Press Release:

February 13, 2025

Contact: Kayla Dunlap, Director of Government & Public Affairs

ABERDEEN, WASH. – With more than one hundred Port customers, elected officials, tribal and business leaders, and community members in attendance, the Port of Grays Harbor proudly shared the results of 2024, and showcased the stories of four Port-based businesses at their 10th Annual Business Report on Wednesday morning.

Executive Director Leonard Barnes outlined the many highlights from the Port’s seven lines of business:

Westport Marina - Busy commercial, tribal, and recreational fishing seasons at the Westport Marina made for record demand, keeping the Marina as the number one commercial seafood landing port in the State, and #12 in the nation for both value and volume of seafood harvested by commercial fishermen. Westport is the regional hub for seafood processing with exports going to more than eighty-five countries around the world.

Satsop Business Park - Welcomed three new businesses in 2024, while several others expanded. The Park also hosted a large and successful Try-A-Trade event with more than 1,100 students and nineteen trade organizations participating.

Industrial Properties – Five new leases were added in 2024, bringing the total number of active leases to 120, with more than sixty-five diverse businesses calling the Port home and employing hundreds.

Bowerman Airport – Life Flight broke ground on their $1.3 million hangar facility at Bowerman and committed to being a long-term partner in Grays Harbor by extending their lease to a 35-year term.

Friends Landing - The 2024 camping season brought more than 2,500 RV and tent camping nights, 339 boat launches, a 55% increase over 2023 launches, and the two free picnic shelters saw 114 reservations which meant they were booked nearly every weekend of the summer.

Marine Terminals & Pilotage Services – Accounting for 83% of the Port’s operating budget, the Marine Terminals, combined with Pilotage Services, are by far the Port’s largest line of business. 2024 was a busy and outstanding year with 149 barges and ships moving a record amount of cargo at the Port’s four deep-water terminals. A total of 3.8 million metric tons of cargo was handled including agricultural products, liquid bulks, logs, autos and woodchips. This included new records for the amount of soymeal, liquid bulks and wood chips handled. Grays Harbor’s three licensed pilots had 280 assignments, which was the second most in Port history.

“We are so proud of the results we share with you today,” stated Executive Director Leonard Barnes. “But this cargo doesn’t move on its own. It takes people and partners, and we are incredibly proud to call the ILWU Local 24 and the railroad our partners. Our local longshoremen worked more than 167,000 hours last year, making these cargo records possible. And the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad delivered more than 36,000 railcars to the Port’s customers. The railroad is our lifeline here at the Port and we look forward to continued growth.”

Port customers Lynch Creek Farm, Pasha, Life Flight and AGP also shared what their businesses do, how the Port plays a role in their businesses and how they will be expanding their horizons in 2025.

The Port’s 2025 theme of “Expanding our Horizons” couldn’t be more fitting with multiple transformational projects and opportunities in the near future including construction and completion of the Terminal 4 Expansion and Redevelopment Project, Captain Ryan Campbell beginning his training as the fourth Pilot in the Grays Harbor Pilotage District, the groundbreaking of Pacific Northwest Renewable Energy’s pellet manufacturing and export facility at Terminal 3 in Hoquiam, improvements to the Day-Use Area at Friends Landing, progress on the Westport Marina Modernization Project and emerging opportunities in renewable energy and energy generation.

Founded in 1911, the Port of Grays Harbor is one of Washington State’s oldest port districts and Washington’s only deep-water port located directly on the Pacific Ocean. The Port of Grays Harbor operates 4 deep-water marine terminals, the Westport Marina, Bowerman Airport, Grays Harbor Pilotage Services, numerous public waterfront access facilities, and industrial and business parks throughout the County. The addition of Satsop Business Park increased the Port’s properties to more than 1,000 acres of industrial properties and an additional 1,200 acres of sustainably managed forestland. Strategically located midway between Seattle and Portland and less than 1 ½ hours from open sea, the Port of Grays Harbor provides businesses a diverse portfolio of facilities. More information on the Port of Grays Harbor’s facilities and operations is available at portofgraysharbor.com or satsop.com.