MOSES LAKE — It takes a village to create fruitful and sustainable economic development success in a community.
That’s Port of Moses Lake Executive Director Jeff Bishop’s philosophy — that economic development may start with concerted efforts from a few, but they are propelled by a community of people doing their part. Bishop says that anybody who wants to help bring economic prosperity to the Moses Lake community can do so, regardless of whether it is their full-time job.
So after a flurry of questions and concerns surfaced on an online news outlet’s social media account this week regarding Mitsubishi’s flight testing project, Bishop and his staff determined that some clarity was needed on exactly what the project is, what the employment structure looks like, and what kind of economic impact it will have.
The project, which will bring a few hundred workers to the area, will be stationed at Grant County International Airport until its completion. The project will take at least a few years, but Bishop said the nature of the project makes it unpredictable as to exactly how many years.
Concerns that arose earlier this week were in regards to the estimated 200 (or more) Japanese flight engineers and technicians that Mitsubishi will send to Moses Lake to work on the flight testing project. Some community members wondered why those jobs will be occupied by Japanese workers, rather than locals.
To answer these questions, a better understanding of the project and its employment structure is necessary, Bishop said.

For the full story, read Thursday's Columbia Basin Herald.