People
Windermere Real Estate has welcomed two new agents to its Mukilteo location. Casey Bowers is new to real estate after a lengthy career as an elementary principal in the Snohomish School District. Laura Smith previously owned Calloway Garden Design in Everett, where she pursued an interest in organic gardening.
George Haldeman was recently appointed Tulalip Resort Casino’s vice president of marketing. Haldeman has more than 25 years of experience in the casino industry. He has previously worked at the Las Vegas Hilton, Tropicana, Boyd Gaming, Aztar and the Indiana Grand. Haldeman started his new job at the beginning of 2014.
Scott Murphy has been promoted to president of Goldfinch Bros. in Everett. Murphy joined the company in 2008 as chief operating and financial officer. In addition to his responsibilities at Goldfinch, he also serves on the Everett City Council and is a board member for Mountain Pacific Bank and the Greater Everett Community Foundation.
Good deeds
The Employees Community Fund of Boeing has granted more than $39,000 to Clothes For Kids to remodel the interior of the agency’s shop and offices. The remodel will include upgrading outdated lighting, repairing and painting the ceiling and walls, expanding furnace ventilation, and repairing and recovering flooring throughout. Clothes For Kids will continue operations during the remodel.
Community Health Center of Snohomish County will extend help to Snohomish County residents signing up for health care plans under the Affordable Care Act. Through March 29, help is available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays at their Lynnwood and Everett-South locations on a first-come, first-served basis. To find out more, including what information to bring, visit www.CHCsno.org.
Events
Dr. Amanda Wilms will be hosting a Thermography Health Screening informational event from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 12 at Sound Holistic Health Clinic, 2804 Grand Ave. No. 300 in Everett. FDA-approved thermal imaging is a radiation-free alternative for breast cancer screening. Seating is limited. Register at 425-258-4633 or cary@shhclinic.com.
HomeStreet Bank at 22001 66th Ave. W in Mountlake Terrace will celebrate a grand opening with appetizers and beverages from 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 13. Economic Alliance Snohomish County members will be there to join in the celebrations. For more details, go online at www.economicalliancesc.org/events/.
Classes with the experts, including some of the iconic names of American fly-fishing, will be featured at the Lynnwood Fly Fishing Show, Feb. 15 and 16. Registration fees are $80 per class and includes admission to the show that day. Enrollment must be made in advance, either by calling 814-443-3638 or visiting www.flyfishingshow.com.
This month, Grow Washington opens a new location at 3013 Colby Ave. in Everett. The week-long grand opening celebrations, which coincide with National Entrepreneurship Week, begin Feb. 17 and culminate with an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Feb. 22. Each day will feature workshops with local artists and entrepreneurs.
The Snohomish Chamber of Commerce Member to Member luncheon meeting on Feb. 18 will feature a presentation on consumer protection and business security from Detective Sgt. Jason Ashley of the Washington State Patrol. Cost is $15 for members, $18 for non-members. RSVP by Feb. 17 to manager@cityofsnohomish.com or call 360-568-2526.
Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Agriculture Safety Day on Feb. 19 at the Yakima Convention Center. The day-long event is co-sponsored by the Department of Labor &Industries and the Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board. Registration is $60 per person. To register, visit www.wagovconf.org/events/.
The Everett Public Schools Foundation’s 20th Annual Benefit Breakfast is March 6 in the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center at the Comcast Arena in Everett. Funds from the event will support program initiatives in the Everett Public Schools. Anthony Salcito, vice president of Worldwide Education for Microsoft, is keynote speaker. For reservations, visit www.epsfoundation.org or call 425-385-4695.
The 2014 Women in Agriculture Conference will be held at 28 locations on March 15 including the WSU Extension Auditorium at 600 128th St. SE in Everett. The registration fee is $25 before March 1 and $30 after. Registration includes the workshop, light breakfast, lunch, handouts and a book. To learn more and register, visit www.womeninag.wsu.edu.
Classes, workshops and webinars
Young aspiring business owners are invited to learn the basics on how to turn good ideas into profitable ventures at the live Twitter chat noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 19 hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration (@SBAgov). The event will be held during National Entrepreneurship Week, Feb. 15 to 22.
Learn essential Spanish vocabulary and phrases common in the health care workplace at a Spanish for Health Care Providers workshop 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 19 at Skagit Valley Hospital. Registration required. This program is approved for six contact hours of continuing nursing education. Call Skagit Regional Health at 360-814-2424 or 360-629-6481 to register.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched its 2014 Emerging Leaders executive-level intensive entrepreneurship training initiative for small business owners in 27 cities across the country including Seattle. Local recruitment for the 2014 training cycle is under way and classes are scheduled to begin in April. Information on how to apply and eligibility criteria can be found at www.sba.gov/emergingleaders.
