Greetings Community Members,
I hope you are doing well and enjoying our fall weather and some exciting Mariners Baseball. As I talk about the Mariners in the playoffs, this can have a positive financial impact on some of our businesses in Grays Harbor with sales of Mariners merchandise, or with people gathering for a watch party at a local bar. This is a fun way to root for the Mariners and support local businesses in Grays Harbor.
What We Have Been Up To:
On September 19th, we held our annual Showcase Grays Harbor Tour, with this year’s tour showcasing the City of Ocean Shores, and the North Beach area. Our first stop of the day was at the Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores where we were greeted by Mayor Frank Elduen, City Administrator, Scott Andersen, and Executive Director Jacob Baker. We toured the Interpretive Center, which was an amazing place that I highly recommend visiting. They have incredible displays and offer an outstanding opportunity to see hands-on science and history for all ages. You can find more information on the Coastal Interpretive Center at Ocean Shores Museum & Education | Coastal Interpretive Center.
We were then given a tour of the coastal erosion area at the City of Ocean Shores by Mayor Elduen, and City Administrator Andersen, showing us all the incredible work they are doing to protect properties along some of the shoreline area with the placement of cobble stone. The City of Ocean Shores staff have done an amazing job in a short period of time to help protect these properties from further damage as they evaluate future projects for coastal erosion protection.
Our next stop was at Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort, where we were greeted by Jason Meersman, Chief Operating Officer, and Gina Cooper, Real Estate Broker, who gave a presentation and tour of the amazing properties and amenities that are at the Resort. This place is a must see for anyone, there is fine dining, recreation, events, vacation rentals, and homes for sale. Please take a look at their website Oyhut Bay Seaside Resort | Ocean Shores Vacation Rentals – Ocean Shores House Rentals, for all the exciting opportunities that they have.
Our next stop on the tour was at the community of Seabrook near Pacific Beach. If you have not had an opportunity to visit Seabrook recently, you will not recognize it, it is simply amazing. We were greeted by Lily Walsh, Seabrook’s Director of Partnerships, who gave us a presentation on the current and future projects being constructed in Seabrook, and then given an opportunity to tour the community, including the fine shops and dining opportunities. Information on what is available at Seabrook can be found on their website at Washington Coast Vacation Rentals | Seabrook WA.
Our final stop for the day was at Lytle Seafoods where we had an opportunity to sample delicious oysters and purchase seafood in their storefront. We were greeted and given a great presentation by Mike and Kathy Lytle, who are the owners of Lytle Seafoods. Here is a link to all of the great seafood they have available for purchase, Pacific Oysters | Hoquiam, WA | Lytle Seafoods.
Finally, I want to thank Grays Harbor Transit, and Ken Mehin, General Manager, for providing the buses for our tour. Thank you, Ken, we could not do this without you! We also had a fantastic lineup of sponsors who all helped make this event one to remember. You can view them all here.
Grays Harbor County CPI / Inflation / Wages Statistics:
As I mentioned last month I will be including economic statistics each month on a rotating basis of different topics. This month we have CPI, Inflation, and Wages. This data is courtesy of Dr. Kevin Decker, Coastal Economist & Resilience Lead with Washington Sea Grant at the University of Washington.
As of August 2025 (most recent available), the year-over-year inflation rate is 2.92%. This is above the Fed’s 2% target rate. Average inflation for the past 12 months has been 2.65%. The 15-year average is 2.65%, but when you remove the high-inflation years of Covid, the average drops to 1.79%. Wages have increased 3.92% in the last year, meaning that purchasing power has increased. If purchasing power has increased, why doesn’t it feel like it? High-frequency purchases, including food, housing, and energy, have all increased more than wages. While the “average” worker has gained 2.6% purchasing power since December 2019, this masks huge differences in personal experience. High earners likely gained much more purchasing power, and if you moved, bought a home, or changed jobs recently, your experience likely differs.
Upcoming Events:
We’re very excited for GGHI Leader’s Circle Member, Summit Pacific Medical Center to be hosting our October Business After Hours. They’re planning a fantastic evening on September 21st from 5:30pm – 7:00pm recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As always, these events are free for all community members to attend. We hope to see you there!
On September 28th, we will be hosting our monthly Business Forum Lunch, with this month’s topic being a Real Estate Forum featuring a panel of professionals from the Real Estate industry in Grays Harbor. This is always a popular event that sells out quickly, so get your tickets early at GGHI Business Forum Lunch: Real Estate Forum – Event Registration.
We also have a few final GGHI Ribbon Cuttings for 2025 on the calendar celebrating grand openings, re-openings, new ownership, and renovations. If your business is interested in a Ribbon Cutting celebration, please reach out to one of the GGHI staff members. There is a cost to non-members, while GGHI Members can receive Ribbon Cuttings free of cost. Learn more about Ribbon Cuttings here.
Other events we have coming up can be found on our regularly updated Events Calendar here: chamber.graysharbor.org/events/calendar/
Warmest Regards,
Darrin C. Raines
Chief Executive Officer
Greater Grays Harbor, Inc.
GGHI Staff Contact Information:
Darrin C. Raines, CEO
Phone : 360-532-7888, Email : draines@graysharbor.org
Candie Gleason, CFO
Phone: 360-532-7888, Email: candie@graysharbor.org
Kelsey Norvell-Williams, Marketing Director
Phone: 360-532-7888, Email: knorvell@graysharbor.org
Loretta Thomas, Director of Business Development
Phone: 360-532-7888, Email: lthomas@graysharbor.org