Business

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Thursday, August 7, 2008 July sales fall at established Zumiez stores Zumiez Inc. of Everett reported that sales at its stores open more than a year fell by 1.4 percent during July. Because of the company's fast expansion and business at new stores, overall revenue was up during the month by nearly 13 percent, to $31.7 million. The same-store sales decline was slightly larger than predicted by analysts. Bothell biotech patents skin work Helix BioMedix Inc. of Bothell said it has patented a family of antimicrobial agents that will be developed to treat skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and atopic dermatitis. The Bothell company's chief executive officer, R. Stephen Beatty, said the patent issued for these antimicrobials is "one of the most important patents in the company's history." Verizon wins Brier franchise A franchise for Verizon's new FiOS TV video service was approved this week by the Brier City Council. It is the seventh community in Snohomish and King counties to approve the fiber-optic service. Verizon said it plans to offer FiOS TV, with 400 digital channels, later this summer. State wages beat inflation The state Employment Security Department said wage growth stayed ahead of inflation in 2007 in Washington. The department reported workers earned 5 percent more than they did in 2006 while inflation grew by about 4 percent in the state. The department said Wednesday that the average annual wage in the state last year was $42,888. King County had the highest average wage at $56,217. The industry with the highest wages is information services, including Internet services and telecommunications, at an average of $96,241. Airline worker diverted payments About 1,500 people who bought tickets from Alaska or Horizon airlines have been notified their credit cards were misused. Alaska Air says a call center employee diverted some payments to a personal account. Customers are not responsible for repaying the diversions that took place between August 2006 and June 2008. The Seattle-based parent company for the airlines says it notified police and is cooperating with the investigation. Alaska Air says customers should review their credit card statements for any unauthorized transactions. Attorney general opposes PSE sale The state attorney general's office continues to oppose the sale of Puget Sound Energy to a group of investors from Canada and Australia. The Public Counsel Section of the office said Tuesday that customers and the Washington economy would be better off if the utility remains a publicly traded company. The final decision is up to the state Utilities and Transportation Commission, which is holding hearings at the end of the month in Olympia. The investors, led by the Macquarie Group, are offering $7.4 billion for Washington's largest private utility. PSE serves more than 1 million electric customers and 725,000 gas customers in Western Washington. From Herald staff and news services

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