Tonkin Group promotes brands
Our cover story a decade ago was about The Tonkin Group in Monroe’s Fryelands Business Park. Still at that location today, the company was a major influence in the global marketing of corporate merchandise, from marking Louisville Slugger bats with Kenworth or engraving the Volkswagen emblem on portable clocks. Other clients a decade ago included Caterpillar, Consolidated Freightways, Johnson &Johnson, Kraft Foods, Fluke Inc., and John Deere.
GTE launched first ADSL in Snohomish County
Long before it became Verizon, GTE launched ADSL service in the county, known today as simply DSL. A decade ago it was new and uncommon but greatly in demand. Today, it’s common everywhere but still greatly in demand now that it’s been improved to handle today’s wide bandwidth demands for music, television programs and robust Web sites.
SBA visits county
Aida Alvarez, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited Everett. Alvarez said her focus is improving access to financing and business development help for the county’s increasingly diverse entrepreneurial population. She also said that small businesses account for 23 percent of government contracting, about $46 billion. Alvarez toured Boeing, since 33,000 of the company’s 43,000 suppliers in 1997 were small businesses.
Cycle Barn opens new facility
After two years of planning and a year of construction, the Lynnwood Cycle Barn opened its new $2 million building on Highway 99, which more than triples the business’ original 13,000 square-foot space. The number of employees also increased, from 20 to 54. The new building will house motorcycles, parts, accessories and a 10,000-square-foot repair shop with eight mechanics.
Architectural award received
Port Gardner Landing, a three-building complex at the Port of Everett, won an award from the American Institute of Architects’ Seattle Honor Awards for Washington Architecture. Included in the development on West Marine View Drive is the Inn at Port Gardner, the West Marine building and the Westview building, which houses Lombardi’s Cucina.
Commercial values increase
Multiple improvements in downtown Everett during the past four years have raised the value of commercial buildings. In some cases, the value of key commercial properties has increased by 20 percent or more. Two buildings that increased substantially are the Seafirst Bank building, which increased 17 percent in value, to $4.9 million, and Colby Center that rose 29 percent to $5.9 million. Also noted is the price of leased commercial premium office space, which doubled, from $12 per square foot to $24 between 1994 and 1998.
Costco launches e-commerce site
Costco Companies Inc., of Issaquah, launched its new Web site, Costco Online, www.costco.com in November. The product-filled site will be accessible to everyone with Internet access, but only Costco members can purchase items. According to Courtland Newberry, senior vice president of Costco, the site seemed a natural way to go since Costco has sold almost 2 million computers in the past two years.
Port of Everett making changes
The new Port of Everett will begin taking shape in 1999, with changes that include a new marine terminal. Port officials have set aside about $14 million to ready the terminal that could vault the port into the container shipping business.
Work will also begin at the port’s Riverside Industrial Park, the Snohomish River property that was acquired from Weyerhaeuser Corp. The projected income is $2 million a year. Thanks to the passage of statewide Referendum 49, funds will be available for transportation projects, including a railroad overpass that will extend Everett Avenue west to the waterfront. This will ensure that port traffic doesn’t have to wait for trains to pass.
Also, $114,000 is earmarked for a detailed study to determine whether the north marina area will have an expanded marina, restaurants and shops, or if it will become more an industrial center. Development of a comprehensive plan is part of an $18.8 million capital improvement budget for the next year. The commission also approved an operating budget of $12.8 million for the upcoming year.
Local company launches new toothpaste
Q-pharma Inc., a privately owned business in Edmonds, has created the first anti-oxidant toothpaste, Q-Dent, which has been on store shelves locally and in several other western states since September. Q-pharma was co-founded in 1996 by Joseph Baba and James E. Ryan. The company also plans to market mouthwash, dental floss, dental spray and chewing gum within the next three to six months.
New condominiums win awards
Construction Associates of Lynnwood has completed the first phase of The Villas at Harbour Point. The three buildings, each with four condominiums, are priced from $165,000 to $400,000. The Villas was named the 1998 Community of the Year by Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.
Lowe’s buys Eagle Hardware
The Renton-based Eagle Hardware and Gardens Inc. was purchased by Lowe’s Companies for $1 billion in stock, which amounts to $29 for each of Eagle’s 34.5 million shares of stock. There are 32 Eagle stores in nine western states, while Lowe’s has 465 stores, mostly in the Southeast.
New apartments in Bothell
Construction has begun on the Pinacle Sonata Apartments, a 268-unit development on 240th Street in Bothell. The project will be divided into two phases, with total construction expecting to take 16 months.
Port of Edmonds expands
The Port of Edmonds is clearing a 2.7-acre site, demolishing buildings in the uplands area adjacent to the south marina. Improvements will include a new boat rack storage system.
Marysville truck driver honored
Chuck Buell was named Paccar Leasing Company’s Driver of the Year for 1998. Buell has driven 1.6 million miles in 28 years without an accident or a ticket. His schedule for the past 18 years includes loading up to 3,000 different products daily at a Marysville drop-off yard and delivering them to local home improvement stores.
—John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor
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