Another win for Grant County
Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony for Amway's upcoming Nutrilite Botanical Concentration Manufacturing facility in Quincy marked another victory for Grant County business development. The $38 million project is anticipated to bring 30 new jobs to Grant County when operations begin in 2014 and is part of the company's $185 million U.S. expansion. Driving through Quincy, it appears the town is celebrating the new business too. A congratulatory sign is displayed on the front of the Reimann Simmons House, marking the special occasion.
At the site, renderings of the plant were displayed on easels, offering guests a chance a glimpse of what is to come. A white tent covered a seating area for the audience, who were treated to a view of the countryside. It appeared some of the land had recently been cleared of weeds to prepare for the upcoming construction.
The project will help diversify the Quincy area's agriculturally-based economy, which is also known for its many data centers.
Perhaps the new business will attract suppliers to Grant County and create more jobs. The same effect was seen with Moses Lake's aerial lift manufacturer Genie Industries, when Parker Hannifen and Laserfab located to Moses Lake to better serve Genie.
Amway's new plant offers the benefits of some steady business and job growth to Grant County.
One of the event speakers, state Department of Agriculture Director Dan Newhouse, touched on how Washington state growers are already leaders in growing blueberry and mint. The crops are needed for Amway's products.
"Amway is opening doors for much more opportunities for producers in our state," Newhouse said.
The Port of Quincy deserves recognition, as businesses being built from ground up are so key to our economic future, he added.
George Calvert, Amway's vice president of research and development, explained Amway products from Quincy will be flowing to other areas, including Michigan, China, India, and Vietnam.
Quincy Mayor Jim Hemberry mentioned that with multimillion projects like Amway's, property tax and sales tax revenue come in. Property tax is used to provide services related to the operations and maintenance of the city and sales tax is used for infrastructure improvement,street equipment, fire services and parks.
With the plant's construction comes new construction jobs, which will provides a much needed boost to local businesses, he said. It is because construction workers stay in local hotels, eat in area restaurants, shop in hardware stores and utilize other services in our community, Hemberry explained.
The addition of Amway improves the level of service and quality of life in our community, as the town is gaining a good neighbor who is joining our community of industries in the city, he added.
Grant County, City of Quincy, Quincy School District, the local fire department, hospital district, business leaders, Port of Quincy and state officials and the Grant County Economic Development Council should be congratulated for their efforts.
The Editorial Board welcomes Amway to Grant County and look forward to the company's future here.
- Editorial Board