Submitted by Gail Ayres for Satsop Business Park
The motto: “Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night” might be associated with postal carriers, but it could also apply to the Port of Grays Harbor’s colocation facility at the Satsop Business Park.
It’s that absolute reliability of uninterrupted power and data backup that draws banks, government agencies, internet service providers and private industries to “co-locate” their mission-critical infrastructure at Satsop, as well as use the service as a backup in case of emergency.
“Not only is this located in a very stable environment – underground with constant temperatures and power supply – we also have a rigorous maintenance schedule and 24/7 monitoring,” said Chris Hunt, the IT manager for the Port of Grays Harbor, which manages the business park.
Businesses and organizations keep their information underground on computers inside climate-controlled cabinets for a monthly rental fee.
In addition to providing a safe place to store data, the colocation center also offers the option of physical office space complete with desks, chairs and phones if needed in an emergency.
”That means their staff members, desks, computer and data are all here so they can continue to operate during a disaster. They don’t need to stop business,” Hunt said.
“It’s becoming more important for businesses to have a safe off-site location. It’s not just weather-related incidents, it could be a fire at their business or even something like a natural gas leak in the area where the business is fine, but the employees aren’t allowed access for a time,” he said.
Built as a nuclear power plant, which was never completed, the site then became a technology center. Each of those chapters in Satsop Business Park’s site has contributed to a robust, redundant infrastructure.
As Business Development Manager Alissa Shay puts it, “Our backup systems have backup systems!”
While a tree falling across a power line, phone line or cable can often disrupt daily activities to thousands of homes and businesses, it is highly unlikely to affect the colocation center which has multiple power sources, including backup diesel generators and even an on-site fueling station.
“We are too high to be flooded, on incredibly solid ground in concrete vault space, able to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes or tornados and we’re supported by multiple power supply systems and cable providers,” Shay said.
Not only that, but Hunt points out that “when it comes to colocation services, between Vancouver, Washington, and Tacoma, this is pretty much it.”
One of the issues of being located south of Highway 12 near Elma, however, is that many businesses, government agencies and organizations aren’t yet aware of the service. “Especially this time of year that’s more prone to power outages, we want to get the word out that we’re available to help with this critical need,” Shay said.
For more information about the colocation facility at Satsop Business Park, call Chris Hunt at (360) 482-1575.
Satsop Business Park, a facility of the Port of Grays Harbor, is less than 2 hours southwest of Seattle and 2 hours north of Portland. Located in scenic Grays Harbor County in Elma, Washington, the 1,800 acre mixed-use business and industrial park is approximately 30 minutes from Olympia and the I-5 Corridor. A part of the Grays Harbor Innovation Partnership Zone, the Park is home to more than 30 businesses, offers 600 acres of developed, pad-ready land and buildings supported by super-sized infrastructure, and is surrounded by 1,200 acres of sustainably managed forestland.
