September 4, 2017
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Tacoma-Pierce County welcomes companies, innovation, and jobs
In the April issue of Teamwork, we shared news of a big expansion at Infoblox. The cybersecurity company expected to double its workforce in Tacoma by hiring or relocating more than 50 additional employees to fill high-tech and sales positions in its downtown Tacoma location. Since then, Infoblox announced plans to add 100 positions over the course of the next year.
That’s just one example of growth and innovation we’re seeing around Tacoma-Pierce County — not only in the tech field, but also in more traditional manufacturing and industrial businesses.
A giant ice cube? That’s cool
Maybe you’ve noticed the huge cube on South Orchard Street where Fircrest, University Place and Tacoma meet. When the 130-foot-tall NewCold facility opens at the end of the year, the automated cold storage warehouse will be one of the biggest of its kind in the country, with capacity of more than 25 million cubic feet. That’s the volume of CenturyLink Field. Computer-deployed robots will move products through the low-oxygen environment.
Netherlands-based NewCold partnered with the EDB and City of Tacoma to bring the storage facility to Pierce County. Tacoma-based Trident Seafoods will be a primary tenant of the multi-customer warehouse. At full capacity, the facility will employ around 100 people. Hiring is in process.
A better egg carton, Tacoma-made
FibroCorp, a Chinese manufacturer of molded paper containers, has been producing 200,000 egg cartons a day in its eastern Washington plant to meet consumer demand for American-made and environmentally friendly products. Booming business prompted the need to grow, and Tacoma was the spot to do it. Logistical shipping advantages, low power rates and the availability of skilled labor made Tacoma the prime choice for a new Washington state manufacturing operation. FibroCorp will be located in the old Parker Paint factory on South Tacoma Way, which will also house the company’s US headquarters.
When the facility opens, it will bring 200 jobs to handle production of egg cartons and other containers made from recycled paper using the company’s proprietary machinery. In addition to making molded egg cartons that are up to three times stronger than most similar products, the facility will include a new research and development center to refine its processes and expand into other product lines.
“We are very pleased to welcome these two highly innovative companies,” said EDB President and CEO Bruce Kendall. “FibroCorp and NewCold are great additions to Tacoma, and indicative of how Pierce County’s business-friendly climate is enticing companies to create jobs here.”
Wait… there’s more
With consumer demand on the rise, other companies are expanding product lines and capabilities, and creating more jobs in Tacoma-Pierce County:
- By April 2018, housing-product manufacturer James Hardie plans to hire more than 130 new full-time employees, bringing total staffing at their Frederickson location to more than 240.
- Tacoma-based aerospace supplier Tool Gauge plans to hire 50 to 100 additional employees over the course of five years.
- When it opens a second fulfillment center in Sumner, Amazon is expected to add hundreds of additional jobs.
Stay tuned. We’ll keep you up to date on more innovation and jobs coming to Tacoma-Pierce County.