State Department of Agriculture Program: Made in Washington
Impact Washington’s “Made in Washington helps you find quality local products, protect the environment, and strengthen Washington’s economy. Impact Washington also helps local food companies with business-to-business networking, resourceful training and credible local branding.
www.impactwashington.org
Industry Resources:
Help With Your Manufacturing Needs:
Need help finding a Commercial Kitchen (also known as a Kitchen Incubator, Shared Kitchen, Food Innovation Center, Commissary, Culinary Kitchen, food labs and food incubator) to make your product Contact the Commercial Kitchens Association. (www.CommercialKitchens.org).
Need help finding a Contract Manufacturer (contract packager) of any size or region (South-West, North-West, North-Central, South-Central, Ohio Valley, North-East, South-East, Hawaii, Alaska and even Canada. Contact the Co-Packing Network.www.Co-Packing.net
InBIA, a 501(c)3, serves a growing network of entrepreneurship centers (incubators, accelerators, university entrepreneurship centers, etc.) that enable entrepreneurs to transform their dreams into high-growth business ventures. Through InBIA’s global network of over 1,300 members, as well as over 22,000 affiliate organizations, partners will further their pursuits of being resources to the international innovation economy.www.inbia.org
America’s SBDC represents America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) – the most comprehensive small business assistance network in the United States and its territories.
SBDCs are hosted by leading universities, colleges, state economic development agencies and private partners, and funded in part by the United States Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
There are nearly 1,000 local centers available to provide no-cost business consulting and low-cost training to new and existing businesses.
www.americassbdc.org/find-your-sbdc/
Core Customers: Retail
Washington is home to a number of important retail customers who are important to look at for distribution. These include QFC, URM Stores, Crown Pacific Distribution, Rosauer’s, Yoke’s Supermarkets, PCC Markets, Marlene’s Market’s, Zupan’s Markets, Nordstorm’s, Central Markets, Haggen’s Markets, Pet Pros, Altrec.com, MountainZone.com, Amazon.com, Costco Corporate, Drugstore.com/Walgreens.com, Sur La Table, Alfy’s, Cost U Less, Northwest Companies, BirthdayExpress.com, REI, CENEX stores, Nordstrom Rack, Town and Country Markets, Country Store, Del’s Farm Supply, Bartell Drug, Bob’s Marketplace, Zumiez, Alfy’s, Uwajimaya Markets, Brown Bear Car Washes, Ken’s Markets, Brown and Cole Stores, Worldwide Distribution.
Core Customers: Food Service
For the core food service targets the list would include Food Service of America, Sysco (regional offices), US Foods (regional offices), a number of hospital groups, universities, national parks, a number of regional restaurant chains, Canteen offices, Red Lion Hotels, Emerald City Smoothie, Papa Murphy’s, Tully’s Coffee, Starbuck’s Coffee, World Wrapps and others.