Port of Othello reflects on its ongoing business incubator space

OTHELLO — The Port of Othello Executive Director Chris Faix said that the port’s ongoing business incubator has so far been a success, but has not yet provided the level of economic support to Othello the port would like to see.

Faix said that the port’s incubator space has four bays businesses can rent out at a much lower price than market rate, allowing them to reduce their overhead expenses and stand a better chance at becoming a stable, profitable business.

“I believe it's been successful; I mean, it's helped numerous people over the years,” Port Executive Director Chris Faix said. “To be honest though, I know my commissioners, they envisioned it to start up more service Industries.”

Faix said such businesses would provide needed services in Othello, such as plumbing or electrician services — and associated jobs.

“It's supposed to provide jobs; it seems like the ones we get in there don't provide as many jobs as we'd like to see happen in there, but the overall concept is working,” he said.

Faix highlighted some of the businesses the incubator has helped, such as The Grind Gym, a training gym run by Jacob Johnston. 

“Jacob's gym in there, he was working out of a smaller area and it helped him expand. He's got two of the spaces, now,” Faix said. “He's expanded so much that he's renting two of them from us at the moment here, and he's planning on building his own facility when his time frame runs up.”

A boxing gym also operates out of the building, Faix said.

“It's helping kids; a lot of young kids go in there because whenever I'm down there, I see the kids in there,” he said. “That's always great to see.”

Faix also highlighted B’s Rubs, which provides a lot of products to the area but, again, doesn’t create many job opportunities in the local community.

“We're providing a good clean, safe environment for people to start up their businesses in … I mean, there's still time. Maybe the next one or two we get in there will be the right ones that we would like to see in there,” he said.

Michaele Armstrong, associate director of SP3NW, a larger business incubator in Spokane, said incubators in smaller markets are more difficult to sustain

“I think it really depends on the industries in the area and the funding in the area. There's a lot that needs to come together in order for a startup company to be successful; and recognizing that we work with scalable, not main street businesses,” Armstrong said. “A lot of times, there's not enough resources in a small town to be able to help a company grow in scalability.”

Despite the difficulties, incubators still provide an important function to the community.

“I think that there are a lot of great examples of how incubators support the economic health of a community. Most of the time incubators are not self-sustaining so they do need either philanthropic or grant funding,” Armstrong said. “So that is one thing that the community would need to look at, how they want to go about creating that subsidized environment for start-ups to thrive … That's where the community could come together and see what type of benefits that they think the incubator gives.”

Armstrong elaborated on her advice for incubators operating in smaller areas. 

The other thing that I think is important, especially for smaller communities that are considering incubators, is to lean into the industries that they already have available so that these startup companies that are coming out have partnerships potentially within the community,” she said.

Faix said the port has had primarily good tenants over the years, some of whom are nearing the end of their contracted time in the incubator, Faix said.

“We don't advertise it a lot just because we have people in there and they're locked in for several years,” Faix said. “So, when it gets a little closer here to anniversaries for someone moving out, we'll advertise a little more, and hopefully, if we put it out in the right areas we can get … something that maybe would provide some jobs for young people and stuff to help our community here to grow.”

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Boxes of spice bottles sit ready for shipping at B’s Rubs at the business’s location in the Port of Othello’s business incubator on South Broadway Avenue. Business incubators help make home cooks entrepreneurs along with plumbers, electricians and other professions.