Pierce County represents at Farnborough Airshow

Pierce County delegation touts region at Farnborough Airshow
Boeing was a big winner at Farnborough. The company added more than 530 orders and commitments to its 460 firm orders coming into the air show. Buzz about the company’s proposed New Mid-market Airplane (NMA) was palpable, although no additional details were revealed.
Think two heads are better than one? Imagine what six could accomplish. This year’s Pierce County delegation included Bruce Kendall, EDB president and CEO; Sarah Bonds, EDB vice president for business recruitment; Kevin Clegg, Pierce County
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From left: Greg Unruh (back), Kevin Clegg, Sarah Bonds, Jason Whalen, Doug Richardson and Bruce Kendall. |
The Pierce County team joined its Washington State partners to meet with industry leaders, connect with new and existing contacts, and spotlight the region’s assets and advantages to firms looking to relocate or expand operations. The 60-member Choose Washington team was the largest delegation to represent the state at Farnborough.
Farnborough by the numbers:
Average daily steps logged: More than 20,000 per delegate, or over 10 miles
BPI medical grows from backyard to booming business

The company’s most recent expansion is particularly significant. BPI Medical purchased its own 38-000-square-foot building that nearly doubles its previous space in Fife. With room to grow, the company will continue to expand to meet customer needs. That means adding more jobs to grow its current team of more than 40 employees.
Though only a few blocks from its former location, the move took a lot of planning and coordination. Along with a big helping hand from the City of Fife, Overmars credits the EDB for smoothing the way.
“We owe the EDB a huge thank you for all the support,” Overmars said. “They were there to help coordinate the process, connect us with the right people and provide a lot of helpful how-tos. They were incredibly professional and efficient.”
Overmars was quick to offer another nod to the EDB. Bruce Kendall, EDB president and CEO, and Maddie Merton, EDB vice president for business retention and expansion, connected him with Bill Robertson, president and CEO of MultiCare Health System. A deal between BPI Medical and MultiCare was inked in early July, bringing the business relationship full circle. MultiCare was the company’s first customer in that backyard shop more than 40 years ago.
While Overmars jokes that the new Fife location means he only has two stoplights to travel through to get to work from home, there’s much more to doing business with the city than the easy commute. “It’s a pleasure to work with the City of Fife,” he said. “They have always been helpful, fair and responsive.” That keeps BPI Medical in Fife and growing.
EDB welcomes economic development partners
“The EDB partners very closely with these departments,” said EDB President and CEO Bruce Kendall. “We look forward to working with Betty and Jeff to keep and grow great jobs in Tacoma-Pierce County.”