Biz Bits

People

New hire at Peoples Bank

YMCA elects new officers

Additions at Edmonds environmental firm

Edmonds-based Landau Associates has hired Lauren Evans and Sophia Dien at its Edmonds office. Evans is a marketing assistant and holds a bachelor’s of science degree in business administration, international business, and marketing. Dien is an intern assisting the geotechnical group for the summer and is currently pursuing a degree in civil engineering at Gonzaga University.

New president at Vigilant

Vigilant, an employment issue service company, has appointed Derek Glos as the next company president effective January 1, 2015. Vigilant’s current president Rodger Glos is stepping down after 27 years of service. Vigilant has 15 employees in the Everett office location and the company has had a presence in Everett for 10 years.

Kudos

Financial adviser wins praise

Bryan Hendrickson has qualified for Waddell &Reed’s annual Circle of Champions conference, recognizing the company’s top financial advisers. Hendrickson, who joined Waddell &Reed in 2009, has been a professional in the financial services industry for six years and counsels clients throughout the Mill Creek and Lynnwood community on their long-term investment goals.

Credit union board member selected director of the year

Warren Kuwahara, a board member of NW Plus CU in Everett for more than 25 years, has received the distinction of the Credit Union Director of the Year from the Northwest Credit Union Association. Kuwahara was an early supporter of open membership and shared branching, and was also a guiding force supporting the NW Plus CU executive team. Since 1939, NW Plus CU has provided financial services to the employees and family members of Frontier Communications formerly known as GTE and Verizon.

Designers win first place in magazine competition

Arlene Rafoth of Interspace Design in Everett and Mary Kiel of Aesthetic Interiors in Marysville were recipients of the First Place Award for Decorative Hardware and Trim at the 2014 Envision Design and Ingenuity Workroom Competition presented by Window Fashion Vision Magazine. The publication has a circulation of 33,000.

Edmonds insurance company earns award

Insurance Services Group in Edmonds has earned the President’s Award from Safeco Insurance for its outstanding performance and customer/client service. Only 200 President’s Awards were given this year across the country to top-performing independent insurance agencies that sell Safeco Insurance personal lines products. Earlier this year, The company was also received Safeco’s Personal Lines Achievement Award.

Edward Jones recognized by Computerworld

IDG’s Computerworld has named Edward Jones to the Computerworld 2014 Best Places to Work in IT ranking, recognizing 100 top organizations that challenge their information technology staffs while providing great benefits and compensation. Ranking coverage appeared in the June 23 issue of Computerworld and online at Computerworld.com.

Good deeds

Lake Stevens Rotary donates to library

Rotary Club of Lake Stevens contributed $2,000 to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The program encourages reading by sending a new age-appropriate book every month to children from birth to five years of age that live within the Lake Stevens School District. There is no cost to the family. Currently 876 children are receiving a book each month.

Real estate agents volunteer at Imagine Children’s Museum

The brokers at Windermere Everett South participated in the annual Windermere Community Service day on June 20. This year, the Everett South Windermere team helped to renovate the playground equipment on the roof of the Imagine Children’s Museum.

Events

Attorney general to speak in Edmonds

Financial adviser hosts coffee club

Sterling Gurney, a local Edward Jones financial adviser, will host his monthly coffee club gathering at 9 a.m. July 3 at the Edward Jones office located at 602 Second St., Suite C, in Snohomish. The public is invited. Gurney hosts a coffee club meeting on the first Thursday of every month.

Brewer to release summer seasonal beer

Foggy Noggin Brewing’s summer seasonal beer debut is from 1 to 4 p.m. on July 5 at the Foggy Noggin Brewing Tasting Room. The summer seasonal beer is Rufus, an English IPA. It will be available at the tasting room and area taps for the next six to eight weeks.

City planners to seek input on ‘Moving Mukilteo Forward’

Mukilteo city planner Glen Pikus and associate planner Linda Ritter are looking for input from the public on how local tax dollars should be spent at “Moving Mukilteo Forward 2035.” The event is 2 to 3 p.m. July 9, at Harbour Pointe Retirement Community, 10200 Harbour Place (behind Walgreen’s) in Mukilteo. No reservation is necessary.

Learn more about Port’s waterfront plans

Join Economic Alliance Snohomish County for a networking event from 5 to 7 p.m. on July 10 at the Port of Everett. It will include a short program on the Port’s Waterfront Development Plan and an option to take a free harbor cruise. Seating is limited. Cost is $25 for investors and $35 for non-investors. More info: http://www.economicalliancesc.org.

Business networking event planned in Everett

Good Morning, Snohomish County! featuring Sandy Bjorgen and presented by K&L Media is 7:30 to 9 a.m. on July 11 at Holiday Inn Downtown Everett. Business networking follows the presentation. Prepare a one-minute elevator speech and bring business cards. Cost is $25 for investors and $40 for non-investors. For more information and registration, go online at www.economicalliancesc.org.

‘Sounds on the Farm’ concert series set in Snohomish

Everett Music Initiative and Snoqualmie Ice Cream recently announced Summer Sounds on the Farm, an all-ages, family-friendly summer concert beginning at 5 p.m. on July 12 at 21106 86th Ave. SE, Snohomish. Tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com/event/734086. Adult tickets are $15 in advance. Tickets for youth ages 12 to 20 are $10 and children under 12 are free.

