Business Briefs

  • HBJ staff
  • Wednesday, October 31, 2012 4:08pm

Snohomish building gets solar system

SNOHOMISH — Northwest Wind &Solar of Seattle has installed a 31.39-kilowatt photovoltaic solar system for a 6,000-square-foot commercial office and fleet maintenance shop in Snohomish that will be occupied by Kemp West Inc., a comprehensive vegetation management company that serves utility and municipal customers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“We were intrigued by the idea of incorporating solar power into our new building, and after carefully analyzing the investment, installing the solar system came down to a sensible financial decision,” said Kari Hakso, Kemp West owner. “After meeting with Northwest Wind &Solar and learning about the system and its advantages for the long term, as well as incentives available through the Snohomish County PUD and others, we were excited to go solar.”

The state pays a production incentive of 15 cents per kilowatt hour. The system Kemp West uses will nearly reach the maximum $5,000 per year of production incentive. As a commercial business, the project qualifies for a 75 percent sales tax reduction and a 30 percent federal income tax credit on the installation cost with the remainder eligible for accelerated depreciation. After the incentives, the system will pay for itself in seven years and offers a 30- to 40-year service life.

FS Bancorp reports third-quarter profit

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — FS Bancorp Inc., the holding company for 1st Security Bank of Washington, reported 2012 third-quarter net income of $3.3 million or $1.03 per diluted share, which includes a $2.3 million net tax benefit as a result of the reversal of the majority of its deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

Results without the deferred tax benefit reflect net income of $1 million in the third quarter, up from $621,000 for the second quarter of 2012 and $225,000 for the third quarter ended Sept. 30, 2011. Net income for the first nine months of 2012 was $4.2 million including the $2.3 million net tax benefit. Results without the deferred tax benefit reflect net income of $1.9 million for the first nine months of 2012 compared to net income of $1.2 million for the first nine months of 2011.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress we have made on the successful implementation of our business plan and the recent ability to deploy a portion of the capital raised during our mutual to stock initial public offering,” said Joe Adams, CEO of the company and the bank. “The current interest rate environment has benefited our new construction and home lending teams to attract new loans and has helped to complement our commercial and consumer lending teams.”

Chef, farmer to keynote 2012 Focus on Farming

EVERETT — World-renowned chef Ann Cooper and former Marine Sgt. Colin Archipley top the speakers’ list for this year’s ninth annual Focus on Farming conference. The two will give keynotes related to their work in the industry during the Nov. 15 event at Comcast Arena in Everett.

Cooper will speak about her years of work advocating for better food for children in public schools during the event’s gourmet lunch.

Archipley is known for his small-scale organic farm in Southern California, established in 2007, that utilizes innovative growing techniques to produce high quality organic food. His morning keynote will feature his work with veterans and farming while he and his wife, Karen, will also teach an entrepreneur farming session.

More than 500 farmers are expected for the conference, which includes a 17,000-square-foot trade show and classes in specialty crops, livestock, nursery-greenhouse, business of farming-marketing, local grains, new-beginning farmers and small equipment.

To register or for sponsorship information, go to www.focusonfarming.org. For questions, contact Linda Neunzig at 425-388-7170 or linda.neunzig@snoco.org.

Can you design the greenest greenhouse?

EVERETT — SnoLEAF of Cascadia Green Building Council has partnered with Snohomish County in the first of its kind Green-Greenhouse Design Competition. Grand prize is $7,500. The winning design will be announced at the Living Future Conference in Seattle on May 15-17.

Design criterion strictly follows those set by the Living Building Challenge using net zero energy, water and waste. The Living Building Challenge is a green building certification program that defines the most advanced measure of sustainability in the built environment possible. The size and types of spaces within the greenhouse will include planting areas, growing areas, loading and unloading, restrooms and meeting space.

Phase one of the competition opens Nov. 16. Registration and design packets will be available at snoleaf.org. Competition ends March 31, 2013. A panel of judges will review submissions to determine the winning design. Second place will receive $3,500 and third place will receive $1,500.

Announcements

SNOHOMISH — The Hungry Pelican, a collectibles and delectables shop at 113 Ave. C, will have a grand opening Nov. 16-18 with special discounts and tastings throughout the store all weekend. Mayor Karen Guzak will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Nov. 16 to welcome the store to Snohomish. Everyone is invited to attend.

LYNNWOOD — Comcast has announced the expansion of its three call centers in Lynnwood, Everett and Fife. The expansion will create approximately 180 new jobs, including 140 new positions between the centers in Lynnwood and Everett and 40 positions in Fife. All new positions will be posted at www.comcast.com/careers.

