Biz Bits

People

New hire at Stanwood’s Windermere office

Windermere Real Estate/CIR has hired Megan Johnson at its Stanwood office. Johnson moved to Washington in 2004 and went to work in the real estate field, beginning her career at Chicago Title. In 2007, she moved to the Skagit County Auditor’s Office to work in the Recording Department processing real estate recordings.

New vice president at Bellevue’s Outerwall

Angie McCabe has been appointed vice president of investor relations for Bellevue’s Outerwall Inc. She has more than 23 years of experience in investor relations, corporate communications and management and has held senior investor relations and corporate communications positions. McCabe is also a director on the National Investor Relations Institute’s national board.

Kudos

Edmonds insurance group honored

The Insurance Services Group, based in Edmonds, received the Safeco Insurance Personal Lines Achievement Award, an honor given each year to about a dozen people in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska who work at local independent insurance agencies that sell Safeco insurance. The Achievement Award recognizes the team of Katie Bock, Laura Levine, Crystal Edwards and Erin Brummitt.

Mill Creek banker named ‘champion’

The U.S. Small Business Administration 2014 Washington Financial Services Champion for Small Business is Mill Creek resident Rosario Arias de Carroll, senior vice president and senior lending officer of Plaza Bank in Seattle. Arias de Carroll spends a great deal of time providing financial education to the Latino community and the small business community.

Mountlake Terrace development

Mountlake Terrace’s Arbor Village has received a VISION 2040 award by the Puget Sound Regional Council. Arbor Village, built by the Abe family, is the first large-scale, mixed-use project to be developed in Mountlake Terrace’s Town Center. It opened in August 2013 and is almost fully leased.

Prime Pacific honored

Prime Pacific Bank, which has branches in Lynnwood and Mill Creek, was honored at the Small Business Awards Gala on May 8 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The SBA recognized Prime Pacific for its growth in SBA (7a) lending for the SBA year ending Oct. 31.

Everett landscape firms chosen for industry award

Earls Landscape in Everett has been selected as a winner of the 2014 Best of HomeAdvisor Award. The award recognizes top industry professionals. Winners had to be among the highest-rated service professionals in the HomeAdvisor network and have at least three reviews submitted in the previous six months.

Good deeds

Rampathon helps provide wheelchair access

Eighteen low-income families in the Puget Sound received free wheelchair access ramps thanks to hundreds of volunteers who participated in the Care Foundation’s annual Rampathon on May 17. The building event, presented by HomeStreet Bank, included ramps for Jacob Hartwig, of Everett, built by the Professional Women in Building. Peyton Lee, of Snohomish, received a ramp built by Westhill, Inc.

On Monday, Joseph Irons, president of Shoreline’s Irons Brothers Construction, and his team will install a wheelchair access ramp for Joshua Cady, of Lynnwood as part of the Master Builders Care Foundation’s Rampathon event. Since 1993, more than 320 ramps have been built by Master Builder Association members for neighbors in need.

Keller Williams agents help to build homes

On May 8, Keller Williams Realty’s Red Day, real estate agents from Keller Williams Realty around the country participated in community service projects. About 50 agents from Keller Williams Western Realty in Everett worked on a 10-home project in Snohomish for low income families to purchase through a Housing Hope community development project.

Events

Boeing executive to speak about Africa market

Richard Gunderson, senior director at Boeing Capital Corp., will speak on Boeing’s outlook on the aerospace market in Africa from 8 to 9:30 a.m. May 21 at Everett Community College’s Whitehorse Hall, room 105. Gunderson’s work has been principally with airlines in the United States, Canada, Brazil and Africa. The event is free. RSVP at seattletradealliance.com.

EvCC machining program

Learn about Everett Community College’s precision machining program and find out why 90 percent of the program’s graduates are employed within 30 days of graduation. Information sessions will be held at 3 p.m. May 20 and June 17 at EvCC, 2000 Tower Street, Index Hall, Room 109. For a free parking pass, email Daniela Le Meur at dlemeur@everettcc.edu or call 425-388-9570.

Economic Alliance Snohomish County annual meeting

The Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s annual meeting is to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. May 22 at the Tulalip Resort Casino. Registration begins at 11 a.m. The event is presented by Frontier Communications. Awards being presented include the Herald Business Journal’s Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year. Go to www.economicalliancesc.org to register.

Frontier plans a career fair

Frontier Communications is hosting a career fair May 20-21 at the company’s Everett Contact Center located at 1800 41st St., Everett. Skills assessments and interviews may be conducted during this event. Candidates must apply online prior to attending the job fair. For more information and to apply, visit www.frontier.com/contactcentercareers and select Search Jobs, posting No. 311193.

Session on investing

McIlrath &Eck, an Arlington financial planning firm, will sponsor a special presentation to help average investors understand powerful forces shaping the stock market. “Redefining Investment Advice” is to be held from 7-9 p.m. May 22 at the Medallion Hotel in Arlington. It is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. To RSVP, contact Joni at 360-657-8600.

Nursery hosts its annual afternoon tea

Keeping it Green Nursery in Warm Beach will host its annual Afternoon Tea in the Garden from noon to 4 p.m. May 25. The garden is located at 19400 99th Ave. NW, Warm Beach. The specialty nursery features species that do well in Western Washington. For more information, contact Arlen Hill 360-652-1779.

