Celebrating Business. Supporting Success.
One of the great privileges of my job is getting to know the people behind the businesses and organizations that make our community special. Some are just beginning their professional journeys. Others have spent decades building businesses, creating jobs, and investing in the place we call home.
This time of year, we’re fortunate to celebrate many of them.
We recently recognized seven exceptional young professionals through our Top 7 Under 40 program. In a few weeks, we’ll gather for the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce’s annual Awards Dinner, celebrating businesses and individuals whose leadership and commitment strengthen our region.
These celebrations remind us that behind every successful business is a story of hard work, perseverance, and risk. But they also raise an important question.
Are we creating an environment where the next generation of businesses and business leaders can succeed?
What Does It Mean to Be Business-Friendly?
It’s a phrase we hear frequently, particularly during election season. Candidates talk about supporting businesses, encouraging investment, and creating jobs. But what does being business-friendly actually mean?
It doesn’t mean businesses should be exempt from regulations or responsibilities. Rather, it means recognizing that successful businesses are essential partners in building the community we all want.
It means understanding that decisions about housing, taxation, permitting, and workforce development have real consequences for employers and employees alike.
Many local businesses are facing difficult decisions as operating costs rise. For small businesses especially, another expense or regulatory requirement can influence whether they hire, expand, or simply keep their doors open.
A community cannot claim to value its local businesses while consistently making it more difficult for them to operate.
That doesn’t mean every policy affecting businesses is wrong. But it does mean we should consider the cumulative impact of our decisions, even those made with the best intentions.
Celebrating Today. Building Tomorrow.
As another election season concludes, I hope our elected leaders, both new and returning, will engage with the business community and recognize the importance of creating conditions where businesses can thrive.
But that responsibility belongs to all of us.
When we celebrate our young professionals and longtime business leaders, we’re recognizing more than individual achievement. We’re celebrating the investment, innovation, and opportunity that strengthen our community.
The best way to honor today’s success stories is to make sure we’re creating opportunities for tomorrow’s.
Let’s celebrate the people making a difference today … and build a community where there will be even more to celebrate in the years ahead.
Guy Occhiogrosso
President/CEO
Posted Wednesday, November 4, 2026.