Tag Archives: south kitsap industrial area

SKIA name change on port agenda

VicinityMapSouth Kitsap Industrial Area, better known as SKIA, will soon have a new name.

Port of Bremerton commissioners will vote next week to rebrand the area as Puget Sound Industrial Center – Bremerton. The Bremerton City Council passed a similar resolution this week.

While PSIC–B doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as nicely as SKIA, port and city officials believe the inclusion of Puget Sound will make the name more recognizable to potential business tenants.

Port CEO Jim Rothlin explained it this way in a background memo for the Aug. 26 meeting:

It is perceived that adding “Puget Sound” increases the ability of clients outside this area to more easily identify with this area, and “Bremerton” pinpoints the exact location of the City which it falls in. The words “Industrial Center” highlights the fact that we are one of only eight Manufacturing/Industrial Centers (MIC) designated by Puget Sound Regional Council. 

SKIA, which includes Bremerton National Airport, Olympic View Industrial Park and a mix of port and private property, was designated as a regional Manufacturing/Industrial Center in 2003. Bremerton later annexed much of the land.

The Port of Bremerton commission meeting begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bremerton National Airport. The full agenda is posted below:

Is it time to rename SKIA?

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The Port of Bremerton needs to recruit manufacturers to the slow-growing South Kitsap Industrial Area.

But most companies outside the region have never heard of Kitsap County, let alone its southern extremities. Given the county’s lack of name recognition, port Commissioner Axel Strakeljahn believes it’s time to rebrand SKIA.

VicinityMap“Where is South Kitsap and what does that mean to you?” Strakeljahn said at a Tuesday night commission meeting. “It has no meaning outside our local area.”

His solution? Give the 3,500-acre industrial area a name that reflects the broader region. “Puget Sound Industrial Center” was one suggestion.

Strakeljahn said he and port CEO Jim Rothlin have informally discussed a potential name change with a number of area leaders, including representatives from Puget Sound Regional Council and Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent. The idea was well received. Continue reading →