washington business
Anacortes Shipbuilder Hosts 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hundreds attended the 50th anniversary of Anacortes shipbuilder Dakota Creek Industries on April 17. Founded in 1975, Dakota Creek builds and repairs fishing and research vessels, ferries and tugs, specializing in steel and aluminum boats up to 400 feet.
Company leaders and U. S. Rep. Rick Larsen spoke about the company’ s legacy of innovation and commitment to providing family wage jobs, followed by a tour of the shipyard. The shipbuilder was a stop on AWB’ s 2023 Manufacturing Week bus tour and a finalist for the 2023 Manufacturer of the Year Award.
Winegrowers Association Honors Rob Griffin
In February, the Washington Winegrowers Association honored Barnard Griffin Winery co-founder Rob Griffin with its Grand Vin award, in recognition of his significant impact on the industry. Griffin was one of the very first winemakers to see the potential in Washington state in 1977 and turned Barnard Griffin into a nationally acclaimed winery.
Today Rob Griffin serves as head winemaker. His daughter Megan Hughes helps lead the Richland-based winery and serves as secretary-treasurer of the AWB Board.
CarbonQuest Secures $ 20M In Venture Capitalist Funds
Spokane Valley-based CarbonQuest received $ 20 million in funding in February to scale and deploy its carbon capture technology to a wider range of customers and expand its workforce. Founded in 2019, the startup has developed advanced carbon capture systems that effectively reduce CO2 emissions from various industrial processes.
“ This investment will accelerate our scaling efforts, allow us to hire more talent, and support the development of a diverse base of projects,” said Shane Johnson, CEO of CarbonQuest, which was featured on AWB’ s 2022 Manufacturing Week bus tour and won AWB’ s 2024 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. spring 2025 17