Tribes throughout Southwest Washington have sought to diversify their business portfolios in recent years as a means to increase non-gaming revenue, a collection of officials from various tribes said Wednesday afternoon.
The comments by tribal and business leaders from the Chehalis Tribe, the Nisqually Tribe and the Squaxin Island Tribe came during the August Forum & BIPOC Business EXPO hosted by the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce.
The event brought together local leaders from county government, nonprofits, businesses and schools to learn how the tribes are increasingly looking for ways to expand their operations as a means to financially sustain themselves.
“The take home message here is that when the tribes do well, the surrounding communities do well,” said Ray Peters, the intergovernmental affairs and council liaison for the Island Enterprises Inc., the business arm of the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Chehalis Tribal Enterprises
Chehalis Tribal Enterprises is tasked with overseeing and managing the tribe’s non-gaming business ventures, which include the Talking Cedar restaurant and distillery, the End of the Trail stores and Confederated Construction, among others.
“The Chehalis Tribal Enterprises has a mandate to diversify the tribe’s business interests, the revenue streams, and really the wealth for future generations of tribal members,” said Rob Hemmen, CEO of Chehalis Tribal Enterprises. “And in doing so, we will create many more job opportunities over the years, and wealth that benefits the greater community.”
Two of the tribe’s most high-profile business ventures, the Lucky Eagle Casino and the Great Wolf Lodge, are operated by the tribal government, not the Tribal Enterprises.
While the portfolio mainly consists of businesses near the Grand Mound area, some stretch out across greater Southwest Washington.
The collective operates the Oaksridge Golf Course in Elma, located just off U.S. Highway 12. The End of the Trail store and gas station off of Exit 88 near Grand Mound is the second-highest-grossing convenience store in the state.
The collective has also expanded into new businesses in recent years, a move that has proven to be fruitful.
One of the tribe’s newest ventures, the Talking Cedar distillery in Grand Mound, opened during the height of COVID-era restrictions in June 2020, though it now flourishes. The 35,000-square-foot facility located at 19770 Sargent Road Southwest in Rochester required an act of Congress to allow tribal nations to distill alcohol, repealing a law that dated back to the early 19th century.
Beginning next year, the approximately 600 kegs of spirits maturing at the facility will be available for purchase.
“We’re also looking for additional taprooms,” Hemmen said. “We have a lot of beer that we need to slice up.”
With more land ready for development, Tribal Enterprises continues to seek out other business opportunities, including discussions of a warehouse district or an industrial park on Tribal land just south of Great Wolf Lodge.
“Economic development benefits the entire community,” Hemmen said. “We’re creating a lot of employment opportunities in a rural area where jobs are more scarce.”
The Chehalis Tribe and Tribal Enterprises employ 1,650 people, 89% of whom are not members of the tribe. In total, the Tribe and Tribal enterprises run a payroll north of $90 million a year.
“The Chehalis Tribe is truly an economic engine for the tribe, but also for the community, generating significant employment in a rural area, in the southern part of Thurston County,” Hemmen said.
While the tribe has not performed a recent economic study to measure its financial impact, Hemmen said previous estimates indicated for every job that the Tribe creates, two to three other jobs in the community are created.
“All of that money is going back, most of it into the local community, to create more jobs and more employment,” he said. “And it’s really bettering the lives of everyone in the community.”
Nisqually Red Wind Casino
Anthony Choke, a human resources staff apprentice at the Nisqually Red Wind Casino, said that the tribe eyes additional development in coming years.
Much like Chehalis Tribal Enterprises, the Medicine Creek Enterprise Corporation operates some of the Nisqually Tribe’s non-gaming business ventures. The portfolio of businesses includes Nisqually markets, the Nisqually Construction Services and the Medicine Creek Cafe, among others.
“Nisqually Enterprises benefit the nontribal community,” Choke said. “Nisqually Enterprises have become an integral part of the community, the reservation, and getting revenues that are used to provide operational funding for our nonprofit organizations.”
The Enterprises, Choke said, are committed to supporting local businesses through buying local products and service providers.
“But it is no denial that the economic benefits … created by the Nisqually have a positive impact on Thurston County,” Choke said.
In the coming months, the Nisqually Tribe is eying new developments at the Red Wind Casino.
While casinos have long been synonymous with buffets, COVID-19 safety restrictions and precautions restricted the casino’s buffet. Seeking to pivot, the casino will open four quick-service restaurants in the space.
The tribe is planning a soft opening for the new coffee shop, Italian restaurant, Asian-themed restaurant and Tex-Mex restaurant at the end of October.
“Our focus is guest and team member safety, cleanliness and customer service,” Choke said.
The Tribe employs 580 people, with around a quarter of the employees members of the Tribe.
Jared Olson, who works for the tribal government, highlighted the completion of the Nisqually Tribe’s new Edler Center. The facility, completed in April 2023, opened more than six years after the tribe first developed renderings.
“It’s just a place for our elders to eat, socialize, work on crafts and other activities, and keep them involved in our community,” Olsen said.
Likewise, the Nisqually Health Clinic also filled a void in the community. The 50,000-square-foot facility, located in Olympia, opened in the fall of 2021.
“It was a big deal to get this constructed because previously, our medical, dental, pharmacy and behavioral health, we had them, but they were split among three separate buildings,” Olsen said. “This houses them all in one now.”
In recent years, the tribe has also expanded into a brand of dispensaries called Green Foot Cannabis. The first location opened in 2020, with another location opened about two months ago.
A new medication-assisted treatment facility is also slated to open in the coming months. The 21,000-square-foot facility will provide outpatient treatment for patients suffering from Substance Use Disorder (SUDs). The facility is currently slated to open in March 2025.
Bigger things for the Nisqually Tribe could also be in store.
Work continues on a proposed 250-acre mixed-use development on tribal land north of Lacey along Interstate 5. If completed, the Quiemuth Village could include either a focus on recreation or retail. Tribal officials have also submitted proposals for a new casino on the site, though a response is not expected for up to five years.
According to Olsen, the tribe contributed more than $1.5 million in donations to local agencies and organizations.
“The tribe and the casino stay connected to the Thurston County community,” Olsen said.
