A family-owned auto parts company is departing Washington state after nearly 50 years, with the owner citing issues such as crime, graffiti, and high taxes as reasons for the move.
Delta Camshaft, a long-standing business in Tacoma since 1977, specializes in grinding and repairing camshafts. The company is now planning to relocate to Mesa, Arizona.
Jon Bodwell, the owner, mentioned that the move involves transporting over a million camshafts along with several tons of heavy machinery.
Despite the six-figure expense associated with the relocation, Bodwell believes the cost is justified due to escalating expenses and deteriorating conditions for small businesses in Tacoma.
“I’ve concluded that I can no longer contend with the political challenges that have emerged in the city,” Bodwell shared with the Daily Mail.
Currently, the building is listed for sale as Bodwell prepares for the transition to Mesa, Arizona.
‘Crime, graffiti, taxes and fees got me on the run.’
The company now faces a huge logistical challenge before it can officially leave Washington.
Delta Camshaft owner Jon Bodwell said the decision means packing up more than 1 million camshafts and moving heavy machinery weighing several tons
Bodwell said the business has more than one million camshafts that must be individually packed and moved, along with four industrial machines weighing roughly seven tons each.
‘The move alone will cost well over $100,000,’ the company owner revealed.
According to the firm’s website, the business began as Delta Engineering in 1977 when Bodwell’s father borrowed money from his grandfather to buy used equipment and manufacture engine parts.
Bodwell later purchased the company alongside family members in 2006 before eventually becoming sole owner in 2021 following health issues affecting relatives involved in the business.
The proud businessman described the company as a second-generation, veteran-owned operation deeply tied to Tacoma.
‘Tacoma was my city, and Washington was my home,’ he said. ‘Now I will hang my hat somewhere else.’
He also revealed the personal toll behind the decision, explaining that after suffering serious health problems and a ‘brush with death,’ he temporarily signed the company over to his 24-year-old son, who serves in the US Air Force, before regaining control this year.
‘My father started the company in 1977 after realizing the company he worked for was failing,’ Bodwell explained, adding that the business had remained in Tacoma continuously for 48 years.
Delta Camshaft, a Tacoma business that has been grinding and repairing camshafts since 1977, is preparing to leave the city and move to Mesa, Arizona
Bodwell’s father Jerry started the company in 1977 after realizing the company he worked for was failing. The Bodwell family seen in a newspaper clipping above
Bodwell argued that Washington’s business climate had become increasingly hostile to small manufacturers, particularly as operating costs spiraled.
He said inventory costs in the automotive industry had surged dramatically in recent years.
‘In the past it was $5,000, now it becomes $35,000 to $40,000,’ he told the Daily Mail, adding that businesses are taxed on inventory sitting on shelves – and then taxed again when products are sold.
The business owner also blasted local crime and what he described as weak enforcement policies.
‘The city has become a breeding ground for crime,’ Bodwell said, claiming criminals committing graffiti, theft and vandalism were routinely ‘booked and released before the arresting officers even finish writing the reports.’
At the same time, he praised Tacoma police officers, arguing many were overworked because departments struggle to retain staff amid funding pressures and competition from higher-paying agencies elsewhere.
Bodwell said mounting regulations and permit costs further contributed to his decision to leave.
Among the fees he highlighted was a yearly ‘No Discharge Permit’ costing $480 for not releasing industrial waste into the sewer system, alongside fire inspection fees, mandatory alarm testing costs and rapidly rising insurance premiums.
Bodwell said the business has more than one million camshafts that must be individually packed and moved, along with four industrial machines weighing roughly seven tons each
Only one employee – facility manager Ken Quale (pictured with Bodwell, above) – is guaranteed to remain with the company in a remote support role after the move
‘I believe the term is nickel and dimed to death,’ he told the Daily Mail.
He also warned that soaring utility costs were putting increasing strain on working families and small businesses alike.
‘Every third shower is a cold one? Turn off your heat every third day? Skip every third load of laundry?’ he said while criticizing projected future energy price increases.
Bodwell said he ultimately concluded he had only two options: close the company entirely at age 56 and find a new job or move somewhere more business-friendly.
The relocation is expected to create major staffing challenges, with most workers unlikely to leave Washington for Arizona.
‘I can’t expect all of my staff to just up and leave,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘This is a very unique business.’
Bodwell also blasted local crime and what he described as weak enforcement policies in the city (pictured: Tacoma, Washington)
The business owner revealed he is heading to Mesa, Arizona (pictured: Mesa city center aerial view on Center Street at Pepper Place at sunset, AZ)
He added that only one employee – facility manager Ken Quale – is guaranteed to remain with the company in a remote support role after the move.
Delta Camshaft is not alone in leaving high-cost West Coast states in search of lower taxes and operating expenses elsewhere.
In recent years, a growing number of businesses have relocated operations from states including Washington, California and Oregon to places such as Texas, Arizona, Tennessee and Florida, citing lower taxes, cheaper energy, reduced regulation and concerns about crime.
Major companies including Chevron, Tesla and Oracle have all announced significant relocations or headquarters moves away from traditionally high-tax coastal states in recent years.
Bodwell believes more businesses could follow.
‘A study was just done and 24 percent say they plan on moving their companies out of state,’ he told the Daily Mail.
‘I personally believe the state has passed the point of no return. Like me, many will have to go hang their hats somewhere else.’
