Washington Business Spring 2018 | Washington Business | Page 57

business backgrounder | economy
“It’s just a huge job creator — living-wage
jobs with benefits.”
— Jennie Dickinson, manager, Port of Columbia
facilities. For a little town we have a lot of services and we need the bodies to
support them,” she says.
“It also means a significant increase in the tax base,” she says, “which helps
local governments and reduces the tax burden for each citizen.”
Begley says being close to the raw material was critical to the site location.
Dayton was perhaps uniquely situated.
The region offered abundant land for industrial development in the heart of
wheat country, with natural gas, electricity and highway access. And Dickinson
notes the workforce will be there.
“So many people are interested in working there,” she says. “I think they’ll be
able to find the workforce they need. It’s great.”
Begley and Dickinson both emphasize the strong support the community has
shown for the Columbia Pulp mill.
“In my almost 20 years of economic development, I have never been to a
… permit hearing where there wasn’t at least one person speaking against the
project. And we had zero people speak against the project. Because it helps
agriculture. It helps the environment. It helps the economy. It’s just a positive.”
Just a positive. And just a beginning for the next phase of rural economic
development.
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