Doing business in...

Seattle and the Puget Sound Region
By Bob Frause, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
The Frause Group & Partner
Public Relations Organisation International, Inc.
Seattle, WA, USA

Seattle and the Puget Sound Region
Seattle: The Emerald City. Jet City. Latte Land. Home of Microsoft Millionaires. Whatever you call it, Seattle is the city where grunge music meets technology and two mountain ranges touch the sea. Often maligned for its inclement weather (it rains 36 inches per year, less than Atlanta and New York City), both the real and manmade Seattle are unparalleled in their beauty. From Mount Rainier and Puget Sound to the Space Needle and the Pike Place Market, it’s no surprise that it’s the preferred address of millions. The home team includes such familiar names as Bill Gates, Boeing, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Mariners, University of Washington, Seattle Symphony, Experience Music Project, Starbucks and amazon.com

Living in the Heart of the Puget Sound Region
Seattle (King County), Washington is located in the northwest corner of the United States and is the gem of the Northwest. It is the thirteenth largest metropolitan area in the country and King County is the twelfth most populous county in the U.S.-with 1.7 million people living in 39 cities. King County’s topography ranges from sea level to 6, 270 feet. To the west are Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains and to the east are the Cascade Mountains. Seattle is the Pacific Northwest’s largest city and is 100 miles south of the Canadian border and 165 miles north of the Oregon border. King County offers something for every lifestyle—from the upscale urban way of living to the quaint small town life found in its rural and suburban areas.

Seattle was named America’s number one city in which to live and work by Fortune magazine in 1996, as well as "Sixth Best U.S. City for Business" in 2000. In 1998, Seattle was named "Best Place in the West" by Money magazine and "One of the Top Fifteen" regions in the nation to do business by Forbes magazine in 1999. The Emerald City was also acclaimed as the most "Kid Friendly City" in a 1999 study of major U.S. metropolitan areas sponsored by Zero Population Growth.

The Economy
Seattle is a national center for manufacturing, high technology industries, services, international trade and tourism. The Puget Sound area has a diversified manufacturing base, which includes food processing, printing and publishing, fabricated metal products, industrial machinery, transportation equipment, textiles and apparel. King County is also the fifth-largest warehouse and distribution center in the United States.

King County’s manufacturing sector is lead by The Boeing Company, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world. PACCAR and Weyerhaeuser are other internationally known manufacturers based in King County.

Despite the recent economic downturn in 2002, the region remains fifth in the nation for concentration of high tech businesses—with Microsoft leading the way. In 1999, there were 230,000 jobs statewide in high tech industries; 47,000 were employees of software companies with 13,400 working on a contract basis.

The most recent 2002 high tech employment numbers are not yet available, but with a 6.7 percent unemployment rate (Third Quarter 2002), Washington State continues to have one of the highest rates in the country. Even so, consumer spending, new home starts and purchases as well as a solid international commerce base continue to fuel the economy. Current economic prognosticators agree that economic recovery throughout Washington State will lag the rest of the county. It is anticipated to be back at strength by mid 2004.

One in 4.5 jobs in the Washington State is technology-based. Until recently, growth in the industry was nearly four percent during the past decade. According to the Seattle-King County Economic Development Council, the State is also ranked in the top ten for venture-capital investments, research and development spending, creation of new companies and high tech job growth.

Although aerospace jobs dominate the high tech sector, biotechnology, computers, electronic industries and telecommunications round out the sector. In the past 20 years, the number of biotechnology jobs has increased tenfold and computer and electronics industry has generated $2.6 billion in revenues. It is predicted that by the year 2003, biotechnology will generate $3 to $4 billion in annual revenues. At the present time (Third Quarter 2002), biotechnology and health care research continue to grow at rapid rates.

International Trade
On a per capita basis, Washington conducts more international trade than any other state in the U.S., according to a 1999 Department of Commerce report. The state exceeded $46 billion in foreign exports in 1999. Nearly three-quarters of Washington’s exports are from the central Puget Sound region. The Port of Seattle involves more than 100 countries in two-way trade and earned more than $106 billion in 1999. The economy in the region is extremely dependant on foreign trade. Annually, international trade provides 740,000 jobs. One in three jobs are related to foreign exports. The State handles seven percent of the nation’s exports and receives six percent of the nation’s imports.

Historically, trade related activities in King County have focused on seafood, fur and timber. In the central Puget Sound region today, the largest exports are aerospace, forest products, computer products and processed food. With the close proximity to Asian markets, trade usually goes east, but Canada and European nations are amid the top 20 trade partners.

The Climate
The climate in the region is moderate with mild winters and temperate summers. During the winter, temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Seattle does have a rainy season, which extends from October through April and accounts for 82 percent of the annual rainfall. But it is important to note that heavy rainfall is very rare in Seattle and the Puget Sound region. Instead, the area experiences a steady, light rain throughout the winter. It is a joke among locals that if you see an umbrella it probably belongs to a tourist. Comparatively Seattle gets 36" of rainfall per year with Atlanta, Boston, Houston, and New York all receiving more.

Population
King County is the 12th largest U.S. county out of more than 3,000 in the nation, according the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County—up from the 18th largest in 1980. King County had a population of 1,737,034 in 2001, representing nearly 30 percent of Washington State’s total population—and it’s on the rise. King County has 13 cities with populations exceeding 20,000.

