People
Bjong Wolf Yeigh, professor and president of the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, has been selected as the next chancellor at the University of Washington Bothell effective Sept. 1. The appointment is subject to approval by the UW Board of Regents. At SUNYIT, Yeigh secured grants and funding for many projects.
Richard Dickman has been promoted to director of survey for WHPacific in Bothell. He has more than 30 years of experience in land surveying and has been involved in a variety of projects for public and private clients. Dickman will be responsible locally for the survey department and will continue to build relationships with municipalities through on-call projects.
Kudos
Bill Brayer, founder of an Edmonds-based non-profit that helps those with multiple sclerosis and other disabilities, has been named the 2013 Edmonds Citizen of the Year sponsored by the Edmonds Kiwanis Club. Brayer, a sufferer of MS, founded the MS Helping Hands Donor Closet, a nonprofit that provides durable medical and mobility equipment for a minimum suggested donation.
Seattle Business magazine honored 20 of the State’s top manufacturers at the 2013 Washington Manufacturing Awards on April 25. Snohomish County’s Outback Power was recognized as an emerging manufacturer of the year in the small-firm category. Snohomish County is the state’s manufacturing center, with 22 percent of the workforce in manufacturing.
Banner Bank received top honors at the Small Business Administration’s 12th annual SBA Small Business Awards Gala on May 9 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. The SBA Seattle District Office awarded Banner Bank Community Lender of the Year for the SBA’s fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2012.
Good deeds
Chermak Construction of Edmonds recently participated in the Master Builders of King &Snohomish Counties 20th annual Rampathon. Using materials donated by local businesses, the Chermack team constructed both front and rear ramps that will accommodate a scooter or wheelchair for the home of Christine Tyo, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and has limited mobility.
Businesses and organizations have donated more than $4,000 and volunteered labor toward the traditionally planted islands, flower planters and hanging baskets along Main and Lewis streets in Monroe. Donating groups included Republic Services, Pine Creek Nursery, Monroe Garden Club, Monroe Lowes and the Monroe Reformatory. Budget cuts would have otherwise halted the purchase of the annual flowers.
Snohomish-based Dream Dinners honored first responders to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., with dinners to go during National Emergency Services Week. The event honors the dedication of EMS personnel around the country who provide the day-to-day lifesaving services on the front lines.
Last month, Everett-based Bethany held the eighth annual Taste of the Northwest and raised more than $54,000 for senior and disabled residents. More than 600 guests attended. Tangerine Travel donated two weekend trips and a cruise in the raffle. Guests donated more than $3,500 for a kitchen remodel that will enhance dining services at Bethany’s Silver Crest campus.
Events
The monthly personal finance show “Getting Your Dough to Rise,” on KSER-FM (90.7), will discuss exchange-traded funds and how to teach kids about money. Host Chuck Noel will interview Neale Godfrey of Greenstreet Commons and the Children’s Financial Network; Rick Genoni of the Vanguard Group; and Bruce McClary of Clearpoint Credit Counseling Solutions. Listen in from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
The next Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber Business Before Hours event is scheduled for 7 to 9 a.m. on Friday at the Tulalip Resort Casino. The Marysville and Tulalip police departments will unveil a new business-watch program. Jim Ballew of Marysville Parks and Recreation will speak about upcoming activities. For details or reservations, call 360-659-7700.
A study to determine whether the Washington State Department of Transportation’s contracting activities are fair and equitable is now available for review. WSDOT will hold public meetings to discuss the results of the study and receive comments. Locally, a meeting will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on June 18 in Shoreline, in the WSDOT Northwest Region headquarters.
Classes, workshops and webinars
A free workshop on doing business with the federal government is scheduled from 9 to 11:30 a.m. on June 12 at the Sultan Visitor Information Center in Sultan. Government Contracting 101 is presented by the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Registration is required online at washingtonptac.org/events-workshops. Contact Jean Hales at 425-248-4223 or JeanH@economicalliancesc.org with questions.
Announcements
CrystaLite, a Northwest manufacturer of high-quality skylights, sun rooms and railing systems, and Silicon Energy, a manufacturer of high-durability, double-glass photovoltaic modules, have formed a partnership to deliver pre-engineered, integrated, customized PV solutions. The locally based companies will offer patio and carport coverings, electric car charging carports and picnic shelters that also generate electricity.
