field was put in during this past summer break and the first game was played on it in August 2018.

Further infrastructure improvements are planned for the stadium and work continues to prepare for the elevator and handrail upgrades. Field improvements will follow at the practice fields for the secondary schools and both middle schools.

While the majority of the work is still ahead, countless hours have already been dedicated to bringing projects in these priority areas to fruition. We are excited to continue making the learning environment for Kelso students as engaging, uplifting, and safe as possible. For information and updates on our progress, visit WeAreKelso.org.

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Longview Schools, continued from page 16 and increased construction costs we are seeing in our area.

We want to hear from you. Your voice is important in this process. We hope you find time to attend one of the information and input sessions, board meetings, or reach out directly to me with questions.

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Workforce Southwest Washington

By Julia Maglione Communication Manager

The Business Case for Hiring Youth

Every minute nearly seven baby boomers turn 65. More than a fifth of our region’s workforce is over the age of 55 and could retire within the next decade, potentially creating labor shortages when companies are struggling to find skilled workers.

And yet, the summer jobs where prior generations got their first experience of what it meant to go to work have all but disappeared.

Youth are not getting work experience to prepare them for work.

BENEFITS TO BUSINESS Companies have much to gain by hiring young adults. Including helping to create a better trained, more experienced candidate pool.

If you have employees retiring in the next few years and you’re concerned about having a pool of skilled candidates to replace them, consider hiring young adults now for summer or part-time jobs, internships or apprenticeships.

Your business could benefit in a number of ways.

1. Professional development of your staff. Working with young people is an opportunity for employees to develop their management, leadership and communications skills. A mix of generations provides greater insight into the world outside of the office and may

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2. Recruitment. Hiring the wrong person is costly. Part-time or summer employment lets you meet potential candidates, see their abilities and train them to your specifications and standards, minimizing the chance of making an expensive hiring mistake.

3. Engaging an important demographic. Workforce Southwest Washington sponsored focus groups in 2017. One of the most surprising things we learned was young adults in Cowlitz County lacked awareness of local companies and job prospects in the county. Your company’s participation in a youth employment program increases awareness of your company with this potential customer base and talent pool.

4. Gain fresh perspectives on your business and work environment. Young employees can bring innovative and novel ways of thinking to your business. By applying their classroom skills to your work environment, they could make your processes more efficient.

5. “Feel good” factor. While it may not be the driving force in your decision to hire youth, don’t overlook the benefits of the “feel good factor.” Employee engagement could increase when they feel they’ve made a real impact helping a young person grow and succeed. The passion and enthusiasm of young workers can be contagious and inspire employees to remember what drew them to their job and to your organization.

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A summer or part-time job or internship provides a unique opportunity for a young adult to learn about work and employer expectations, develop skills and gain relevant experience.

You can make a difference in a young life. Here are a few ways to get started: • Youth Employment Summit (YES) – this annual career exposure and hiring event for 16 to 24 year olds is on March 19. Jobs for 16-18 year olds are a key component. This is an excellent way to introduce your business to young adults in our community. Register your business at https://bit.ly/2BArYwi or contact Alyssa Joyner at ajoyner@ workforcesw.org or 503-410-0408.

• SummerWorks – hire a 16 to 21 year old for a 90-hour summer job. The program, funded by the Washington State DSHS/Division of Vocational Rehabilitation through Workforce Southwest Washington, pays their salary and provides job skills training before they come to work for you. Contact Christine Katon at Christine.katon@ esd112.org or 360-355-3119.

Sharing your knowledge and expertise to help young people learn the skills necessary to get and keep a job will not only benefit our young adults, but your businesses and our economy as well. Please join us.

Julia Maglione, communications manager at Workforce Southwest Washington can be reached at jmaglione@workforcesw.org or 360-5673176.

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Connect with Legislators Legislative Briefing Breakfast EVERY Monday, 7am, RED LION throughout the Legislative Session

John Braun

Senator 20th Legislative District

Each week, contact is made with our local legislators, either in person or by conference call, for an update on the bills and issues currently under consideration. Gary Chandler from the AWB is our main source of information as to what is going on in Olympia from a business perspective.

