The Clallam County Economic Development Council is soliciting proposals from experienced individuals or firms (“Proposer” or “Proposers”) interested in providing consulting services for the Composite Recycling Technology Center (CRTC) process optimization and automation design study, a program sponsored by the Clallam EDC. The Process Optimization and Automation is 1 of 12 complementary projects funded by the United States Economic Development Administration to retain and create jobs for the region’s diverse population. The Clallam EDC applied for funding for the Clallam Forest Products Innovation Program and this RFP is funded through the EDA. These investments are critical to providing employment for our economically distressed county. The employment opportunities expected to result from the projects will be accessible to local residents. The 12 projects advance a coordinated Peninsula-wide strategy built through collaboration among city, county, state and federal officials, Tribal leaders, economic development organizations, private industry, NGOs and utilities. The community was eligible for funding due to the closure of the McKinley Mill in August 2024 and as members of the Pacific NW Mass Timber Tech Hub. Projects of the Clallam Forest Products Innovation Job creation projects fall into these categories: Tribal Housing Manufacturing, Wood Product Manufacturing, and Improving Transportation. CRTC utilizes an innovative thermal modification process to transform and add value to Makah-grown and milled coastal western hemlock for use in cross-laminated timber (CLT) applications such as tribal housing and panelized modular homes. The manufacturing operations are currently primarily using manual labor for lumber handling, feeding planers, preparing laminates for CLT pressing, and moving processed panels. The facility is looking to scale operations to be able to produce up to 100 structures per year, which would involve approximately 1 million board feet of lumber to be processed (roughly 7,000 CLT panels at 4’ x 12’), with longer-term goals of ~300 structures/year.
