Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County

What Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County does

The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1972 and headquartered in Mount Vernon, Washington. It is the designated regional economic development organization for Skagit County, delivering business attraction, retention, and expansion (BRE) services to existing, prospective, and incoming companies. Its operating scope spans direct business advising (site location, workforce training, incentive identification, access to capital, permitting), community programs (Leadership Skagit in partnership with Skagit Valley College, the bilingual Startup School using Santa Clara University's My Own Business Institute curriculum, and the Wild Blue Yonder environmental initiative), and a workforce pipeline built with local education partners.

EDASC's technology stack is a web-based data and services platform built on the Golden Shovel Agency framework, comprising a Property Search tool, Community Comparison Tool, Business Explorer, and a Universal Report Maker that aggregates census, labor force, demographic, consumer expenditure, and GIS data for site selectors. Employment services are delivered through the Skagit Job Board (jobs.skagit.org), powered by Getro. No public API or AI/ML capabilities are documented.

EDASC's revenue model is hybrid and characteristic of a community EDA: an annual investor/membership program providing recurring dues in exchange for benefits (recognition in the Skagit Business Guide, unlimited job postings, website listing, event access), event and workshop registration revenue (including Leadership Skagit tuition of $2,750–$3,350), and project-based grant funding (notably ARPA via Skagit County for the Economic Recovery Plan). Distribution is a hybrid of direct field engagement, self-serve digital tools, event-based interaction reaching 2,500+ leaders annually, and a partner channel network. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; EDASC operates with a small staff (1–10) and is governed by a Board of Directors.

Name

Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County

Legal name

Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County

Website

https://skagit.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1972 that delivers business attraction, retention, and expansion services, site-selection data tools, and leadership/workforce programs to companies and community stakeholders across Skagit County, Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business attraction support
• Site selection assistance
• Workforce development programs
• Community leadership training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mount Vernon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Investor/Membership Program: EDASC operates an investor membership program where businesses and organizations pay annual fees to support the organization and receive benefits including recognition in the Skagit Business Guide, unlimited job postings, website listing, and event access.
2. Grant Funding: EDASC receives grant funding for specific initiatives such as the Economic Recovery Plan funded through ARPA money awarded by Skagit County.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from events and workshops including registration fees for Leadership Skagit program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers economic development services to businesses and the community, including business attraction, retention, and expansion support, site selection assistance, workforce development, and access to financing incentives. It also operates the Leadership Skagit community leadership program, the Startup School entrepreneurship training, the Skagit Job Board, and digital data/property search tools for site selectors and businesses evaluating Skagit County, WA.

Product overview

EDASC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit economic development organization offering a portfolio of services focused on business attraction, retention, and expansion in Skagit County, WA. The core service offerings include Business Attraction Services, Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) programs, and Workforce Development support. Supporting programs include Leadership Skagit (a community leadership development program in partnership with Skagit Valley College), Startup School (a 12-week entrepreneurship training program with English and Spanish cohorts using Santa Clara University's My Own Business Institute curriculum), and the Wild Blue Yonder environmental initiative. Digital platforms include the Skagit Job Board (powered by Getro), a Data Hub providing property search and demographic/labor force data, and a Universal Report Maker tool for generating custom economic development reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leadership Skagit: A community leadership development program of EDASC in partnership with Skagit Valley College, designed to develop leaders at all levels in the community.
• Startup School
• Wild Blue Yonder

Products and services

• Business Attraction Services
• Business Retention and Expansion (BRE)
• Leadership Skagit
• Skagit Job Board
• Startup School
• Data Hub / Property Search

