TOP 50 PRIVATE LOCAL COMPANIES
Month 2010
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MAGAZINE
Will New
Success
Cover Line Leadership Improve Our Primary Business Climate
Cover Lines Primary Subhead
TriVan HOL LY W OOD goes
Jack Louws, Whatcom County Executive & Kelli Linville, Bellingham Mayor
FREE MARKET Environmentalism
Teasers THAT Teasers
WORKS
Name, Position, Company
Teasers Will
RECONVEYANCE Teasers
NW Business Monthly Magazine 2423 E Bakerview Road Bellingham, WA 98226
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There’s A World Of Possibilities Out There. Whidbey ISLAND BANK Making Life A Little Easier MEMBER FDIC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover Story
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County Executive Jack Louws turned playful during the cover photo session with Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville, sliding down a banister at City Hall. But he was a serious study in change management while talking about another slippery slope – the business climate in Whatcom County. He and Linville have zeroed in on ways to inject some positive into a negative perception.
Cover and Table of Contents photos by Ed Lowe. Ed is a Whatcom County resident who shoots commercial photography as Edmund Lowe Photography, based in Seattle.
Industry Reports
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Go inside two complex industries. One, living large and in the red, both frozen and fresh. And the other, people seeing red on both sides of a thorny issue. Red Raspberries and Reconveyance. Big deals, both. We’ve added a bonus Analysis of the one about trees…
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Personally Speaking
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Erin Baker had doublevision. Baking cookies. Healthier quick-breakfast choices. “I wanted to make a bowl of oatmeal in a cookie,” she said. Oats, fruit, nuts, big business—the ingredients of our first Personally Speaking. Her story, her words. The pleasure’s all yours.
TriVan
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Take a truck, any truck. Mold and shape and weld and rivet some aluminum, and slap a back on the truck. A truck in which you can go after bad characters (S.W.A.T.), or put make-up on fictional characters (Hollywood crew van). TriVan Truck Body tale is shell on wheels, rising rapidly on basic sales tenets.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Private Top 50
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All confirmed, we have listed the Private Top 50 for Whatcom County. You’ll find $2.5 billion in regional success for fiscal year 2011, headed (again) by Haggen Inc. Plus, they employ 11,000. Upticks in construction and auto sales provided economic indicators.
WBA formation and Board Alliance of Leaders CEOs and presidents from leading Whatcom County companies have stepped up to improve the local business climate through the newly-formed Whatcom Business Alliance. Take the challenge from the President of this new organization to take their lead.
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56 Business Pulse appreciates the generous permission to use professional photo images from the events in the Ryan Stiles Classic, courtesy of Matty Photography in Tacoma, Wash. Thank you, event volunteer Matt McDaniel
Guest columns Our initial series of guest columnists examine diminishing coal supplies and freemarket fueled environmentalism, as well as the touchiest human resources issue in a book excerpt by a local businessman with the provocative title, “Fire Someone Today.” Another mentors on mentoring, and our new Tech Help column has its head in the Cloud.
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Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic Ryan Stiles takes improv comfort from comedic comrade Colin Mochrie. Everyone attached to Stiles’s Celebrity Golf Classic takes comfort from the civic involvement that has turned this event into a model for community philanthropy, benefiting children with burn injuries.
M A G A Z I N E The Publication of The Whatcom Business Alliance Managing Editor: Mike McKenzie
Mike Mckenzie Frank Samuels
Graphic Designer: Jason Rinne
Special Contributors: Laura Bostrom Dave Brumbaugh Don Brunell Janel Ernster Tony Larson Dakota Mackey, Intern Gerry Millman Todd Myers Bob Pritchett Frank Samuels
Subscriptions: Janel Ernster Administration: Danielle Larson Feature Writers: Frances Badgett Gerald Baron Dakota Mackey, Intern
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Cover Photo: Edmund Lowe Photography, Seattle Photography: Gerald Baron Dakota Mackey Mike Mckenzie Some Photos Courtesy Of: Matty Photography, Tacoma Erin Baker Wholesome Baked Goods Rader Farms Inc Trivan Truck Body
For editorial comments and suggestions, please write editor@ businesspulse.com Business Pulse Magazine is the publication of the Whatcom Business Alliance. It is published at 2423 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. (360) 671-3933. Fax (360) 671-3934. The yearly subscription rate is $20 in the USA, $48 in Canada. For a free digital subscription, go to businesspulse.com or whatcombusinessalliance.com. Entire contents copyrighted © 2012 – Business Pulse Magazine. All rights reserved. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Business Pulse Magazine, 2423 E Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 7
Fostering Business Success and Community Prosperity www.WhatcomBusinessAlliance.com The Whatcom Business Alliance is a member organization created to enhance Whatcom County’s quality of life through the preservation and creation of healthy businesses and good jobs. We encourage, support, facilitate and advocate on behalf of local companies in every industry who are working to retain jobs; local companies interested in expanding their operations and startup companies interested in locating in our community.
Executive Committee
Chairman Troy Muljat Co-Founder, NVNTD, Inc. Managing Broker, Muljat Commercial
Jane Carten President / CEO Saturna Capital
Dave Adams, President Emergency Reporting
Randi Axelsson, Sales Manager Silver Reef Hotel, Casino & Spa
Andy Enfield Vice President Enfield Farms
Becky Raney Owner Print & Copy Factory
Bob Pritchett President / CEO Logos Bible Software, Inc.
Brad Rader Vice President Rader Farms
Janelle Bruland, President / CEO Management Services NW
Kevin DeVries President / CEO Exxel Pacific, Inc.
Greg Ebe President / CEO Ebe Farms
Brian Gentry, Manager Community & Business Services Puget Sound Energy
John Huntley President / CEO Mills Electric, Inc.
Sandy Keathley Previous Owner K & K Industries
Paul Kenner Executive VP SSK Insurance
Jon Sitkin Partner Chmelik Sitkin & Davis P.S.
Doug Thomas President / CEO Bellingham Cold Storage
Kathy Varner CEO VSH, Certified Public Accountants
Karen Winger Senior VP, Commercial Banking Wells Fargo Bank
Board of Directors
Not Pictured: Guy Jansen, Director Lynden Transport, Inc.
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Jeff Kochman President / CEO Barkley Company
WBA, 2423 E. Bakerview Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226 • 360.671.3933
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 9
LEADING OFF Tony Larson | President, Whatcom Business Alliance The Whatcom Business Alliance is a member organization made up of businesses of every size and shape, from every industry. The WBA enhances the quality of life throughout Whatcom County by promoting a healthy business climate that preserves and creates good jobs.
Improving the Business Climate It’s time for all of us to step up and become part of the solution
I
recently attended a forum of CEOs in Bellingham and the discussion centered on how to attract and recruit valuable high-tech employees against stiff industry competition.
The beauty of our area and its geographic proximity were the biggest positives in appealing to candidates. After all, we are the only place north of San Francisco and west of the Mississippi River that can boast nearly 6 million people within a two-hour drive, with Vancouver, B.C., to the north and Seattle to the south. We have islands, world-class skiing at Mount Baker, lakes and rivers, boating, hiking, biking, and many other recreational opportunities we’ve all come to enjoy. The forum identified the biggest negative in recruitment as a lack of opportunity here for livable wage jobs. The wrap-up focused on how companies can leverage their assets and our attractive location in recruitment around the state and nation. It was a valuable conversation. And it’s one of many reasons I would like to introduce you to the board of directors of the newly formed Whatcom Business Alliance (WBA) in this issue of the magazine. Bellingham and Whatcom County have earned a reputation 10 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
of having an unfriendly business climate. If we don’t engage in a serious dialogue about the problem, we have no chance of solving it. The WBA and its board of successful, community-minded business leaders will make that one of its objectives. Before I explain how, let’s first examine the basic problem. The Ferndale mayor is on record saying he was told by the Washington State Department of Commerce they don’t refer companies to Whatcom County any more because of an unfavorable business climate and the difficulty in getting projects off the ground. That’s disturbing.. This reputation is not imaginary, and we cannot ignore it lest the consequences impact our community negatively. Examples: A glass manufacturing company had interest in building a facility in Whatcom County this year. They chose to expand to Burlington instead. They made their decision based not only on excessive costs and time associated with moving their project forward, but also because of a concern about the difficulty of expanding after locating here. They had a different and very positive experience in Skagit County, where leaders stepped up and worked together to assist the company. Burlington waived impact fees, expedited permits, and the rest is history --our loss. A small start-up boat company,
previously located on the corner of Bakerview and Irongate in Bellingham, moved to La Conner last year. They had seven vessels under construction and 11 new projects signed, and they needed to expand. The owners live in Bellingham, their children attend local schools, and they wanted to stay. However, they felt it was not in their best interest to keep their company here. They were selected as the Skagit County 2011 start-up business of the year. In the acceptance speech, the owner drew a sharp contrast between their experiences in Bellingham and Skagit County. The owner praised Skagit community leaders who understood the value they brought as an employer and for making the decision and the transition easy. A major berry farm in Lynden wanted to add technology that would require millions of dollars in new investment, and building a new structure to house it. The required permits met delay after delay for over a year. After much frustration, they called the county executive to express their aggravation. A few days later, the permit came through. They learned the lesson that the merits of the project might not matter; it’s who you know. That creates a lasting, negative impression. I could fill these pages with stories of frustration told by local businesses of all types and sizes. Many defy common sense.
Successful businesses increase of every size, in every industry in ways that serve us all. the quality of life for everyone Whatcom County. The WBA will encourage, supin Whatcom County, so we need All the WBA board members are port, facilitate and advocate to do everything we can to foster leaders. They have track records on behalf of all businesses in business success. of success. They care deeply Whatcom County, with emphasis My intent is not to focus on about our community. They have on all. We will bring together problems. Rather, it’s to stimulate experience in starting, owning, local business owners, company solutions. That’s why the WBA operating, managing, turning presidents, CEOs, other top execuformed. If we’re serious about around, and/or selling successful tives, and entrepreneurs to identify improving our business climate companies. They and their comand discuss issues important to and increasing our civic vitality, panies give back to the community creating a vibrant business comwe all need to recognize the chalin large measure. munity. We will be an honest brolenges that local businesses face. The WBA board members are ker of ideas intended to improve Businesses battling to retain serious thinkers and bring value to the business climate and uphold employees could greatly benefit every conversation. They will lead the mission. from assistance. Companies ponthe vitally important Whatcom Business Pulse Magazine is the dering expanpublication of sion could hire the WBA. I more employees. encourage you Startup compato go to the nies and people website (www. with good entrebusinesspulse. preneurial ideas com) or email could benefit by us with content connecting with ideas (editor@ investors and businesspulse. with other busicom). That ness people who could include have already business sucbeen through cess stories, that process sucfeature ideas, cessfully. industry Some comreports, colpanies outumns, business side Whatcom challenges you County are ripe might be facTony Larson, president of the WBA, makes a point at its first board meeting as elected for recruitment, ing, or anychair Troy Muljat looks on. Staff Photo so long as we thing else on are prepared to your mind. Business Alliance and guide it into make Whatcom County a desirable We also will host events that a lasting, legacy organization of and economically viable place for will allow you to connect directly influence at every level of ecothem to do business. They would with other business owners and nomic import. do what any good business does— leaders. Our next big member The WBA is a nonpolitical, provide valuable products and serevent will take place Oct.18, 2012. member organization open to all vices, employ people, increase our You can subscribe to our newsletwho share its purpose and mistax base, and give back to organiter on our website and we’ll keep sion. It is privately funded and zations in need. you in the communication loop. the board is 100-percent private I invite and encourage you to So, what can we do? sector. Its purpose is to foster join our efforts to build a business business success and community alliance by becoming a member We have already started by prosperity, based on the belief of the WBA. Go to our website getting business people into the that we will not enjoy community at www.whatcombusinessalliance. conversation through an alliance prosperity without business succom to learn more or call me of business owners and leaders. cess. Businesses employ people, directly at 360.746.0411. Next, we will build a communicapay taxes, fund nonprofits, and Enjoy the summer edition! tion network that will allow input contribute to the community in and serve as a voice for businesses
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 11
TITLE
Personally Speaking ...
Erin Baker
The Cookie Maker
Founder of a burgeoning breakfast cookie and granola enterprise speaks to healthier eating habits, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal, the business name, and the business game.
E
rin was back, with spring in her step and her trademark smile and humor that come easily. She’d been missing in action 5 months to close 2011 and to greet 2012, dealing with medical matters, and this was moving day. Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods was settling into its sixth location since inception in 1994 (as Baker’s Breakfast Cookies), doubling its Bellingham space to more than 30,000 square feet for its retail lobby, kitchen, and shipping warehouse. Still, she took time out to walk a block, indulge in French toast brunch with Business Pulse, and talk about her personal journey. This remarkable success story evolved from a “born-to-bake” childhood with an entrepreneurial mother. Erin took a bold idea – a cookie as a healthy alternative for a quick breakfast choice – and a neophyte business that started in a state 4-H kitchen and grew to multimillions in annual sales. Plus, it continues to fuel thousands of kids’ breakfast and hundreds of triathletes’ nutrition along the way. In her words, her story: 12 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
ON USING SOCIAL MEDIA My Facebook page is a reflection of my view of life … not too much too fast, chill, use a little moderation. I blog about what’s new, a weekend’s activities, development of the business, and what I eat. My diet has been transparent in my blog for four years. I had a food epiphany and learned I wasn’t eating enough fruit and vegetables. I began eating three pieces of fruit a day, my first step that propelled me forward to healthier eating habits — seven servings of fruits and vegetables a day — and it changed my life. Also (re: social media), I felt like we were hiding in an alley for 12 years in our previous location. Our new location (on Ohio Street) feels much more social, and I am very excited for that.
ON SPREADING THE FOOD-CHOICE GOSPEL: One of my strongest desires and my top priority is to connect with people and encourage, inspire, educate them about how to eat healthier. Hopefully, what works for me will work for them. I am betting on that. The topics of weight and what people eat are very personal, very sensitive areas. The thing about food is that it boils down to personal responsibility. I want people to respect the urgency of learning how to eat better in this packaged-food, go-go-go-go society. It’s very easy to become disconnected from real food that will keep you
NICOLE NELSON displays EB homestyle granola products where she greets customers who enter the retail entryway at the company’s new location on Ohio Street in Bellingham. Staff Photo
Way
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ERIN BAKER healthy and protect your body. We’ve detached from the basics of making healthier food choices. I’m passionate about connecting with people on that issue and empowering them to respect and understand why healthier choices are important -- to take small steps, to exercise restraints. Basically, to let them know you can have your cookie and eat it, too.
