Business Planning for Pandemic Business Continuance

If you're paying attention to current events, you're aware of the increasing risk of exposure to the pandemic swine flu.

To assist you in business continuance planning, as well as your personal and family preparations, here are three resources to guide you.

Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist

Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist for Individuals and Families

Faith-Based & Community Organizations Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Checklist

All three checklists were prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

To assist in Business Recovery Planning for business continuity, the Chamber is working with the Pierce County Dept. of Emergency Management and Harborstone Credit Union for a free workshop. Look to our website for details.

Keeping Trucking Green

The Chamber annually recognizes entrepreneurial efforts that meet a high standard of excellence for environmental, preservation and protection accomplishments through its Tahoma Business Environmental Award.

This morning the 2009 award was presented by award sponsor Tom Taylor, Taylor-Thomason Insurance, to Linda Leary, President of Carlile Transportation Systems (Carlile) at the Chamber’s Good Morning! Breakfast event.

[PHOTO: Linda Leary’s acceptance speech with Tom Taylor, award sponsor and presenter in the background]

Carlile, a full-service transportation company that provides service in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, has and continues to demonstrate its commitment to environmental enterprises in myriad ways, including making company-wide updates to their fleet continually. Carlile’s many environmental initiatives got a performance boost with the purchase of a hybrid diesel-electric truck, the first of its kind to operate on the West Coast, in December 2008. Quieter than standard trucks, the medium-duty Kenworth T370 is expected to cut fuel consumption by up to 30 percent.

Carlile has deservedly been acknowledged with the Tahoma Business Environmental Award by having invested money and thought into ways that would improve the environmental performance of their overall operations and thus, impacting our community’s quality of life.

Visit our website for more information on Carlile’s environmental achievements.

[Photo: The Tahoma Business Environmental Award]

Good Morning Green Opportunity!

2009 Tahoma Business Environmental Award & Environmental Opportunities for Businesses!
Good Morning! Breakfast: Business & the Environment
Tuesday, April 28 7:45 – 9 a.m. at the
Landmark Catering and Convention Center

Keynote speaker Jake Fey, director of WSU Extension Energy Program and Tacoma Councilmember, will talk about the City of Tacoma’s newly formed Office of Sustainability and energy resources in the WSU Extension Energy Program that help advance economic and environmental well being.

Exhibitors from Tacoma Public Utilities; Pierce County Recycling, Composting and Disposal (aka LRI); and Pierce Transit will provide businesses and individuals with ways you can save money and ideas to make your business more green..

The Chamber recognizes an entrepreneurial effort by a business that marks a high standard of excellence for environmental stewardship and accomplishments with its annual Tahoma Business Environmental Award. Help honor the deserving recipient of this year’s award and join us as we continue celebrating Earth Day’s significance. Sign up for this special breakfast today!

Place: Landmark Catering and Convention Center 47 St. Helens Ave Tacoma 98402
Price: $12 Ambassadors
$15 Members pre-paid by April 27
$22 Members at the door
$25 Non-members pre-paid
$30 Non-members/Walk-ins
Register: Janice Hutchins, 253.627.2175

Please remember to register to ensure that you’re not turned away! Reservations and payment are required by noon, April 27th. Reservations made and not kept or cancelled 24 hours before the event will be billed as a “No Show.”

Award Sponsored By: Tom Taylor Insurance

Event Sponsored By: Regence BlueShield

GROW Action Alert

There's a new tax bill that will affect businesses, but there is still time for you to stop it.

Details below from Enterprise Washington --

By extending taxing authority to counties, the state legislature will add one more layer of taxation for Washington businesses and their employees.

SB 5433, a new tax bill that would allow counties to extend a utility tax, could be heading for votes in the state House and Senate. The new tax would extend utility taxes to unincorporated areas of any county in the state. Even though this legislation will result in new taxes, the way the bill is written, it does not need a super majority to pass, just a simple majority.

King County is pushing hard for this new tax authority that will be levied on cell phone service as well as other utility customers. All company and individual utility users could be subject to this tax increase. Increasing taxes, especially a utility tax directed toward businesses, is bad for our state as we try to recover from very tough economic times.

There are a number of moderate Democrat legislators who need to hear from you to oppose this new tax. Continue on to send a letter or make a phone call to these key legislators and let them know how this new tax will negatively affect you and your business.

Take Action! There are a number of moderate Democrat legislators who need to hear from you to oppose this new tax.
• Send a letter to key legislators and tell them to oppose SB 5433, giving taxing authority to Counties.
• Make a phone call today! Click here to get the contact information of the key members in your district. A phone call directly to your elected officials is the most effective way to effect change this late in the session.

Key legislators on SB 5433
Rep. Tami Green – 28th District
Rep. Troy Kelley – 28th District
Rep. Mark Miloscia – 30th District
Rep. Dawn Morrell – 25th District
Sen. Tracey Eide – 30th District
Sen. Jim Kastama – 25th District
Sen. Derek Kilmer – 26th District
Sen. Tim Sheldon – 35th District

International Business Award Nominations Sought

The Chamber’s George Francis Train Award to recognize a business leader in international trade will be presented at the World Trade Center Tacoma Annual Awards Dinner, Thursday, May 21, 2009, at the World Trade Center’s Globe Dinner.

Jack Fabulich receives 2008 Train Award.

The George Francis Train International Business Commemorative, sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank, is presented annually by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber to recognize a local business or individual who has made a significant contribution.

This award was developed in recognition of the tremendous growth in international business locally and for its significant economic and cultural contribution to our community. The award honors an individual or organization making a significant contribution to the international business community of Tacoma-Pierce County. Nominations should address these objectives. Nominations for the George Francis Train Commemorative may be made to the Chamber.

The World Trade Center Tacoma presents two awards at this event. Nominations for those awards should be made directly to the World Trade Center Tacoma.

Community Leaders Double-Team Congressman

The Chamber and City Club of Tacoma, with some overlapping membership, double-teamed Cong. Adam Smith (Photo: Nina Rook) at a breakfast meeting this week.

Cong. Smith spoke of the need for fiscal discipline with reality of making choices leading to a balanced budget. He spoke as a "new" Democrat and working with the "Blue Dogs." He said there are some 68 members of that House caucus, that does have access to the White House. When questioned about tax issues, Smith said he does NOT support tax increases. He would support allowing some of the existing tax cuts to expire.

Smith said there are four tasks to do:

• Tax Reform


• Entitlement Reform


• Health Care Cost Reduction


• Foreign & Defense Policy Rationalization

The Chamber will visit Cong. Smith and other members of our Congressional delegation at its 24th annual Washington-to-Washington, D.C. trip, May 17-20. For more info, contact Mike Weinman.

Chamber Seeks Environmental Achievers Nominations

Earth Day is near and appropriately, the Chamber recognizes that there are many outstanding businesses in our community working hard to protect the environment and preserve our quality of life.

Do you know of a business that deserves recognition for surface water protection or restoration achievements? How about a deserving business that has achieved exemplary results in reducing waste dumped into area streams? Who has the best air quality results?

The Chamber is accepting nominations of businesses that deserve recognition for their exemplary environmental protection or restoration efforts. The selected nominee will receive a business environmental award to be presented by Tom Taylor Insurance at a special Earth Day themed, Good Afternoon! Tacoma Business Breakfast.

Nominations will be accepted no later than April 3. Please submit your nomination(s) online here.

For more information about nomination criteria or to participate in the Chamber’s Earth Day event contact Gary Brackett or at 253.627.2175.