We are honored to announce the list of nominees for the 2023 Spotlight On Business Awards. Each year, these awards celebrate exceptional businesses and organizations that achieve incredible things in local commerce, in their industries, and in the community. 

We are thrilled to see the sheer number of amazing businesses nominated this year! We can't wait to celebrate all the nominees (and announce the winners!) at our upcoming Annual Meeting on November 1st.

The categories for awards this year are: Business Excellence, Small Business Excellence, Non-Profit Excellence, Representation in Business, and Business Supporter of the Military. 

Nominations for these awards were submitted by businesses and community members. 

The 2023 Spotlight On Business Awards Nominees

In-Gear
Portland Ave. Hair and Beauty Supply
The Space Tacoma
Bottimore and Associates
Rejuvenation Junction Massage and Spa
Accident and Injury Chiropractic
Dorky's
Craft Theory
Financial Insights Wealth Management
McInnis Engineering
Acts Pharmacy
Bliss Law
Fitness Quest for Women
Homewatch CareGivers of Tacoma
Indulge Massage Therapy
STEP
America's Credit Union
Rebuilding Hope! Sexual Assalut Center for Pierce County
27 West
Sprague Pest Solutions
The Doty Group
Commencement Bank

Our September Chamber After Hours was hosted at TOTE Maritime Alaska's offices in Downtown Tacoma. This event came with a spectacular view of the Port of Tacoma and Thea Foss Waterway. In addition to the amazing view, this event offered delicious catering, giveaway prizes, and plentiful opportunities for networking.

Chamber After Hours is your monthly chance to meet fellow Chamber members, share your business, and develop relationships! Thank you to TOTE Maritime Alaska for hosting us for such a memorable event. 

View photos from the evening below!

Last Thursday, September 14th, our Chamber joined The Art of Crunch to help celebrate its 12-year business anniversary with a ribbon cutting! This marks twelve years in business for The Art of Crunch and two years of having a storefront. This event included delicious samples and deals from The Art of Crunch, a vendor market, and a food truck! Thank you to The Art of Crunch for inviting us to be part of this exciting business milestone, we wish you many more years of success!

View photos from the event below!

On Wednesday evening, September 13th, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber hosted a candidates forum featuring candidates running for positions on Tacoma City Council and Port of Tacoma Commission. 

The event was held at the Tacoma Art Museum and had around sixty guests in attendance including community leaders, elected officials, and local business owners. The evening began with networking between candidates and guests before the official panels took place. Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber President/CEO Andrea Reay moderated the forum. 

The first candidate panel featured candidates running for office for Tacoma City Council. This included Chris Van Vechten and Jamika Scott running for District 3, Olgy Diaz and Kristen Wynne running for at-large Position 7, and Todd Briske and Kristina Walker running for at-large Position 8. Attendees in the audience were able to submit their questions to be asked of all candidates, which included questions on the topics of housing, business license fee increases, public safety and policing, the Tacoma Tideflats, and more. Following questions from the audience, the candidates participated in a rapid-fire section of questions during which they were given paddles to hold up to indicate agreeing or disagreeing with statements shared by the moderator. One question asked "Is the City of Tacoma moving in the right direction?" After several moments of consideration, five of the six City Council candidates responded "Yes" with their paddles.

The second candidate panel featured candidates running for Port of Tacoma Commission. This included Deanna Keller running for Position 3, as well as Kristin Ang and Dave Bryant running for Position 5. Port candidates answered questions from the audience on the Tideflats Subarea Plan, jobs and workforce development, the economy, workforce housing, and more. These candidates also participated in a rapid-fire question session addressing agree or disagree statements. 

The event was one of candidates and community members coming together to share ideas and visions for the future of Pierce County. It was clear that everyone in the room was passionate about seeing our region thrive. 

Thank you to the Tacoma Art Museum for serving as a space for this forum, our sponsors Puget Sound Energy and GTM Transformations LLC, our engaged and respectful audience, and all the candidates who participated. 