“I always knew what I wanted to do – be an entrepreneur. I was born to bake. And to become a capitalist.”
THE ‘BOWL OF OATMEAL’ IN A COOKIE comes in a variety of 11 flavors. Fruit & Nut was first to market, and it remains the most popular. Staff Photo
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ON HER REALLY, REALLY BIG GOAL: I have a Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal: reduce child obesity by 50 percent. It’s on every goal list I write, on every visualization board I create. As my life progresses and resources increase, I feel that I can make it happen, or at the very least make a dent. You build your equity, your glass is full, and you realize, “I can do this.” All kids are at risk, and the more healthy foods we get in them the more they will crave healthy food. We provide breakfast cookies for all the Boys & Girls Clubs in Whatcom County for a healthy breakfast or snack. We also will provide a breakfast for every bag of Erin Baker Endurance Granola we sell. This will take our breakfast program beyond Whatcom County. Our 2012-2013 goal is to feed 1 million kids a healthy breakfast. We need to teach children the skills to feed themselves. With our national sales manager in place, I can spend more time on this Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal.
ON COMPANY HEART: The business has to say what we are passionate about. We give back. It shows our employees the unexpected, that they work for a company that does cool stuff. It doesn’t get any better than that. Our staff, they’re my family. I love them, and they love me.
ON THE BAKER NAME: People think my name, Baker, is a chosen name related to Mt. Baker or a play on the word baker. It’s my name, and how lucky am I that I love to bake! It’s a really cool thing to see my name on our packages, always thrilling, and always a reminder of how far we’ve come.
COOKIES FOR KIDS Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods sends cases filled with baked goods every month to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, and doubles the amount during the summer months. The Whatcom clubs have about 5,800 members county-wide in its five clubs (Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lummi Island, and Lynden). Christine Destry, the director of organizational advancement the county Boys & Girls Clubs administration, revealed that Erin Baker will be assisting the Whatcom clubs’ revamped nutrition program, including cooking programs using the clubs’ garden. Erin also will be the keynote speaker Nov. 8 for the Whatcom clubs’ annual fund-raising breakfast. Her company’s triathlon team featuring athletes from all across the country also raises funds for Boys & Girls Clubs nationally. Further, through its Healthy Start Foundation, EBWBG supplies breakfast to about 2,500 kids in a local Mt. Baker “Fuel the Ride” program each week during ski season. TOP SHELF SNACK: Whatcom Boys & Girls Clubs enjoy daily snacks like this donated by the company.
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ERIN BAKER ON SELECTING THIS CAREER PATH: I always knew what I wanted to do – be an entrepreneur. At 7, I was working in my mother’s retail stores (in California). She had boutiques in the Bay Area. I was predisposed. At 9, I was baking and selling cookies in our neighborhood. We had moved to Orcas Island. At 12, I met Debbie Fields – Mrs. Fields Cookies. She was a young gal, personally handing out samples on Cannery Row in San Francisco. It inspired me. I thought, ”I want to do this. Erin Baker’s cookies.“ I was born to bake. And to become a capitalist.
ON YOUTHFUL PURSUITS: In high school I was an average student of a mom who worked 14 hours a day. (At 5-foot-10) I played some volleyball in a Junior Olympics program in Berkeley (Calif.). Here, I mountain bike,
snowboard, paddle board, trail run, and ride horses with my buddy, Jody Bergsma. I’ve been into horses my whole life. No lessons; I’ve never been much for
“When I set out I wanted to make a bowl of oatmeal in a cookie package for the 45 million Americans who skip breakfast.” instruction. I’d just rip through the woods and jump over stuff. I could have gone an athletic way, probably, or a studious way, but though school was a great time, super fun, my mindset was that I couldn’t wait to graduate so I could get to work. I didn’t see any way to do that playing sports or going to college.
ON GETTING GOING: In 1994 I applied for a business license and made my first batch of breakfast cookies. I was waitressing in a Langley restaurant and I used their kitchen in off-hours. I was managing a bed-and-breakfast, the Country Cottage, and I started a dessert service to make extra money.
ON THE CONCEPT: I wanted to figure out a way to mass produce my product, instead of selling individual desserts. When I set out, I wanted to make a bowl of oatmeal in a cookie package for the 45 million Americans who skip breakfast.
ON HOW THE PRODUCT IS UNIQUE: First of all, whole grains and fruit are the primary ingredients. I really wanted to keep the refined flour and sugar to an absolute minimum. Basically, I reverseengineered an oatmeal cookie. I used oats and prunes, one of the great natural preservatives with antioxidant benefits. I took out the butter and loads of sugar and sweetened with fruit puree. The only thing that makes it a cookie is that it’s round.
ON WHO INSPIRED HER: My mom was my only role model, the best ever. If I wasn’t married, I’d share a home, single, with my mom (Diane Ferree). We have so much fun together. She’s still in business. She owns Lulu’s in Bellingham, which was her 20th retail store. My mom is everything to me.
ON HOW IT BEGAN:
Cont #WHIRLS1090D9
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One October I was lying in bed asking myself, ”What to do? What to do? What to do?“ Then, it hit me! I was raised with very special ideas about food – butter, not margarine; whole foods, fresh, not processed, that sort of thing.
Within a month I was making healthy food. I wanted a big, huge, giant bakery. I started in a 4-H building on Whidbey Island. The first year I grossed about $15,000 and netted about $8,000. The Fruit and Nut breakfast cookie was the first product. With Baker’s Breakfast Cookies, we developed 30 SKUs (stockkeeping units) with three product lines –breakfast cookies, breakfast cookie mini’s, and granola. Later, we changed the brand to Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods. That was interesting when one day, doodling, I noticed that the initials fit my husband, who works in the business, and me – Erin Baker With Brian Geschwill.
ON SUGGESTIONS FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS: Throw your weight around and make it happen. You’re fresh, you’re new, you’re now, you’re what’s happening. Women are a growing force in business, and have never been more powerful. We’re continuing to level the playing field, and definitely the buying power in America is all about women. I pooh-pooh the
glass ceiling concept. There is no ceiling. That’s why I went into business.
--From an exclusive interview with Mike McKenzie, Managing Editor Copyright, Business Pulse Magazine, 2012 Photos of Ms. Baker courtesy of Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods. Thank you.
ON HER BAKING: I bake at home almost every day. I’m constantly experimenting. Recipes go through the research and development process at the bakery, but the ideas come from me.
ON HER CHANGING ROLE: During the last decade, we’ve experienced our ups and downs and we focused on selling what we had and defending the castle. With a new decade in front of me, I am ready to get back to a more creative role working on new products and innovation throughout the company. The food business is one that won’t go away, but the business climate is ever-changing and challenging … evolve or die.
ON THE IMPACT OF SMALL BUSINESSES: Small business is going to carry this country. We have to change the paradigm. It’s broken. It’s become ”make as much as you can, living fat.“ We need to think about everybody else, not just ourselves. How can we get more for everybody? Use your earning power for a greater good.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 17
TITLE TRIVAN
SPOELSTRA’S SPARKS— TriVan welder Kevin Spoelstra
TriVan’s Truckin’ Basic sales methods – ‘Sales 101 … dialing for dollars’ – put Ferndale custom truck body manufacturer on a fast track Story and Photos by Gerald Baron
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F
rom warm crew quarters for half-frozen oil field workers in northern Alaska to dressing rooms for pampered Hollywood stars. From biological warfare decontamination units to SWAT and mobile-incident command centers. All on the backs of trucks. A tour of the 40,000-square-foot design and fabrication facility of TriVan Truck Body in Ferndale reveals some of the most advanced and varied truck-borne containers being built anywhere in the world. TriVan Truck Body was started from scratch in 2003 on West Smith Road in Ferndale. Today the company employs about 120 workers in design, fabrication, and administration. And they’re looking to add many more soon, as much as doubling as the four
OWNERSHIP PARTNERS—The four who drive the business (l. to r.): the Van Driel brothers--Ryan, Marty, and Cason—and Jan Kottelenberg.
partners running TriVan sustain sales growth on a semi-meteoric, but manageable level. The breadth of markets that the company serves, both across industries and geographically, is remarkable—all built on the technical expertise and craftsmanship demonstrated in every product shipped. • For oil industry leaders like Halliburton, TriVan designs and builds mobile welldrilling control units, data centers, crew facilities, and massive generator housings that contain power units capable of powering small cities. • For Hollywood, the TriVan team gained recognition for creating some of the most innovative and sumptuous mobile dressing units and production vehicles. • For governments, TriVan makes SWAT units, mobile command centers, and National Guard biological warfare decontamination units. • Crew vehicles meant to carry conservation workers
•
to remote locations for the California Conservation Corps had to pass extensive safety and rollover tests. Mobile paper shredder vans and massive Mobile Slaughtering Units (MSUs) —used by small cattle farming co-ops in remote locations— and bridge inspection vehicles represent a few more of the unique, custom-designed TriVan truck bodies.
“We are sales guys at heart. That’s the core of a business.” Cason Van Driel
What’s the secret? Years and years of technical expertise? A unique and proprietary process that has the truck world beating a path to their door? Well, yes, but Cason Van Driel cited basic sales techniques as the key. The roots of the company lie in sales and, in many ways, the heart of the company is still all
about sales that led to a milestone 2,000th truck body late last year. “Sales 101,” company president and sales manager Cason Van Driel said. “It’s that simple.” The TriVan story starts with yet another Whatcom County success story: Premier School Agendas. Two friends from Canada started that company — Hank Berends in Lynden and Dave Loeppky in Bellingham (now co-owner of Chuckanut Bay Foods just around the bend in Ferndale). They grew a small printing venture into a leader in publishing school agendas—a highly-competitive and specialized product. That business thrived on a disciplined and highly-effective sales force who made certain they contacted every school and served every customer well. They hired a couple of brothers from Canada who were part of the same church community. The bond of trust paid off, and the two brothers, Cason Van Driel and Marty Van Driel, rose to become regional sales managers. Cason Van Driel gave lavish praise to Loeppky and Berends for creating a corporate culture that WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 19
TRIVAN new plant, including a patented aluminum extrusion process, i.e., forming truck panels by pushing the aluminum through a die in a unique way. Suddenly he had two accomplished salesmen eager to learn all about truck bodies and to get selling. They all struck a partnership, including equal financial investments from the partners. The Van Driels spent a year soaking up all they could about the truck body design and manufacturing business. Meanwhile, during that year Van Dyke designed and supervised the construction of the manufacturing plant outside of Ferndale PATENTED PANELS—Cason Van Driel examines a stack of the uniquely-designed snap lock off I-5. Then, in early 2003, the aluminum panels produced by the company’s patented extrusion process. These set TriVan sales effort took off. apart in the industry because of exceptional strength, yet light weight. Ever-smiling, fast-talking, and was productive but fun, based on could apply the lessons learned at brimming with enthusiasm for his respect and sales discipline. When Premier. They had decided to save products, team, and company, Van Premier was sold in 2001 to cortheir money during their success Driel explained what he means by porate giant School Specialty, days in selling school agendas, so the basics of sales: “It’s dialing the Van Driel brothers began they built a bank account rather for dollars, picking up the phone, casting about to see where they than big houses in anticipation knocking on doors. People buy of a day when opportunity might from people.” To this day, with the call. successful sales strategy filling up That call came January 2, the plant with orders for special2002 from Intercontinental Truck ized orders, Cason Van Driel said Body (ITB) in British Columbia. the three-person sales team of It wasn’t exactly Ryan, Bob Lodder, out of the blue. A him stick to “It’s dialing for dollars, and younger Van Driel the discipline of brother, Ryan, picking up the phone, five brand new was a salesman sales contacts a for that company, knocking on doors. People week. which—surprise!— buy from people.” The company was run by some started out makCason Van Driel more guys from ing the standard the same church box vans seen community. The two older Van on trucks all over the road, like Driel brothers had approached the the delivery vans for Appliance ITB owners about the possibility Giants. ITB was good at that, and of expanding their operation into its proprietary extrusion system the U.S. market and, after lengthy helped make them competitive. consideration, the phone call in The method produces a simple early 2002 started the ball rolling. snap-lock shape that makes the ITB was willing to make the aluminum walls of vans both leap, due in part to the desire of exceptionally strong and light. one of their partners, Aren Van But ITB also was designing cusDyke, to retire. But he wanted tom truck bodies, and TriVan soon to see if he could still put all he found business in that more techhad learned about truck body nically-challenging market. manufacturing to work in a brand The new custom business 20 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
was a blessing, Cason Van Driel explained, because the market for standard truck bodies dropped dramatically. Big national players like Supreme Industries and Morgan have dominated the market in making the traditional products a commodity. When 2008 hit, the market for new vehicles went down the drain. Cason Van Driel talked about the reverses and challenges with a laugh. While such severe downturns could tear partnerships apart, he said that throughout the difficulties their ownership group maintained a very good relationship. “No fights, no tension, we always got along.” Disagreements arose, he said, but respect for
WHAT’S IN A NAME? FAMILY, NOT TRUCK At first blush, the name TriVan for a truck body design, manufacturing, and sales business seems logically sound. A van’s a truck, right? That’s but a coincidence. Three of the founding partners were Cason and Marty Van Driel (pronounced ‘dreel’) and Aren Van Dyke. That simple. Three Vans. Van Dyke retired, but a third Van Driel, Ryan, joined the partnership. The fourth partner, Jan Kottelenberg, fell outside of the TriVan naming, but he, too, had family connectivity—he is co-founder Van Dyke’s son-in-law. VAN AND JAN—Three Van Driels, brothers (l. to r.) Ryan, Marty, and Cason, join Jan Kottelenberg in front of the logo that has hauled them to the fore of their industry.
