NOVEMBER 2016
THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Change is coming
M
A
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For the first article in our series, The Changing Nature of the Tribes of Thurston County, we talk to David Burnett, CEO of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, see page 19.
Page 12
Page 9
Toyota's success & Tumwater
Thurston County Food Bank B UI L DI NG CO MMUNITY PROSPERITY FOR OVER 14 0 YEARS
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Featuring...
CONTENT & CALENDAR
Every month, the Thurston County Chamber offers several networking events, forums & workshops to the community. Here are some highlights you won't want to miss.
In this issue...
6 Caught in the Lens Photos from Chamber events.
Nov. 1
MM at Miss Moffett's/Elle's Floral Design JJoin Miss Moffett’s Mystical Cupcakes and Elle’s Floral Design on Nov. 1 at 7:30 a.m. for Morning Mixxer. Enjoy coffee, breakfast treats and pumpkin spice cupcakes! Where? 730 Sleater Kinney Rd SE, Lacey.
Nov v. 3
The Thurston Chamber Young Professionals Network (YPN) is
Toyota of Olympia
Brewing Co. on Thurs., Nov. 3 at 5:30 p.m. Where? 600 Franklin St SE #105, Olympia.
15
Have questions about the Thurston County Chamber? Ever
Advocacy Update
to Member Orientation and learn how to maximize your membership! Light lunch is served. There is no charge to attend, but please RSVP at www.thurstonchamber.com
Data mining for business success JJoin the Chamber for our November Forum at the Hotel RL Olympia Nov. 9 at 11:30 a.m. This month we'll hear from Cheryl Heywood, executive director of the Timberland Regional Library. Heywood will speak about the Library's Business Research & Training Center.
Lacey Transportation District | Brigg's Village | Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy
17 Data Mining Learn how businesses can use the library to find new customers and grow
BAH at Nisqually Red Wind Casino
19
On Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. join us for Business After Hours at
The Chehalis Tribe
Nisqually Red Wind Casino, 712819 Yelm Hwy. SE
We talk to David Burnett, CEO of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises to learn about the changing nature of the tribes in Thurston County
Olympia. BAH is a great way to meet new friends, network and enjoy great food.
For more event information, please visit www.thurstonchamber.com
www.thurstonchamber.com
Learn why Toyota of Olympia is moving to Tumwater
Chamber Member Orientation wonder who we are and how we can best serve you? Come
Nov. 17
We talk to Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food Bank
12
in a low-pressure environment. Join us at Three Magnets
Nov. 9
Non Profit Spotlight
YPN at Three Magnets Brewing Co. Y a great place to interact with younger business professionals
Nov. 4
9
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 3
Planning for change
PUBLISHER Thurston County Chamber of Commerce
George Bernard Shaw said, "Progress is impossible without change; and those who
EDITORIAL Editor: David Schaffert Phone: (360) 357-3362
cannot change their minds cannot change
Email: dschaffert@thurstonchamber.com
anything.” Change is the common theme CONTRIBUTORS Natasha Ashenhurst
throughout the VOICE this month. The
David Schaffert Jessica Coen
leaders at Toyota of Olympia (p. 12) believe
Morgan Willie
ADVERTISING Sales and Marketing: Marny Bright, Beth Johnson, Korey Twombly or Blake
they need to, “Move forward or stagnate.” Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food
Knoblach Phone: (360) 357-3362
Bank (p. 9) was given the mandate to modify
Email: info@thurstonchamber.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS Phone: (360) 357-3362
and modernize their downtown location. Finally, we talk to David Burnett (p.19), of
Email: info@thurstonchamber.com
Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, who believes
DESIGN Mosaic Marketing Studio
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY The Crossroads at Grand Mound, a new development by Chehalis Tribal
that change through diversification will help his organization grow and prosper. All three
Enterprises
leaders are talking about the need to grow
PRINTING
and change in order to remain relevant.