LYNNWOOD — Sparling and its architectural lighting design and consulting division Candela have consolidated their two Puget Sound offices into one location in Lynnwood. Thirty-five employees from Sparling and Candela’s Seattle office moved to Sparling’s Lynnwood building at 4100 194th St. SW. The firm’s primary goal is to have all Puget Sound employees together in one office.

LYNNWOOD — Elle Marie Hair Studio has set the grand opening party of their third location, across the street from Alderwood mall, for Nov. 9. The studio had a soft opening and is now seeing clients. For information or appointments, call 425-640-6555.

EVERETT — The Woodard Agency in Everett has affiliated with PIA Western Alliance and reopened as a full-line independent insurance agency. Woodard Agency owner Lee Woodard has 38 years experience as an agent and represents Hartford, Travelers, MetLife, Safeco and other companies. The agency offers customers quotes from several companies. For information, call 425-903-3415.

EVERETT — Ivar’s Seafood Bar in Everett closed in October for refurbishment and a menu update. This was the first major makeover for the restaurant at the corner of Colby Avenue and 41st Street since it opened 25 years ago.

EDMONDS — Green Tara Inc. has announced plans for the Greenness Memorial Park to serve the Pacific Northwest’s growing community of Buddhists in the Greenness plat in Edmonds. The memorial park will feature two crematoriums, one state-of-the-art and one for traditional Buddhists, and a large columbarium with shrines and a stupa.

EVERETT — Snohomish County is accepting applications for affordable housing, public facility and infrastructure projects from nonprofit organizations, for-profit developers and government agencies. An estimated $3.5 million in federal and local grant funds is anticipated to be available for the 2013 program year. Applications are available online at tinyurl.com/HBJSnoCoHsg.

OLYMPIA — The state’s Employment Security Department has awarded nearly $4.9 million to Workforce Development Council Snohomish County to help workers. It’s about $84,000 less than last year. The council uses the funds to provide counseling, skill assessments, job-search assistance and training to laid-off workers, low-income adults and low-income or disadvantaged young people. The services are available through WorkSource offices located in Snohomish County.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Nearly 100 people attended the Mountlake Terrace Evergreen Awards ceremony at the Ballinger Clubhouse on Sept. 19. The program promotes beautification efforts in the city and featured 28 award-winning properties, including 15 residences, two businesses and two multifamily properties. In addition, nine Transformation Awards recognized owners who renovated their properties to become assets to the community.

EVERETT — Dentist Dr. Colleen Tracy at All Family Dental Care is leading an anti tooth-decay movement by giving away dollars in exchange for Halloween candy. From Nov. 1 to 9, Tracy will give children $1 per pound of candy donated. This is the first year she has sponsored a Halloween candy buy-back event.

EVERETT — Snohomish County has been awarded a $5.3 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program to rebuild part of the general aviation runway at Paine Field. The grant provides 90 percent of the funding for the project to upgrade runway 16L-34R, which was built 25 years ago and needs repairs to meet FAA standards.

EVERETT — The Fluke 437, the latest model in the Fluke 430 Series II three phase power analyzers, is now available. The first tools to use a patented algorithm, unified power management, to measure and quantify energy losses due to harmonics and unbalance issues. This allows users to pinpoint the origin of energy waste within a system.

TULALIP — Due to a scheduling conflict, Brett deLeuze, president of ZD Wines, will replace La Serena’s Heidi Barrett as a guest winemaker and panelist at the 2012 Taste of Tulalip on Nov. 9 and 10. He will be joined by Lucio Gomiero of Vignalta, Marc Perrin of Famille Perrin, Ron Penner-Ash and Sean Boyd of Woodinville Wine Cellars. For more information, go to www.tasteoftulalip.com.

ARLINGTON — The state Department of Transportation awarded the contract to replace the one-lane Pilchuck Creek bridge on Highway 9 north of Arlington to Granite Construction for $8.9 million. Competition for the contract was aggressive and bids came in well below construction estimates. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic in 2014.

EVERETT — Snohomish County’s Tourism Promotion Area board is soliciting applications to support projects that will increase overnight lodging in Snohomish County. The TPA grant differs from other lodging grants because it can be used to fund a range of expenses beyond marketing and promotions. The newly launched website, www.snocotpa.com, offers an application form, project examples, links for event planning and more.

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — City lodging tax funds of $22,500 are available to qualified applicants for projects and events that promote tourism in 2013. Applications are available by calling 425-744-6206, emailing cityhall@ci.mlt.wa.us or online at [URL]www.cityofmlt.com;http://www.cityofmlt.com[URL] on the City Happenings/Community Grant Funds page.

