Moses Lake, Seattle ports continue development
Port of Moses Lake commissioners Kent Jones , Brian McGowan and Mike Conley met with Port of Seattle commissioners this week to discuss possible future partnerships.
SEATTLE - The big takeaway from talks between the ports of Moses
Lake and Seattle involves continued work to explore economic
development partnerships.
The two port commissions met this week in Seattle to discuss ways
to further economic development statewide.
SEATTLE - The big takeaway from talks between the ports of Moses Lake and Seattle involves continued work to explore economic development partnerships.
The two port commissions met this week in Seattle to discuss ways to further economic development statewide.
As a result, the Port of Seattle may visit Moses Lake in April to discuss future efforts, said Kent Jones, the Port of Moses Lake's board president, on Thursday.
"We don't know what's going to come out of it," he said in part.
The current commissioners for the Port of Seattle have a sincere interest in exploring future partnerships, he said.
After a "record" cargo year in 2010, the Port of Seattle wants to find ways to "increase exports and jobs," Port of Seattle commission President Bill Bryant stated.
"We area partnering with ports across the state to ignite Washington's economic recovery," Bryant stated. "We are committed to finding ways to increase exports and jobs."
Jones told Port of Seattle commissioners he thought of working with them about 25 years ago when Rep. Glyn Chandler represented the 13th District.
At that time, there was talks of creating a "bullet train" from Grant County International Airport to Sea-Tac Airport, Jones recalled.
"There are all kinds of things that could be done with it," he said. "It was a really big dream."
This week, the two ports talked about rail and Interstate 90.
"Our farm crops have to have a way to get to their ports, their markets," Jones commented. "It's one of the things we have in common."
During Jones' first stint on the commission about three years ago, the ports and their respective staffs met because many of Grant County's products leave ports on the west side.
"There are a lot of things going on that affect them," Jones said. "There are things that we can do to make it better."
It's his understanding that products from SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers will probably enter and exit west-side ports.
SGL's product comes to the U.S. from Asia and leaves the U.S. for Germany, he said.
The ports have some similarities, as they both run airports and have industrial parks with foreign trade zones.
The Port of Seattle recently hired Mark Wen as its manager for inland cargo and business development.
His job is to work with Eastern Washington businesses and agriculture exporters.
He previously worked for Key Tronic Corporation in Spokane, running the company's international business development.