Re-opening of Frost Doughnuts

The grand re-opening of Mill Creek’s Frost Doughnuts is to be held from 5-9 p.m. May 30 in Suite 106 at the Mill Creek Town Center. The new Frost Doughnuts is a dessert lounge complete with cupcakes, soft-serve frozen custard, coffee bar and doughnuts.

Harvesting, marketing forestry tour

Northwest Certified Forestry will co-host a harvesting and marketing forestry tour with Rain Shadow Consulting on Orcas Island. The tour is to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 14. It will leave from Buck Park. Participants are encouraged to carpool. Space is limited so RSVPs are required. Go to http://nnrg.org/news-events/events/harvesting-and-marketing-forestry-tour-on-orcas-island/ for more details.

Boeing Machinists Union plans fundraiser

The Bill Baker Memorial Steel &Wheel SuperShow, an annual hot rod and motorcycle show fundraiser for Guide Dogs of America, is to be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 16 at Machinists Union District Lodge 751‘s Everett Union Hall, 8729 Airport Road in Everett. Pre-registration forms are available at all District 751 union halls in Puget Sound.

Classes, workshops and webinars

Green building techniques part of presentation in Everett

Elizabeth Powers, principal and owner of O’Brien &Company, will review LEED Version 4 at the next SnoLeaf Branch Collaborative Education Series presentation. The event is to be held from noon to 1 p.m. May 21 at the Snohomish County PUD, 2320 California Street, Everett. For information, contact snoleaf@cascadiagbc.org.

Class for women entrepreneurs

Women business owners are invited to learn more about the federal contracting arena through free hour-long webinars hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The webinars are at 2 p.m. EDT each Tuesday and Thursday through June 26. Registration is free, but required. Please contact LeAnn.Delaney@sba.gov to sign up.

Camano Island workshop

Woodland owners can get help to protect their property and assess risk at a free Firewise Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. May 29 at the Camano Multipurpose Center, 141 NE Camano Drive, Camano Island. Registration is required. Space is limited. Registration information is available at http://forestry.wsu.edu/nps/events/firewise/ or by contacting Lauren Grand at 425-357-6023.

Announcements

Mukilteo’s Survival Capsule entered in competition

Mukilteo-based Survival Capsule has had its product entered into the 2014 NASA Tech Brief Competition. The capsule, featured in Popular Mechanics magazine and the Seattle Magazine this month, is designed to help people survive tsunamis and other natural disasters. Three of its capsules have been built in Japan. Vote for Survival Capsule at http://contest.techbriefs.com/2014/top-votes

Wellness centers moving

Citrine Health and the Women’s Wellness Center in Everett is moving from its Rockefeller Avenue location to near the new Pagoda Village shopping, hotel and apartment complex currently under construction at the intersection of Wall and West Marine View Drive. The move will be completed by June 1.

Marysville/Tulalip new car showroom

Roy Robinson has announced that its new Subaru showroom at I-5, Exit 199, in Marysville/Tulalip will open this summer. The expansion will complement the Roy Robinson Chevrolet and RV dealerships nearby, and bring the total number of employees to more than 200. The new facility will be the only Subaru dealer in Snohomish County.

Changes planned at builders association

The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties is consolidating its community outreach efforts with the creation of a Community Stewardship Department. The department will continue with signature programs such as Rampathon, Painting a Better Tomorrow, and workforce development efforts while creating new community alliances to expand its contributions to the community.

Edmonds tourism promotion awards

The City of Edmonds Arts Commission is accepting applications for the 2015 Tourism Promotion Awards program. The program awards contracts for services that promote arts, cultural events and programs that contribute to cultural tourism. Applications are due June 18. Application forms are available at the city’s website or email frances.chapin@edmondswa.gov.

Marysville insurance firm partners with PEMCO

Marysville Anderson Insurance, a 30-year-old independent insurance agency, has teamed with Seattle-based PEMCO Insurance. Marysville Anderson Insurance is a 15-year sponsor of the Everett AquaSox and supports the Sno-Isle Summer Reading Program. It also sponsors local police in the Law Enforcement Torch Run benefitting Special Olympics.

Coastal’s first quarter earnings announced

Coastal Financial Corp., the holding company for Coastal Community Bank, has announced earnings for the first quarter that ended March 31. Coastal reported a net income of $522,000, an 18 percent increase over the same period in 2013. Total assets grew $67 million from a year ago, a 17.2 percent increase.

Monroe hospital to house psychiatric beds

Valley General Hospital in Monroe has signed a letter of intent with Fairfax Behavioral Health to establish a 34-bed psychiatric hospital on its campus. Pending certificate of need approval from the state, Fairfax Behavioral Health will own and operate the psychiatric hospital.

Washington ranked 33rd place to do business

CEOs rated Washington the 33rd best state in which to do business, according to Chief Executive Magazine’s annual Best &Worst States for Business survey. The state rose from 36th place in 2013. For complete results, including state rankings on multiple criteria, CEO comments, methodology and more, go to http://chiefexecutive.net/2014-best-worst-states-for-business.