Beta Hatch has a 40,000-square-foot facility off Highway 2 on Titchenal Road, but is hoping for an expansion in neighboring Wenatchee at a storage facility. Beta Hatch produces worms and beetle eggs, which are sold to different industries for animal feed. It also markets the bugs’ waste for fertilizer, according to Wenatchee World archives.
“This would be a partnership with a couple other players in the area,” said Virginia Emery, Beta Hatch CEO and founder. “We are hoping to build out a second location in Wenatchee. We’ve applied for work to do design and preconstruction type of activities. It would accelerate our opportunity to expand.”
She declined to provide details of the potential new facility.
Through the $2 million Evergreen Manufacturing Growth Grants program, grants run from $200,000 to $400,000, with the goal to create manufacturing and research development jobs throughout the state.
Chelan Douglas Regional Port Authority would be the middleman if Beta Hatch’s grant is approved.
The grant needed to be routed through an associate development organization or local economic development partner, such as the port. The port put up the grant request for Beta Hatch, and is “pretty excited about the grant that they’ve submitted,” according to Ron Cridlebaugh, port director of economic and business development.
“If we’re successful… the port would enter into a reimbursable contract with the Department of Commerce and (the port would) enter into a contract with Beta Hatch,” Cridlebaugh said at the Feb. 28 board meeting. “They’re (Beta Hatch) doing extremely, extremely well.”
According to the state Department of Commerce’s website, applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are allocated, however all funds must be spent by June 30. Cridlebaugh anticipated knowing whether the grant was awarded would be “fairly soon.”
To reimburse the port, Beta Hatch would submit receipts to the port, the port would turn receipts over to the Department of Commerce, and the department would make an electronic transfer to the port. According to Cridlebaugh, the funding can support design, engineering, research and planning work. Construction can’t be backed with the grant.
“The challenge with these… this is kind of the new way the state’s doing business; we’re going to be writing a check from our general fund to a private business. Then we’re going to make darn sure our reimbursement is coming,” said Jim Kuntz, port CEO, at the Feb. 28 board meeting. “We’re going to have to make sure we are absolutely tight on how this works.”
Discuss the news on NABUR, a place to have local conversations The Neighborhood Alliance for Better Understanding and Respect ✔ A site just for our local community ✔ Focused on facts, not misinformation ✔ Free for everyone
