The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON—Port of Columbia County commissioners heard from Port Manager Jennie Dickinson and Economic Development Coordinator Brad McMasters about their recent trip to the 2016 Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, Calif. There they spent three days with over 70,000 other attendees, looking at products and learning about the connection between producers and distributors.

Most people at the expo were seeking distributors for their products, Dickinson said.

“Many natural and organic food labels have been taken over by big food processors, who are co-packing for them, Dickinson said, pointing to General Mills, who co-packs labels like Annie’s Homegrown, Inc.

Dickinson said she learned three things: that most big food processors use co-packing, that the non-GMO label has taken a primary focus over the organic label, and that super foods and non-GMOs make big claims.

McMasters said co-packing should be the number one focus for the Port, and he hopes to get a wholesale distributor and co-packer on board.

“This has validated that we are doing the right thing,” he said.

McMasters said he recently met with a grower at Frog Hollow Farms in Walla Walla who talked with him about the importance of having a co-packing facility in the area.

Both Dickinson and McMasters agreed that businesses in the Blue Mountain Station should get ready to go to the next level. They also discussed hiring a consultant to help with that. Money is available in the budget, Dickinson said.

Speculative Building, Phase II

Dickinson said she met recently with Allen Litzenberger of 4-Point construction in Walla Walla about his desire to build a 6,000 square foot building with four 1,500 s.f. bays to rent space to small food processors.

Dickinson told the commissioners that a homeowner’s association type of arrangement between the Port and Litzenberger, for infrastructure maintenance, would need to be done.

At Planner Bill Stalzer’s suggestion, an attorney will need to be contacted to develop the necessary covenants, conditions and restrictions for that, she said. Dickinson said they will need to look into the cost of developing the association, create an architecture review committee, and put the whole thing together.

Land cost will dictate what Litzenberger rents the land for, Dickinson said. She also said the price the Port paid plus a 6% return on the investment would be the goal. The commissioners agreed that rent should include a leasehold tax.

Litzenberger will be obligated to pay for maintenance, Dickinson said.

If the agreement works out favorably, Litzenberger will likely build the shell of the building in order to attract interest, and after filling two bays, he can finish the building, she said.

Dickinson assured the commissioners that Litzenberger will assume any risk, and that she had “no worries.”

Innovatio at Phoenix Pulp and Polymer, Inc.

In his report, McMasters told the commissioners that Phoenix Pulp and Polymer is operational at the old Columbia Cut Stock facility in Dayton, and is working with Work Source Walla Walla to staff its operation. McMasters said that Innovatio, the manufacturing arm at Phoenix Pulp and Polymer, expects to begin operation in June and will employ 50 people by the end of the year.