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CONTACT SCBJ Kurt Batdorf, Editor kbatdorf@scbj.com

Business Briefs for March 2010

Coast|Sperry Van Ness local sales
Coast|Sperry Van Ness recently announced two notable sales in Snohomish County. The Jansen Multifamily Team arranged the sale of The Garden Court Apartments in Everett in December. The 12 unit, 12,399 square-foot complex sold for $1,350,000. The Jansen Multifamily Team includes Josh Jansen as director and senior advisor and Todd Thompson and Matt Wilson as advisors.
The other sale was achieved by the investment sales team of Blake Stedman and Donna Schaefer. They arranged the sale of The Harbor Building in downtown Edmonds, also in December. The 17,920 square foot 3-story building sold for $3,500,000.

Grant for Workforce Development Councils
The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded an almost $6 million Recovery Act grant to the Washington Energy Sector Partnership, a broad-based public-private team headed by the Workforce Board. The grant will fund three Workforce Development Councils, including Workforce Development Council Snohomish County. It will provide training for targeted populations in high demand, professional technical occupations that are needed for energy efficiency in commercial and public buildings.

Pink Blossom Events wins award
WeddingWire has selected Pink Blossom Events in Snohomish to receive a 2010 Bride's Choice Award. Over 100,000 wedding professionals across the U.S. and Canada were considered. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories — from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

Grant brings program to local schools
Nonprofit organization, Choice & Consequence, has received a $12,000 grant from the Bank of America Foundation for “The Real Inside Story,” a substance abuse prevention program to be delivered to ten Snohomish County schools with a focus in Monroe and Sultan School Districts. Registered nurses, often referred to as the “Organ Ladies,” use both healthy and damaged human organs to show the benefits of healthy lifestyle choices.
Teachers in Monroe, Sultan, and other Snohomish County schools may schedule the program for their campus by calling Colleen Williams at 360-422-5704. Funding is based on a first-come, first-served basis. More information about the organization and how to make a tax-deductible donation to further assist the program is online at www.choiceandconsequence.org .

Grand Opening for Studio Z in Stanwood
Studio Z, a new fitness studio dedicated to Zumba, has opened in Stanwood just east of Haggen's shopping center on 265th Street. Zumba, which has been called “exercise in disguise,” fuses Latin rhythms and easy to follow dance moves into a fun fitness program. Studio Z's instructors are Candie Tallquist, Sarah Bryant, Tami Sundberg and Laura Randall. The team also offers Zumba Gold, a lower intensity, slower paced work out.

Cascade Bank donation for United Way
Cascade Bank employees donated more than $75,000 to benefit United Way of Snohomish County during the bank's annual fund raising campaign, coming from employee payroll deductions, bake sales, an employee garage sale and raffles.

Milestone anniversary for Donaldson Clinic
The Donaldson Clinic recently celebrated its 20th year of providing physical therapy services in Mill Creek. The clinic was opened in January of 1990 by James Donaldson, a former NBA player. He established the clinic shortly after receiving a career threatening knee injury.
The Donaldson Clinic's Mill Creek facility offers a variety of therapeutic services including orthopedic physical therapy, massage therapy, mental health services, hand therapy, geriatric therapy and aquatic therapy. It is a “preferred provider” for most major insurance companies and also offers a courtesy shuttle van service for those patients who have transportation needs.
Growth for Royal Window and Door Profiles
Royal Window and Door Profiles in Everett has consolidated with their Reno plant, growing the workforce at the Everett facility from 78 to 100. Some employees were transferred from the former Reno manufacturing facility but others were hired locally. The plant specializes in custom vinyl window and door extrusions. Originally located in Woodinville, the plant is a part of Royal Group, Inc.

