Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. (GGHI) recently organized the annual State of Grays Harbor on Tuesday, June 27 at the Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen, WA. The GGHI Signature Event drew a nearly sold out crowd to hear insight gathered in GGHI’s 2023 Economic Vitality Index (EVI) as well as presentations from keynote speakers.

GGHI CEO, Lynnette Buffington kicked off the State of Grays Harbor with an in-depth analysis of the newly produced EVI. This uniquely commissioned economic research on Grays Harbor County provides insight into local workforce, real estate, and economic development trends and challenges.

Following the unveiling of this year’s EVI, the event’s keynote speakers took the stage. Jacob Vigdor, Professor of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington, prepared a presentation on ‘How to Engineer a Small Town Turnaround in the 21st Century’. This presentation offered insight into methods that Grays Harbor can adopt to sustain and manage growth for current and future generations.

Following Jacob, Chris Green, Assistant Director in the Office of Economic Development and Competitiveness​ with the Washington State Department of Commerce, engaged the crowd with a presentation on ‘Washington’s Path to Prosperity’. Chris’ discussion included important statics including how over 85% of all establishments in Washington are small businesses and that Washington ranks 4th in the U.S. in per capita gross domestic product. His presentation also highlighted Commerce’s training and education opportunities and strategic focus on international markets, as well as important federal investment news.

“A great deal of work from our staff goes into gathering the necessary statistics and information to produce the EVI,” stated GGHI CEO, Lynnette Buffington. “Between the information in both the EVI and what was presented by our speakers, we were able to accurately showcase not only the economic state but also the opportunity of our County. We thank the community members who were in attendance at the State of Grays Harbor and encourage anyone who wasn’t present to review the EVI online.”

GGHI would like to thank the State of Grays Harbor sponsors, TwinStar Credit Union (Presenting Sponsor) and Quinault Corporate Enterprises (EVI Sponsor). To view this year’s EVI as well as past year’s reports, visit graysharbor.org/business/demographics/.