EDITOR’S NOTE — The economy in Clallam and Jefferson counties and the specific problem of unemployment or lack of jobs usually far outpace all other issues when local residents are asked to name the most important problem facing the North Olympic Peninsula.
Here’s a report from Bill Greenwood, executive director of the Clallam County Economic Development Council, on some of the recent efforts by the EDC to improve the Peninsula’s economy.
An investment banker and former manufacturing company owner, Greenwood, 72, was hired as the new EDC director last spring. He lives in Sequim.
For more information on the EDC, click on www.clallam.org. Email Greenwood at bgreenwood@clallam.org.
By Bill Greenwood
I’m pleased to report that a team at the board has developed a new strategic plan for the EDC through 2018.
The plan is considered a living document subject to change when necessary. It has received edits from several EDC board members and is considered final – for now.
Primary credit for the plan goes to Jim McEntire, one of the three Clallam County commissioners. He pushed for it. Wrote most of it. Made it happen.
You can read the 11-page strategic plan on line at http://tinyurl.com/EDCstrategy.
Working with the state Department of Commerce — and business proposals
Benefits particularly accrue to the EDC because it is supported and partially funded by the state Department of Commerce.
But we have been surprised by how many in our community don’t understand the exceptional value of our relationship with that body.
We now are receiving a regular “Hot List” from Commerce of companies looking to set up facilities in our state.
Their list of requirements goes to every other EDC.
Many companies on the list fit the description of exactly what we are seeking to attract.
Thus we must act with alacrity. And each one requires a careful and formal proposal from our organization.
We have already proposed and are waiting to hear regarding the potential recruitment of a specialized call center that would need training at Peninsula College and employ about 150.
The second is a confectionary producer that would invest $20 million in a facility and create 20 new jobs.
And, with plenty of help from the teams at Peninsula College, at the city and at the Port of Port Angeles, we completed a proposal to a Seattle boat builder that wishes to open a third facility that would employ about 70 people.
The required specs are exacting, but Port Angeles meets nearly all of them.
The timeline to being operational, however, is March 2015, and we hope that we can promise a fast permitting process.
Other proposals in the preparation stage are:
1. An aerospace company looking to open a new production facility to manufacture composite parts for the automotive industry. To employ: 100.
2. A large international company evaluating western states for the location of a furniture manufacturing facility. To employ: 400.
And we continue to review other prospects in the aerospace industry to see if further proposals are warranted.
Business recruitment – direct approaches
1. We met with the CEO of Allied Titanium on Wednesday and were very impressed.
At the meeting were Don Butler and Dave Brasher of High Energy Metals Inc., a Sequim-based company, and Steve Burke, executive director of the William Shore Pool in Port Angeles.
Steve ran a California titanium company before moving to PA.
Allied has a facility in Sequim and ultimately plans to employ 20 people here.
Our team of Butler, Brasher and Burke walked away feeling that Allied has a real chance at success.
The company needs a serious equity investment – and we sense the odds of getting funding are reasonable.
We intend to make introductions to that effect.
We also discussed with the Allied CEO, Chris Greimes, a package of incentives which includes sales tax abatements, possible low cost funding and potentially free workforce training via an existing grant from Commerce.
2. A large boat builder has not yet decided whether to engage in discussions. Port Angeles has an ideal site.
But a competitor is closer than we are to the builder’s corporate HQ.
3. A Vancouver, B.C., technology company just completed a small public offering in Canada.
A move to the Peninsula is attractive to them because of massive cost savings and the proximity in Clallam County to their largest supplier.
We expect them to focus on a possible move to the Carlsborg area.
4. A Seattle specialty insurance company is now opening a small facility in Austin, Texas, and is also considering the opening of a larger facility in Clallam County.
This is an unusual situation for our area.
A fair number of high wage jobs would be part of the deal.
Business retention
Since April, the EDC team has completed over 50 business retention visits.
Our aim is to understand and to help any company in the county in any way we can.
Some newly available financing sources and the previously mentioned tax abatement program are now part of our kit bag.
Right now we are working with a specialty heating company wishing to expand; with a high quality automotive service and repair company that is moving to larger headquarters while seeking lower cost financing; and with a high quality hotel chain that is evaluating possible sites in the county as well as sources of specialty financing.