each other—the heart of the leaders’ business philosophy and their personal beliefs—helped keep
the team cohesive. Now, with a highly-specialized design team and loads of experience in the most
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TRIVAN
THE HOLLYWOOD CONNECTION TriVan has a footprint in a highly-competitive Hollywood marketplace. Their makeup vans sit on sets used by TV actors during shootings of many programs, such as CSI:NY and Grey’s Anatomy, as well as the cast of the movie Men in Black III. Under construction in the plant this summer is a production unit that includes a slide-out viewing room, director’s office, talent dressing room, and bathroom—all within one 53-foot trailer. It’s a $400,000 unit. “Imagine that,” co-owner Cason Van Driel said, “Hollywood stars dressing in a van made right here in little ol’ Ferndale, Washington.” He explained how this market niche sprang from a trip he made to Los Angeles and Disneyland with his family. He returned home excited about all the specialty trailers he’d seen in use by the film and television industries. The TriVan partners scheduled a sales trip to Hollywood by picking up a directory and “dialing for dollars,” Van Driel said. The staff filled a calendar with appointments. They found a willing audience, and contracted for three trailer orders. Van Driel said, “It’s not always about connections. You put a spring in your step and a shine on WHERE THE STARS ARE—The casts of many TV shows and movies get make-up facing a wall of mirrors like your shoes.” Now, he these in a custom TriVan creation, a market idea that said, they get lots of sprang from a family trip to Disneyland. unsolicited calls from Photo courtesy of TriVan Truck Body the fleet operators in Hollywood.
technically-challenging execution, Cason Van Driel said, “(Our) degree of specialization in design and fabrication is unparalleled. As we became more specialized, competition became less and less a factor.” Corporate culture is critical to the partners. Cason credited their Premier School Agendas experience with teaching them the value of a strong corporate culture, and he emphasized that they want 22 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
TriVan to be a fun place to work. “Everyone stops for coffee at 10 in the morning, for lunch at noon, and coffee at 3 o’clock,” he said. Front office, as well as plant employees. Break rules: no talk about work. Lots of laughs. No big egos. As Cason Van Driel sat during the interview for this article, the coffee room next to the conference room erupted in song. The team sang
“Happy Birthday” to a co-worker. The “no big ego” thing is especially important to Cason. He started out as general manager and brother Marty was sales manager. They soon found that arrangement wasn’t the best fit for their skills, so they switched roles. Marty became the GM and Cason chose sales manager, and he’s uncomfortable with the title of president. He said of Marty, “He’s a great leader, decisive, considerate, a good money manager, always making decisions that are in the best interest of the company.” The overall management role receives support from partner Jan Kottelenberg, who supervises operations while Cason and brother Ryan focus on sales and customer service. The intentional breakdown of divisions between front office and plant employees, plus the inclusion of the partners as co-workers with everyone else, seems both intentional and natural. “We don’t want to be those guys whose business starts going well and their expectation of perks grows—fancy cars, fancy this, fancy that,” Cason Van Driel said. “Then, when you’re hit with a downturn you have this big millstone around your neck.” The business also has a strong commitment to lean manufacturing.Working with Paul Akers of FastCap in Bellingham, a company with the slogan, “Lean Innovations that Change the World,” the TriVan team has embraced lean principles enthusiastically. That enhances the desire for simplicity, frugality, and productivity. “It’s
about getting rid of waste, getting rid of what bugs you, and respecting each other,” Cason Van Driel said. “(Waste)…is like gravity, a constant force unless you strive against it.” He said going lean has made “a huge difference.”
SMOKIN’ HOT—That’s an appropo description of TriVan’s standing in its industry, and of this welding work by Jason Dawkins in the Ferndale factory.
Cason Van Driel, President of TriVan, expecting to double their work force.
The first 30 minutes of every day at TriVan are dedicated to dealing with what bugs them. They have a 30-minute meeting every Wednesday with every employee to celebrate lean accomplishments and, he emphasized, to have fun.
Break-time rules: No talk about work. Lots of laughs. No big egos. Cason Van Driel summed up the business end of TriVan as “keeping more money coming in than going out… (and) keeping it real.” Through the basics. “We are sales guys at heart,” he said, once again.“That’s the core of a business.”
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 23
LEADERSHIP
Do we have leaders who will improve approach to doing business here? New mayor, county executive meet anti-growth perception head-on By Mike McKenzie and Dave Brumbaugh
J
ack Louws, formerly a businessman in Whatcom County for nearly three decades and now the first-year elected CEO of Whatcom County, addressed head-on the theme of the interview he granted one morning at a round table filling one end of his office at the courthouse. The topic was the Whatcom County business climate.
The conversation began with Louws frankly stating, “As a business owner involved in the business community many years in our municipalities, I am well aware that we have a reputation of 24 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
being very difficult to work with.” Can he lead change to that reputation? Exuding confidence, he answered affirmatively. “If we look at our responsibility as government…business will thrive.” Another day, Kelli Linville settled in to have her picture taken in the office of the mayor of Bellingham. She, too, won her elected position last November and took office in January this year. During an interview in her work space, she spoke of the need for a business-friendly culture in the City of Bellingham government, something that anecdotal evidence indicates is missing. “Perception is reality,” she said. “I want people to say it’s easy to do business in Bellingham.” Can she facilitate that vision?
“That only happens by performance (not talk),” she said. “We need to be proactive.” A setting of proactivity: Linville and Louws pull up to a table for breakfast nearly every Thursday. The local government leaders talk governance. Some of the talk is about business, they said. The power of two, Linville and Louws believe, fortifies their respective and similar priorities. Already, they have entered into some joint efforts, such as combining emergency medical services, and joint water quality projects like Lake Whatcom’s need for a storm-water re-routing system. They speak the same language applied to two largely differing domains as they address areas they expect to improve upon that
directly impact business in their domains. Speaking to specific trouble spots that impair the business environment: Linville addressed zoning and impact fees. Louws addressed land use and zone compliance. Linville addressed city B&O tax distribution. Louws addressed how to distribute rural tax effectively. Linville addressed permitting, both on line and at different fee levels for differing target areas. Louws addressed codes, regulations, hearing boards, and compliance. They agreed that many things – lag time, fee schedules that seem random to many even if they are not, altered attitudes and customer
“We strive hard to be business-friendly. We streamline permitting ...” Gary Young, City Administrator, Ferndale
‘THIS IS WHERE I WORK’— Mayor Linville shuffles documents in an office anteroom with prioritized tasks set before her on a big board. Staff Photo
service (can-do instead of no-way), more user-friendly regulations, and clarity in communication with the constituents – must change. And will, they concurred. Louws said, “If we work together as a community, County Council, and staff, we can make a positive economic impact by facilitating investment and growth in the private business sector.” The leaders of the County and the County seat, Bellingham, and their staffs in their planning departments, particularly those who work in hot-button areas of permits, inspections, zoning, code compliance, and determining impact fees, face a large wall of negativity that looms over private sector business. Anecdotal evidence abounds. During recent times, some highprofile businesses moved out of Bellingham to relocate in Ferndale, which has experienced a business
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 25
TITLE the group a story of the forcing of his downtown business to move a door a matter of inches to meet strict code guidelines. To comply, the owner had to tear out a wall and an office to reposition a door that is never used, opening into an alley. In another busy neighborhood, a restaurant owner complained of nearly a year’s delay and extreme costs caused by “always changing” permit, code, and inspection hurdles. “But you ought to talk to the people next to me,” the owner said. A door down, the owner of a niche services ACTION WHITEBOARD—Executive Louws keeps a list of shop spoke of aggraactive projects behind doors that he opens every few days vation and added costs, as motivation to take action steps. Staff Photo too, and then said, “I could tell a lot of stories. But you boom: Walton Beverage, Wilson ought to talk to those folks across Furniture, Barron Heating, Hempler the street.” The folks he referred Meats are examples of those reloto built a whole new wing addications. “We strive hard to be busition rather than pay a purported ness-friendly,” said Gary Young, $200,000 in impact fees just to Ferndale’s city administrator. “We display some inventory in a differstreamline permitting, and aim for ent space. good balance among manufacturOwners of an aluminum boat ing, industrial, and retail business.” manufacturer, Mavrik Marine, Several local business owners, received an award at a banquet ranging from very large to very and in their acceptance speech small, revealed negative experiowners told why they had reloences and hard feelings. One mancated from a Bellingham location aging partner experienced extreme and moved to Skagit County. A delays in opening a restaurant in prominent Bellingham businessthe unincorporated county during man stood at another banquet to July, months after its target date, receive an award, and he thanked caused by what the partner termed all the entities he dealt with, painfully slow permitting and including the City of Bellingham scheduling of inspections. “You’d “which is always,” he said, pausing think,” he said, “a business that a few seconds, “…interesting to is creating jobs, and will create work with.” immediate revenues, would receive All of these persons had one priority, the way the government thing in common. You’ve surely talks about its budget problems.” noticed no names. They speak An equipment store owner stood under the promise of anonymat a networking meeting and told 26 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
ity, because they’re fearful. They are afraid that speaking up will result in retribution. Ken Imus of Jacaranda Corp. has engaged in much-publicized harangue with the City of Bellingham over zoning, building codes, and other issues, and he often has been publicly harsh in speaking out about it. Having nurtured Fairhaven over the last 40 years into his personalvision Dreamville, now, at 86 and still chairman of the board, he’s on the front edge of a carbon-copy plan for the Blaine and Birch Bay communities. But Imus no longer will do business with Bellingham, his hometown, calling city officials “impossible” and used blunt terms as he gave details of many of his battles with bureaucracy. He even
“I’m not close enough to retirement,” the person said, “to tick off the City.” Business person requesting anonymity
sued the city once. “So many business people have thanked me for standing up,” Imus said. “They can’t because they have inventory and can’t afford the retribution.” A downtown Bellingham owner confirmed that perception, declining to disclose even the nature of a specific conflict with City inspectors because their rancor could damage the business if officials figured out who it was. Another person dealing with many downtown businesses freely shared stories of clashes, but wouldn’t be quoted by name. “I’m not close enough to retirement,” the person said, “to tick off the City.” All is not dark on the business development front. Many new businesses, particularly restaurants, have opened this year. The Port of Bellingham
recently attracted Greenberry Industrial, a nationwide mechanical industrial services company that is developing a unique product for cleaning up oil spills in Alaska, and the Port of Bellingham International Airport has generated a barrage of news stories – the second Scotty Brown’s restaurant location, new flight routes connecting to Denver and Hawaii, job creation for airplane mechanics, and more. In April of this year, long-time local business owner and former Whatcom County Councilman Tony Larson organized a group of prominent business owners, presidents, and CEOs from local companies in many different industries and founded the Whatcom Business Alliance. The WBA is a non-political, private sector member organization created to foster business success and community prosperity by encouraging, supporting, facilitating, and advocat-
ing on behalf of local businesses. “Without business success, we won’t experience community prosperity,” Larson said. He said that his board of directors have been very successful in their own businesses and they want to be
“We’re not holding back. We’ll turn over every rock (to boost business development).” Rob Fix, Interim Executive Director, Port of Bellingham
resources to assist in providing solutions that improve the business climate and local economy. “It is very encouraging to know that the County, City of Bellingham, small city leadership, and the Port are genuinely interested in working collaboratively to promote a vibrant economy. The WBA will reach out and assist in any way it
can,” Larson added. The Port of Bellingham stepped into the lead in the economic development picture regionally this year when it received the state’s Associate Development Organization (ADO) designation that previously was held by the Northwest Economic Council. Rob Fix, the interim/acting executive director, said that the Port has taken an aggressive approach to its role. “We’re not holding back. We’ll turn over every rock,” Fix said. Port staffers Dodd Snodgrass and John Michener set forth this spring on a plan for meeting individually with two businesses a week, mostly manufacturers, to learn their needs. The Port is a sweet spot for both City and County. “Jack (Louws) has expressed strong support down on the waterfront,” Mayor Linville said. “What happens on the waterfront also benefits the county.”
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LEADERSHIP officials from the agriculture, fishing, and timber industries, and an at-large appointee. Louws also has served in the past on the Growth Management Council. Louws identified regulations and compliance as the strongest areas of concern in which the most significant CAMERA CUT-UPS – During the cover story photo shoot in change could take the Bellingham City Hall lobby, County Executive Jack Louws place. “We don’t do turns the scene around on Ed Lowe, to the amusement of Mayor Linville and her executive assistant, Vanessa Blackburn. a good enough job of getting answers,” Staff Photo he said. “Too many maybes. We give The two executive branch uncertainty that a business can’t leaders sit on the Economic respond to, and they hear it as ‘no.’ Development Investment Board, We need to look at our codes, drive alongside representatives from the out maybes, and get to yes for our Port, plus two small-city mayors, customers to thrive.” some members of four agencies, He cited thick regulatory con-
straints as an area to attack. “The County operates under a tremendous amount of regulatory pressure from federal, state, and that we imposed on ourselves. We have to find a regulation path to solutions.” Sam Ryan, The County’s director of Planning and Development Services, buffers the executive’s vision for that and other reform. In her 33rd year with the county government, Ryan grew up working with her parents’ carpet company in California and she once was a contractor herself before moving here in 1970. “I’m aware of the hang-ups and nature of things,” she said by telephone.