Bank of Everett now Bank of the Northwest
The Bank of Everett, Bank of Tacoma, Bank of Bellevue and Issaquah Community Bank were consolidated Feb. 22 by Capitol Bancorp, Ltd., of Lansing, Mi., the $5.2 billion national banking company that owns the four affiliates.
Former Bank of Everett Credit Officer Mal Harding is the new Community President of the Everett bank. Mike Deller, previously CEO, said that position has been eliminated in favor of the “community president” title. He will move to the bank's board of directors.
“It's a smart move in challenging times when banks are looking for new ways to conserve capital and stay profitable,” Deller said. “I'll be staying in the community and, after some time off, be looking for opportunities locally, hopefully in some leadership role.”
Thomas Giovanelli, based in Bellevue, is chairman, president and CEO of Bank of the Northwest.

Controversial parking ban proposal amended
A proposed ban to restrict commercial vehicle parking in Lynnwood was softened at a recent city council meeting. The originally proposed ban stated that the only time a commercial vehicle could park in a residential area, even if it was on private property, would be during the completion of a job.
According to Bruce Davis Sr., president of Day & Nite Plumbing & Heating, Inc. this ban would severely impact businesses where service technicians take their vehicles home in order to be better at the ready. If the originally proposed ban were put in place, his employees would not be allowed to park their small service vehicles, none of which are over eight feet wide, in their own driveways.
In response to the concerns of Davis and others, the council amended the ordinance to allow for one commercial vehicle up to 16,500 GVW per single family residence.

PUD to continue appliance recycling program
Snohomish County PUD will continue to offer a highly successful conservation program that gives $30 to customers willing to give up old refrigerators and freezers. Since the program's inception in 2004, the utility has collected nearly 23,000 energy-wasting units.

Grand opening for Mill Creek Family YMCA
The new Mill Creek Family YMCA is complete. A grand opening for the facility is scheduled Mar. 13. For many in the community, the most anticipated part of this project has been the indoor swimming pool and water slide. The local YMCA had been without aquatics programs since the 2005 closure of the outdoor pool that was in need of costly repairs.
Previously known as the Southeast Family YMCA the branch will now be known as the Mill Creek Family YMCA.

Study showcases tourism industry success
Travelers to Washington last year spent an estimated $14.2 billion in the state, according to the preliminary 2009 Travel Impacts Report from the Department of Commerce and Washington State Tourism. Travel and tourism is Washington's fourth largest export industry. The report did reveal a slight decrease in travel spending from the peak year of 2008. But this decrease is said to be reflective of the drops in hotel room rates and gas prices in 2009.

Celebration for Clear Image Photography
Clear Image Photography celebrated the opening of The Darkroom ­— a Custom Framing and Full Service Photography Lab and Video Shop on Feb. 10. Located in Marysville, Clear Image is a premier photography company specializing in portraiture and commercial photography, including youth sports and community events. It also specializes in passport photos as well as professional photo restorations and retouching services.
Mayor Dennis Kendall was on hand for the official ribbon cutting and the first 100 attendees received gift certificates good for framing or printing. The event was catered by Pacific Rim Ballroom & Catering and featured wine tasting from award winning Willis Hall Winery and beer from Big E Brewery.
More information about The Darkroom is available at www.clearimagedarkroom.com

Successful outcome for Camp Fire campaign
Thanks to over 200 board members, staff, individuals, families, clubs, businesses, corporations, foundations and organizations that participated, the Camp Fire Delivers Capital Campaign has concluded after successfully meeting its goals. The original goal for the campaign was $2,169,547. The amount received was $2,502,788.
This makes it possible to provide thousands of hours of increased services for both current and new children. Increased services will be in the areas of Environmental Education, Resident & Day Camping, a new After School Program, Self Reliance Programs, Leadership Programs and Club Programs. Campfire's mission is to “Build Caring Confident Youth and Future Leaders.”

