Pacific County Economic Development Council
211 Commercial St. • Raymond, WA 98577
360.875.9330 • 360.642.9330
To receive a paper copy of the newsletter, please call
(360) 642-9330 or (360) 875-9330
or email [email protected]
Presidential Perspective
By Nancy Gorshe, EDC President, The Depot Restaurant
J oin me fellow business owners, directors and managers of public and
private organizations throughout our County in supporting our Pacific County Economic Devel-opment Council (PCEDC) through membership and partic-ipation!
Our fall membership drive is upon us, which always reminds me that we are stronger as a group than we are operating alone!
It has been a privilege to op-erate The DEPOT Restaurant in Pacific County for the last thir-teen years. We could not be here without our supporting customers who live here full time, our weekend homeowners and our once-a-year family reun-ion visitors staying in hotels and rental homes! The DEPOT would not be successful without our amazing, dedicated loyal staff. And it would not be possible without our packaging “partners” who operate hotels, inns, B&Bs and RV Parks throughout our County. We could not offer our fare without our local fishermen, crabbers, oyster, cranberry and vegetable farmers, brewers, food brokers, berry and mushroom foragers. We are an interdependent com-munity!
Our daily lives are filled with routine focusing on our own
Vital Statistics Latest (July) Pacific County Unemployment: 7.7% from 8.1%
New Business Licenses YTD: 63
Sales Tax Distributions through July: $1,387,958.79
Lodging Tax Distributions through July: $430,951.36
Minding the Store
Meeting schedule: EDC South: Noon, Oct. 1, El Compadre, 1900 Pac. Hwy. EDC North: 8 a.m., Oct. 5, Chens, 206 Robert Bush Dr. TAC/PCOG: 10 a.m./1 p.m. Oct. 28, PUD Auditorium, 9610 Sandridge Road, Long Beach
Fosse Farms
Owner: Elaine Fosse
Raymond Wash.
Established: 2005
No. of employees:
owner, partner
Key product: Organic salad dressings/
marinades
Key demographic: Upscale buyers
www.fossefarmsinc.coElaine Fosse was known for her homemade dressings be-fore she started her own business.
RAYMOND —Elaine Fosse is generating profit and cre-ating smiles, one bottle at a time.
Fosse began bottling mari-nades and salad dressings under the Fosse Farms label in 2005. Her homemade dressings had already devel-
oped a strong following, but something clicked in 2005.
She was asked to contrib-ute something to a bake sale to benefit military families. At the time Fosse was getting a bachelor’s degree in social science from Washington State University, and the
bake sale deadline loomed large. She whipped up sever-al bottles of dressing that quickly sold out.
She spent the next 18 months selling her products at farmers markets in the region and donat-ing the money.
Continued on Page 4
President, Continued on Page 3
Membership
highlights:
Cold Reality The Port of Peninsula ice
plant is producing one to four tons of ice daily, ac-cording to demand, with a maximum capacity of 14 tons per day. The service has increased part-time employee hours; those hours could eventually in-crease to full time, said Jay Personius, a consultant who worked on the project.
The ice machine cost $250,000 to purchase, in-stall and test with most of the money spent in state.
Share the news! Personnel promotions, production highlights,
physical plant upgrades or anything you’d like to publicize. Call 360-642-9330, 360-875-9330 or
email [email protected].
Page 2 ___________________________________________________________ October 2015
Quarterly
Forms due Oct. 31
941 – L&I – ESD
— OMG!
From the federal level: U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell
“This August, much of my time was devoted to developing solutions to combat the many wildfires raging across the state and highlighting the im-portance of freight to Washington. In the Pacific County region, at a signifi-cant freight export milestone, I celebrated the 400,000th vehicle shipped by Pasha from the Port of Grays Harbor. And in Wahkiakum County, I met local leaders to discuss local challenges from logging and fishing industries to rural utilities projects. I will continue to fight for funding to small ports, and ensure continued economic prosperity of the Columbia River for all users.”
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray
"I am proud to be a voice in the Senate for Washington state families and do everything I can to break through the gridlock and dysfunction to deliver results. As I traveled across our state this summer, from Long Beach, to Walla Walla, and beyond—I heard from so many people who want their elected officials working together, not just fighting. I couldn’t agree more. So when Congress reconvenes this month, I am going to be working to build on my bipartisan budget deal to create jobs and economic growth built from the middle out, not the top down. I will be working to finally fix the Broken No Child Left Behind law. And I will make sure Washington state
families have a seat at the table. "
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler “Nothing beats meeting with residents of Southwest Washington face-to-face. During the August district work period, I hosted a ‘community coffee’ at the Raymond American
Legion for Pacific County residents. Transit, government regulations and immigration were all topics of discussion, but jobs and the economy remain on everyone’s mind.
