Port Angeles officials and business leaders are very impressed with Westport Shipyard after touring its facilities on Monday — and the feeling appears to be mutual.
The luxury yacht manufacturer plans a multi-million expansion in 2003 that could bring 200 jobs to Port Angeles — if the Port of Port Angeles will sell the company the land it needs.
Westport will make a decision in a few weeks whether to construct its new facility — which would build 165-foot luxury yachts costing about $30 million each — in Port Angeles or Anacortes.
Monday’s three-and-a-half-hour carpool trip to the shipyard’s headquarters in Westport was to tour the company’s main factory, meet company officials — and push for Port Angeles to be picked, if the land sale can be arranged.
“I think Westport (Shipyard) was every bit as impressed with our delegation as we were with their operations,” said Port Angeles Economic Development Director Tim Smith.
“They have an existing operation here in Port Angeles (where posh wooden cabinets for Westport’s 98-, 112- and 130-foot yachts are made), so we are a known quantity.
“They view us as a proactive, business-friendly community, and they pointed that out. I don’t know what would be better than that.”
————-
The rest of this story appears in the Tuesday Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.