Dean Takko th Senator 19 Legislative District

As a business, you often feel the impact from some of the decisions made by our State Legislators on your ability to do business in Washington State. These breakfast briefings give you an opportunity to discuss personally with your elected officials issues that impact your business and seek options that provide for better business operations in Washington.

Ed Orcutt

Representative, 20th Legislative District

Four major issues to be addressed during this session that WILL affect your business, B&O Taxes, Carbon Tax, Predictive Scheduling and of course the Budget. Come & Be Heard?

January, 28 - (105 day session) Legislative Update Breakfast Monday’s During the Session RED LION, Birch Room 7:00 a.m.

Richard Debolt

Representative 20th Legislative District

Jim Walsh

Representative, 19th Legislative District

May - December Legislative Committee Meetings First Monday of each month Location for 2019—TBD Brian Blake

Representative 19th Legislative District

By Chuck Nau Retail Consultant and Sales and Managment Trainier – Murray & Nau, Inc.

When is Your Creative Time?

When’s your creative time? Do you have any creative time? Yes! No! I do not know!

Well, let’s pause for a moment, and allow me to ask you to do this simple search. Take a look at last week’s calendar, or for that matter, look at the last two weeks or past month, and highlight those times you set aside for your creative time.

Surprised? You are at a loss inasmuch as you cannot find any such time...exactly the point of this month’s column.

As a small business owner, retailer or service provider, creativity is fuel for the ongoing nurturing and growth of your business. It not only feeds your business, it feeds your soul! New ideas, new products or services, new questions in search of answers and new opportunities to target for your business’ revenue enhancement – all need some time on your calendar to bubble up into that “aha!” moment.

According to my artist son and many of his fellow artists, creativity is play. That’s the easy part. Learning to allow ourselves to play is the hard part and the hard work, my son will tell you. Likewise, to live a creative life, one must lose the fear of being wrong.

Let’s pause again for a moment…some of this sounding familiar to you?

In today’s changing and challenging environment, finding your creative voice is one of the most critical skills you can invest in. As things change around us, we sometime forget that things need to change within us also. The heart of that change is inside us – the seeing, the observing, and the awareness.

Enhancing your creative voice to find new ideas, new answers and new solutions will keep you at the forefront, setting you apart from others and a step ahead of your competitors. To discover new things, you will find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone, conceiving and developing some new ideas while challenging and overcoming some accepted norms. You’ll observe along the way that as you ASK (Always Seeking Knowledge) questions and uncover new possibilities you will develop a hunger and a motivation for new learning and SUCCESS! Let’s pause one more time...and clarify this thing called creativity.

Creativity is simply being able to conceive, develop and utilize new ideas or strategies when working with existing resources.

Your creative thinking will flourish best in an ASKing environ-

ment that allows increased questioning and thinking plus an acceptance of challenging the ordinary while utilizing your past experience and knowledge.

Much like changing a habit or driving a different way to and from work...the change itself will cause you to notice things in a new way, to increase your awareness of what’s out there.

Creativity is your personal treasure! Enhancing it ever so slightly will help you develop new approaches and find new solutions for every day challenges.

Discipline yourself, a step at a time, to use the power of questions...within yourself, brainstorming with yourself, to stimulate your creativity and assure both your continued learning and growth...continual questioning will help stimulate the flow of creativity.

Once you are comfortable (and confident) with yourself and your newfound creative freedom, considering bringing your staff and fellow employees into the loop. Again, the benefits to your business, your work environment and your life will grow.

When’s your creative time? To find it...schedule it! Start slowly... reserve one hour a day, three days a week, for the first month. At the end of the first month, check how well you did and then challenge yourself to do more next month. When is the best time to schedule your creative time? Creative people will often tell you it is first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up and begin your day. And yes, it’s ALWAYS best doing it BEFORE you check your phone or email!

Last, but not least, something good is going to happen today... make sure you are looking for it!

© Murray & Nau, Inc. Chuck Nau of Murray and Nau, Inc. is a Seattle area based consultant and sales and management trainer. He is a 25-year veteran of advertising, sales, media and management, who knows and understands the everyday challenges of starting up, growing, and surviving in today’s ever changing retail climate. He has spoken to and conducted workshops for a number of local retail and chamber organizations, national publishing groups, national retailers and manufacturers, state press associations, and newspaper groups.

Comments and questions are welcome and may be directed to Chuck via email: murnau@nwlink.com or at 425-603-0984.

