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Innovation is in our Nature
The two most productive assets available to a developing regional economy are Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Businesses need new ideas, processes, and technology to keep them competitive and expand their markets. Incumbent workers need new challenges, skills development, and career paths to improve their productivity and company efficiency. That’s innovation, and that makes regional businesses more successful both here and abroad. New business startups, whether to help supply existing businesses or introduce an entirely new industry cluster, need information, site development, financing, and sometimes even basic business skills. That’s entrepreneurship, and it also provides the most attractive and stable opportunities for local workforces.
Pacific Mountain’s bountiful natural resources are complemented by both our favorable location near domestic and international markets, and an emerging workforce that can serve the needs of this new business environment. As Roy Nott, President of Paneltech International in Aberdeen, Washington, notes, “Our new competitive advantage is our close physical proximity to the most sophisticated 'green' consumers in North America. It is for those markets and for the companies that will ultimately serve those markets that we should be developing our most important supply, our workforce.”
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Industry Panel provides current and future businesses with the help they need to get their ideas working to produce real results now (click here to see the roster). By bringing together business and our WIRED resources, and the resources of our partners, we provide companies what they need to generate economic prosperity in the evolving business environment of the Pacific Mountain region.
Claude Dotson, the Coordinator of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Panel, has experience as both an educator and small business operator. He has taught business, computer, and writing courses in community colleges since 1982. He has owned and operated seven private businesses in Washington, Wyoming, and British Columbia.
Claude is familiar with the needs of innovation and entrepreneurship in this region through his work as an academic dean at Clark College and South Puget Sound Community College, and as a practicing business communications consultant.
His biggest concern at the present is to use WIRED to “improve the economic climate in the five-county region and provide people opportunities to both live well in this beautiful area and become stewards of its resources through sustainable and responsible business practices.”
If you want assistance putting your ideas to work, or fostering new innovation please contact Claude Dotson (cell: 360-485-8934 or office: 360-482-1757)
Contact me today so we can get changes started for tomorrow!
Lisa Smith of Enterprise for Equity:
Within the field of other employment and income assistance programs that target disadvantaged individuals, Enterprise for Equity is distinguished for its appreciation of the skills, assets, and potential of its participants. They provide entrepreneur training, technical assistance, and micro-credit assistance with one eye on who these entrepreneurs are and another on who they can become. With the guidance and support provided by Enterprise for Equity, even a person with limited income can dream of owning their own business.
Check them out at: http://www.enterpriseforequity.org/index.html
New technology stimulus program for small businesses in Washington
Washington Technology Center's new Microfabrication Laboratory Access Program will award short-term
access to sophisticated MEMS fabrication equipment to help companies develop job-growing, innovative
commercial technologies. Read the entire press release HERE
Pacific Mountain Alliance for Innovation, 1570 Irving Street SW, Tumwater WA 98512
Ph: 360-570-6957, Fx: 360-704-6444
This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded under Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) as implemented by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This solution is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.