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Economic Development Group of Kittitas County
PO Box 598
221 East 4th Avenue
Ellensburg, WA 98926

P: (509) 962-7244
F: (509) 962-7141

edgkc@kittitasedc.org

Accomplishments

• Assisted with the start up of a wholesale brewery in the Business Incubator building. Iron Horse Brewery started operations in the late summer with the first beer produced in December. The brewery will offer four beers. Most of the sales will be wholesale. The company employs 1 full time person. The product will be distributed throughout Washington State available in taverns, bars and restaurants. The brewer hopes to have some bottled product in 2005. T-shirts, glasses, and some home brewing supplies will be available.

• EarthScope/UNAVCO is a company funded through grants from the National Science Foundation to study seismic activity in the United States. Scientists plant seismic readers in areas with known activity and monitor the activity in an attempt to forecast earthquakes. Two scientists are employed in the Pacific Northwest region. The regional offices are in our Airport Building.

• American Finishing Equipment moved to the area from Southern California this summer. The company employs four at the present time and is working out of a small building in the county. They manufacture finishing equipment for the woodworking, furniture, molding and millwork, and picture frame industries. The will be expanding their operations over the next few years as they develop new contracts.

• Assisted Shoemaker Manufacturing in Cle Elum with funding for their major expansion project. Expansion will produce an additional 30 jobs and add 54,000 square feet on to their present building. Project was made possible through a Community Development Block Grant Float Loan through CTED for $1 million. Once the expansion is completed they will employ 180-200 and occupy a close to 200,000 square foot building making them the largest year round manufacturing company in Kittitas County. Shoemaker Manufacturing produces vents and grilles for heating and air conditioning systems.

• Assisted in the location of the Western Washington Operating Engineers Apprenticeship Training Facility located on a 1,600-acre site north of the city of Kittitas. This center provides apprenticeship opportunities and journeyman courses for the operation of heavy machinery.

• Provided information to both the community and wind project developers related to the three wind projects proposed for Kittitas County. The Economic Development Group commissioned a report in 2002 with funding from CTED and the Energy Foundation that provided some economic data regarding wind power project development and its impacts on our community. The Group toured the Stateline Wind Power project. Based on its positive economic impacts to our community, the Group endorsed the Kittitas Valley Wind Power project, the Desert Claim Wind Power Project and the Wild Horse Wind Power Project. We are interveners in the Kittitas Valley Wind Power Project that has been suspended until spring of 2005. We are also interveners in the Wild Horse Wind Project which if permitted will be purchased by Puget Sound Energy. Both the Wild Horse Project and the Kittitas Valley Project applied to the state EFSEC agency for permits. The Desert Claim Project is working through Kittitas County for its permits. We have prepared tax analysis information with the assistance of the Kittitas County Assessors Office for the Kittitas Valley and Desert Claim projects and are currently working with PSE and Department of Revenue to develop tax information for the Wild Horse project. We remain actively involved in the development of all of these projects as they work through their respective processes. The ED Group has also actively supported the projects through public testimony. Individual Board members have also offered support for the projects through testimony and letters of support.

• Actively involved in the establishment of the Ellensburg Downtown Association (EDA) and revitalization of downtown Ellensburg. Successfully petitioned the City of Ellensburg for funding that will enable the organization to hire staff. EDA will be housed with the Economic Development Group of Kittitas County.

• Assisted with the start-up activities for these local businesses:
  
  Iron Horse Brewery
  Airporter Shuttle Service
  Hungry Hippo Restaurant
  Cascade Truck and RV Wash
  Central Washington Driving School
  Worley Bugger Fly Company and guide service
  Kittitas Valley Montessori
  Critter-Cal Care Animal Hospital
  Cavallini Pharmacy

• Sponsor of the Central Washington University Economic Outlook Conference from 2001 through 2004.

• Provided assistance to existing and new business, including extensive information on our area, conducted site visits, and provided research data to assist existing and new businesses in their plans for expansion or start-up.

• Produced countywide demographic profile that is continuously updated.