July 2018 Business Connections

July

2018

Volume 10, Issue 7

Business Connection Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce

The Signature Transport team lines up a birdie putt at Three Rivers Golf Course during the Chamber's golf tournament.

The team took third place in the Gross Division.

Chamber CEO’s Message

By Bill Marcum

Tournament sizzles in many ways

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Team Bill Marcum, CEO

T

Amy Hallock Project Manager

he Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Chamber Golf Classic June 18 at Three Rivers Golf Course. We had a full field of 136 golfers from more than 80 businesses for this fun event. The weather was perfect, okay, maybe a little bit warm at 82 degrees, but the breeze made it perfect.

Pam Fierst Office Manager Joelle Wilson Social Media Services

Special thank you to our tournament sponsor Stirling Honda. This is the eighth straight year Stirling Honda has been our presenting tournament sponsor.

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

Red Canoe Credit Union gave everyone on Hole 1 a club advantage.

The Shamrock Grill and Spirits and Jon Rodman provided this year’s lunch and staff did an incredible job preparing the burgers for all the golfers. WOW! Thank you Jon. C’s Photography was there to take photos of every participating team. Photographers rushed back to the studio, then to Reprographics for printing so we could have them back by the awards dinner. Whew! And it For more Golf Classic, see page 3

T hank You to our 2018 Sponsors Title Sponsor Hole 1 Red Canoe Credit Union

Par 3, Hole 15 United Way

Hole 2 Longview Eye Clinic

Hole 16 Les Schwab

Par 3, Hole 3 Comcast

Par 3, Hole 17 ServPro Longview

Hole 4 Riverwoods Chiropractic

Hole 18 Koelsch Senior Communities

Hole 5 Cowlitz River Rigging

Beverage Cart Cascade Networks/Wave

Hole in One Express Employment Professionals

Hole 6 Three Rivers Eye Clinic

Putting Contest Fibre Federal Credit Union

Dinner Sponsor Twin City Bank

Par 3, Hole 7 Futcher Group CPAs

Tee Prize

Dessert Sponsor Coldwell Banker - Bain

Photo Sponsors Reprographics Propel Insurance C’s Photography CalPortland Service Masters JTS Raffle Sponsor Cascade Title

Hole 8 Columbia Ford

Registration Table Cowlitz County Title

Hole 9 Kentucky Fried Chicken PeaceHealth Foundation

Scoreboard Sponsor Stewart Title

Hole 10 Edward Jones - Nick Lemiere

Lunch Sponsors Shamrock Grill & Spirits NW Innovations

Special Thank You to: Dave Taylor, Master of Ceremonies

Hole 11 D and C Lemmons

19th Hole Sponsor Signature Transport

Kelso Longview Elks Lodge staff

Hole 12 State Farm—Scott Fisher

Cart Sponsor Columbia River Carpet One

Lance Satcher and the Pro Shop Staff

Hole 13 Brown and Brown Insurance

Ice Cream Sponsor Imboden for Judge

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce

Hole 14 Millennium Bulk Terminals

Cup Sponsor Prudential

Ambassadors and Volunteers

Golf Classic, continued from page 1

Bryce Lemmons was a winner.

Grillin' up some tasty grub.

Cowlitz Black Bears team finished 2nd Gross with a 59.

came off beautifully. Thank you to our photo sponsors, Propel Insurance, CalPortland and ServiceMasters JTS. We gave away more than 60 donated items for the raffle and auction at the awards banquet. All in all we had 35-plus sponsors and 25 volunteers to help make this a full day of fun. For a complete list of our hole, cart and photograph sponsors and much, much more please see page 2, and thank you to all of you for your sponsorship.

Some of our participants had played golf before and they played well enough to capture a trophy. In the Gross Division, first place went to the team from North/South Partners; second place went to the Cowlitz Black Bears, and third place went to Signature Transport. In the Net Division, first place went to Brown and Brown; second place to Woods Logging and third place to the Gibbs & Olson team.

I also want to say thank you to the Golf Classic Committee of Dave Taylor, Barry Verrill, Clay Bartness and Karen Sisson. We start working on this tournament in March, meeting every other week until May and then switch to weekly meetings to make sure everyone who attends is going to have a fun day.

Special thank you to our Ambassadors. They volunteer for much of the duties. With the hot weather the red coats were optional, but most wore their red polo shirts and assisted with raffle ticket sales and registration. Jackie Evenson and Leslie Bartness volunteered as our hole in one witnesses...to which we did not have a winner in our $10,000 Hole in One contest. GREAT BIG HUGE thank you all. We also did not have a winner in our $5,000 Putting Contest sponsored by Fibre Federal Credit Union, but it was close, really close. Tyler Messenger missed, by less than an inch, holing a 51-foot putt for $5,000.

Foster Farms players having a good time.

I also want to give a shout out to Lance Satcher and his team at the Three Rivers Golf Course, they did an amazing job of setting up the course and making sure all hole sponsors were in place with whatever they needed prior to tee time. The Elks prepared the awards banquet dinner at the course and WOW, was it good. The steaks were a huge hit with everyone. Thank you Rhonda for coordinating the effort.

And finally, but certainly not least, a heartfelt thank you to Chamber staff, Amy, Pam and Joelle. They prepared the tee prize bags (136), checked in the golfers (136), set up registration, worked the dinner and awards selling more raffle tickets, raffling off the prizes, coordinating payments and making sure all our golfers had a good time. It was a full 14-hour day for them. Thank you all very much.

Pam Whittle lined up a clutch putt.

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 3

Cowlitz Economic Development Council

By Ted Sprague CEO

CEDC activities heat up for summer With more than $4 billion in capital investment projects working diligently to locate new jobs in Cowlitz County, the Cowlitz Economic Development Council (CEDC) is working to improve and diversify our local and regional economy. Current projects looking at our community represent a wide variety of industries, countries throughout Europe and Asia are looking to invest in the United States, and the innovations they bring would be welcome partners in our economy.

Many are aware of the large capital investment projects looking at our area but most are not aware of the projects that fly under the radar. This happens for a variety of reasons. The largest reason is when companies are looking at our area; they are also looking at many other locations. We need to be able to put our best foot forward and show these companies that our location, workforce, environment and infrastructure is ideally suited for them.