Print NW
This month, we're celebrating change and CONTACT THE CHAMBER
how leaders are moving their organizations
PO Box 1427 809 Legion Way SE Olympia, WA 98507
forward.
For this issue of the VOICE we interviewed Joe McCorkle of Toyota of Olympia, David Burnett of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises and Robert Coit of the Thurston County Food Bank. These three stories have a common theme: Change.
By, David Schaffert, THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER PRESIDENT/CEO & Jessica Coen, THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR
Phone: (360) 357-3362 Email: info@thurstonchamber.com Website: www.thurstonchamber.com
COPYRIGHT
THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY INVESTORS DIAMOND INVESTORS:
printing, but the publisher accepts no
Anchor Bank Capital Medical Center Heritage Bank Phillips Burgess Physicians of Southwest Washington Port of Olympia Xerox Services
responsibility or liability for the accuracy
PLATINUM INVESTORS
All material appearing in the VOICE Magazine is copyright unless otherwise stated or it may rest with the provider of the supplied material. The VOICE Magazine takes all care to ensure information is correct at time of
of any information contained in the text or advertisements.
America's Credit Union - Lacey Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel
4 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE
Mills & Mills Funeral Home & Memorial Park Morningside Olympia Federal Savings Olympia Orthopaedic Associates Print NW Providence St. Peters Saint Martin's University TwinStar Credit Union Washington Business Bank
GOLD INVESTORS Express Employment Professionals First Citizens Bank Cabinets by Trivonna Columbia Bank The Creative Office
FirstLight Home Care GHB Insurance Great Wolf Lodge Hometown Property Management Mantis Graphix Jessica Jensen Law PS Nicholson & Associates Nisqually Red Wind Casino Olympia Furniture Company Pardiman Productions Puget Sound Energy RHD Enterprises Hotel RL Olympia Saint Martin’s University SCJ Alliance TAGS
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Caught in the Lens...
6 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE
A collection of photos taken at Chamber events during October 2016.
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www.thurstonchamber.com
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 7
8 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE
www.thurstonchamber.com
NON PROFIT SPOTLIGHT
The Thurston County Food Bank is Reducing Waste & Feeding Hungry Families By Morgan Willie
When Robert Coit accepted the title of Executive Director of the Thurston County Food Bank in 2006, he was presented with an exceptionally pivotal task. The bank’s Board of Directors requested that Coit implement a strategic plan to modify and modernize their downtown location.
Above: Thurston County Food Bank Executive Director, Robert Coit
C
oit quickly eliminated the food bank’s antiquated service model: the brown paper sack. Ordinarily, those receiving assistance from the bank collected a sack containing about 20 food items. Coit felt the timeworn model was impersonal and fairly inefficient. “You would grab a bag and go home,” he said. “You really didn’t know what was in it. So, the old food bank story is re-gifting. A can of asparagus would sometimes end up going through the system multiple times.”
assistance and procedures they would anticipate at any supermarket or business in food service. Part of the Thurston County Food Bank’s strategy is to mirror the trends of a normal grocery store. Looking ahead, Coit hopes
Coit helped to initiate the food bank’s current client choice model, which provides numerous options and meal plans so that everyone takes home exactly what they will eat for the week.
for a shift toward fresh and frozen products. Canned items are a declining market, and while they still play an important
“This model has really done a nice job of reducing how much trash is around our neighborhood,” Coit noted. “We don’t end up with nearly as much trash on the street. We don’t end up with people going through their bag, deciding what they don’t like, and putting it on the street corners.” This innovation has allowed the food bank to transform into a next-to-normal grocer, providing clients with the same sort of
role during colder months of the year, Coit would ideally like to implement a community mechanism to accommodate more fresh and frozen food donations. Eventually, he hopes to have the financial resources and the infrastructure necessary
Continued on page 10 www.thurstonchamber.com
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 9
Continued from page 9 to receive produce with a shorter shelf-life. While the Thurston County Food Bank rarely ever experiences a shortage of goods, the bank assumes its own challenges as a nonprofit establishment.
