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EDASC serves as go-to organization for companies looking to move to Skagit County
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n addition to many smaller business additions, EDASC in 2021 supported the arrival of two new major employers, with Silfab Solar and Commercial Aircraft Interiors opening in Burlington.
Silfab Solar, a solar panel manufacturer headquartered in Canada, plans to employ about 400 at its new Burlington facility, doubling its manufacturing capacity over the existing plant in Bellingham. Commercial Aircraft Interiors plans to employ about 80 at its plant, providing design, testing, certification, fabrication, and delivery of aircraft interior components. These two businesses were perfect fits for Skagit County, falling under EDASC’s target industries, said EDASC CEO John Sternlicht. “Advanced Manufacturing is our EDASC
biggest wealth producer in Skagit County,” Sternlicht said. “These sectors of clean energy and aerospace fit well within our business ecosystem, offering family-wage jobs and high multipliers for indirect local spending.” EDASC is often the first point of contact for businesses like these exploring opportunities to invest and establish operations in Skagit County. Along with identifying potential locations, EDASC staff provide support identifying funding sources, navigating permitting and regulatory processes, making necessary and beneficial connections, and researching and facilitating support services.
usually a marathon instead of a sprint. “Business attraction requires a time investment,” Sternlicht said. “You may be forging a relationship with someone not even in the market to do anything. Some of those leads eventually turn into businesses landing here.” There are many ways in which business attraction leads materialize. Sometimes companies — like canoe manufacturer Mocean Canoes in 2020 — simply reach out directly to EDASC for site selection help. EDASC’s website plays a vital role in this stage, serving as a site selector’s first impression of the area while offering robust property search tools.
EDASC works in close partnership EDASC’s online property locator with Skagit County, cities, towns, ports, includes a map offering comprehensive local brokers, and the Washington State census data, including information Department of Commerce. on labor force, wages, consumer At any given time, EDASC has about spending, talent pool, housing prices, a dozen companies in the pipeline at transportation, energy infrastructure, various stages of interest. Most of those companies won’t end up here, but continued on pg. 24 that’s expected. Business attraction is 9
SKAGIT BUSINESS GUIDE 2022
