Articles by Guest Contributor
As we say farewell to 2021, let’s mark return to longer-term trends
Many things are asked of economists. Sometimes it’s to provide an explanation of the present. Other times it’s to give a forecast. This column contains a bit of both. To summarize the past year involves dissecting some of the present and poring over available evidence to forecast possible outcomes for 2021. The challenge lies in…
2021 was an ongoing exercise in adaptability and resiliency
This past year has been one like no other — full of challenges, hardships and uncertainty. However, it was underscored by remarkable resilience, much of that apparent in the day-to-day activities of Tri-City Regional Chamber members. Throughout 2021, we continued to adapt by helping businesses withstand changes due to the pandemic as it continues to…
Explosive growth will bring its own set of challenges
At the end of 2020, we looked back at the impacts of Covid-19 on our local Tri-Cities’ economy and predicted a fast rebound. In 2021, we definitely experienced a rebound and have seen continued growth in the size of our workforce. We are anticipating even more workforce growth in 2022. According to our Washington State…
Tri-Cities Airport waits for traffic to return, welcomes new airlines
Despite a global pandemic, 2021 was a pleasant surprise for the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. There’s reason for optimism as we have seen a significant improvement in air travel volumes. Coming into the year, staff forecasted passenger traffic would reach 60% (262,873) of our 2019 passenger numbers (438,123). This estimate represents a significant growth over…
Richland notes growth in both public, private sectors
The last year in the Tri-Cities was a busy one for all jurisdictions, and Richland was no different. Changes and improvements were made in many areas throughout the city, from building roads and upgrades, to new developments and increased rooftops, adding new businesses and growing some of our favorite businesses. Richland celebrated the completion of…
Visit Tri-Cities champions tourism recovery, economic prosperity
Sense of community is why we do what we do, and relationships are how we get it done. These two things enabled us to be successful during the pandemic as our industry was crippled by declining hotel occupancies, hospitality staffing shortages and financial hardships. Due to the impacts of the pandemic, visitor spending was down…
Downtown Kennewick: creating a sense of place
If the last two years of the Covid pandemic have taught us anything, it has demonstrated that active, livable downtowns don’t just happen. It takes a comprehensive approach coupled with professional leadership, collective coordination with partners and dedicated volunteers to ensure success. This is the role of the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership (HDKP). Our organization…
Pasco chamber will continue to advocate for business community as growth takes hold
We are in the midst of a launching point for major achievements for our region and nation. We are still adapting how we live our lives. As I pointed out in last year’s column, history points to shifts in human behavior after periods of strife. The Pasco Chamber of Commerce also adapted to capitalize on opportunities…
Kennewick schools celebrate year of growth, new high school
It’s been an exciting year in the Kennewick School District – one marked by growth, expansion and innovation. We’ve celebrated milestones, including the opening of the new Kennewick High School, classroom additions and athletic facility upgrades at Kamiakin and Southridge high schools and the debut of a new online school program. We’ve also spent time…
West Richland chamber cheers uptick in commercial, industrial growth
When a pandemic can’t slow a community down, you know you’re living in exciting times. While we may not have been able to completely leave Covid-19 in the rearview mirror in 2021, West Richland sure hit the ground running with some exciting growth, and there are no signs of slowing down anytime soon. The residential…
