A salute to VBJ's 2009 BGA finalists
distress [dih-stres]
noun . . .4) that which causes pain, suffering, trouble, danger, etc.; . . .adjective . . .9) caused by or indicative of distress or hardship: distress prices; distress borrowing. . .verb – 11) to subject to pressure, stress, or strain; embarrass or exhaust by strain: to be distressed by excessive work. 12) to compel by pain or force of circumstances.
These four definitions of the word, "distress," certainly describe the circumstances many in our business community have been living through for the past two years. So it may have come as little surprise when the state of Washington formally acknowledged our circumstances earlier this month by declaring Clark County one of 19 "distressed" counties.
The "distressed" tag, though it does afford certain businesses tax incentives for new and existing building projects, is certainly a dubious distinction at best.
Despite the continued economic gloom, this edition of the VBJ is full of stories of success in the private and nonprofit sector – with the 18 companies and nonprofit organizations profiled in these pages all managing to grow even through the depths of the so-called "Great Recession."
Our readers have read many times in our publications about the need to focus on what businesses can directly influence to create their own economic recovery. The finalists of this year's Business Growth Awards, featured in this edition, are testament to the fact that private firms and nonprofits can expand even in the worst of times.
Make no mistake, the owners and entrepreneurs in these pages felt the downturn's crunch. However, each of them in their own way refused to participate in the recession. These men and women responded to the challenge of tough economic times by restructuring their organizations, refocusing their marketing and by going after entirely new customers to shore up those markets hit hardest by recession.
And let's not forget the startups and innovators. These are the individuals that Vancouver entrepreneur Dan Moffat referred to in his address at the 2007 Business Growth Awards as "people who understand what ‘3 a.m. courage' is all about." These are the people who so passionately believe in their company, their product-line and their customers that they awake before sunrise planning, plotting, praying and/or worrying.
On Thursday evening at the Hilton Vancouver Conference Center, we held the 6th Annual Business Growth Awards, with finalists showcasing their ideas, products and businesses. Before the winners were announced, Steve Sliwa, CEO and president of unmanned aircraft manufacturer Insitu, Inc., addressed the group on the impressive growth of his company over its 16-year-history.
I firmly believe this is exactly the time to focus on these accomplished businesses. As the regional economy continues on its long path out of recession, we need to realize that many businesses have already begun to turn the corner – all in the hopes of creating their own recovery and inspiring others to do the same.
