NETARTS – The dream of bringing a gourmet salt harvesting facility to Tillamook County will soon become a reality, after Jacobsen Salt Co. exceeded its goal of raising $25,000 through crowdfunding website kickstarter.com.

Entrepreneur Ben Jacobsen held his breath until Friday, July 13, the deadline he had to reach the $25,000 goal, or not receive any of the pledged funds at all. All together, supporters donated $29,532 through the site, which will go toward leasing and renovating a facility, equipment and more.

More than $1,200 of those funds came from people here on the North Coast. A total of $650 came from tillamookheadlightherald.com and $600 from crbizjournal.com, following articles about Jacobsen’s fundraising goal in the July 11 issue of the Tillamook Headlight Herald and the Coast River Business Journal.

Donors to Jacobsen Salt Co. will receive stickers, a pocket-sized tin of his signature Netarts Bay sea salt, hats, meals and more in increasing increments, for donations of $5, $25, $75, $150, $250 and more.

Those that pledged $550 or greater will get a tour of the new facility once its built, along with a few dozen Netarts Bay oysters, and all the rest.

“Thank you, I really, really appreciate the support of the coastal communities,” said Jacobsen, who currently produces his salt by renting a trailer and hauling enormous jugs of seawater from Netarts Bay over the coast range to a facility he rents in Portland.

“It’s truly been a phenomenal honor to bring a product to market that represents Oregon and the coast.”

He said the overall cost to start up his production facility is around $200,000, and he is looking at locations in Netarts and Garibaldi. Eventually, he’d like to hire about three employees to help with the salt making process in Tillamook County.

“We are closer to locating,” he said. “We haven’t signed a lease yet, but oh yeah, it’s gonna happen.”

Jacobsen’s is the only product of its kind manufactured in the Pacific Northwest. Less than a year since he began making it, the salt is now sold in about 50 stores, and 30 or so restaurants in the Portland and Seattle areas. It is also being used at two Michelin-star rated restaurants in New York City and James Beard (often known as the “Oscars” of food) award-winning chefs.

In Tillamook County, his product can be purchased at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company and at the Schooner in Netarts.

“Hopefully, we’re creating a product and a company that can make Oregonians proud,” he said.