You can learn more about the upcoming elections in Tacoma and Pierce County by viewing our 2023 Vote For Business Guides which feature information on the candidates and exclusive video statements. Elections take place in Pierce County on November 7, 2023. 

View photos from our Candidates Forum below! 

Last Thursday, September 7th, we helped welcome PSR Mechanical to Tacoma with a Chamber ribbon cutting! Guests who attended this event were able to view PSR Mechanical's new location in the Port of Tacoma, network with business leaders, and celebrate.

Thank you to PSR Mechanical for having our Chamber join you for this exciting business milestone and to everyone who attended this event.

Last Friday, September 8th, our Chamber Ambassadors took their annual trip to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium! The Chamber hosts this excursion every year as a way to thank our Ambassadors for all that they do for our community. This year, our group of Ambassadors got an up-close look at the new polar bear cubs at the zoo! Thank you to our Ambassadors for volunteering so much of your time to our Chamber and thank you to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for leading us on such an informative and fun tour! 

Welcome to our Chamber the new members who joined in July 2023!

3YNot Company (Comfort Corner Cafe)
4EVRGRN
Aichas Wholesomes
Always in Bloom
Angkor Barber & Beauty Salon LLC
​The Art of Crunch
Atomy Seattle Tacoma Center
AuntieSeasonSzn
B.I.C. Entertainment & Production
Big M Art Glass & Studio
C & C Electric Connected & Continuity
Cenchrea Barber Shop
Cerellos Pizza
Cinman Consulting
Coaching with Nette LLC
Common Ground Coffee
Cougarwear
Counter Culture Leadership
Craft Theory LLC
Craft3
​CSI Mini Storage
Cute Nail
EIJAS LLC
Elements
Eyedentity Studio
Gawison Hair Salon
Generous Influencers
Happy at the Bay & Teriyaki
Hee's Best Fades & Haircuts
HSY Corporation of NW
Island Family Market
J & J Nails Spa LLC
J.S. Barber Shop
Jadawoo Designs
Jazzy Curls
JC Yeolrinmun
Jlee & TK Chiropractic Clinic LLC
Lanaya Taylor Hair Studio
Locale Modern Plant Design
Mindful Health Solutions
Mins Crew LLC
Musette Piano Studio
New Kko Kko Restaurant
New York Life Insurance Company-ISABELLA BROOKS, AGENT
Operation Red Dot
Orchard Cleaners
Pho V & V Vietnamese Restaurant
Photo Map LLC
Portland Avenue Hair & Beauty Supply
PostNet Spanaway
QS21 LLC
Rainier Refills
RCF Tacoma
Ready Set Go - Kids Club
Reclaiming Us
Rollin Cafe LLC
SE Events
Sonny Nail LLC
Sunny Barber
Susie Investment, Inc.
Swae Media
The Kindship
The Party’s Here LLC
The RV Doctor
Tiger Taekwondo Academy, Inc.
Vanity Esthetics
Venus Nails Salon LLC
WSP USA

Welcome to our Chamber the new members who joined in June 2023!

27 West
A & H Tax Services LLC
A & N Auto Repair
Amel's Care LLC
Andrew's Tattoos
Annia's Interpreting Services
Apaez Shellfish LLC
Artur's Salon LLC
Auto Reparaciones de Dios
AZ Drywall and Painting LLC
B's Cleaners LLC
Belmont Cleaning
Big Dawg Barbershop
Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound
Brigitte O'Michaels LLC
Brown Girl Farmer
Cache Hair Salon LLC
Comparative Solutions LLC
Crown Beauty Supply LLC
Eleven Eleven Sauce
Father & Son Outreach
Fletcher & Sons Logistics LLC
Floreria Anita
G & G Roofing LLC
Genesis Cleaning Services
Go Mac Residential Painting Company LLC
Great Life Investing
Hudson Security LLC
Jared & Brothers Enterprises
JCarlos Landscaping LLC
Josme's Cleaning & More
Junkers Nest Vintage
Liz Dream Boutique Corp.
M1DASTOUCH
Man and A Van, Inc.
Munem'Ma Fashion Jewelry LLC
Panaderia Y Taqueria La Placita, Inc.
PCMA
Petunia's Cleaning Services LLC
PSR Mechanical
Quarter Nickel Dime Accounting & Tax Services
Relentlux Beauty
Restful Reciprocity
Salsitas Picositas
San Migual
Servicios Contables Payroll & Bookkeeping LLC
Socials With Spice
Tacoma Design Co.
Tacoma Soda Works
Taquizas Chuy
TCE Electric
Terrell King of Clean
The Barber Lounge
The Space Tacoma
U.S. Bank-KENT BRANCH
Uncle Al's TEXAS BBQ
Under The Pine Tree
Urban Business Support 
Valentine Enterprise LLC
Vimbai Madya
Vision Youth Academy
Vivid Creative Co.
Voice Tacoma Creative Media LLC
​

