Manufacturing in Washington State
As the state’s manufacturing industry association, as designated by the National Association of
Manufacturers, the Association of Washington Business represents more than 2,000 manufacturers
and works with several partners across the state to ensure the industry is represented fairly in the state.
Washington state’s business climate, workforce training needs, and business expansion are just a few of
the issues AWB addresses through its advocacy work and as a representative on several state level boards
and organizations.
In August, September and October of 2011, representatives from AWB and the AWB Institute held fo-
cus groups with manufacturers in Moses Lake, Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, Everett, and Mount
Vernon. The goal: To hear first-hand from Washington manufacturers about the economic, regulatory
and workforce challenges faced by the industry. The following areas were discussed with each group:
Business Competitiveness
• What regulatory structures in Washington state make it difficult for you to
conduct and/or expand your business?
• Are there specific transportation infrastructure needs in the state of Washington that
would provide more support for your business?
• What value have you realized in state tax credits such as the Machinery and
Equipment Sales and Use Tax (M&E), B&O Credit for Aerospace, Rural County
Tax Credit, others?
Business Expansion
• What are the biggest barriers to expanding your business?
• Do you have the opportunity to expand in the domestic market? If so, what markets?
• Do you have the opportunity to expand in the international market? If so, what markets?
• Do you believe you are fully informed about exporting? If not, what resources do you
need in order to evaluate your exporting opportunities?
Workforce/Training Needs
• What are your current training needs?
• What specific jobs are you having the most difficulty filling?
• Where do you currently train your employees; at your workplace, through a contractor,
two- or four-year public institution or a private institution?
• Do you require credentials and/or certificates for your positions? If so, which ones?