by David Schaffert, President/CEO, Thurston County Chamber
Global Reach. Local Roots.
What does Thurston County have to do with global trade? More than you might think.
This VOICE issue dives into the powerful connection between our local businesses and the international marketplace–because products grown, harvested, distilled, and innovated right here are shaping industries around the world.
Why it matters:
International trade isn’t an abstract concept. It fuels local jobs, strengthens supply chains, and positions South Sound businesses as global competitors. From tide flats to mint fields, our region is deeply connected to markets across Asia, Europe, and beyond.
On the waterfront:
Shellfish farming may look timeless, but it’s driven by modern export relationships and global demand. Companies like Taylor Shellfish ship Washington-grown oysters, clams, and geoduck to customers across multiple continents, building premium markets that sustain growth here at home.
Their evolution from local growers to a fully integrated international company shows how innovation and trade can
transform a legacy industry.
In the fields:
Meanwhile, Callisons—founded in Chehalis in 1903—has turned a humble Northwest crop into a worldwide ingredient found in oral care and confectionery products, with cultivation spanning regions across the U.S. and internationally.
Their story highlights how local expertise, climate advantages, and global partnerships can scale a regional specialty into an international brand.
At the Chamber:
These global connections are exactly why we’re convening leaders at our March Forum, The Geopolitics of Geoducks, to examine trade dynamics, tariffs, sustainability, and the economic ripple effects of shellfish aquaculture—an industry uniquely tied to both South Sound heritage and international markets.
New Members:
We’re pleased to welcome our newest members (listed on page 17). Please take a moment to check them out and join us in extending a warm welcome to the Thurston County Chamber community
THURSTON COUNTY CHAMBER
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March 2026
THE VOICE OF THE THURSTON COUNTY BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Visit thurstonchamber.com/events or scan the QR code for more info about all upcoming Thurston Chamber events.
Join our host, Anthony's Homeport at 704 Columbia St NW, Olympia, WA 98501, on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. for a special Thurston Young Professionals Networking Event. Enjoy bites and beverages as you expand your network! All are welcome – feel free to invite other 20 to 30-year olds so they can expand their networks! Thurston Young Professionals is sponsored by KGY Media Group and The MultiCare Foundation.
Join our Business After Hours host SPSCC Foundation at Percival Creek Tasting Room at 4242 Capitol Blvd SE, Ste 121, Tumwater, WA 98501 on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 5:30 p.m. for mingling and networking with other business professionals, a door prize business card drawing, beverages and appetizers. Business After Hours is a great opportunity to expand your network, and it is proudly sponsored by ROXY 94.5
The Thurston County Chamber invites business and community leaders to attend its March Forum, “The Geopolitics of Geoducks,” on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Norman Worthington Center at Saint Martin’s University. This timely conversation will explore the opportunities and pressures shaping one of Washington’s most distinctive and globally recognized industries. Shellfish aquaculture—especially geoduck—plays a vital role in the South Sound’s economy. Featured speakers include: Shina Wysocki of Chelsea Farms and Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish Company. Find more information on page 7. Thank you to our Sponsors, NorthStar Law Group, The Rants Group, and truit.
Thank You Sponsors!
The VOICE prints on FSC® Certified paper. The Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC), is a non-profit organization that sets
IN THIS ISSUE
March 2026 Forum p. 7
Local experts will speak on "The Geopolitics of Geoducks and how the local industry has a global impact.
Callisons: A PNW Treasure Enjoyed Around the Globe p. 9
Founded in Chehalis in 1903, Callisons signature mint crops produce oils used around the world in oral care and confectionary treats. The World is Their Oyster p. 13
For more than 100 years, family-owned Taylor Shellfish Company has farmed oysters, clams, mussels and geoducks, in what is an odd, but world famous 'crop'.
New Members p. 17
Join us in welcoming our latest Chamber Members!
Caught in the Lens p. 18
Keep up with the latest Chamber happenings and see all of the great smiles that make up our membership!
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Thurston County Chamber to Host March Forum: "The Geopolitics of Geoducks"
The Thurston Chamber invites business and community leaders to attend its March Forum, “The Geopolitics of Geoducks,” on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm at Saint Martin’s University, Norman Worthington Center. This timely conversation will explore the opportunities and pressures shaping one of Washington’s most distinctive and globally recognized industries. Shellfish aquaculture—especially geoduck— plays a vital role in the South Sound’s identity, economy, and working waterfronts, connecting local communities to international markets while stewarding fragile marine ecosystems.
Featured speakers include:
• Shina Wysocki, Chelsea Farms
• Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish Company
Together, they will provide an insider’s perspective on the forces influencing the industry today, including:
• Evolving trade dynamics and tariff impacts
• Global market pressures and export trends
• Regulatory and environmental considerations
• The balance between economic growth and long-term sustainability
• The broader economic impact on Washington State and the South Sound region
Beyond economics, the forum will highlight the deep cultural fabric of shellfish farming—from South Puget Sound to the outer coast—and why it remains such a defining part of the region’s heritage, workforce, and environmental stewardship.
“This forum is an opportunity to better understand an industry that is both uniquely local and globally connected,” said David Schaffert, Thurston Chamber President/CEO. “Shellfish growers are navigating complex international, environmental, and regulatory landscapes while continuing to contribute significantly to our regional economy and identity.”
Business leaders, policymakers, educators, and community members are encouraged to attend and engage in this important discussion about the future of Washington’s shellfish industry.
