The Port of Toledo is situated on the Yaquina River, about 7 miles inland from the city of Newport and the Pacific Ocean. The Port itself encompasses 443 square miles, including the cities of Toledo and Siletz, as well as a large area of unincorporated Lincoln County with facilities located along the Yaquina River. The Port offers a wide variety of services to develop, promote and sustain the economic base of the area, including the Port of Toledo Boatyard as well as recreational facilities. One in six jobs are tied to Oregon ports, creating over 4.5 billion dollars in wages annually.
The Port has been an Oregon Surplus property recipient since 2007. The Port acquires a large variety of equipment to serve its needs, from plate metal and welders to high lift equipment and hand tools. In 2016 alone, the Port acquired $200,000 (original acquisition value) worth of property from the Oregon Surplus property program for a little over $18,000. The Port of Toledo has shown how agency participation in the
Federal Donation program benefits certain regions of the state, as well as the state as a whole.
As of 2017, the Port's workforce comprises 25-30 full-time positions, from shipbuilders to administrative staff. According to Port director Bud Shoemake, the boatyard "started from nothing" and has turned the previously unused property into a thriving repair facility. As one of the only boatyards on the Central Oregon coast capable of lifting a full-sized boat out of the water, they have an almost constant backlog of work, and primarily service fishing vessels and pleasure craft from Alaska and all of the west coast. This has infused the local economy with living wage jobs and employment opportunities, and more upgrades and expansions are planned.
The Port has proven how programs such as this serve to spur economic growth and vitality in a region where shrinking timber revenues have resulted in an economic downturn for the area. Through the use of the Federal Donation program, as well as diversifying and reinventing the way business opportunities are conducted, the Port serves as a model of ingenuity and fiscal responsibility. According to Mr. Shoemake "there is no way we could have done much of this without the Federal Donation program. All the tools and equipment we've received from the program would have been impossible to purchase on the open market, and still remain economically solvent".
Here are some examples of the items the Port has acquired. Click each image for a larger view.