Last Thursday, August 24th, we joined the American Red Cross for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of their new office in University Place. The event was attended by local leaders including University Place Mayor Steve Worthington,
University Place Council Member Edward Wood, University Place Council Member Javier Figueroa, Senator Murray's District Representative Juan Beltran, Derek Kilmer's District Representative Courtney Acoff, and City of Tacoma Deputy Mayor Kristina Walker.

The South Puget Sound and Olympics Chapter of the American Red Cross serves the communities of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, and Thurston counties. 

Thank you to everyone who attended this exciting event and to the American Red Cross for inviting us to be part of this milestone! 

View photos from the event below and read more in this article from South Sound Business. 

Calling all amazing South Sound businesses! It is once again time to submit nominations for the 2023 Spotlight on Business Awards. The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber annually recognizes and celebrates businesses in our community that have demonstrated excellence this past year. This is your chance to nominate your business— or another amazing business in our community— for a Spotlight Award!

​Nominations must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. on September 22, 2023. 

This year's five award categories are
​

• Business Excellence: Recognizes a business of any size that has demonstrated excellence over the past year.
• Small Business Excellence: Recognizes a small business of 1-25 employees that has demonstrated excellence over the past year. 
• Non-Profit Excellence: Recognizes a non-profit organization that has demonstrated excellence over the past year. 
• Representation in Business: Recognizes a business majority-owned by women and/or people of color.
• Business Supporter of the Military: Recognizes a business that demonstrates excellence in engaging with our region's vast military community of service members, families, and veterans. Veteran-owned businesses are encouraged to apply!

What is "excellence"? For the purpose of these awards, excellence can mean many things. It can be your business having a record-breaking year in terms of profits, launching a new service or program, undergoing a rebrand, making headlines, and much more. It could also be overcoming a significant business challenge or discovering an innovative solution to a workplace issue. Excellence can also be demonstrated in the form of giving back to the community through philanthropic contributions or service days. Whatever it is your business has achieved this past year, we want to help you celebrate it. 

The Spotlight on Business Awards will be announced at the Chamber's Annual Meeting taking place November 1st, 2023 from 5-7 P.M. 

Businesses must be an active member of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber in order to be considered for a Spotlight Award.

Last Thursday, August 17th, we hosted our monthly Chamber After Hours at the Washington State Fair! This was a great event full of opportunities to network, connect, and see what's in store at the Fair this year. Thank you to all members of our business community who attended. We hope to see you at our next After Hours! Thank you to the Washington State Fair and The Vault Catering for being part of this event!

View photos from the evening below! 

This past Monday, July 31st, our Chamber participated in a roundtable event focused on child care and early learning in Washington. Lack of affordable, accessible child care continues to be a top issue for employers and workers in our state. According to the Association for Washington Business, a shortage of affordable child care is "consistently ranked as one of the top ten issues facing Washington employers, and 13% report it’s the number one issue."

This event was part of a statewide bus tour launched by AWB to promote child care and early learning throughout Washington. The tour is part of the Legislator Education and Action Project (LEAP), a collaboration between the AWB Institute and the Children’s Campaign Fund Action. 

