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(Editor’s Note: The next four articles are a continuation of a series of stories on the Kitsap Regional Economic Development Council’s (KREDC) Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Program. The management teams for the firms profiled here recently completed an in-depth BRE survey. The purpose of the survey is to help the KREDC assess the local business climate and to identify any hindrances to a company’s continuing prosperity and expansion in the community. The survey also seeks to identify the positive factors in the local business climate and how to best capitalize on these factors.)
In 1986 the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe chartered The Port Gamble Development Authority (PGDA). The PGDA’s primary role is to carry out long-range economic plans and development projects for the tribe. The mission of the PGDA is to create jobs, retain existing jobs, expand business operations, and promote new business and employment opportunities for the community. The PGDA pursues business opportunities as they arise and generates strategies for business development on and off the reservation.
The PGDA has seen many successes in the last 19 years. One major success has been the Point No Point Casino. The casino’s main purpose is to provide revenues and profits for the Tribe. However, the casino’s economic influence on the community doesn’t just impact the tribe. A majority of the casino’s 200 employees live off the reservation, bringing much needed tax revenue to the historically economically challenged area.
The Gliding Eagle Market Place is another success for the PGDA. With over eight million dollars in sales during the last three years, the Gliding Eagle Market Place has “exceeded all our expectations,” reports Phil Dorn, Director of the Port Gamble Development Authority. “We had a five year pay back plan,” explained Dorn. “Gliding Eagle completed that plan within the first year!”
Salish Broadband is one of the newest PGDA projects. In 2002, PGDA worked with the Kitsap Public Utility District to extend the fiber optic backbone from the intersection of Highway 104 and Hansville Road to the reservation’s boundary at the PGDA’s expense.
The Tribe’s fiber contractor, JKT Development, a telecom subsidiary of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe completed the installation of fiber in August of 2004. The fiber broadband now serves all key tribal facilities and organizations, including the House of Knowledge cultural center, Library, Health Services Center, Head Start, and the Tribal Community Center.
The PGDA currently provides high-speed access to over 300 “nodes”, which are individual desk computers, routers, servers, printers, and Polycom video conferencing viewers. The Development Authority is preparing plans for dropping a fiber optic connection to each tribal residence. The PGDA is seeking ways to partner with other local municipalities and businesses to help them leverage the capacities of the fiber optic network.
The PGDA operates the Salish Business Park. This 30 acre business park offers unique tax advantages as well as close proximity to major Puget Sound cities, government facilities, airports, and colleges. The PGDA can provide construction financing options and build-to-suit facilities to almost any type of business user, including those clients needing high-speed broadband services.
The PGDA can also provide architectural and engineering services. In addition, employment and work force services are available through the Tribe. “The tax advantages of locating a business on the reservation plus the stream-lined permitting and regulatory process gives our business park’s residents a unique advantage,” says Dorn. “We are constantly looking for new business partners.” Dorn went on to explain that a business owner doesn’t have to be a tribal member to locate in the park. “We are an equal opportunity landlord,” stated Dorn. “If a business is interested in our business park they should call me,” said Dorn. “We have several build-to-suit sites available.”
Port Gamble Development Authority
NE 7950 Little Boston Road
Kingston, WA 98346-9769
(360) 297-7410 | 