Port of Everett earns 2023 Job Creator award

The Port of Everett’s new 40-acre Norton Terminal opened in December 2022, nearly doubling the Port’s cargo handling capacity

The Port of Everett has been named 2023 Job Creator of the Year by the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) for its $40 million Norton Terminal cleanup and redevelopment project.

WPPA, a member organization representing the interests of the 75 public port districts in Washington state, presents its annual Job Creator of the Year Award to recognize a member port dedicated to creating sustainable, family-wage jobs for the people of their port community.

“Job creation and economic development is the core mission of Washington port districts, and the Norton Terminal project is a perfect example of how ports undertake that mission,” said Eric ffitch, Executive Director of the Washington Public Ports Association. “We are pleased to recognize the Port of Everett with this award.”

The Port of Everett’s new 40-acre Norton Terminal opened in December 2022, nearly doubling the Port’s cargo handling capacity and making it the first all-new cargo terminal to open on the West Coast in more than a decade.

The project put the former Kimberly-Clark mill site back into job-producing use, transforming the once-contaminated waterfront parcel into a sustainable and productive maritime hub that now supports more than 950 jobs.

“I want to thank our team for their amazing work on delivering this critical Norton Terminal project in just two years – all while navigating a global pandemic and historic supply chain challenges,” Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber said. “The project highlights the Port’s proven track record in leveraging capital investment to restore contaminated sites and bring them back into job and economic producing use, all while making significant strides to enhance the environment.”

Watching this key site sit vacant and inactive since 2012, the Port of Everett Commission set direction to acquire the property in 2019.

The Port’s Purchase and Sale Agreement expedited cleanup action by the previous property owner, and then, working in partnership with the Washington State Department of Ecology, the Port’s Norton Terminal project provided the final physical cleanup remedy for the uplands, doubling as an environmental cap.

A new state-of-the-art stormwater system was installed – the first stormwater treatment to support the site in its history. Additionally, the terminal has the infrastructure to support electrification for future electric tugs and equipment.

Over the past decade, the Port has invested more than $150 million to modernize its seaport facilities, expand cargo handling capabilities and green the supply chain.

Having Norton Terminal online leverages the Port’s $57 million South Terminal modernization that added another full-service berth in Everett to support larger ships and heavier cargo in 2021, by providing the necessary upland cargo handling capacity.

Together these projects support over 1,050 direct jobs, more than 1,300 indirect jobs, and supported more than 1,950 temporary construction jobs. They also generate $180 million in personal income, $46 million in local purchases, $14.5 million in state and local taxes and $46.5 million in federal taxes.

The Norton Terminal Development & Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) Third Interim Action project was funded in part by a $17.75 million federal BUILD grant and by $9.15 million in Ecology MTCA cleanup grant funds.

The 2023 Job Creator of the Year Award was accepted by Port leadership during WPPA’s Spring Meeting Awards Breakfast on May 19 at the Historic Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington.

About the Port of Everett Seaport
The Port of Everett Seaport, located 25 miles north of Seattle, is a natural deep-water, self-operating seaport that supports nearly $21 BILLION worth of U.S. exports annually, ranking as the #2 export customs district in Washington state – #5 on the U.S West Coast. The Port of Everett is the third largest container port in Washington state and is the region’s premiere breakbulk cargo facility, handling high-value, conventional and overdimensional cargoes in support of the aerospace, construction, military, manufacturing, agriculture, energy and forest products industries. Most notably, the Port of Everett serves as an extension of the aerospace manufacturing process, accommodating 100-percent of the oversized aerospace parts for the 747 (retired), 767, 777, 777X and K-C Tanker programs. The Port of Everett’s regional transportation network supports more than 40,000 jobs and $433 million in state and local tax revenue. With more than 60 percent of jobs tied to trade in Snohomish County, the Port of Everett continuously looks for ways to expand cargo handling capabilities and keep freight moving efficiently.