Business Briefs

Nominate business leaders for HBJ awards

EVERETT — The Herald Business Journal is accepting nominations for its annual Executive of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year awards to be given in May.

Last year’s Executive of the Year was Mark Duffy, CEO of Mountain Pacific Bank in Everett. In its first year, the Entrepreneur of the Year award went to Tall Taurus Media founder and principal Jonathan Holbrook, also of Everett.

Submit your nominations with links at www.TheHeraldBusinessJournal.com. All you need to do is click each button and offer your name and contact information with a brief explanation of why your nominee deserves the award. All submitted information will remain confidential. And please: Only one vote per nominee.

We’ll tally the results in early April and feature the winners as our May and June cover stories. We’ll present the awards in conjunction with Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s annual meeting in May.

EvCC’s health building is dubbed Liberty Hall

EVERETT — Everett Community College has named its new nursing and health sciences building Liberty Hall after Liberty Mountain.

Opening in April, Liberty Hall will be home to the college’s nursing, medical assisting and phlebotomy programs and other health sciences training. The building will also include room for the Providence Everett Healthcare Clinic, now located across the street.

Construction began in September 2011 on the three-story, $37.5 million facility, which is located on N. Broadway next to the college’s Fitness Center.

The college chose the name Liberty Hall after seeking suggestions from the campus and the community. EvCC historically names its buildings after peaks of the Cascade and Olympic mountains. The college’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved the name Jan. 15.

The name is also a part of the college’s history. EvCC’s Index Hall quad includes four buildings. The original two buildings, which opened in 1968, were named Index and Liberty. When the third and fourth buildings were built in 1976, the entire quad was formally named Index Hall.

The architect is SRG Partnership Inc. of Seattle and the general contractor is Olympia-based Berschauer Phillips Construction Co. Inc.

Announcements

EVERETT — Global Spectrum, management firm for the Comcast Arena at Everett, celebrated the grand reopening of the Arena Grill restaurant on Dec. 29. New construction has increased the restaurant’s capacity from 75 seats to nearly 100. The Arena Grill is open to all ticketholders for events and features a full service kitchen offering daily specials made with locally-sourced ingredients.

MUKILTEO — The Diamond Knot Brewery &Alehouse across from the Mukilteo ferry terminal has suspended all operations until late February as it undergoes major expansion. The expansion will add family-friendly dining, coffee and ice cream service. Diamond Knot owns and operates three restaurant locations and two breweries.

EVERETT — Boeing and Aeromexico have finalized an order for six 787-9 Dreamliners, with reconfirmation rights for four additional Dreamliners. The order by Mexico’s largest airline, which was first announced as a commitment in July, is valued at more than $1.46 billion at published list prices. Aeromexico operates an all-Boeing fleet of airplanes.

EVERETT — Hill Street Investment LLC is expanding Building 2425 in the 39th Street Business Park for Everett aerospace company Royell Manufacturing. Construction began in January. Royell will use the 12,000 square feet to expand their assembly and kitting operations. An additional 10,000 square feet is planned but no tenant has been signed.

SEATTLE — Thanks to a new service of the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington, businesses can now register with local governments in one location to become eligible for small to medium-sized public works project notifications. Traditionally, a business needed to complete separate applications for each public agency. Now they can complete a single free application in the www.mrscrosters.org database to register with multiple agencies in Snohomish County or throughout Washington state.

MUKILTEO — Diamond Knot Craft Brewing is preparing to release its spring seasonal beer, Slane’s Irish-Style Red Ale. It will be available on draft and in 22-ounce bottles at retailers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

EVERETT — Providence Health Care has announced the acquisition of Northeast Washington Medical Group, the largest multi-specialty medical group serving the region north of Spokane. The sale was finalized Jan. 1. NEWMG providers care for approximately 24,000 patients with annual patient visits totaling nearly 70,000.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The Mountlake Terrace City Council voted to transition the closed Ballinger Golf Course to a passive park and open space and seek proposals from independent, third-party organizations to manage and operate the clubhouse. Park planning efforts will take place later this year prior to opening the park to the public.

BOTHELL — BioLife Solutions announced preliminary record revenue for 2012 at $5.7 million, up 105 percent from 2011. Preliminary revenue for the fourth quarter was $2 million. Also, for the first time in the company’s history, management expects to report positive cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter of 2012.

