WorkSource WA proves to be key partner for PacDie as the domestic manufacturer scales operations
10 APRIL 2026 | VANCOUVER, WA. - Entangled supply chains, tariffs, commodity prices, and market conditions all create challenges for PacDie's President, Elizabeth Gubrud. "But nothing is tougher to deal with than recruiting a strong workforce," she says underneath the glow of neon shop lights on a warm Monday morning.
Gubrud is expanding PacDie's capacity to meet the demand of the partners they supply. She's put together the capital to build and buy new machines and is ready to break ground on an expansion of the building. And Gubrud is no stranger to uphill climbs, "if we don't have great people, we can't make parts. It's as simple as that."
The partnership with WorkSource WA is proving to be a key component of growth, with approximately 15% of PacDie's current workforce coming through the network. Inspired by the organization's community-driven goals, Gubrud recently joined the board of WorkSource SW Washington in 2025, and in February went to Olympia with the organization's CEO, Mirain Halliday.
Serving as a representative, Gubrud was "able to meet with legislators to share with them how important this program is for businesses across Washington." She, Halliday and a handful of other board members are asking state legislators to extend funding for the program.
“When we faced a downturn and knew we had to lay a few people off, they got on a conference call with my employees and laid out all the resource available to them" - Elizabeth Gubrud Howe
The partnership operates through a network of more than 60 WorkSource centers, affiliates and connection sites. Last year, WorkSource helped some 170,000 workers and nearly 5,600 employers. "Data shows people who use WorkSource find work faster and earn more than those who don't," Gubrud adds.
She has worked with a number of similar programs over her 20-year-long career in domestic manufacturing, but Washington's stands out. "They are driven and oriented for results," she remarks. And the organization has been there when PacDie needed them most.
"When we faced a downturn and knew we had to lay a few people off, they got on a conference call with my employees and laid out all the resource available to them," Gubrud says. One of them enrolled in an apprenticeship program for servicing HVAC systems.
For Gubrud, serving on the board is a way to reinvest in the community. She points out that WorkSource provided support during the Covid pandemic as well. "While my employees couldn't go into the office, they held weekly calls to share more about benefits and helped with any issues."
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Phone: 360-695-6897
Email: Sales@Pacdie.com