Education
King County is known for its superior education system, from kindergarten to the doctoral level. Public officials and business leaders alike understand the need to keep skilled, educated employees to compete in the ever-changing world of business. Forbes magazine recently cited Seattle as a national leader in the "new economy" based on brainpower over the "old" factory-based manufacturing economy.

The state has directly funded basic education since 1979, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to attend school. King County has 19 school districts, serving a K-12 population of more than 250,000 students.

Seattle/King County offers a wide variety of schools for higher education, including the University of Washington, eight private colleges and universities, eight community colleges and two technical colleges. Total enrollment for these institutions in 1997-1998 was 144,000, making Seattle one of the top higher education cities in the nation.

Washington Politics
Current Governor
Gary Locke (D)*
First Elected: 1996
Governor Locke was the first Chinese-American to be elected as a state governor.

Current Seattle Mayor
Greg Nickels (D)
First Elected: 2002

U.S. Senators
Patti Murray (D)
Maria Cantwell (D)

WashingtonTop Employers
2002, Puget Sound Business Journal

• The Boeing Co. - Aerospace and defense manufacturer
• Costco Wholesale Corp. - Worldwide wholesale club operator
• Microsoft Corp. - Software, services and Internet technologies
• Weyerhaeuser Co. - Natural resources and forest products
• Washington Mutual Inc. - National financial services
• PACCAR Inc. - Heavy-duty truck manufacturing and financial services
• Avista Corp. - Holding company for utilities
• Safeco Corp. - Financial services and insurance
• Nordstrom Inc. - Apparel retailer
• Puget Sound Energy Inc. - Supplies utilities to Washington State

Seattle Media
Print
The Seattle Times Company publishes The Seattle Times, the largest daily newspaper in Washington State and the largest Sunday circulation newspaper in the Northwest. It’s the recipient of seven Pulitzer Prizes. The Seattle Times belongs to a family of affiliated newspapers and web sites, each operated independently. The Seattle Times Company owns the Yakima Herald-Republic and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, as well as the Issaquah Press—all based in Washington State. The company also owns Blethen Maine Newspapers that includes the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, and the Coastal Journal.

In 1983, The Seattle Times entered a Joint Operating Agreement with the Hearst Corporation, owners of the daily Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Under the agreement, the Seattle Times Company operates all daily functions of the newspapers, with separate and competitive editorial staff being the only difference. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer independently produces a three-page Sunday edition under a joint masthead with The Seattle Times.

Circulation
Sunday Seattle Times and P-I: 494,657
The Seattle Times (weekday): 225,510
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (weekday): 173,189

Broadcast

• KCTS-TV - Seattle’s Public Broadcasting System affiliate
• KING-TV - Seattle’s NBC affiliate
• KIRO-TV - Seattle’s CBS affiliate
• KOMO-TV - Seattle’s ABC affiliate
• KONG-TV - partner to KING-TV
• KTWB-TV - The WB network
• KWPX-TV - Seattle’s PAX network

Points of Interest
Seattle has an enormous cultural, arts and outdoors recreation base for residents and visitors alike.

Visual Arts
King County is home to the Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Flight, Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, Museum of History and Industry, Burke Museum, Henry Art Gallery, Northwest Railroad Museum and others. In addition, Seattle has more than 100 galleries and 6,000 visual artists in residence.

Performing Arts
Seattle has a wide-range of performing arts, which includes the Seattle Repertory Theatre, ACT Theatre, Intiman Theatre, Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center, Experience Music Project, The5th Avenue Theatre, The Paramount Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle Symphony at Benaroya Hall, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and more. Seattle has more theatres than any other comparable sized city and is second only to New York in theatre performances. Seattle is one of only a few cities in the nation to have its own professional opera, symphony and ballet companies. Seattle’s jazz scene is one of the most vibrant in the country.

Cultural Centers
The International District, bordering downtown Seattle, hosts a booming Asian community with specialized retail stores, restaurants, museums, theaters, and parks.

A visit to Seattle would not be complete without a visit to the Pike Place Market. The market is a popular year-round attraction hosting both local and international foods, farm-fresh produce, Pacific Northwest arts and crafts, restaurants, clothing, antique and novelty stores. More than 30,000 patrons visit the market each day during the busy summer season.

Pioneer Square is the historic downtown area of Seattle. The buildings were erected after the great fire of 1889. Just beneath the Square, remnants of the old Seattle are still intact and may be viewed on guided underground tours. During the day, the Square is a hub for bookstores, galleries and specialty shops. At night, the streets fill with live blues, jazz, rock and comedy clubs.

Sports
With a new Seattle Seahawks stadium (football), as well as the Seattle Mariners new baseball stadium (Safeco Field), professional sports in Seattle are a big draw. Seattle is also home to the Seattle SuperSonics (basketball), the Seattle Storm (women’s basketball), the Seattle Sounders (soccer) and the Seattle Thunderbirds (hockey) as well as the University of Washington Huskies.

Sources

www.seattlechamber.com
www.cityofseattle.net
www.seattletimes.com
www.edc-sea.org
www.seattle.citysearch.com
www.seattleinsider.com
www.wa.gov
www.washington.edu
www.bizjournals.com/seattle/

For more information contact:

Bob Frause, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
The Frause Group
3131 Elliott Avenue, Suite 280
Seattle, WA 98121
USA

Tel: 206-352-6402
Fax: 206-284-9409
Website: www.frause.com
email: bfrause@frause.com