Located at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers, it’s no wonder that life here revolves around the water. Named after half of the famed Lewis & Clark duo, Lewiston is a vibrant city, population just shy of 32,000. The residents of Lewiston are proud of their home, its rich traditions, thriving economy, and are equally happy to share the bounty.
A Place to Float Your Boat
When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made their way through the area in 1805, the landscape was much the same as it is today although today you won’t see many canoes in the river. Instead, locally manufactured high-tech jet-boats, and tugs loaded with grain heading to the Pacific Rim have taken their place.
More than 13 boat manufacturers are located in Lewiston and the surrounding area area. No wonder it’s called the jet-boat capital of the world! “In the aluminum jet boat industry this is an amazing place – right out my backdoor I have a river and in five minutes we are in the river testing 
products and taking people for demonstration rides,” said Steve Stajkowski, owner of SJX Jet Boats.
Located 465 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the Port of Lewiston is the most inland seaport on the West Coast, and supports Whitman County Washington – the largest grain producing county in the country. The Columbia-Snake River system has inland barge service that transports bulk commodities and containerized cargo.
“The majority of what we ship is paper products manufactured by Clearwater Paper, peas and lentils grown in the area, and container loads of wheat,” said Dave Doeringsfeld, Port Manager.
The area is also famous for soft white wheat -- a commodity used for crackers and noodles in Asian countries along the Pacific Rim. “Everything we grow within a hundred miles radius is exported overseas,” said Doeringsfeld. “The port allows us to cater to export markets.”
The Port of Lewiston provides the largest crane, warehouse facility and grain storage on the inland river system, and plans to expand the container dock will double its loading capacity. This will allow new business opportunities with oversized cargo from three different areas: heavy cargo to the oil sands area in Alberta; Canada, the second largest oil reserve in the world right now, wind turbines built overseas destined for the midwest, and coal equipment destined for Wyoming.
Business Climate
Lewiston isn’t only a pretty face – it’s a dynamic hard-working region with more than 110 manufacturers.
Two munitions manufacturers in Lewiston are doing a bang-up business; in fact, one just announced (2009) it will add another 90 employees, in part due to sizable government contracts. Howell Machinery has outgrown its downtown location, prompting a move close to the airport.
And Clearwater Paper, formerly Potlatch, has been a cornerstone business for the area, according to Debbie Baker, Business Relations Specialist with Valley Vision and the economic development office for the Valley.
The Lewis-Clark Valley has also been discovered as an excellent location for renewable energy. “Puget Sound Energy Wind Farm will hire 300 workers and be up and running by August 2009,” said Baker. “All the EPA testing is done and their office is almost finished.”
A good number of manufacturers located in Lewiston are in Idaho’s growing “rec-tech” sector. The Idaho Department of Commerce defines “recreational technology” as a cluster of 17 different industries, including the manufacturing of outerwear; sporting and athletic goods; search, detection, navigation, guidance, aeronautical, nautical systems and instruments; and boat building.
Businesses looking to relocate in Lewiston have a good supply of shovel-ready building sites in the Port District, and the area around the airport. Zoned land, available industrial and research parks, utility capacity, natural resource management and transportation have all been addressed in planning for new industry and population.
The Valley has a number of established companies with the capacity and interest in providing production or services under contract, and/or to enter into joint projects with other companies. “Valley Vision can help with one-stop sourcing,” said Baker.