Oregon Magazine

Cover
Small Town Upstages
Rival Port Commissions

          By Fred Delkin

     Nine decades ago, a small town 30 miles downriver from Portland 
formed a port commission. That farseeing action has now resulted in the
development of Kalama as an international shipping terminal and now 
home to the largest wine bottle manufacturing plant on the planet.  
Cameron Family Glass Co., founded in Washington, PA in 1889, is 
creating a $100 million, 175,000 sq. ft. riverside factory in Kalama, 
the first new glass plant built in the U.S. in 30 years and opening 
this fall.  It will uitilize hydro power from the Columbia river, 
recycled glass and boasts no harmful emissions.



The Kalama port's industrial park currently claims 28 businesses who 
have responded to tax exemption incentives from the state of Washington
and Cowlitz county and welcomed industrial revenue bonds.  
Transportation is the name of this game as the port declares this is 
"where it all comes together...water, road, rail and communications."

The port property is adjacent to Interstate 5, beside the river's 
deepwater shipping channel and served by both Burlington Northern and 
Union Pacific railways.  Business tenants have dual access fiber optic 
connections to both Seattle 
and Portland.  Kalama is just
30 miles north of Portland. 
Its port services are rivaled
by nearby facilities in 
Portland, Vancouver WA and
Longview, none of which have
matched Kalama's incentives.  This community of just over 1,200 
residents is playing much larger on the world stage.   

Interesting tenant mix

A varied collection of enterprises have docked in Kalama.  A worldwide 
French industrial and medical gases supplier, Air Liquide, bases here.
North Star Yachts employs 80 craftsmen 
turning out custom large recreational 
craft 80-120 feet in length.  Cenex 
nationwide agricultural services  co-op
serves the Pacific Northwest from its 
Kalama facility.   Wood products 
producers and shippers located here 
include Arch Wood, Mountain Homes and 
RSG/Gram.  The ViaTech business 
publishing plant serves the Northwest.
Nascom high tech switches are produced
in a new plant.  Madill heavy logging equipment covers the western U.S.
from a 38,000 sq. ft. Kalama factory.

Recreation has also been addressed by Kalama port commissioners with a
222-slip pleasure craft marina and fuel dock.  Port propery includes a
riverside board walk, hiking and bycycle trails, a kids'playground and
picnic shelters.  The area is a sportfishing target, particularly for
Steelhead.

Contrary to recent remarks by a U.S. presidential candidate, this small
town shows no bitterness, just a well-lit path to prosperity.

OMED: The tax setup Fred referred to above at the Port of Kalama 
industrial park is nothing short of amazing. This setup may well 
convince some companies to not make the offshore move so many others 
have.