Randy Mueller, chief executive officer of the Port of Chehalis, shakes hands with Matt Matayoshi, the executive director of the Lewis EDC, while port commissioner Mark Anders holds the Golden Shovel Award during the Council's annual banquet at Washington Hotel in Chehalis last February.
The Lewis Economic Development Council has created a new strategic plan that will help guide the organization and its partners to help attract new businesses to the area and create new jobs.
EDC Executive Director Matt Matayoshi presented the draft strategic plan at the Port of Chehalis commissioners meeting on Thursday.
The EDC board is expected to adopt the plan at a meeting in May.
This is the first time the EDC has developed a strategic plan that takes a multi-year approach, Matayoshi said, adding it is much more comprehensive than any plans in the past.
TIP Strategies, in Seattle, was utilized as a consultant during the process.
The strategic plan’s goal is to “attract new businesses to the area, develop the local labor force and retain talent, create new jobs, encourage capital investment, and enhance the quality of life for all Lewis County residents.”
Recommendations are based on quantitative and qualitative data. It will leverage Lewis County’s unique attributes and past successes to reach its goals, according to the presentation provided.
Matayoshi said seven key programs of the EDC were looked at. Those include business retention and expansion, business recruitment and workforce development.
Randy Mueller, CEO of the port, said once the plan is approved, the port will be able to involve itself in some of the programs, like business retention and expansion.
He said while the port courts new companies to come to the area, existing companies play a large part in the port’s growth, which is evidenced by the three property sales that took place last year. All three went to already established businesses in the area.
Matayoshi said partnerships, especially with the port and the county, are important to the EDC, since the organization does not own land and does not handle permits.
“There’s a real need for us to work together and collaborate,” he said. “I’m going to say it’s fun to work with the team we have now and the results of last year are real telling having the best year dollar wise in the history of the port.”
Throughout the process, internal changes to the EDC also took place, which included updated bylaws.
Matayoshi said it’s important for the EDC to ensure there is a qualified workforce in the area. The EDC will be conducting a workforce study this year. The information and data collected will show what demands there are locally for current and future employers.
Mueller said once the strategic plan is adopted, the port will be able to determine what is in their “wheelhouse” and how they can help.