New Goodwill Outlet store opens in Everett
A new Goodwill Outlet store opened on Casino Road in Everett on Feb 6. The first 250 shoppers received a free gift and refreshments were served throughout the day. A drawing for Goodwill gift cards and a silent auction were also held.
Goodwill's Outlet stores sell items at reduced prices. Many items are sold by weight, including clothing, shoes, housewares, toys and more. Other items like books and furniture are sold at a discount.
Customers who make purchases at the new Outlet, or at any other Goodwill store, help to support Goodwill's free job training and education programs that better the lives of people in the community. More information is available from www.goodwill.org or by calling 425-263-8540.

J.D. Power recognition for Verizon Wireless
A recent study by J. D. Power and Associates shows that Verizon Wireless services continues to lead the industry in overall customer satisfaction. The news comes on the heels of Verizon's announcement that the company had investments worth $71 million in Washington State in 2009. Later this year, Verizon has plans for a new 4G (4th generation) network. Initial plans are to launch the new network in 25 - 30 markets across the nation.

Small business loans are up 37 percent
The U.S. Small Business Administration Seattle District Office has said that lending in Washington State and northern Idaho increased significantly in the first quarter of the federal government's 2010 fiscal year ending December 31, 2009. Compared to the first quarter of 2009, the total number of SBA loans increased 37 percent. The increase in the number of loans may be reflective of the impact economic stimulus efforts are having in the marketplace.

Little Gym debuts social media Web site
Little Gym of Everett has invited area parents to join a new online community. ChildrensSuccess.com is a Web site created by The Little Gym International. It was recently launched as a place for parents to record their children's achievements and accomplishments. Stories posted to the site can be accompanied by photos or videos, and can easily be shared by email or through other popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Digg and more.
ChildrensSuccess.com is an example of a growing number of online communities geared toward parents, specifically a demographic referred to as “Power Moms” — mothers aged 25 to 35 that spend a significant amount of time online.

Grant for Providence General Foundation
Providence General Foundation recently received a $38,550 grant from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound for the Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic's second expansion on north Broadway in Everett. The grant will help purchase furniture and equipment for the exam rooms, nurses' stations and office or meeting rooms.
The clinic expansion will allow an increase in patient visits to over 13,000 this year. The clinic's mission is to treat the poor and vulnerable — those who have difficulty accessing healthcare because they have no means to pay. The facility has a training partnership with the University of Washington School of Nursing and offers primary care, mental health and dental services to its patients.

Local MDS Pharma Services divisions sold
Ricerca Biosciences, an Ohio-based company, has announced that it is buying the Bothell-based discovery and pre-clinical operations of MDS Pharma Services as well as two other international MDS Inc. operations that are located in Lyon, France and Taipei, Taiwan. The deal is said to be worth $45 million and features a five-year, $25 million note and $20 million in cash.

Comcast debuts new rebranding campaign
Comcast has launched a new rebranding campaign for its cable products. The name “Xfinity” will now be attached to TV, internet and voice services. According to Chief Executive Brian Roberts, the move is an effort by the nation's largest cable operator to reinvent its relationship with customers.
The firm has already presented the Xfinity TV, Xfinity internet and Xfinity voice services to customers in four New Jersey towns and is due to launch in ten other markets nationwide. Other cable operators have taken similar re-branding measures as competition increases.

TOP Food & Drug and Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores donate to World Vision efforts
Customers and employees of TOP Food & Drug and Haggen Food & Pharmacy stores recently raised $16,905 to assist with World Vision's earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. Federal Way-based World Vision has been working in Haiti since 1959 and has had an office in its capital of Port-au-Prince since 1978. Angela Appleton, corporate relations senior representative for World Vision, expressed thanks to everyone who donated.

Work begins on Lynnwood Recreation Center
The City of Lynnwood and contractor M.A. Mortenson Company have begun construction on a $25 million recreation center renovation project . An April 2011 completion date is currently projected. The construction is especially notable because the building is LEED “green building” registered with the certification goal of Silver.

