Yakima County Development Association

What Yakima County Development Association does

Yakima County Development Association (YCDA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designated as the official economic development entity for Yakima County, Washington, founded in 1986 and operating from a single headquarters in Yakima. The organization's mission is delivered through four functional pillars: workforce development, local business support, business recruitment, and infrastructure development. YCDA serves both inbound companies evaluating relocation or expansion into the county and existing local businesses seeking to grow, providing free, confidential advisory assistance across site selection, permitting, licensing, financing, regulatory navigation, and workforce training. Service delivery is conducted by a lean three-person core staff — Jonathan Smith (Executive Director), Joe Schmitt (Economic Development Manager), and Yani Cisneros (Bilingual Business Development Manager) — supported by a 20+ member Board of Directors representing public and private sector stakeholders.

YCDA does not develop proprietary technology products; its operational model is relationship-driven and human-led, leveraging the geographic and economic advantages of Yakima County — central Washington location, Interstate 82 and BNSF rail access, no Washington State corporate or personal income tax, and 10-20% lower operating costs versus Seattle. The organization maintains formal partnerships with educational institutions (Perry Technical Institute, Yakima Valley College, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences), workforce councils, municipal governments, ports, and statewide agencies to deliver coordinated business assistance.

YCDA's revenue is generated through a multi-tier annual Capital Campaign (Visionary through Friends tiers, ranging from under $5,000 to over $500,000 per investor), supplemented by administration of state-legislated funding programs including the SIED (Supporting Investment in Economic Development) program, which has deployed over $77.5 million in local infrastructure since 1999. The current 2024-2028 Capital Campaign targets $4 million, with projected outcomes of 4,000 new jobs and $253 million in new annual regional earnings. Since inception, YCDA reports facilitating $490 million in business investments and creating 5,750 jobs across more than 150 businesses.

Name

Yakima County Development Association

Legal name

Yakima County Development Association

Website

https://chooseyakimavalley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Yakima County Development Association (YCDA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit economic development organization that provides free site selection, permitting, financing, and workforce development assistance to businesses locating or expanding in Yakima County, Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yakima

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

Revenue model

1. Investor Contributions: YCDA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that raises funds through an annual Capital Campaign from private businesses, local governments, and community organizations. Investors contribute at various levels (Visionary, Angel, Venture Capitalist, Crowd Funder, Community Builder, Friends) with contributions ranging from under $5,000 to over $500,000.
2. Grant Funding Administration: YCDA administers grant programs including the Supporting Investment in Economic Development (SIED) program which has funded over $77.5 million in local infrastructure since 1999. They also administered over $13 million in COVID-19 small business relief grants.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Yakima County Development Association (YCDA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) economic development organization that helps businesses start, expand, and relocate in Yakima County, Washington. It offers business recruitment, workforce development, infrastructure development (including the SIED public infrastructure program), local business support, site selection, and permitting and licensing assistance. Services are delivered at no cost to businesses, leveraging partnerships with public agencies, educational institutions, and the Port of Sunnyside.

Product overview

Yakima County Development Association (YCDA) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) economic development organization that provides advisory, consulting, and support services to businesses rather than a traditional product portfolio. Its core service offerings include workforce development (training, attracting, and retaining talent), building local business (fostering success and growth), business recruitment (attracting new industry, jobs, and investment), and infrastructure development. YCDA connects businesses with resources including financing programs, permitting assistance, site selection, and workforce training partnerships with local educational institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Recruitment
• Local Business Support
• Workforce Development
• Infrastructure Development
• SIED Public Infrastructure Program