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 600 Leadership Skagit alumni graduated over 20+ years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Skagit Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEDASC partners with Skagit Valley College to deliver Leadership Skagit, a community leadership development program. The college provides curriculum development and instruction, with the program eligible for 17 college credits upon completion.
• Washington Small Business Development Center (SBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington SBDC provides business advising and counseling services. Startup School participants are paired with Washington SBDC advisors upon program completion.
• Washington Export Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to hold informational workshops in Skagit County, provide one-on-one consultations for businesses, and assist in market research and developing export and business plans.
• Center for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (CIE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing entrepreneurship support and resources to small businesses in Skagit County.
• Impact WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing manufacturing and business improvement support services.
• SCOREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing mentorship and business advisory services through SCORE's network of volunteer business experts.
• NW Innovation Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting innovation and startup ecosystem development.
• Northwest Business Development Association (NWBDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed Certified Development Company that administers SBA 504 loans for small business financing in the region.
• Washington Economic Development Finance Authority (WEDFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIssues industrial revenue bonds and economic development bonds to support qualifying projects including manufacturing, processing facilities, and exempt facilities under federal tax law.
• Heritage Bank Community Development EntitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage Bank's CDE finances businesses in economically stressed areas, providing loans with better rates and terms to revitalize low-income communities in Washington and Oregon.
• Northwest Career & Technical AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered to host Workforce Summit and internship programs connecting students with local businesses. 30 students participated in internships at about a dozen companies through this partnership.
• Western Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWWU MBA students complete capstone projects serving as consultants to area businesses. WWU Career Services Center helps employers connect with students for jobs and internships.
• Career Connect NorthwestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on connecting career education and employment opportunities for students.
• Getro Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the technical platform and services for the Skagit Job Board (jobs.skagit.org), enabling job postings, company profiles, and talent network functionality.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Greater Vancouver Board of Trade: Major business and economic development organization for Metro Vancouver, BC. Highly relevant cross-border peer given EDASC's explicit positioning around Vancouver-Seattle corridor cross-border business attraction.
• Bellingham Whatcom Chamber of Commerce: Local chamber of commerce serving Bellingham and Whatcom County. Comparable business-support and community-development mission for a similar Pacific Northwest county market just north of EDASC's territory.
• Whatcom Council of Governments: Regional planning and economic development council for Whatcom County (Bellingham), immediately north of Skagit. Comparable services around economic development, workforce, and transportation infrastructure in a similar Pacific Northwest county setting.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Seattle Partners: Regional economic development organization for the Seattle metro, pursuing business attraction/retention across a much larger geography. Directly comparable mission and service mix (site selection, workforce, advocacy) but with substantially greater staff and budget than EDASC.
• Greater Portland Inc: Public-private economic development partnership for the Portland-Vancouver metro. Comparable site-selection, business retention, and workforce mission but operates at a much larger, bi-state scale than EDASC.
• Washington State Department of Commerce: State-level agency that funds and partners with local EDAs like EDASC. Sets policy, administers state incentives, and provides the macro framework within which EDASC operates; the primary state-level counterpart to county EDAs.

Direct peers

• Economic Alliance Snohomish County: County-level economic development organization in neighboring Snohomish County, WA, offering business attraction, retention, workforce, and advocacy services. Most structurally comparable peer to EDASC given the shared county-level scope and Pacific Northwest context.
• Thurston Economic Development Council: Public/private economic development partnership serving Thurston County, WA (Olympia area). Closely comparable model: business attraction, retention, workforce development, and small business support at a single-county scale.
• Tacoma-Pierce County Economic Development Board: County-level economic development organization serving Tacoma-Pierce County. Provides matching business attraction, retention, and workforce services and is a common competitor for Washington state relocations.
• Greater Spokane Inc: Combined chamber and economic development organization serving the Spokane region in Eastern Washington. Comparable mission (business attraction, retention, workforce, advocacy) at a metro scale, frequently competing with EDASC for the same Washington relocations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC5kN0N1ucMoL8JQqmyukBwA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/Economic-Development-Alliance-of-Skagit-County-EDASC-325977370367
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/economic-development-alliance-of-skagit-county
• Xx.com/EDASC

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County