News

Skagit County is one of the Pacific Northwest’s best kept secrets for business, investment and economic development.No other location is as centrally and strategically connected with the Seattle and Vancouver metropolitan regions, which are North America’s leading gateways to the Asia-Pacific region.  Home to innovative, solution-oriented industry leaders, and a...Continue Reading

Low-interest disaster loans now availableThe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has opened Disaster Loan Outreach Centers (DLOCs) in King, Lewis, Skagit, Snohomish and Whatcom counties to assist businesses, private nonprofit organizations and residents affected by the 2025 severe winter storms occurring Dec. 5-22, 2025.SBA customer service representatives are on hand...Continue Reading

Businesses that sustained losses during December 2025’s historic flooding can apply for disaster relief funds through local business organizations. Each organization is administering its own grant process – be sure to note specific application deadlines. Check out the details below for the communities of Mount Vernon, Burlington/Edison, Sedro-Wooley/Upriver, and relief...Continue Reading

Since 2004, Leadership Skagit has been the cornerstone for professional growth in Skagit County. Over the past two decades, local employers haven’t just witnessed the program’s value – they’ve experienced it. Many business leaders begin as participants themselves, going on to sponsor their employees year after year.This enduring investment stems...Continue Reading

Finding qualified candidates is a top challenge for 46% of U.S. companies, according to a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll survey. EDASC’s own survey data backs up that trend for Skagit County, where nearly 60% of employers surveyed in 2025 stated hiring and retaining employees is a top challenge. That is...Continue Reading

Today in Washington, tens of thousands of baby boomer business owners are preparing to step away from their companies and into retirement. Commonly referred to as the “Silver Tsunami,” it translates to 67,000 local businesses, 682,000 jobs, and billions in payroll and tax revenue potentially at risk. In rural towns,...Continue Reading

The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County is hosting its annual Economic Forecast Night on Feb. 25. Economic Forecast Night is EDASC’s biggest event of the year, bringing more than 300 business and civic leaders together for networking and to hear from regional and national speakers. The evening is presented...Continue Reading

EDASC welcomed four new board members elected at its Annual Investor Meeting. The new members are Sam Riley from Mount Vernon-based Allixo; Rich Fowles, Scratch and Peck Feeds in Burlington, Nate Scott from Windermere North Sound in Anacortes, and Marna Hanneman, mayor of La Conner. Riley, Fowles and Scott will serve...Continue Reading

Amelia Cook, owner and managing member of Goodwinds Composites, a composite component manufacturer in Mount Vernon she co-founded with her brother, has been named a winner of the 2026 Enterprising Women of the Year Award. This long-running awards program recognizes the world's top women entrepreneurs. It is widely considered one of...Continue Reading

More than 61 million people live in rural communities like Skagit. Small towns we call home. Where folks wave hello, lend a hand, and work side by side. Where an entrepreneurial spirit can thrive and innovation sparks.Rural America is an economic engine, providing goods and services that cross counties, state...Continue Reading

EDASC has rolled out a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database. While it will streamline internal operations for us, it will also benefit you, our Investors, via: More accurate company data – you can make updates directly to the system at any time. Your main contact information, including company logo, will...Continue Reading

Juan Morales has joined the staff of the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) as its equitable economic development manager.Morales is a former member of the Mount Vernon City Council and previously worked as the programs coordinator for the Northwest Agriculture Business Center. At EDASC, he primarily will work...Continue Reading

Cultivating a highly qualified and skilled workforce is key to the vitality of our local economy. It’s why the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) remains committed to addressing the area’s biggest workforce challenges.In response to concerns voiced by our business community, EDASC has continued addressing workforce barriers such...Continue Reading

EDASC has a new look.This is the first major rebranding of the organization in more than a decade. The logo’s new look is a modernization of the past logo, notes EDASC CEO John Sternlicht, and represents how EDASC continues to modernize its approaches and programs to fit ever-evolving circumstances. “The new...Continue Reading

It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to flock to the bright lights of the big city.But big cities come with big expenses, too. Pricey real estate, exorbitant rents, high property taxes, and sizable salaries and wages can often negate the positives that go hand in hand with operating in a highly...Continue Reading

The fall session of Startup School is around the corner, and entrepreneurs looking to start their business or fill in gaps in their business knowledge are invited to attend this no-cost 12-week course, offered in English.Startup School is designed to pair curriculum from the My Own Business Institute at Santa...Continue Reading

Ken Huste is the new deputy director for the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County. Huste is an accomplished economic developer and business development manager who most recently worked for Innovation Norway for 12 years as a Senior Advisor, Maritime. His work with the organization included crafting a Memorandum of Understanding...Continue Reading

Basketball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf… The Skagit Tourism Bureau’s Skagit Valley Sports Commission (SVSC) knows it's hard to just sit on the sidelines when you’re living in a vibrant hub for sports and recreation.The area is home to Skagit Valley College’s athletic facilities, Skagit Valley Playfields, and Skagit River Park,...Continue Reading

After eight years as the Director of Finance and Administration at EDASC, Audra Ramerman will take on the role of Chief Financial Officer at the Port of Skagit.  “It has been wonderful partnering with Audra over the last eight years as we improved and modernized processes at EDASC,” noted EDASC...Continue Reading

The Board of Directors of the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County has released a statement in support of the Job Corps program, citing its benefit to the workforce as well as the youth who participate in the program.Cascades Job Corps Center in Sedro-Woolley is one of the nation’s 123...Continue Reading

Legislators from both sides of the aisle called the state legislature's recently concluded session "brutal" while speaking to community members gathered at the Skagit Chamber Alliance's Legislative Wrap Up on May 12. The reasons behind that characterization differed somewhat between Democrats and Republicans, but the frustration was real.Both sides agreed...Continue Reading

By John Sternlicht, CEOWhen I was hired 10 years ago to lead EDASC, the board of directors wanted a significant shift in how economic development happens here in Skagit County. That’s not to say that the previous way was wrong. Rather, it recognized that the world – local and regional...Continue Reading

Starting and running a business? It’s a challenge! But the good news is that you’re not alone. With National Economic Development Week kicking off in May (12-16), we thought it would be a great time to outline the resources the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) has for new, established and growing businesses...Continue Reading

Since 2004, the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County’s (EDASC) Leadership Skagit program has graduated over 600 alumni, inspiring professionals at every level of their career to deepen their knowledge of community development. “I had recently started a new position with the Skagit County Fair and wanted to learn more about the community in...Continue Reading