Quantifiable outcome

• $490 million in business investments facilitated
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GOFAR (Global Organization for Agricultural Robotics)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2026GOFAR and YCDA co-organized FIRA USA Pacific NW 2026, an international agricultural technology and robotics trade show held October 20-22, 2026 in Yakima. The event was designed with local farmers, commodity groups, and regional partners to accelerate adoption of agricultural robotics and autonomous technologies.
• Yakima CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2026Yakima County partnered with YCDA to co-organize FIRA USA Pacific NW 2026, supporting the agricultural technology and robotics event for Pacific Northwest growers.
• Washington Tree Fruit Research CommissionsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2026Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission provided support for FIRA USA Pacific NW 2026, the agricultural technology and robotics event in Yakima.
• Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound (CAMPS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026CAMPS and YCDA partnered to launch the Yakima Manufacturing Initiative, a long-term effort focused on strengthening and growing the manufacturing community throughout Central Washington. The initiative includes CEO forums, manufacturing mixers, plant tours, educational roundtables, and leadership development opportunities. CAMPS provides operational improvement programs, workforce partnerships, and industry expertise.
• Pacific Northwest University of Health SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026PNWU partnered with Yakima Neighborhood Health Services and YCDA to develop a dental clinic with nearly $9.8 million in private investment, creating 19 new healthcare jobs and 18,000 annual dental visits.
• Yakima Neighborhood Health ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Yakima Neighborhood Health partnered with PNWU and YCDA to develop a dental clinic project with SIED program infrastructure support.
• Washington State Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Washington State Department of Commerce partnered with YCDA on business recruitment including Manzana Products Co. Governor's Office provided $250,000 grant from Strategic Reserve Fund to support Manzana's relocation.
• City of SunnysidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024City of Sunnyside partnered with YCDA to support Manzana Products facility development, providing coordinated local support including utility connections and infrastructure assistance.
• Port of SunnysidecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Port of Sunnyside worked with YCDA to provide site for Ostrom's Mushroom Farm expansion, Northwest Harvest distribution center, and other industrial development projects.
• Washington StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington State legislation (1997) created the SIED program to help remedy distress in rural areas. YCDA administers the SIED program for Yakima County.
• Perry Technical InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerry Technical Institute provides workforce training and education supporting YCDA's workforce development initiatives. The institution offers programs in manufacturing, trades, and technical fields relevant to local industry needs.
• Washington Small Business Development Center (WSBDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYCDA partnered with WSBDC to have a Certified Business Advisor in their office to assist businesses with business planning, financing, and growth strategies.
• South Central Workforce Development CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Central Workforce Development Council subsidizes on-the-job or customized training for businesses and partners with YCDA on workforce development initiatives including Reverse Job Fairs.
• YV-TechsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerYV-Tech partnered with YCDA to host Reverse Job Fair events providing career opportunities for students in technical education programs.
• Toppenish High SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerToppenish High School partnered with YCDA for Reverse Job Fair events showcasing student skills to local employers.
• South-Central WorkforcesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth-Central Workforce partnered with YCDA for Reverse Job Fair events as part of YCDA's commitment to growing the workforce pipeline.
• Impact WashingtonsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImpact Washington offers specialized workforce training such as lean manufacturing, supply chain consulting, strategy consulting, and growth strategy development for manufacturers.
• Yakima Valley CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYakima Valley College partnered in the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) community meeting and provides educational programs supporting workforce development.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Impact Washington: Washington State MEP (Manufacturing Extension Partnership) providing lean manufacturing, supply chain consulting, and growth strategy services to manufacturers. Comparable as a partner/adjacent organization to YCDA's manufacturing initiative, though focused on operational consulting rather than site recruitment.
• Washington State Department of Commerce: State-level agency providing business recruitment assistance, strategic reserve grants, and economic development programs that YCDA partners with on major deals (e.g., Manzana Products $250K Strategic Reserve grant). Comparable as an enabling/funder counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Seattle Metro Chamber: Regional chamber and economic development advocate for the Seattle metro. Comparable in EDO function but operates at much larger scale, with broader mandate including major employer (Boeing, Amazon) engagement — relevant as the high-cost market from which YCDA recruits inbound migration.
• Idaho Department of Commerce — Economic Development: State-level economic development agency administering business recruitment, infrastructure, and workforce programs across Idaho. Comparable in EDO service portfolio (site selection, incentives, workforce) but operating at a state-wide, multi-region scale.
• Oregon Business Development Department (Business Oregon): Oregon's state economic development agency offering business recruitment, infrastructure financing, and workforce programs. Comparable in program mix (especially infrastructure funding tools analogous to SIED) but at a state-wide scale and serving a different geography.

Regional players

• Greater Portland Inc. Regional public-private economic development partnership for the Portland-Vancouver metro. Comparable EDO model (business recruitment, retention, infrastructure advocacy) but operating in a larger, more urbanized market on the other side of the Cascades from Yakima.

Direct peers

• Thurston Economic Development Council (Thurston EDC): County-level economic development council serving Thurston County, Washington. Closely comparable as a county EDO with similar service mix (business recruitment, retention, infrastructure advocacy, workforce development) and a comparable scale of operations.
• Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce / EDO functions: Local economic development and chamber organization for the Wenatchee Valley in North Central Washington. Directly comparable as a county-level EDO serving an adjacent agricultural county in Washington, often competing with Yakima for food-processing and logistics investment.
• Tri-City Economic Development Council (TRIDEC): Regional economic development organization serving the Tri-Cities (Benton, Franklin, and Walla Walla counties) in Washington State. Directly comparable as a county-level EDO recruiting business investment, supporting workforce development, and administering infrastructure programs in the same PNW geography.
• Greater Spokane Inc. Chamber-led economic development organization for the Spokane region of Washington. Comparable as a regional EDO delivering business recruitment, retention, workforce development, and infrastructure advocacy services across an Eastern Washington / Inland PNW footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCItnJh_U8Bb0cRsZW3pnAxQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/YakimaCDA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ycda

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Yakima County Development Association