Enhance the income, quality of life, and employment stability of yakima county residents by retaining, expanding, and recruiting business and industry.

Yakima county development association (ycda) works with private partners to recruit new industry by marketing yakima valley as a favorable business location. In 2017, ycda performed successful recruitment of ostrom's mushroom farm and henningson cold storage to the yakima valley resulting in 208 jobs equating to $6. 9 million annual payroll. Our association responded to 30+ new business requests for yakima valley information and hosted 6 new business site visits. Ycda attended three prospecting trips including tradeshows and outreach marketing events, the association met with 30+ firms and engaged with 27 site selectors. ycda supports building local business and provides workforce and community leadership. In 2017, ycda supported 6 local business expansion projects and performed 72 local company outreach visits resulting in 78 new jobs equating to $4. 3 million annual payroll. Ycda hosted 2 welcome receptions with over 110 attendees, organized 4 specialized workforce training programs helping 140 employees increase their skills for 25 participating companies. Our organization held 7 industry roundtables with 60 local attending companies, supporting over 310 local business professionals. ycda helps the yakima valley prepare for economic opportunities by advocating for and driving investments in workforce development and public infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, etc. ). In 2017, the association administered $2. 62 million in sied funding and helped 4 municipalities secure funding for public work projects facilitating economic development growth. Ycda listed an average of 75 available sites and buildings on its geographic information systems marketing database.