In some cases, we simply cannot compete due to our lack of incen-

tives or the widely held perception that Washington is not willing to permit manufacturing projects. This is an important point when people come to me about recruiting a Tesla plant or a solar manufacturer or cross laminated timber project. All of these companies have options. If we are not able to show industry, whether existing or ones we are recruiting, that they are welcome here – we will not win these projects. Washington state has one of the most rigorous permitting processes in the United States. As a lifelong citizen of Washington state, I appreciate that fact. A significant problem arises when the permitting process becomes so delayed and expensive companies of all types stop looking at our area as a viable place to do business.

We at the CEDC are proud of our work with local companies, downtowns, workforce development, education and other partners to continue to improve and diversify the economy and better the way of life and quality of place for all who live here.

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

Chris Bailey Lower Columbia College

Wendy Kosloski Teague's Interiors

Bianca Lemmons, Vice President

Clayton J. Bartness, DC Longview Chiropractic Clinic

Nancy Malone Mayor of Kelso

Neil Zick, Treasurer

Ken Botero Longview City Council

Bruce Pollock Bicoastal Media

Bob Crisman Gallery of Diamonds

Tom Rozwod NORPAC/Weyerhaeuser

Wendy Hutchinson Millennium Bulk Terminals

Ted Sprague Cowlitz Economic Development Council

Marlene Johanson Heritage Bank

Dennis Weber Cowlitz County Commissioner

Foster Farms

Cowlitz County Title Twin City Bank

Michael Claxton, Legal Counsel Walstead Mertsching

Nick Lemiere, Executive Board Edward Jones Chris Roewe, Executive Board Woodford Commercial Real Estate

4 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

Cowlitz County Commissioners

Calendar Wednesday July 4 Office closed Monday

By Arne Mortensen

Landfill decision coming to a head

July 9 – Noon Government Affairs Lunch Bill Fashing, Housing Issue Mill City Grill Tuesday July 10 – Noon Chamber Executive Board Mill City Grill July 10 – 5:30-7:30pm Business After Hours Community Home Health & Hopsice Saturday July 14 – 10am Ribbon Cutting Catelyn’s Place Salon and Day Spa 98 Minor Rd, Ste B, Kelso Thursday July 19 – 7:30-8:30am Ambassadors Meeting Columbia Bank Tuesday July 24 – Noon Chamber Board Meeting Mill City Grill Friday August 3 – 5:30-8pm Island Bingo Elks Lodge Tickets: kelsolongviewchamber.org Every Wednesday Chamber Connections KEDO/1400 AM or 99.1 FM 3-4pm Stream live at www.kedoam.com

Whether the county should continue as operator of the Headquarters Landfill remains the key question in the county, and, given the huge amount of money involved, it is no surprise that battle lines are drawn. But what is surprising is the amount of deliberate misinformation being put forth by people who know better. Equally surprising are the number of people who accept these false claims without further investigation.

It seems that the county may be sacrificed to familial and collegial entanglements.

In addition to the guaranteed income and sharing of the gross fees under a landfill operating contract with Republic Services (RSG), something that the county as operator cannot match, there is significant risk mitigation that RSG offers.

One area of risk mitigation that has had little to no exposure is that of a potential closure of Headquarters Landfill due to acts of God or political games in Olympia. Examples of the former include Mount St. Helens erupting again or enough winter weather to close access to the landfill for months. An example of the latter is a ruling by the Legislature that all landfills west of the Cascades will have to close down within, say, five years.

For 2018, the county took $3 million from the landfill and $2.5 million from the road fund just to balance the budget. If the landfill becomes unusable, the county still is obligated to pay the approximately $2.4 million annual bond service, but there would be no money from the landfill to make the payment. The county would literally be out $5.4 million annually, with no recourse. Compounding the problem, where will our trash go? We would have to pay market rates, say, to Waste Management or Republic, which means our rates likely would double.

A properly written contract with Republic would shift that risk to Republic. It would be like the county buying insurance, but in this case, Republic would be paying us. Why would they do that? They have the largest landfill in

Washington state, the Roosevelt Landfill. They would shift the waste to Roosevelt until such time as they could rectify the situation at the Headquarters Landfill. That works because they have a reasonable recourse to allow them to cope with an unlikely event.

The county bought the landfill at taxpayer expense, over the objection of the taxpayers. The history is a bit clouded, but the discussion of a “sale” (on the table is an operator agreement not a sale) actually goes at least as far back as October 2015. A June 2017 letter from four former commissioners suggests that getting an outside operator for the landfill is acceptable.

While the decision is a simple yes or no, the considerations are many and complex. Just the market dynamics of a waste stream requires dedicated expertise to manage. Did you know that last year 675,000 tons of material went into the Headquarters Landfill? Of that, a little more than 300,000 tons came from outside the county at substantially below market rates and below the rates citizens of Cowlitz County pay. That is an alarming indicator of the county’s ability to tap into the waste stream market.

The RSG starting point for negotiations is almost too good to be true; if we get that far, the contract phase with RSG will involve refinement, to the advantage of the county, of the concepts already presented in several public meetings. That contract will codify the terms and make the almost too good to be true agreement a reality.

The Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) is scheduled to meet on July 10, at which time they may issue a recommendation of whether the county should continue to operate the landfill, or Republic Services should be engaged in contract negotiations to operate the landfill.

I hope to get a public hearing by late July for a vote by the BoCC. If that vote favors the publicprivate partnership, then contract negotiations begin, with a target for a January 2019 handover.

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 5

City of Kelso

City of Longview

By Mayor David Futcher

By City Councilman Ken Botero

Kelso's finances are healthy

Why do I want to live there?

We were recently presented with a summary of 2017 that gives the community an interesting picture of the city’s financial standing.

Okay, “interesting” is relative. I’m an accountant by day, so this stuff is illogically exciting to me.

Why do people, especially talented creative people, who have an abundance of choices, opt to live in certain places? What draws people to some places and not other places?

Overall, Kelso is in a very solid financial position. For 2017, our revenues came in stronger than expected, and we didn’t spend as much money as we’d planned. The combination of these items left us with what we’d call in the private sector a profit. I noted at the meeting that this profit has been declining over the last three years, so it’s time to slow down our spending.

We have excellent finance staff and a city manager that take a very conservative approach to budgeting at the city, so that we don’t commit ourselves to spend more than we can be assured we’ll have.

