Almota Elevator Co. marks 100 years of business

Two hundred years after Lewis and Clark camped along the Snake River, a grain-handling company that originated at the Port of Almota received Washington state's Century Corporation Certificate.

In a Dec. 31 letter from Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Almota Elevator Co. was honored for 100 years of business, General Manager Dan Hart said.

"There were 2,500 incorporations in Washington in 1919, and today there are only 23 still operating," Hart said. "It shows you that we're still an important part of the economy around here."

Between its main facility and two satellite elevators, Almota Elevator Co. has a capacity of more than 3.5 million bushels of grain, which it buys, sells and handles for area farmers, according to its website.

The privately traded company has more than 300 stockholders, some of them sharing the last name of an original incorporator, Hart said. While there are some new owners in the company, many of its stockholders inherited their shares. It has paid a cash dividend to owners since 1975.

The company's official 100th anniversary falls on Aug. 15, and Hart said they are planning more events this summer to celebrate.

"We're working on more things," he said. "We've got some hats on order marking the century that haven't come in yet."

To see Wyman's letter to the company, its original minute book from the first meeting in 1919 and other historical items, visit its office and sign the guestbook at 126 S. Main St. in Colfax.