The report provides key factors about Monroe’s local and regional economy, our economic development program objectives, and basic statistics of our community’s demographics and business climate.

Check out the full report at https://monroewa.gov/87/Economic-Development

Lowe’s is investing $100 million to restore and revitalize community spaces across the country through Lowe’s Hometowns. Each year through 2026 Lowe’s selects 100 large-scale community projects, chosen from consumer nominations, to be completed in partnership with local nonprofits, Lowe’s store associates and community volunteers. Additionally, nearly 1,700 additional projects are selected and completed by Lowe’s associates across the country.

At Lowe’s, we have an unwavering commitment to making homes – and hometowns - better for all. Over the last 100 years, Lowe’s has grown from a small-town hardware store in North Carolina to one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world. The company’s heritage puts the communities we serve at the heart of everything we do.

Lowe’s Hometowns will be accepting nominations for signature project grants through February 18, 2025. To nominate a project, please use the form below. Do not enter more than one nomination per project - nominating a project multiple times will not increase the likelihood of a project being selected.

Nomination Form 2025 | Lowe’s Corporate

WA State Tourism Grants

 

State of Washington Tourism (SWT) offers multiple grant opportunities for tourism stakeholders. In addition to recurring grant programs such as Tourism Sustainability and Rural Tourism Support, SWT will also administer funds for exciting new grant programs in 2024-2025. These programs are made possible thanks to $3.5 million in Economic Development Administration (EDA) block grant funds from the Washington State Department of Commerce.

 

Eligible entities: Local governments, tribes, chambers of commerce, destination organizations, and other nonprofit organizations that support travel and tourism are welcome to apply for this grant. Note: Only tribal destinations/communities are eligible for tribal-focused grants.

 

To learn more and apply, click here.

Happy New Year Chamber friends!

You may already have this information, but just in case, I’m popping in to share an exciting AND FREE program that our partners over at Greater Seattle Partners offer to small and medium-sized businesses looking to expand their reach to international markets – the Greater Seattle Export Accelerator (GSEA). There are a few weeks left for businesses to apply to be part of the next cohort.

GSEA is a fully sponsored, complimentary program open to King, Pierce and Snohomish County businesses to provide advanced export training, export advising, and access to new international markets. Led by an expert export adviser, the 6-week program is held both in-person and online, and collaborates with community, state, and federal trade organizations to give you the resources you need to increase profits and diversify risk.

Applications for the next Cohort are due January 31, 2025, and space is limited. For more information and to apply visit https://greater-seattle.com/exportaccelerator/. It only takes a few minutes.

 

With the arrival of 2025 comes a flurry of new laws taking effect.

These are some of the key laws to know about this year.

Minimum wage increase

Minimum wage for 2025 is raised to $16.66 an hour. A 38-cent increase from 2024 ($16.28 per hour), due to increased housing and food costs as calculated by the state Department of Labor & Industries.

Overtime exempt workers

Salaried employees made a large jump with the calendar turning to 2025.

For employers with 50 or fewer employees, workers will earn a minimum of $1,332.80 a week ($69,305.60 a year).

For employers with 51 or more employees, workers will now bring in a minimum of $1,499.40 a week ($77,968.80 a year). This covers employees who are exempt from overtime pay, so workers who are not paid for overtime must be paid their salaries.

Rideshare drivers' minimum pay

In 2025, drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft will earn a guaranteed wage based on time and mileage.

For trips outside of Seattle, drivers will earn 39 cents per minute of a trip and $1.34 for every mile driven during that time. The minimum trip amount earned will be $3.45. Food delivery drivers are not covered by the law—only drivers transporting passengers.

Paid sick leave

Washington has mandated employers to provide paid sick leave to employees since 2018.

In 2025, Washington's paid sick leave has now expanded.

Washington workers will now be able to take sick leave to care for anyone who lives at their residence or anyone "who has a relationship with them that creates an expectation that they would take care of them during an illness."

Under this new law, workers can also choose to take sick leave if an emergency closes their child’s school or daycare. A "child" includes a biological, adopted, foster child, stepchild, a child's spouse, or any other child for whom there is a legal responsibility.

Department of Commerce offers clean building performance grants

OLYMPIA, WA– The Washington State Department of Commerce is now accepting applications for the Clean Building Performance Grants program, which provides funding to help private and public building owners make improvements and meet Washington’s Clean Buildings Performance Standard (CBPS). This initiative aims to lower energy costs, reduce pollution, and create jobs across the state.

Building owners are required to comply with the performance standard beginning in 2026, depending on building size. Competitive grants are available now for work on Tier 1 covered buildings and Tier 1 and Tier 2 covered public buildings.

A Tier 1 covered building is defined as a building with combined nonresidential, hotel, motel, and dormitory floor area exceeding 50,000 gross square feet, excluding the parking garage areas. Tier 2 buildings have floor areas greater than 20,000 gross square feet, but not more than 50,000 gross square feet, as well as multifamily residential buildings with floor areas of 50,000 gross square feet or more, excluding parking garage areas. Get the complete details, timelines and FAQs at the Clean Buildings Performance Standards webpage.