“His legal skills are top notch. While for žŽĆ?Ćš Ĺ?Ćš Ĺ?Ć? ÄšĹ?ĸÄ?ƾůƚ ƚŽ žĂĆ?ĆšÄžĆŒ Ä?Ä‚ĹŻÄ‚ĹśÄ?Ĺ?ĹśĹ? ĹŻÄ‚Ç Ç Ĺ?ƚŚ Ä‚ Ć‰ĆŒÄ‚Ä?Ć&#x;Ä?Ä‚ĹŻ Ä‚Ć‰Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä‚Ä?Ś͕ ZĹ?Ä?ĹŹ ĞdžͲ Ä?ĞůĆ? Ä‚Ćš ƚŚĹ?Ć? Ä‚Ć‰Ć‰ĆŒĹ˝Ä‚Ä?ĹšÍ˜ / Ç Ĺ˝ĆľĹŻÄš ĆŒÄžÄ?ŽžͲ žĞŜĚ ZĹ?Ä?ĹŹ Ç Ĺ?ƚŚŽƾƚ ĆŒÄžĆ?ÄžĆŒÇ€Ä‚Ć&#x;Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜Í&#x; — ^ĞŜĹ?Ĺ˝ĆŒ žƉůŽLJžĞŜƚ ŽƾŜĆ?Ğů͕ ^ĞĂƊůĞͲ Ä?Ä‚Ć?ĞĚ Ez^ Ä?Ĺ˝ĆŒĆ‰Ĺ˝ĆŒÄ‚Ć&#x;Ĺ˝ĹśÍ˜
“There is competition among nonprofits,� Coit said. “We all need support.� Facing donor fatigue is a common challenge for the bank. “We want consistent giving throughout the year so that we can manage inventory and push it out as quickly as it comes in. The
Advancing his clients’ legal interests since 1987: Employment law
ideal circumstance is not a giant peak [in quantity] and then a long dry spell,� Coit stressed. “The traditional food bank model has those peaks and valleys. We’re really trying to get away from that.�
Contracts
Coit regularly seeks new opportunities to provide the best
Real estate
service possible at the food bank. His most recent idea has
Government
involved forming business partnerships with Thurston County Solid Waste, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and
Call (360) 464-6533 www.richardhugheslaw.com 324 West Bay Dr. NW, Ste. 201, Olympia
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “We look for other relationships that could benefit the people we serve. We’re kind of cutting edge in that,� Coit said. “The bottom line is that not a lot of food banks think of solid waste as a resource. They don’t think of the Department of Ecology as a regular partner. They certainly don’t think of the EPA as a collaborative partner when talking about fighting community hunger.� These organizations have considerable incentive to work with the food bank for many reasons, but perhaps their greatest motivation is to prevent excessive food waste and to keep it out of our country’s landfills.
A
Little TIME
WILL HAVE A
Big IMPACT
Coit spoke to this notion in depth. “I want to find food, divert it from the landfill, and feed hungry families,� he began. “When I read statistics that say around 42 percent of what we grow and raise ends up in a landfill, [I feel] that’s just not okay. That resonates with people. Think of all the gas and transportation
Continued on page 11
BE A MENTOR RESILIENT KIDS ‡ STRONG FAMILIES ‡ HEALTHY COMMUNITIES swwabigs.org | 360.943.0409
10 • November 2016 ď Źď€ Thurston County Chamber VOICE
www.thurstonchamber.com
Continued from page 10
Photo on left: Unloading food colllected around town. Upper right: Volunteers sort through donations. Lower right: The Thurston County food bank is located downtown at 220 Thurston Avenue NE, Olympia. costs related to that – all the water that
the public is safe and protected. They
“The quality is better, there is a waste
was related to it. Then, we take half of
wanted to make sure we were putting in
reduction element, an EPA related
what we grow and raise and put it into a
place the same practices and rules that
element, and it feeds more hungry
landfill? We can do better than that.”
any restaurant or food establishment
families,” he said.
would follow. One of the things we The food bank’s latest and greatest
decided we could do was burritos.
