M’S Need Pitching; Spokane Needs Good Coaching

So what’s tougher to do this summer:

1) Find more quality pitching for the Seattle Mariners, or

2) Help Spokane break out of its business growth slump?

At stake for the M’s is a pennant drive, plus keeping stars Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez beyond next season. And for Seattle, its major league market image and pride.

At stake for Spokane is image, pride and quality economic growth.

What do the two have in common?

Both will cost millions and millions of dollars. And neither effort seems headed for quick, easy answers.

For the M’s and Seattle, losing Griffey and A-Rod would be major setbacks, new ballpark or not.

We’ll let the Mariners handle their own problems.

As for Spokane, some meetings last week raised interesting possibilities, though answers, easy or otherwise, are still a long way off.

Kaiser CEO George Haymaker and President Ray Milchovich met Tuesday with Economic Development Council and Chamber of Commerce leaders, then with about 50 business leaders. The meetings were closed to the media. However, the two shared some of the ideas discussed with a few newspaper staffers the next day.

Kaiser faces two major challenges, including the lingering labor dispute — now entering its 11th month — and the supply and price of power from Bonneville Power Administration.

Milchovich said costs at the Mead smelter basically are one-third for power and one-third for labor. Significant increases in either category, he said, could alter the ability to operate the plant successfully. At Trentwood’s rolling mill, power costs are just 15-20 percent, and labor is about half.

Setting aside cost controls and changes in the volatile competitive landscape, the Kaiser leaders discussed renewed interest in developing, as Haymaker said, “an aluminum manufacturing cluster built around ground transportation technology.”

Does that mean an auto plant?

Something like that — making cars, light trucks or buses might be worth discussing, Milchovich said. “We do have excess metal that we ship from the region and a good metal supply source.”

The idea for a Spokane mini-motor city was raised in January by Dr. Gerald Stokes, a scientist with the Pacific Northwest National Lab in Richland. His premise is that lighter cars, polluting less, will be needed to meet environmental goals.

Haymaker said last week, “We think what’s really driving the issue is global warming.” He said reducing auto exhaust emissions is the best way to cut the greenhouse effects and making cars lighter, by using more aluminum, could help greatly.

Milchovich talked about shipping metal that is shaped in the Midwest for aluminum wheel components for cars. “We’re spending money to ship 55 percent scrap to Detroit-area plants. It would be easy to put the whole operation here and ship the finished disks for the wheels, skipping four steps in the process. That’s very efficient.” And would create more jobs here.

Whether it’s spinoff businesses for making value-added components or more complete vehicle assembly, the opportunities are worth strategic planning discussion. Kaiser has some history with spinoff firms here, such as Alutek Inc. and others.

Milchovich, who will relocate to Houston from Pleasanton, Calif., said in Kaiser’s corporate reorganization Spokane will be home to two of its four business leaders - primary products and flat-rolled products. He added that the company looks forward to discussing other business opportunities here.

Last week’s other notable business growth meeting was the second in a series of three symposiums on job growth.

Relative newcomers to the area, Ron Johnson and Peter Allison, discussed high-tech and bio-tech possibilities. Both moved here eight months ago for lifestyle reasons, Johnson from Northern California, Allison from Seattle.

Allison, a Colfax native who heads Bio-Genetic Ventures, cited the large number of college students in the area, and said quality research is being done at the community college level as well as the four-year schools. Bio-technology will be the growth engine of next century’s jobs, he said.

Johnson, who heads the Silicon Valley Consulting Group, said the infrastructure is good here for new high-tech firms, but the need for capital is “desperate.”

Gonzaga University’s president, the Rev. Robert Spitzer, drew warm applause on a hot day for suggesting an “inclusive, stakeholder mentality, which builds on a community of trust.”

Hopefully, the session’s facilitator, Glen Griffin was listening to Spitzer’s message. His rambling, sometimes-negative comments and inaccurate data detracted from the opportunity to build consensus.

Whether it’s new pitching for the M’s or new business for Spokane, sooner or later the discussion and the opportunities, it seems, mostly become a matter of money.