Yakima County Development Association - Yakima, WA » President’s Pen

Junior Achievement Poised for Take Off

Dave McFadden — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:07:38 +0000

I recently attended a training session for volunteers interested in helping Junior Achievement (JA). This national organization teaches work readiness and financial literacy to young people all over the world. Washington State’s JA chapter has been around for over 50 years but it just recently expanded its programs to Central Washington.

It was exciting to learn more about the JA curricula. There are lesson plans and activities designed for children from kindergarden through high school. The whole program builds a great foundation for kids in the areas of business, economic and life skills. At first I wondered whether I could really teach this kind of material in a classroom. After going through the training though I gained more confidence. JA’s lesson plans are easy to follow and they do a great job of orienting a nonteacher like myself to what the kids should learn at each grade level.

Junior Achievement is building a major learning center in Yakima. To learn more click here

It is inspiring to learn that over 50 Yakima business and civic leaders are volunteering to deliver the JA curricula at local schools. Programs at local schools should start unfolding this Spring. Junior Achievement is still setting up their programs with local school districts so it is likely that these programs will gain even more momentum in the Fall. The organization is looking for more volunteers so if you are interested please contact Kim Clasen at 206-296-2606 or kimc@jawashington.org. To learn more about Junior Achievement of Washington click here

Successful Entrepreneurship in a Bottle: Yakima Craft Brewing

Dave McFadden — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:56:58 +0000

Recently I enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with Jeff Winn, owner of Yakima Craft Brewing. It was great to talk with Jeff about the beer business and see that his company is doing well. Winn moved to Yakima from Portland nearly two years ago to pursue his dream of owning a craft brewery. Our office helped Jeff early on by connecting him with a seasoned employee and identifying potential buildings for his operation.

As we got to know Jeff we were impressed with his entrepreneurial approach. He developed a great business plan for Yakima Craft Brewing and more importantly used it on a daily basis to guide the company through its earliest stages. Winn does not refer to the plan as much now because he can rely on the company’s financial reports and operating metrics to make key decisions. At the same time though Jeff still relies on the business plan as a longer term road map to grow the brewery.

I also smiled when Jeff talked about his philosophy for increasing market share and expanding the brewery. Winn says the market for his product is enormous and that he is currently selling every ounce of beer he turns out. The challenge for Jeff is that his brewing system is small and it limits how much beer the company can produce. Winn is comfortable for now working within these constraints. He is more concerned about managing and digesting the company’s growth. Jeff has significant expansion plans but he is moving forward thoughtfully and incrementally to ensure that the brewery’s growth is sustainable and manageable.

After working with hundreds of companies and entrepreneurs Jeff’s views are refreshing. I have seen too many businesses think that growth is great until they run out of funds to feed the company. I have also seen companies that get too fixed on a big market opportunity and ignore how it will specifically impact their business.

Our hats are off to Jeff and Yakima Craft Brewing. His philosophy on business plans and managing growth are exemplary. More importantly he and his partner Chris Swedin make fantastic beer. To learn more about Yakima Craft Brewing click here.

Expanding Companies Show Interest in Yakima County

Dave McFadden — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:35:55 +0000

One of New Vision’s top priorities is attract new business to Yakima County. Each year our staff implements marketing activities that raise our region’s image as a business location. As part of these efforts we always try to identify specific companies that could benefit from operating facilities within the Yakima Valley.

It has been hard to identify growing firms during the recession, but the New Vision office has nonetheless been busy responding to companies exploring new locations. Over the past year we have responded to over 40 companies that made inquiries about setting up shop in Yakima County.

These leads fall into several categories. Some of these companies are long shots – they are looking at other states and countries and seem to want the golden egg in terms of incentives. It will be difficult to get these firms located in Washington State let alone Yakima County. There are also out of state companies that seem more interested in Western Washington locations. Our office is putting its best foot forward with these companies with information that suggests the Yakima region is more competitive and strategic than locations west of the Cascades. And finally there are prospect companies whose needs dovetail perfectly with our area’s assets. We are keeping in close touch with these businesses and feel confident that at least one of two of these firms could eventually land in the Yakima Valley.

Here is a partial list of companies on the New Vision watch list:

A nutraceutical company that wants to relocate out of Los Angeles;
An outdoor decking and furniture manufacturing company;
An engineering company interested in establishing a biogas fueled electric power plant;
A New Zealand food processing company; and
A logistics company looking for an existing warehouse building.

If you have any questions about these companies or other prospective businesses feel free to contact our office at 509-575-1140 or info@ycda.com.