“We’re working at… not being so rigid. Customers should know we want to do what we can to help. Sometimes (differing regulations) step on each other.” Sam Ryan, Director of Planning, Whatcom County
To help effect positive changes, she said, “We’re working at it, focusing on not being so rigid.” Her long-range planning centers on three priority areas: (a.) building services with a new building plans examiner; (b.) current planning that includes zoning a subdivision, and (c.) natural resources with shoreline and other issues. The County also is hiring a longrange planning expert with a finance committee background. Ryan said perception becomes part of the problem because her department can have 10 good experiences, but when one bad one happens it starts a “domino effect.” “Often, the perception is that we tell them no, and that’s it,” Ryan said. “But there might be alternatives. Is there any way we can get 28 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
to yes? If they ask just one question, it’s easy to say no. We want to get where customers know we want to do what we can to help.” Permitting is “the villain,” she said. “Tough concept. With differing regulations, sometimes they step on each other.” The City of Bellingham can relate. Linville vowed to move permitting to a “simple, predictable, and clear” process, possibly creating different impact fees for different areas of the city, and especially looking at online permitting options. “Economic development is very important to me,” she said. “Without good jobs and revenues we can’t meet people’s expectations.” She pointed to the signing of agreements with the County on urban growth boundaries that will “…help us as we talk about what businesses we want to invest where. If downtown and urban villages are where we want development, it should be easier to build in those locations.” Regarding her new leadership initiatives applying to the prevailing Bellingham business climate: “We will be proactive in retaining and expanding existing business. We’ll ensure there’s a project manager who advocates for major business projects. I’m looking to grow the size of the economic pie.” Louws projected his vision progressively, as well, piggybacking on his family’s business experience. “I like to work on and through opportunities that stand a reasonable chance of being accomplished,” he said. “I regard my work team of 820 (employees) as my partners. It’s the same way I ran a business – built on long-term relationships. Everybody needs to win. We’re able to profit, but customers are, too. It’s not a case of either-or.” Louws operated his business of manufacturing trusses for roofs from 1982 until 2010 when he
decided to run for office, and then made the transition of CEO duties to his son, B.J. Louws’ wife, Cindy, also owns her own business. “I can’t paralyze myself (in collaboration) from making decisions, to think things through, and get them done proficiently,” Louws concluded. “Even though I like partners and collaboration, I’m not afraid to make the tough decisions.” One new business is about to
open in the county as an extension of an existing rural agriculture operation that’s been around for years. Its general manager commented while giving a tour, “This is said to be one of the hardest places in the state, maybe even the nation, to do business.” The newly-elected LinvilleLouws leadership tandem came across emphatically and confidently about changing that notion in significant ways.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 29
WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
Tiiim-berrrrr! By Business Pulse Staff and Special Correspondents
Forest experts say Whatcom timber legacy might not survive latest economic, political blows
W
hen Henry Roeder, a founding pioneer of Whatcom County during the 1850s, led a partnership that built a saw mill at the mouth of Whatcom Creek he jump-started the county’s first industry, wood products. Timber-related business anchored the county’s economy for more than 100 years.
Now, imagine a world around us in which the loggers stop logging, the saw mills stop sawing, the truckers stop trucking, and the suppliers have nothing to supply. Has it come to that? “Building drives our industry,” Gerry Millman said, seated at his office that overlooks a panorama of forestland outside of Everson. Millman owns Great Western Lumber Company, a stalwart of many decades specializing in fir products. “If nobody’s building, we’re not working.” His company work force and revenues have shrunk considerably during the last five years, typical of the national trend. “Since ’07 our production has fallen off by about half, and our work force is down about one-third.” The entire wood products industry hereabouts, from tree to truck, from mill to construction site, struggles mightily amid the national downturn in construction and demand. And, under an 30 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
extraordinary morass of federal, state, and county land-use rules and regulations. Timber’s economic impact in Whatcom County has dwindled excessively over the last several decades, and especially since the turn of this century. “Residential and consumption lumber is down about 65 percent from its peak,” Millman said.
“In our industry right now it feels like falling out of a plane without a parachute and surviving... still alive, but on the ground crawling along.” Gerry Millman, Owner of Great Western Lumber Company, Everson
“It’s been difficult to survive with demand slumping now in its fifth year running. Residential housing
MAKING INROADS—Aubrey Stargell (left), a certified arborist and forester, visits with road builder Rick Scribner who is creating the path for one of the Nielsen Brothers’ companycontracted harvesting and replanting sites in the Lake Whatcom watershed. Staff Photo
is by far the largest sector for consumption lumber. In our industry right now it feels like falling out of a plane without a parachute and surviving…still alive, but on the ground crawling along.”
Many naysayers, within the timber industry and without, believe that near-extinction is within the realm of possibility— a crushing blow not only to a strong economic contributor, but
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 31
WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY
NIELSEN NETWORKING: David Nielsen (right), co-owner with brother Robert of Nielsen Brothers Inc., connects with the company’s resident regulatory expert Aubrey Stargell at the entrance to a special seedling project east of Lake Whatcom. The stumps in the background illustrate how the forest harvest is managed for long-term preservation and renewable resources—the clearance of some trees so that pollination can take place for seedlings.
also to a local timberland legacy and identity. That pessimism (and ire, and probable law suits) stirs from
32 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
a recent decision by Whatcom County to purchase nearly 9,000 acres of forest land from an active harvest rotation owned and man-
aged by Washington’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The County intends to convert that acreage in the Lake Whatcom watershed into a public park. This decision, passed 5-2 by County Council following five years of heated debate, awaits the next step toward approval; it could be thwarted by legal entanglements and/or disapproval by the State Board of Natural Resources. Many industry participants believe the reconveyance of this acreage not only signals the beginning of the end for Whatcom County’s forest products industry, but also becomes a test case meant to serve as a template for similar attempts to remove productive forest from the DNR’s inventory statewide. Aubrey Stargell with Nielsen Brothers, Inc. (NBI), which brands itself as Stewards of the Northwest’s Timberlands, called this political action to remove the Lake Whatcom watershed forest from professional conservation management “the straw that could break the camel’s back” of industrial wood products in Whatcom County. “We (NBI) own land in the watershed that we manage adjacent to the proposed reconveyed land,” Stargell said. “This is a potential threat to us managing our own land.” The economy already has brought finitely-managed wood products commerce to its knees. The Whatcom County reconveyance, i.e., return of lands held in trust by the state to county ownership, could be a giant step toward never hearing a tree fall in that forest. For a variety of local activist groups and individuals, all that would be mighty fine. But that which makes preservationists grin makes conservationists groan. “We’re not in this business just for fun,” Stargell said. “We’re supplying a market demand. Everyone in the U.S. uses wood.
We need (consumption) timber, just like we need agriculture, just like we need widgets.” He outlined how growth practices are highly-regulated within excellent environmental practices, so that a professionally-managed acre can meet demand far better than 10 acres unregulated. “We provide a great product,” he continued, “that is renewable and sustainable. We believe we are the leaders in environmental protection.” Ironically, a move to serve the public already feeds that public. The Lake Whatcom watershed in contention has been designated for long-term commercial significance in the County’s plans, set aside under Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA). That assures the survival of one of the state’s and Whatcom County’s premier resource industries that pours millions of dollars into the local economy and services, such
as school districts and roads. Statistical data from several sources indicates that Whatcom County’s move will result in extreme losses: innumerable jobs, millions of dollars in wages, and a revenue stream into the com-
“We provide a great product that is renewable and sustainable. We believe we are the leaders in environmental protection.” Aubrey Stargell, certified arborist with Nielsen Brothers Inc.
munity of upward to $1 million a year granted by the state. With the reconveyance, the County gives up that revenue stream and takes on millions in costs. (Read how in the
analysis related to this article.) Another issue central to the contentious tug-o’-war over Lake Whatcom’s timberland sprawl is management. The lands are managed by professionals within the DNR staff; opponents to reconveyance point out that the County lacks an adequate infrastructure to match that level of management expertise. The public has use of some of that land, and it costs the County nothing. “Who better to oversee the growth management than professionals in that field?” Stargell asked rhetorically. He, for example, works commercially as a certified arborist with a degree in forestry from the University of Washington. He deals with regulatory matters for a company that, since 1979, has managed its own and some contracted public timberland needs, harvesting and logging across parts of Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The
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WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY staff has many decades of experience. “In our industry we are never threatened by non-biased science,” Stargell said just days before he prepared to present such science in testimony to the state Board of Natural Resources in
Olympia this month. “We’re one of the most regulated of all industries, and in Washington second to none other, which is good in most ways. We’re quite proud of our practices….” Referring to the proposed reconveyance sought by Whatcom
County as an example, he added, “In Washington state, fair practices continually evolve, and they seem to evolve on a one-way ratchet. One of the the reasons for the promulgation of rules was to provide certainty for our industry. You look at a map of our entire
LUMBERMAN MILLMAN SEES RECONVEYANCE TWO WAYS Gerry Millman is owner and president of Great Western Lumber Co. in Everson. In a far-ranging interview about the state of his industry, he spoke frankly about the impact of Whatcom County’s recent decision on reconveyance of nearly 9,000 acres of State Forest Transfer trust lands in the Lake Whatcom watershed. This has been a controversial, hotbutton issue for more than five years. Millman expressed two viewpoints – one as a supplier in the forest products industry, and one as a county taxpayer. These are his thoughts, in his own words:
AS A PROFESSIONAL LUMBERMAN It is very harmful. It is not needed. A poor decision because of the impact it will have on the sawmilling and logging industries. We work off a land base with anywhere from a 60-to100 year rotation. We’re not planting corn in the spring and harvesting in the fall. You harvest corn this year, then next year you grow a new crop. Trees don’t grow that fast If we use 1 percent of land every year, it takes 100 years to harvest. In year 101, we go back to number one. We harvest on a small percentage of the total land base. We have no problem with that, because sustainability is our livelihood. It becomes very critical when there’s a constant shrinking of the land base. You hear (proponents) say, “It’s only 8,700 acres,” but when you do that over and over -- Blanchard Mountain, Lake Whatcom -- you erode the land base. The infrastructure of our industry then goes down with it – the sawmills, the equipment operators, the loggers, the suppliers….We don’t want to become Arizona, where there’s none left.
34 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
AS A WHATCOM COUNTY TAXPAYER What are they doing with my tax money? This is a real misuse of county funds. They’re spending an enormous amount of money, more than we’ve been led to believe, and getting very little in return. They say it will protect water quality. The Ecology Department has reported clearly that logging has no impact on the water quality, so that is erroneous. Recreation? No gain there. The DNR has already let people use the land. What does the county know about managing forest? They want to take it away from the DNR that is made up of forest managing experts. This is rugged area. It’s not a ”Let’s drive out there, park, and have a picnic” area. Most people in the county will never set foot in this park. So the county will spend millions for something very few people will use. They’re not gaining one thing. Further, it now becomes a liability to the county. For example, landslides happen in this part of the world, even where there’s no logging. So there’s a mess to clean up. Right now the DNR takes care of the risk, control, and expense. Finally, the trust is designed so that revenues from the land go to beneficiaries, like school districts of Mount Baker and Bellingham, where I’m a tax-paying citizen, and road funds. This is a fiscal matter, not political. It drives you crazy as a business owner, where you have to assess what you get in return on your investments, to see our county fiscal budget managed in such poor ways. It’s not about politics, as a business you have to balance the budget. This is fiscal insanity.
county and 60-to-70 percent is not in the land base. Every time you turn around Whatcom County is creating a new park. The County is a glut of parks. We’ve gone beyond justifiable science… into political science.” Whether the reconveyance of Lake Whatcom watershed property receives approval or the battle over it escalates and bogs down in courtrooms (timber industry constituents have said openly that they intend to sue), the wood products industry in Whatcom County wavers and wanes. Its greenbacks fall severely short of the green grandeur of the sweeping forestland that stands in the middle of sparring worlds. “Threatened,” Stargell characterized the industry locally, “if not endangered.” (Author), managing editor Mike McKenzie, and the State Department of Natural Resources contributed to this industry report. Material came from one-to-one interviews of industry specialists, and from website research of Washington state agencies and other resources. [EDITOR’S NOTE: For the possible and probable fallout of Lake Whatcom Watershed reconveyance, read the accompanying analysis of consequences for the life style and taxpayer burden for every citizen of Whatcom County. Also, lumberman Gerry Millman offers two viewpoints: one as a business owner in the wood products industry, and one as a tax paying citizen of Bellingham.]
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WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 35
RECONVEYANCE
The Consequences of Lake Whatcom Reconveyance Analysis by Frank Samuels, Special Correspondent for Business Pulse Magazine
W
Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Thank you.
The reconveyance, with unanimous consent July 5 by the state Board of Natural Resources to reconvey about 9,700 acres, exposes potentially severe economic, social and environmental consequences.
36 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
hatcom County Council, supported primarily by a variety of local activist groups and individuals, mounted an effort to permanently reacquire nearly 9,000 acres of productive forest lands owned and managed by the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These Lake Whatcom watershed lands in the DNR’s active harvest rotation have been designated lands of longterm commercial significance. Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) set the acreage aside to assure the survival of one of Washington’s premier resource industries—forest products.
THE ISSUES: The Whatcom County Council measure in May requested the final steps needed to convert a broad expanse of forested property from productive timberland to create what one activist organization calls “…the largest locally-governed park in the State.” For context, the new park would be more than three times larger than Larrabee State Park, a 2,683-acre camping spread on Samish Bay near Bellingham.
“In our industry we are never threatened by nonbiased science… (but) we’ve gone beyond justifiable science into political science.”
WHAT IS RECONVEYANCE? Reconveyance is a process by which a county can request to repurchase title to lands conveyed by the county to the State of Washington decades ago. By state law the process can only be undertaken if the requesting county is willing to use the lands to establish a park. The new park’s plan must be consistent with the state’s parks and recreation plan. Whatcom County did not originally convey this specific Lake Whatcom property to the state; rather, the county traded for other lands that had been conveyed.
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Aubrey Stargell, forester and certified arborist, Nielsen Brothers, Inc., Bellingham
Opponents of the reconveyance point out that Whatcom County already has a significant surplus of land serving its parks needs. The county’s draft parks and recreation plan shows documentation of holdings of more than 6,000 acres of regional parks. The cities and private interests (conservation groups, etc.) bring the countywide total to more than 26,000 acres of timber land and open space dedicated to regional parks that stand mostly undeveloped. The Environmental Impact Statement for the existing Comprehensive Plan shows the county already holding enough developed park land to serve, at currently adopted levels of service, all of Whatcom County’s expected population growth through the year 2031. Meanwhile, Whatcom County’s Comprehensive Plan defines the land being transferred out of the
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RECONVEYANCE
PARKS OR PRODUCTS?—Looking across some forest that falls (or may never fall) under a controversial move by Whatcom County Council to have it reconveyed and converted, by law, to a public park. Sources indicate that removal of the land from state management incurs costs and liabilities, and devastates the area’s wood products legacy industry. Staff Photo
commercial forest inventory as necessary to maintain a healthy forest products industry in the county. According to Aubrey Stargell, a forester and certified arborist for Nielsen Brothers Inc. in Bellingham, “The County Council’s action could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.” He explained, “Our industry is similar to the county’s agricultural industry. It takes some minimum resource base to support and sustain the industry. The council and many of the people supporting the reconveyance have gone to extraordinary lengths to assure the agricultural land resource is not only maintained, but increased. There does not seem to be that same level of concern for timber. We need to take responsibility for the products we all use and source 38 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
them locally”. The proposed reconveyance leads the way to a shift in how resource lands are viewed in Whatcom County. For most of its life as a political entity, Whatcom County’s resource industries have anchored the county’s economy. The county’s comprehensive plan states, “The growth and harvest of farm products, re-generation and harvesting of timber, and excavation of minerals all shape Whatcom County’s landscape and strongly influence the economy. Resource lands, which include agriculture, forestry, and mineral resource lands, also largely represent Whatcom County’s cultural heritage.” The comprehensive plan also reflects state law: “The County and the cities recognize the need for the protection and utilization
of natural resources and resource lands including agricultural, mineral, forestry and fishing. As part of a broad based economy, productive timber, agriculture and fisheries industries should be supported in a sustainable manner.” As Stargell pointed out, the reconveyance could represent a rejection of the county’s longestablished views regarding resource lands. Economic, social, and environmental consequences will accompany the shift.
ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF RECONVEYANCE According to Washington State’s DNR, “The economic health of Washington’s forest-related industries today is a function of the amount of land in timber production; the growth, mortality, and
loss of use of these forest lands; management costs including costs of taxes and regulatory compliance; the strength of domestic and international markets for forest products; perceived risks due to markets and regulations; attractive investments in alternative uses of capital and land; and varying management objectives of very diverse types of owners.” Five of those factors come into play regarding the Lake Whatcom reconveyance. Realistically, reconveyance could tip the forest products industry over the edge of the economic precipice in Whatcom County. If the industry vanishes, according to data available from Washington’s Employment Security Department, jobs associated with logging—jobs currently paying about 20-25 percent more than the average wage job in the county— will be lost. Based on data from Employment Security, that would amount to about $4.5 million a year in lost wages for each 100 forest products industry jobs lost as the result of the industry’s demise. (Data issues preclude accurate counts of exactly how many people are actually employed by the forest products industry in Whatcom County. More directly in economic terms, Whatcom County’s website on the reconveyance includes estimates of revenue distribution losses as a result of the action the County Council is proposing. DNR estimates those losses to state and local governments will initially average $844,000 annually year. In the near term (20 years) $16,880,000 would be lost to the Bellingham and Mount Baker School Districts, the Whatcom County Library Board, the Port of Bellingham, Whatcom County and the State of Washington. Over the entire DNR planning horizon of 200 years, the estimated reduction in revenue amounts to more than $96 million to those
sources. Offsetting those losses, Mount Baker School District agreed to accept a $500,000 dollar donation in return for dropping its opposition to the reconveyance. Sales tax, B&O tax, fuel tax, and all other taxes and economic benefits a community gains as the result of business activity become permanent losses when land gets converted from an economic use to a non-economic use.
SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF RECONVEYANCE The Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan recognizes that forestry is an important part of the county’s cultural heritage. But timber is not the only opportunity private land owners have. An industry that no longer exists loses its hold on the hearts and minds of the residents of an area, as well as the economic value it offers landowners.
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WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 39
RECONVEYANCE
ADVANCING EDUCATION INCOME AND HEALTH
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In a recent ground breaking County have led to a timber proseries titled “Forests On The Edge” cessing industry in which wood is the USDA Forest Service estimates, shipped for processing hundreds “The number of forest land ownof miles away by rail, truck, or ers is increasing by approximately other means. There is no argument 150,000 every year as existing about the environmental impacts forested parcels are subdivided and of long distances between a sold.” resource, production facilities, and The subdivision and sales come the end user. Green certification as landowners holding forested systems like Leadership in Energy land for timber uses see the local and Environmental Design (LEED) forest products have made the industry dry up case and offer and, in the proIf the industry vanishes, extra points for cess, make the according to data available locally-produced lands they hold materials. more valuable as In terms of from Washington’s real estate than larger environEmployment Security they are as timmental issues, ber lands. the Forest Department, jobs The Forest has associated with logging Service Service report made the case says that for the part a —jobs currently paying by 2030 in forest about 20-25 percent more healthy Whatcom, products indusSkagit, and than the average wage job try can play Snohomish protecting in the county—will be lost. in Counties the environ“approximately ment. Strategies 165 square miles of forested lands put forward by the Service in (105,600 acres) of currently rural, its national Forest Service Open forested lands are projected to Space Conservation Strategy reach exurban-urban densities….” include the encouragement of “… natural-resource-based industries ENVIRONMENTAL to provide economic incentives CONSEQUENCES OF for landowners to retain working RECONVEYANCE land…,” and “provide and encourage landowner assistance and Healthy forest lands require incentives to help keep working attention to remain healthy. More lands working.” than a century ago during an era before widespread fire suppresCONCLUSION: INDUSTRY sion, the United States Geological EXTINCTION POSSIBLE Survey’s 1898-99 annual report on Whatcom County decisionthe nation’s forest reserves said of makers, in choosing to request Whatcom County’s forests: reconveyance of thousands of “…They have been almost entireacres of productive forest land, ly destroyed by fire…530 square are probably tolling the end of miles have been burned; 164 square the forest products industry in miles have been logged…” While Whatcom County and, in the proDNR will continue fighting fire on cess, choosing to accept the ecothe reconveyed lands, it will be up nomic, social, and environmental to Whatcom County to provide for deterioration that this choice fire prevention. makes inevitable. On a more immediate basis, problems with timber supply similar to those seen in Whatcom
SOMETHING SPECTACULARLY NEW AT THE FAIR The Northwest Washington Fair runs August 13-18 in Lynden, and this year a time-tested favorite, the Gondola Ferris Wheel, will light up the sky with its spectacular new LED light show rising to 80 feet high. The 16 spokes of multicolored lights made their debut on the 4th of July at Oak Harbor after the creator from Germany built it in China this year for Davis Amusements in Oregon. A 20-minute display features evolving schemes of 123 colors, with combinations of 1,600 modules and 19,000 individual lights.The turbo, light-emitting diodes shine 80 percent brighter on 90 percent less power.
AND ONE THAT NEVER GETS OLD AT THE RODEO Mutton Bustin’. All during the fair and through the Lynden PRCA Rodeo following the fair, riders ages 4-8 and weighing 65 pounds or less head into the ring on bucking sheep to see who can ride one the longest.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 41
TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
Life in the Tech Lane What is cloud computing? Should I use it? The “Cloud” is a remote network of computers that stores an immense amount of information, ranging from music to photos to your entire computer hard drive. This information is stored remotely, i.e., “in the Cloud.” The “Cloud,” simply put, is a company that provides a storage service to you. This remote storage provides two big advantages: 1. By safely storing your
files off-site on a provider’s server you avoid the possibilities of your computer’s data getting stolen, damaged, or erased. 2. Your data remains accessible and can synchronize across many devices (tablets, smartphones, PCs, etc.). One thing to remember when deciding to use a cloud solution: If you have sensitive files, consider the privacy agreements and determine if you trust a provider with your data. Some common cloud computing service providers: Dropbox, SkyDrive, iCloud, and the newly released Google Drive.
What is the best way to stream movies on my TV? First, you need an account to a streaming service, such as Hulu and Netflix. Second, your TV must be “webready,” which means you can connect it to the Internet through your home network. Newer TVs have this functionality built-in and it can be configured in the menu section of your TV. However, if you have an older TV you will need a secondary device like the newer video game consoles (Wii, Xbox, etc.), a Roku, or an Apple TV. These devices have extra settings and apps that can link up to your steaming service.
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Keep in mind, each of these devices will have different service options and may not connect to every streaming service on the market. So be sure to research your streaming service and connection device before you make a purchase. Experts at Tech Help in Bellingham, a division of Big Fresh Media, provide answers to the questions that are trending among clients. If you have a tech question for our experts, send an email to getanswers@gotechhelp.com.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 43
PRIVATE TOP 50
Top 50 businesses drive local economy with more than $2.5 billion in sales Compiled by Business Pulse Magazine Staff
Regardless of your viewpoint of in the Pacific Northwest, died in million. the local economy for 2011, recesAugust ’11. A report in the Wall Street sion or recovery, most agree that Still, the company remained Journal in January, citing Autodata small business is the economic independent and headquartered in Corp.’s annual year-end reports driver. Our local businesses employ Bellingham, therefore qualifying on auto sales, noted a jump in people, provide the essential American light vehicle sales products and services we all for Detroit’s Big Three, led need and desire, increase our by Chrysler’s 26 percent tax base so our government increase. General Motors can provide services, and sales went up 13 percent they tend to be out in front and Ford’s 11 percent last when community organizayear. Car sales in the U.S. tions need help. The comincreased each of the last panies listed on the Business four months of 2011. Pulse Magazine Private Top Locally, that was good 50 are all privately held news for several Whatcom with their corporate offices dealerships who kept located in Whatcom County. pace, and even perenThey employ nearly 11,000 nial local vehicle sales pacDiehl Ford, which opened in 1908, is the third oldest Ford people with combined sales esetter Wilson Motors in dealer in the world, and now the only one in Whatcom County. They are #40 on the Private 50. over $2.5 billion. Their sucBellingham experienced an cess is vital to the quality uptick despite Toyota taking of life we all enjoy in Whatcom with the two criteria for our annual a huge hit from the negative indusCounty. listing—privately-owned with cortrial impact of the earthquakes and Once again, we found superporate headquarters in Whatcom tsunami in Japan early last year. market stalwarts Haggen Inc. and County. In auto dealer news, Jerry The Markets standing 1-2 on the Heavy construction was strong Chambers Chevrolet on our list sold list. Their combined sales exceeded in 2011 and we saw a significant on April 30 this year to a dealer $800 million with more than 1,500 rebound in auto and truck sales, in Oregon, but remains in business jobs in Whatcom County and about which mirrored a national trend. here and is listed based on con2,400 more at their stores elseWith the county’s Big 5 confirmed sales during 2011. And, Diehl where. struction contractors – Dawson, Ford in Bellingham bought Pioneer There are several changes from IMCO, Exxel Pacific, Diamond B, Ford in Lynden this summer, and the last report. and Haskell – revenues showed folded all inventory and services Haggen sold to a Florida investaround a 25 percent increase over into the downtown Diehl location. ment firm in February ’11, and the previous year to surpass $400 One new name cropped up Don Haggen, our publication’s million during 2011. Haskell, in its among the 50 leaders in Whatcom first-ever Whatcom Business Person 112 year and fifth generation of County, TriVan Truck Body in of the Year and Lifetime Business family leadership, reflected the largFerndale. A profile of the business Achievement Award recipient, who est gain over last year’s report, from appears elsewhere in this issue. guided the family business into the No. 12 in the county to No. 5 on Continued on page 49 largest independent grocery chain a revenue gain of between $20-30 44 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
Company
Location
Employees: Total
Founded Region
Top Executive
More than $600 million 1. Haggen Inc. Supermarkets and pharmacies
Bellingham
1933
1,000
3,000
C.J. Gabriel, Jr.
Bellingham
2008
512
900
Kevin Weatherill
More than $200 million 2. The Markets LLC Supermarkets (The Markets, Cost Cutter, Food Pavilion)
3
More than $100 million
Grizzly Industrial
Wood Working and Metalworking Machinery Location: Bellingham Founded: 1983 Employees: 250 (90 regional) Top Executive: Shiraz Balolia
4. Dawson Construction General construction
5
In 2011, another banner year for this international 9-figure sales powerhouse, brought a personal honor to founder Shiraz Balolia, too. On Oct. 5 the U.S. F-Class Open Rifle Team named him captain to lead it toward the 2013 World Championships that will be held for the first time in the United States. Bellingham
1960
125
125
Peter Dawson
$65-90 million
Haskell
Large-scale construction Location: Bellingham Founded: 1890 Employees: 250 (150 regional) Top Executive: Fred Haskell
Working on a huge power plant near Modesto in its extensive projects list, Haskell made the largest confirmed gains among the Top 50. Operating in its third century, since 1890, and in the fifth generation of family leadership, the company reported sales between $20-$30M higher than 2010. That moved them from the 12th highest in Whatcom County to No. 5.
