LinkUp boosts sales, awareness.

Increased sales and heightened customer and product awareness are results cited in recent surveys of businesses participating in the King County, Washington, LinkUp program.

LinkUp, which is sponsored by the county's Solid Waste Division, uses a team of specialists to provide free customized technical and marketing expertise to manufacturers that use recycled materials in their products or that process recyclable materials. The program was launched in April 2000 to expand new markets for recycled materials.

Currently, 18 businesses in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties participate in LinkUp.

In the past year, LinkUp surveys show, program partners have used more than 630,000 tons of recycled materials, nearly two-thirds of which originated in King County.

Nearly three out of four businesses said that the technical assistance they received from the LinkUp team exceeded their expectations. A similar percentage reported that the marketing support they received helped them to increase sales "significantly" or moderately." Ninety-one percent reported that their participation in the program added credibility to their supplier and retailer relationships, according to a release from LinkUp.

Additional information about LinkUp is available online at http://dnr.metro kc.gov/linkup or from Kris Beatty, program manager, at [phone].