Coit conducts a best practice search
effort has been to rescue otherwise
The kitchen is designed to repackage
every quarter to keep up with trends
unused food from sources such as local
burritos.”
in the nonprofit realm. “I’m generally allowed two crazy ideas at a time by the
schools and restaurants. Refrigerated sprinter vans are used to collect various
So, for example, when the food bank
board of directors. Those ideas have to
donations throughout the community
obtains a donation of rice and beans, a
evolve into programs with sustainable
on a weekly basis, bringing the food to
volunteer will roll the rice and beans
support in order to survive. A lot of the
the bank which will later be repurposed
into a soft tortilla. It receives a brief label
services we provide started out as one of
and repackaged. The food bank’s kitchen,
of ingredients and is ready to be enjoyed
those crazy ideas,” he stated. “We want
while tedious at the start, has been a
the day of.
to change what a food bank or a food pantry is, but keep the system in place.”
tremendous aid to clients in search of a quick meal.
Coit is particularly happy to see the success of the repacking kitchen. He is
If you would like to make a contribution
“The repack kitchen was a long process.
glad to see efforts being made by the
to the food bank this holiday season, visit
The Thurston County Department
community to keep valuable sustenance
www.thurstoncountyfoodbank.org for
of Health was a key partner,” Coit
out of our landfills.
information on pick-up locations and
mentioned. “They want to make sure www.thurstonchamber.com
volunteering. ● Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 11
Success Drives Toyota of Olympia to Tumwater Toyota of Olympia is moving from a 5 acre lot at the Auto Mall in Olympia to a sprawling 28 acre lot in Tumwater. Above, Shane Rotter tours the construction site.
W By Natasha Ashenhurst
hen Joe McCorkle joined the Toyota of Olympia team as
The Rotter’s philosophy focuses on one
general manager in November 2013, he and owners Dustin
simple idea—develop exceptional, long-
and Shane Rotter agreed on daring company goals. They put
term relationships with your employees
their plan into action and, three-years later, the business is
and your customers.
moving from a 5 acre lot at the Auto Mall in Olympia to a sprawling 28 acre lot in Tumwater.
McCorkle, a 35-year auto industry veteran, initially had no interest in moving to the
Long-Term Employee Relationships
Pacific Northwest when approached by Dustin, but after meeting with the Rotters he
The Toyota of Olympia team believes that
changed his mind.
employees are a company’s biggest asset. McCorkle said, “The foundation of our
“We all went to dinner. [Dustin and Shane] were open and upfront about where the
philosophy is to build good relationships
store was and where they wanted the business to go. They had the vision; and they
with employees. We do this by creating
wanted to bring me on as general manager to help execute that vision. On the airplane
a culture where the team gives 130
ride home I sent my wife a message that I liked these guys and it would be a good fit,”
percent. Then, when they aren’t here
said McCorkle.
they give 130 percent to their hobbies and extracurricular activities. It is about
The three have a good working relationship, each overseeing a specific area of the
work-life balance, and I believe we have
business; Dustin is the majority owner of the franchise, Shane manages the real estate
that here.” He says that when you have
holdings and McCorkle manages the day-to-day operations. Together, they put their
happy employees they are able to deliver
plan into action, which is producing tremendous results.
an outstanding customer experience.
12 • November 2016 Thurston County Chamber VOICE
www.thurstonchamber.com
Long-Term Customer Relationship
of Olympia. The Rotters are sentimental.
“Our goal is to deliver an experience to a
decided that they either had to move
customer that exceeds their expectations.
forward or stagnate,� said McCorkle.
