Honest Competition

2011-09-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

Dick Larman,
EDC Executive Director

As a general rule, many Americans (me included) like competition. And, by competition, I mean the honest kind. The kind of competition that causes us to be better, to try harder, and to think more broadly.

As a youngster (and son of a logging family) I remember climbing trees with my friends. While there was no stated competition, we always pushed to climb higher. When my knees would get a bit shaky someone would climb another branch or two past me. I would take a deep breath and follow. And, on occasion I would be that someone pushing higher than we had been. None of us were concerned that we weren't up to the task. Our concern was to make sure we could keep up with our friends, our community and feel up to the task. I realized, even as a youngster, not everyone likes to climb trees, or hold their breath underwater.

As we grow and age we usually work at what we acknowledge our strengths to be, and build on them to stay competitive and contribute to our family, friends and community. However, to further complicate this whole notion of competition in the current world, we are told to compete globally. In essence we are being told to compete with people and cultures we don't recognize or know. Global competition seems to have changed the view. Distrust of complex systems of trade, giant multi-national corporations that move either to fast or agonizingly slow color how we relate to the world from a local perspective.

We need to look to our family, friends, and community to see who has climbed two branches higher and ask how the view is from there. Our community has a healthy number of businesses and individuals who are working in the complex and new systems. And, they are meeting those demands of a new competition. Let's remember to ask them how that works, they are willing to listen and respond to us.

The interesting thing about climbing higher or even holding your breath is that there is now an expectation that you can do it again. Let's not shy from new expectations. Let's encourage and challenge each other to compete. And compete for a better community.

Doing Business With Boeing

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Jim West, e-Enabling Implementation
and Deployment Project Manager,
Boeing Commercial Airlines

At the recent General Membership Meeting, Jim West from Boeing Commercial Airlines spoke about how businesses can become part of the supply chain for Boeing which will bring more business into Lewis County. His presented his information from a PowerPoint and it was excellent information for local businesses to know.

LINK: Download the PowerPoint presentation

TransAlta Centralia

2011-09-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

TransAlta - Centralia Community Site
Introducing the new Behind the Scenes at Centralia video series

LINK: More details

Centralia College Earns Award

2011-01-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

The Pacific Northwest Center of Excellence for Clean Energy (PNCECE), a Centralia College partnership, has earned national recognition as a 2011 Bellwether Award finalist. PNCECE is developing training programs to serve emerging Smart Grid technology.

LINK: News release

Lewis County EDC: Director's Corner Blog

Honest Competition

Doing Business With Boeing

TransAlta Centralia

Centralia College Earns Award