When Olympic Mountain Ice Cream outgrew its Skokomish Valley production facility, the company didn’t move out of Mason County. It moved to the Port of Shelton — four times the floor space, a loading dock, reliable power, and a location off Highway 101 that solved the flooding and outage risks that had periodically interrupted production. The move was funded in part by a $1.75 million low-interest loan through the Washington State Community Economic Revitalization Board. That combination — Port infrastructure plus state economic development capital — is available to other Mason County businesses, not just ice cream manufacturers.
What the Port of Shelton Offers Local Businesses
The Port of Shelton is a public port authority serving Mason County’s industrial and commercial development needs. Located off U.S. Highway 101 near Shelton’s industrial corridor, the Port owns and manages industrial warehouse space, commercial properties, and development parcels that it makes available for lease or partnership arrangements with businesses looking to expand, relocate, or establish operations in the county.
Olympic Mountain Ice Cream’s new home is an 11,500-square-foot Port-owned warehouse at 130 W. Corporate Drive, renovated specifically for food production and retail operations under a formal Port Commission resolution approving the CERB partnership. The Port doesn’t simply provide space — it can act as the applicant and co-investor in public funding mechanisms, as it did here by taking on the CERB application on behalf of the ice cream company.
For Mason County businesses in manufacturing, food production, light industrial, or distribution operations that have outgrown their current space, the Port of Shelton is worth a direct conversation. The Port can be reached through the Port Commission office or through the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce.
How the CERB Loan Works
The Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) is a Washington State program administered through the Department of Commerce. It provides low-interest loans and grants to support economic development projects in communities across the state — primarily infrastructure, facility improvements, and expansions that create or retain jobs.
CERB funding is typically applied for by a public entity (in this case the Port of Shelton) on behalf of or in partnership with a private business. The $1.75 million award for the Olympic Mountain Ice Cream project was approved by the Port Commission by formal resolution, with a private investment commitment of at least $1 million from the company and a projected job creation of 17 permanent positions over five years.
CERB loans are not grants — they are structured as low-interest loans to the public applicant, which then passes the terms to the private partner. The interest rates and repayment terms are significantly more favorable than conventional commercial financing, particularly for capital-intensive projects like facility construction or major equipment installation.
For Mason County business owners considering expansion projects in the $500,000–$5 million range, CERB is a mechanism worth understanding. Washington State’s Department of Commerce publishes the application requirements and funding cycles; the Shelton-Mason County Chamber and the Port of Shelton can both provide guidance on whether a given project may qualify.
The Business Succession Pattern Worth Watching
The spring 2026 business news also included a smaller but equally instructive story: the sale of T’s Café & Espresso to Shelton City Council member Eric Onisko, who reopened it as Tollie’s Café on April 1 without closing a single day of service, retaining all three employees, and keeping much of the menu intact. The only thing that changed substantially was the name — and the name reached for local history rather than corporate branding.
For Mason County’s small-business owners thinking about succession or exit, the Tollie’s Café model is useful. The seller (Theresa Landsiedel) ran T’s Café for six years; the buyer invested in community character rather than reinvention; the staff retained continuity and employment. That kind of transfer — a going concern passed intact rather than liquidated — is how small-town business ecosystems stay healthy. It also suggests there is a market in Mason County for well-run small businesses with established customer bases and good locations.
The Bigger Picture: Mason County’s Business Infrastructure
Both of this spring’s business stories point to the same underlying condition: Mason County has functional public-private infrastructure for business development that is often underutilized by the businesses it’s designed to serve. The Port of Shelton, CERB, the Chamber of Commerce, and county economic development resources don’t require you to be a large company to access. The Olympic Mountain Ice Cream expansion shows what’s possible when a local producer uses those tools deliberately — and the Tollie’s Café transition shows that smaller-scale successions are happening too.
The county’s next major business calendar event is the 2026 Expo & Bite of Mason County, scheduled for Friday, July 17 on Railroad Avenue in Shelton — a good venue for connections across the local business community.
Frequently Asked Questions — Mason County Business Expansion Tools
What is the CERB program and how does it help Mason County businesses?
CERB — the Community Economic Revitalization Board — is a Washington State program providing low-interest loans and grants for economic development projects. Mason County businesses typically access CERB through a partnership with a public entity like the Port of Shelton, which acts as the applicant. Olympic Mountain Ice Cream’s $1.75 million CERB loan, approved through the Port, is a recent example.
What kind of space does the Port of Shelton have available?
The Port of Shelton manages industrial and commercial properties in Shelton’s industrial corridor off Highway 101. Olympic Mountain Ice Cream’s new facility is an 11,500-square-foot warehouse at 130 W. Corporate Drive. Contact the Port Commission directly or through the Chamber of Commerce for current availability and lease terms.
How many jobs is Olympic Mountain Ice Cream expected to create?
The Olympic Mountain Ice Cream expansion at the Port of Shelton is projected to add 17 permanent jobs over five years, based on CERB application projections. Private investment in the project is at least $1 million in addition to the $1.75 million CERB loan.
Is the Port of Shelton only for manufacturing businesses?
The Port primarily focuses on industrial, manufacturing, and commercial development — the types of businesses that benefit from loading docks, warehouse space, and Highway 101 access. Retail and service businesses typically operate in downtown Shelton or other commercial corridors rather than the Port’s industrial area, though mixed-use development (like OMIC’s production + retail format) can work at Port-owned sites.
Where can Mason County small businesses get help with expansion planning?
The Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce is a good first contact. The Port of Shelton Commission can discuss facility availability. Washington State’s Department of Commerce administers CERB and other economic development programs with published application guidance. The Mason County Economic Development Council also tracks business development resources.
For the full spring 2026 business story, see New Ownership, New Digs: Mason County Businesses Make Spring Moves. For the earlier deep-dive on the CERB loan, see What Is CERB? How Washington State’s Economic Development Loan Program Helped Bring Olympic Mountain Ice Cream to the Port of Shelton. For the jobs angle, see Mason County Jobs and Employers: Economic Guide.
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