1924 was a booming year for the City of Aberdeen. The port was hopping, and the logging industry was so strong that it celebrated the shipment of its one-billionth foot of wood. This 80-foot-long mile-marker was loaded onto a Japanese steamship while hundreds of locals stood in the freezing weather to witness the iconic moment.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, George W. Pasha, Sr. became a representative for the Velie Automobile Agency – an experience that would enable him to strike out on his own entrepreneurial adventure years later. His business ventures took him south to San Francisco, where in 1947 he founded the company known today as The Pasha Group, which has grown and expanded into a worldwide enterprise.
The City of Aberdeen has seen the decline in what were once booming industries, such as logging. Empty mills stand in vacant docks and the rivers run clear where they once transported floating logs. Haunted by what was, Aberdeen is slowly finding productivity to fill the shoes of those who have come before. George, Sr.sparked a business that began in the San Francisco area and burst into flame around the globe, eventually finding its way to the same port that saluted the one-billionth foot of lumber. Time will change and connect people and events in ways that only fate will understand.
Piles of logs have been cleared away at this monumental port in Aberdeen. In its place, we see the fast-paced work of Pasha Automotive Services (PAS) and Pasha Stevedoring & Terminals (PST). Thousands of cars flood the port every month, delivered by rail, only to be loaded onto a ship to be transported to places like China, Korea, Russia, and Japan. The ships are suited for carrying 4,500 vehicles as well as heavy equipment – something akin to a floating parking garage. With ships and trains running in and out of the port, there is never a slow day at Pasha.
Instead of the billionth-foot, nearly 100 years later, PAS is celebrating the 300,000th car since their planting in Aberdeen in 2009. “This milestone couldn’t have happened without the support of the Port of Grays Harbor and all the hard work of the ILWU union locals,” says Maritime Operations Manager with PST, Tim Ryker.
PAS has mastered the importation and exportation of vehicles and PST has mastered import and export of heavy machinery. Everything from Chevy cars to military equipment is loaded up onto ships and transported to and from places like Japan, Switzerland, Hawaii, and California. George, Sr.’s business is heirloom in the sense that it has lasted generations and has yet to leave family hands.
Ten years with the company, Tim Ryker also made the journey from California to pursue a career he could believe in. Tim explains the job was “an opportunity for change.” As credit to George, Sr., Tim says one of the attractive things about his job is the family atmosphere of the organization. “You could talk to any one of the owners or managers – even George’s family themselves and they talk to you just like a friend.”
Tim’s job keeps him running. Whether it’s managing labor or shipping issues, Tim explains that there’s a new challenge every day – particularly since he manages so much more than automobile shipments.
“My team gets full credit. While I oversee many aspects of Pasha Stevedoring, I can’t make these things happen without my team,” highlights Tim, who has a team of five full-time employees plus per diem staff.
Tim’s team also oversees the shipments of methanol and grain, which are transported next door to Pasha Automotive Services. Despite his adjustment from sun-soaked Los Angeles to rainy Grays Harbor, Tim believes, “I have the best job in the world. People told me that I would either love this job or hate it, and I really enjoy it. The best part has to be the people I work with.” Tim has found community in the midst of challenges and though his job is not easy, he’s content.
Pasha Automotive Services and Pasha Stevedoring & Terminals of Aberdeen have experienced significant growth over the last five years. Celebrating the 300,000th car mark is only one of many goals for managers Matt Raasch and Tim Ryker. With eager eyes, the upcoming years should result in expansion, an increase in services and exportation, as well as additional jobs for Grays Harbor County. Somehow, the work of men in 1924 is still carried forward to make a future for Harbor locals today.
