Cashmere Mill District new tenants

Port of Chelan has Governor Inslee cut ribbon to greater economic opportunities in Cashmere

CASHMERE - Governor Jay Inslee cut the ceremonial grand opening ribbon at the old Cashmere Mill District site in mid-September for the newest tenants of the Port of Chelan just constructed, multi-million dollar business park.
Inslee started his remarks by stating he had the best job in the state of Washington, that is "besides some guy named Wilson" (Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson)
Both state representatives Mike Steele and Keith Goehner were in attendance as well as State Senator Brad Hawkins and Chelan County Commissioner Kevin Overbay.
The focus of the event was to show community support for Blue Spirits Distilling, LLC and Hurst International, LLC and it seemed to work quite well as the seating was full with another group of folks standing in various places.
The affair was catered by Cashmere's own Taqueria el Chavo and also featured a guided tour of the Hurst printing facility.
Governor Inslee said he was excited that this particular facility could produce 15 million fruit labels per day. He was personally guided on a tour by Hurst CEO Ari Lichtenberg.
Blue Spirits Managing Member Jeffrey Soehren announced he had already employed 20 workers averaging $30 per hour.
Cashmere Mayor Jim Fletcher said that it was not too long ago that he worked with Jeff as an small business economic advisor. "He was working out of his garage in Chelan," Fletcher said.
Lichtenberg took the podium and promised the community that his company was "here to stay and working with agriculture companies is our future."
Soehren spoke to the audience and told them his company will become the "largest distiller in the state" once the Cashmere plant gets going at full capacity.
Inslee told the crowd, "It isn't often that the Department of Ecology is credited with job creation."
He was referring to the state department helping the Port of Chelan clean the former toxic waste site and making it suitable for new businesses.
The Port of Chelan's Commission President JC Baldwin was the emcee for the event and several other port commissioners from Chelan and Douglas county were also in attendance, including Rory Turner, Donn Etherington (Chelan) and Mark Spurgeon (Douglas).
Hurst International started in California catering to that state's fruit industry. Blue Spirits has a tasting room in Leavenworth at 920 Front St. open from Noon - 7 p.m. Call  (206) 310-3945 for more information.