PARTNERSHIPS

PARTNERSHIPS A partnership to keep up with demand By Linda Tyler Port of Skagit

Aboat builder with a vision. A Port district with a mission. A public-private partnership that supports a thriving business and continues to fulfill a promise of bringing good jobs to a community.

The Port of Skagit in northwest Washington State is centrally located between the metropolitan centers of Vancouver, B.C. and Seattle, a geographical span with a population of more than six-million people. The Port of Skagit is home to almost 100 different businesses that support more than 1,700 jobs throughout its four enterprises: Skagit Regional Airport, Bayview Business Park, the SWIFT Center and the La Conner Marina.

The La Conner Marina was first built in 1970 to be a jobs producer, in alignment with the Port’s mission of “Good Jobs for our Community.” It is still the same focus today, with an additional emphasis on recreational boating that supports the local economy through tourism and the marine services In a relatively short amount of time Mavrik Marine has built a name and reputation for itself as a premier boat builder, with orders ranging from fishing boats for private individuals to 300+ passenger commuter-class ferry boats...

industry. Seeing the commercial maritime industry and recreational boating coexist and support one another represents the fruition of the Port of Skagit Commission’s vision from decades earlier.

Today, the La Conner Marina is part of a thriving maritime community that supports marine manufacturing, small businesses, commercial fishing, and recreational boating that contributes positively to the overall economy of Skagit County. It is home to 17 businesses, supporting more than 300 jobs in the area.

One of the “anchor” tenants at the marina is Mavrik Marine, a company that specializes in the construction of top-quality, aluminum commercial boats. In a relatively short amount of time Mavrik Marine has built a name and reputation for itself as a premier boat builder, with orders ranging from fishing boats for private individuals to 300+ passenger commuter-class ferry boats for the San Francisco Bay Ferry System. From humble beginnings with three employees, Mavrik Marine has grown and developed in its nine years, now supporting nearly 100 skilled wage jobs, with more on the way.

An instrumental component of that success and growth according to owner Zach Battle, stems from the early and ongoing support he and his company received from the Port. “The Port of

Skagit was very responsive and quick to show what they could and couldn’t do. I signed a lease with them within two weeks.” After just a few initial meetings, the Port of Skagit was quick to realize the impact that a business like Mavrik Marine could make on the long-term success and growth of the La Conner Marina and surrounding community — like a puzzle piece that could help bring the overall picture and mission into sharper focus.

Part of the Port’s responsiveness was knowing about programs like the Community Economic Revitalization Board, or CERB, and its funding opportunities to invest in infrastructure that can bring more family-wage jobs to a community. As part of the Washington State Department of Commerce, CERB’s mission is to respond to local economic development opportunities throughout the state by providing funds to local governments and tribes for public infrastructure. This infrastructure then supports private business growth and expansion, and can include projects for domestic and industrial water, storm water, wastewater, public buildings, telecommunications, and port facilities.

After rapidly outgrowing the first building they occupied at the La Conner Marina, Mavrik Marine moved into their current manufacturing facility in 2012 — poignantly, a building that was purchased by the Port of Skagit with the assistance of CERB funding. Now, with contracts in place for larger boats, Mavrik has once again outgrown its current facility and is in desperate need of more space to fulfill existing contract obligations for boats that are simply too large to build within their four walls.

“Infrastructure is the constraint — it’s capacity,” Battle explained. “We are turning work away because we don’t have the space to build the boats.”

The Port knew a solution had to be found to avoid the risk of Mavrik Marine relocating, a disruption that would have a resounding ripple effect on Mavrik’s operations, not to mention the upheaval to their workers and their families, who support local commerce, schools, housing and more. In a poetic “full circle” kind of opportunity, a new round of CERB funding was successfully applied for and awarded to the Port of Skagit in early 2020. This round of funding, a combination of grant money and low-interest loan, will be used by the Port to construct another 17,000 sq. ft. building that it will lease to Mavrik Marine, meeting their growing need for more manufacturing space. For Mavrik’s part, they are committed to supplying the necessary equipment within the building, including lifts, hoists, and cranes to accommodate the larger vessels — a private investment of more than $1 million.

Finding opportunities to partner on a mutually beneficial goal is something the Port of Skagit does often and well. With a strong focus on aerospace and maritime manufacturing — two industries that are well-suited for their NW corner of the world — the Port is strategic in finding committed partners with quality products that can bring jobs and commerce to its community.

“Ports have an obligation to seek out creative funding sources that can support the changing business markets our tenants face,” stated Port Commissioner Steve Omdal. “Mavrik Marine is a good example of a company that has adapted and evolved to meet new and emerging business opportunities.”

In 2012, the Port of Skagit recognized and understood the vision of Mavrik Marine and worked hard in

partnership with them to support their business growth. In turn, the impact that Mavrik Marine has made, and continues to make, within this charming little town on the Swinomish Channel is significant. The vision of the Port of Skagit Commission some 50 years ago was about building opportunities for the maritime industry to thrive and flourish for the benefit of the greater community. Those ideals remain steadfast today, moored by creative solutions, collaborative partnerships, and a shared understanding that a rising tide lifts all boats.