Why Horizons Matters
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In a rapidly evolving economic landscape, making informed decisions is crucial. At Horizons, we bring together top-tier economists, industry experts, and community leaders to shed light on the data, trends, and innovations that will shape Tacoma-Pierce County—and beyond—in the coming year. 

Powered by Membership 

​Horizons isn’t just an event--it’s an expression of our commitment to serving and empowering the Tacoma-Pierce County community. As part of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, your membership fuels initiatives like these, enabling us to spotlight economic drivers, champion local businesses, and foster a thriving business environment for everyone. ​

Reserve Your Spot 

​Ready to see beyond the horizon? Secure your seat at Horizons Economic Forecast 2025 and join us in steering the future of Tacoma-Pierce County. ​

Don’t miss this opportunity to start your new year—and new strategy—on a high note. By connecting data, insights, and collaboration, we can create a more prosperous future for our entire community.
 
Stay tuned for more speaker announcements and session highlights in the coming weeks via our social media! ​

2024 was a year of impact, progress, and innovation for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and the South Sound business community. From advocating for businesses to fostering leadership and supporting creative entrepreneurs, we accomplished so much together. Here are our top 10 highlights from 2024:

This year marked an incredible milestone--140 years of the Chamber being the unifying voice for businesses in Tacoma-Pierce County. For over a century, we have championed economic growth, supported leaders, and strengthened our region. All the while, the Chamber has continuously evolved to meet the changing needs of the Tacoma-Pierce County business community. Thank you for being part of this legacy!

Access to capital is a major challenge for small businesses, but we made a difference. Through partnerships like Kiva, the Chamber facilitated $983,000 (and counting) in 0% interest microloans to help small businesses grow and thrive. These loans fill a critical funding gap for emerging entrepreneurs in Pierce County that can help make businesses, rather than break them.

The Pierce County Business Accelerator (PCBA) program continued to empower over 450 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 PCBA Showcase this year as it was stupendous; filled with amazing food, wonderful business ideas, and business owners who embody the spirit of the South Sound in their work.

Inspired by solutions explored during our Aspire Intercity Leadership Conference, the Good Neighbor Village project is now underway. By 2030, it will provide permanent housing and supportive care to 257 chronically homeless residents in Pierce County, restoring dignity and stability to our community members.

Spaceworks Tacoma continued to elevate our region’s creative economy by connecting creative entrepreneurs and artists to economic opportunity. This year, the program invested $41,860 in local artists, delivered training to creative entrepreneurs, and facilitated rotating public art installations across Tacoma. Spaceworks is transforming commercial spaces and creating new opportunities for artists and creative entrepreneurs to thrive.

Our events reached new heights this year, welcoming 4,936 attendees across meetings, forums, and signature events like the Horizons Economic Forecast and Happy Hour Business Expo. These gatherings fostered connections, celebrated successes, and inspired collaboration among local leaders.

The Chamber led advocacy efforts to address critical business challenges and drive policy change:

• Protecting key transportation projects like the Puget Sound Gateway.
• Supporting workforce development and manufacturing growth.
• Promoting policies that encourage housing construction and public safety.

 
These wins helped create a stronger, more resilient business environment for the South Sound.

The Chamber and the Manufacturing Industrial Council for the South Sound partnered with local businesses to establish the Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator. The program is aligned with Chambers commitment to support entrepreneurship and the State’s goal to double manufacturing within a decade. 
 
The Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator will create scalable manufacturing spaces, support capacity building for existing businesses, and develop a manufacturing centered curriculum designed to empower manufacturing startups with a pilot cohort scheduled for 2025. The launch of the incubator is funded in part by the Washington State Department of Commerce and the City of Tacoma. 

The World Trade Center Tacoma connected local businesses to global opportunities through international trade missions and educational programs. This year, businesses benefited from partnerships forged in East Asia, helping the South Sound remain competitive on the global stage. World Trade Center Tacoma also conducted its annual flagship event, the World Trade Center Tacoma Globe Awards, in September, which recognized excellence in international trade. 

We continued investing in leadership development through programs like the Business Leadership Academy and the foundation of the Candidates Academy. By equipping future leaders with skills, mentorship, and connections, we are building a strong foundation for the next generation of business and community leaders.

As we celebrate these milestones, we are excited for what lies ahead. Together, we will continue to strengthen our economy, foster innovation, and empower leaders in the South Sound. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey—cheers to a bright year ahead!

The News Tribune has officially announced the winners of the 2024 Best of Pierce County! The magazine and program showcase the effort to discover and celebrate the businesses, people, and places the community loves most – as voted by you!

