Submitted by Thurston County
OLYMPIA – Thurston County Commissioners are extending a welcome to Valley Freightliner, Inc. (VFI) which is moving onto vacant industrial property south of Tumwater. The Maytown area acreage is the former location of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers which has moved to Lewis County. The move meant the loss of some 20 fulltime jobs and dozens of part time positions as well as approximately $850,000 in sales tax revenue.
Thurston County Commission Chair Cathy Wolfe says Valley Freightliner is a good fit for the site. “We are very pleased to have VFI as an employer in our community. In addition to the employment boost, they match well for an area that is already zoned for their type of activity.” The site includes 34 usable acres with paved parking
surrounding buildings with tall ceilings. Most of the site is zoned rural resource industrial, which allows for automobile, truck and heavy equipment service, repair and sales.
According to their website, VFI has been in business since 1986. They sell, finance, insure and service commercial trucks for medium and heavy duty applications. The dealer for Portland-based Freightliner Trucks, the largest manufacturer of medium and heavy duty trucks in North America, already has facilities in Pacific, near Sumner, and in Mount Vernon. VFI initially plans to hire about 20 persons for the Maytown location and up to 75 within five years, according to the Thurston Economic Development Council.
Commissioner Wolfe says thanks go to all involved in putting the deal together. “Of course we thank VFI for their decision to operate in Thurston County, the Thurston Economic Development Council for their hard work and the folks at Thurston County Land Use and Environmental Review.”
Currently, the Valley Freightliner Incorporated web site has five Olympia area management level jobs listed.
