2025: A Year of Momentum, Investment, and Impact

In 2025, the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and its partners advanced a shared mission: to strengthen the South Sound economy by investing in people, places, and opportunity. Across entrepreneurship, advocacy, creative placemaking, manufacturing, global trade, and leadership development, each initiative reinforced the same core goal—building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready business community.
 
From expanding access to capital and launching new economic infrastructure to elevating local creatives, advocating for business priorities, and developing the next generation of leaders, these ten highlights tell a connected story of progress. Individually impactful and collectively transformative, they reflect a year defined by collaboration, innovation, and purposeful growth across the South Sound.
 
Here are our top 10 highlights from 2025:

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1. $1.3 million in Microloans for Small Businesses

Access to capital remains a significant challenge for small businesses, but we made a difference. Through partnerships like Kiva, the Chamber facilitated $1.3 million (and counting) in 0% interest microloans to help small businesses grow and thrive since the inception of our partnership. These loans fill a critical funding gap for emerging entrepreneurs in Pierce County, helping make businesses rather than break them.

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2. Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator Builds Momentum for Manufacturing Growth

The Chamber and the Manufacturing Industrial Council for the South Sound partnered with local businesses and Clover Park Technical College’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing to establish the Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator. The program aligns with the Chambers’ commitment to supporting entrepreneurship and the State’s goal to double manufacturing within a decade. 
 
The Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator is an adaptive reuse of a 225,000 sq ft historic manufacturing facility. The initiative combines a $200,000 Evergreen Manufacturing Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, $85,000 in matching funds from the City of Tacoma, and $5.8 million in private capital. To date, the program has scaled three established businesses and housed a combined total of nine new and displaced manufacturers. The business training program and wraparound support aim to create 15-20 new manufacturing businesses over the next three years.
 
The Manufacturing Incubator, along with the development of new manufacturing-centered zoning in the Tacoma tideflats, strengthens the Chamber’s commitment to a strong economy and living wage jobs in the manufacturing, industrial, and maritime sectors. 

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3. Advocacy That Makes an Impact

Through the Chamber’s annual Legislative Advocacy Day and Washington-to-Washington, D.C. Conference, the Chamber led advocacy efforts to address critical business challenges and drive policy change. Priorities included:

• Protecting the 167 project, Connecting Washington, and Move Ahead Washington transportation packages
• Supporting legislation to achieve Washington’s BEST Manufacturing Act and protect small businesses
• Supporting policy solutions to the housing shortage

OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS

4. World Trade Center Tacoma’s Local Impact Through Global Connection

The World Trade Center Tacoma (WTCT) continued to strengthen local businesses through global partnerships, trade missions, and educational programs. This year, collaborations, particularly in East Asia, helped South Sound companies navigate tariff challenges and maintain their competitiveness. Through joint efforts with many partners, WTCT engaged approximately 250 individuals and nearly as many companies, sharing timely updates and best practices for managing complex trade conditions. The signature Globe Awards, held in September, once again celebrated excellence in international trade and the global achievements of our community.

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5. Spaceworks Tacoma Empowers Creatives

For 2025, Spaceworks Tacoma's top achievement was launching the inaugural Mural Fest, transforming the Downtown Block Party into a dynamic canvas for five local artists. This vibrant new event exemplifies Spaceworks' core mission of connecting creators to economic opportunities. Spaceworks continue to elevate the region’s creative economy by providing technical assistance and lease support to entrepreneurs, maintaining the six-business hub at the Mecca Building, and investing over $40,000 directly into local artists. Through these efforts, Spaceworks is actively transforming commercial spaces and creating new opportunities for artists and creative entrepreneurs to thrive.

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​6. Celebrating Business Milestones Across the South Sound 

Throughout 2025, the Chamber had the privilege of celebrating 23 business milestones across the South Sound through ribbon cutting ceremonies that marked both new beginnings and meaningful anniversaries. From grand openings to one-year milestones and everything in between, these moments honored the dedication, resilience, and vision of local business owners. Each ribbon cutting represented more than a ceremony. It was a celebration of growth, perseverance, and the continued vitality of our regional economy.

Contact Tayler Kirby to learn more about ribbon cutting ceremonies with the Chamber.

EMAIL TAYLER

7. Success of the Pierce County Business Accelerator

The Pierce County Business Accelerator (PCBA), a program of Pierce County Economic Development and administered by the Chamber, continued to empower over 575 BIPOC, veteran, and women-owned businesses. By providing coaching, training, and technical resources, the PCBA fostered innovation and opened doors to wealth-building opportunities for diverse business owners. It is a travesty if you missed the Happy Hour Business Expo this year, as we featured over 50 of our business graduates who served fantastic food and showcased business ideas that embody the spirit of the South Sound in their work, along with many of our member businesses.

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​8. An Interactive Happy Hour Business Expo

The Chamber’s annual Happy Hour Business Expo took place in June, with over 86 vendors showcasing their products and services at the Foss Waterway Seaport to an eager crowd of over 500 guests. A new aspect of this year's expo was the addition of Aura Alley, which enhanced the atmosphere and energy for all attendees through interactive activities. Among the vendors were flash tattoos, wellness scans, and vitamin injections. Guests could take home a new botanical friend, have their aura captured in photos, and more. Overall, Aura Alley was well received by guests, as hundreds flowed through the space throughout the evening.

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9. Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

Leadership development remained a cornerstone of the Chamber’s work through programs like the Business Leadership Academy (BLA) and the launch of the Candidate Academy. By providing mentorship, education, and real-world insight, these programs are preparing future business and civic leaders to guide the South Sound forward. Founded in 1978, the Business Leadership Academy of Tacoma-Pierce County is made possible through a partnership between the Chamber and Pacific Lutheran University.

ABOUT BLA

ABOUT CANDIDATE ACADEMY

10. An Award-Winning Newsletter

At the 2025 Annual WACE Conference, several regional Chambers were recognized for setting the standard for excellence in communications, including email newsletters, video, and website development. The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber was honored to receive the Email Newsletter award for its e-newsletter, which was recognized for creativity, innovation, and impact. The Chamber team is so grateful for the recognition and remains committed to further evolving our communication channels in the year ahead!

​Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter here.

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Looking Ahead to 2026

While 2025 offered much to celebrate, it also reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability, and collaboration. As we look to 2026, the Chamber remains committed to strengthening the regional economy, fostering innovation, and supporting businesses and leaders through whatever challenges lie ahead. Thank you for being an essential part of this journey.

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