washington business
In discussions with tech leaders and
economists, a common theme emerges.
The keys to a successful tech sector are
familiar to everyone in business: Safe cities,
good schools, efficient transportation,
affordable housing, and reasonable tax and
regulatory policies.
“If there’s one mission statement for the city or the region as a
whole, it should be: This is a place that the smartest people in
the world live, and want to live and thrive. That spans all sorts
of industries and all sorts of professions.”
— John Cook, co-founder, GeekWire
expanding the portfolio: the beyond-tech economy is a tech-inclusive economy
Economists acknowledge the importance of diversification.
“I look upon economies as portfolios,” Beyers says. “[They’re] like bodies, you have all these different parts. You need all of them…You have
to take this portfolio approach and try to make sure that every sector has a competitive characteristic.”
Smart use of technology will help promote the desired diversification.
“It’s important for every industry to have a technology strategy,” says Mefford. “Every industry in this region ought to be thinking harder
about leveraging technology. We have so much tech talent here. How can your technology help transform my industry? If we do that, any
industry can thrive here.”
With the growth of the technology sector, Washington has become more economically diverse. The integration of technology into all
aspects of daily commerce and industry continues apace, creating new opportunities for economic vitality throughout the state. The universe
continues to expand.
AWB CompWise Workers’ Comp
Retrospective Rating Program
If you care about having a safe workplace and saving your company
money, this program is for you!
Enroll in the AWB CompWise Program and start receiving refunds
on your workers’ compensation premiums.
Group refunds average
more than 20 percent, with some firms
ave
receiving refunds as high as 35 percent due to our merit-based
refund formula.
For your free, no-obligation summary, please call 866-666-8818
or visit www.awb.org/workers-compensation for more details
or to submit an online information request.
32 association of washington business