EVERETT — Fluke Corp. has introduced the Fluke VT02 visual IR thermometer, a troubleshooting camera with an infrared heat map. It fills the gap when a single-spot temperature reading isn’t enough and a high-resolution thermal image is more than users need. For links to a YouTube demonstration, go to www.fluke.com/vt02.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — The City Council adopted an ordinance Jan. 7 that places a proposition on the April 23 ballot authorizing the city to issue $25 million in general obligation bonds to build a new civic center. Serving as a downtown gathering place, the civic center would be built on vacant city property.

EVERETT — Boeing rolled out the first 777 to be built at the increased production rate of 8.3 per month, or 100 airplanes per year. The airplane is a 777 Freighter that will be delivered in February to Korean Air. The production increase began in October when the first airplane parts entered the Everett factory. In the past 31 months, the 777 program has increased its production rate twice.

EVERETT — As part of its continuing network investment and ongoing 4G LTE rollout, AT&T has upgraded mobile Internet cell sites in Everett to expand AT&T 4G LTE coverage. These are along Highway 526 and Evergreen Way, along Highway 526 from I-5 to Paine Field, north of Paine Field, along Glenwood Avenue, in the View Ridge Madison area and along Mukilteo Boulevard.

EVERETT — United Way of Snohomish County has released its legislative priorities with a focus on early learning, hunger, homelessness and seniors. The agenda is a result of several months of deliberations and careful consideration by United Way’s vision councils, public policy committee, board of directors and other volunteer committees. United Ways of Washington will hold its annual Lobby Day on Feb. 7.

MARYSVILLE — Free tax preparation and filing assistance is available this tax season for qualifying taxpayers of all ages, thanks to American Association of Retired Persons’ Tax-Aide program. Eligible participants include military personnel and taxpayers of low or moderate income. This year, the AARP Tax-Aide site in Marysville is sponsored by American Legion Post 178. Call 888-227-7669 to locate other AARP Tax-Aide sites.

EVERETT — Employers interested in connecting with the first graduates of Everett Community College’s Manufacturing Pre-Employment Certificate Program can contact afloyd@everettcc.edu. The program is designed to accelerate progress for low-skilled workers and help meet the employment needs of the aerospace industry. The students are ready for entry-level jobs in manufacturing and aerospace.

MONROE — The Evergreen State Fair is seeking candidates to fill two unexpired terms on the Fair Advisory Board. The board meets the second Tuesday evening of each month and represents a broad range of interests. Nomination forms are available at bit.ly/U1jbrg. For more information, contact fairgrounds manager Hal Gausman at 360-805-6729 or Hal.Gausman@snoco.org.

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Blueprint website, www.snocoblueprint.org, has been updated. The Snohomish County Blueprint is a partnership of Snohomish County government, educational institutions and workforce and economic development organizations aiming to develop a collaborative, comprehensive approach that unifies education, workforce and economic development in Snohomish County.

SEATTLE — Qualstar Credit Union is thanking members for their loyalty by giving them $2.5 million in bonus dividends this month. Individual bonus dividends range from $5 to several thousand dollars, with the average member receiving a bonus dividend of $72. The bonuses were deposited to member accounts on Jan. 28.

MARYSVILLE — Patrons of Sno-Isle libraries can now use a simple, streamlined option for checking out and reading eBooks, thanks to the 3M Cloud Library eBook Lending Service and the Polaris Integrated Library System. The service combines digital content, in-library hardware and apps for borrowing and reading eBooks within the library’s own online catalog. The app is available for download from Apple’s iTunes Store, Google Play and the NOOK Apps Storefront, and its eBooks are compatible with PCs, Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPod Touch, NOOK Tablets, Android devices, smartphones and Kobo, Sony and NOOK eReaders. Patrons can browse, check out and read eBooks without leaving the 3M Cloud Library app. To begin reading, patrons simply download the app, enter their library card number and select the titles of their choice from their library’s catalog. In the library, patrons can use the 3M Discovery Terminals to browse the catalog using an intuitive touch-based interface.

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Department of Revenue reported that taxable retail sales increased 5.4 percent to $28.8 billion during the third quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Retail trade, a subset of all sales that excludes nonretail sectors such as construction and services, rose 7.3 percent to $13.1 billion.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched a beta version of RFP-EZ, a new online marketplace that streamlines the government contracting process, making it simpler for small businesses to find and bid on low-dollar contracts from federal agencies. A limited number of low-dollar contracts through RFP-EZ are now available at rfpez.sba.gov.

WASHINGTON — Women-owned small businesses will have greater access to federal contracting opportunities as a result of changes included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013 to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contract Program. For more information, go to www.sba.gov/wosb.