We know that agriculture – fishing, timber, cranberries – and small busi-nesses are the backbone of this ar-ea’s economy. As Congress resumes this month, I’ll continue to champion smart spending on dredging and our ports that provide a critical lifeline to these industries. My focus also re-mains on reducing the most burden-some government regulations on our businesses and in our forests so that responsible employers can do what they do best – create jobs.”
2015 Business Series: Exporting FREE! The final session, Contracting with Government, is Sept. 22 with Stephanie Scott, Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
10 a.m.: Raymond Education Center, 600 Washington Ave. Raymond 1 p.m.: Columbia Education Center, 208 Advent Ave. SE, Ilwaco Contact Nancy Estergaard, 360-538-4012 or 800-562-4830 Ext. 4012 OR Paul Philpot, 360-875-9330 or 360-642-9330 Presented by Grays Harbor College and the Pacific County Economic Development Council
October 2015 ___________________________________________________________ Page 3
Director’s Dispatch
For the last quarter of 2015, the staff and Board of Directors of the Pacific County EDC is pleased to introduce two new business councils, the Retail and Hospitality Council and the Natural Resources Council. We anticipate that restaurants, lodging, attractions and muse-ums, retail and commercial, and maybe even some profes-sionals will want to join the first group, and those who farm, process, harvest, fish, mine, transport, or are other-wise involved in moving natu-ral resources to market will be part of the second group.
The Retail/Hospitality Council will launch in October, while the Natural Resources Council will launch in Decem-ber. A few of the objectives for both groups include com-ing together to identify and address common issues, to create dialogue and to develop better communication among members, to network, and to work together to plan and implement strategies to grow and expand their business-es. So, one function of a coun-cil might be to address a com-mon concern, such as labor issues (that is, to find enough labor); or, a council might dis-cover that its members could benefit from a certain pro-gram, and they could work together to maximize the ben-efits for all of the members.
Because we are fairly spread out yet our businesses face common issues, we think it is important to offer these services to the EDC’s mem-bers. Please look for more information on the business councils coming soon.
businesses, a routine we need in order to be available for the public and required by our regulators. So often we are so busy we can’t see well beyond our own walls.
Participation in the PCEDC has helped me get out of my own routine to follow the
happenings and trends of my neighboring businesses. It is a safe place to network, com-pare stats and problem solve. It is a place I can keep up with our local economic indicators watched by our regional banks. It is a place I can monitor county, city and
port issues important to all of us. It is a place where I learn and a place where I can share my voice.
Join us this year to help continue to grow our county and to continue to grow your business.
President Continued from Page 1
Rockin’ the Jetty Critical repairs costs: $9.83 million forecast; Logoon fill $5.32 million;
Materials North Jetty: Approximately 54,000 tons of rock on the project. As of Aug. 31, approximately 39,060 tons had been imported and 37,433 tons had been placed;
Lagoon fill: Approximately 40,000 cubic yards of sand were excavat-ed and used onsite as fill. Approximately 48,000 cubic yards of sand and 69,000 tons of rock and gravel were imported and used as fill.
Time involved North Jetty: Onsite work started April 13, 2015. First jetty stone placed May 23, 2015. Completion expected by Oct. 31, 2015.
Lagoon fill: Onsite work started Oct. 27, 2014. Heavy construction mostly completed by March 17, 2015. Site planting and restoration ongoing intermittently.
Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Special thanks: Port of Ilwaco
Congressional staff from the offices of U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler viewed the repair work on the North Jetty on Aug. 24. Local port and government offi-cials along with business representatives toured the jetty and Ilwaco channel dredging operations separately.
Farm
Tour
2015 The EDC’s
2015 Farm Tour
is set for Oct. 2.
We will meet
in the parking lot
at the Pacific
County Court-
house Annex,
1216 W. Robert
Bush Drive,
South Bend, at
8:30 a.m.
Transportation
to the sites will
be provided.
The tour will
include an oyster
processing plant,
a beef farm, a
marijuana grow-
ing operation, a
lumber dry kiln
and a privately
owned tree farm.
Lunch will be
provided. Call to
reserve a spot; $5
per person.
Call 360-642-
9330 or 360-875-
9330.
42nd Street Café Active Enterprises
Adrift Inn & Spa; Discovery
Coast Inn Andrew Monson, Attorney
Anita’s Café
Appelo Archive Center ARK Plumbing Services
Arthur Strand Insurance
B.T. Wilson Construction Baker & Son Construction
Bank of the Pacific
Bay Center Mariculture beachdog.com Inc.
Beacon Charters & RV Park
Bell Buoy Crab Inc.
BJ & R Inc.
