White House Business Council’s Roundtable hosted at Satsop

     Some 25 East Grays Harbor County business people shared their thoughts and concerns at a White House Business Council’s “Winning the Future Roundtable with American Business,”  hosted at Satsop Business Park earlier this month.

     One of only two such roundtables in the state, it  featured Calvin W. Goings, the Small Business Association’s regional administrator and Mario Villanueva, USDA Rural Development Washington State director.

     Goings asked the group of prominent East Grays Harbor County business owners, “What is it that keeps you awake at night?”  

Calvin Goings, Small Business Association’s regional administrator.

     The answers he received varied from the lack of consumer confidence in the government to problems with the FDIC that are exacerbating the housing crisis, to lack of access to business capital for expansion.

       Many noted concerns about the cost of healthcare for small business and talked about the escalating costs of providing coverage.

      Another major concern noted was competition from China and other countries, where the lack of environmental regulations, low cost of labor and materials and other issues make it challenging, at best, to compete.

     Some woods products businesses noted concern with availability and dependability of timber supply and the continual changes to natural resource rules and set-asides that limit supply and drive up the price of fiber. The export of logs off private lands, which is experiencing a huge increase in price, also drives up the price and further reduces supply for domestic processors.

     “Overall, I think that the over-arching message we sent from this roundtable was that the lack of certainty really hurts businesses,” said Tami Garrow, participant and host as the CEO of Satsop Business Park.

     In addition to Garrow, the following were among those on hand for the discussion: Brent Dennis of the Dennis Company; Jim Beerbower of Dow Chemical; Pat Tagman of Willis Enterprises; John Van Dijk of the Bank of the Pacific; Randy Ross of Anchor Bank; Nick Ibabao of the Warm Company; Carl Vinke of BMT-Northwest; Scott Sipe of TechTell; Lincoln Ferris of NewWood; Jim Tysseling of the Elma Microtel Inn and Suites; Renee Jensen, CEO of Mark Reed Hospital; Suzi Haley, president of the Elma Chamber of Commerce; LeRoy Tipton, president of the Grays Harbor Chamber; Tim Gibbs with the Grays Harbor Economic Development Council; Vicki Cummings with the Grays Harbor Council of Governments; Jesse Cardenas with the Grays Harbor Economic Development District and County Commissioner and business owner Terry Willis.

     “It was an honor for Satsop Business Park to participate in and host such an important meeting,” Garrow said. 

     The 100 meetings nationwide come from a directive from President Barack Obama who asked senior Administration officials to go on the road hosting roundtable discussions with business leaders across the country.

     The purpose of these roundtables, according to Calvin Goings, who serves Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska, is to listen to local businesses, getting feedback on how the Administration can best support their growth. It is also to make sure that local business leaders are taking advantage of the Administration’s resources and programs designed to help them create jobs and compete.