Reader urges port to support brewery construction

To The Eagle:

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the partners of Drop Anchor Brewery and encourage Port District No. 1 and the community to support the proposed brewery at the marina. Mr. Erickson and his team, if successful, will be laying the foundation for further economic development in our community.

In 1965, as a teenager, I had the good fortune to witness the construction of a distillery in Plainfield, Illinois. The company, in 1965, was known as the Distillers Company Limited. Today it is known as Diageo. You can visit their website at http://www.diageo.com. The distillery is still in operation today, larger and more efficient than ever. My father oversaw the entire operation from the procurement of the land and building of the distillery to the hiring of the management and production team. The economic and business education I received that year has served me throughout my business career. Until then, I did not know the economic impact that trades people had on the community. The employment opportunities and the residual effects that Drop Anchor Brewery will offer the community should not be taken lightly.

In 1965, Plainfield, Ill. was a natural resource-based community of approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Its natural resource industries were in decline and its young people were moving away. Today, it is a community of approximately 39,800 with a diverse economy which includes the revitalization of its natural resource industries.

Wahkiakum County faces a situation not dissimilar to the one Plainfield encountered in 1965. Port District No. 1 – meet this endeavor with open arms. It is an opportunity the community needs to embrace. We as a community will be better for it.

Ian Chisholm

Puget Island