Blue Crab Graphics
Boreas Bed & Breakfast Bridgewater Logging
Bud's Lumber
Chen's Restaurant Chinook Coffee
Chinook Marine
Chris Johnson Crane Service City of Ilwaco
City of Long Beach City of South Bend
Coast Seafoods
Coastal Community Action Program
Columbia Pacific Heritage
Museum
Colvin's Quality Inspections Corner Café
CresComm WiFi
Cutler Management Davis Real Estate
Dee Dee Eaton Mead Ins.
Dennis Company Dilk Tire Factory
Discovery Coast Real Estate
Doc's Tavern Don Nisbett Art Gallery
Ekone Oyster Company
Elizabeth Penoyer, Attorney Enterprise For Equity
First American Title
Fosse Farms
Foxglove Enterprises
Funland
Grays Harbor College Great Northwest Federal Credit Union
Greater Grays Harbor
Hanner Enterprises Harbor Saw & Supply
Harborview Motel, Northern Oyster
Harmony Soapworks Hawk's Superior Rock
Heavenly Memories Heidi's Inn
Ilwaco Fisherman's Cove
Ilwaco Landing, LLC Jack's Country Store
Jessie’s Ilwaco Fish Co.
Key Environmental Solutions LLC
Kenneth J. Hurley, Western and Wild-life Artist
Lakeside Industries
Lead To Results Lighthouse Oceanfront Resort
Lighthouse Realty
Long Beach Commercial Security Long Beach Cranberry Growers Assoc.
Lost Roo Inc.
Marsalee's Thai Food Marsh's Free Museum
Michael Plato, CPA
Michael S. Turner, Attorney Mike Swanson Realty
Mike's Computer Repair
Mill Creek Nursery
Naselle Rock & Asphalt
Northwest Ins. & Financial Services
Ocean Park Area Chamber of Com-merce
Oceanside Animal Clinic
Oman & Son Pac. Mtn. Workforce Development
Council
Pacific Co. Historical Society & Muse-um
Pacific Coast Cranberry Research Found.
Pacific County PUD No. 2
Pacific County Title Pacific Eye Clinic
Pacific Realty
Pacific Salmon Charters
Pacific Transit Peninsula Pharmacies
Peninsula Sanitation Service
Pioneer Grocery Pioneer Market & Deli
Pitchwood Alehouse & Inn
Port of Chinook Port of Ilwaco
Port of Peninsula
Powell, Seiler & Co. Raymond Federal Bank
River's End Campground
Royal Heights Transfer Station Seaquest Motel
Security State Bank
Shane Resorts (Ocean Park Resort)
Shelburne Inn
Sid's Supermarket
Slater's Diner South Bend Pharmacy
South Bend Products
Sportsman's Cannery Sunset Air
The Breakers
The Depot Restaurant Timberland Regional Library
Weyerhaeuser Willapa Harbor Chamber
Willapa Harbor Health & Rehab.
Willapa Harbor Hospital World Kite Museum
2015 M
em
be
rship
list
It occurred to her that may-be dressings could be more than a hobby.
“I thought, ‘You know what? I think this would probably work,’ as dumb as I was; I had no idea, thank goodness,” she recalls with a chuckle.
Then came the complicated and costly work of getting the products certified organic and
gluten-free. It was worth it. She continues to sell her
products at the Bellevue and Cannon Beach Farmers Mar-kets as well as other outdoor venues, but stores throughout the Northwest, and in Los An-geles and Chicago also carry Fosse Farms products.
The first retail outlet was Pio-neer Grocery in South Bend.
Now the distinctive Fosse Farms bottles appear on the shelves of upscale Town & Country Mar-kets, Central Markets and natu-ral/organic standard bearer Whole Foods in the Puget Sound region.
The vegan products are all organic, gluten-, soy- and salt-free and contain no pre-servatives. While all that ap-peals to health-conscious buy-ers who want tasty dressings and marinades, it didn’t start out as a marketing decision; it’s just the way Fosse works. It’s part of a tradition.
“My mom cooked that way,” she said. “She just did. Every-thing when I was growing up was organic. It was from the farm. She had a garden and we just ate that way.”
Fosse prefers to clean with just soap and water, no harsh
chemicals. She uses steam to sanitize the bottles. She wants to have as little impact on the planet as possible.
That includes recycling bottles. A neighbor reuses the 55-gallon drums. The busi-
ness is profitable. Fosse continues to work part time at the Pacific County Prosecutor’s Office. She would like to devote all her time to Fosse Farms, but she’s not sure when that will happen.
She and her business part-ner hope to add an employee in the future, but for now the two of them are working to maximize profit.
“There’s a million different salad dressings on the mar-ket,” she said. “Not like mine, but you have to get it out there. But I’ve never had to pay for shelf space like some do.”
Fosse Farms spends extra money for organic ingredients, but the certified organic label offers a marketing edge. Besides, organic cooking is a tradition for owner Elaine Fosse.
Page 4 ___________________________________________________________ October 2015