Group aims to help people go solar

Solarize South County is a citizen-led initiative to help single family homeowners and small businesses purchase solar panels via a streamlined process and group discount. Registration is now open. The first workshop will be held July 16. Go to at www.solarizewa.org to get more information about dates and locations.

Lake Stevens financial advisers invites people for coffee

Rich Carton, a local Edward Jones financial adviser, will be hosting his coffee club at 9 a.m. on July 18 at his office located in the Highway 9 Business Center, 9623 32nd Street SE, Suite B-101, in Lake Stevens. The public is invited to this courtesy event that takes place on the third Friday of every month.

Conference for bakers planned on Whidbey Island

A whole grains conference for home bakers, “Whole Grains for the Home Baker: Principles and Practices,” will be Sept. 5 and 6 at Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship in Coupeville. Preregistration is required. The conference is filling fast. Cost is $150, which includes meals. Find more information and a link to registration and a schedule at http://www.thegraingathering.com/home-bakers-agenda/.

Classes, workshops and webinars

Workshop planned on preparing businesses for disaster

Join Agility Recovery and the U.S. Small Business Administration for an online discussion on how to protect your business before a disaster. “The Top 5 Risks to Businesses in America” is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 8. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/923337112 You can also visit www.preparemybusiness.org to download disaster planning tip sheets and view archived webinars.

Learn about websites and blogs for your business

Economic Alliance Snohomish County is hosting a workshop on websites, the second in its new Small Business Growth Strategies Workshop Series. Websites &Blogs is 8 to 11:30 a.m. July 10 at Economic Alliance Snohomish County, 808 134th Street SW, Suite 101, Everett. Cost is $60 and includes a catered continental breakfast. Register online at www.economicalliancesc.org/events/event_list.asp.

Discover ways to win federal contracts for women business owners

The U.S. Small Business Administration has extended its free webinar series through July for women business owners to learn more about increasing opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the federal contracting arena. To learn more about the SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program, visit www.sba.gov/content/women-owned-small-business-federal-contract-program.

Announcements

Metal Supermarket opens franchise in Everett

Allison Stairhime and Mark Farragher have opened a Metal Supermarket franchise in Everett. Metal Supermarket is a supplier of small quantity metals. Customers can buy any size or type of metal they need cut to their exact specifications and with no minimum order requirement. This is the third franchise location in Washington.

Artists sought for project at Smokey Point transit center

Community Transit, the City of Arlington and the Arlington Arts Council are seeking local artists to design and construct an art project for installation at the Smokey Point Transit Center, which is under renovation. The selected artist will receive $15,000 to create the art project. Design submissions are due by July 21. For more information, go towww.communitytransit.org/smokeypoint.

Bastyr extends hours at Edmonds Senior Center

Starting July 2, Bastyr Natural Medicine Clinic at Edmonds Senior Center will extend Wednesday hours, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. The administrative fee for each visit is $15. Prospective participants of all ages are welcome at Bastyr’s Natural Medicine Clinic. For more information and to make an appointment, call 425-774-5555, ext. 108.

Biotech firms announces revenues

Bothell-based Alder BioPharmaceuticals reported total revenues of $4.8 million for the three months ended March 31 compared to $4.6 million for the same period in 2013. In May, Alder completed an initial public offering of common stock, raising $80.1 million in net proceeds. The company also recently presented positive results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of its ALD403 product.

Farm property values remain strong

Positive income results for farms, combined with a tight land supply, have buffered economists’ previously projected downturn of farmland values, according to Farmers National Company. The organization recorded strong real estate sales for the first half of 2014, down somewhat from record sales experienced in 2013. Farmers National Company is an agricultural real estate and farm and ranch management firm.

Taste of Edmonds scheduled

The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce has announced the launch of the website www.aTasteofEdmonds.com for the 2014 event. This year’s event sports a Mardi Gras theme. A Taste of Edmonds takes place Friday through Sunday, Aug. 8 to 10. The new website has extensive content to assist visitors with planning their trip to the event.

Customers at Edmonds grocery to support museum

Shoppers at Edmonds Market Fresh can help support the Edmonds Historical Museum with every purchase. Ask the checker to add the Museum number 0555 to your “We Connect” card when you next visit the store and one percent of your IGA shopping expenditures will be contributed to the Museum through the store’s Home Town Heroes community contribution program.

Leadership Snohomish County looking for projects

Leadership Snohomish County is accepting proposals for community impact projects for the 2014-15 program year. Applications and past project examples are available at www.leadershipsc.org/partners. A question and answer session will be offered from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18 at Greater Everett Community Foundation, 2823 Rockefeller Avenue, Everett.

Agency: Companies replaced toxic chemicals with unregulated material

According to the Washington Department of Ecology, tests on 125 consumer and children’s products show some manufacturers have replaced flame retardants banned in many products sold in Washington with unregulated but also potentially toxic chemicals. A report containing test results, as well as a database with manufacturers’ reports on toxics used in children’s products are available on Ecology’s website.