Edmonds, Washington

187 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Edmonds also has a Climate Action Plan, and a Mayor’s Climate Action Committee, which is unique for a city of 43,000. “You don’t see every city our size engaging in something that’s really of global importance, at the local level,” remarks Patrick Doherty, Public Information Specialist for Edmonds. As for local industry and investment, Doherty suggests that the biggest source of businesses coming into Edmonds are from the Greater Seattle Area. “It’s not the kind of place where a lot of big businesses from far-flung places are landing, but there are a lot of local, national, and international businesses that are based in the Seattle area. These businesses often look to places like Edmonds as they expand or relocate from Seattle. Edmonds sees plenty of entrepreneurs taking their skills from big-box companies and starting something on their own,” he says. “If people come to Edmonds on their site visit to consider where to move to or expand to, they may find office space may not be the cheapest,, but is in the richest environment for themselves, their visitors, their clients, their workers, and they’re in a place that is charming, welcoming and is that sort of traditional town.” As a city in a major metropolitan area, Edmonds truly offers the best of both worlds, with Seattle’s tech-savvy mindset and education, and the quaint traditional feeling of a smaller community. “It’s a walkable small city center, on the sea, with a ferry, a waterfront, and beaches. You feel at home when you come to Edmonds, even if you’re not from Edmonds,” Doherty says. Currently, the service sector provides 70% of the jobs in the community, with city government, healthcare, and education the primary sources