Business View City & Municipal | August 2022

57 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 Disaster Preparedness in advance of 2022’s flood season.” The Port of Bellingham is also working on resiliency in “a broader sense,” Noveck says, by supporting innovation across key industries such as manufacturing, maritime, and agriculture. “We have been focusing a lot on green, clean tech companies,” Goldberg adds. “Recently, we have had a number of success stories. Again, it comes back to Canada. Gina brought a company down from B.C. called Vicinity Motors. Vicinity is an electric bus manufacturer that is building a new facility here. We also just signed a lease with the largest marine battery technology company in the world, Corvus Energy. Corvus started in the Vancouver area, now they are Norwegian-based, and they are putting their U.S. manufacturing right here, in Bellingham.” The city has also brought in Silfab, the second largest solar manufacturer in North America, and All American Marine, the company that built the first North American hybrid passenger ferry, and the world’s first passenger hydrogen vessel. “Many stakeholders are working hard to support innovation in our historical industries, such as marine trades and energy, as well as manufacturing,” remarks Goldberg. Next to manufacturing, one of Whatcom County’s biggest up-and-coming industries are its year- round mountain biking possibilities. Ranked among the top 10 places to ride in the nation by Singletracks Magazine, Galbraith Mountain is a first-rate destination within riding distance of downtown Bellingham, with over 65 miles of trails and an elevation gain of 1,785 feet. “Our mountain biking industry hits on two fronts – tourism and manufacturing,” Stark explains. “We have people who come from Canada, Seattle, Oregon, just to go to Galbraith Mountain alone. It is an extremely sought out mecca for the sport. We also have some of the best bike manufacturers in the world – Transition, Kona, Trek, and Evil. With such a robust cycling BELL INGHAM REGION & WHATCOM COUNTY , WASHINGTON