Port of Grays Harbor delivers annual report

The Port of Grays Harbor delivered its annual report for 2025 at the Flex Tech Building at Satsop Business Park in Elma on Tuesday.

Approximately 160 elected officials, city and county officials, and business leaders attended the luncheon and presentation. After welcome messages and introductions by Stan Pinnick, District 3 Port Commissioner, and Director of Finance and Administration Mike Folkers, legendary journalist and historian John Hughes delivered a keynote address.

Hughes, the former editor and publisher of The Daily World, regaled the assembled audience with quips, a story or two bordering on ribald, hardcore Port of Grays Harbor history and a roll call of influential and instrumental people who helped make the Port what it is today.

“I stopped by the Port offices yesterday to survey the array of portraits of former commissioners in the boardroom, and I was stunned to discover that I had known every commissioner to serve this great enterprise since 1952,” Hughes said. “It’s important to resist the easy temptation to wallow in nostalgia. Instead, you have to remember to make the most of every day. I can’t resist, however, saying that it seems like only yesterday that I was watching Leonard Barnes, the star forward for the Grays Harbor College Chokers, coached by his future father-in-law. … Congratulations, Leonard, and all the rest of this amazing staff being named Washington’s Port of the Year for 2025. You earned it, you deserve it. What you achieved is a turnaround in historic proportions.”

During his address, Hughes recalled the history of the Port of Grays Harbor, how it became just the second port in the state of Washington at the time, the export of the 1 billionth foot of lumber thus making the region the Lumber Capital of the World. At the conclusion of Hughes’ remarks, Barnes, now executive director for the Port, led the room in a standing ovation for the revered Hughes.

Barnes then introduced a video that featured Port clients such as Pasha Automotive, the Life Flight Network, pilotage services, Lynch Creek Farm, Pacific Seafood Westport, and AGP. The representatives of each of the Port’s lines of business and other enterprises were afforded the opportunity to share updates — Ross Read on Satsop Business Park, Alyssa Shay on waterways access and recreation, Shannon Anderson on industrial properties including Bowerman Airport, Stephanie Edens on the Westport Marina, Kris Koski on engineering projects, Nolan Wyatt on Port security, Chris Hunt on information technology, Folkers on finance, and finally, Kayla Dunlap on upcoming projects.

Dunlap expressed optimism that the the Hoquiam pellet plant was expected to break ground in the third quarter of this year, and indicated that the Terminal 4 expansion ribbon cutting and grand opening was set for July 31. She also mentioned the upcoming 10-year, $60 million marina modernization project that is set to begin later this year. Dunlap said that vessel traffic is expected to double this year, that the port will be working with Ocean Shores and the U.S. Army Corps of engineers on the jetty project this summer, and reiterated the Port’s support for the US 12 Rail Separation Project in Aberdeen, and the pending levee projects in Aberdeen and Hoquiam.

Barnes said that 2025 was the Port’s third-best year ever with 3.3 million metric tons of imports and exports.

“Grays Harbor is touching almost every point in the United States,” Barnes said. “Never forget, people make it happen. I hope this leaves you with a sense of hope and excitement. Together we are stronger. Keep working, keep grinding and let’s have an awesome year.”