The goal of the roundtable was to "educate elected officials, policymakers, business leaders and stakeholders about early learning and child care" as well as to "gather information about the state of child care in Washington to share in a report after the tour."

Thank you to AWB for leading this informative, important event and for choosing our Chamber to host a roundtable on this tour. Our Chamber looks forward to being part of the effort to find solutions to child care access in Washington. 

On July 15th and 16th, Joint Base Lewis McChord hosted JAWE, a Joint Airshow and Warrior Expo. This event was the first of its kind hosted on the base in seven years and was an important opportunity to connect our local military with the surrounding South Sound community. Military service members and their families are a significant and vital portion of our local population, and JBLM plays a major role in our regional economy. Events like these showcase the skill and dedication of our local service members and give citizens the chance to interact, understand, and appreciate our local military community. 

Our Chamber CEO/President Andrea Reay was honored to have been invited to attend this airshow and expo. While there, she was able to view demonstrations from Team McChord’s own 22nd Special Tactics Squadron, the C-17 West Coast Demonstration Team, and the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds. It was also a great opportunity for networking and building partnerships with our service members and military leaders. 

Thank you to JBLM for inviting our Chamber to participate in this landmark event! View photos below! 

As a family man, Troy Alstead saw a problem. Children’s birthday parties were plenty of fun for kids, but the same couldn’t be said for the parents. There is only so much cardboard pizza, tiny plastic chairs, and fluorescent lighting an adult can handle.
 
As a businessman, and former chief operating officer at Starbucks, he saw an opportunity.
 
Why couldn’t children and adults both have a good time at birthday parties? Shouldn’t there be a place for a community where everyone can come together to have a good time regardless of their age?
 
On business trips overseas, Alstead had seen an inspiring concept: multi-purpose centers that brought communities together to experience a variety of activities and entertainment under one roof. If this idea could work abroad, why not also in Gig Harbor?
 
While age-inclusive entertainment was the central idea, another lifelong passion of Alstead’s would come to play an equally important role in the development of this concept: protecting and caring for our oceans.
 
From this surprising combination, Ocean5 was born.

Listen to Ocean5 general manager Sarah Michael on the latest episode of Making It in the South Sound! 

Since opening in the spring of 2018, Ocean5 has welcomed thousands of visitors through its doors. The entertainment center draws guests not only from Gig Harbor, but from all over the Puget Sound, for bowling, arcade games, laser tag, live music, restaurant offerings, and much more.
 
Ocean5 has truly become a choose-your-own-adventure experience of entertainment, while never straying far from its goal of protecting the ocean.
 
The name Ocean5 comes from the fact that there are five oceans on the planet. Similarly, the on-site restaurant, Table 47, is named in honor of Gig Harbor being located on the 47th parallel geographically.
 
The connection to the ocean and passion for sustainable business practices goes much further than a name.
 
General manager Sarah Michael shares that a big part of the environmental effort at Ocean5 is to “educate quietly by the practices we do as a company.” This mentality can be found in every area of how the business is run: from the building’s architecture itself, to product sourcing, to events and education.
 
The Ocean5 complex is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified building. Inside, it houses many unique and ingenious details that incorporate sustainability into everyday operations. The building uses creative “solar tubes” to fill the space with natural light during the daytime and reduce electricity use. Rather than a traditional free fall and mechanical arm method for re-setting ​pins on the bowling alleys, Ocean5 uses a recent technology called a string pinsetter that is much more energy efficient.

When it comes to sourcing products for the center, whether for the restaurant’s kitchen or arcade prizes, sustainability is also a high priority. Table 47 takes a hyper-local approach to ingredients whenever possible. This can be seen reflected in its bar menu full of local, sustainably produced spirits.  
 
Ocean5 has found a way to make sustainability not just background noise, but part of the entertainment itself. It hosts educational series for kids featuring mascots that share lessons on good environmental practices. Events throughout the year such as bingo and trivia nights contribute proceeds to local organizations helping the ocean and environment.
 
