Well the holidays are upon us and there is some excitement in the air about the opportunities and possibilities in the New Year. The Chamber is embarking on a new business development center, there are signs of a thaw in our frozen economy and finally, I already finished this month’s book “The Noticer” by Andy Andrews.
Your Chamber office is moving next month to the Maple Valley Center building on the Maple Valley Highway, just south of Wilderness Auto Service and Chevron. When the city decided to move to the DCS building we found an interesting opportunity for a more permanent home for the Chamber. This opportunity has also afforded us with the chance to create a business development center and business incubator. The 1800 square foot space will be divided into a reception area, four individual offices and a conference room. We are also discussing the ability to utilize the center for programs with the Green River Community College Business Assistance Center (SBDC) and other opportunities with the Small Business Administration (SBA). The details are still coming together but having the Chamber of Commerce function in a business development/incubator fashion goes to the heart of the free enterprise system and the root of what a Chamber should be doing. Watch for news in the near future of our plans and goals of the Maple Valley Business Development Center.
I am somewhat of a news hound when it comes to developments in the economy and what I have been seeing lately is very encouraging. Being involved with new home construction it seems we were first into the recession so watching for signs of a recovery have become important to our business. For some history they said the recession officially started in December of 2007 and it appears to have ended in October of 2009. The media may still have people scared to death about our outlook but there appears to be small green shoots of growth in the permafrost. This started with the current rally of the stock market from March 9th at 6,547 to today at 10,457. We are seeing signs of huge mergers and acquisitions. The housing industry set a high watermark; pending home sales have increased 9 consecutive months which is the longest run since recording started in 2001. Construction spending is up and we are down to a 6.7 month supply of new homes nationally. The mortgage industry is seeing historical lows in fixed rate loans. The manufacturing sector is seeing demand for new orders increasing. Does all of this mean that the worst is behind us? Maybe. But for those of us who have been deep in the trenches refining our processes, cutting our costs and fine tuning our businesses it means the light at the end of the tunnel may be the way out and looking less likely that it is a freight train coming our way. So keep your head up and your outlook bright and continue to work like crazy to stay on the path to success.
Someone had once said, “You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” I am not much of a reader so creating my reading list had two purposes; first to challenge me to read more and second, to inspire myself and others with positive, helpful and encouraging material in a challenging time. I actually read this month’s book “The Noticer” in one sitting which I hadn’t done since college (usually the night before the paper was due). This is a group of stories of a man named “Jones” who shows up in a number of people’s lives and gives them a little needed perspective on their situation which turns things around for a positive result. Quoting from Andrews’s website, “The Noticer will provide ~ A better understanding of life's challenges and proper perspective for tackling them ~ Practical yet powerful methods of motivation, encouragement, and resolve for those who have been dealt "the bad hand." ~ and a fresh and insightful perspective on how people can change their view of the world, find strength, and move beyond their problems. Your chance to regroup, take a breath, and begin your life again a waits in the simple wisdom and heartwarming story of a man named Jones.” I hope you pick up the book and enjoy it as much as I did.
I challenge you to take some time this holiday season to recognize the blessings we have right in front of us and the opportunities we have that many others can only dream of, I wish each and every one of you a warm and Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a safe and Happy New Year!
Kevin Kalberg
Board Chair
Added on 12/17/2009
Filed Under
President's Letter by Chamber blog
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