Wine Industry Leader To Speak At New Vision Annual Meeting

Dave McFadden — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:25:34 +0000

We are pleased to announce that Ted Baseler, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, will be the keynote speaker at our annual meeting on March 10th. The event will take place at the Yakima Convention Center from 12-1:30 p.m.

Baseler started at Ste. Michelle in 1984 as their marketing director and rose steadily wihtin the company until he became president and CEO in 2001. He has focused on building a high quality portfolio which has resulted in wines lauded by critics, including Wine Spectator magazine’s coveted No. 1 Wine in the World title for 2009. Mr. Baseler’s talk in Yakima, From Nowhere to Number One, will chronicle the rise of Washington’s wine industry.

According to Vic Motto, current owner of Global Wine Partners and a player in the industry for nearly three decades: “There aren’t many people in the wine industry who’ve had his kind of impact on the region. As Robert Mondavi did in California, Ted has promoted not only his company, but the entire industry.” Motto adds,“It’s the foundation that he and Allen [former CEO Allen Shoup, who recruited Baseler] built together, and Ted has refined it quite a bit. They’ve probably been helpful to half of the Washington wine business.”

Baseler believes that, as the Washington wine industry goes, so too goes Ste. Michelle: “We want Washington known. All of it. We’re not about to fight over whose bottle of wine gets sold. We’re competing with Napa, with France. We’re not competing with Washington wineries.” It is attitudes like this that provide Baseler his well earned reputation as a leader within the Washington wine industry. According to his colleague and competitor Norm McKibben from Pepper Bridge Winery, “Ted sits in a position where he can take the broad view. If Ste. Michelle had been like one of the big guys in California, I don’t think we’d have a statewide wine industry like we do today.

Tickets for the annual lunch meeting cost $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Please contact the New Vision office at 509-575-1140 or newvision@ycda.com to reserve your seat(s).

Story attributed in part to the Seattle Business Magazine

UW Expert Provides Insights on Entrepreneurship

Dave McFadden — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:14 +0000

New Vision Boardmembers and guests gained some valuable insights from Connie Bourassa Shaw at their January meeting. Shaw runs the University of Washington’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She talked about the University’s efforts to cultivate innovation and her center’s student business plan contest. Connie started by suggesting that entrepreneurs share common DNA:

Entrepreneurial Traits

Know who they are
Have a strong need to achieve
Know they can create value
Believe they have what it takes to build a business or organization
Have a proactive personality: optimistic, often visionary and pioneering; passionate, motivated and energetic; action oriented, observant, incredibly persistent; and willing to experiment
Have a higher tolerance for ambiguity

Bourassa Shaw then talked about the University of Washington’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE). It offers entrepreneur courses and practicums to undergraduate and graduate students and is one of a handful of institutions nationally that grants a PhD in Technology Entrepreneurship. The Center also offers LaunchPad internships where students work with inventors and technology experts to commercialize market ready inventions.

The CIE also runs the largest business plan contest in the Washington State. Over 2000 students have competed in this contest over the past 12 years. Connie provided our audience some sound tips surrounding the business plan contest that we will use to launch our first contest later this year.

Bourassa Shaw closed by sharing her tool kit for tough times and ten commandments for business failure. To get a copy of Connie Bourassa Shaw’s Powerpoint presentation click here

New Websites Help Employers Attract Talent

Dave McFadden — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:42:51 +0000

New Vision’s two new websites are up and running and so far they are getting a positive response. Our organization created the sites to help local employers recruit technical and professional employees to the Valley. The www.liveyakimavalley.com portal celebrates our region’s lifestyle. It provides comprehensive information on the region and its communities. The new site provides information on just about every topic imaginable for someone considering a move to Yakima County.

Created as a companion to the lifestyle portal, www.workyakimavalley.com is a job and career exchange. Visitors can access local and national job boards to search for employment opportunities within the region. Local employers can use the site to list their job openings. As a special feature we built a Twitter-based employment feed that allows local employers to highlight new job openings.

During New Vision’s Blueprint Yakima Valley planning initiative last year, many businesses said they had difficulty filling key positions. Our Blueprint project consultants also confirmed that attracting skilled employees is a national issue, especially in light of expected baby boomer retirement.

Over the past year our association worked with a committee of human resource professionals, employer representatives, and realtors to develop strategies that would help address issues and questions that come up when firms are recruiting prospective employees. When we evaluated information available about the Valley we realized that there is no single data rich site where potential newcomers can learn about the region. Our advisory group also felt a companion job search page was important. Oftentimes employers need to help spouses find a job in order to land a preferred candidate. In other cases talented people may want to relocate or come back to the region but they need to find a job first.

