Up From the Ashes,
Pacific Coast Seafood Begins to Rebuild
By Liz McMaster
Pacific Seafoods Fire 2013
In June of 2013, the fire at the site of the Pacific Coast Seafood plant in Warrenton threatened to displace over two hundred workers. As one of the biggest seafood processors, the loss of their largest plant subsequently caused numerous difficulties as well for commercial fishermen and their businesses. Pacific Coast has been a major economic part of the Warrenton community since 1983.
Even before the embers from the devastating fire had cooled, a desire to maintain the jobs and rebuild in the same location was stated. In the interim, the seafood plant was able to move most of its operation to North Tongue Point, where they have been operating since then. The plan was to be back at their Skipanon location in Warrenton by the Spring of 2017.
That hasn’t been so simple, however, and many hurdles, most of them environmental, along with some economic ones, have arisen to delay the finalization of their return to Warrenton. Bergerson Construction has been diligently working at the site, preparing it for the reconstruction of the seafood processing plant itself. Greg Morrill of Bergerson says, “Bergerson Construction is happy to be there, and to be part of this rebuilding process.”
Needless to say, the original projection of a Spring of 2017 re-opening is ambitious, however hopeful speculation is for the new plant to be open at the Skipanon site for groundfish processing before the beginning of 2018. The new crab processing portion of the facility will take longer before it is ready, and that could take as much as another year. We will update this story as more information becomes available.
