The Economic Alliance of Lewis County was formally welcomed to its new location at 1209 Borthwick St. in Centralia Thursday, Sept. 5, by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Kelly Smith Johnston.
The new location, formerly used by Coldwell Banker Real Estate, is the location the alliance has been searching for for years, officials said. The alliance, formerly known as the Lewis Economic Development Council, was previously located on North National Avenue in Chehalis.
“We’ve been looking for a place for the last three years and just couldn’t find the right place that’s within the community and not too far out so people can utilize our facility and just pop in,” Alliance Business Development Program Manager Dolly Tardiff. “It’s a great fit for us.”
The location is prime real estate when it comes to reaching both the Centralia and Chehalis communities. The building also happens to be near the bus line as well as being right next to Interstate 5.
“We reach more now just where we’re at because we're so close to downtown, but we're just a hop, skip and a jump to Chehalis,” Tardiff said.
The new building has offices for each of the alliance’s team members as well as a large boardroom where classes and meetings can be held. The alliance offers business-centered courses that are made to help people at any stage of their business’s journey.
“These new entrepreneurs might be sitting at home and have an idea of starting a business but might be fearful to take that plunge. It’s not hard, but it's always scary to take that first plunge,” Tardiff said.
Tardiff was once an entrepreneur sitting at home before she opened her security company in 1990.
“I have owned my business, a security company, since 1990, and back then there was no one place you could go for help. You just had to figure it out. We needed one place for people to come and find help,” she said.
“I’m excited to see that growth because that makes our community prosper, and I think the more people we can help, the more our community will become a better place,” Tardiff said.
The alliance has already changed the economic landscape of Lewis County by leaps and bounds, Smith Johnston said.
“As the mayor, I love having them in Centralia, but they serve the whole county. What I’m excited about is the energy, momentum and commitment that they are bringing to economic development,” she said.
She added: “The alliance has emerged as an important leader for economic development. Every community needs champions. Champions are those that wholeheartedly support and believe in our community and our future.”
The alliance has been a part of the Lewis County community for a long time; however, Smith Johnston believes something changed when Executive Director Richard DeBolt took charge in 2021.
“The evolution of the alliance has been an absolute joy to watch. In my mind, it started when Richard was named executive director,” said Smith Johnston. “And I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure Richard was the right choice. Sorry, Richard.”
“He’d been the big dog in Olympia and I wasn’t sure what it would look like for him to focus on the local area, and I’ve never been so happy to be so wrong,” she said of DeBolt, a longtime 20th Legislative District lawmaker.
“You’ve served Lewis County for more than 25 years and you’ve served it in a way that inspires us,” Smith Johnston said of DeBolt.
Among the many other compliments Smith Johnston had for the alliance, she highlighted its ability to create community and make community members feel like they’re a part of something bigger, bolder and, most importantly, something possible.
She also addressed the alliance’s shortcomings.
“Sometimes they have misses. And I want to address that,” she said. “There’s been a lot of criticism around some of those misses but, I’ll tell you, I’d much rather have an alliance working on our economy that swings at the pitches that are in front of us. You’re not going to hit it out of the ballpark every single time, but we’re never going to win if we don’t take the swing.”
The alliance’s overall mission is to foster economic development in Lewis County.
“Our goal is to contribute to the economic vitality of the community by increasing the number of jobs and improving the local quality of life,” the alliance states on its website. “To accomplish our goal we work to retain our local businesses and aid them in expanding as well as recruit new businesses to the area. To that end we have assisted over 80 firms locate here, which provide over 2,300 jobs to our community. In addition, we have worked with over 250 local firms, helping them to expand or strengthen their operations. Finally, the Economic Alliance partners with hundreds of members in business, government and community groups to solve transportation, utility and regulatory problems.”
To become involved in the alliance, help raise funds or utilize resources, visit lewiscountyalliance.org .
The alliance will host a golf tournament on Sept. 13 at the Riverside Golf Course. The alliance’s banquet will be held at the Jester’s Auto Museum and Event Center on Feb. 7.
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