Kudos

ARLINGTON — Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington has been honored with an A rating Hospital Safety Score by The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit run by employers and other large purchasers of health benefits. Scores are assigned to U.S. hospitals based on preventable medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections. View hospital safety scores at www.hospitalsafetyscore.org.

TULALIP — Tulalip Resort Casino is one of 125 hotels in North America to be awarded the ninth annual Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings Magazine, an industry resource for meeting professionals. This prestigious award recognizes excellence in service and amenities among meeting facilities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

BELLINGHAM — Western Washington University has made Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s 100 Best Values in Public Colleges list again. Western has appeared on the list multiple times. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value. In the February 2013 issue, the magazine ranks Western at No. 74, ahead of a number of major universities.

Good deeds

EVERETT — Snohomish County Public Utility District has awarded 14 minigrants for science-related educational projects in several local school districts. The grants help schools incorporate energy and water education into their curriculum. The districts included Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Granite Falls and Monroe.

MUKILTEO — The South Everett-Mukilteo Rotary Club invited 45 homeless children from Housing Hope and Tomorrow’s Hope Childcare Center to Kmart to shop for Christmas presents for their families. The club provided each child with a $40 gift certificate to spend. Rotary members and Kamiak High School volunteers helped the children wrap the gifts with wrapping paper donated by Kmart.

SMOKEY POINT — Symmetry Chiropractic of Smokey Point, a drop-off location for Toys for Tots, completely filled their donation box and raised $650 with the help of patients and neighboring businesses. Local toy collection campaigns, such as that run by Symmetry Chiropractic, ran through mid to late December.

EVERETT — Bethany of the Northwest Foundation has been awarded a $7,500 grant from the Nysether Family Foundation. The funds will be used to purchase rehabilitation equipment for senior and disabled residents at Bethany. Bethany development director Jim Stephanson voiced appreciation for the Nysether Family Foundation’s gift and their consistent past support.

EVERETT — United Way of Snohomish County will open six free tax preparation sites throughout Snohomish County to help working families prepare their tax returns. This service is available for households earning $51,000 or less. Sponsors and partners include the Boeing Co., the Washington State Department of Commerce, Moss Adams LLP, Goodwill, the Walmart Foundation and the Internal Revenue Service.

EVERETT — Economic Alliance Snohomish County submitted a letter of support to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges on behalf of Everett Community College, which recently received funding from the board to expand its composites program. The $362,000 award will be used to purchase equipment to develop a new composites lab at Paine Field, hire additional faculty and develop curriculum.

EDMONDS — Annie’s Community Kitchen, a service of Edmonds Lutheran Church, recently received a $5,000 Lutheran Community Economic Outreach Bridge Grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation. The funding was awarded based on its effectiveness in addressing basic needs of the local community such as food, clothing or shelter. Annie’s Kitchen was also elected to participate in a complementary two-to-one challenge grant program sponsored by the Thrivent Foundation.

EVERETT — Bethany of the Northwest Foundation has been awarded a $13,000 grant from The Everett Clinic Foundation. These funds will be used for a remodel of the kitchen and dining room areas at Bethany’s Silver Crest Assisted Living Facility in the Silver Lake area in southeast Everett. “Meal service is a highlight of our senior resident’s day. These upgrades will allow their food to be cooked and prepared on-site and served at ideal temperatures, with more appealing food aromas and greater selection,” said Jim Stephanson, Bethany Foundation’s director of development.

EVERETT — AAA’s Soap for Hope donation drive recently collected and distributed an all-time record 126,646 toiletry items to charitable organizations throughout Washington state and northern Idaho. This represents a 21 percent increase compared to last year’s collection of 105,079 items. The Everett and Lynnwood AAA offices alone collected more than 11,670 toiletry items that were donated locally to Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County.

SEATTLE — Walmart’s Washington State Giving Program has awarded the YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County $25,000 to increase women’s health care access through peer outreach and education.

Port shipping schedule

Port of Everett shipping schedule as of Jan. 28. The schedule is tentative and subject to change. Long term includes regularly scheduled vessels only.

Jan. 29: Westwood Discovery, Westwood

Feb. 1: Millennium Falcon, ECL

Feb. 9: Westwood Victoria, Westwood

Feb. 12: Westwood Pacific, Westwood

Feb. 15: Madame Butterfly, EUKOR/Fesco

Feb. 19: Westwood Columbia, Westwood

Feb. 22: Ocean Lohas, ECL

Feb. 25: Westwood Cascade, Westwood

March 5: Westwood Olympia, Westwood

Ship port calls 2013 YTD: 6

Barge port calls 2013 TYD: 6

Ship port calls 2012: 101