Kent Machine Shop Gets OK to Expand

A Kent machine shop will stay in the Tree City thanks to a recent approval from the Kent Board of Zoning Appeals.

Beemer Machine, at 1530 Enterprise Way, will expand in Kent and hire a few more employees following approval of its request for a 10 foot setback variance from the zoning board.

Ed Burch, founding owner of the CNC-based machine shop, plans to build an addition onto his existing shop in order to buy a few more mills and add storage.

Burch said the expansion and addition of two more machines means he'll have to increase his employee base from 10 to as many as 13.

"I made it through the 2008, 2009, even the 2012 downward workload," Burch said. "We’re lucky enough perseverance has paid off and we’re becoming busy again. I’m up against this growth thing and I want to stay in Kent."

The 10 foot setback variance allows Burch to build the addition about 15 feet from the rear property line. The zoning board voted unanimously to approve the variance.

Zoning board member Paul Sellman called it a minor variance with a lot of positive implications.

"Any time we can aid a business to grow in Kent, that’s a good thing," Sellman said.