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Auditor’s Office completed the Mountlake Terrace 2011 city audit with an exit conference on Oct. 9. The city received a clean audit opinion for 2011 and the report concludes that the city continues to maintain a strong financial position.

OLYMPIA — The state Department of Revenue reported taxable retail sales increased 4.7 percent to $26.8 billion during the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011. Among major industries, construction was up 7 percent to $3.9 billion, accommodations and food services increased 5.4 percent to $3.2 billion, motor vehicles and parts rose 12.9 percent to $2.9 billion, and general merchandise stores were up 2.1 percent to $2.4 billion.

BOTHELL — The University of Washington-Bothell School of Business has joined the Principles for Responsible Management Education Initiative. Signatories to PRME commit to an emphasis on global social responsibility, research, partnerships and sustainability. UW-Bothell will update its activities every year, in accordance with PRME requirements.

OLYMPIA — The Washington State Employment Security Department has launched an online Holiday Job Marketplace on their [/URL]go2worksource.com;http://go2worksource.com[URL] site. The site allows job candidates to shop jobs by geographic area and job title.

MARYSVILLE — Greenpoint Products and Services, a leading manufacturer of aircraft interiors and components, delivered its third Boeing Aeroloft kit this month and received an additional order for delivery in 2013. The company’s services include general manufacturing, mockup and prototype fabrication, Parts Manufacturer Approval authority and testing.

EVERETT — Community Transit is outfitting all its buses with GPS, automatic passenger counters and other technology that will improve operations, enhance the customer experience and eventually allow customers to get real-time bus information by phone, computer or mobile device. Over the next six months, the technology will be implemented on all local buses operating within Snohomish County.

EDMONDS — Segway of Edmonds celebrated their new move into 206 Fifth Ave. S. with a grand opening. Partnering with the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, Segway of Edmonds hosted a ribbon cutting on Oct. 26. The retail store includes Segway sales, service, rentals and guided tours.

OLYMPIA — Washington Healthplanfinder will be a new online marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses in Washington to compare and enroll in health insurance coverage and gain access to tax credits, reduced cost sharing and public programs such as Medicaid. The new online marketplace was announced by the Washington Health Benefit Exchange. Learn more at [/URL]www.hca.wa.gov/hbe;http://www.hca.wa.gov/hbe[URL].

EVERETT — Fluke Calibration has introduced the 7526A Precision Process Calibrator. The tool combines versatility, precision and value into a single benchtop process calibrator. Incorporating an isolated measurement channel, it allows users to source and measure simultaneously. Learn more at [/URL]www.flukecal.com/7526A;http://www.flukecal.com/7526A[URL].

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company debenture program provided a record $2.95 billion to small businesses in fiscal year 2012, a 14 percent increase over last year’s $2.59 billion and an 85 percent increase over 2010, also a record year. The FY 2012 volume is the highest single-year volume in the 54-year history of SBA’s SBIC debenture program.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration has awarded the Washington State Department of Commerce another year of federal funding to help state small businesses grow through exporting. The $1.4 million grant, part of the SBA’s State Trade and Export Promotion program, represents the fourth largest state award and continues the successful programs offered through Commerce’s Export Washington initiative.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration’s loan programs posted the second largest dollar volume ever in fiscal year 2012, supporting $30.25 billion in loans to small businesses. That amount was surpassed only by fiscal year 2011, which was heavily boosted by the loan incentives under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The near-record pace was driven in part by a record year for the Certified Development Company loan program, which supported $15.09 billion in small business credits.

Lennar Corp., a leading homebuilder, will host open houses during the first weekend of November to showcase dozens of quality new homes under construction and available in the Lake Stevens area. Select homes are available for quick move in. Interested homebuyers can learn more about the properties online at www.lennar.com/SeattleHotHomes.

SAN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo &Co. approved a record $1.24 billion in Small Business Administration loans in federal fiscal year 2012 and for the fourth consecutive year is America’s leading SBA 7(a) lender in dollar volume. This is the second year in a row that Wells Fargo has approved more than $1 billion in SBA 7(a) loans to small business owners — the only lender to achieve this milestone.

Kudos

EVERETT — Evergreen Food Store on Evergreen Way has been named Washington’s Lottery’s Everett area Retailer of the Year. The retailer sold more scratch tickets than any other store in Everett. On Sept. 26, Washington’s Lottery presented Evergreen Food Store with a plaque and $500 check.