We have already received numerous compliments from people using the sites. Several people have also offered suggestions for improvement or additional content. We are always looking for ways to improve our websites so contact us at 509-575-1140 or Lisa@ycda.com if you have ideas, content or photos you would like to share with us.

Good News: Local Businesses Expand

Dave McFadden — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:14:41 +0000

Several local companies are moving forward with plans to build new facilities. Alexandria Moulding in Moxee is breaking ground on a new 150,000 square foot warehouse next to its current facility. The company is investing approximately $8 million in the new facility. The project will increase efficiencies for the Canadian company and better allow it to serve customers across the US and Canada.

Olsen Brothers Ranches is moving forward on a new 20,000 square foot facility in Grandview. The company will pack blueberries at its new location and hopes to process other fruit as the plant gets up and running.

Additionally, Cream Winery is poised to start construction on new production and storage facilities at its winery. In addition to constructing new space, the winery also plans to restore elements of the historic dairy they occupy.

These businesses join Silgan Containers, Bleyhl Farm Services, Amtech and other firms that are also growing their local operations. We are delighted to see local companies breaking ground on new facilities. Hopefully these are signs of more good things to come this year in the Yakima Valley.

Entrepreneur Initiative Takes Off With Boost From Economic Development Administration

Dave McFadden — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 04:07:29 +0000

The United States Economic Development Administration (EDA) recently notified New Vision that it secured a $100,000 grant to support the association’s entrepreneur initiative. This will help us take our entrepreneur network to the next level. We plan to organize an initiative for inventors and stage two business plan competitions.

The funds will also allow the development association to offer special business seminars and help ensure that the initiative works throughout the Yakima Valley. Our team is quite pleased with how much has been accomplished in our first year and now we have significant new resources to sustain our emerging business initiative.

Stay tuned for more news and updates about New Vision’s entrepreneur network. If you have any questions or suggestions surrounding this initiative please contact Tammy Everts, our Business Development Director at 509-575-1140 or Tammy@ycda.com

New Board Leaders Help Open Doors of Opportunity

Dave McFadden — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:03:17 +0000

Our Board of Directors recently selected new Officers and Board members and we feel fortunate to have such resourceful leaders involved in our association.

Mike Shepard was elected to be the association’s Chairman for 2010. Mike is the publisher of the Yakima Herald Republic. He has served on the New Vision Board since 2006. Mike joined the executive committee in 2007 and served as Vice-Chair last year.

Dave Murray was elected as New Vision’s Vice-Chairman. Dave is Vice President at Wheatland Bank in Yakima. He joined the New Vision Board in 2006 and served as Board Treasurer in 2007 and 2008.

Jon Smiley was elected as New Vision’s Secretary. Jon is the CEO of Sunnyside Community Hospital He joined the New Vision Board in 2004.

Doug Rich was elected as New Vision’s Treasurer. Doug is a real estate broker and owns Prestige Realty. He joined New Vision’s Board in 2008.

David Miller will serve as New Vision’s Past Chairman. David is a CPA and certified financial planner with LeMaster & Daniels PLLC. He joined New Vision’s Board in 2004.

Maureen Adkison, Scott Staples, and Vickie Ybarra are the newest Directors to join the New Vision Board. Maureen is on the Yakima City Council. Scott is Grandview’s City Administrator. Vickie is Director of Strategic Planning with the Yakima Valley Farmworker’s Clinic.

The New Vision Board reflects the composite leadership – both public and private – of the largest, most vibrant urban area in Central Washington. Board members routinely help support our efforts to attract new companies and help local businesses grow. With lots of technical talent and general experience the New Vision board is the backbone of the association, and its most important asset. Please help us welcome our new leaders.

Happy Holidays – Best Wishes for 2010

Dave McFadden — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 16:35:55 +0000

As the new year approaches, the team at Yakima County Development Association hopes you enjoyed a great holiday season. 2009 has been an interesting and challenging year. Let’s look forward to 2010 anticipating that it will be a more favorable year economically. Let’s roll up our sleeves and make sure revitalization touches communities and cities across the nation and round the world.

At New Vision we will continue to market our region as a business location. Our development team will also help local employers attract and retain talented employees. And we will push two significant entrepreneur initiatives forward. By fostering aggressive business development activities and addressing local workforce issues, we can spark economic improvement for communities throughout the Yakima Valley.

As I write this entry also be prepared for changes to our blog. We will be retitling it to "President’s Pen", and it will feature a broader array of news and editorial items from New Vision. We will still feature lots of good news about the Yakima Valley, but we’ll also aim to cover activities and intiatives that are helping strengthen our regional economy.

On behalf of the New Vision Board of Directors and Staff, we hope and trust that 2010 will be a great year for our Valley, Washington state, and the nation as a whole.