6. LTI Transport of dry-and liquid-bulk commodities
Lynden
1947
110
550
Brad Williamson
7. Exxel Pacific Integrated design and construction
Bellingham
1989
100
100
Kevin De Vries
8. IMCO General Construction Heavy construction
Bellingham
1978
180
180
Frank & Patti Imhof
9. Samson Rope Synthetic rope manufacturer
Ferndale
1878
200
300
Steve Swiackey
Lynden
1941
125
125
Don Eucker
11. Wilson Motors New and used car dealership
Bellingham
1960
100
100
Julian Greening & Rick Wilson
12. Anvil Corporation Engineering and procurement solutions
Bellingham
1971
300
400
John Macpherson & Jim Wakefield
13. Diamond B Constructors Commercial and industrial contractors
Bellingham
1909
180
180
Peter Chapman
14. Absorption Corp Pet litter, bedding & food; spill cleanup & industrial products
Bellingham
1985
68
118
Ted Mischaikov
10. Whatcom Farmers Co-Op Convenience stores, energy/propane, and agronomy sales
$45-65 million
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 45
PRIVATE TOP 50 Company
Location
15. Alpha Technologies Power solutions for cable broadband, telecommunications, and renewable energy
16
Bellingham
Employees: Total
Founded Region 1976
200
350
Top Executive Fred Kaiser
Smith Gardens
Wholesale producer of garden plants, nursery, and garden center supplies Location: Bellingham Founded: 1901 Employees: 600 (200 regional) Top Executive: Eric Smith
With 111 years of business in the same family, the 1.2M square feet of greenhouse includes four locations. Smith ships daily in season to six states, including Alaska, with more than 300 plant varieties under the brand Northwest Grown. It’s one of the area’s top employers, with up to 200 seasonally in the region and 600 total. Bellingham
1993
120
120
Rob Remington
18. Seafood Producer's Co-Op Fishery, processor and marketer of premium seafood
Bellingham
1944
9
9
Thomas McLaughlin
19. Saturna Capital Mutual funds manager and investor
Bellingham
1989
57
71
Jane Carten
20. Keith Oil Wholesale petrolium bulk station
Ferndale
1980
7
7
Sam Boulos
21. Walton Beverage PepsiCo beverage distribution
Bellingham
1931
140
140
John Walton & Phil Isle
22. Logos Bible Software Computer software
Bellingham
1992
280
300
Bob Pritchett
23. Hardware Sales General hardware, cabinets, office furniture, and B-to-B industrial sales
Bellingham
1962
120
120
Jerry McClellan
24. Andgar Corp. Residential heating/AC; metal fabrication; architectural metal; biogas digester technology
Ferndale
1935
110
110
Todd Kunzman
25. Mt. Baker Imaging Radiology, image interpretation, and imaging during low-invasive surgery
Bellingham
1965
104
104
Dr. Peter Buetow
26. Farmer's Equipment Berry harvesters, farm & construction equipment
Lynden
1935
74
74
Ken Stremler
27. Tiger Construction Excavating and commercial building contractor
Everson
1974
40
40
Ken Isenhart
28. Roger Jobs Motors New and used car dealership
Bellingham
1985
43
43
Roger Jobs
29. Superfeet Worldwide, Inc. Premium insole wholesalers
Ferndale
1977
55
100
Scott Dohner
17. Mt. Baker Products Manufacturers of plywood veneer, lumber and plywood
$35-40 million
$25-35 million
46 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
Company
Location
Employees: Total
Founded Region
Top Executive
$20-25 million 30. Hoagland's Pharmacy Pharmacy
Bellingham
1981
83
83
Mike Hoagland
31. Chambers Chevrolet New, used car dealership
Bellingham
1972
55
55
Chad Chambers
32. Sound Beverage Wholesale beer, wine, and distilled beverage
Bellingham
1950
75
75
Dean Shintaffer
33. Dewey Griffin Motors New and used car dealership
Bellingham
1967
47
47
Dick Meyer
34. Scholten's Equipment Agricultural and construction equipment sales
Lynden
1982
25
25
Duane Scholten
35. Bellingham Cold Storage Full-service public refrigerated warehousing
Bellingham
1946
162
162
Doug Thomas
36. Specified Fittings HDPE & PVC pipe fitting manufacturer
Bellingham
1997
115
135
Kathleen Gundel
37. Cascade DAFO Designer, manufacturer of dynamic orthoses and pediatric bracing
Ferndale
1982
230
230
Cheryl Persse
38. DIS Corp Producing information systems for dealers/ distributors of agricultural equipment, construction equipment, and lift trucks
Bellingham
1980
95
129
Bob Brim
$15-20 million
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 47
PRIVATE TOP 50 Company
Location
39. Wood Stone Wood- and gas-fired pizza ovens and other restaurant-quality commercial and home cooking equipment
40
Bellingham
Employees: Total
Founded Region 1990
99
Top Executive
99
Keith Carpenter & Harry Hegarty
Diehl Ford
New and used car dealership Location: Bellingham Founded: 1908 Employees: 52 Top Executive: Bob & Mike Diehl
With sales holding steady and the service department showing a 12 percent increase over the previous year, Diehl recently purchased Pioneer Ford in Lynden and moved inventory and customer services to Bellingham.
41. A.L.R.T. Corporation Logging and road construction
Everson
1990
60
60
William Westergreen
42. Great Western Lumber Saw mill, planing mill
Everson
1951
45
45
Jerry Millman
43. Western Refinery Services Industrial maintenance and construction
Ferndale
1990
100
100
Bill Van Zanten & Ryan Likkel
44. Birch Equipment Equipment and tool rental
Bellingham
1972
70
70
Sarah Rothenbuhler
Bellingham
1972
65
65
John Barron
Ferndale
2006
120
120
Cason & Marty VanDriel
47. Mills Electric Electrical contractor
Bellingham
1911
100
130
John Huntley
48. King Nissan Volvo New and used car dealership
Bellingham
1973
35
35
Frank King
49. Western Forest Products Commercial distributor of lumber products
Bellingham
1981
25
25
Terry Dawn
50. Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods Bakery for all-natural breakfast cookies, organic home-style granola and organic minibreakfast cookies
Bellingham
1994
47
47
Erin Baker
Management Services Northwest Janitorial, general building maintenance, landscaping & groundskeeping
Ferndale
1995
115
250
Janelle Bruland
Samuel's Furniture Retail furniture, interior design services
Ferndale
1991
28
28
Elie Samuel
Pro CNC Engineering services, contract assembly, vertically-integrated CNC machine shop
Bellingham
1997
67
67
Paul Van Metre
$11-15 million 45. Barron Heating Heating, air conditioning, ventilation 46. TriVan Truck Body Manufacturer of custom-designed, specialty commercial-use truck bodies
$7-10 million
48 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
*As of press time, we at Business Pulse Magazine were unable to confirm the specific sales numbers for the private companies listed below. However, we believe that all of them meet the criteria to make the Private Top 50 list. They are listed alphabetically. If you are aware of any company not listed that you think meets our criteria, please email us at info@businesspulse.com.
Company
Employees: Total
Founded Region
Top Executive
Bornstein Seafood
Bellingham
1936
Meyer Bornstein
Family Care Network
Bellingham
1999
Dr. Marcy Hipskind
Barlean's Oil
Ferndale
1989
Bruce Barlean
Elenbaas Company
Sumas
1941
Dennis Elenbaas
Redden Marine
Bellingham
1959
Randy Chiabai
Trillium Corp
Bellingham
1974
David Syre
Anderson Paper & Packaging
Ferndale
1991
Rick Anderson
Continued from page 44 On the employment front, Logos Bible Software created 83 new jobs, with 76 of them local, pushing them to 300 as the company moved up one revenue bracket into the #35 million-plus range. Exxel
Location
Pacific added 30 local employees to hit 100. No significant trend, up or down, appeared on the list; some companies added 5-10 positions, yet other offset it by trimming staff. All 53 companies confirmed their 2011 revenue and employment numbers for this report.
We use categories of revenue that reflect ranges of gross sales because many businesses prefer to reveal approximations. Based on reliable reporting sources we believe that other companies meet the criteria for inclusion, but they declined to reveal their information.
WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 49
TITLE
Frozen Assets
Photo courtesy of Rader Farms
Whatcom County high on the IQ(F) chart with multi-layered production and major-league brands By Mike McKenzie
The freeze frame In the United States and some global markets for red raspberries, Whatcom County reigns. Frozen, that is. In the parlance of those who farm the red raspberries, IQF – individually quick frozen. Tiny, yet still in one piece, the raspberry goes straight from the cane into deep-freeze. Fresh raspberries, those typically on the produce shelves at grocers, arrived there from California, or Chile, or Mexico, for anyone not fortunate enough to have a field to hand-pick from. “If you eat a domestically grown frozen raspberry anywhere in the United States, odds are good that it came from Whatcom County or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest,” Henry Bierlink said during an interview about the fruit touted by the organization he heads, the Washington Red Raspberry Commission. Among its members, 22 are, as the commission’s website states, “Suppliers of the taste and nutrition everyone wants.” About half of them process and 50 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
package in Whatcom County. Among the roughly 150 raspberry growers in the state, about 120 farm in Whatcom County, according to the commission’s reported data. Sixteen commission members (minimum: 3 tons of raspberry harvest required) appear on the list of Fresh/U-Pick, and all but one in Yakima grow them in local communities Ferndale (the most), Lynden, Everson, Maple Falls, and Lummi Island. “There are a (comparatively) few fresh,” Executive Director Bierlink said, “but 99 percent of our output goes to freezers.” The IQF movement, bolstered by remarkable technology and equipment advancements for harvesting machinery and freezer/processor/packaging capabilities, has opened Whatcom County red raspberry growers to the marketplace universe….The box. Not just any cardboard box. Brad Rader, who manages the berry farm his parents relocated to Lynden 26 years ago, held up this special box so that the label showed the brands clearly, boldly: Kirkland Signature.
Rader Farms. Co-branding like this is unique to Costco. “IQF and retail bagging changed the landscape of our business,” Rader said. This particular cobranded product, carried in a majority of Costco warehouses, is a package called Nature’s Three Berries—a mixture of red raspberries and blueberries grown on the Rader farm and blackberries that are grown in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
The other package
business with vertical integration —growing, picking, IQF, bagging. Now as our demand for raspberries and blueberries has grown we have added local growers, and also have supply agreements with highquality local processors.” The farm’s 55,000 square-foot processing plant, built in 1995, operates year-round, two shifts,
the centerpiece of mega-businesses through expansion and creativity. Through generational expertise, and blessed with ideal loam soil and marine micro-weather conditions, the local growers became world-class trendsetters. Another model, a few miles removed on another outer edge of Lynden, Enfield Farms, branched out in niche directions over the last several years, as well.
The building
Last year in time for Sitting on a stand in the summer harvest the front lobby of the Enfield Farms moved Rader offices there is into its new, customa two-serving Jamba designed 30,000-squareRazzmatazz at-home foot processing plant. It smoothie kit. contains an impressive “Our red raspbermaze of immense, highries and blueberries tech machinery that are mixed with yogurt performs extraordinary cubes and sliced strawtasks in processing red berries,” Rader said. raspberries (and blue“Blend it together with berries) from the 760apple juice and in just acre farm for freezing, minutes you have a packing, and distributsmoothie that tastes ing internationally. It just like the one you has unique features that get in a Jamba Juice add to the quality facrestaurant. tor, such as a device With Jamba with a precise camera smoothies and new system to identify the ownership the Rader quality of berries indibusiness has spread vidually so they can be to Walmart, Target, sorted out for appropriOPERATING IN THE RED—Workers at Curt Maberry Farms in Lynden Fred Meyer, Safeway, ate uses, or eliminated. transfer premium ripe red raspberries from the conveyor to containers, Kroger and far beyond. prepping for the IQF deep-freeze process. Again, exemplary of Photo courtesy of Curt Maberry Farms Rader Farms, Inc. was the cutting-edge induspurchased by brand try the red raspberry five days a week, and produces innovator Inventure Foods Inc. has become in the Nooksack River IQF and puree used for jam, jelly, (NASDAQ: SNAK) in 2007 and Valley, Enfield Farms branched out yogurt, etc. They employ about evolved into a unique agri-busiinto related ventures such as pack150 full-time, and another 250 ness model. ing for food retailers, and food seasonally. science and plant breeding. The farm Rader Farms represents but one Built on a partnership with the of numerous examples of how New Zealand Institute of Plant “We became a vertically-integratthe tiny, popular red raspberries and Food Research, the Enfields’ ed farm to retain controls,” Rader grown in abundance throughout Northwest Plant Company mainsaid. “During hard times years ago Whatcom County – once a primatains experimentation on new culsome berry growers didn’t have a ry fare for roadside stands – have tivars by the hundreds. One variety home for their fruit. That’s why we circulated worldwide and become introduced a few years ago, the decided to control all parts of the
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RASPBERRY INDUSTRY
BARBIE’S BERRIES By Dakota Mackey and Business Pulse Staff Barbie’s Berries, a small family-owned farm, contributes to Whatcom County’s massive red raspberry industry that, according to the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, produces the world’s largest crop per capita. Barbie’s, nestled among local giants 20-to-50 times larger, is one of 16 suppliers in the Fresh/U-Pick membership listing published on the commission’s website, a group of growers that provides a fresh-berry alternative to the frozen, packaged products that most Whatcom County large farms produce. Owners Barbie and Randy Kraght sell not only red raspberries, but also strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries fresh in-season and frozen the rest of the months, both to individuals and to retail outlets. They are distributing this year to Lynden Dutch Bakery, and to Bellingham locations of Great Harvest Bread Company, Community Co-Op Bakery, Haggen, and Grace Café. The Kraghts find gratification in having people come to the farm to pick their own berries. “Seeing people’s smiles and getting compliments about our berries is a main reason why we love what we do,” Barbie said. In 1996 the Kraghts began growing strawberries on their four acres between Ferndale and Lynden. After two years and many requests for other berries, the Kraughts expanded their fields and fruit fare. Now they farm five times more space with all berries. Randy works the land, while Barbie organizes and manages the business. Their sons—Jake, 19, and Josh, 17—work on the fields as part of the family business. “The best part is knowing you can provide a product unlike no other to local people,” Barbie said, referring to the uniqueness of the experience people get from selecting their own berries and eating them right away, rather than the Barbie’s Berries staff sets up the fresh berries that have been preserved, freshly-picked berry stand packaged, and shipped from afar and sold Staff Photo in a store. Barbie’s Berries makes a notable impact on the local economy. Now comprising 20 acres of in the fresh-market, hand-picked sector, the farm provided about 55,000 pounds of red raspberries last year. The business employs five full-time staff, 15-20 workers seasonally, mostly students, with a $100,000 annual payroll.
BARBIE’S TIPS FOR FREEZING RED RASPBERRIES AT HOME Individual U-pick or retail customers have no commercial, high-powered freezing and packing technology like the large commercial producers utilize in the IQF industry. The raspberry requires delicate handling, hence Barbie recommends the following steps for home-kitchen freezing: 1. Put the raspberries unwashed in a gallon-sized Zip Lock bag. 2. Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet so that the berries are in a single layer. 3. Freeze the berries on the cookie sheet. 4. Rinse the berries only after they have been thawed for eating.
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Wakefield, holds up more sturdily by comparison to the most widelygrown variety in the state since its development 45 years ago at Washington State University, the Meeker, and others among the 20 most common grown in the state. A seven-minute video about the Wakefield on You Tube features Julie Enfield, the director of research with a degree in horticulture from Washington State University, and several growers. They explained how the Wakefield, which has been in development 11 years, meets primary goals of longevity for a longer, larger harvest; of enhancing the quality of taste and looks while retaining high antioxidant values; and, that is more resistant to rot, mold, and diseases. “Two of our major things we’re constantly working on,” said Andy Enfield, a company vice-president, “is producing the highest quality possible, and food safety. Those are big concerns and getting bigger over time.” Enfield Farms also operates a packing process for private-label retail customers, not only for Enfield’s own red raspberries and blueberries, but also other fruits and some vegetable. The company packs in a variety of containers, and then stores and ships for food service companies in the U.S., Canada, Japan, and other international markets.
The international horizon This summer the 8th biannual conference of the International Raspberry Organization (IRO) took place in nearby Abbotsford, British Columbia. Presentations by members ranged from Chile to China, Bulgaria to Serbia, United Kingdom to United States, Australia, Poland, and, of course, Canada. The talk of the town was the federallyapproved, federally-approved U.S. Processed Raspberry Council.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave the Council a thumb’s up after 88 percent of growers and importers voted to form an alliance among international growers that will strengthen research, breeding, and promotion of the red raspberry as a so-called super food.
