Economic Development Week: Focus on Maritime Industry

Economic development can take many forms, and for Economic Development Week, May 6-10, we’ll be sharing some of the ways in which EDSAC applies economic development practices to the needs of businesses and the community.

Business served: Dakota Creek Industries

Dakota Creek Industries (DCI) was founded in 1975 in Blaine and relocated to Anacortes in 1977. Today, DCI is the largest shipbuilder in Skagit County, located at the Port of Anacortes Pier 1 deep-water marine terminal. This facility offers shipbuilding and repair services specializing in the construction and repair of steel and aluminum vessels up to 400 feet (120m). The large shipyard facility provides a wide range of ship services and fabrication capabilities ranging from:  

• Syncrolift Shiplift - 306′ x 75′ – 5,000 ton lifting capacity
• Drydock - 312′ x 90′ – 9,000 ton lifting capacity
• Fabrication Building - 300′ x 100′ – radiant heating, environmental exhaust system and two 10-ton overhead cranes
• Lifting Equipment - 275- & 175-ton Manitowoc Crawler Cranes, 90- & 60-ton Grove Cranes, two 18-ton Grove Cranes, 240-ton Kamag Transporter and 500-ton Module Transport System
• Main Warehouse - Pipe Fabrication Shop, Machine Shop, Parts and Equipment Stores
• Outfitting Berths - Syncrolift Dock: 320’L x 25’ Depth; Central Pier: 360’L (2 sides, 720’ total) -30’ Depth
• Central Offices - Executive, Engineering, Owner’s Representative and Classification offices
• Custom Manufacturing - Full Carpentry, Electrical, Painting, and Hydraulic shops

Challenge: Like many maritime manufacturers in the Pacific Northwest, DCI has looked for avenues to fill gaps in their workforce. Also, DCI has prioritized efforts to secure government contracts to increase work at their facilities.  

Solution: At EDASC, we connected DCI to the Northwest Career and Technical Academy to support their efforts in the development of workforce and securing a pipeline of trained staff through work-based learning. And DCI was also connected to Washington APEX Accelerators, which is working to bolster their access to government contracts, which will lead to more revenue for the company.

EDASC’s role: Over the years, EDASC has partnered with DCI on international familiarization tours with European companies and trade organizations, connections to workforce partners and programs, such as the Northwest Career and Technical Academy (NCTA) to bolster their access to talent, introductions to Washington APEX Accelerators to enhance their ability to win government contracts, and supported efforts to maintain the Anacortes Working Waterfront. EDASC also assisted with efforts to resolve a thorny federal procurement issue.

The economic development angle: Supporting our industry partners to maintain and grow their businesses is at the core of what we do. Building connections to open new markets, opening communications channels with government agencies, and developing the workforce pipeline are all ways in which EDASC can support existing businesses and those that have yet to locate here.