EVERETT — At its recent annual meeting and awards banquet, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Washington State announced that the Everett Herald was the top selection for NAMI Washington’s Media in Public Service Award. NAMI Snohomish County President Jim Bloss said The Herald was cited for its continuing editorial support of both local and state-level efforts directed at improving the mental health system as well as providing specific support for local mental health projects and programs. Cited specifically for mention was the work done by Herald reporters Sharon Salyer and Diana Hefley whose reporting helped reduce the stigma and aided in decriminalizing mental illness.

LYNNWOOD — Central Washington University’s leadership in online higher education was acknowledged at this year’s International Federation for Information Processing World Computer Congress held in Amsterdam. At the Congress, Terry Linkletter, CWU-Lynnwood Information Technology and Administrative Management professor, delivered a presentation and participated in a roundtable discussion on the ideas presented.

TULALIP — Tulalip Resort Casino is the first tribal hotel to receive the Outstanding Property of the Year award from The Washington Lodging Association. With the receipt of this accolade, Tulalip will qualify to be considered for the National Outstanding Property award by the American Hospitality Lodging Association. The hotel has already received a Four Diamond award from AAA.

EDMONDS —Crew members of the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Ferries Division won the President’s Transportation Award for water transportation and were recognized for their exemplary service to save fuel on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry route. This is the second time that Washington State Ferries has won an award sponsored by the American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials.

EVERETT — Members of the Zonta Club of Everett recently attended the District 8 Governor’s Seminar and Leadership Summit in Anchorage, Alaska, where the club received awards for its work in improving women’s lives globally and locally during the past year.

EVERETT — The adviser team of Blake Stedman and Jeff Ayers with Coast|Sperry Van Ness of Everett recently arranged the sale of the HMC Building in Lynnwood to Snohomish County PUD. The total for the sale was $2.75 million.

MOUNT VERNON — The Tapley Auto Group of Skagit County celebrated 25 years in business on Oct. 15. The Tapley family has owned and operated Skagit Ford-Subaru-Mazda for three generations.

MOUNT VERNON — The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival received three Pinnacle Awards for 2012 merchandise at the recent conference of the International Festival and Events Association in Denver. The awards were for the 2012 poster, a tile featuring the poster artwork and a T-shirt. The festival has won 17 awards since 1998.

Good deeds

EVERETT — Klein Honda held its third annual charity golf tournament on Sept. 19 at Walter Hall Golf Course in Everett. Proceeds from the tournament benefited the Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross. After the tournament, players and guests enjoyed dinner and awards.

MILL CREEK — During the month of October, clients of Elle Marie Hair Studio who donated $10 or more to the Pink Hair For Hope campaign received a pink hair extension. Net proceeds went to The American Cancer Society. Elle Marie Hair Studio and She by So.Cap.USA, a leading provider of hair extensions, have hosted the Pink Hair for Hope campaign for six years.

EDMONDS — RBC Wealth Management presented a RBC Blue Water Community Action Grant of $5,000 to be used in assisting the City of Edmonds in improving Willow Creek. This project will protect and restore natural areas in Edmonds. RBC launched the Blue Water Project in 2007 as a multi-year commitment to the worldwide stewardship of water as a natural resource.

EVERETT — Everett Downtown Storage and [/URL]CharityStorage.com;http://CharityStorage.com[URL] will raise funds via storage auction sales. Everett Downtown Storage has devoted a storage unit at each location to be used as a collection point for donated goods from the community. The goods will then be sold at the time of the company’s next auction. Funds will benefit organizations including The Boys &Girls Clubs of Snohomish County.

EVERETT — Schack Art Center has received a $30,000 grant award from the Boeing Co. for several of its 2013 exhibits. It will help support the Center’s upcoming exhibit schedule. Boeing’s Global Corporate Citizenship organization made the grant. Nearly 50,000 people visit Schack’s exhibit gallery every year where admission is free.

Opus Bank and Opus Community Foundation announced16 grant awards to charitable organizations. Cocoon House of Everett received a grant to support its programs, which provide emergency shelter and services for at-risk and homeless teens with the objective of transitioning the youth into safe, permanent housing, while also addressing other challenges including educational, mental health, and addiction issues.

Port shipping schedule

Port of Everett shipping schedule as of Oct. 22. The schedule is tentative and subject to change.

Oct. 31: Westwood Columbia, Westwood

Nov. 4: Bright Stream, ECL

Nov. 6: Westwood Discovery, Westwood

Nov. 11: Morning Lynn, EUKOR/FESCO

Nov. 13: Westwood Olympia, Westwood

Nov. 20: Westwood Pacific, Westwood

Nov. 27: Westwood Rainier, Westwood

Ship port calls 2012 YTD: 80

Barge port calls 2012 YTD: 54

Total ship port calls 2011: 100

Total barge port calls 2011: 56

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