Red raspberry field workers machine-pick the crop during summer harvest on dozens of farms in Whatcom County, reaping world-leading yields per capita. Photo courtesy of Cheryl De Haan, Whatcom Farm Friends. Thank you.
“There are a few fresh (suppliers), but 99 percent of our output goes to freezers.” Henry Bierlink, Executive Director of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission
Adam Enfield, a vice president at Enfield Farms who serves as president of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, said that this development definitely takes the industry to the next level. “The future looks bright with a national research-and-development program,” he said. “There’s progress any time the
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TITLE industry is working together,” Adam Enfield said. “It’ll be good to bring in the Canadians, the Chileans, the Serbians, and others.”
The future
U-PICK OFFERS FRESH OPTION—The Clark family from Parkville, Mo., spent some vacation time this summer in Barbie’s Berries fields. Here in a row of red raspberries Ken and Kim Clark try to keep up with their twins, McKenna and Mason. BP Staff Photo
With formation of the national council, the work lying ahead will be centered on health research and on promotions to increase consumption, also refocusing the Washington commission to strictly field research.
“The future looks bright with a national researchand-promotion program. There’s progress any time the industry is working together.” Adam Enfield, President of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission, and a Vice President at Enfield Farms
“What do we do now that we’re not doing any more marketing?” Adam Enfield said. “We have to rethink how the commission will become research-focused on plant breeding, chemicals, technology…do we keep the membership assessment the same – half a cent a pound – or go up to one cent a pound?” Henry Bierlink, executive director with the Washington commission, views the national council as a boon to the nation’s top regional producer, the Northwest, which already has flourished like never before. Last year was record-setting in Whatcom County with 66.3 million pounds of red raspberries reported – more than 2 million more than the previous best yield in 2000. The red raspberry industry within the county employs between 3,0004,000, including the temporary jobs during the summer harvest, though some part-time workers will harvest and then prune for employment 54 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
from six to nine months. Bierlink said, “In a $400 million-plus farm-gate market (agriculture in Whatcom County), red raspberries account for about $70-80 million out of the field.” He described how the industry here differs from other worldleading regions. “It’s very distinct with the IQF because they’re processed to stay fresh year-round,” Bierlink said. “Here, the cycle is from the end of June, all of July, and in August we’re done. “Places like California, Mexico, and other nations the fresh are available all year.”
“If you eat a domestically grown frozen raspberry anywhere in the United States, odds are good that it came from Whatcom County or somewhere in the Pacific Northwest.” Henry Bierlink
Bierlink also pointed out that the processed red raspberry stretches far in use. The highest grade are individualy quick frozen (IQF), and are treated the best with the most care, he said. Then some raspberries are classified B-Grade – they go for straight pack or sieved for use in pies, jams, packed together in their own juice and sometimes sugar, and the individual berries are still discernible. The C-Grade raspberries are put in to drums right out of the field and sent to juice plants where they are concentrated. He has watched the economic impact on Whatcom County about double in the last five years, primarily because of new growers and fields. Now, with continued discoveries in food science and farming/processing technology, the growth potential appears boundless.
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PHILANTHROPY – Stiles Celebrity Classic
Celebs, community businesses team up on behalf of burn victims By Frances Badgett
Y
ou might know him as Lewis from the hit TV series The Drew Carey Show. You might recognize him from his recurring role as Dr. Herb Melnick on Two and a Half Men.
Corporate backing of comedy/gala/golf funfest keeps doors open for a floundering foundation
Photo courtesy of Matty Photography
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Maybe you know him from his favorite world of comedy, improvisation. He was a performer with the TV hit on both British and American TV, Whose Line is it, Anyway? and holds ownership of a Bellingham improv stronghold, The Upfront Theatre. However you know him, Ryan Stiles is one of our region’s brightest stars. He also is a passionate, generous sponsor of a prospering celebrity event in Whatcom County that benefits the Burned Children Recovery Foundation (BCRF). The BCRF was founded in 1989 by Michael Mathis, who experienced severe burns as a child. He operates a recovery house in Everett (with a plan to move to Whatcom County) and Camp Phoenix—a summer venture to help children who are victims of severe burns regain social skills in a place of warmth, acceptance, and celebration. Stiles is a very funny man with a very serious mission. Every year he hosts an event-packed weekend of comedy and golf in the Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic, presented by Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa. In just two years the event has written checks totaling $270,000 to BCRF through an exclusive comedy show at Mt. Baker Theater a huge dinner and auction, and the golf tournament. Stiles doesn’t do it alone. It takes a com-
munity. And strong corporate backing. Silver Reef, under the auspices of Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Harlan Oppenheim, took on title sponsorship from the outset in 2010. Four Elite Partners ($5,000 contributors) help underwrite the celebrity-filled weekend: Jonathan Rands Attorney at Law, Ludeman Capital Management, BP Cherry Point, and Coastal Industrial Services. Another dozen businesses contribute as A-List partners ($2,500); Supporting Cast organizations make in-kind contributions, and numerous others sponsor the theater event, golf holes, carts, and celebrity transportation.
“You spend a whole weekend with funny people. It’s a great cause, and I’m so glad we’re able to put a smile on the kids’ faces. The event is heartfelt and so well done.”
CHECKING IN—Event host Ryan Stiles (left) presents the founder of the Burned Children Recovery Foundation, Michael Mathis, with a donation of $120,000 following the 2011 comedy and golf fund-raiser in Bellingham. (Photo courtesy of Matty Photography)
$60,000 worth of services the first two years,” Axelsson said. “We comp all the rooms for the celebs and the BCRF board members. We donate the entire gala space and dinner. And we provide most of what goes into the goodie bags
for our golfers.” As the hub of the event activities, Silver Reef “puts quite a bit into it, and gets quite a bit out of it,” Sherfey said. “It’s a wonderful cause that lets us work with many folks we normally might not
Kris Palmerton, Coastal Industrial Services
Pulling it all together requires a strong management team. Randi Axelsson and Kent Loomer, a close friend of Stiles’, serve as the volunteer event organizers. Loomer got to know Stiles while attending improv classes at The Upfront Theater, where Loomer now is a regular performer. He also does acting and film production, all avocations during down time from his full-time work as an operator at BP Cherry Point. Axelsson is hotel sales manager at Silver Reef on the staff of Chad Sherfey, the director of hotel operations who allots Randi time to deliver as tournament co-director. “Silver Reef donated close to
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PHILANTHROPY
THE KIDS ARE REALLY FUNNY’—That’s what Stiles said, even though he and his cohorts from the world of comedy fill the house and keep it rocking under colorful lighting at Mount Baker Theater. ‘The humor comes from the kids….” (Photo courtesy of Matty Photography)
because they might not be casinodriven. We give use of our hotel, spa, meeting space, and great dining options to support an excellent community event.”
IMMEDIATE IMPACT Outstanding locations, accommodations, and cool swag are all essential elements of a successful event. The impact of this new event in 2010 was immediate. During conversation over dinner at a Bellingham restaurant, Stiles said, “The first year we sponsored this event, the burn center was within three days of closing because of lack of funds. I’d been wanting a charity event, Randi knew about the burn foundation… the timing was perfect.” The event kept the center alive, and he, deeply involved hands-on, and the event team have worked hard ever since to make the weekend memorable for both the BCRF and the people who participate. Kris Palmerton of Coastal Industrial Services in Ferndale—an 58 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
industrial cleaning company that has been in operation for three generations—got involved the first year as an Elite Partner. “I love how the program is put on. You spend a whole weekend with funny
“You’ll be laughing your guts out one minute, then drawn to tears the next.” Matt Atkins Ludeman Capital Management
people,” he said. “It’s a great cause, and I’m so glad we’re able to put a smile on the kids’ faces.” In interviews, an aspect of the Classic that all the financial backers noted was how professionally the event is run. “I look at things from an operational standpoint,” Palmerton said. “…And it is so well put together, it runs smoothly, and you never see anyone walk out of there without a smile.”
Strong credit goes to about 80 volunteers, ranging from firefighters to motorcycle riders, managed by Axelsson and Loomer. “We completely trust each other,” Loomer said. “If I can’t make a meeting, I can fully trust Randi to take over.”
LAUGHS PAVE THE WAY Matt Atkins of event sponsor Ludeman Capital commented on the use of humor within the context of the Foundation’s serious mission. “You’ll be laughing your guts out one minute,” he said, “then drawn to tears the next.” Stiles credited that to who he considers the stars of the weekend: “The humor comes from the kids. They are really funny.” And it’s no secret that humor heals. As Palmerton remarked, “Humor is the best medicine.” An important component of philanthropy from a participating corporation’s standpoint is how the money they raise is used. The Ryan Stiles Golf Classic donates
every dime to the Burned Children Recovery Foundation. Axelsson said, “Ryan’s Friday night show raises the money we need for operating costs. I am able to get most everything else we need donated or sold to us at cost.” The Elite Partners also receive invitations to opening day of Camp Phoenix. “We get to hear the personal stories from some of the people who have been touched by this cause,” Attorney Jonathan Rands said. Axelsson described how important the camp has become to those who support the charity event. “Opening day is quite an exciting time,” she said. “Seahawk cheerleaders, the Seahawk drumming band, and the Seahawk’s mascot, Blitz (attend). About 100 Harley-Davidson riders come in and take the kids out on motorcycle rides throughout the day. It is also the day we present the check to the charity.”
CLASSIC LEADERSHIP—After addressing a local Rotary Club breakfast: (l. to r.) Ryan Stiles, tournament co-director Randi Axelsson with Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa, burn foundation creator Michael Mathis, and tournament co-director Kent Loomer with event Elite partner BP Cherry Point. Staff Photo
She said that some celebrities and many friends of the event return later in the summer to attend the camp. “The men who built the custom motorcycle for
our first year auction return to camp every year,” Axelsson said. Visiting the camp isn’t always easy. Stiles said, “This isn’t a ‘pretty’ charity. It’s hard. Some of
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PHILANTHROPY the stories are really hard to hear.” This year visitors won’t have to travel far—Camp Phoenix is on the shores of Lake Samish, near Stiles’ home. “I told everybody not to come on my property,” he said. Truth is, Stiles is very personally involved with the camp, cooking chili and spending time with the campers. The Elite Partners made it clear that their support for the BCRF is heartfelt. “When I started my law office,” Rands said, “I wanted to make a concerted effort to give back. It’s really worthwhile, and it’s the right thing to do. We like helping a charity that is right here in our area.” Ludeman Capital Management has its own Agros Foundation, which helps a village in Honduras meet basic needs. The Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic fits the company’s philanthropic mission, according to Atkins, a financial advisor with Ludeman. “It’s a priv-
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ilege for us,” he said. “When you get around someone like (childhood burn victim and burn center founder) Mike Mathis, you hear his story…about his burns, the surgeries, and the way society treated him, it’s moving….You realize the desocialization these kids face.”
COMEDY KICKS IT OFF With corporate backing to underwrite costs and lay a foundation of a financial windfall for burn victims, the general public follows suit by participating in the theater, at the dinner-auction, and/or on the golf course. The Friday comedy night at Mount Baker Theater leads off the weekend. Three of Stiles’ comedy-circuit friends will join him on stage – Joel Murray from The Second City improv theater, Mo Collins from Mad TV, and Jeff Davis from Who’s Line Is It, Anyway? The gala auction and dinner
take place Saturday night at the Silver Reef. Loomer said they put a new spin on the auction this year. “We asked for sponsorships for individual kids of $1,500 each,” he said. “That way, if people don’t win an auction item, or they want to contribute in a direct way, they can.”
“When I started my law office, I wanted to make a concerted effort to give back. We really focused on it in the last year. It’s really worthwhile, and it’s the right thing to do.” Jonathan Rands
Local firefighters create a volunteer highlight that night by dressing in full regalia and spotting for the auction. This year they will also serve as table captains. Sunday the golf tournament tees off. A foursome plays with a celebrity in each grouping. While the gala dinner-auction is limited to players and sponsors, Camp Phoenix convenes August 18-25 at Lutherwood Camp & Retreat Center. Its doors open to anyone who wants to visit on opening day. Even after their tournament weekend and the opening day of camp, Axelsson’s and Loomer’s work isn’t finished. They visit each of the Elite Partners and ask for feedback on what went well, and what could go better. “It sets us apart,” Loomer said. “And it seems to work. They couldn’t be happier with the event and its organizers. As Rands put it, “It’s just simply a great event, a great weekend, and a great cause.”
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WBA BOD
Introducing…Whatcom Business Alliance Leadership Board of Directors provides exemplary shining light to guide a new voice and climate for business in the region
W
ho would you go to if you needed surgery? Or if you needed you car repaired? You’d seek advice from those who have already done it successfully. You’d seek a track record of success.
all the other activities that make life busy, and they find it difficult to assume more responsibility. Fortunately, a number of local business leaders have agreed to commit their time and talents to the newly-formed Whatcom Business Alliance. The men and women from across a broad spectrum of the private sector of our business DIRECTORS ADDRESS VITAL ISSUES: (l. to r.) Bob Pritchett, community, have agreed of Logos Bible Software; Jeff Kochman, Why would we as a com- Founder/President/CEO President/CEO of Barkley Company; and Andy Enfield, Vice to step up and lead the munity not do the same as President at Enfield Farms. [BP Staff Photo] WBA on vitally important it relates to facilitating busiissues. They bring a wealth ness success, job creation, of expertise from business example as community partners. and community prosperity? To backgrounds of varying sizes and Business leaders tend to be very do so, we must engage those with sectors. busy people. Running successful the most to offer. Those who own, We are pleased to introduce you companies takes a lot of time and manage, and grow successful busito the Board here. energy. Factor in family obliganesses. Those who have created tions, community involvement, and living-wage jobs and have led by By Line
DAVE ADAMS President/Co-Founder,
Emergency Reporting Bellingham
Number of employees: 25 Years in this position: 9 Years in the industry: 24 Education: Western Washington University Spouse, Maggie; children, Alex and Garrett On the front burner: Release of company’s first IOS and Droid apps at the largest fire chief conference in the world in August 2012. Contracts with DOD agencies to small volunteer fire departments, and partnerships with leading 911 dispatch software companies across the country.
