Association of Washington Business

The Association of Washington Business, abbreviated AWB, is the oldest and largest statewide business association in Washington state, founded in 1904 and headquartered in Olympia, the state capital. The organization represents over eight thousand member businesses ranging from small family-owned operations to major corporations like Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks, spanning every industry sector including agriculture, aerospace, technology, forestry, maritime, healthcare, retail, and manufacturing. AWB serves as the unified voice of Washington business before the state legislature, the governor's office, and state regulatory agencies on policy matters including business and occupation tax rates, workers compensation insurance premiums, unemployment insurance costs, environmental regulations under the State Environmental Policy Act, transportation infrastructure funding, and energy policy affecting industrial electricity rates. The association's annual Policy Summit brings together business executives with state elected officials for policy discussions, and its Legislative Day organizes member companies to meet directly with their elected representatives during the legislative session in Olympia.