EDC: Freightliner dealership to open in south Thurston County

Valley Freightliner, a Freightliner truck dealer, will open a new location in Thurston County after it acquired a 34-acre parcel that was previously owned by heavy equipment auctioneer Ritchie Bros., according to the Thurston County Economic Development Council.

The site, which is near Maytown and is visible from Interstate 5, was occupied by Ritchie Bros. for 18 years until the company moved to Lewis County this year.

Valley Freightliner also has locations in Mount Vernon and Pacific. It plans to initially hire 20 people for the Thurston County location and then grow that number to between 50 and 75 within five years.

"We see strong growth opportunities in the communities between Olympia and Portland and this new location makes for an exciting expansion point," Valley Freightliner general manager Alex Bernasconi told the EDC. Freightliner is headquartered in Portland.

Bernasconi added: "We're hoping to get permit approval from the county in the next couple weeks." Valley Freightliner's plans were announced last Friday.

Ritchie Bros. move to Lewis County resulted in job losses and about $850,000 in lost sales tax revenue, according to Thurston County data.