Green Water Energy chooses Port of Clarkston

Women-owned business monitors federal construction projects

A business with a dozen employees who earn between $50,000 and $127,000 a year is moving to the Port of Clarkston.

Port commissioners ratified a lease Thursday for Green Water Energy. The company oversees federal construction projects to ensure they are being built according to plans, Port Manager Wanda Keefer said.

No one from the business attended the meeting, and a call to Green Water Energy on Thursday was not immediately returned.

The Washington State Department of Transportation, University of Idaho, Washington State University and U.S. Forest Service are some of the company’s clients, according to its website.

Erin Clemens is the managing member of Green Water Energy. The firm is an economically-disadvantaged, women-owned small business and native-owned prime contractor, according to its website.

Green Water Energy is paying $2,835 a month as part of the three-year, three-month port lease for a 6,000-square-foot building and 1 acre at 1397 Port Drive.

It was formerly occupied by JPI Worldwide, a company that installs telecommunications equipment in remote areas.

Green Water Energy will have its headquarters and a fabrication operation at the port site, Keefer said.

The company, which has had locations in Lewiston and Colorado, makes hard-to-find items such as specialized railings for projects it oversees, Keefer said.

Company officials have mentioned adding five positions to the Clarkston staff in the relatively near future, said Port Commissioner Mark Brigham.

“It’s an exceptional fit for the Port of Clarkston,” Brigham said. “It’s the type of jobs we’re striving to get.”

The port is bringing the building into compliance with the most recent standards for access for those with disabilities and fire safety, as well as upgrading its electrical system, Keefer said.

Those improvements are anticipated to run about $30,000, but may be offset by state money, Brigham said.

They are all projects that would benefit future tenants should Green Water Energy choose to relocate, Brigham said.

Plus, Green Water Energy is paying for remodeling such as removing walls and replacing floor coverings, Brigham said.

“We had a building that for the most part with a few changes meets their needs,” Brigham said.