And after having been through the recession, we have focused on building a cushion to help us through future downturns. We shoot to have about two months of expenses in reserves, and at the end of last year, our general fund balance is roughly twice that target.

I believe the role of government should not be to tax its people to simply build up huge bank accounts, but we should establish reasonable operating reserves. Once those have been funded, any excesses should be used to reduce taxes or to provide additional services or capital investment. Personally, I have a tendency to prefer one-time type expenses over using the funds for recurring expenses like expanding staff, because we’re not sure that future years will provide the same financial results, and we want to be able to commit to new staff positions for more than this year.

Locally Owned, Family Owned and Here to Stay!

Offering the best in quality and selection.

Generally speaking, people think of quality of place as providing three key dimensions: ➢ What’s there? The combination of the built environment along with the natural environment, a stimulating, appealing setting for the pursuit of creative lives. ➢ Who lives there? Diverse people of all ethnicities, nationalities, religions and sexual orientations, interacting and providing clear cues that this is a community where anyone can fit in and make a difference. ➢ What’s going on? The activity of the street life, restaurant culture, arts, music and the presence of people in the community engaging in many outdoor activities.

If you are one of those many talented and creative people looking for that quality of place, we invite you to tour the jewel of southwest Washington where you will find those interrelated set of experiences.

When we look for the built environment and the natural environment we need only to look around the community and notice the beautiful Lake Sacajawea as you enter the City of Longview and the wonderful variety of trees that provide for the honor of being classified a Tree City USA. Look around at the surrounding green hills and valleys along the mighty Columbia River.

While enjoying the beautiful atmosphere notice how willingly the community work together. No matter what nationality, religion, or sexual orientation you may play in your life, Longview, can be that quality of place. Look at the positive, beautiful and exciting activities from the downtown core with all of its historic buildings including the famous Columbia Theatre. There’s the fantastic street activity with places like the Broadway Gallery and community theater at Stageworks Northwest. There is also the excitement on our Lower Columbia College campus with its concerts, plays and sports, including our LCC championship baseball team as well as our Black Bears summer baseball team. There are also an abundance of walking, running and bicycling activities provided by our Longview Parks and Recreation Department, which do an outstanding job of maintaining the many neighborhood parks in the community.

At the center of the community you will find history aplenty around RA Long Park and Civic Circle with the historic Monticello Hotel, the post office and the Longview library with its authentic Shay locomotive.

1413 Commerce Ave.

360-575-9804

www.elamshf.com

6 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

So, if you are looking to join the many talented and creative people in finding a quality of place, stop and visit Longview with its many attributes and small businesses that make memories.

Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce presents:

Island Bingo in partnership with:

Kelso/Longview Lodge #1482

Friday, August 3, 2018 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm Kelso/Longview Elks • 900 Ash St., Kelso

Beat the heat with some hot Island Bingo!

Help support the Chamber and raise funds for our annual scholarships!

Win Prizes!

Food! Drink! Lots of Fun!

Regular Tickets – $20

Includes 20 Bingo game cards and heavy appetizers.

VIP Tickets - $35

Includes 40 Bingo Game Cards, heavy appetizers, a personalized dauber and a drink ticket.

Contact Amy at the Chamber: 360-423-8400.

Tickets available at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org Like us on Facebook and keep up with our events! www.facebook.com/kelsolongviewchamber

Follow us on Instagram www.instagram.com/ kelsolongviewchamber

Workforce Southwest Washington

By Alyssa Joyner Cowlitz Wakhiakum Outreach Specialist

11 ways your company can benefit by hiring veterans

At all times, but especially around the Fourth of July, it is appropriate to thank our veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. One meaningful way to do that is to consider hiring veterans for your open jobs. Many veterans have qualities, skills and experience that will benefit your business.

10. Save money. Tax breaks are available when you hire veterans.

•

Federal tax savings. Save money on your federal taxes when you hire eligible veterans through the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. Learn more at https://www. doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/wotcEmployers. cfm.

•

Wage reimbursement. Your company may qualify for up to $5,000 in wage reimbursement if the veteran you hire receives on-the-job-training. WorkSource must screen the candidate and certify they are eligible for the program before their first day of work with your company. Contact WorkSource for assistance.

•

5. Leadership. Veterans are trained to lead and understand how to manage for results in tough situations.

B&O or PUT credit. Receive a credit against your Business and Occupation (B&O) tax or Public Utility Tax (PUT) from the Washington State Department of Revenue when you hire an unemployed veteran. Go to https://dor. wa.gov/content/hiring-unemployed-veterans-bo-tax-andput-credit for information.

6. Integrity. Veterans know how to work hard and some have had security clearance, meaning your company can benefit from their track record of trustworthiness.

11. If you’ve hired a veteran since January 1, 2017, consider signing up for the YesVets program to be recognized for your support. Go to www.YesVets.org for details.

7. Diversity and inclusion. Veterans have worked cooperatively with individuals from diverse backgrounds regardless of race, gender, geographic origin, ethnic background, religion, economic status or ability.

To learn more about these programs or for assistance hiring veterans, contact WorkSource Business Solutions Representative Donna Hughes at dhughes@esd.wa.gov or 360-578-4259.

8. Conscious of health and safety standards. Their extensive training makes veterans aware of health and safety standards for themselves and the welfare of others.

Alyssa Joyner, a Navy veteran, is the Cowlitz Wahkiakum Outreach Specialist for Workforce Southwest Washington. She develops partnerships and improves the access of businesses, education and training providers and community organizations to public workforce system programs and services. Reach her at ajoyner@workforcesw.org or 360921-2966.

Here are 11 ways your company could benefit from hiring veterans: 1. Teamwork. The military is all about teamwork. Veterans can blend individual and group productivity.

2. Performance under pressure. Under the stress of tight schedules and limited resources, veterans know how to complete tasks correctly and on time.

3. Decreased learning curve. Veterans possess transferable skills and rapidly adapt to and adopt new skills and concepts.

4. Current with technology. Veterans frequently have experience with the most advanced information and network technology.

9. Respect for structure and procedures. Veterans understand their role within an organization’s hierarchy and accept responsibility and accountability.

8 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

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.