February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 21

Cowlitz Economic Development Council

By Ted Sprague CEO

Unemployment Rate a Fickle Partner I have a love hate relationship with the unemployment rate.

On one hand it is a decent lagging indicator of how the economy is doing, but on the other hand, people sometimes think it is the ONLY indicator of how the economy is performing. The economy is much more complicated than one simple measure. Counting the unemployment rate in a sample size as small as a single county of approximately 105,000 people is no simple task. The monthly unemployment rate statistic is simply an estimate and the more accurate rates are not revealed for up to a year later. I must admit, seeing the unemployment rate fall to 5.2 percent in October did feel pretty good. That is Cowlitz County’s lowest measured unemployment rate in the history of county level unemployment rates. The most recent estimate in December shows an unemployment rate of 6.1 percent which is only concerning as the trend is rising. If you recall, it has only been about eight years since our unemployment rate reached as high as 15 percent!

One thing we know about the economy is it is cyclical and we are

due for a recession. The Washington State Employment Security Department divides the state into 12 regions and it lists Southwest Washington second in the state for projected job growth (not surprisingly Seattle – King County is No. 1). While the projection is good to see, continued job creation and capital investment are more crucial at this time with a potential recession looming. We have more than $4 billion worth of projects attempting to be permitted in Cowlitz County, which will create thousands of construction jobs and on-going permanent jobs. It is critical to our future that we get on with the process and get our friends and neighbors to work locally.

Shameless plug – the CEDC annual meeting is noon, Feb. 7 at the Cowlitz County Event Center. Our keynote speaker is Becky McCray, a nationally recognized rural and small city business expert! We are filling up fast as her reputation as a knowledgeable and engaging speaker precedes her. You do not have to be an EDC member to attend. Please register at http://www.cowlitzedc.com/ events/2019-cedc-annual-meeting

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February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 23

The Executive Corner

By Frank McShane Square Peg Consulting

When Performance Indicators are Key

Last month’s article focused on instituting regular reviews of important aspects of your business. The benefits for the employees are clearer expectations and increased engagement in the business. For company leadership, the benefits are improved control of the business and better opportunities to proactively address developing issues. One of the elements mentioned as part of this regular process was a set of Key Performance Indicators, or KPIs. This month, we will explore what KPIs are and what makes them “key”.

The primary purpose of KPIs is to provide company leadership with visibility into the moving parts of the business that lead to financial results, as reported in the Profit and Loss (P&L) statement. P&Ls, by nature, measure in hindsight. A good set of KPIs can help alert us to what’s coming or, at least, what trend is occurring. The other purpose of KPIs is to provide a quick overview of what’s happening in the business so that owners and leaders can identify where best to spend their time in order to have the most impact. While many companies already measure the items that would be good KPIs, they are often in scattered reports that make it hard to get an easy full view of what is going on. Ideally, KPIs would be collected in a single report, sometimes called a dashboard or more recently a single pane of glass.

The first step in creating a KPI report is not selecting the measures,

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but rather identifying the categories of a business that need to be measured. In manufacturing, for example, the following categories might be included: • Safety • Environmental Impact • Sales • Customer Service • Quality • Productivity • Inventory Other types of businesses will have variations that fit their specific situations. After selecting the categories that fit your business best, the next step is to identify two to three measures for each category. Here are some examples: • Safety: # Near Misses, #Recordable Incidents, OSHA Incident Rate • Environmental Impact: # Spills, # Releases • Sales: $ per week, Sales Volume (tons, gallons, units, etc.), Gross Margin $ • Customer Service: On-Time %, Fill Rate (line items filled on-time), Billing / Pricing errors • Quality: Returns, Waste, Defects • Productivity: Items Produced per Labor Hour, Deliveries per Day, Avg. $ per Sale, % Overtime • Inventory: Accuracy (% line items, SKUs correct), Inventory $ Turns The final step in designing a KPI report is to decide what’s the right frequency for measuring each indicator. This should be based on the shortest time interval that would allow you or your management team to take corrective action. As I mentioned last month, each business has a unique rhythm that will correlate to the frequency of measuring KPIs – by shift, day, week, or month.

The most important part of making KPIs truly “key” is to go ahead and start measuring the important aspects of the business regularly.

