Celebration Marks Opening of Heritage Centre

The doors were open. The clients were in place. And the public finally got a chance to take a look at Cowlitz County’s newest light-industrial facility.

On June 8, the Woodland Chamber of Commerce brought out the big scissors for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house at Heritage Centre. The building, which is owned by Heritage Centre, LLC, is located at 1625 Heritage Street in the Woodland Industrial Park.

“This is a very important project for the Woodland area,” said Chamber Director Sharon Knight. “It’s going to be a real boost for our economy.”

“It’s a nice building,” said Larry Schlecht, President of Schlecht Construction, which served as general contractor for the job. “The open house gave us an opportunity to celebrate the completion of a great project.”

Designed specifically for light-industrial use, the $3.8 million facility has already attracted three clients – Design Manufacturing, a commercial cabinetry shop previously located in Clark County; American Paper Converting, which stores large paper rolls used to make toilet tissue and paper towels at a plant adjacent to Heritage Centre; and Advanced Nutrients, a manufacturer of soil nutrients. The three companies have leased approximately three-fourths of the building’s 65,000-square-feet of space.

Schlecht expects the remaining space to be filled soon. “We’ve had a very high level of interest from prospective clients.”

High lease prices in the Portland-Vancouver area have businesses paying close attention to development in Cowlitz County. With easy freeway access and a rapid permitting process, the Woodland area is especially attractive to light-industrial manufacturers.

And there are additional benefits.

Bryan Halbert, a managing member of Heritage Centre, LCC, said manufacturers located in Cowlitz County qualify for a sales tax exemption on all capital improvements and receive tax advantages when they hire new employees. Halbert said that Heritage Centre, LLC, plans to build a similar facility in the Woodland area in 2007.

The open house was co-sponsored by Schlecht Construction; Heritage Center, LLC; the Cowlitz Economic Development Council; Bay Bank; and the Woodland Chamber of Commerce.