They have strong ties to this area. They were raised here, but they ultimately
Our goal is to get you in and out of the store in an hour or an hour and a half.
Finally, they found property in Tumwater,
We don’t want to take all of your day. We
on Tyee near The Home Depot.
revenue will help stabilize and grow the
want to expedite the transaction time,� said McCorkle.
city budget,� he said.
“We wanted to work with a city who would be a good partner. After a
Meanwhile, the Toyota of Olympia is
Once they implemented this philosophy
preliminary conversation with the
and began experiencing success, it put
executives at Tumwater, we decided it
pressure on Toyota’s infrastructure. They
would be a win win. The move is very
had a new car lot, a used car lot and
good for [Tumwater] and very good for
inventory storage, all separately located,
us,� said McCorkle.
which limited the team’s ability to exceed customer expectations. “When your cars are located on three
contribution to the City of Olympia is
different properties it is difficult to exceed
about $1.5 million and Toyota expects a 30
customer expectations. For example, if
percent sales increase at the new location,
someone says, ‘I want to look at a red
meaning the dealership could generate
Camry,’ We don’t have time for someone
between $1.3 million and $1.95 million in
to go grab the car from another lot, drive
sales-tax revenue annually for Tumwater.
it over here. I need to have that red Camry Initially, that additional tax revenue will pay for the expansion of Tyee to Littlerock
Tumwater is to get everything under one
Road, said John Doan,
roof in order to provide a better level of
Tumwater’s City
service to the consumer,� he said.
Manager. “It is a $5
Award in 2015, the highest honor that can be achieved by a Toyota dealership.
McCorkle. "When you take care of people,
Olympia’s annual retail sales-tax
“The main driver of our move to
sells cars. The dealer won the President’s
“This business model just works," said
According to McCorkle, Toyota of
on this lot.
continuing to change the way the industry
they like to talk about you. And when it comes to employees, we have 140 of the funniest people in the world working for this company. They make this business culture something you want to come into every morning and that just makes all the difference.� �
Natasha Ashenhurst is a freelance writer for the VOICE Magazine. natasha.ashenhurst@gmail.com
Integrity, Excellence and Focus For your legal and tax needs
million project cost to Once the team made the decision to seek
finish that road, but
a larger space, they began looking at
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their options. They looked near Chehalis;
also opens up other
they looked throughout Olympia and
opportunities in that
Tumwater.
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creating a positive climate for business and community
ADVOCACY UPDATE
One of the Thurston County Chamber’s primary missions is advocacy, which can take many forms—providing beneficial services and products to Chamber members; supporting nonprofit, education and government organizations; and, of course, lobbying government bodies on issues impacting business and community. Here are a few of the issues we are actively engaged in this month:
Fund the Lacey Transportation Benefit District with a 0.2% Sales and Use Tax In January 2016 the Lacey City Council voted to form a transportation benefit district, a tool to fund city road improvements. The City of Lacey staff is preparing a resolution that, if approved, would submit a ballot proposition to the voters during the February 2017 special election, to impose 0.2 percent sales and use tax to fund the District. The Chamber Board of Trustees voted to support the City of Lacey’s Transportation Benefit District ballot measure.
Brigg's Village Text Amendment Briggs Village is the only “Urban Village” in Olympia’s comprehensive plan. The Urban Village concept is to allow for amenities to support those that live within a planned development. The current owner is marketing the property extensively to attain needed commercial business. Currently drive-throughs are generally not supported in the Urban Village code. The request by owner is to expand the OMC 18.05.060 and 18.05A.095 to allow drive-throughs for restaurants, pharmacies, and other pedestrian-oriented/walk-in businesses, in addition to banks. Drive-throughs would be limited to a single lane. The Chamber Board of Trustees supports the proposed text amendments for the Briggs Urban Village Properties.
Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy The Thurston Chamber actively supports the Downtown Olympia Retail Strategy along with community partners. The purpose of the strategy is to identify priorities and actions to move our community's vision for downtown forward over the next six years. The priorities include: strengthening existing and local businesses, improve the street-scape so that downtown invites more pedestrian activities, patron and investors, encourage more residents, improve identity and perception within Thurston County, actively promote tourism and connect to other community and economic development efforts so that downtown is supported by a strong local economy.
www.thurstonchamber.com
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 15
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data mining for business development
CHAMBER FORUM
Cheryl Heywood, Timberland Regional Library's director, will speak about using library resources to grow your business
O
ver a decade ago, libraries were places to find books, magazines and newspapers, or to find a quiet nook for reading and research. Today, libraries are active community centers filled
with both physical and digital information. Today’s libraries have resources to help establish a new business, grow an existing business, expand employee skills and help people land a job. On Wednesday, November 9, join the Thurston Chamber Forum and hear from Timberland Regional Library (TRL) Director, Cheryl Heywood. Heywood will talk about tools available through the TRL to grow your business, including workforce training, data mining for business development technology. developm p ent and business technolog gy. y ●
Thurston Chamber Forum Wed., Nov. 9, 11:30 a.m. Hotel RL Olympia www.thurstonchamber.com Thank you to our Forum sponsors, Window Genie, Thompson's Furniture & Gifts and Pacific Medical Centers
www.thurstonchamber.com
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 17
We Can Help You Finance Your
wabizbank.com
Chehalis Tribe's Business Model: Diversification
PROFILE: CHEHALIS TRIBAL ENTERPRISE
Chehalis Tribal Enterprises (CTE) proposed development, The Crossroads at Grand Mound, a vision for southern Thurston County. by Natasha Ashenhurst. DAVID BURNETT BELIEVES THAT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND WHERE YOU ARE GOING TOMORROW YOU NEED THE FOUNDATION OF UNDERSTANDING WHERE YOU
“There was a point in time where you couldn’t get sick from April to October because [tribal medical
HAVE BEEN. WHEN WE SAT DOWN WITH BURNETT, CEO OF CHEHALIS TRIBAL ENTERPRISES,
centers] had run out of money by April,” he said.
TO TALK ABOUT THE BUSINESS SUCCESSES OF THE CHEHALIS TRIBE AND THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE BUSINESSES OF THE TRIBES WITHIN THURSTON COUNTY, BURNETT BEGINS
fund basic services. One of those funding sources was gaming. In 1988, the federal
BY FRAMING THE STORY WITHIN ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
government passed the Indian Gaming Act.
The Framework of History Burnett explained that for most of the 18th century, it was federal policy to assimilate tribal members into the dominate culture—also called the Termination Era. From 1953 to 1964, the government terminated recognition of more than 100 tribes. Many tribes persevered and activists drew attention to a policy that wasn’t working. The federal government changed its policy with the enactment of the Self Determination and Education Act of 1975. This act restored tribal communities, self-government and cultural renewal.
Indian Gaming Act “The gaming act became a real springboard for business development in Indian country. In the mid90s, when all the legal and
“As a government, tribes have the same inherent authority of any government, and one of those is taxation,” Burnett explained. “However, when your population is less than 1,000 there is no taxation scheme that would support a functioning government.”
administrative challenges were cleared, the casinos began to open up,” he said. Casinos brought economic
From 1975 forward, a lot of tribes relied heavily on grants and contracts from the federal government to provide funding for housing, education and health care. Many tribes quickly learned that this funding was not enough to provide basic services for tribal members.
www.thurstonchamber.com
Tribes sought other ways to
prosperity to many tribes, including the Chehalis. Today, the Chehalis Tribe owns Lucky Eagle Casino,
Thurston County Chamber VOICE November 2016 19
51 percent of Great Wolf Lodge and
said. And when he talks about return
tribes, including the Chehalis, are giving
Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, which is
on investment through business
beyond the 2 percent mandated by the
a holding company for a construction
diversification, he is also talking
act. What we found was that by getting
company, two convenience stores, a mini
about investment in youth and job
involved in the charities there was an
storage facility and several commercial
diversification.
