COLFAX —  Today, the Port of Whitman commissioners voted unanimously to pursue a low-interest loan from the State of Washington’s Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) to support a new production facility for Moscow’s Hunga Dunga Brewing in the Port’s Pullman Industrial Park. Hunga Dunga Brewing also intends to partner with Paddock Spirits Company, a new distillery venture founded by the owners of Etsi Bravo in Pullman, to increase production of Paddock’s canned cocktails.

The Port would use the CERB loan to construct a building that is ready to host a new business. Hunga Dunga would lease the building from the Port and be responsible for financing tenant improvements. Creating ready-to-lease properties is a strategy used by public port authorities across the Pacific Northwest to support business retention, recruitment, and expansion. The Port’s application to CERB is the first step in the process and subject to approval by the agency. 

“We are so grateful to this community for supporting our brewery through its early years and the pandemic,” said Graham Lilly, owner and manager of Hunga Dunga Brewing. “We are thrilled to work with the Port of Whitman as we write our next chapter in Pullman and Moscow.” 

“Small businesses like Hunga Dunga and Etsi Bravo are such an important part of creating a sense of community in our region and the Commission is excited to be a partner as they grow,” said Commissioner Karl Webber, President of the Port of Whitman Board of Commissioners. “This is a great example of why we need business-ready industrial properties in Pullman and around Whitman County.”

Hunga Dunga Brewing was founded – and will remain based – at its original location in Moscow, Idaho. Hunga Dunga needs to increase its production capacity substantially due to growth in consumer demand. The brewery’s current site in Moscow, which houses its production and canning operation, as well as a restaurant and taproom that hosts community events, is full and does not have space for more equipment. 

Hunga Dunga estimates a new facility in the Pullman Industrial Park will employ 20 residents by the beginning of its second year. The brewery also expects to add employees to its Moscow location when it can serve more customers. Additionally, Hunga Dunga’s owners plan to start a new, Washington state-based distribution company.

The Port created the Pullman Industrial Park in the 1980s, which is now home to a diverse community of technology, life science, and other businesses that employ 2,800 workers. There are three building sites left at the industrial park. Hunga Dunga will occupy one location adjacent to an available 1.5-acre lot. The third building site encompasses three lots and is slated for the proposed “scaling facility,” a Port initiative to support the launch of innovative clean technology businesses spinning out of land grant universities.

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About the Port of Whitman County

The Port of Whitman County is dedicated to improving the quality of life for all citizens of Whitman County through industrial real estate development, preservation of multi-modal transportation, facilitation of economic development and provision of on-water recreational opportunities.