The new Marysville Walmart, slated to open this fall, has opened a hiring center at 1289 State Ave., Suite E. The new Walmart will be a full-service store and bring approximately 300 new jobs to the community.
United Way of Snohomish County is accepting nominations for the Spirit of Snohomish County awards. Award winners will be honored at the annual breakfast on Sept. 25 at Tulalip Resort Casino. Nomination forms and criteria can be found online at www.uwsc.org/spiritnominate.php and are due June 7.
Coastal Community Bank has opened a new branch in Smokey Point. Mayor Barb Tolbert joined bank CEO Eric Sprink, vice president Laura Byers and state Sen. Kirk Pearson for a ribbon cutting on May 10. Coastal Bank also donated $1,000 to the Stillaguamish Senior Center to help offset the losses of recent burglaries.
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County is recycling cellphones, iPads and iPhones for victims of domestic violence. Money received from phone recycling is used to help fund programs and services. Phones may be dropped off at the New and Again Thrift Shoppe at 3116 Rucker Ave. in Everett or by calling Stephanie Civey at 425-259-2827, ext. 13.
A contract was awarded at the Mountlake Terrace City Council’s May 20 meeting for the McAleer Creek Culvert Replacement Project. It went to New West Development of Everett for $882,387. On a section of McAleer Creek, downstream of Lake Ballinger, the project will improve fish habitat and stream flow.
Canyon Creek Cabinet Company recently hosted a Master Builders Association Remodelers Council event at the plant in Monroe. Attendees included MBA member contractors, remodelers, design professionals, vendors and others in the building trades.
IMCO General Construction was awarded a $5 Million contract for Snohomish County’s runway 16L-34R reconstruction at Snohomish County’s Paine Field, adjacent to Boeing’s Everett campus. This is IMCO’s second major contract at Paine Field in two years. Crews broke ground this month. The work is to be completed in two months.
A medical-cannabis and collective gardens ordinance was adopted by the Mountlake Terrace City Council at the May 20 meeting. The ordinance, which goes into effect June 16, allows medical cannabis collective gardens for up to 10 qualifying patients in the light industrial office park zone in the northwest corner of the city.
Peoples Bank’s Everett Financial Center is now open at 2733 Colby Ave. It is a full-service branch. The leadership team includes Jim Lonneker, senior vice president and business team leader, and Charlie Martinez, assistant vice president and branch manager.
Snohomish County Public Utility District, 1Energy Systems and Parker Hannifin have announced that Parker will supply a one-megawatt, modular energy storage architecture-compliant power conversion system as a core component of an energy storage system to be deployed at a PUD substation in 2014.
Snohomish County Public Utility District reminds customers about potential scams to steal identity and bill payment information. These include door-to-door visits, social media, fliers, phone calls and text messages. The PUD never calls customers to collect credit card information over the phone. If a person comes to a customer’s home or business claiming to be a PUD employee, they should ask to see their PUD identification.
Grant applications are being accepted from qualified non-profit organizations and educational institutions to help rural cooperatives develop new markets for products and services. The deadline for paper applications is July 15. For information on how to apply, see page 30848 of the May 23 Federal Register or contact a USDA Rural Development state office.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the SBA Veteran Pledge Initiative — a commitment by top national, regional and community lenders to collectively increase lending to veterans by 5 percent per year for the next five years. SBA expects to assist an additional 2,000 veterans obtain loans to start or expand small businesses. For more information, go to www.sba.gov/veterans.
The state Department of Revenue recently launched a new online tool that lets businesses amend previously filed state excise tax returns electronically. The new service has already proved popular with taxpayers, who filed more than 1,100 amended returns in the first two weeks of availability. For more information, go to dor.wa.gov.
Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill that penalizes businesses involved in the distribution or use of zapper software that erases sales records from cash registers so retailers can avoid reporting sales tax they collect from customers. The new law makes it illegal for anyone to sell, purchase, install, transfer, manufacture, create, design, update, repair, use, possess or otherwise make available software or hardware that deletes transactions.
Biz Bits runs Monday through Saturday in The Herald and on Monday at HeraldNet.com/bizblog. Send your news and high-resolution color photos to businessnews@heraldnet.com.
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