Fluke Corp. to help nation's electrical grid
Locally based Fluke Corp has been selected to create a calibration tool that will help standardize evaluation methods for electricity flow in the nation's power grid. This so-called “smart grid” would offer better control of electricity and standardize the flow of energy from renewable resources to help prevent interruption blackouts and brownouts.
The federal government is awarding a $1.4 million grant to Fluke Corp. for the development of this technology. The government grant money is not sufficient to cover the whole development cost of the tool so Fluke Corp. plans to invest an additional $360,000 in the technology to make up the shortfall.

Federal certification for County agencies
Paine Field and the Department of Emergency Management have been federally certified to assist with response and recovery during national and international disasters. The certification process began about eight months ago. The two agencies demonstrated the ability to help medical evacuees and that they could work in conjunction with other airports and military bases during a major emergency situation.

Project donations help those in the community struggling with electricity bills
PUD customers and employees gave more than $110,000 last year to help people struggling to pay their utility bills. The contributions, collected through two community programs, helped nearly 1,100 customers in 2009. Project Pride is a program funded through voluntary donations from PUD ratepayers and contributions to the Red Cross of Snohomish County. Another program, Helping Hands, receives donations from PUD employees to assist low-income senior citizens with their utility bills. The employees raise funds through employee payroll deductions, fund raisers and other events.

Boeing 767 rudder donation a boon for students at EvCC Aviation Maintenance Technician School
Aviation Technical Services (ATS) has donated a Boeing 767 rudder that had been removed from service to Everett Community College's Aviation Maintenance Technician School. The college will use the part to teach students about composite materials repair. Composites are increasingly being used in the construction of aircraft, including the Boeing 787.
“We can talk about it in the classroom and watch instructional videos, but due to this donation we can now do hands-on maintenance on advanced composites technology,” said EvCC aviation maintenance instructor Alex Porter. “This is a pivotal piece of technology for our program.”
The donation came about when Porter, who had worked at ATS before teaching at EvCC, had a chance meeting at an Everett coffee shop with former co-worker Ann Roy. It was in summer 2009. Porter mentioned that the college was looking for aircraft components for training students.
Roy, a business development manager at ATS Component Services, immediately thought of the rudder which was being taken out of service. Both Roy and colleague Chris McLane endeavored to obtain the necessary approvals to donate the rudder to the EvCC program.
ATS assisted in the creation of EvCC's new Aviation Maintenance Technician School training facility on Paine Field which the 767 rudder is being donated to. It also hosted an aerospace roundtable discussion, a gathering which included Gov. Christine Gregoire and other aerospace industry and community leaders.

More funds to target health care training
U.S. Senator Patty Murray has announced that the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board in Olympia, WA will be receiving $5,000,000 to train Washington State workers to fill jobs in the health care industry. These awards are among $226 million in Health Care Sector and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries grant awards authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and awarded nationwide by the Department of Labor.

Resource fair benefits county residents
More than 500 residents received services during a recent multi-day resource fair hosted by the Snohomish County Executive Office, United Way of Snohomish County and the Workforce Development Council Snohomish County.
The event, called “Helping Hands for Hard Times,” provided employment, housing, financial and health care assistance to residents currently in need. Services were offered to participants free of charge. Topics included employment counseling, job search assistance and skills training.

New Expresstax office opens in Everett
A new Expresstax franchise office has opened in Everett. The company offers tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services nationwide through a network of nearly 300 franchise locations. In addition to tax preparation services, the company also provides check cashing, payday loans, money orders, money transfers, direct deposit, and debit card services.

Facebook page for City of Snohomish
The City of Snohomish recently took advantage of the social media craze and launched a Facebook fan page. According to Economic Development Manager Debbie Emge, the Facebook platform is a way to easily gather feedback, encourage participation and give a sense of belonging for those interested in the city. Many cities, businesses and organizations have begun to use fan pages in a similar way.

Moss Adams donates to Haiti relief efforts
Moss Adams partners and employees have donated $75,000 toward the Haiti relief efforts. This amount was matched 100 percent by the Moss Adams LLP Foundation, in order to provide a full $150,000 towards the relief effort.