Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 5

washington business editorial staff Kris Johnson, Publisher Jason Hagey, Executive Editor Bobbi Cussins, Communications Manager What’s Ahead Andrew Lenderman, Communications Specialist Brian Mittge, Staff Writer/Photo Editor Brian Temple, Digital Media Coordinator Made in Washington awb officers Jason Hagey, Executive Editor Tim Schauer, Chairman MacKay Sposito, Vancouver Fran Forgette , Vice Chair Forgett Iller Bowers, Kennewick Laura Lawton, Secretary/Treasurer Lawton Printing Services, Spokane Michael Senske, Immediate Past Chair Pearson Packaging Systems, Spokane 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 Stephanie Hemphill , 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] For the second year in a row, AWB hit the road in early October for a statewide tour of manufacturers. One of the goals of the trip was simply to highlight the diversity of Washington’s manufacturing sector, from the range of products made in Washington to the size of manufacturing facilities. The diversity of size was illustrated perfectly on the third day when the bus stopped at Hobart Machined Products, the small machine shop that Rosemary and Larry Brester originally started in their garage in 1978, and then headed north to Boeing’s Everett production plant, which is literally the biggest building in the world. During our visit at Hobart, we learned the company has produced parts for every Boeing jet since the 707, and even contributed to the space shuttle. At the Boeing stop, our group was fortunate enough to be among the first outsiders to get an up-close look at the folding composite wingtip on the 777X. It was a remarkable road trip, and staff writer Brian Mittge — who also serves as AWB’s staff photographer — recaps the highlights in this issue’s cover story, including the visits to Hobart and Boeing. The Columbia-Snake river dam system has been in the news lately, prompting U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse to organize a field hearing of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in Pasco. AWB President Kris Johnson testified at the hearing, which was held the day before a community celebration of the dam system that has transformed the Northwest economy. Staff writer Bobbi Cussins writes about the dams in this issue, including their history, their importance to the region and Johnson’s testimony to the House committee. It really is impossible to overstate the importance of the dam system to Washington, Oregon and Idaho. We know that taxes will be a major topic of discussion in the 2019 legislative session, including a debate over whether to introduce a capital gains tax. That prompted contributing writer Dick Davis to take a closer look at Washington’s tax system. His article notes a series of hearings held over the summer by the Work Group on Tax Structure Reform. AWB’s Clay Hill attended the work group’s meetings and is quoted in the article. Spoiler alert: Davis concludes that Washington’s tax system, though imperfect, is not broken. Those are just a few of the highlights in this issue. I hope you will turn the page and explore all of the great content including a great feature story from staff writer Andy Lenderman about Cascade Designs, the Seattle-based manufacturer of innovative — and iconic — pieces of outdoor equipment. You may not know it, but chances are you own something made by one of the com- pany’s five outdoor brands, whether it’s a Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad or a WhisperLite camp stove like the one Andy reminisces about in an accompanying sidebar. Thanks for reading. washingtonbusinessmag.com winter 2019 5