Target Industries Overview

Based on our 2008 Blueprint Yakima Valley study six economic clusters are particularly well positioned for growth within the region:

To view a copy of the Blueprint Yakima Executive Summary click here

Regional Cluster	Top Assets	Top Companies

Logistics and Distribution	Same day driver turnaround to Seattle, Portland, and other Northwest population centers Extensive logistics labor force (drivers, order fillers. forklift operators) No inventory tax	Walmart Distribution Ace Hardware Horizon Distribution R.E. Powell Quality Transportation
Food Processing	12th largest agriculture production area in the U.S. 39 food commodities produced Established supplier network (metal fabrication, packaging, etc.)	Smuckers Seneca Foods Del-Monte Snokist Tree Top AB Foods/Washington Beef
Industrial Machinery and Supplies	Innovative companies, especially in machinery manufacturing Reasonable operating costs (labor, occupancy, power, etc.) Proximity to Pacific Rim markets	Shields Bag and Printing Irwin Research and Development Kwik Lok Marq Packaging Sims Manufacturing
Business and Professional Services	Available sites and buildings; plug & play options Available high energy workforce Extensive telecom and broadband infrastructure	Costco Med Assets Wilkinson Corporation
Health and Medical Industry	New medical university Award winning hospitals and specialized treatment centers Center of Excellence for healthcare training	Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic Surgimark Four regional hospitals
Aerospace	Highly skilled workforce Two technical schools Extensive incentives for new or expanding companies	GE Aviation CubCrafters Pexco

Target Industries

President's Pen

Food Processors Doing Well – but Preoccupied with New Regulations

We must be eating well these days. Companies processing and packaging food are enjoying very favorable times. According to Dave Zepponi, President of the Northwest Food Processors Association (NFPA), the industry weathered the recession quite well. The industry has actually grown over the past few years and Zepponi says processors and industry suppliers are both [...]

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