New Vision's mission from the beginning was to retain existing businesses and help them expand while aggressively seeking out new industry for the valley. Its members were dead set on giving the Yakima Valley's children a reason to stay. The scenario has improved. The association, which has formed a board of directors representing various hues of the community, says 61 companies have created or retained 1,849 jobs in the past 10 years. The Yakima Indian Nation has followed suit with its own economic development agency to bring growth to its 1.3 million acres of land.
Wages are up and there's more jobs.
Now that's a better quality of life. Gero says the association also directed technical assistance that resulted in three firms and 320 jobs being saved. The organization says it's actively pursuing 40 companies, seven of which have made local site visits. Joseph Rose is a business writer for the Yakima Herald-Republic.