ROYAL CITY - Whether the national economy is improving or not, there are indications that things are getting better locally.

New plant manager Robert Aguilar reports that production is up 15 percent at Eldorado Stone at the start of the current fiscal year - September - compared to the same time last year.

"It's the same customers ordering more product," Aguilar said.

Aguilar has been on the job 10 months. He replaced Alex Tofano, who has moved on to manage a different type of production company in the Wenatchee area.

Eldorado Stone, which is located in the Hiawatha Industrial Park along Highway 26, is a maker of architectural stone veneer. It is artificial decorative stone for building and home facades.

Aguilar has been with Eldorado Stone for nine years. He started in Rancho Cucamonga, California and later worked at Dublin, Georgia. His last assignment was plant supervisor at Royal City for three years.

"I love it," he said. "That's why I've been going from state to state."

Aguilar's former position was taken over by Jose Luis Ruelas, who commutes an hour and 20 minutes daily from and to Pasco.

Eldorado Stone has customers all over the country, Aguilar said, but the bulk of the customers are in Canada. He said production is up at all of the Eldorado Stone plants across the country.