Size

1/16 Page 1/8 Page 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page

1 - 3 Issues

4-7 Issues

8-10 Issues

12 Issues

$110 $175 $205 $325 $625

$90 $140 $170 $290 $570

$70* $105* $140* $245* $480*

$50* $75* $100* $190* $400*

Dimension 2" x 2.5" (*Includes ad on website) 4" x 2.5" (*Includes ad on website) 4" x 5.25" (*Includes ad on website) 4" x 10.5" (V) or 8" x 5.25" (H) 8" x 10.5" (*Includes ad on website)

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

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.

Advertising Agreement

Date: _____________

Business Name: ____________________________________________ Phone: ____________________ Contact Name: ________________________________________ Cell: __________________________ Address: City: ___________________________________________________________Zip_________ Email: ____________________________________________ Fax: _____________________________ Number of Issues: 12 month agreement

Invoice

Credit card

Check

Plus Web Ad: 300W X 100H. Ads can be changed monthly.

Signature__________________________________

Ad Rep Signature___________________________

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

'Don't tell, instead coach and A-S-K!' How am I doing? Remember those moments earlier in your life when you may have asked that question or a similar one of a teacher, friend, or confidant? In many instances, those questions were being asked to open a dialogue, and gather some outside information to confirm that your assessment of your current situation was accurate.

In these challenging, tough and, at times, frightening economic times are you being asked these same questions today by your staff or an employee? Then again, do you model and encourage your staff to ASK (Always Seeking Knowledge) you questions?

How are they doing, coach?

“Coaching” or conversations with your staff are important, particularly in these rapidly changing times, as you develop a concept of team and teamwork. Fostering an “asking” rather than “telling” environment will give support and encouragement to your team.

“Coaching” is not talking to your employees or staff. Rather it is a two-way dialogue or discussion looking at performance, identifying performance obstacles or problems, and developing solutions and action steps. Coaching helps to clarify goals and priorities; minimizes misunderstandings; increases the sense of teamwork through involvement in planning, problem solving, and increased responsibilities; and develops creativity and innovation while enhancing productivity.

All of your staff, both those who are performing well and the rookies, those who are anxious to move to a position of increased responsibility or those who have performance related issues will benefit from coaching. Remember, too, that coaching occurs at a variety of times, in the work environment, in meetings or other group dynamics, in the field, and, of course, one on one.

“Coaching” or opening that two way dialogue with your staff involves three action components – preliminaries (listening), probing (asking), and feedback.

Preliminaries are typically icebreaker in nature and help to put individuals at ease. They also open the conversation to a give and take by identifying the reason or goal for the meeting.

Probing or Always Seeking Knowledge (asking) works to narrow the focus, review the situation, identify the problem and its potential impacts, elicits your employee’s or staff ’s input and ideas, and encourages your employee or staff to develop and review various solutions.

a daily basis, with all the demands on your time, personal contact with your staff can suffer. It’s important to remember that your personal contact with your staff members is vital to them.

Personal contact conveys a sense of importance, and with the personal contact comes a sense of identity (“congratulations on your service call to...”), which in turn is an entree for positive reinforcement and individual motivation.

Coaching affords YOU the opportunity to LISTEN, and foster an atmosphere of open communication. Your people are not the only ones to benefit from coaching (listening). You also get the benefit of free information, which again, has the added benefit of building your sales, management or operations team. Coaching gives your people a regular barometer on their progress, and in some cases, may break their job into various components for reflection, review, revision, and growth. Failure demoralizes an individual and threatens your team and YOU. Coaching enables you to offer direction and guidance and the opportunity to model behavior that BUILDS on successes rather than learning from MISTAKES. Most importantly, it gives emotional support and reinforces the importance of the individual to you and your team.

Last but not least, coaching helps YOU. Coaching empowers employees to build their skill level, operate independently, enhance their performance (due to a clear understanding of goals, expectations, and needed action steps), work as a team, and take risks.

As the coach, you are the leader. How you work with each “team” member, the team as a whole as you deal with the day-to-day problems and setbacks, is watched closely. When you handle all these in a resilient, productive, and healthy manner your team will admire and mirror that attitude with your small business’ customers, clients, vendors and suppliers.

© Murray & Nau, Inc.

Feedback helps to clarify new learning, develop and gain consensus on needed action steps, and reinforce your confidence and support of the plan.

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.

The need and benefits for coaching on a one on one basis are numerous. Coaching the individual calls for personal contact. On

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

10 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

A Safe Setting

Our June 1 Boot Camp focused on how to identify workplace harrassment and how to keep the work environment safe. James Sikora with Landerholm was our speaker.

We look forward to handling your next real estate transaction.

Our Escrow Team…

Why Our Service is the Difference!

lize ecia g p s We movin in os pian

Residential & Commercial

Since 1982, Cowlitz County Title has been the trusted company the community turns to when buying, selling or refinancing a property.

Whether you need title, escrow or property search information, come in for our exceptionalservice. Leave with the secure confidence that your real estate investment is properly insured and protected.

Title Insurance Escrow Service ■ Residential & Commercial ■ 1031 Exchange ■ Locally Owned

Bianca Lemmons VP/Manager/LPO

Deanna Cornelison Escrow Officer/LPO

Shelby Caufman Escrow Officer /LPO

Linda Comley Escrow Officer/LPO

Kristy Norman Escrow Assistant

Tryphena Dalton Escrow Assistant

Phuong Stanyer Escrow Assistant

■

360-992-8702 ancmovers.com

■

1159 14th Avenue, Longview, WA 98632 ■ Phone: 360.423.5330 ■ www.cowlitztitle.com July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 11

Business After Hours Hosted by

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Food, drinks & raffle prizes. Join us!

$15 Admission Fee in advance for Chamber members. $20 at the door.

JULY 10, 2018 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

KEN HENDERSON MEMORIAL GARDEN 1000 - 12th Ave., Longview

Business After Hours

Beautiful evening, beautiful facility.

Happy Anniversary

Aaron Koelsch, Koelsch Communities CEO and founder, talked about the 60 years of family ownership and shared some great stories about his parents Emmett and Alice during our Business After Hours June 12 at Canterbury Inn.

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

Co-sponsor Fire Mountain Grill at 19 Mile put out a great spread.

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 13

Business Toolbox

By Jerry D. Petrick Certified Business Adviser

9 step mid-year financial checkup As the adage goes…the business world is filled with three types of company owners: 1. Those who make their business profitable 2. Those who watch their competitors earn a profit 3. Those who wonder if their business is or will ever be profitable (and are afraid to find out) My guess is you could immediately identify with one of these three types of businesses/owners – perhaps you know one VERY well.

