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Pasco EDC reports Q2 wins, robust pipeline and workforce concerns; data centers flagged as strategic opportunity
Summary
Bill Cronin of the Pasco Economic Development Council told commissioners the county recorded six wins in Q2 with a robust pipeline of 125 active projects, but noted a market pause tied to national politics and investor caution; he and Planning Director David Engel also discussed data-center and workforce needs.
Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, presented the EDC's quarter‑two update to the Board of County Commissioners on May 20, outlining business wins, marketing awards, and ongoing challenges recruiting investment.
"We got 6 wins… the pipeline is robust — 125 active projects, 161 leads — and about 20 projects are close to the finish line," Cronin said. He told commissioners that two of the six wins had not yet reported final job numbers and that he expected the projects to add roughly 500 jobs once final numbers are reported.
Cronin said the EDC's Ready Sites program won statewide marketing awards and that the organization had recent international outreach in Brazil, Mexico City and an upcoming London mission. He highlighted Smart Start incubator and nonprofit scaling programs and said workforce remains the top concern for companies: "Workforce is still the number 1 thing that most businesses are interested in — where am I getting my talent from."
On data centers, Cronin and Planning and Economic Growth Director David Engel discussed infrastructure constraints. Cronin said large data centers require dedicated power and fiber and that institutional capital is more cautious. "We do need it. And I think there's a real interest from the governor's office also to make sure that we have our own… This is starting to become a competitive thing," Cronin said. Engel and Cronin said suitable sites need fiber, available power and land preserved for industrial uses.
The EDC report listed earned-media value, trade events, investor counts (94 investors), and Smart Start metrics (407 participants, 43 incubator members, two microloans issued year-to-date). No board vote was required; commissioners asked questions about data centers, potential corridors, and readiness of industrial land.
Why this matters: The EDC update shows continued business attraction success but underscores workforce and utility constraints that shape what projects can locate in Pasco. Commissioners discussed traffic, land preservation and utility capacity as part of the county's effort to turn site interest into firm commitments.
