Since the Great Recession hit, we’ve argued a number of times in this column that the recovery – the grinding crawl back out of the trough – is not going to come from Washington D.C. or from Olympia. Rather, it is going to come from us; it is going to come from local business choosing to get back in the game. That means leveraging the leaner companies we have into delivering products and services with new efficiency; filling our supply chain with local providers rather than sending those dollars out of the area; and going after market share again and proving to potential clients that we have what they need and are able to serve them better.
We’re a country and an economy whose problem solving innovation is more often need based than anything else. Well the need is now. Collectively, we can all make a difference for each other and together we, the business community, can lead the rest into a full-fledged recovery that can sustain us all.
We’re in good hands
This week the VBJ is full of hope and recognition. 22 young people from across our community who have distinguished themselves as accomplished in their career and demonstrated their commitment and willingness to give back to our community were recognized as the 2012 Class of Accomplished and Under 40. Nearly 300 gathered earlier this week to honor these deserving individuals, holding them up as examples of all that is going right in our community.
Along with our generous sponsors, the Vancouver Business Journal is proud to bring this program to the community each year and to share in the celebration of these tremendously accomplished individuals.
A career of achievement
At the same luncheon earlier this week there was another honor bestowed: the Kyle W. Corwin Lifetime Achievement Award. Kyle was a member of the Corwin Beverage family that built the Pepsi bottling and distribution company in Southwest Washington. Kyle was the man out front with a presence bigger than life at community events such as the Clark County Fair and the Vancouver Sausage Fest, among dozens of others. Kyle was a passionate business person, a devoted family man and a community philanthropist. He was the perfect model after which a lifetime achievement award should be named.
The 2012 recipient of the award, Mark Matthias, is featured on the front page of this edition. Our sincerest congratulations to Mark for all he does in the community, and for doing it in the same manner as Kyle.
