Seattle company eyes Mattawa port for relocation
Mattawa port Commissioner Richard Leitz, left, Mattawa port Manager Bob Adler and Mattawa port Commissioner Wayne Sahli visited Grant PUD Tuesday to discuss power demands for a business considering relocating to Grant County. Photo by Lynne Lynch/Columbia Basin Herald
EPHRATA — Port of Mattawa representatives visited Grant PUD commissioners Tuesday to ask if the utility could provide five megawatts of power for a Seattle-based company.
Port Manager Bob Adler said AAA Manufacturing is considering relocating and currently employees between 30 to 40 people.
There is a strong possibility the port can bring the company to Grant County.
AAA Manufacturing has been in business for 75 years, Adler said.
The company wants to be operational in six to seven months, but Adler also called the talk speculation at this point.
The business still needs to build a facility and plans to ramp up production in two to five years.
Grant PUD General Manager Tim Culbertson said the utility has transformers in stock.
Grant PUD Customer Service Manager Tony Webb said there are some system load issues and transformers are in storage at Priest Rapids Dam.
Installing a transformer would take the load off the Mattawa substation.
Webb said the Mattawa substation is filled to capacity and the Jericho substation is also near capacity. The PUD’s plan is to tap into the 230 line at the intersection of Mattawa for another substation.
Webb said the PUD has seen a lot of growth in the area and placed completion of the Red Rock substation ahead of the other substation, which is scheduled to be built in late 2010.
Adler said they visited the PUD two years ago. Since then, a new storage building and a new crushing facility were built at the port. Also, four additional retail businesses want to build at the port.
The port talked to AAA Manufacturing about the power issue and plans to speak to them again next week.
“We can talk to them and see how serious they are about this,” Adler noted.
Grant PUD Commissioner Randy Allred said the utility can deliver power before a business is ready to relocate and he’s made decisions before on that premise.
Allred said he’s read in a newspaper the port is turning away business because power wasn’t available and the PUD was blamed.
He added he supports keeping business moving.
Grant PUD Commissioner Bob Bernd said the utility needs to be able to react when an opportunity presents itself.
Webb said the issue is mostly scheduling, as the substation hasn’t been designed. He added the scheduling decision was up to PUD commissioners.