Startup Off-road vehicle company, Extreme Machines 2000, rolling into Spokane

Eco-friendly six-wheelers to be assembled in Valley, creating 140 factory jobs

Tom Sowa
Staff writer Spokesman Review

A startup company that has designed an environmentally friendly off-road vehicle will set up shop in Spokane Valley and expects to create 140 manufacturing jobs by the end of the year.

The company, Extreme Machine 2000 Inc., has leased 28,000 square feet of space in the Spokane Industrial Park, said company CEO Dick Ewing.

Starting in June, the company plans to assemble the six-wheeled amphibious vehicles and sell them across the country, Ewing said.

The vehicle will retail for about $9,500.

According to company press releases, the vehicle will come in two models — one using only electric power, and another using a hybrid gas-electric motor.

Because of its design, the new vehicle produces almost no pollutants and gets extremely high mileage, Ewing said.

It’s capable of maneuvering on solid ground or in water. "We’ve tested it in 7-foot waves in the Puget Sound and it did fine," Ewing said.

Based on research, Ewing said, the company believes there is a market to produce 30,000 of the amphibious vehicles a year. Buyers would include outdoor enthusiasts, the military, law enforcement agencies, resorts, state governments and outfitters, he said.

To produce that number, Ewing said Extreme Machine will have to hire 140 workers in the Spokane area by the end of the year.

Most of the new jobs will be in assembly. Extreme Machine will use area contract manufacturers to make chassis, wiring and other components. Those parts will then be shipped to the Spokane area for assembly.

Ewing said those assembly jobs will pay "above what the standard is" in the region, but he said he didn’t know what that rate is. The average pay in the region for manufacturing jobs is between $7.50 and $9 an hour.

The company will also be looking for computer technicians, machinists and office support positions.

Ewing’s announcement on Wednesday was a welcome change from the steady stream of negative news from area manufacturers who have eliminated workers.

"We are pleased that Extreme Machine 2000 Inc. has chosen Spokane, and we welcome them to the community," said Mark Turner, president of the Spokane Area Economic Development Council.

"We look forward to the quality jobs this company will provide for the residents in this region."

Ewing said the Spokane EDC staff "are the sharpest people of their kind we met anywhere." He said the EDC’s help and assistance were critical in helping him decide to locate the company in Spokane.

Ewing and several associates spent more than five years developing the off-road vehicle. Ewing, who lives in Leavenworth, worked for Boeing for 10 years.

Business writer Tom Sowa can be reached at (509) 459-5492 or at [email protected].

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