Try not to wait until you determine the perfect measures. The categories and measures will evolve as you go. The biggest impacts will come from understanding and acting on what is currently occurring rather than waiting to see what happened last month in the P&L. Frank McShane is president of Square Peg Consulting. For questions or comments, please contact him at fvm@SqrPegConsulting.com or 360562-1077.

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Mind Your Own Business (at the Library)

By Chris Skaugset Director – Longview Public Library

Books to Make Dreams a Reality I recently did a little research and explored several different lists of the best business and leadership books from 2018. I found several titles on one or more lists that we have here at your Longview library.

Here are some great resources to help you think, create, start, or grow your business. Continue to check us out and we will continue to grow our small business-related collection to give you all that you might need to help make your business dreams a reality.

The first book from 2018 is Daniel Pink’s “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing”. There is the old adage that timing is everything and while I think, we all know that to be true we do not know that much about timing itself. Bestselling author of “Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us” delves into psychology, biology and economics, distilling the cutting-edge research and data into a readable narrative, Pink shares fascinating stories and practical takeaways to help us better live, work and succeed.

The next title for you to ponder is “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup” by John Carreyrou. The Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist from the Wall Street Journal has written a compelling book filled with deep investigative reporting, and riveting accounts of business greed and fraud surrounding the biotech firm Theranos. The result is a bracing, though cautionary, tale about visionary entrepreneurship gone very wrong.

“Capitalism in America: A History” is the latest book by exFederal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and journalist Adrian Woodridge from The Economist. What they have created is an illuminating, engaging and in-depth history that discusses the unique conditions that propelled the United States to evolve from humble beginnings into a dynamic economic powerhouse. It is long, and at times dense, but it is interesting.

“That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and What Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together” by Joanne Lipman is next on the list. In the #metoo movement era that we currently living in, Lipman has written an important book examining biases favoring men in business. She explains that this is not only due to men who devalue their female colleagues’ work but also the women themselves, as perhaps most tellingly illustrated by a survey of social-psychology studies observing this phenomenon beginning

26 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

in childhood. This book takes what you may have read in Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” and ultimately challenges both men and women to examine their own prejudices around gender and ideas to reshape work cultures to be more welcoming to women.

Next is award-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Leadership in Turbulent Times”. In her latest work, Goodwin tries to answer some basic, enduring questions about leadership. Are leaders born or made? What are the qualities of a great leader? Do times make the leader or do leaders make the times? Through the lives of four American presidents, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and written in her usual engaging narrative style she discusses each of these great men, their background, their times and the crises that they faced that led them to exhibit the great leadership qualities that they did. While none of them are perfect, there is much to learn from each of them especially in these times when leadership seems to be lacking at all levels of society.

Another great book from 2018 is “Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World” by J. Adam Tooze. The author has written an insightful, and very readable, work that combines an economic history with a geopolitical analysis of the 2008 financial crisis and the decade that followed leading to the election of Donald Trump in 2016. In addition to making international economics understandable and attention grabbing, Tooze has written an essential addition to the ranks of histories that not only discusses the economic crisis but also places Trumpism in context.

The last book I have for you this month is “Crushing It! How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Businesses and Influence – and How You Can Too” by Gary Vaynerchuk. Social media guru and entrepreneur, Vaynerchuk follows up his best-selling 2009 book “Crush It!” with more practical and engaging advice for people, regardless of age, profession of experience looking to carve out a space in the online world. He uses his own stories, supplementing those with other entrepreneurs’ testimonies who followed his principles.

In short, the author has written an engaging guide, in a very personable style, to successful online marketing explaining that it is the mind-set and creativity of the entrepreneur, not the platform that leads to success.

Wellness in the Workplace

By Susie Griffin Corporate and Personal Health Services

Words: Choose them carefully for impact “Words: So innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne In the business world, we use words every day to communicate our goals, accomplishments, requests, accolades and shortcomings. Regardless of whether they are one dimensionally (lacking depth, superficial) contained within emails, texts, and reports, or expressed through phone calls, on blogs, websites or social media, these words paint a three-dimensional (length, breadth, and depth) picture of our business services and products to our internal and external stakeholders.

