EVERETT – The apple growers have one. So do the dairy farmers and the vineyard owners.
But an industry that employs more than 100,000 Washingtonians lacked one.
Until last year, the 500 or so aerospace-related companies in the state had no formal organization to represent their interests or foster networking opportunities.
On Jan. 23, 2006, the Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington got its official start. The group isn’t a state-regulated agency, like the Apple or Dairy commissions, but it does provide companies an industry-wide voice at the Legislature and an organized means for working with each other as well as with other public and private entities.
“Because the state of Washington is so dependent on aerospace … we felt it was important for that industry to be represented,” said Linda Lanham, executive director.
A few years ago when the Boeing Co. mulled the idea of building its new 787 out of Washington, city, county and state officials banded together to keep the aerospace giant from going elsewhere.
That explains why the alliance has attracted a membership base broader than the usual suspects, including seaports, cities and labor unions. Lanham anticipates that AFA will have 100 members by the end of 2007 and says the group already is well over the halfway mark now.
“It’s a very diverse group,” Lanham said. “We need to hear from everybody to make this work.”
Over the past year, Lanham says the group was busy lobbying for better tax incentives for the industry. The alliance also helped secure a grant to increase training opportunities in order to provide the industry with more skilled workers, she said.
“We had a very busy year,” Lanham said.
The Alliance created a directory of more than 500 aerospace companies. Additionally, in November, the group played host to the first job fair in the state aimed exclusively at aerospace. Two more aerospace job fairs are tentatively scheduled for this year.
In its first year, the Alliance established a statewide presence, said Bob Drewel, executive director of the Puget Sound Regional Council and an Alliance board member. The group worked to raise the awareness of state legislators to the importance of the industry in Washington.
This year, the Alliance has several subjects it will keep an eye on in Olympia, including additional tax incentives, health care costs and transportation, Drewel said. The group will continue to emphasize the importance of additional training programs for potential aerospace workers.
On Feb. 20, the group will participate in a day at the Legislature and will meet with the governor. Ultimately, Lanham said, the alliance hopes that an aerospace position reporting to the governor will be created.
From the looks of its Web site, the Alliance has the political clout to get what it wants. The group has won the accolades of politicians, community leaders and aerospace executives alike. Scott Carson, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, calls the group a “wonderful asset” – one that will keep the industry in Washington competitive. And Gov. Chris Gregoire lauds the Alliance as “essential to raising the profile of this industry and our state.”
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