Dade Moeller: Working together to go further

Since Dade Moeller has been contributing to the Progress edition (this is our fifth year), a number of local economic puzzle pieces have coalesced into a considered, strategic and powerful whole. As reflected in this edition, our community is working effectively and collaboratively toward a sustainable future for the Mid-Columbia region, and several elements have aligned to position us for a great 2016 and beyond. Things are really coming together!

At Dade Moeller, several of our company goals for 2016 are designed specifically to support this momentum.

First, while there is significant community energy (appropriately) spent looking beyond Hanford, we still are heavily involved in cleanup activities at the site, and we aim to maintain our 21-year reputation for leadership, integrity and excellence until the end of operations. Prime contractors at Hanford rely on Dade Moeller to provide radiation protection and worker safety and health support on their most complex projects. Additionally, we are a member of the Tri-Cities Local Business Association and have been encouraging state and federal elected officials to support the Energy Community Alliance recommendations on DOE acquisition reform.

Our second goal for 2016 supports the post-Hanford vision. We have enjoyed much success during the past few years from diversification, and have been able to create additional local jobs by serving clients outside the Mid-Columbia region (see chart). We have set bold targets in three areas to continue to increase our client base and our work portfolio this year. One of these areas is the health care industry. Our Dade Moeller Health Group division provides services that are in high demand — medical dosimetry for radiation oncology, X-ray machine commissioning and training. With the health care industry booming here in the Tri-Cities, as well as nationally, we aim to double our Dade Moeller Health Group projects and strategic partnerships in 2016. A second area of diversification is management of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) present in oil, gas and other related industries. We worked hard in 2015 to establish this growth area, and those efforts are starting to pay off in terms of contracts, partnerships and leadership positions.

In July, we will sponsor a NORM/TENORM Industry Day as part of the Health Physics Society meeting in Spokane; we also are developing Radiation Safety Officer training specifically for those in the oil and gas industry. Our third area of post-Hanford diversification is industrial hygiene and occupational safety in Washington, Idaho and Oregon. In 2015, we supported five new clients in the region, helping ensure workplace safety at manufacturing, agricultural and viticulture facilities. With the Hanford land transfer complete and with the growth of the “Tri-City Made” manufacturing industry, we look forward to becoming as well known among the local industrial firms as we are at Hanford.

Our third goal is to continue working at the grass-roots level to support future generations of our community and ensure that the Tri-Cities maintains its reputation as a great place to live. We serve on the Columbia Basin College Nuclear Technology Advisory Committee and are continuing to sponsor a CBC foundation scholarship this year. We also are partnered with WSU Tri-Cities to develop its new graduate certificate program in radiation protection, which is expected to be approved in the fall. In terms of community development, members of our staff leverage their business experience to benefit local organizations, serving on the leadership teams of the Regional Chamber of Commerce, United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs, Goodwill Industries, and American Red Cross. In 2016, we pledge to continue these important initiatives and encourage our partners to do the same.

There’s an African proverb that states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Dade Moeller agrees with this principle, and we are excited to be part of the coalescence to position our community for long-term, sustainable growth.

This story was originally published March 22, 2016 at 10:33 PM with the headline "Dade Moeller: Working together to go further."