Washington Business Spring 2018 | Washington Business | Page 37

In October, AWB staff crisscrossed the state on two custom-
wrapped tour buses, visiting manufacturers in every corner
of the state, highlighting the state’s crucial manufacturing
sector — and what’s needed to keep it strong. At each stop,
employees signed the side of the bus to show their support for
manufacturing.
Two buses, six days, more than 2,000 miles
and nearly 70 manufacturing shopfloor
visits. AWB’s first-ever statewide bus
tour celebrating Washington’s diverse,
v i b ra n t m a n u fa c t u r i n g s e c t o r wa s a
big undertaking — and a big success.
The tour started on the Olympic Peninsula
with a stop at the Northwest School of Wooden
Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock (see story on page
58). The school, founded in 1981, is not only helping
preserve the craft of wooden boatbuilding, but is
also addressing the shortage of skilled labor in the
maritime sector.
“The industry is thirsty for people under 65,” said
Executive Director Betsy Davis.