Sustainability at Ocean5 is a concept that applies to more than just the planet.
 
“We also want to sustain our staff, and so we look at training and how we engage with our staff as also a practice of sustainability,” says Sarah Michael.
 
For many employees of Ocean5, it’s their first time entering the workforce. The goal, says Michael, is to retain these employees and grow their leadership and confidence until they potentially go to college, trade school, or enter another industry.
 
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Michael credits the company culture and values that were present from day one as a reason Ocean5 was able to survive. While it had to temporarily downsize its workforce to a small core team throughout the pandemic, it was able to re-hire 60 former employees upon reopening. Michael sees the culinary and kitchen staff as the biggest testament to success in sustainable staffing, as 90% of the same staff remained with Ocean5 throughout COVID. Ocean5 has emerged from the pandemic with an even stronger commitment to its employees, finding new ways to build leadership and take care of one another.

While Ocean5 may be a local leader in environmentally friendly business practices, it isn’t doing the work alone. Michael states that community partnerships play a key role in the business’s sustainability practices. This includes everything from sourcing ingredients from local farms to philanthropy events with environment-focused nonprofits. Additionally, its leadership expects environmental sustainability to be one of the next big issues facing businesses in the near future.
 
For businesses wondering how to even begin to think about sustainability, Michael says it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. She recommends starting with just a couple of changes that can make a difference rather than a complete overhaul. This can be as simple as encouraging staff to use reusable water bottles instead of single-use plastic, or participating in a company beach cleanup. And, as Ocean5 has done, building community relationships with organizations already doing the work, and seeing how you can help. You just might find the opportunities run as deep as the ocean.

This Member Feature story is part of a series by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber to promote stronger connections and increased engagement between the Chamber, its members, and the local business community. Member stories are non-promotional opportunities to share members' business stories with the community. If you are a Chamber member interested in being featured for a story, please contact Digital Marketing Manager Audrey Widner at audreyw@tacomachamber.org

Last Friday, July 14th, we joined Inta Vintage in Sumner to celebrate the grand re-opening of all three floors of their retail store! This local business is the place to look for all your vintage goods, from furniture to clothing to music! We were honored to help this Chamber member celebrate this important business milestone with a ribbon-cutting. Thank you to everyone who joined us at this exciting community event! 

View a photo recap below! 

This past Thursday, July 13th, we held our monthly Chamber After Hours at El Gaucho in Downtown Tacoma. This was an engaging night of networking full of familiar faces, delicious food, and new connections! Thank you to El Gaucho for hosting our Chamber and providing such great food, drinks, and giveaway prizes! 

View photos from the event below!

On Thursday, July 6th, our Chamber joined with community partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new major road for East Pierce County. The New Rhodes Lake Road East will connect Orting, Puyallup, and Sumner to Bonney Lake and Buckley by providing an arterial connection between the Bonney Lake Plateau and the Orting Valley. This project will result in new critical infrastructure for the transportation of Pierce County residents, materials, and services, as well as opening up new opportunities for recreation. This in turn will lay the foundation for increased economic growth in East Pierce County. 

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber President/CEO Andrea Reay attended the groundbreaking ceremony in the Tehaleh community near Bonney Lake alongside community leaders from Pierce County, Brookfield Properties, and other partners. Elected officials in attendance included Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier and Pierce County Council members Dave Morrell and Paul Herrera.

Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier stated at the event “New Rhodes Lake Road East will be a significant transportation improvement for East Pierce County. The corridor provides infrastructure needed to improve quality of life, create business opportunities and enhance community safety.”

"New Rhodes Lake Road is the last critical piece of infrastructure needed to efficiently move goods, services and employees between East Pierce County, the Port of Tacoma and the I-5 corridor,” said Dave Morrell, Pierce County Councilmember for District 1.

According to Scott Jones, senior vice president at Brookfield Properties,  the construction of this new road is already generating interest from businesses looking to relocate near Telahleh. 

