PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 

COMMISSION AGENDA             Item No.      9a 
Date of Meeting   February 14, 2013 
DATE:    February 13, 2013 
TO:      Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:    Tom Barnard, Research and Policy Analyst 
SUBJECT:  Challenges for Warehouse and Distribution Centers in the Kent/Auburn Valley 

BACKGROUND:

The Port Commission will host a Policy Roundtable discussion on industrial business growth in
the Kent-Auburn Valley on Thursday, February 14, 1 p.m. in the Auburn City Council
Chambers.

The Policy Roundtable will touch on the goals and needs of warehouses/distribution centers and
manufacturing in the Kent-Auburn Valley, including issues such as industrial land policy,
transportation and other infrastructure needs and funding, incentives for business expansion,
obstacles to growth, future business projections, competitiveness, and government policies that
foster or discourage growth. 

The topic of industrial growth is closely connected to the Port's Century Agenda vision of adding
100,000 Port-related jobs to the region in the next 25 years. The Commission is engaging
regional leaders to support the Century Agenda through external efforts and partnerships under
four Regional Initiatives. One of the Regional Initiatives is to "strengthen access to global
markets and supply chains for Northwest businesses." Moving goods efficiently in and out of
the Kent-Auburn Valley, accessing global markets and protecting and growing industry is
important to the vision of 100,000 jobs and the ultimate success of the Century Agenda.

In addition to Commissioners Tom Albro, Bill Bryant, John Creighton and Rob Holland,
participants in the roundtable will include: 
Pete Lewis, Mayor of Auburn 
Suzette Cooke, Mayor of Kent 
Dan O'Neal, Washington State Transportation Commission Chair

COMMISSION AGENDA 
T. Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer 
February 13, 2013 
Page 2 of 2 

Don Meyer, Port of Tacoma Commission President 
Dave Freiboth, Executive Secretary of the M.L. King County Labor Council 
Tom McLaughlin, Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Manufacturing in
Puget Sound (CAMPS) 
Steve Kidd, President of CIM-tech 
Bart Byrnestad, Panattoni Development Company