Showcase highlights growing businesses

Four busloads of business representatives toured growing ventures throughout Grays Harbor on Friday.

The group, with about 135 participants, were on the 15th annual “Showcase Grays Harbor” tour organized by Greater Grays Harbor Inc.

“The goal is to show the community and community leaders the businesses and development going on in our community,” said Jim Daly, showcase organizer and executive director of the Grays Harbor Community Foundation.

“The emphasis is our community — it’s where we live, where we work and where we raise our families, and business is what keeps it moving.”

The tour began at the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport and made stops at Opal Art Glass in Cosmopolis, Grays Harbor College and the Aberdeen Museum with a catered lunch.

The buses then traveled to Pasha Automotive Services and the Wishkah River Distillery at the Port of Grays Harbor.

The distillery opened its warehouse to the group — which split in half, two buses first going to Pasha and then the distillery, during the tour — and some 60 people shuffled in.

A table at the front of the room was lined with four rows of sample glasses — a bottle each of Wishkah River Distillery vodka, signature vodka, gin and whiskey waiting behind the rows ready to be poured.

Distillery partner and General Manager Josh Mayer spoke to the crowd, explaining the process and background story of the company.

He spoke about how he sells the product, how the company plans to help the community move forward and hinted at a significant change on the way for the company, but wouldn’t explain details.

“We’re trying to put Aberdeen on the map here, so in 10, 15 or 20 years from now, when people hear Aberdeen, Washington, they’ll think whiskey,” Mayer told the crowd.

Before the tour arrived, Mayer said he was excited about the exposure the tour was giving businesses.

“The struggle of any small business is getting exposure effectively and at a low cost,” he said. “Any time you can get 130 people to your establishment and tell your story, it’s a good thing.”

Much of the distillery business is not only production but marketing and sales, traveling throughout the state to grow product awareness. Mayer said he was looking forward to the tour.

“This is the fun part,” he said. “We appreciate them (Greater Grays Harbor) thinking of us.”

The showcase was organized by a steering committee, with discussions beginning in early March.

Each year, the committee aims the tour at a different part of the county.

“This year we’re highlighting the urban core,” Daly said. “In the past, we’ve had the showcase in Elma and Oakville, North Beach, South Beach and in Quinault.”

While the tour doesn’t immediately create an economic powerhouse out of each highlighted business, it is beneficial for a business to be spotlighted, Daly said.

“Things don’t happen overnight, but it’s creating awareness of their product,” he said.

Experiencing the heightened awareness and many of the businesses for the first time was newly appointed Greater Grays Harbor CEO Dru Garson.

“The showcase has been a great opportunity for me to gain familiarity of businesses, and to build a connection with the community and business leaders,” Garson said.

Following samples at the distillery, participants walked through the tasting room where they could purchase the product, and then outside where the buses were waiting to drive them to Pasha.

One of the participants walked by with a bagged bottle bought from the Distillery tasting room after the presentation.

“See?” Daly said. “It’s already having an impact.”