Washington Business Fall 2019 | Washington Business | Page 5

washington business editorial staff Kris Johnson, Publisher Jason Hagey, Executive Editor Andrew Lenderman, Communications Specialist Brian Mittge, Staff Writer/Photo Editor What’s Ahead Brian Temple, Creative Director Lori Maricle , Marketing and Communications Project Manager awb officers Fran Forgette , Chairman Rettig, Forgette, Iller, Bowers, Kennewick Brian Forth, Vice Chair SiteCrafting, Tacoma Laura Lawton, Secretary/Treasurer Lawton Printing Services, Spokane Tim Schauer, Immediate Past Chair MacKay Sposito, Vancouver awb leadership team Kris Johnson, President Gary Chandler, VP, Government Affairs Jason Hagey , VP, Communications Greg Welch , Director of Finance Sean Heiner , Director of Membership Carly Michael, Director of Member Relations & Events PO Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507-0658 T 360.943.1600 F 360.943.5811 www.awb.org Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be considered for publication. Please include contact information for verification. Reproduction of articles appearing in Washington Business magazine is authorized for personal use only, with credit given to Washington Business magazine and/ or the Association of Washington Business. Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of AWB, its officers, staff or members. Products and services advertised in Washington Business magazine are not necessarily endorsed by AWB, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of AWB, its officers, staff or members. Washington Business magazine is the official quarterly publication of the Association of Washington Business. The annual subscription rate is $24.00, and individual copies may be purchased for $3.95. For subscription requests and magazine purchases, please contact the Association of Washington Business, P.O. Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507. washington business is designed by: Daniels-Brown Communications T 360.705.3058 www.danielsbrown.com advertising inquiries may be directed to: Celeste at Daniels-Brown Communications [email protected] Of Moon Buggies and Bug-Themed License Plates Jason Hagey, Executive Editor Not long after I came to work at AWB, I was tasked with picking up one of our Policy Summit speakers at the airport and driving him to Suncadia Resort. The speaker was Harrison Schmitt, the retired astronaut, U.S. senator and university professor who has the distinction of being one of the last people to walk on the surface of the moon. It was one of those moments you don’t forget. For two hours, I had an astronaut riding in my car. There are, of course, thousands of people and companies responsible for Schmitt’s trip to the moon in 1972 as part of Apollo 17, and for that historic first moon landing 50 years ago. The Boeing Company was one of them. The moon buggy, officially called the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was built by Boeing in Kent. Staff writer Lori Maricle makes her debut in Washington Business with a fun piece about the moon buggy’s “made-in-Washington” roots. The article accompanies the cover story examining Washington’s substantial — and growing — space industry. As contributing writer Richard Davis explains, this is an established industry with significant impact on the state’s economy. The cumulative impact is surprisingly strong: $1.8 billion in output and 6,200 jobs, with a payroll of $610 million. And one gets the feeling it’s just getting started. Lisa Brown, director of Washington’s Department of Commerce, says the space sector has “enormous potential,” building on the state’s century of aerospace dominance. As lawmakers prepare for the 2020 legislative session and continued talk of new taxes, AWB’s Clay Hill weighs in with a timely article that lays out six ideas for reforming the other side of the balance sheet — the spending side. Elsewhere in this issue, we profile Great Western Malting, winner of AWB’s 2018 Green Manufacturing Award. Contributing writer Niki Reading toured the Vancouver facility and learned how they achieved a breakthrough in the ancient process of malting barley for beer. Staff writer Andrew Lenderman writes about TravelChair, a Gig Harbor-based company that has become a leader in the outdoor recreation industry by making affordable, light weight chairs and other pieces. Amy Anderson, AWB’s government affairs director for federal issues, unpacks the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, aka USMCA. And I sat down with Larry and Ross Treleven from Sprague Pest Solutions to get the scoop on the company’s pest-themed custom license plates, starting with the original BUGMAN plate that Larry bought for his father in the 1970s. I hope you enjoy reading. washingtonbusinessmag.com fall 2019 5