Our Story
The Center for Economic Vitality's story is one of growth in economic development. We began nearly a quarter of a century ago integrating customized business research with our business counseling services as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Western Washington University in Whatcom County, Washington.
We found businesses could best stabilize and grow when they had the right information and support to make the necessary strategic decisions. By augmenting owner's skills and knowledge, we have been able to save jobs at risk and support the creation of new jobs and the attraction of new investments to our clients.
In January 2009, we changed our name to the Center for Economic Vitality (CEV) because being a SBDC just didn't fit the business model we were actively creating.
While we started out as a local business outreach program for Western Washington University's College of Business and Economics, today we serve as an important partner with local governments, other economic development service providers, and our clients in driving economic growth and stability across Washington state.
As a result, we continue to provide strategic business counseling combined with research to businesses in Whatcom County and business research services throughout Washington state. The services are at no-cost to clients due to the financial generosity of our funding partners.
The Center for Economic Vitality provides three core services:
While we started out as an outreach program at Western Washington University's College of Business & Economics, today we have grown to serve as an important partner with local governments, other economic development service providers and our clients in driving economic growth across the Pacific Northwest.