Announcements
Nominations are being accepted for executive and entrepreneur of the year. These people should be dedicated private- or public-sector individuals who excel in business, community involvement and support Snohomish County’s economic development. The winners will be honored during the Economic Alliance Snohomish annual recognition luncheon in May. Nominations entry forms can be found at www.theheraldbusinessjournal.com. Nominations can also be sent to HBJ editor Jim Davis at PO Box 930, Everett, WA 98177 or email to jdavis@heraldnet.com. Please include name, title, reason for nomination and the name of the person submitting the nomination. More info: 425-339-3097.
Soup’s On Cafe in Edmonds celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 7. Owners Theresa Williams and Will Carhuff worked at the original Soup’s On! Restaurant that was once located in Old Milltown mall. Many of the original recipes are featured at the new cafe. Soup’s On Cafe is located at 8402 Bowdoin Way in Edmonds.
Kohl’s Department stores are accepting nominations for the 2014 Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program. Nearly $400,000 in scholarships and prizes will be awarded to more than 2,300 young volunteers, ages 6 to 18, who have made a positive impact in their communities through volunteering. Parents, teachers, neighbors and friends can nominate outstanding youth now through March 14 at kohlskids.com.
Foggy Noggin Brewing announced a new beer program — their House Ale. Each batch is fermented in a Hungarian oak barrel with a perpetual yeast, making each batch different from any other. The Hungarian oak barrel was made to the brewer’s specifications, with oak sourced from the Zemplen Forest — some of the most sought after wood in the world.
Skydive Snohomish has announced the installation of a new Blackhawk turbine engine in their Cessna 208 Grand Caravan skydiving plane. The new engine produces 850 horsepower and results in climbs to the 13,000 foot exit altitude at 1,500 feet per minute. Skydive Snohomish is a family owned and operated skydive center located on Harvey Field in Snohomish.
On Feb. 8, Diamond Knot Craft Brewing celebrated the grand opening of a new brew pub at 5602 232nd St. SW, No. 106 in Mountlake Terrace. A full-scale brewery is planned for the site with plenty of viewing options. Diamond Knot’s original brewery and alehouse is still located in Mukilteo and there is a location in Camano Island.
Students age 16 to 21 who have dropped out of high school can earn a high school diploma and college credit at the same time through Everett Community College’s Youth Re-Engagement U3 program. For students accepted into the program, tuition and books are free. Call 425-259-8738 to sign up for an information session.
The City of Snohomish has introduced Imagine Snohomish, a MindMixer site where citizens can engage, communicate and collaborate with community decision makers and other residents on the future of the community. Citizens are encouraged to register to participate in the conversation. Visit www.SnohomishWA.gov and click on the Imagine Snohomish icon.
The Puget Sound Regional Council is accepting nominations for its annual VISION 2040 Awards program until March 31. The awards recognize the superb work being done to achieve the region’s growth, economic, and transportation strategy, VISION 2040. Award nomination materials are available online or by contacting Michele Leslie Potter at 206-587-4819, mleslie@psrc.org.
Zumiez total net sales for the four-week period that ended Feb. 1, 2014 decreased 24.3 percent to $38.1 million, compared to $50.3 million for the five-week period that ended Feb. 2, 2013. Comparable store sales decreased 7.6 percent for this period compared to an increase of 2.6 percent for the five-week period that ended Feb. 2, 2013.
The Smith Travel Research report for December 2013 noted that, compared to the previous year, Snohomish County was down 6.2 percent in occupancy, up 0.4 percent in ADR and down 5.9 percent in RevPar for the month. Overall demand was down 6.2 percent compared to this month last year and revenue saw a 5.9 percent decline compared to 2012.
According to the Washington State Department of Revenue’s quarterly analysis, an increase in business and consumer spending boosted the state’s taxable retail sales by 7.6 percent for the third quarter of 2013. Taxable retail sales between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2013 reached $31 billion — a $2.2 billion increase over the same period in 2012.
According to the latest Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, small business owners are the most optimistic they have been in five years and expect their businesses to increase cash flow and hire more employees in 2014. In a recent survey, the overall score increased to a positive 45 in January, up from a positive 24 in October 2013.
Many drivers may pay rising gas prices this spring as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance, but the peak may be less expensive than last year, according to AAA. The West Coast and the Northeast likely will have the most expensive gas prices due to higher taxes and because local refineries rely on more costly, imported crude oil and gasoline.
