NWEC as the ADO

What Do We Do??

The Northwest Economic Council is part of a statewide network of Associate Development Organizations (ADOs), which is basically the technical term for an entity that is authorized by the State of Washington to lead the economic development efforts of a County.  As part of our ADO designation we are charged with completing certain deliverables and reporting our progress to the WA State Department of Commerce.  During the 2010-11 fiscal year, we successfully met or surpassed every goal set forth for our organization by the Department of Commerce.  Our five core responsibilities, along with examples of how we are working in our community are listed below.

-  Business Retention & Expansion
-  Provide access to a network of resources
-  Administer a Revolving Loan Fund available to local manufacturers
-  Business Startup Assistance
-  Provide resources as well as referrals to partner organizations
-  Created the Northwest Innovation Resource Center
-  Recruitment/Attraction of Businesses
-  Assist business owners in the relocation and site selection process
-  Respond to inquiries from site selectors and the WA State Dept of
Commerce
-  Readiness & Capacity/Asset Building
-  Providing leadership to the Whatcom County Consortium for
Economic Development
-  Interact with, and support jurisdictions throughout the County
-  Support for Regional Research & Planning
-  Update targeted studies in the County 
-  Complete the bi-annual update of the County's CEDS Project List

For additional information on the ADO designation and the role that ADOs play in the State of Washington, please refer to the: 2010 Annual ADO Legislative Report.

Your local Economic Council is committed to providing professional expertise and exceptional services that enhance economic opportunities within the Whatcom Region.