No matter which flavor of business you are part of or responsible for now is a great time to at least eliminate Choice 3; ignorance is not a reasonable excuse when it is SO easy to take your company vital signs and project the likely financial performance of your enterprise. You truly owe it to yourself and those who rely on you to run a profitable business.

I encourage you to take a few minutes to make a handful of easy calculations to provide you with fact-based insights to the financial health of your business.

Gather the following information to prepare your mid-year analysis: • Income Statement for the last calendar year (remember the Income Statement is for a PERIOD of time) [Note: The Income Statement is also referred to as the Profit & Loss (P&L); Statement of Income; Earnings Statement etc.]

• Balance Sheet as of the last day of the period for the Income Statement above (keep in mind the Balance Sheet is a snapshot AS OF A SPECIFIC DATE) • Income Statement for the first half of the year as of June 30, 2018 • Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2018 Once you have this information follow these easy steps to learn/understand: ✓ Where your business stands financially ✓What will the full year likely turn out to be profit wise ✓ What your financial goal are for next fiscal year

STEP A From the Income Statement for last year enter the info as indicated above (I have used a fictitious business to illustrate the calculations).

STEP B From the Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017 enter the info and confirm your Balance Sheet balances (Total Liabilities plus Net Worth MUST EQUAL Total Assets).

STEP C Now we will project how we expect the current year to END financially. PLEASE BE CANDID WITH YOURSELF – Make your estimates as realistic as you can; you are only fooling yourself if you “hope” things will get better.

You can take the first six months of actual performance and determine how this year will look compared to last year. When you project your COGS you can calculate your Gross Margin percentage and see if this year is going to be better/worse/the same as last year. Just these basic calculations will give you an insight to your business’ health compared to the prior year. In the case I have created this sample business is going from break even to losing money.

STEP D

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 14 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

This step lets you focus on how your asset and liability accounts are performing – good news is you still have half a year to make some course corrections and model how they would impact your full year results.

Now the most important analysis will give you powerful indication of the REAL health and wellbeing of your business finances.

Grab your calculator for the next few steps.

For more Petrick, see page 16

presents:

Island Bingo in partnership with:

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Friday, August 3, 2018 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm Kelso/Longview Elks • 900 Ash St., Kelso

Beat the heat with some hot Island Bingo!

Help support the Chamber and raise funds for our annual scholarships!

Game Sponsor – (19) $100 + a prize valued at $100 or more. We will play a total of 19 “regular” bingo games! Game sponsors will have the opportunity to be on all marketing materials, on the photo wall, table at the event, and get two regular tickets to the event.

Black Out Sponsor – (1) $250 + a prize valued at $250 or more. The

Black Out Game Sponsor will be on all marketing materials, on the photo wall, on the radio advertisements, table at the event, and get VIP tickets to the event.

VIP Sponsor

(1) - $350. Let’s make the VIP Ticket holders feel special!

Your sponsorship will allow the VIP Ticket Holders to get a drink ticket and a personalized bingo dauber with your logo! The VIP Sponsor will be on all marketing materials, on the photo wall, on the radio advertisements, table at event, and get four VIP tickets to the event.

Food Sponsor (4) - $500 – You can’t have a party without some good eats!

The Food Sponsor will be on all marketing materials, on the photo wall, on the radio advertisements, have their logo on the food tables, table at the event, and get four VIP tickets to the event.

To grab any of these opportunities, contact the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce

360-423-8400

Petrick, continued from page 14 TAL NET WORTH = DEBT-TO-WORTH RATIO. This measure indicates the amount of leverage in the business; the lower the ratio the more of your business YOU own (less debt/leverage).

INVETORY TURNOVER – a critical measure for a business that sells products; it measures how efficiently the business turns inventory to cash. The calculation is: COGS/Inventory = Inventory Turnover (turns).

Note: The “inventory” used in this calculation should be the average inventory level held by the business. For last year we could say we ‘“turned our inventory four times last year.”

GMROI – GROSS MARGIN RETURN ON INVESTMENT measures the ability for the firm to turn inventory to cash! One of the most important goals of the business is to efficiently and quickly turn inventory to cash. We calculate this way: GROSS MARGIN ($)/AVERAGE INVENTORY AT COST = GMROI. The way to interpret the GMROI is that a ratio higher than 1 means the firm is selling merchandise for more than what it costs the firm to acquire it. A common goal in a retail setting is a GMROI of 3.2 or higher to ensure overhead and profit are well covered.

STEP F Now, project the end of the year ratios based on the first half actuals AND any changes you implement during the second half. Follow the same formulas – make sure you document your assumptions and take the improvement actions you identified based on the first six months of actual financial performance this year.

STEP E There are truly hundreds of financial ratios and indices used across various industries; I encourage you to begin with the most fundamental metrics to learn about and manage your business. Sort of like starting with blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature when you go to the doctor. We can always dig deeper as/if needed.

Let’s calculate your business’ “Current Ratio”: We are asking the question…how much money do I have to pay the bills?

CURRENT RATIO - The calculation is: CURRENT ASSETS/CURRENT LIABILITIES = CURRENT RATIO Read the result as “for every $1 of current liabilities (bills due in the next year) I have $X.XX available to pay it”. In this case (last year), for every $1 of bills this business has $1.25 to pay them. As you can imagine, the more money there is to pay the bills the better – the more “liquid” your business finances are.

WORKING CAPITAL – The calculation is: CURRENT ASSETS – CURRENT LIABLITIES = WORKING CAPITAL Naturally, the amount of working capital a business has is a good measure of its liquidity, efficiency, and overall financial health.

DEBT-TO-WORTH – The calculation is: TOTAL LIABLITIES/TO16 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

For more Petrick, see page 17

Petrick, continued from page 16 Deciding on Realistic Assumptions for Projections/Targets Before we attempt to calculate goals and targets for next year we need to get clear and realistic about our assumptions for the business. Since we just spent time analyzing our most recent performance we should be able to capture some specific assumptions upon which we will build our projections. Here are some assumptions we made for this sample business: ö Sales will continue to fall ö Margins will continue to shrink ö All the “obvious/low hanging” expense cuts have been made already ö We will not be able to borrow money due to our lack of profitability ö Vendors will not likely offer more friendly terms ö WE ARE COMMITTED TO TURN THIS BUSINESS AROUND! Strategies to Survive

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• Reduce the Debt-to-Worth Ratio • Increase Inventory Turnover to improve cash flow • Continue to reduce expenses FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL! STEP G Start with the ratios – fill in reasonable targets that you determine will make the most positive impact on your business; in this case the business has decided to reduce the Debt-to-Worth ratio; and increase Inventory Turnover.