Leaders and managers, overwhelmed in the chaotic, or underwhelmed in the mundane, operations of day to day business, innocently overlook the opportunity to capitalize on their words. Communicating in the flat, banal tone of dictionary.com’s definition of the word, “word”: “a unit of language, consisting of one or more spoken sounds or their written representation, that functions as a principal carrier of meaning,”1 business managers miss out on the moment to share information that not only educates their audience but does so in an inspiring and connecting way.

Recently, a company who was going through some big organizational changes contracted me. They were experiencing a lot of pushback from their workforce. They wanted help in creating more employee cohesion, retention and engagement. When I met with their human resources

manager, I was struck by the words she chose to describe the situation.

Using words that were very divisive and created an “Us” vs. “Them” tone, were very symbolic of the current workplace culture. After coaching the executive leadership team on communicative strategies that exude a more inclusionary tone, the company saw an increase in employee retention metrics and satisfaction surveys.

In recognition of this month’s Presidents Day, I want to highlight an excerpt of one of this nation’s most powerful speeches – a speech that exemplifies the communication style that informs its audience in an inspirational and engaging way.

“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it – and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States May all your business communication have as much of an impact.

1

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/word

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February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 27

Ribbon Cuttings

Something Special

Kelly Godden was all smiles at the Specialty Rents and Events ribbon cutting.

Blossoming Business

Barbara Cross and the Jansen Floral Effects team took time out of their busy day to welcome Ambassadors to their Longview shop.

28 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

Ribbon Cuttings

Ring in the New Year

The Longview Rotary Club rang in 2019 by renewing its committment to the Chamber, while Suzie Griffen, Corporate and Professional Health, took advantage of a sunny day at the end of the month for a ribbon cutting ceremony.

See more photos on the Chamber’s Facebook page or click here.

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PORT TALK PORT OF LONGVIEW NEWSLETTER

Commissioners set overarching policy and develop plans that guide the Port to success.

COMMISSIONERS AT THE HELM, PROVIDE STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Larson (left) with Commissioners R. Nolte and F. Carpenter WITH FORMER PORT COMMISSIONER

LARRY LARSON BACKGROUND: Larry Larson is the longest-tenured Commissioner in Port of Longview history. Appointed in 1978 at the age of 39, Larry became the first working longshoreman to serve on the Commission and would do so for a record-setting 29 consecutive years. Larry retired in 2007 after spending 50 years on the waterfront.

Q: What is your best memory from your time as Commissioner?

A: “Traveling to our nation’s capital in 1988 with the Port Commission to receive the “Excellence in Export” award from President Ronald Reagan at the White House Rose Garden. It was thrilling and also helped cement the Port’s international standing.”

Q: Why do you feel the Port continues to be so successful?

A: “Teamwork. The Port is at its best when stakeholders work together for the benefit of our customers. No matter the challenge, we always make it happen together. That spirit of collaboration is the secret behind the Port of Longview’s tremendous achievements.”

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring Commissioners?

A: “The best candidates will be those who regularly attend Commission meetings and engage with our staff. Do your homework; immerse yourself in all areas of the Port and you will quickly develop a foundation for success.”

The spirit of the 1911 Port District Act was to preserve prime real estate for the economic benefit of communities across our state. To ensure this control, it established ports as independent governments run by a board of locally-elected commissioners.

Citizens could now elect an official with their economic future in mind - someone to represent them with the power to set port policy, establish annual budgets and designate leadership.

and other projects, the Commission is moving policy toward goals they identified in their planning documents. These plans, combined with the annual budget, ensure the Port is headed toward achieving long-term goals aimed at generating economic benefits and jobs for our community, while connecting cargo with international markets.

Primary functions of the Port Commission include establishing policies that guide the overall direction of the Port. Plans, such as the Strategic Plan and Master Plan, all drive the Port toward economic success for the community.

Aside from policy-making, Commissioners are also responsible for the only employee they manage: the Chief Executive Officer.

The CEO, in turn, administers Commission policies as part of day-to-day operations through the Port’s management team and support staff.

Implementation of policies is done by the Commission through the development of the annual budget. By allocating financial resources to key infrastructure projects, cargo handling investments

While many Commissioners across the country are appointed by their Governor, all of Washington’s 75 ports are led by an elected Board of Commissioners tasked with similar duties.