The plan for this $150 million project was established in 2008 by Pierce County Ordinance 2008-28s and the funding for the new road’s construction comes from Tehaleh traffic mitigation funds. The road is anticipated to be completed and open for traffic by the spring of 2027.

View photos from the groundbreaking event below! ​

When you joined your Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, it was likely for a reason. Whether you were looking to make new connections in the local business sector, access knowledge and resources to take your business to the next level, or take part in a greater cause in your community, there was something at the Chamber that you couldn't find anywhere else. 

Our Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber strives to remain relevant, engaging, and unique for our community of over 1,400 businesses and organizations. We recognize that no two businesses are exactly alike, and each has its own specific challenges, needs, and pathways to success. We hope that every business can find something to value in our Chamber's host of offerings centered on advocacy, leadership, and relationships.

We recently surveyed a sample of representatives in our Chamber community to hear from you, our members, about how the Chamber matters to your business. We believe the results capture an accurate snapshot of our membership's current views and values. ​

Last Wednesday, June 14th, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber hosted a town hall event in partnership with the Association of Washington Business and Washington Roundtable. This town hall was part of Washington In the Making 2040, an initiative to create a compelling vision for the future of our state’s economy.

Around 50 participants from various sectors of our Pierce County economy attended this interactive conversation, including small businesses, large businesses, elected officials, employers, and employees. 

Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber CEO/President Andrea Reay kicked off the event. Attendees participated in discussions centered on views of the economy, organizational and community needs, current and future trends, and critical issues at play. The goal of these conversations was to engage businesses and residents from the South Sound in the development of a shared vision of what the future of Washington's economy should look like. 

If you would like to help shape the future of our State's economy and be part of this initiative, you can take the Washington in the Making 2040 survey here. Whether you missed the event or simply have more you would like to share, make your voice heard!
​

Last Thursday, June 15th, we hosted our annual Happy Hour Business Expo! It was an amazing evening! This year's expo had many new exciting features in store for guests including a Professional Prep Zone featuring services to get you business-ready, more exhibitors than ever, and an extra hour of time to enjoy the event! This was our highest-attended Happy Hour Business Expo ever, with over 500 guests in attendance! 

Thank you to all the exhibitors, sponsors, caterers, and guests who made this unforgettable event happen! View photos from the Expo below. 

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and Pierce County Economic Development recently celebrated the graduation of Cohorts 10 and 11 of the Pierce County Business Accelerator! Over the past 6 weeks, these cohorts of local entrepreneurs and business owners have been hard at work engaging in trainings, coaching, technical support, and networking to accelerate their businesses. 

Our Chamber is honored to have played a role in the Pierce County Business Accelerator from the beginning as the program administrator, in partnership with Pierce County. The Pierce County Business Accelerator serves entrepreneurs and business owners throughout Pierce County with a focus on BIPOC, veteran, and women-owned businesses to help foster innovation and create wealth-building opportunities. Congratulations to these amazing groups of graduates! 

View photos from the Cohort 10 & 11 graduations below, and learn more about the Pierce County Business Accelerator at www.pcba.biz!

Last Thursday, June 1st, we joined Go Philly Cheesesteaks & Wings to celebrate their grand opening with a ribbon-cutting. This business, which previously had a Tacoma location, is excited for its return to the City of Destiny — as are its many fans. Learn more in this article from the Tacoma News Tribune and view photos below! 

Last Wednesday, May 24th, our Chamber joined Carlile Transportation at its Tacoma freight terminal for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate its new stormwater-treatment system. This state-of-the-art system is an eco-friendly advancement for Carlile and the Tacoma Tideflats area. 

​"We are committed to being good neighbors by doing our part to protect the environment by keeping surrounding communities safe and healthy,” says Carlile VP of Freight Operations John Armstrong. The new system will filter and clean runoff water on its way back to our local waterways. 

Thank you to our Chamber Ambassadors and business community for showing your support at this exciting event. And thank you to Carlile for its investment in the environmental health of our region!