Clark County ports and CREDC present at national Public-Private Partnership Conference
News release reprinted with permission from the Columbia River Economic Development Council
Port of Vancouver USA CEO Todd Coleman presents at the 2015 Public Private Partnership Conference in Dallas, Texas
VANCOUVER, Wash. (March 5, 2015) – Representatives from the Columbia River Economic Development Council (CREDC) and the Ports of Camas-Washougal, Ridgefield, and Vancouver USA attended the 2015 Public-Private Partnerships Conference (P3C) in Dallas, Texas, February 23-25. The annual conference is one of the largest gatherings of development professionals in the country, providing a forum for government and private industry professionals to network and learn about developing and implementing public-private partnership projects.
“The group undertook this effort both to learn more about public-private partnerships and to highlight the amazing projects in which our local ports have invested in order to attract private sector partners,” said Mike Bomar, President, CREDC.
Representatives from the respective entities had previously attended the conference, but this was the first year that they collaborated to jointly market the region in order to leverage financial resources and expand the presence of Southwest Washington at the three-day event. The group secured three contiguous booth spaces at the exhibit, uniting the entities under the theme “1 Great Region, 3 Great Ports . . . Endless Possibilities.”
“The P3 Conference was a worthwhile trip that allowed the three ports to show off our current industrial and waterfront projects to investors and developers from all over the country,” said David Ripp, Executive Director, Port of Camas-Washougal. “It also allowed us to show how the Columbia River Economic Development Council and the ports work in collaboration and have a great partnership.”
The Clark County group also made a joint presentation to a breakout audience of conference attendees, focusing on the strategic advantages of the region and the respective development opportunities at the ports. Presenters are chosen based on the level of interest P3C program organizers believe a project will generate.
“One of our greatest strengths as a region is the variety of options we have to offer to meet the needs of companies and investors,” said Bomar. “Collaborating to showcase our regional assets was an approach that hasn’t been taken by other conference attendees in the past and was very well received.”
Port of Ridgefield Commissioner Scott Hughes, who attended the event, was enthusiastic about the “out- of-the-box” thinking the forum generated for conference participants through the many breakout sessions offered.
“We learned a lot about the myriad ways to structure a development project that we had never thought about before,” Hughes said.
Brent Grening, CEO for the Port of Ridgefield, who also attended the conference, concurred, adding that public-private partnerships offer entities such as cities, ports, schools, higher education institutions, and public hospitals a way to undertake large capital projects while reducing some of the risks, and in some unique cases, with little to no upfront capital expenditure.
“P3 is a different way of thinking about the traditional development and ownership model for the public sector, providing a win-win scenario for the private developer and the public entity,” Grening said.
Attendees this year included over 900 professionals from the largest firms in the construction, engineering, architecture, legal, and consulting industries, as well as public leaders and development agency officials from the municipal, state, and federal levels of government.
“Not only did we get the chance to share the unique assets and partnerships of Southwest Washington, the P3 Conference was an exceptional opportunity to network with investors and developers experienced in private-public joint ventures,” said Todd Coleman, CEO, Port of Vancouver USA. “These connections can help us find unique ways to finance development so we can continue creating jobs and economic opportunity for our region.”
About CREDC
Serving Clark County since 1982, CREDC is a private-public partnership of 140 investors and strategic partners working together to advance the economic vitality of Clark County through business growth and innovation. Through collaborative leadership, CREDC promotes job quality and capital investment while maintaining the County’s exceptionally high quality of life. www.crecd.org
About the Port of Camas-Washougal
The Port of Camas-Washougal was founded in 1935 by a vote of the people. Its mission is to strengthen and diversify the existing economic base of the port district here in Clark County, Washington. The port provides facilities and services for land, air, and water-based commerce in order to enhance employment and recreational opportunities, contributing to the quality of life in the community. www.portcw.com
About the Port of Ridgefield
The Port of Ridgefield, established in 1940 and with a district population of approximately 17,000, is located in the northern part of Clark County in Southwest Washington State. The Port district is divided by the rapidly expanding I-5 corridor known as the “Discovery Corridor,” with five freeway interchanges that provide easy access to many large tracts of undeveloped properties. The port district encompasses nearly 57 square miles, or 36,480 acres. www.portridgefield.org/welcome.aspx
About the Port of Vancouver
The Port of Vancouver USA is one of the major ports on the Pacific Coast, and its competitive strengths include available land, versatile cargo handling capabilities, vast transportation networks, a skilled labor force, and an exceptional level of service to its customers and community. For more information, please visit us at www.portvanusa.com.
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