Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 35

On the Road Again
AWB’s second-annual Manufacturing Week bus tour covered 2,200
miles over seven days, visiting more than 50 shop floors to tell the
stories of Washington’s vibrant manufacturing sector.
Brian Mittge
Fo u r m e m b e rs o f Co n g re s s a n d
dozens of state legislators joined
AWB staff during its cross-state trip
in a custom-wrapped bus. Hundreds
of manufacturing employees signed
the bus and news media in every
media market the bus passed through
featured the trip in coverage that
culminated in a simple message:
Manufacturing jobs matter.
Down a long gravel driveway in the Cascade
foothills, past a wood-plank horse fence, a well-
kept family home and a friendly “guard” dog named
Lucky, sits a small machine shop that has helped
build every Boeing jet since the 707.
27
Rosemary and Larry Brester started Hobart
Machined Products in their garage in 1978, and
it’s still where they make parts for aerospace,
auto, medical research and other sectors. They
have fewer than 10 employees but are on track to
produce 75,000 parts this year, many of them for
The Boeing Company. (continued)
Valley
24
Spokane/
Spokane Valley
8
Quincy
9 Ritzville
19 Moses Lake
18 Moxee
12 Starbuck
5
Hanford
29
35
Sunnyside
Richland
10 Prosser
14 Pasco
37 Kennewick
28 Wallula
15 Walla Walla