What: Thurston County Chamber March Forum — The Geopolitics of Geoducks
Where: Saint Martin’s University, Norman Worthington Center
For registration info and event details, visit the Chamber website at members.thurstonchamber.com/events
Callisons MINT: A
Pacific Northwest Treasure Enjoyed Around the Globe
by Kathryn Millhorn
If you’ve ever planted mint in your garden, you know how quickly it can (and will!) spread. For more than 100 years, Callisons has thrived as vibrantly and expansively as their signature crop. Today, their spearmint and peppermint oils are used around the globe in oral care and confectionary treats while they remain firmly rooted in the Pacific Northwest.
Head of Global Sales and Business Development Bonnie Turner explains that mint was brought over from the United Kingdom in the mid 1800’s. It migrated west with settlers and our climate allows it to produce peak crops year after year.
Callisons was founded in Chehalis in 1903. CEO Jim Burgett is a fourth-generation part of the founding family and has worked in all levels of the business. The company began producing peppermint in the 1940s and spearmint in the 1950s. Today, these crops are typically distilled into mint oils shipped around the world for candy, gum, toothpaste, mouthwash, and other pungent products.
Turner says that mint’s flavor profile can change depending on the water, sun, and altitude where it’s grown. “But the Pacific Northwest nailed it” thanks to careful crop rotation and plant care.
“We grow in all kinds of regions,” explains Turner, “because the world wants that variety.” There are currently Callisons mint fields across the American West as well as Canada, China, and India. Peppermint and spearmint helped Callisons launch their American footprint thanks to partnerships with Colgate and Wrigley but plenty of other buyers enjoy the pure or distilled oils.
The company is currently working to expand and take ownership of more land for cultivation. They also innovate every step of the process to ensure
sustainability, affordability, innovation, and eco-friendly practices remain at the forefront.
Callisons is always happy to work with emerging, new, or small companies alongside their bigger partners. “Any oral care product can come to us,” says Turner, for example, “and no distributor is needed. We have an in-house team and can adjust our product to any need. Just call direct to customer service and we’re happy to get you to the right people.”
Bonnie Turner, Head of Global Sales and Business Development
Lately growth has even grown through media markets like TikTok and staff are enjoying this creative new direction. Callisons even offers internships with local universities and hosts open houses or site visits for students wanting to learn more.
Turner admits that keeping up with recent business changes like federal tariffs requires plenty of juggling. But “we’ve been trying to mitigate risk and build longterm supply stability for our clients,” she says. “It’s been challenging but we’re working with customers on reducing risk factors and building their exposure.”
To learn more, potential clients can submit a contact request through www.Callisons.com or call 360.412.3340 to speak to a representative at their Lacey, Washington corporate office. The website also
provides an informative catalog of articles about the impacts of regulatory changes on mint oil sourcing, regulations affecting use in oral care, the synergy of mint oil with other ingredients, seasonal harvest updates, newly developed flavor profiles, and fresh perspectives on what’s to come from the industry.
Alongside traditional social media platforms, check out the Callisons YouTube page for virtual field tours and videos of their 100+ year history from the ground up.
Who could have predicted that the humble mint plant—which adds just the right kick to both savory and sweet items—would become the backbone of Callisons’ thriving global footprint? Today they’re refreshing the marketplace one zesty formulation at a time and the world’s a yummier place because of it.
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At Taylor Shellfish Company, the World is their Oyster
by Kathryn Millhorn • Photos by Shanna Paxton Photography
Shellfish might be one of the world’s oddest— but most decadent and prized—crops. It is farmed…but in water. Raised in nurseries, baby clams and oysters become seeds which are sown into beaches, tide flats, or ocean shorelines for each new season’s harvest.
No one knows, or does, this farming better than Taylor Shellfish. For more than 100 years, the family-owned and operated company has produced Pacific Northwest oysters, clams, mussels, and geoduck prized the world over.
Nyle Taylor is Senior Director of Farms and a fifthgeneration family member at the organization. Taylor Shellfish “is the only place I have ever worked,” he explains. He started over high school and college breaks before taking a full-time position in 2015. Nyle now oversees the
farm leadership team, coordinating between 18 sites on everything from seed stock delivery to adequate staffing and harvest strategies.
It was Nyle’s uncle who began the family’s initial search for international markets. This development led to growth in geoduck farming, for example, as well as “allowing us to fetch a premium on some of our products that are recognized as world class when compared to any market around the world,” says Taylor.
The majority of their geoduck is sold in China plus tens of thousands of fresh and frozen oysters heading to markets across Asia every week. “In the past few years,” says Taylor, “we have also seen demand for our manila clams surge in the European Union as trade barriers are lifted. Clams are hugely important to the cuisine in these countries, and European fisheries have recently struggled to supply their markets for a variety of reasons.”
Overall, Taylor Shellfish has shipped to Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
To maintain relationships and build new contacts, teams regularly travel abroad for business. Family members working in international sales help “make connections with other growers and continue to
learn how to be the best shellfish farmers we can,” says Nyle. “In the last few years, this has led to educational trips to Chile, New Zealand, Canada, and many European countries.”
No longer just growers and shippers of Pacific Northwest shellfish, Taylor says that they’ve become “a fully integrated company with hatcheries to oyster bars and every step in between.” They’ve expanded into new farming areas, developed innovative techniques like their proprietary floating oyster cages, and developed new product lines and partnerships.
Since acquiring Ekone Oyster Company and their smoked shellfish brand, Taylor Shellfish is now adding more smoked and canned seafoods. These are already in approximately 1,500 stores nationwide including Whole Foods, with new flavors and collaborations in the works for 2026. Taylor Shellfish even offers daily delivery for restaurant and grocery customers from Olympia to Seattle.
On their website (www.TaylorShellfishFarms.com) you can find recipes, how-to videos, an Around the Sound blog, newsletter signup, or shipping information. Call 360.426.6178 with questions about products, services, and locations. Then stop for some fresh shellfish on your way home because it’s definitely time to eat.
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