EDASC Top 10

HollyFrontier remains focused on fueling the Pacific Northwest

HollyFrontier Puget Sound Refinery – formerly EDASC Signature Investor Shell Puget Sound Refinery – has a new name, but its focus is the same: safely fueling life in the Pacific Northwest.

In May 2021, HollyFrontier purchased the refinery on March Point in Anacortes.

HollyFrontier’s number one goal is to ensure everyone working at its facilities returns home safely each day and has stated its commitment to protecting the wellbeing of its workforce, communities and environment.

“The people are the reason for the success of Puget Sound Refinery,” said John White, vice president and refinery manager, HollyFrontier Puget Sound Refinery. “The people at PSR are highly skilled in their fields, dedicated to what they do and focused on keeping people, their communities and the environment safe while reliably producing the products that people need.”

Following the transition, the refinery workforce will remain largely the same – nearly 500 employees, many Skagit County natives, some who are even the second or third generation in their families to work at PSR. According to HollyFrontier, the refinery is the largest taxpayer in Skagit County, helping support critical services in our community.

That workforce helps the refinery produce about one quarter of the Pacific Northwest’s fuel.

“The Puget Sound Refinery has a strong record of financial and operational performance that we believe will complement our existing refining business,” said Holly Frontier CEO Mike Jennings. “We are committed to the continued safe and environmentally responsible operations of the facility and welcome Puget Sound’s highly skilled workforce to the HollyFrontier family.”

Holly Frontier also plans to keep up its community support, continuing to partner with local nonprofits. It’ll support organizations and programs that fall within its priority areas of STEM education, environmental stewardship and public safety.

EDASC Top 10

Below is a collection of EDASC’s top 10 activities for 2021, presented in no particular order.

Skagit County Economic Recovery Plan

EDASC in late 2021 completed its Skagit County Economic Recovery Plan, a 46-page plan featuring 14 programming recommendations for funding by the county. Moving forward, EDASC plans to act on the county’s selected recommendations in 2022 and beyond.

Workforce

Answering the needs of its Investors, EDASC launched the Skagit Job Board, available as a no-cost perk to EDASC Investors. It also hosted three virtual job fairs. See page 17 for more EDASC workforce initiatives.

Business Attraction

EDASC supported the arrival of Silfab Solar, a solar panel manufacturer that plans to employ about 400, and Commercial Aircraft Interiors, which plans to employ about 80. EDASC was also involved with the arrivals of Mocean Canoes and Bounty Marine. See page 9 for more information on EDASC’s business attraction efforts.

EDASC Moves

EDASC relocated for the first time in three decades, moving to new offices on E. College Way. The location offers advantages for EDASC staff and its clientele, including ample off-street parking, a central location near Interstate 5, and a substantial savings in rent.

Awards

EDASC won a pair of awards from the Washington Economic Development Association, including the first award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It also won Emerging Professional for Tamsin Bell. Grant Funding

EDASC secured a pair of competitive grants from the Northwest Business Development Association ($30,000) and Umpqua Bank ($3,500). The funding covers activities for small business and entrepreneurial support, particularly for underserved communities.

Skagit Tourism Bureau

The Skagit Tourism Bureau was formed and hired its first CEO Jake Buganski. The organization was formed to meet the tourism marketing needs of Skagit County, and is a collaborative effort among lodging businesses, municipalities, chambers of commerce and EDASC. See page 19 for more information on the Skagit Tourism Bureau.

JEDI Speaker Series

EDASC in partnership with the county chambers of commerce hosted six Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series virtual events. These events covered topics such as unconscious bias, strategies for hiring, leveraging JEDI principles as part of your competitive advantage, and more.

Leadership Skagit

Leadership Skagit, a program of EDASC in partnership with Skagit Valley College, resumed in-person learning with one of its largest classes ever. The program provides experiential leadership training for emerging and established leaders. See page 14 for more information on Leadership Skagit.

Skagit Housing Consortium

EDASC began facilitating the Skagit Housing Consortium, a collective effort to address housing availability and affordability, which is an economic development and community health priority. Moving forward, the consortium plans to form a 501c3 to continue tackling this challenge.