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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2015)
4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2015 Oregon unemployment falls to prerecession levels The Daily Astorian Oregon’s unemployment rate declined to 5.2 percent in April, the lowest mark since July 2007, according to the Oregon Employment Depart- ment. The state’s unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in March. Unemployment is now back to pre-recession levels. The rate had held steady be- tween 5.0 and 5.5 percent from 2006 to early 2008. Oregon’s payroll employ- ment grew rapidly, adding 7,600 jobs in April, following revised gains of 2,600 jobs in February and 2,700 jobs in March. April’s gain was on track with the rapid growth seen from September through January, when growth aver- aged 6,200 jobs a month. The rapid job growth is consistent with Oregon’s per- formance prior to the reces- sion. Jobs expanded by 3.2 percent between April 2014 and this April, a similar pace as seen during mid-2004 through 2006, when Oregon’s annual gains averaged 3 percent. In April, four major in- dustries grew rapidly over the month and over the year, with each adding between 1,000 and 2,900 jobs in April, and each growing by close to 5 percent since April 2014. • Health care and social assistance increased by 11,200 jobs over the year. The sector was boosted by all four of its component industries, but its social assistance component grew at the fastest rate, adding 3,000 jobs. • Manufacturing increased by 9,800 jobs over the year. The sector was led by semiconduc- tor and electronic component manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing, and food manufacturing, with each adding close to 1,500 jobs. • Professional and busi- ness services grew by 9,700 jobs over the year. The sector was led by computer systems design, management of com- panies, and administrative and waste services, which each adding about 1,600 jobs. • Leisure and hospitality grew by 9,100 jobs over the year. The sector was boosted by rising demand at restau- rants, which led to food ser- vice and drinking places add- ing 6,900 jobs. For more information, visit the Oregon Employment Department’s website at www. QualityInfo.org. For help ¿QGLQJ MREV DQG WUDLQLQJ UH- sources, visit one of the state’s WorkSource Oregon Centers — 450 Marine Drive in As- toria — or visit www.Work- SourceOregon.org. Brenda McNaughton joins Coastal Family Health The Daily Astorian Brenda McNaughton, a family nurse prac- titioner, has joined the provider staff at Coastal Family Health Center. She comes to Coastal Family from Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, where she worked for the past 16 years as a pediatric and QHRQDWDOFULWLFDOFDUHQXUVHDQGÀLJKWQXUVH Brenda McNaughton received her master’s degree McNaughton as a family nurse practitioner from Georgetown University in 2014. She has been recognized by the March of Dimes and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses for her outstanding work in pediatric intensive care. Passionate about meeting the healthcare needs of at-risk and un- derserved communities, with a particular interest in pediatric health, McNaughton is excited to become a part of Astoria’s community as a primary care provider. Seaview brewery ramps up production By MIKE WILLIAMS (20HGLD*URXS SEAVIEW, Wash. — North Jetty Brewing christened its new 10-barrel brewing system in April, tripling its capacity at least two years ahead of sched- ule. Erik and Michelle Svendsen bought the brewery in Decem- ber 2013. It had a 1 ½-barrel sys- tem then. A barrel is 31 gallons. The Svendsens would brew two batches back-to-back to make about six kegs of beer. The new FDSDFLW\LVIDUPRUHHI¿FLHQW “So a single batch will give us about 18 to 20 kegs,” Erik Svendsen said. “It’s less work for a lot more product.” MIKE WILLIAMS — EO Media Group Erik Svendsen shows off one of his new fermenters. Growing fast North Jetty produced about 165 barrels of beer in 2014. This year, the brewery expects to hit 750 barrels with the new system coming online in the second quarter. It will give the Svends- ens the capacity of about 1,000 barrels in a full year. Demand for North Jetty beer forced the couple to move their timetable up a few years. Their product is distributed by Kendall’s Pioneer Distributing in southwest Washington as far north as Olympia. Fort George Brewery & Public House dis- tributes North Jetty in Clatsop and Tillamook counties. Their beer is also sold on the Long Beach Peninsula. “Trying to keep up with all that and the taproom, it just makes sense,” Erik Svendsen said. “We weren’t expecting to expand this fast; we had more like a two- to three-year plan, but the demand was there and we were sort of beating our- selves up with the little system.” The success of the business has meant changes all around. Michelle Svendsen owned Tidy By The Sea, a cleaning business, for four years. She planned to keep it operating, but the tap- room and brewery began de- manding more and more time. An employee bought the van and took on her cleaning clients. “This just takes so much of my time because I do the sales, the marketing, all the social me- dia, brew a couple times a week and run the taproom,” she said. “So a cleaning company on top MIKE WILLIAMS — EO Media Group Michelle Svendsen (above) and her husband, Erik, ex- panded to a 10-barrel brewing system at their company, North Jetty Brewing in Seaview, Wash. of that was just too much.” It’s also meant changes in- side the Seaview facility. When the taproom opened in April 2014, the company employed one part-time worker. Now the taproom has four part-timers, and the Svendsens may hire an- other for the brewery operation. The taproom opened with just eight taps; that has increased to 18 with room for guest beers. 7KHLU ¿UVW VXPPHU LQ WKH tourism-heavy area kept the en- tire operation hopping. “Last summer we sold more than half of all the beer we pro- duced in 2014,” Erik Svendsen said. While tourism helped drive growth, local demand has helped sustain North Jetty through the lean off-season. The taproom’s regulars have provid- ed moral and logistical support, the Svendsens said. Some of- fered to help move equipment, and more importantly, they have kept coming back for more beer. “They got us through the winter,” Michelle Svendsen said. “We expected to see a huge drop in beer sales, but the taproom and brewery paid for themselves. It was fantastic. The community’s been really sup- portive.” Supportive competitors Local breweries have also been supportive. They offered advice on equipment, and helped out with supplies if they have them available. The Svendsens see poten- tial for more growth. They may add even more fermen- ters, the tanks that hold the beer-to-be while the yeast does its magic. Space in the former dairy building is the main limitation to further growth. Fortunately there is room to expand on their lot. For now, the Svendsens are just happy to have the new V\VWHP ¿UHG XS 7KH\ ZHUH coasting through the inven- tory from when they stopped brewing in February. They have a lot of events on the horizon in addition to supply- ing the taproom and custom- ers in the region. They were the concession- aire for the beer garden at the Long Beach Razor Clam Fes- tival in April. The couple also plan to at- tend the Washington Brewers Festival in June, the Olympia Brew Fest in August, the Van- couver Summer Brew Fest in $XJXVWDQGWKH3DFL¿F1RUWK- west Brew Cup in Astoria. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 We have 3 words for businesses that don’t fit the “national bank” loan profile. Have a seat. We understand that not all businesses are the same. So we tailor our loans to fit your needs. 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