Given this area's recreational and outdoor sports opportunities, it should come as no surprise that King County is home to several successful sporting goods and outdoor fashion manufacturers, including K2 Corporation, the hottest-selling ski maker in the United States, and such clothing manufacturers as Pacific Trail and Sun Sportswear. K2, located on Vashon Island, started out making fiberglass dog houses and then branched into skis. Today the company is moving into new product lines, including snowboards and in-line skates, and is also expanding into new markets, particularly Japan. For years the Seattle-King County area has won national and international accolades for the quality of life it offers to its residents. Good schools for our children, good government to help our businesses and families flourish, a clean and beautiful environment, and access to both outdoor recreation and big-city culture.
Education is crucial to a region's effort to remain both livable and globally competitive.
For those seeking further education, the opportunities are vast. The University of Washington alone has over 34,000 students and is one of the largest research universities in the United States. Seattle University was the first university in the United States to offer a master's degree in software engineering. In addition, other colleges, community colleges and vocational-technical institutes offer degrees in the arts and sciences and a variety of certificate and continuing education programs. An abundance of cultural assets enriches the lives of King County residents and visitors alike.