So we set target ratios that we believe are attainable.

STEP H Calculate COGS and inventory based on the target ratios.

STEP I Select sales level based on assumption of falling sales and reducing margins – these allow the other components to be calculated to complete your targets.

We plan to cut expenses 10 percent – so we can calculate the P&L based on that.

This effort can seem challenging but once you’ve started to examine your business you will quickly learn much of what you assumed is not supported by the numbers.

If you want help taking the next step in applying these methods to your business just contact me for a confidential appointment to discuss your situation. Our advisory services are provided at no cost to you thanks, in part, to a cooperative agreement between the US Small Business Administration and Washington State University.

This article was compiled using multiple sources, including those from the Retail Owners Institute (retailowner.com) by Jerry Petrick, MBA, and Certified Business Adviser with the Washington State University Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Longview. Jerry provides nocost, confidential business advisory services by appointment. He can be reached via email jerry.petrick@wsbdc.org

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 17

Longview Downtowners

By Lindsey Cope President

Longview Downtowners: It's a team effort

The Longview Downtowners held its yearly election for executive officers for the 2018-19 fiscal year in May and are thrilled to announce our new board: President:

Lindsey Cope, Cowlitz Economic

Development Council (CEDC) 1st Vice President:

Marc Silva, Columbia Bank

2nd Vice President:

Lonnie Knowles, Community Advocate

Secretary:

Stephanie McGraw, marketing

The Office 842/Silver Star/Triangle Tavern

Treasurer:

Lorie Bickar, Heritage Bank

We would like to thank their predecessors for an excellent 201718 fiscal year and all their advocacy and passion for the Longview Downtowners. Thank you Kevin Hunter, Allan Rudberg, Wendy Kosloski, Dawn Gregg and Lorie Bickar.

For many years, a large fundraising effort was spearheaded by Dawn Gregg with the Soap Factory for the beautiful shopping bags and hanging flower baskets. Wendy Kosloski with Teague’s Interiors has been instrumental for her hosting of the annual gingerbread

contest and other fundraising efforts, as well. Thank you!

The Longview Downtowners are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Membership is open to all businesses, individuals or organizations interested in the promotion, preservation and development of the downtown area. Membership dues are $25 per year. Monthly meetings are open to the public and take place on the second Tuesday of each month at 8 a.m. Our July membership meeting is scheduled for July 12 at the Olde Creekside Café.

Upcoming downtown events include, but are not limited to: The Bow Tie Bash Car Show, July 7; our second Clean Up Downtown event, July 14 from 8 to 10 a.m.; Crafted Brew Fest in RA Long Park, July 21; Rustic Rubble, August 11; and we will also be hosting a scavenger hunt downtown with shuttle service to Squirrel Fest August 18.

If you are interested in being a part of the Longview Downtowners, please contact Lindsey Cope at the CEDC – cope@cowlitzedc.com or 360-423-9921. You can keep up with our events at www.facebook. com/longviewdowntowners.

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Lower Columbia College

By Chris Bailey President

LCC: An environment built for learning

Lower Columbia College (LCC) clearly has a unique culture and feel. It’s a mission driven culture: an environment built for learning.

clarify the path to completion for students, do more up-front career exploration and preparation and do more intensive advising.

Back in 2011, LCC’s Board of Trustees “codified” the college’s long-standing commitment to student success and completion. The Board’s goal was to ensure that all decisions were made through the lens of “Is this good for students?” Moreover, the Board of Trustees also wanted to ensure that our decisions continue to reflect the LCC “core values” of integrity, respect, collaboration, cooperation, inclusion and innovation.

These commitments, and our successes have led to a “tribal pride” and a healthy and caring educational and work environment. Student satisfaction surveys show a high recognition and appreciation for the student success efforts at LCC. Here’s a link to some positive statements from our students this past year:

The results have been affirming. Lower Columbia College has received national recognition for its student success and completion efforts. Our fall-to-fall persistence rates and our student completion rates have skyrocketed. That means more and more students are leaving LCC with a credential or degree, adding value to their lives.

LCC has become a high touch, nurturing organization that believes in the value of each and every one of its students.

So what does “student-focused” decision-making look like? It led LCC to create its Student Success Fund. The college has raised nearly $1 million to provide approximately $50,000 per year to allocate among students in need of a small grant or grants to keep them in school. It led to the use of alternative educational resources (low cost or no cost text books) that have resulted in more than $1 million of savings in textbook costs for our students over the past three years.

It also led faculty, staff and students to address food insecurity by creating a food pantry on the campus.

In terms of facilities, student-focused decision-making means creating lots of informal study space on campus, and designing new buildings that put study space close to faculty offices. Students who stay on campus and study tend to do better and to persist and complete at higher rates. It also means building state-of-the-art learning facilities like our Health and Science Building. It means getting an Economic Development Administration grant to stock the building with the best science equipment available for our learners. It means instituting initiatives like the “Guided Pathways” Initiative where we

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20 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

https://lowercolumbia.edu/future/students-say.php Similarly, the environment has made for a great place to work.

Here’s a link to personal statements on why our employees love LCC: https://lowercolumbia.edu/jobs/faculty-staff-say.php Research shows that Lower Columbia College is truly a great place to work! Employees at LCC report higher satisfaction than faculty and staff at other colleges across the nation. https://lowercolumbia.edu/jobs/employee-satisfaction.php Lower Columbia College will continue to put students first. We will continue to be mission-driven. We are “LCC Proud!”

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Kelso School District

Longview Public Schools

Superintendent Mary Beth Tack

Superintendent Dan Zorn

Building schools is a community effort

Graduation: Seek beauty and joy of life

In order to pass the bond and levy this past February that allows us to make needed improvements to our schools and continue vital programs for our students, we looked to our community for a great deal of support and involvement. We are so grateful to the voters of Kelso for supporting both initiatives and are now on the joyful task of building three new elementary schools to replace Wallace, Beacon Hill and Catlin. As we begin the two-and-a-half-year process (per school), we continue to involve many voices – including parents, teachers, community members and staff – to ensure we’re doing the best we can do to create engaging and safe learning spaces for our kids.