Building owners can use these grants to offset the costs of energy efficiency projects and services that promote compliance with the performance standard. Grants will reimburse building owners for costs associated with projects and services that help achieve compliance with the CBPS, such as:

• Energy efficiency retrofits
• Contracted services to assist with:
  • Energy audits (for privately held buildings)
  • Energy benchmarking
  • Developing an energy management plan (EMP)
  • Developing an operations and maintenance program (O&M)
  • Professional accounting services

“This program represents a significant step forward in creating cleaner, more energy-efficient buildings while also supporting economic growth and job creation in Washington,” said Commerce Director Mike Fong.

Application details:

• Deadline to apply is Jan. 30, 2025.
• Applications and additional details about the program are available on the Clean Building Performance Grants webpage.
• Two applicant conferences will be held on Dec. 19, 2024, and Jan. 9, 2025, providing potential applicants with an opportunity to ask questions about the program and eligibility.
• The Clean Building Performance Grants program reflects Washington State’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and economic opportunity.
• For information about Clean Building Performance Grants or to learn how to apply please contact the department at CBPSGrants@commerce.wa.gov.

Quick Business Tip* 
Check your google listings and make sure your information is up to date and correct! Make sure to add photos of your business and ask a few chamber members or friends to leave you a good review. Try to do at least three businesses for January 2025. Happy New Year!
Janelle Drews
Executive Director
Monroe Chamber of Commerce 

November and December has some really great Chamber events!  

            

Small Business Disaster Relief grants

Commerce has $9.7 available for grants to small businesses with annual gross receipts of $5 million or less that have sustained a reduction in business income or activity as the result of:

• Natural disaster such as flood, earthquake, or a comparable
• Human-caused disaster such as a major utility disruption resulting in property damage or prolonged outages

Grant limit is $75,000 per business. Funds may be used to reimburse the following eligible expenses:

• Payroll
• Utilities and rent
• Marketing and advertising
• Building improvements and repairs
• Replacing damaged inventory and equipment
• Other operational and business expenses related to a qualifying disaster

Applications are due March 31

First, identify and contact the Associate Development Organization (ADO) (webpage) representing your county. You will need the name of your local ADO and a representative's name and contact information to complete the online grant application.

In addition to the ADO information, eligible businesses must provide all of the following in the application:

• Washington State Business License
• proof of address
• W-9 and 2019-2021 tax returns
• documentation of receipts

Once you have gathered the required information, visit the application portal online at Washington State Department of Commerce Statewide Disaster Relief Grant Application – BUSINESS (smartsheet.com).

Ambassador program position opens!

The ambassadors of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce meet the 2nd Tuesday every month from 10:30am to 11:30am.

Requirements:

️ ️Ambassadors represent the Chamber and believe in our mission and values.

️ ️Chamber Ambassador are a walking testimonial to the good our chamber does within the community.

️Required to attend at least 1 ribbon cutting ceremony.

️ ️Welcome new business owners to the community.

️ ️ ️Name Badge made just for you!

️ ️Volunteering for at least 1 event a year.

️ ️Attend most meetings remote or in person.

️ ️Bring information from around Monroe to meetings: issues businesses may be facing, strategies, ideas, etc.

Being an Ambassador helps your business stay in the know of the good work the Monroe Chamber is doing.

It also creates a way for you to become more involved and network within our community. As an Ambassador, you support the Chambers efforts in recruitment, planning, economic development and help with an effort to strengthen Monroe's business community and organizations. An Ambassador is a very important role and we are excited to partner and accept nominations for positions!

CHAIRS OPEN for the 2023 fiscal year:

POSITION #3

POSITION #4

POSITION #5

POSITION #6

Currently, Kathleen Sather LE and Cara Fleming are on our ambassador program.

Ambassadors report to the Executive Director.

Please if interested email Janelle at Director@choosemonroe.com

January 2023

As we begin a new year, we look forward to our new location of our luncheons at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds at the LongHouse. With change means we have many new exciting networking events, events, video podcasts and more!  The link from Anneliese Vance-Sherman presentation today is below. Anneliese is a Regional Labor Economist of Employment Security and serves Snohomish County as her district. PowerPoint Presentation (wildapricot.org)

DONT MISS THE LARGEST NETWORKING EVENT OF THE YEAR!
Located at the: Monroe School District 
$5 register online or $10 at the door.
DOORS OPEN 5:30PM-7pm
Door prizes, networking with over 100+ business professionals from around Snohomish County! & Don't forget to bring plenty of business cards! (50+ CARDS)
Appetizers/Snacks/Drinks

EMCEE: MAURY KRKO RADIO

CHAMBER PARTNERS:
SKY VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MONROE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LAKE STEVENS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
ECONOMIC ALLIANCE SNOHOMISH COUNTY
SNOHOMISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MARYSVILLE TULALIP CHAMBER OF COMMERCE