Chad Langford, president of Stepframe Interactive Media, a Richland-based software and marketing company, has managed to cut down business costs, thanks to an industry group he's been a part of.

Langford gets discounted health insurance for his employees through the Washington Technology Industry Association, formerly called WSA.

His company also has benefited from visibility at association-sponsored events over the years, he said. His company became a member about five years ago.

He thinks other Tri-City companies also can take advantage of the services the nonprofit trade group offers, Langford said.

The Seattle-based association can help tech start-ups get discounted office supplies and computer equipment, provide access to affordable personal/business insurance and 401(k) plans and several other services considered critical for nascent companies, said Ken Myer, president and CEO of the association.

Myer was recently in the Tri-Cities to recruit new members and revitalize the local chapter.

The association, which has existed for more than 20 years, recently changed its name to reflect its membership, which has grown to represent a broader spectrum of technology business. The association initially focused on the software industry, Myer said.

Of the more than 1,000 member companies, about two dozen are from the Tri-Cities and they include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Lockheed Martin, Myer said.

He said the Tri-Cities' strong research and entrepreneurial tradition is generating a lot of interest in Western Washington, and the association can be a catalyst to help local companies expand their reach in the state and abroad.

The nonprofit trade group can help smaller companies get exposure for their products and help big companies with lobbying efforts in Olympia, said Gary Spanner, manager of PNNL's economic development office. He said he'll organize local events to spread the word about the association among the Tri-Cities tech companies. Networking through the trade group will benefit the unrepresented local tech firms, he said.

The association also plans to work with PNNL to help commercialize available technologies. "Their projects have a wider application," Myer said. Washington Technology recently also opened a satellite office in Shenzhen, China.

On the Net: www.washington technology.org