Kalispell Chamber outlines 2012 goals

Expanding tourism and advancing pro-growth legislation will be at the forefront of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce’s agenda this year.

The Chamber unveiled its 2012 policy agenda at the monthly luncheon on Tuesday, outlining six areas of focus.

Tourism is a bright spot in the regional economy and was among the largest job creators locally during the past year, according to the Chamber. Kalispell hotel occupancies were up 7 percent last year.

Kalispell Chamber President Joe Unterreiner said a mobile application for smartphones will be launched in late spring or early summer, allowing both the Chamber and Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau to promote the area.

The Chamber is in the second year of a five-year, $3 million campaign to promote Kalispell as a premier visitor and meeting destination. That campaign includes the expansion of trade and visitation with Canada.

Among the new events aimed at bringing more visitors to the Kalispell area is the Montana Dragon Boat Festival scheduled Sept. 8 on Flathead Lake. About 3,000 spectators and 600 races are expected for the inaugural event.

As the Chamber looks ahead to the 62nd session of the Montana Legislature next year, a big focus will be put on advancing pro-growth bills and regulatory reform, Unterreiner said.

“The Chamber will push to eliminate overreaching regulations that drive up the costs of job creators and make it harder to hire new employees and invest in our community,” he said.

Innovative companies in sectors such as energy, semiconductor equipment manufacturing, small arms manufacturing and unmanned aerial vehicles will be supported by the Chamber through advocacy and local business expansion and retention resources.

The Chamber also will make it a priority to work with second-stage businesses — those with 10 to 99 employees and more than $1 million in sales.

“This group of Montana businesses has an outsized impact on job creation because they have 39 percent of the jobs in the state while comprising just 8 percent of the business establishments,” Unterreiner said.

Creating transportation opportunities and building infrastructure will be another goal. The Chamber will press for the completion of the U.S. 93 alternative route and for the expansion of the commercial air service network. Unterreiner noted Allegiant Air’s recent announcement of nonstop service to the San Francisco Bay area as a big benefit to the Kalispell area.

Investment in broadband infrastructure also is a Chamber priority this year.

Developing natural resources to create good-paying jobs and tax revenue for school and government services is on the agenda. The recent power purchase agreement between F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. and Flathead Electric Cooperative is “an encouraging sign for the development of a Northwest Montana renewable energy industry based on woody biomass,” he said.