appreciation for involvement and it was good for business. Now we’ve gone
properties that it leases to businesses like He explained, “The casino provides
beyond giving and have a policy in place
a lot of customer service jobs. Lucky
that encourages our employees to get
Burnett took on the role of CEO seven
Eagle employs 600 workers. Great Wolf
involved in the community by sitting on
months ago. Before his role as CEO, he
Lodge employs 600 workers; our other
boards and volunteering their time, not
served for 12 years as Chehalis Tribal
businesses employ 250 workers. We have
just writing checks,” he said.
Chairman. “When I came on in March I
enough jobs so everyone can work. We
saw that it has been too many years since
are providing over 1000 jobs to non-
[Chehalis Tribal Enterprises] created a
tribal members in Thurston County. Now
new business. I knew we had to take one
that we’ve invested in the education of
of our ideas and make it a reality,” he
our young folks, we have people coming
said.
back with college degrees and skill sets
Starbucks and Jack in the Box.
beyond customer service. We need to He and his team decided to focus on just
provide higher-level jobs so they have
one thing—a hotel project. They devoted
a place to grow into. If we can create
all of their resources to open the hotel.
several smaller businesses we can create
Once they had the hotel underway other
a lot of resources while, at the same time,
projects began to move forward as well.
create management level jobs,” he said.
Soon, they’ll open a restaurant, another
Now that new projects are in motion, Burnett can focus his efforts on foundational work, such as developing a corporate model for Chehalis Tribal Enterprises in order to attract bank financing.
Burnett believes that there is a misunderstanding about why tribal businesses exist in the first place. He said, “We don’t spend a lot of time in our educational system teaching that among the families of government that tribes are a government. It is important that people understand the role of the tribe and that 100 percent of business profits go to the tribal government. In one sense, we have a 100 percent
hotel and a truck stop.
Focus on Diversification
Misconceptions
Burnett believes diversification will help the tribe maintain financial strength when the Cowlitz tribe opens a casino south of Thurston County, 16 miles north of Portland.
tax on our businesses. Our businesses exist to provide resources to the tribal government, and the tribal government understands the importance of new business development, which then gives us the resources we need to invest in new business,” he said. He believes that business and government are a partnership worth celebrating.
“My goal now is to work to develop
Giving Back is Good Business
Looking into the future Burnett sees a
major source of revenue for the tribal
Moreover, while tribal business is
Enterprises. “We have things to learn
government. In order to equal the
providing jobs, it gives substantially to
about being in business,” he said,
casino’s revenue, we’ll have to develop
the community. Burnett explained that
“We’re going to get better at this. We
many different businesses,” he said.
when tribes began opening casinos,
have low hanging fruit. You go from
charities that relied on activities like
casinos to gas stations to construction
Burnett believes diversification will help
bingo for funding were worried that they
companies. We will start acquiring
the tribe maintain financial strength
would have to close their doors without
more existing businesses that provide
when the Cowlitz tribe opens a casino
those revenue streams. The tribes
vertical integration. Eventually, our
south of Thurston County, 16 miles north
responded that they were not interested
economic need of federal grants and
of Portland.
in putting charities out of business, so
contracts will lower. We will realize
they agreed to set aside 2 percent of
full sovereignty once tribes become
revenues to charities.
financially independent. I would love to
sufficient new business so we aren’t entirely reliant on Lucky Eagle as the
In the past, Burnett measured business
positive trend line for Chehalis Tribal
see a day when we can tell the federal
success by the number of jobs created and positive cash flow. Today, however,
“I don’t believe that anyone could have
government, ‘Keep your grants and
his yardstick has changed. “We need
foreseen the success that we have
contracts. We don’t need them.’” ●
to look at return on investment,” he
today,” said Burnett. “In fact, most
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