BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Port of Bellingham is working to wrap up its economic development goals while planning ahead for a new path forward.

They released their 2025 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy progress report on Thursday, Feb. 19, highlighting investments and growth it has made throughout the county.

The Port’s Economic Development Director Tyler Schroeder notes that navigating through last year’s tumultuous fiscal environment posed a major challenge. But work throughout the region persevered, as the Port added more contracts at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal after finishing several key upgrades.

Schroeder estimates that $1 million in wages will be generated from these new contracts by the end of 2026.

My Bellingham Now previously reported on the Port’s decision to purchase Boxx Berry Farm last fall, which has since been converted into an Agricultural Research Center.

A clean energy business expansion also graced the Port’s highlights, with Pure Blue Tech Inc upgrading its facilities nearly five times the size it was at the start of 2025.

Moving into the final year of its four-year strategy plan, the Port hopes to keep local businesses thriving by focusing on what their workforce needs to stay in the area.