BURLINGTON, WASH. — The Port of Skagit has received $1.73 million from the state of Washington to prepare a site for the expansion of Cairnspring Mills, a regionally sourced flour mill in Burlington.
The funding consists of a $1.3 million loan and a $430,200 grant, according to the state’s Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB). The funding will go toward construction, utilities, site work and the excavation of unsuitable soils for a second lot at the port for the mill. Cairnspring Mills has secured an additional $21.5 million in private investment for its expansion.
Once the lot is prepared by the port, Cairnspring Mills will begin construction on a new 17,000-square-foot facility that will include a milling production area, small retail space, demonstration kitchen, shipping and receiving area and 14 silos, according to the Skagit County Herald. The goal is to begin construction of the facility in April 2023 and be done by July, creating up to 12 full-time jobs.
In business since 2017, Cairnspring Mill annually sources more than 14 million lbs of grain from regional farms but will reach capacity by the end of the year. The expansion will increase capacity by up to 12 times, theSkagit County Heraldreported.
