Celebrating the Legacy of Fathers and Multi-Generational Businesses in Thurston County As Father's Day approaches, I reflect on the legacy of families in our region. Thurston County's economy is bolstered by multi-generational businesses that provide stability and continuity. Notable examples include Sunset Air (Fluetsch family), Harbor Foods (Erickson family), The Rants Group (Rants family), [...]

Happy INSPIRE Day! With over 200 attendees expected and 14 dynamic women speakers lined up, this event is set to be a motivating and enriching experience for all. This year we are featuring 12 silent auction items, totaling over $4,000 in value—created or donated by local businesses in Thurston County. Check them out below: [...]

Unveiling Authenticity: A Conversation with Dr. Jen Thomas, Founder of Chameleon O'Clock Dr. Thomas with her five children. This past week, we had the honor of chatting with Dr. Jen Thomas, the owner and mastermind of Chameleon O'Clock, LLC. With over two decades of experience in healthcare, academia, leadership, and as a [...]

Wheel Line owner Susie, right, with her daughter Maryanna.  Crafting Tradition: The Journey of Wheel Line Cider "As a small business owner, it's impossible to do everything on your own." - Susie Jensen Meet Susie Jensen, owner and creator of Wheel Line Cider located in Ellensburg, Washington. Together with her daughter, Maryanna, a [...]

Economic Development Heroes – STEDI This week marks Economic Development Week, a time to honor the individuals and organizations dedicated to fostering a vibrant and inclusive economy. At its core, economic development stems from the ancient concept of "taking care of one's home." It is about caring for our communities, and throughout Thurston County, [...]

Top photo, the Africa Business Day Forum in 2022. The bottom photos are attendees at the 2023 African Trade Conference as they explored trade opportunities and toured the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem, including a visit to the Lacey MakerSpace. Thurston County – impacted by international trade and opportunities In 2003, the Thurston Economic [...]

APEX Accelerator – A strategy for business retention and market expansion The EDC's core mission is to drive new dollars into our local businesses. We work to retain the businesses currently operating in the county and ensure that we also create opportunities to expand our local and regional economy.   In the early 2000s, we [...]

Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy by Michael Cade, Thurston EDC Executive Director It’s no secret that Thurston County is growing. The most recently available data for our annual GDP (which represents the value of goods and services produced within Thurston County) has now surpassed 17.6 billion dollars – nearly double what it was [...]

Manufacturing: A Critical Building Block of Our Strong and Diverse Local Economy In the past several weeks, many have noted the vibrancy of Thurston County’s economy, the growth in terms of employment, emerging markets, and the development of new sectors expanding our region’s economic conditions. Two decades ago, the local economy was [...]

Thurston County Business Roundtable Highlights Urgent Need to Strengthen Childcare Ecosystems for Economic Prosperity and Community Well-being by Michael Cade, Thurston EDC Executive Director Last week, the Thurston Economic Development Council (EDC), in collaboration with Ready Nation – a leading childcare advocacy group – convened a business roundtable with numerous Thurston County business and [...]