During an recent appearance before the Mountlake Terrace City Council, Troy McClelland, President and CEO of the Economic Alliance of Snohomish County (EASC), said that the Snohomish County economy is improving.

McClelland reported that the key industry sectors in Snohomish County include advance manufacturing, which is a positive trend with 60 advanced manufacturers, aerospace, clean and biotechnology, maritime and marine, which is the largest sector in the state, and retail and tourism, which is growing at 5 percent.

According to the report, in the next five years the county’s population is projected to grow 5.3 percent, employment is projected to grow 8 percent, yielding 66,000 new jobs and the real estate boom is expected to continue.

“EASC key objectives are to support education, infrastructure and transportation. These objectives include a statewide transportation package, the growth of Snohomish County 4-year programs, which are the seventh most effective for return on investment in the nation, and Everett and Edmonds Community Colleges. We also need to foster industry diversity, and solidify global aerospace leadership,” McClelland said.

McClelland added that Mountlake Terrace has assets that no one else has including it is close to Seattle, has a functional brand that is receiving more favor and it is most near to the transportation hubs that people are using today.

McClelland also indicated the need to bring the right programs for the high tech manufacturing environment such as mechanical engineering and engineering management, along with an advanced composites research center.

“Mountlake Terrace has strong schools and it’s a great place to live and work, which attracts talent. Mountlake Terrace is an attractive location,” McClelland said.