Last month, Longview high schools graduated 437 seniors in front of proud family members and friends. It was my honor to address the crowds gathered on Saturday, June 16 at Longview Memorial Stadium for Mark Morris and RA Long high schools commencement ceremonies. Exercises for our Discovery High School students took place Tuesday, June 12 at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. I am incredibly proud of all of our students and staff and would like to share the message that I presented at this year’s graduation ceremonies.

The first step in the process was to create an education specification for each school. It began with an information-gathering activity where the school district staff, teachers and community members worked with the architects to define the goals and guiding principles that will govern the entire design process. Meeting weekly through May and part of June, the ed-spec team explored critical functional and spatial relationships within each of the three elementary schools and studied how the new facilities can best meet the needs of students. They also toured three new schools in the Portland area to see examples of state-of-the-art facilities and get ideas for what’s possible.

The ed-specs produced by the team include the critical information about all spaces, including the number and sizes of classrooms and other teaching spaces, gym size and performance requirements, offices, cafeteria and food service facilities, parking and drop-off facilities, site safety and security, and so much more. These specifications ensure that the new schools will meet district standards for capacity, technology, quality and performance, and ensures alignment between curriculum standards and learning settings. The architects will take the next few weeks to synthesize all of this information into the final education specification for each school that will be followed through the design and build stages.

To further the work, a design team, also made up of community members, teachers and staff, has been convened for each new school.

The role of these teams will be to guide the work of the architects in exploring solutions that meet district requirements, adhere to the guiding principles and the education specifications, and reflect the unique needs of each of the three school communities. Teams for Wallace and the new school on the Lexington site (replacing Catlin) will begin meeting in August and the design process will most likely be complete in October.

“I think we are off to a very promising start,” said Patrick Donnelly, architect and senior associate on the project. “Leadership from the district has been excellent, and the teams have been engaged in the ed-spec dialogue and very creative in imagining the possibilities for the new schools.”

For updates on our progress, visit WeAreKelso.org.

On behalf of the Longview Public Schools, I’d like to welcome each of you to this graduation ceremony. This is an incredibly important day for our students. Their high school graduation is their first step into a bright and boundless future. Thank you for all that each of you have done to support them in this accomplishment.

As I reflect upon the world our students will enter, I would describe it as a place of challenge, discord, beauty, and incredible joy. I challenge our graduates to enter this world ready to persevere through the challenges, engage respectfully with whom you might disagree, revel in the beauty that surrounds, and seek the joy that can be found.

Beauty and joy are everywhere but are often veiled by the challenges faced, and the conflict experienced in our daily lives. Breaking through this veil requires a steadfast commitment to actively seek and purposefully choose to find the beauty and joy of life.

Beauty can be found in the family and friends held dear, in the forests and water that surrounds, in the music heard, in the gardens planted, in the friendships made, or in the art created.

Joy can be found in the skip of a happy child, in the sunlight on our backs, in the sound of the rain on the roof on a cold winter night, in the smile of a friend. It can be found in the exhaustion that comes from a hard and honest day’s work, in the love of a family, in the books read, in the lessons learned, or in the relationships created.

Through a focus upon persevering through challenges, engaging respectfully, reveling in beauty, and seeking joy, the promise that this world holds can be realized.

I challenge each graduate to remain steadfast in your resolve, apply the lessons you have learned, and remain open to the beauty and joy that surrounds you. Today, enjoy your celebrations, embrace the love you share, and accept the adulation that comes from the achievement and perseverance that is represented by the high school diploma you have earned. As you move on, a beautiful and joyful world awaits if you simply step into that world with a willing desire to seek and find the beauty and joy that is abundantly present.

Good luck and please be safe. Thank you.

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 21

Ribbon Cuttings

Celebrating 60 Years

Chamber Ambassadors helped celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Koelsch Senior Community Canterbury Inn.

Online Ordering

Beginning June 20, customers are able to order groceries online at Walmart.com, then pick them up at the Longview Walmart store on 7th Avenue.

Business Coach

Ambassadors welcomed Mary Cranston of Performance Coaching to the Chamber in June.

Mary helps a business' employees deal with life’s struggles so they can continue performing on the job. She aids employees in handling stress and being happy and productive.

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

22 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

June Ambassador of the Month Erika Agren Futcher-Henry CPA Group

Committment to thrive, Ambassador's drive HOW LONG HAVE YOUR BEEN AN AMBASSADOR? Since August 2013 WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO BE AN AMBASSADOR? And WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT VOLUNTEERING WITH THE AMBASSADORS? I have a strong commitment to seeing our local community thrive. I’ve lived here all my life and plan to stay, so I want this to be a great place to live, work, and play. Through the Chamber I’ve learned about the diversity of businesses and activities we have here in our local area and I want to help educate others as to what our community has to offer. I feel we are up against a mindset that you just can’t get goods/services here – that you have to go out of town for them. The more Chamber members I meet the more untrue I believe that to be. As an Ambassador, I’ve enjoyed becoming more knowledgeable in what our local community has to offer. I enjoy helping promote our community and helping businesses make connections with other businesses and customers. And I really enjoy meeting and getting to know people!

YOUR FAVORITE AMBASSADOR STORY? This summer there was an After Hours event at the Mint Valley Golf Course and since this was an outdoor event, of course it rained. I dug up some items from my car – yellow rain boots and something called a “stadium

blanket”, which is hard to describe but is kind of like a water resistant snuggy blanket. Anyway, I know I looked totally silly but the outfit was a great conversation starter and I ended up having a great time.

That’s the best thing about the Ambassador group – we make the best of it and always have fun!

DO YOU VOLUNTEER WITH ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS? I am on the Board of Directors for Life Works – a local nonprofit agency serving people with developmental disabilities.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN? I really enjoy laughing and having a good time with friends and family but I like to balance all my socializing out with a quiet day at home reading and watching old movies.

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.

