We wish to publicly express our appreciation to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders for all the business they bring to this small South Whidbey community.

We have accommodated many of their sub-contractors over the past few years including Detroit Diesel, Titan Corporation, representatives of the Office of Naval Research, BMT Nigel Gee and Associates, MTU Elektronik Engineering, the LA Fire Department, and more.

In the past two years during the X-Craft and Fireboat projects, the Boatyard Inn sold over 550 rooms to Nichols contractors and The Saratoga Inn sold over 3500 rooms. By itself, this is fantastic — but what makes it better is this was during our off-season and on weekdays when we would normally have had little or no business. These people also shopped in our stores and ate in our restaurants. Their patronage helped employ 15 people at our two inns not including many of our sub-contractors such as gardeners, laundry technicians, maintenance people (plumbers, electricians, painters, window washers and handymen).

We are able to buy flowers from local florists, landscaping materials from local nurseries, supplies from our local stores, propane from local gas companies. We are also able to pay our bills to local companies including Whidbey Telecom, which in turn provides employment to 100-plus local people.

Without Nichols Brothers in our community it is easy to imagine how stagnant our economy would become because we are just a piece in the puzzle. We look forward to future projects and support Nichols Brothers Boat Builders in their efforts that bring employment and prosperity to our community.

Those of us who run or own a business understand the struggles of competition and growth. We strongly urge you as a community to support our local businesses and especially those businesses who support the Nichols boatyard.

Mynda Myres,

inkeeper,

Faye Elliot,

assistant innkeeper,

Boatyard Inn;

Cheryl Lambourg,

innkeeper,

Saratoga Inn