Typically, economic development organizations focus on one thing: growth. Bringing in new businesses is key to a region’s success. Armed with a new 20-year strategic plan and a partner across the river, Vancouver is planning to expand on regional growth and put Clark County on the map.
“It really is starting with the lens of equity and advancement,” said Janet LaBar, Greater Portland Inc.’s CEO. “When we talk about prosperity for all, that’s a very different thing than what we normally do at GPI which is grow, grow, grow.”
The Columbia River Economic Development Council is working alongside GPI to plan for regional success. This includes the board’s new 20-year Clark County Comprehensive Economic Development Plan, which was approved last year to more closely align with GPI’s goals. The five-year implementation process began this year.
As LaBar and CREDC President Mike Bomar explained to the Vancouver City Council at a workshop last week, the two organizations will take a broad look at Clark County and figure out ways to improve the picture as a whole.
“When we talk about recruiting people here, we want this to be a place where diverse people see this as a place they can be, (and work toward) close income disparity for our existing workforce that maybe doesn’t have what it needs to succeed,” LaBar said.
Seemingly simple things like making sure the community can offer a work-life balance will be part of the conversation as well.
Housing is also part of the widespread conversation.
“It isn’t just about homeless people, it’s about people who are making some type of living wage being able to live near their place of employment,” LaBar added. “And if they don’t, what are the transit and transportation methods in place?”
When you look at all of those factors, it makes replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge so vital, she said. The acknowledgement that bottle-necked traffic on the bridge could stifle economic growth has long existed, but the sentiment is that action is more urgent than ever before.
“I do see companies coming (to Vancouver) as Portland fills up,” LaBar said. “But (Clark County) very well could just not be part of this region if we get people making the choice to not make that commute.”
Working with schools
Keeping with the trend of going against the grain, the CREDC will continue to put a focus on K-12 programming, something LaBar said is necessary to make workforce partnerships successful.
“How do we best prepare kids not just for the workforce but to be good citizens as well?” Bomar asked.
They’re working with Evergreen, Camas, Hockinson and Battle Ground to foster skills training and find ways to ensure those students stay in the region and contribute to the community.
Recruitment has shifted focus as well. Last year, 30 percent of new businesses in the region were the product of foreign investment. That’s actually a good thing, LaBar said.
“It just puts the region on a global map and there’s more visibility,” she said.
They’re also shifting focus from encouraging software and tech companies to manufacturing.
“I think our (software) market here, it’s a natural thing. In my opinion, there wasn’t a need to really nurture that,” LaBar said. “I wanted to come in and really see more wins spread throughout the region, which meant we need to diversify.”
If diversification is the goal, it’s working. Last year only 19 percent of new businesses were software focused. As compared to 59 percent in 2015 and 36 percent in 2016.
“We shouldn’t think software is the silver bullet because the reality is they can pick up and leave as quickly as they came,” she added. “It’s good to see manufacturing in the pipeline because manufacturing provides middle wage jobs and there are career pathways.”
But at the end of the day, everything GPI and CREDC does will continue to find ways to foster more growth and attract business, that’s the reality, LaBar said.
