11/08/2006: "SJC Joins NW Marine Industry Project"

CTED (Wa State Community Trade and Economic Development) has awarded five regional partnership "economic development grants". The Northwest region's Marine Cluster-based Industry Project is one of the award recipients, and spans Whatcom, Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties.

Bob Myhr, Vice Chair of the SJ County Council pointed out in a press release that the marine industry has been identified as a major growth industry in this region for a number of years. This region hosts one-third of Washington State's Ship Building & Repair and Boat Building sectors. The waters surrounding the San Juan Islands have long been a focal point for scientific research. The San Juan Islands are home to some of the top scientists and researchers, entrepreneurs and technicians including Northwest Marine Technology, the UW Friday Harbor Labs, Islands Marine Center, Jensen Shipyard, Tanbark Marine, and the UC Davis SeaDoc Society.

For the past several years, on-going cluster-based efforts focused on the marine industry in this region including the marine manufacturing industry panel facilitated by the Northwest Workforce Development Council and the San Juan County Marine Enterprise Cluster Study completed in 2005 by the San Juan Economic Development Council.

According to Council Member Myhr, "This Marine Cluster-based Industry Project will support expansion of this region's active collaboration. The objectives of this project are to develop regional strategies to support business attraction, expansion and retention within the Cluster, which will result in creation of additional living wage jobs. I am delighted we will be an active participant."

"This grant will provide essential resources to enhance existing work in support of the industry's competitiveness and the continued growth of this cluster with living wage jobs expansion" added Gay Dubigk, Executive Director, Northwest Workforce Development Council.