Best of Pierce County had over 5,000 businesses, organizations, and individuals competing to be named in the top three spots of 204 categories. During the voting, more than 125,000 votes were cast, an amazing response in the first year, and a testament to how customers, fans, and friends feel about their favorite local businesses and the pride they have for the area.

Congratulations to all Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber members winners!

​Every year in late August through September, Puyallup, Washington takes on a massive undertaking – the Washington State Fair. The Washington State Fair is not only the largest fair in the Pacific Northwest, but one of the largest in the world. Hundreds of thousands of visitors each day have so much to experience from concerts in the Umpqua Bank Grandstands, a showcase of agriculture and farming, and 13 plus buildings to walk through all offering a variety of activities.
 
This year, the fair had something that has never been offered before – the Pierce County Business Accelerator vendor section. Every three days, six new PCBA program graduates had the chance to share their unique businesses with Fair guests. Located in the Pavilion Marketplace right inside the Gold Gate on the fairgrounds, it was the perfect venue for these booths. The Pavilion Marketplace historically hosts small ‘maker’ businesses, 4-H contestants, and much more.
 
PCBA vendors offered a variety of products including custom painted glassware, season-trendy clothing, handknit plushies, self/body care products, jam-filled jars, laser cut wood ornaments, handmade jewelry, beard oil, perfumes, Croc charms, and more! If you were unable to walk-through the Pavilion Marketplace and shop these PCBA vendors, then head over to the PCBA Website, Pierce County Business Accelerator (pcbamap.biz), to check out not only these grads, but also the other 450+ graduates.
 
The PCBA is a program of the Pierce County Economic Development Department funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and administered by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce. The City of Lakewood is a municipal partner. The PCBA is managed in partnership with Next Consulting, Asia Pacific Cultural Center, The Black Collective, Mi Centro, and Korean Women’s Association. To learn more visit PCBA.biz.

​Welcome to all the new members who joined our business community in August 2024:​

Chamber After Hours at the Washington State Fair Events Center, falling on the second week in August, has become a yearly affair for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber!
 
Taking place just before the start of the notable Washington State Fair, aka the Fall Fair, Chamber After Hours is the perfect time for attendees to get excited for the upcoming festivities. This year, guests got to experience the event in the Fair View Club, located between the Blue and Gold Gate on the grounds, and adjacent to the Pavilion Marketplace. This private room can be used for corporate events, receptions, special events, and much more. Charcuterie-style food was provided along with beverages and most importantly, scones.
 
Andrea Reay, President & CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, alongside Cari Dixon, Chief Growth Officer of the WA State Fair management team shared, a few words about the partnership between the two entities, and the amazing projects and events that have blossomed from it. They finished with a giveaway drawing for 12 lucky winners! Among the prizes were tickets to the Umpqua Bank Concert Series, Emerald Downs, and a Tacoma Rainier’s baseball game.

​We love our ambassador team and are very grateful to have their support! Our Chamber ambassadors are an extension of the Chamber staff, allowing our members to have more points of contact. We want to highlight each ambassador as a 'thank you' for their continued support and dedication that they put into the ambassador team.

We asked each ambassador a set of questions in an effort to become better acquainted and get a preview of their life outside of ambassador work. For August, we will be highlighting the great Laura Etscheid! ​

Learn More About the Ambassador Program
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​​Interested in learning more about what it takes to be a Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber ambassador? Learn more here.

​Welcome to all the new members who joined our business community in July 2024:​

   • 4EVRGRN
   • A1 Financial Services
   • Aichas Wholesomes
   • AMP Studio LLC
   • Anchor Puzzles LLC
   • Black Bishop Financial Group
   • C & C Electric Connected & Continuity
   • Cafe Pacific Catering, Inc.
   • Cedar Gate Creatives
   • Cinman Consulting
   • Degesch America
   • EL visionZ
   • EXIT SUCCESS Solutions
   • FRN Corp.
   • Girls Hearts on Fire
   • Harbor Freight - Frederickson
   • Hello, Beautiful
   • Hunt's Services
   • Mark Lindquist Law
   • MD'S Hauling
   • MK Creative
   • Mr Racks LLC
   • Origin Medicine
   • Soulberry Coffee House LLC
   • Steepmeadow Solutions
   • Toby Murray
   • Tresha's Treasures
   • Yates Enterprise Solutions
   • Youngblood Plumbing & Radiant LLC
   • Yours Truly

​Booktrovert: [book-tro-vert-noun] A person who prefers the company of fictional characters to real people. Shannon Grover, owner of The Lakewood Bookstore, is a self-proclaimed booktrovert.