LeeRoy Parcel Manager/LPO leeroy@cascade-title.com

Alison Peters Bonnie Woodruff Diane Kenneway Dennis Bird Escrow Officer/LPO Escrow Officer/LPO Escrow Assistant Senior Title Officer alison@cascade-title.com bonnie@cascade-title.com diane@cascade-title.com dennis@cascade-title.com

Lindsey McTimmonds Marketing/Recording recording@cascade-title.com

1425 Maple St. Longview, WA 98632 360.425.2950 www.cascade-title.com

Connie Bjornstrom Receptionist/Typist connie@cascade-title.com

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 23

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

Happy Kids Dentistry 1717 Olympia Way, Suite 108 Longview, WA 98632 Catelyn’s Place Salon & Day Spa Meghan Encke 98 B Minor Road Kelso, WA 98626

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

• Annual Meeting and Banquet • Networking Events • Committee Participation • Business Contacts • Quarterly Membership Meetings

R Square D Dance Club Vic Roberts 637 25th Avenue Longview, WA 98632 Corporate & Personal Health Services Susie Griffin 177 Kingsway Drive Castle Rock, WA 98611

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

• Legislative Representation • Issues Tracking and Information • Task Forces • Candidate Forums • Legislative Update Breakfast • 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

24 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

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.

B & R Mini Storage Banda's Bouquets Best Western Aladdin Inn Busack Electric Inc. CalPortland Columbia Security Copies Today Speedy Litho, Inc. Cowlitz Containier and Diecutting Edward Jones, Nick Lemiere H & S Enterprises / SRD Enterprise LLC Habitat for Humanity – Cowlitz County Hart Radiator J.L. Storedahl & Sons, Inc. Kaiser Permanente Les Schwab Tire Center Longview Urology Monticello Hotel Ocean Beach Self Storage Pacific Office Automation Papa Pete's Pizza – Longview PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center Pets, Pawns & Imports Roland Winery and Tasting Room SW Washington Symphony The UPS Store #3052 Washington State University – Vancouver Zip Local July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 25

Wellness in the Workplace Susie Griffin Corporate and Personal Health Services Owner

Why your business should have massage onsite for employees It is not typical to think of an employee as an athlete. That word is more commonly thrown around in locker rooms, pools, gyms, or on courts and fields. However, if you work at Boeing, that word is part of a program aimed at positively affecting the company’s worksite injuries and overall production statistics. The Industrial Athlete program incorporates not only physical conditioning and rehabilitation, but also deep tissue intervention therapists whose massage techniques help to improve the physical resilience of its employees. Boeing has had over 30,000 of its employees go through the program since its inception in 2005.1 In 97.6 percent of the visits; the employee reported a reduction in discomfort after the massage therapy treatment.1 Pain reduction is just one of the positive effects of massage. As the AMTA (American Massage Therapy Association) reports, research has shown a reduction of anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and resting heart rate while improving immune function and quality of sleep.2 All of these measurable symptoms and feelings are deterrents from and distractions of the productivity of body and mind. Mas-

saging stuck soft tissue mechanically breaks up fascial adhesions, allowing more movement between, across and through tissues and structures. This results in increased range of movement of muscle, bone, blood and nerve impulses.

Stuck soft tissue not only affects body movement efficiency, but brain efficiency as well. The ability to focus, memorize and form decisions is severely altered. A similar situation happens in the tech world. Thrashing is the term used to describe a computers memory system that is overwhelmed with input, causing it to become stuck, trying to figure out what to do next. However, the simple act of placing oneself on a massage table, with the employees’ head in the face cradle, incites the positive aspect of the Ostrich Effect. The past, current and future negative events, situations, and hypothetical “what ifs” go away. The employee can let go, lessening restrictions of body and mind, feeling rested, relaxed and relieved.

For more Wellness, see page 27

Your Locally Owned and Operated Community Bank • Checking, Savings and CDs • Business Loans • Construction Loans • SBA Loans 729 Vandercook Way, Longview

(360) 414-4101 www.twincitybank.com

There’s a Difference.

26 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

Wellness, continued from page 26 Boosted morale is another unexpected return on investment a company receives when offering massage to its employees. Employees who feel that their company is looking out for their health and safety elicit loyalty and commitment. Increased productivity is exponentially increased when turnover is reduced, and employees stay. In one Forbes’ article, increased productivity from employee’s improved mood and stress relief, was one of the most cited reasons that companies chose to offer worksite massage.3

little risk and big gain.

Whether you are competing on the fields or on the courts, in the meeting rooms or on Skype calls, the benefit of massage is one of

https://www.forbes.com/sites/raquelbaldelomar/2016/04/01/5-reasonsexecutives-should-schedule-a-massage-today/#24455f5e3b15

https://www.boeing.com/features/innovation-quarterly/dec2016/featuretechnology-ind-athlete.page 1

https://www.amtamassage.org/approved_position_statements/MassageCan-Improve-Health-and-Wellness.html 2

3

Business & Corporation Law

Attorney Michael Claxton Licensed in WA & OR

Attorney Brian Brault LL.M. in Taxation

Walstead Mertsching serves businesses of many sizes and in various stages of development. Whether your company is a small sole proprietorship or a large corporation, we can provide assistance and guidance. Utilizing a solutions-oriented approach toward achieving defined objectives, our goal is to allow our clients to successfully execute their business plans.

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

WALSTEAD MERTSCHING AT TO R N E Y S AT L AW

A Full Service Civil Law Firm for over 90 Years CIVIC CENTER BUILDING, 3RD FLOOR 1700 HUDSON ST., LONGVIEW, WA

(360) 423-5220 Longview www.walstead.com July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 27

Chamber Connection

June was Jumpin'

Julie Sheldon and Erin Orren with Community Home Health & Hospice stopped by the BiCoastal Media studios for the Chamber Connection radio show. In early June, Diane Craft with Koelsch Communities invited listeners to the company's 60th anniversary celebration. Hahli Clark Rogers, executive director of Lower Columbia College's corporate partnership and training, gave us the LC sign and Myssie Eiland with the Cowlitz Tribe was on hand to educate us on their programs.

“Your Chamber Connection� EVERY Wednesday 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 28 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | July 2018

Chamber Connection

Pam Whittle, American Workforce Group, talking jobs.

Karry Willquette with Parks and Recreation updated us on the summer of fun planned in Longview.

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

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

July 2018 | Kelso Longview Business Connection | 29