from the chair
A Voice for All Employers
Laura Lawton
Lawton Printing , my family ’ s business , turned 83 in January . It ’ s amazing to think that a company my great-grandfather and his son , my grandfather , started in a chicken coop in 1940 is still doing business in 2023 . And not just doing business but thriving .
Then again , AWB — which was founded in 1904 — is still around , too .
As I began my term as AWB Board Chair last fall , I couldn ’ t help but think about the longevity of both institutions . Lawton Printing has survived and thrived for eight decades — and four generations of family leadership — because of a willingness to embrace change , meet the evolving needs of our customers and stay relevant .
AWB , on the verge of turning 120 , has changed and evolved plenty over the years , too . I believe that right now , as we approach the third anniversary of the pandemic , AWB is more relevant than ever because of its focus on small and medium-sized businesses like mine .
AWB advocates for all businesses , including the largest employers in the state , but this organization understands that employers like me can ’ t afford to hire a lobbyist to look out for our interests in Olympia and Washington , D . C . For us , AWB is our lobbyist . Over the years , I ’ ve come to appreciate what that means and how important it is to my bottom line . When I started working for the family business at age 15 , having that kind of advocate didn ’ t mean nearly as much to me as it does now after 22 years as president of the company .
From my current vantage point , I understand more fully the challenges facing employers today . It ’ s important to have a voice in Olympia calling on lawmakers to “ first do no harm ” as AWB continues to say to our elected leaders while encouraging them to be champions for the economy .
Tax revenues originate from businesses . Our state has many needs . Whatever your perspective on how to address them , you need a healthy business environment as a solid foundation for building a stronger state .
We have all been through a lot these last few years . And we continue to face a lot of uncertainty about the economic future of our state . When will inflation ease ? Are we going into a recession in 2023 ? Where will I find my future workforce ? Those are the kinds of questions that keep business leaders up at night . For me , it ’ s reassuring to know that I ’ m not alone . Lawton Printing was founded on the heels of the Great Depression and on the verge of America entering the second world war . My father , uncle , grandfather , and great-grandfather all faced numerous challenges of their own as they were building the business .
AWB knows something about adversity , too . The organization where I ’ m now privileged to serve as board chair was founded during a period of labor turmoil and was just a teenager when our nation entered the first world war , followed quickly by a global pandemic .
2020 was a great reminder that we don ’ t always know what ’ s coming at us . But it ’ s reassuring to know someone has our back . winter 2023 11