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 Lift Truck Chain Tacoma - Tacoma (population around 198,400) is a port city situated on Puget Sound within Washington State. It serves as the county seat of Pierce County. Tacoma is 51 km southwest of the city of Seattle and fifty km northeast of the city of Olympia, the state capital of Washington. The city of Tacoma is the third biggest city within Washington State and the business activity center for the South Sound region.
The city of Tacoma got its name from nearby Mount Tahoma, now known as Mount Rainier, that lies about 93 km southeast. As the site of the Northern Pacific Railroad's western terminus in the late 19th century, Tacoma was nicknamed the "City of Destiny." Tacoma was chosen as the terminus because of its closeness to a deep-water harbor, Commencement Bay. The idea was to connect the railroad with the shipping vessels using the bay. Today the large Port of Tacoma is one of the busiest centers of international trade on the Pacific Coast. Currently, it is the 6th biggest shipping port within North America. The container port activities provide a large number of jobs for area inhabitants.
Commencement Bay was initially the home of the Nisqually and Puyallup tribes. European-Americans were drawn to the region due to the vast lumber resources found here. The original saw mill was established during 1852, and numerous mills were constructed in the latter half of the century.
Today, the local economy consists of various high-tech businesses. There are major economic players involved in agriculture and forest products, manufacturing, healthcare, professional services and financial services. Businesses in the city of Tacoma offer radio frequency and automated fingerprints identification, computer and Internet services as well as satellite imaging. The region is a major producer of flower bulbs. Tourism is likewise vital to the economy. The existing Fort Lewis Army Post and the McChord US Air Force Base has a major impact on the region.
During April, the city of Tacoma hosts the yearly Daffodil Parade together with the city's of Sumner, Orting and Puyallup. Tacoma's farmers' Market is held on Thursdays during the summer season. Smaller farmers markets are held along Sixth Avenue and in South Tacoma. Fort Nisqually is a tourist attraction where visitors can watch historical reenactments. Less than 2 hours away is the Mount Ranier National Park.
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