After many years of following her spouse's vocational journey, Shannon knew she was ready to start her own. Being the booklover she is, Grover decided to open her own bookstore; a place where she would be happy to come every day and pour her passion of reading into.
The Lakewood Bookstore is in an old cellphone store, but you’d never know that once you step in. There are two floors: the main floor carries the books, and the second floor is a fun hangout spot for people to read, play games, build puzzles, or just chat. Not only are there plenty of books in the store, but there is also stationery, stuffed animals, book accessories, puzzles, and more.

On the day of the ribbon cutting, the store was full of eager guests all in awe of the inventory, the design of the store, and the overall atmosphere. Grover is a graduate of the Pierce County Business Accelerator (PCBA) Program, which is also something to be celebrated! There were fellow graduates at the ceremony, and one of them even provided reuseable shopping bags for attendees, with The Lakewood Bookstore logo proudly displayed on the face of the bag.
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We were honored to be part of this exciting business milestone and look forward to a ‘happily ever after’ for The Lakewood Bookstore!

Website: https://thelakewoodbookstore.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: ​253-625-7913

If you have been following the Chamber for a while, you probably have attended a few of our signature events. Occurring quarterly, Chamber signature events take months of planning and significant collaboration to make them meaningful, memorable, and successful. Those events also gain the highest attendance. Our 2024 Happy Hour Business Expo was no exception – we expected over 400 attendees to come out and we were happily surprised to have 500+ people attend!

The Happy Hour Business Expo is arguably the most favorite for members (and staff) amongst our signature events. This year’s event helped kick-off summer with sunshine throughout the day, which perfectly highlighted the venue’s location at the Tacoma Narrows Marina. This was our third-year hosting HHBE at The Waterfront Venue, and guests got to experience a few new aspects this time around.

As guests entered the venue, attendees were able to receive a door prize upon entry, sign-up for special giveaways, and grab an exclusive swag bag filled with goodies to get the evening started. Live music performed by Chris Jones filled the hall, welcoming guests into the main room where 70+ local businesses awaited to network, conduct giveaways, and share amazing food and beverages. 
There was no shortage of entertainment for the night as guests took selfies in front of the giant ‘HHBE’ neon letters, savored food and desserts from beloved South Sound businesses, and enjoyed the event’s signature cocktails – the Chamber margarita and huckleberry lemon drop.

Thank you to our sponsors, vendors, attendees, and staff who helped make this year’s expo a memorable night. We can't wait to see what surprises await in next year’s Happy Hour Business Expo! ​

Event Sponsors

Title Sponsor: Amazon

Supporting Sponsor: Verizon

Swag Bag Sponsor: Business Health Trust (BHT)

Parking Lot Sponsor: GTM Transformations LLC

Community Table Sponsors: BECU & Umpqua Bank

Silver Sponsor: Silver Cloud Hotel Tacoma at Point Ruston Waterfront

Media Sponsors: Lamar Advertising & South Sound Business (PMG)

Door Prize Sponsor: Emerald Downs

Giveaway Prize Sponsors: Brassfields Salon and Spa, MaidPro Tacoma & Lemay - America's Car Museum

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is very grateful to have our wonderful ambassador team. These Chamber ambassadors are an extension of the Chamber staff, allowing our members to have more points of contact. We want to highlight each ambassador as a 'thank you' for their continued support and dedication that they put into the ambassador team.

Connect with Bob

If you are wanting to meet Bob or seek his wisdom about the legal system, you can reach him at his email address, which perfectly captures his boating lifestyle: [email protected]. ​

Learn More About the Ambassador Program

​Interested in learning more about what it takes to be a Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber ambassador? Learn more here.

In April, we welcomed new and current members to our office for a New Member Mixer!
 
This event provided attendees a chance to learn about the benefits of a Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber membership in an Open House style format. Activities included learning more about Chamber programs and partnerships, such as Spaceworks Tacoma, World Trade Center Tacoma, and Downtown Tacoma Partnership.
 
Members mingled with Chamber staff, ambassadors, and fellow members over drinks and catering. It was a wonderful evening connecting with members and building relationships!
 
Our next New Member Mixer will be in September (9/24/24) and registration is now open. We hope you’ll join us to meet new members and celebrate our growing business community!

The Tacoma Art Museum was the venue for April’s Chamber After Hours with Georgio’s Catering providing a comfort style food buffet dinner, a well-stocked bar, and even custom branded cookies for attendees to enjoy.

During a regular day at the museum, you may mistake the room where the reception was held for a simple wall, but the wall is a huge sliding door that opens to a private room that can accommodate many styles of meetings. It has brightly colored soft seating and greenery to contrast the monochrome interior. The pull-down screen had a slideshow projected on, which flipped through the many offerings of TAM, including a monthly yoga meet up, every Thursday being free to attend, and more. 

