Charleston Area Alliance proud of progress

By

Sarah K. Winn Charleston Gazette Staff writer

The Charleston Area Alliance is meeting its vision, albeit slowly, board chairman Jack Rossi told alliance members during the group’s annual meeting Thursday.

“We are making an impact and that change begins with a vision and continues with actions,” Rossi said. “No one would say that it would happen overnight.”

Financially, the alliance has faired well, with about $6.6 million in net assets in 2006, said treasurer Virginia L. King of Kanawha Stone. The figure includes $9.5 million in assets and $2.9 million in liabilities. Revenues for 2006 were about $2.9 million, coupled with $2.7 million in total expenses, King said.

The 2007 balanced budget of $2.2 million for both revenues and expenses has already been approved, she said.

The alliance worked diligently in 2006 on business and economic development, said Sally Smith of Bowles Rice McDavid Graff & Love.

In 2006, the business and economic committee went on 70 retention visits to local businesses, she said. “Retention has been our top priority,” Smith said. “We should be bringing value to our businesses. It’s our goal and should continue to be.”

She pointed to the reinvestment in South Charleston’s stamping plant and the addition of 600 jobs by CASCI as recent successes.

The alliance hosted 25 new international and domestic companies and saw expansions in Aker Kvaerner, Spatial Integrate Systems, NGK Sparkplugs, Ashley Furniture and Leslie Equipment. Also, the alliance’s small-business incubator helped 104 companies, creating 257 jobs, she said.

In community development issues, Susie Salisbury, senior vice president of the alliance, said the committee was very active during the year.

In the past year, the committee has completed the EcoDwell house on Charleston’s East End, continued planning the $2 million Gateway Greenspace on the corner of Leon Sullivan Way and Washington Street East and helped the alliance’s Young Professionals group with their downtown housing goals.

In addition, a large part of the community development work of the alliance includes Leadership Kanawha Valley, which graduated 31 students in 2006, said Joseph Jones of Appalachian Power. The next class already has a waiting list of 25 to 30 students, he said.

Another arm of the alliance is its East End Main Street program, which helped bolster the business community of the Charleston neighborhood in 2006, said Mary Anne Crickard of Contemporary Galleries.

In 2006, the East End added eight new businesses and expanded six existing businesses, which created 14 full-time and 26 part-time jobs, thanks in part to East End Main Street, Crickard said.

James M. Sturgeon, who is part of the Chamber of Commerce arm of the alliance, said the chamber successfully convinced legislators to support metro government and to eliminate the business franchise tax. “We were heard, while others were ignored,” he said. “We are the voice of business and the voice of [alliance] members.”

Overall, 2006 was noteworthy, Rossi said. “Now, if we could just get carpet on the floor,” he said, half-joking, in reference to the alliance offices’ unfinished construction.