DISTRICT

1

DISTRICT

2

DISTRICT

3

YOUR COMMISSIONER: JEFF WILSON REGISTERED VOTERS: 16,839

YOUR COMMISSIONER: DOUG AVERETT REGISTERED VOTERS: 18,098

YOUR COMMISSIONER: ALLAN ERICKSON REGISTERED VOTERS: 18,210

DO YOU KNOW WHO YOUR LINK IS TO THE PORT OF LONGVIEW? Did you know that your voice is working to guide the Port of Longview? In this sense, your voice comes through elected officials who represent your interests on the Port’s Board of Commissioners.

The Port of Longview’s port district is divided into three geographic sub-districts and occupies the northern two-thirds of Cowlitz County, from just north of Kalama to the Lewis County line. A Commissioner is elected from each of these sub-districts to set policy that guides the Port.

Learn more about your Port of Longview commissioners and how you can engage with them directly by visiting our community education website, www.MyPortofLongview.com

* REGISTERED VOTER INFO COURTESY OF COWLITZ COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE

MEET YOUR PORT OF LONGVIEW COMMISSIONERS JEFF WILSON

DOUG AVERETT

COMMISSION MEETINGS ALLAN ERICKSON

SECRETARY, DIST. #1

PRESIDENT, DIST. #2

VICE PRESIDENT, DIST. #3

Long-time local business owner and resident, Jeff Wilson was elected in 2016 to serve as a Commissioner through 2021.

Former Port Director of Terminal Operations, Doug Averett was elected to the Board in 2017 and serves through 2024.

Allan Erickson was selected by the Commission in 2018 to fulfill the remainder of the District 3 term, through 2019.

Regular meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month at 10:00 am and are open to the public.

Meeting times are subject to change.

For more information, visit portoflongview.com

January Ambassador of the Month Ashley Lachney Cowlitz County Event Center Event Coordinator

Coordinator Center of Events and Honor Ashley Lachney was named January’s Ambassador of the Month.

She serves as the event coordinator for Cowlitz County Event Center and is a business owner. It is her first time to receive the honor.

Your favorite Ambassador story? I’ve not been around long enough for stories yet, but I’m sure it will involve Chris Roewe.

“I became an Ambassador in June of 2018 because I love networking opportunities and supporting new businesses within our community," she said. “I also love being able to create something with a team of people, so working on Chamber events is an honor I hold close to my heart.”

What are you most proud of? I’m most proud of owning my own home, owning my own small business (Alston Mayger Events), and my role at the event center.

Below are her answers to our questions.

Family: Mom is Patty Stevens, who worked at the Chamber for years!

Married to husband Garrett (9-16-17), and have an Italian Greyhound (Martin) How long have your been an Ambassador? Since June 2018 What prompted you to be an Ambassador? I love the networking opportunities that being an Ambassador holds, and getting to create something with a team of people (whether that’s an event, a ribbon cutting, or something else) is always a blast.

What do you like most about volunteering with the Ambassadors? I like putting on events and getting to interact with the public as a united body of professionals.

Do you volunteer with any other organizations? No

What do you like to do for fun? See shows at the Keller in Portland, go to restaurants I’ve never been to before, visit The Allison in Newberg, Ore., watch Netflix, or play “scary hands” with Martin.

Birthday date: Nov. 27 Favorite snack? Trolli Sour Bright Crawlers Chamber Ambassadors, known as the Red Coats, are an integral part of the Chamber of Commerce. The Ambassador team is made up of active Chamber volunteers whose responsibilities include meeting and greeting at Chamber events, welcoming new members and assisting at ribbon cuttings and community events. Ambassadors juggle busy professional careers while making time to assist the Chamber at a variety of events year long. If you would be interested in wearing a red coat and representing the Chamber, contact CEO Bill Marcum at the Chamber office.

Business & Corporation Law

Attorney Michael Claxton Licensed in WA & OR

Attorney Brian Brault LL.M. in Taxation

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• Formation, Reorganization, and Dissolution • Mergers and Acquisitions • Purchases and Sales • Succession Planning

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New Members Add your business to our growing membership – Call 360-423-8400 Today!

Huntington Learning Center Danielle Johnston 760 I Ocean Beach Hwy. Longview, WA 98632 360-430-0093 johnstond@hotmail.com

MiCo Fiberglass Kathryn Millard 6751 NE 63rd St., Ste. 103-298 Vancouver, WA 98661 360-513-8032 Info@micofiberglass.com

Business Association with opportunities to promote trade through Chamber socials, special events and committee participation.

