Sumner, with a population of 11,200, is a small town that feels like a big one.  Unlike other small cities in Western WA that outsource their services, Sumner is a full-service city with their own Police Department, Parks & Recs, streets & roads, water sewer, and cemetery. For a city their size, they are a bit unique.

According to Ryan Windish, Community & Economic Development Director for the City of Sumner, “We have a robust manufacturing center with 2,000 acres of industrial, but Sumner is a tale of two cities.  We have an Americana-like experience with many people coming to shop downtown but by day more than 18,000 people work here in manufacturing and industry.  Business is booming.”

Home to Costco, REI, Dillanos Coffee Roasters, Helly Hansen, Penny’s Salsa, Keurig/Dr. Pepper, Pacific Northwest Baking who supplies all the West Coast McDonalds with their buns, Old Cannery Furniture and a long, long list of more industries, Sumner sees more than 8,000 truck trips a day.  Directed to a North gateway entrance of town that allows better access to the industrial area, these truck trips don’t take away from the small-town life that residents there enjoy.

Coming to the area soon are two industrial buildings with more than 1.18 million square feet combined. In addition,Titus Will is currently under construction for a new Pre-owned Truck Sales lot as well as the famed Chuck’s Donut Shop.  Brink’s Barbecue is expanding into their own building this Spring and Bomb Charcuterie, a graduate of the city’s business accelerator program is opening in the downtown core.  “This is definitely food as art and they make a really good sandwich,” said Windish.

The staff at the City of Sumner are preparing for the growth that so many cities around the Northwest are also facing.  From major street improvements, like the four-lane Stewart Road Bridge and highway exit renovations to multi-housing projects in the downtown core, Sumner understands that businesses contribute positively to their tax base.

Sumner has several major legacy projects underway, including the Heritage Park redevelopment that, when completed, will have activated spaces for a coffee shop, event space, indoor park space open for gathering, new council chambers and some city offices. The neighboring Hops Alley project will be a great future site for food trucks and farmer’s markets with catenary lighting and a festive outdoor atmosphere.  Construction of the White River Restoration Project and the development of their new Public Works Operational Facility rounds out some of the city’s priorities.  Keeping up with this vigorous agenda is no small task.  “Permitting is agile and a relatively fast process in Sumner.  We pride ourselves in a can do and get to yes attitude,” Windish said.