Press Release:

February 12, 2026

Contacts: Kayla Dunlap, Director of Government & Public Affairs, kdunlap@portgrays.org or 360-533-9590

Elma, WA – Celebrating 115 years of progress in 2026, the Port of Grays Harbor’s 11th Annual Business Report took more than 150 attendees through the Port’s past, present and future on Tuesday afternoon at the Satsop Business Park.

The event kicked off with an exceptional review of the Port’s founding and history starting back in 1911, by John Hughes, former editor of The Daily World and retired Washington State historian.

Bringing the conversation back to the present, the Port unveiled a new customer-focused video followed by Port staff outlining the many highlights of the Port’s seven lines of business:

Satsop Business Park – Two existing tenants, Lynch Creek Farm and Tidal Vision, expanded their footprints at the Park. Satsop also hosted another successful Try A Trade event with more than 1,400 students in attendance and the Park received the Department of Ecology’s wastewater treatment plant Outstanding Performance Award.

Friends Landing – While camping nights were down slightly from last year, use of the boat launch and free picnic shelters increased. 2026 will bring exciting projects to Friends Landing including a new pickleball court, new benches and picnic tables, improved accessibility walkways and improvements to the boat launch parking lot.

Industrial Properties – The Port’s industrial properties include 123 lease agreements, home to 68 local businesses. One of the Port’s newest tenants, local brewer Steam Donkey, will soon begin producing their craft beer in the Port’s R&D facility, doubling their production capacity, streamlining operations and creating three additional jobs.

Bowerman Airport – 2025 was the conclusion of a multi-year, multi-phase drainage and taxilane paving project that will serve Bowerman and its users for years to come. Life Flight Network also celebrated their new hangar completion and stands ready to provide life-saving services for the Grays Harbor community.

Westport Marina – The Westport Marina remains the number one commercial seafood landing port in the State and now ranks #10 in the nation for both value and volume of seafood harvested by commercial fishermen. Seafood landed in this small coastal town is exported to more than 85 countries around the world. An average of 45,000 users have accessed the Pacific Ocean out of the Westport Marina over the last three summers.

Marine Terminals & Pilotage Services – 2025 marked a record number of total vessel calls at the Port’s 4 deep-water terminals, consisting of 41 barges and 110 ships. It was the Port’s third best year by tonnage with a total of 3.3 million metric tons of cargo handled including new records set for soymeal and wood chip exports, as well as auto imports. BWC Terminals also set an impressive record of more than 5,900 days of zero recordable incidents. They were presented with Washington State Labor and Industries Voluntary Protection Program flag in recognition of their outstanding commitment to workplace safety in August. The Grays Harbor Bar Pilots stayed busy with vessel calls, trainings, and assisting in the design of a simulator of Grays Harbor that will serve as a valuable training tool for years to come.

“We are so proud of the results we shared 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 Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad our partners. Good people make things happen and we hope this leaves you with a sense of hope and excitement of the opportunities to come for Grays Harbor this year.”

Highlighting the Port’s definition of progress as jobs, investment and opportunities, the event wrapped up with a look at things to come in 2026, including the startup of AGP’s new export facility at Terminal 4B this summer, Pacific Northwest Renewable Energy’s construction of a $240 million wood pellet manufacturing and export facility at Terminal 3 in Hoquiam that will create 55+ family wage jobs, and securing construction funding for Phase 1A of the Marina Modernization Project in Westport to include floats 19 and 21. The Port also cited several important partner projects such as the US Army Corps of Engineer’s ongoing maintenance of the Grays Harbor Navigation Channel and aids to navigation including the rehab of the North Jetty in Ocean Shores set to begin this summer, as well as the City of Aberdeen’s US12 Highway-Rail Separation Project.

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 ship assist services, numerous public waterfront access facilities, in addition to industrial and business parks throughout the County. Strategically located midway between Seattle and Portland and only 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.