Blue Mountain Station Update

Value-Added Project Receives Pacific Power Challenge Grant

Landing the first business will be the biggest challenge.

But the Port of Columbia’s marketing effort for Blue Mountain Station, its long term business development project, was given a boost Wednesday when it was awarded a Challenge Grant of $8,000 by Pacific Power.

“Finding funding for marketing has been difficult,” stated Jennie Dickinson, manager of the Port of Columbia. “A Port our size doesn’t have the funds necessary for the kind of marketing effort this project will require. We are grateful to Pacific Power for continuing to support our community’s economic development efforts and this project in particular.”

Blue Mountain Station will be the world’s first eco-friendly artisan natural, organic, and sustainable food processing park. The Port’s marketing effort will focus on creating a brand for the artisan natural and organic products to be processed at the park, creating a connection between regional growers and food processors, establishing distribution channels, and developing a Marketing ToolKit to be used by the Port for business attraction and development.

“Pacific Power is committed to supporting community projects like Blue Mountain Station,” said Bill Clemens, Regional Community Manager for Pacific Power. “An effective, professional marketing effort is key to the success of a business development strategy.”

This grant brings the total Pacific Power has provided in funding for the Blue Mountain Station Project to over $29,000, including match support for the marketing and feasibility studies and for the $1,000,000 Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) financial package secured by the Port of Columbia for property acquisition and infrastructure development.

The Port has been working on Blue Mountain Station since it was recommended in a marketing plan in April, 2008. A feasibility study completed in June, 2009 confirmed the project was feasible and would provide needed economic vitality to Columbia County, and the financial package authorized by CERB in July enabled the purchase of 28 acres in late 2009. The project is expected to create 300 jobs at full build-out, and site planning is currently under way.

Pacific Power Grant Press Release (PDF)

Jennie's Gems

By Jennie Dickinson, Manager, Port of Columbia

The Port of Columbia was fortunate to be the recipient of a Pacific Power Challenge Grant of $8,000 in May for marketing of Blue Mountain Station. Pacific Power has been an important partner throughout the development of this idea, from inception to what is now a viable project. They have granted the Port over $29,000 in the past 3 years for project development.

A by-product of this latest gift was the tremendous press coverage the project received after the announcement of the grant. The grant announcement was seen in newspapers statewide, heard on radio stations, and even seen on the ticker tape at the bottom of the Northwest Cable News channel! This press coverage has resulted in several calls to the Port from people and businesses interested in participating in the project.

Meanwhile, we continue to work on site plans in preparation of groundbreaking. An important coordination meeting was held between the Port, the City of Dayton, Columbia County, the Washington State Department of Transportation, and USKH Architecture and Engineering firm to discuss infrastructure decisions, such as traffic impacts and sanitary sewer treatment. The decisions made at the meeting will now allow the Port to begin applying for the necessary construction permits and to prepare construction and bid documents for infrastructure installation.

While development approval and construction permits are not the most exciting elements of the project, they are essential to its future. The exciting part is the increase in interest from value-added businesses in locating at Blue Mountain Station! But it is imperative that the Port prepare the right foundation now for the future success of these businesses. Hang in there – we’re making progress!

Side Tracks

By Gary A. White

Organic Food Sales Stay Strong

According to the 2010 Organic Industry Survey (April, 2010), released by the Organic Trade Association, U.S. sales of organic foods continued to grow in 2009 despite a less than robust economy. Organic food sales grew by 5.1% in 2009 to reach $24.8 billion, compared to total food sales growth of only 1.6%. According to Christine Bushway, the Organic Trade Association’s Executive Director, “These findings are indicative that even in tough times, consumers understand the benefits that organic products offer and will make other cuts before they give up products they value.”

Showing the most growth was organic fruits and vegetables, which represent 38% of total organic food sales, reaching nearly $9.5 billion in sales in 2009, up 11.4% from 2008. Most notable, organic fruits and vegetables now represent 11.4% of all U.S. fruit and vegetable sales. Since the approval of the final National Organic Program rule published in 2000, sales of organic fruits and vegetables have grown from $2.55 billion, representing 3% of all fruit and vegetable sales, to nearly $9.5 billion, representing 11.4% of the market. During that time period overall organic food sales have grown from $6.1 billion to $24.8 billion in 2009, increasing from 1.2% of U.S. food sales to 3.7%.

The mass market channel (mainstream grocers, club stores and retailers) had the majority of organic food sales in 2009 with 54% followed by natural product retailers at 38%. Farmers’ markets, co-ops and community-supported agriculture (CSA) operations represented a small percentage of market penetration while offering an alternative for consumers interested in purchasing locally and regionally produced organic foods.

Interesting Facts

According to Gourmet News, May, 2010:

• 23.4% of foods that retailers sell are local
• 85% of specialty food manufacturers make or market natural foods
• 55% of retailers recorded sales increases in 2009

According to Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, May, 2010, in 2009 sales of:

• Organic snacks rose 2.5% to $1.138 billion
• Organic salted snacks were up 2% to $663 million
• Organic nutrition bars were up 2.6%, to $280 million
• Organic nuts rose 3.3% to $57 million
• Organic bread and grains climbed 4.3% to $2.825 billion

According to Retail Confectioner, February, 2010:

• Organic confectionary sales represent 2% of the market
• Energy bars are Number One at $147.2 million
• Snacks are Number Two at $82.6 million
• Candy is Number Three at $48.2 million

Whole Foods Magazine recently published an article on Blue Mountain Station and how it will be an organic culinary center. If you are interested in reading this article please check it out HERE.

Blue Mountain Station Planning and Development

By Dennis Miller

The concepts for BMS are becoming more fleshed out. We have a new landscape illustration from USKH. If you compare this drawing to the one in the last newsletter you will notice changes to the round house area. The round house is planned to house smaller processors (1,500 and 3,000 sq. ft.).

In the last month, we have been developing some initial 3d artist conceptions of the site. Most of what we have done so far focuses on phases one and two. This includes a 12,000 sq. ft. visitor center that is to resemble a train depot, the round house building that was already mentioned and additional phase one buildings (5,000 and 10,000 sq. ft.) that will be home to natural and organic food processors. These buildings have been facaded to give the development a feel of the early nineteen hundreds. Attached are the landscape drawing and a few of the 3d concepts. We thought you would like to see a little bit of the vision for Blue Mountain Station.

Click on images above to enlarge.