Prudential Advisors Kyle Strum 1322 Commerce Ave., Suite 110 Longview, WA 98632 360-232-8482 Kyle.strum@prudential.com

Representation through action committees, candidate forums and up-to-date action alerts.

• Legislative Representation

• Annual Meeting and Banquet

• Issues Tracking and Information

• Networking Events

• Task Forces

• Committee Participation

• Candidate Forums

• Business Contacts

• Legislative Update Breakfast

• Quarterly Membership Meetings

• Demographics Publication

• Civic Representation • Monthly Business After Hours Business Services include marketing for your business, referrals and access to Chamber publications and research data.

• Mailing Labels • Membership Window Decals • Member Referrals • Ribbon Cutting • Website Links • Member to Member Discounts • Membership Directory • Tax Deduction • Newsletter • Business Card Display • Use of Chamber Logo 32 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

Packages Basic Membership Package – $275 or $26 per month.

Bronze Membership Package – $500 or $46.66 per month.

Silver Membership Package – $1,000 or $86.33 per month.

Gold Membership Package – $2,500 or $211.33 per month.

Platinum Membership Package – $5,000 or $416.66 per month.

Diamond Club Membership Package – $10,000 or $834 per month.

Nonprofit Package – $180 or $18 per month.

Welcome Back!

The Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce would like to give a SHOUT OUT and a big THANK YOU to the following loyal members for renewing their partnership with us.

Acupuncture Northwest Budget Blinds of Longview Columbia Bank – Longview Branch Columbia Funeral Service Columbia River Carpet One Columbia Wellness Continental Investors Services, Inc. DeFrancisco Lampitt and Brado, PS DSU Peterbilt GL Booth – JG Davis & Associates Green Hills Crematory – Cascade NW Funeral Chapel Kay Green Lower Columbia Contractors Association Signature Transport, Inc. State Farm Insurance – Scott Fischer Summerland Catering Services Teague's Interiors Locally Owned, Family Owned and Here to Stay!

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Chamber Connection

Spring Training

Julie Hendricks with Interfor sharing about their Hiring Expo Jan. 29. Grady Tweit and Kevin Taylor are gearing up for the season with the Cowlitz Black Bears.

Lloyd Smith explains how Faithful Servants and Early Edition Rotary are helping men released from incarceration get acclimated to our community. Patrick Locke with Early Words Toastmasters Club No. 3657 in Longview invites listeners to join, and Goodwill Work Opportunity Center of Cowlitz County's Tori Skinner, business development manager, and Jennifer Milliren, business development coordinator, talk about providing job ready skills for local people looking for employment.

34| Kelso Longview Business Connection | February 2019

Chamber Connection

Kalei LaFave with Sleep Center closes out a busy January on air.

Cowlitz PUD's Teedara Garn talking about the Lower Columbia Professionals Cattywampus Carnival.

Lloyd and Helen Smith with Faithful Servant and Chaplin Ken Roberts.

“Your Chamber Connection� EVERY Wednesday

Stream live at www.kedoam.com Local guest and current events

Hosts of the Show: Carey Mackey, Red Canoe Credit Union; Karen Sisson, Stewart Title; and Russ Chittock, Enlivant Would you like an opportunity to be on Your Chamber Connection or to have more information about the qualifications of an open house or ribbon cutting? Contact Bill or Amy at the Chamber 360-423-8400 February 2019 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 35

Business Connection Advertising Rates Effective January 1, 2018 Kelso-Longview Business Connection monthly newsletter is published the first of each month, posted electronically on our website and over 6,400 emailed to local business professionals, city and county officials.

To be included in this monthly email, simply call the Chamber office at 360-423-8400.

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All ads include full color and any design work. Deadline is the 21st of the month prior to publication. Digital files: PDF (preferred), Tiff and JPEG (high resolution). Non-Members of the Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce please add 30% to above rates.

To advertise or request additional information please contact Amy Hallock at 360-423-8400 or ahallock@kelsolongviewchamber.org or CEO Bill Marcum at 360-423-8400 or bmarcum@kelsolongviewchamber.org.

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