It was many guests’ first Chamber After Hours, and for some it was the first time in a long time that they had been to the Art Museum. Luckily, they were able to take advantage of the opportunity and walked through the halls filled with the creative work of hundreds of artists.

The Tacoma Art Museum is a wonderful addition to the museum walk that Tacoma is lucky to have. Just a short walk from the Link Union Station, and open Wednesday through Sunday, go check out this unique museum!

​The Chamber’s annual Horizons Economic Forecast event took place on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, and saw over 400 guests in attendance! The program featured expert economists, industry executives, and local business leaders to candidly discuss the economic outlook of 2024, as well as offer insights and advice to business owners.

Some of the top topics on everyone’s mind this year were workforce, interest rates, and community investments. The event speakers covered these topics and more through presentations and live discussions.
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Take a look at the top 10 takeaways from this year’s Horizons Economic Forecast:

1. Pierce County: A Hub of Investment & Growth

The program commenced with an address from Bruce Dammeier, Pierce County Executive, during which he underscored Pierce County's reputation as an attractive destination for both investment and employment opportunities. Highlighting two notable investments within the county, encompassing over seven million square feet of leased property, he emphasized the success of these ventures, with one property achieving full occupancy and the other surpassing the 70 percent mark. This emphasizes Pierce County's enduring appeal as a robust investment hub and vibrant community that continues to attract new residents.

3. Legislative Initiatives Aimed at Tackling Economic Challenges

Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland of Washington's 10th District began her address by acknowledging the significant developments witnessed by the South Sound and Washington State at large over the past year. She further acknowledged widespread concerns voiced regarding labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, infrastructure needs, and the evolving marketplace dynamics necessitating continuous adaptation. In response to these challenges, she highlighted key federal legislative initiatives aimed at addressing these pressing issues:

• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, poised to generate high-paying jobs that will invest in mass-broadband, mass-transit, roads, and clean water.
• The CHIPS and Science Act, designed to repatriate manufacturing jobs to the United States while bolstering technological advancements to maintain global competitiveness.
• The Inflation Reduction Act, intended to alleviate financial burdens through provisions such as tax credits, support for clean energy endeavors, and measures aimed at reducing the cost of essential medications like insulin.

 
While acknowledging the positive strides made through these legislative efforts, Congresswoman Strickland emphasized the ongoing commitment to further legislative action, promote continuous progress, and advocacy to address emerging challenges.

​Downtown Tacoma welcomed a new business to the area on Friday, February 2, 2024. Located off Pacific Ave, you will find Maxwell Synové Photography! Krystian Francuz-Harris holds many titles including Photographer, Wife, Mother of two young boys, and now proud Downtown Tacoma Business Owner.
 
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, there were delicious doughnuts for the attendees, and best of all, Krystian’s friends and family. Also present to support Krystian were a few Chamber Ambassadors, The Downtown Tacoma Partnership team, and other fellow photographers.
 
Jon Rossman, Board Chair for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, and Owner of another business in Tacoma, Chuckals Office Products, had the chance to say a few words to welcome Maxwell Synové Photography. When Krystian had the chance to speak, she shared the meaning behind the studio’s name. Maxwell is the middle name of both her sons, and Synové is Czech for Son. It was important for Krystian to bring her culture into the company name, and of course, her precious children’s middle names.
 
The studio itself is spacious and has large windows at the front to let in natural light. There are plenty of areas within the studio to create different sets, and the soft colors of the room make for a great canvas to get creative with. Along the walls are many prints from past photoshoots that show the variety and skillset Krystian has…you may even find her oldest son toddling around if you’re lucky!
 
Next time you need some photos taken, be sure to check out Maxwell Synové Photography! 

2023 was an exciting year for the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber and our local business community!

This past year we were thrilled to host sold out signature events where we strengthened relationships with friendly faces — many familiar and many new! The conferences we took part in gave local leaders chances to learn, grow, and be inspired with ambitious ideas for the South Sound. We were honored to play a role in leadership development programs for business owners and entrepreneurs on the rise in our region. Advocacy to protect business interests and ensure a thriving local economy was a top priority for us on a local, state, and national level. Throughout the year, we enjoyed many different opportunities to celebrate the successes and accomplishments of our vibrant business community.

Thank you to everyone who joined us this year to make an impact for business in the South Sound. We can't wait to have you alongside us for everything 2024 has in store! 

Read our recap of the Chamber's Top 10 accomplishments, events, programs, and moments from 2023 below!