Kalispell Chamber puts focus on jobs

Members of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce pledged Wednesday to make job stimulation and retention its main priorities in 2010.

The pledge comes on the heels of the U.S. Chamber’s launch of the American Free Enterprise: Dream Big campaign. Officially begun in October, the campaign seeks to inform the American public about the important role free enterprise plays in revitalizing the economy and how Americans can benefit from and advance the initiative.

Addressing a roomful of Kalispell business leaders at the Hilton Garden Inn for the first monthly chamber luncheon of the year, Renee Radcliff Sinclair, Northwest Regional Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, estimated 19,203 jobs have been lost in Montana since the start of 2008.

To stay even with growing population, 23,441 jobs need to be created within the decade to offset that loss, with about 5,000 of them here in the Flathead Valley, according to Kalispell Chamber President Joe Unterreiner. That number pales in comparison to the 20 million jobs Sinclair indicated need to be created nationally.

“We have the ability to do it. We’ve done it before and we can do it again,” she said.

Government can support the effort by doubling exports to combat trade deficits and also by creating jobs to fix government infrastructure, notably water and wastewater, highway maintenance, airport expansions and energy production, she said.

Increasing access to credit, reigning in taxes and bolstering the educational system would fuel small businesses, offering extra dollars to expand business. Sinclair maintained that rescinding funding from schools is “artificially placing a cap on our economy” by weakening the number of educated and skilled workers available.

But even if government support is attained in those key areas, innovation within the small-business community is key to economic stability, she said.

“We all know it’s the private sector that creates jobs,” she added.

Much of the free-enterprise campaign is geared toward energizing that very private-sector community. With online video competitions for small-business owners and a Dream Big Small Business Award to be given at the end of the year, the U.S. Chamber hopes to attract grassroots support from business leaders across the country. So far, more than 400,000 businesses have pledged their support for the initiative. More information on the campaign and how to get involved can be found at www.FreeEnterpriseAmerica.com.

Following Sinclair’s address, outgoing Kalispell Chamber Board President Bob Schneider outlined some of the 2010 projects the local chamber is using to combat job loss.

At the top of the list is establishing a tourism business district, a project already in the works.

“Tourism is a big part of employment in the Valley. It’s our one shining spot right now,” he said. The tourism business district will unite hotel owners and provide revenue to fund projects.

The local chamber is also putting significant resources into exploring the production of biomass energy in the wake of the recent Smurfit-Stone Container plant closure in Frenchtown. Schneider alluded to the additional jobs lost in the trickle-down effect of the plant closure.

Each project will focus on combating joblessness in the Flathead Valley.

“Job creation will be our priority,” he reinforced.

Reporter Erika Hoefer may be reached at 758-4439 or by e-mail at ehoefer@dailyinterlake.com