Longshoreman loads logs in Olympia, WA
Many Northwest ports are experiencing a boom in log shipments, but nowhere is it more dramatic than in Olympia, where Weyerhaeuser moved one of its exporting operations from Tacoma about two years ago to service its Japan trade. Pacific Lumber and Shipping also has increased its use of the Olympia port for shipments to China.
In the 12 months that ended May 31, the port shipped 124 million board feet of raw logs. The highest-grade logs, shipped mainly to Japan by Weyerhaeuser, are used in home construction after they are milled there.
The ebb and flow of international commerce means more work for longshoreman Darren Williams [ILWU Local 7], who travels from his home in Bellingham to Olympia three or four times a month to load ships like the Louise Bulker. It’s a 150-mile trip one way, but it’s worth it, he said.