Staying the Course
Skagit’s Private Firms Show Little Economic Downturn from Last Year’s Top 50 List

by Michael Barrett

Manufacturing, construction, new-car dealerships, used-car dealerships, food processing, trucking and distributing — all have two main things in common locally: they provide jobs and they bring in economic wealth to the county, often from outside sources.

Every April, The Skagit County Business Monthly has over the years offered a list of the Top 50 Private Companies that have their headquarters here. This list does not include branch, franchise or chain companies; subsidiaries; publicly owned firms; nonprofits and tribal enterprises; or hospitals, schools or government institutions.

It’s always interesting to see what kind of businesses make up the list, which ranks them by the amount of GROSS SALES generated during the reporting period, in most cases their fiscal years ending in 2001. Here’s a rundown of which categories they fall into:

Car, truck, motorcycle and SUV dealerships, both new and used, are the obvious leaders in terms of cash sales, since most of the items for sale are big-ticket, retail commodities. (Please see article on “Dealers” on page 28.) This year, there are 13 dealers on the list, accounting for just over a quarter of the 51 total.

Manufacturers account for 12, or 23.5 percent; retail 8, or 15.7 percent; both agriculture and construction 6 each, or 11.8 percent; marine and trucking-distribution 5 each, just under 10 percent; and food processing 4, or 6.7 percent. There was one each in banking and health-related businesses. Some of those accounted for fall into more than one category.

When compared with 2001’s list, we see very little change among the top seven, except in one case — that being No. 6, Skagit Ford Subaru, which jumped from 34th. As it turned out, verification of information last year got lost in the mail, so it’s likely that company — and its sister firm, Skagit Auto Center — should have appeared higher on the 2001 list. The latter jumped from 42nd to 26th.

Another anomaly was Sakuma Brothers, tied for No. 7. The three-division company combined as one this year, including operations in fresh farm produce, processing and a subsidiary in California. Two of those operations were listed separately last year as Nos. 28 and 48.

Dri-Eaz posted the most significant leap over one year, from 44th ($7.2 million) to 12th ($27.1 million).

Foothills came up from 21st to 10th.

On the down side, six companies made notable slips. Fisher and Sons went from 6th to 17th, International Aero (our Cover Story subject) from 8th to 25th, Northwest Horticulture (which took over from a bankrupt Etera) from 10th to 28th, Alf Christianson Seed Co. from 16th to 37th, Northwest Marine Technology from 30th to 45th and TRICO Contracting from 31st to 47th.

Off the list this year were three corporations that have moved their headquarters out of the county, although they are still represented here: Sugiyo (33rd last year) to Nanao, Japan; Blue Diamond Manufacturing (46th) to Sweden and Terminal Freezer (50th) to California. One other business should never have made last year’s list: Bavarian Autohaus. When it was pointed out they were listed in 2001 at $7 million, owner Phil Robertson replied: “More like $700,000!”

Now, here is the 2002 list of Skagit County’s Top 50 Private Companies. . .