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RANDI AXELSSON Hotel Sales Manager,
Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa Ferndale
Years in this position: 4 Years in the industry: 20 Education: Pepperdine University; Univ. of California-Santa Barbara Spouse, Eric Axelsson; children, Briana Cyr, Christopher Howard On the front burner: Ryan Stiles Celebrity Golf Classic (co-chair, company is name sponsor) annually in July, Chair of the board of directors of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
JANELLE BRULAND President/CEO,
Management Services Northwest Ferndale
Years in this position: 17 Years in the industry: 17 Education: Western Washington University Spouse, Graham Youtsey; daughters Terell Weg, Payton, Paige, and Matia, and son Blake. On the front burner: Srategic planning and business development as Management Services Northwest continues to grow as a regional provider of facilities management in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.
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WBA BOD
JANE CARTEN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President/Director
Saturna Capital Corp. Bellingham
Years in this position: 3 Years in the industry: 15 Education: MBA, Western Washington University On the front burner: The Amana Income Fund, managed by Saturna Capital, received the 2012 Lipper Best Fund Award for superior 10-year performance among 40 funds in Lipper’s Equity Income category.
KEVIN DEVRIES Chief Executive Officer
Exxel Pacific, Inc. Bellingham
Years in this position: 23 Years in the industry: 26 Education: Dordt College (Iowa) On the front burner: Completion of $20-milliion campus center for Bellingham Technical College during Summer 2012, and a 25-story residential building project in downtown Seattle targeted for September 2013.
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GREG EBE President/CEO
Ebe Farms Ferndale
Years in industry (civil engineering): 19 years Education: Seattle University, bachelor’s degee in civil engineering. On the front burner: Ebe Farms uses GPS technology to plant, cultivate and harvest seed-potato fields with an accuracy of a half-inch.
ANDY ENFIELD Vice President
Enfield Farms Lynden
Years in this position: 3 Years in the business: 12 Education: Washington State University Spouse, Lisa; children Henry 2, Hazel 2 months On the front burner: Raspberry harvest, processing through August 2012. Growing the client base for IQF, repacking.
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WBA BOD
BRIAN GENTRY Manager, Local Government & Community Relations
Puget Sound Energy Bellingham
Years in this position: 1 Education: Bachelor’s degree, Washington State University Children, Bella Kate and Sabrina On the front burner: A new substation for Point Roberts and upgraded power lines for improved reliability throughout the county. Constant system improvements.
JOHN HUNTLEY President/CEO
Mills Electric Bellingham
Years in this position: 6 Years in the company: 37 Education: Western Washington University Spouse, Tanna; children Jeremy, 29, Joshua, 26 On the front burner: Expanding into other neighboring states, Montana and Idaho. Concentrating on marketing, especially on industrial projects.
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GUY JANSEN Director
Lynden, Inc. Lynden
Years in this position: 8 Years in the industry: 38 Spouse, Kathy; children Jason, Jody and Zakary On the front burner: Helping make Whatcom County and the state of Washington more business friendly and support local businesses.
SANDY KEATHLEY Former owner (sold June 2012)
K&K Industries Bellingham
Years in this position: 8 Years in the industry: 8 Education: Washington State University BA; Western Washington University, master’s. Spouse, Ben Kinnebrew On the front burner: Recently cut metal for superstructure of three new Washington state ferries, plus tour boat in Fiji and fishing boat in Homer, Alaska.
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WBA BOD
PAUL KENNER Executive Vice President
Brown & Brown of Washington, dba Snapper Shuler Kenner Insurance Lynden
Years in this position: 1 Years in the industry: 38 Education: University of Washington Spouse, Christine; children Krista, Jennifer, Steven and David On the front burner: Free state-of-the-art driving simulator to clients of all ages, providing experience in handling inclement weather and other hazardous situations.
JEFF KOCHMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President/CEO
Barkley Company Bellingham
Years in this position: 15 Years in the business: 22 Education: Washington State University Spouse, Kim; children, Brooks, Alexander, Marie On the front burner: Opening in November 2012 of the massive 68,000-square-foot, 16-screen Regal Cinemas hi-tech theater in Barkley Village, plus 37,000 square feet of neighboring retail and restaurants.
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TROY MULJAT, CHAIRMAN Owner/Managing Broker
Muljat Group Commercial and Landmark Real Estate Management Bellingham
Years in this position: 20 Years in the industry: 20 Education: Seattle Pacific University, bachelor’s degree in marketing. Spouse, Heather; children, Cameron, 15; Chloe, 13; Marissa, 11; Bryce, 8; Luke, 5; and Sadie, 4. On the front burner: A new start-up called NVNTD (www.NVNTD.com) to help create innovative ideas and bring them to market. Overseeing the commercial leasing and investment sales division of the Muljat Group; leasing for the retail market is very strong due to the influence of Canadian visitors. Chair of WBA Board.
BOB PRITCHETT, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President & CEO
Logos Bible Software Bellingham
Years in this Position: 20 Years in the industry: 25 Education: Drexel University Spouse, Audra; children, Jacob, 18; Kathleen, 17. On the front burner: Moving into social and mobile changing technology for the individual market; embracing both areas to make it easier for average church people to connect with each other and the Bible.
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WBA BOD
BRAD RADER, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Vice President/General Manager
Rader Farms, Inc. Lynden
Years in this position: 5 Years in the industry: 25 Education: Oregon State University Spouse, Kari; children Arianna, 9, and Sofia, 7 On the front burner: Co-branding with Jamba Juice on a two-pack home-mixed fruit smoothie, Razzmatazz, using Rader raspberry pieces (and other fruits); annual raspberry harvest through August.
BECKY RANEY Owner
Print & Copy Factory Bellingham
Years in this Position: 20 Years in the industry: 20 Education: Art Institute of Seattle Spouse, Larry Raney On the front burner: Grow full-service range of the business (digital printing, web solutions, and more); chair of WBA Small Business Advisory Committee
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JON SITKIN Shareholder/Principal
Chmelik Sitkin & Davis P.S. Bellingham
Years in this position: 14 Years in the industry: 25 Education: Seattle University, Law; Western Washington University. On the front burner: Growth and maturing of the firm, securing the long-term future with the integration of two new young principals.
DOUGLAS THOMAS President/CEO
Bellingham Cold Storage Bellingham
Years in this position: 13 Years in the industry: 25 Education: Washington State University Spouse, Sandy; daughter, Lauren On the front burner: New $4.5 million ice house in Summer 2012. Including the storage bins and with the machines operating at capacity, BCS now can have 470 tons of shaved and block ice available daily for commercial fishing boats and BCS tenants.
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TITLE BOD WBA
KATHY VARNER Chief Executive Officer
VSH, PLLC Bellingham
Partner/Founder
Reset Games, LLC, Bellingham
Years in this position (VSH): 10 Years in the Industry: 25 Education: Western Washington University Spouse, John; children, Alexis and Levi On the front burner: U.S. and cross-border tax issues, helping VSH gain Canadian and multinational clients.
KAREN WINGER Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking
Wells Fargo Bellingham
Years in this position: 22 Years in the industry: 22 Spouse, Robert Vineyard On the front burner: International expansion, including a new office in Vancouver B.C.
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ANALYSIS: NATURAL RESOURCES Don C. Brunell | President, AWB Don Brunell is the president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business association with more than 7,800 members representing 700,000 employees as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. About 90 percent of members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.
Killing King Coal R
ecently, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed new air quality regulations for power plants that activists say will finally kill King Coal.
The rule would require all new power plants to cut emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by almost 44 percent. Natural gas plants can meet the standard; coal-fired plants cannot without expensive carbon capture-and-storage technology that is not available commercially. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson is on record that the standards will apply only to new power plants. However, citing the Clean Air Act, the climate program policy director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, David Doniger, said, “We look forward to reaching an agreement with EPA on…completing the standard for new sources and developing standards for existing sources.” Regardless, Rolling Stone reported, “For all intents and purposes, coal is dead as a new power source for 21st-century America.”
If not coal, what? Coal supplies 40 percent of America’s and half of the world’s electricity, and coal use is expected to increase to meet global demand. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said, “Coal is an 74 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
abundant resource….we (must) figure out a way to use coal as cleanly as possible.” The federal government has partnered with states, municipalities, and private utilities to develop and test clean coal technology: • Using superheated temperatures to reduce emissions; • Coal gasification, which turns coal into a form of natural gas; • Storing CO2 emissions from coal plants underground; • And turning coal into gas while it’s still underground, eliminating the need for coal mines.
“Coal supplies 40 percent of America’s and half of the world’s electricity, and coal use is expected to increase to meet global demand.” The Sierra Club, which vows to “retire one-third of the nation’s aging coal plants by 2020,” makes no distinction on its hit list between aging plants and new high-tech projects. Its website recently declared, “106 retired, 416 to go.” The growing supply of cleaner, affordable natural gas mitigates any demise in coal use, according
to some analyses. Environmental protesters, however, continue working to stop natural gas projects and “fracking”—the use of high-pressure water and chemicals to release previously inaccessible natural gas. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce maintains a database of natural gas projects across the country stopped, delayed, or threatened by protests that leave squeeze from both ends: natural gas plants in populated areas are dangerous, yet natural gas plants in outlying areas cause the need for pipelines.
So, if not natural gas, then what? Wind power? That same U.S. Chamber database includes wind farm projects delayed or derailed because of disputes over their impact on scenic areas dotted with windmills, and on migrating birds Renewable energy alone is not the answer. Sec. Chu suggested that, even utilizing every type of alternative energy in every possible location, renewable sources could supply only 20-30 percent of U.S. energy needs. If campaigns succeed to eliminate oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear power, where will the other 70 to 80 percent come from?
Proudly Serving The Community for 65 Years
Traditional T raditional S Service er vice M tii M d N d Meeting Modern Needs.
Lynden • Ferndale 360-354-4471
Proudly Serving Whatcom, Skagit, Island and Snohomish Counties
Mount Vernon 360-424-4471 WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM | 75
ENTREPRENEUR/START-UP TIPS Laura Bostrom | Accelerator Program Director, NW Innovation Resource Center The NW Innovation Resource Center provides services so entrepreneurs can create economic opportunities and jobs through innovation. A nonprofit organization based in Whatcom County, the NWIRC accelerates early-stage startup companies and their rate of success through mentorship, resources, and accountability.
Jump-start your Startup: Use Mentors S
tarting a new business requires sound answers to innumerable questions. The knowledge required is extensive. Rather than trying to do-it-all and learn-it-all yourself, use your network. Involve experienced business people as mentors and improve your chances of success for your new enterprise. The benefits of a mentor or adviser are numerous. A mentor for a startup business can provide a new business owner the experience that the new owner lacks. Mentors can help you avoid the predictable mistakes and offer tactical and strategic advice. Starting a business can be an exhausting and lonely time. Expanding your team with helpful advisers increases your knowledge base and your enthusiasm. At the NW Innovation Resource Center we work with entrepreneurs to identify their unique needs and then we find mentors who can advise in those areas. We recommend that entrepreneurs and mentors talk about opportunities, and then identify possible solutions and determine recom76 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
mended next steps. A similar approach, beginning with simply making a list of your needs, will help you target your conversation as you begin working with a mentor. Locating helpful mentors is your next step. You can find advisers in your extended business network or trade associations. Local business groups, such as the Whatcom Business Alliance, exist to provide connections for businesspeople. Or, take a targeted approach to mentor recruiting: Identify who you would like as a mentor, and contact them directly. Tim Niemier, a local small-boat designer, said he sought potential mentors when he was building his original business, Ocean Kayak. He favored the direct approach when contacting pioneers in the industry. “I would just call them up,” he said. Niemier said he thought about the kind of business person he wanted to be, and then sought out mentors who fit that description. Some of Niemier’s mentors had 30 years of experience in paddle sports and plastics. “Things I had thought about doing, they had already done. It was like a database.” One of his mentor contacts was Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia. During the meeting
Chouinard explained Patagonia’s catalog and how they had incorporated customer essays about the products into the catalog. The essays reinforced the company’s quality and environmental values while showing the products in use. Niemier turned the idea into an effective marketing piece for Ocean Kayak by emphasizing the utility and lifestyle associated with their products. “It was more fun than a brochure,” Niemier said. “The piece made us look like we were a bigger company than the big companies with the glossy brochures.” Whether you want advice on marketing, finance, or cash flow, you can find advisers who have experience relevant for your industry. Take the first step and ask a potential adviser for some of his time. The process of talking through the opportunities and issues of your business will jumpstart your thinking and will move your business forward.
“Thanks to the savings we’re enjoying with AWB’s group health care plan, we’re still able to cover 100% of our employees’ health care premiums.
Finally, a program we can depend on to keep costs under control.” Deborah Barnard, Co-Owner Barnard Griffin Winery, Richland
Our State’s Business Climate is Tough. But you can do something about it. All across Washington state, employers and business owners are adjusting to the new economy, eagerly anticipating a recovery. They’re doing their fair share by cutting costs, innovating — even retooling — to retain and create jobs. Any hope of a sustained recovery rests with private sector job growth — a critical piece to solving our state’s significant, recurring budget woes. Lawmakers must take particular care not to jeopardize a restart of our economy by piling additional tax and regulatory costs on employers. Policymakers should instead be considering incentives that will help retain and recruit employers and jobs. That’s why AWB is encouraging members to contribute to a media campaign that will build greater support for employers, and job creation, across the state. We can’t control the ups and downs of our economy. But we can promote a more business-friendly climate in Washington state. Your contribution will help ensure your voice is heard clearly in Olympia.
To help ensure your voice is heard in Olympia, visit www.AWB.org and click on “We Mean Business.”
#wemeanbusiness
PO Box 658, Olympia, WA 98507-0658
800.521.9325
www.AWB.org
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THE ENVIRONMENT Todd Myers | Environmental Director, Washington Policy Center The Washington Policy Center is an independent, non-partisan think tank promoting sound public policy based on free-market solutions. Todd Myers is one of the nation’s leading experts on free-market environmental policy and is the author of the 2011 landmark book Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism is Harming the Environment. His in-depth research on the failure of the state’s 2005 “green” building mandate continues to receive national attention. Myers holds a Master’s degree from the University of Washington.
Free Market Environmentalism That Works W
hen it comes to helping the environment, politicians like to tell us that without them, businesses would severely damage the environment – recklessly using resources in the search of profit. The simple truth, however, is that companies have been the most effective at finding ways to do more with less, reducing the number of resources we use and improving environmental sustainability. The free market is more effective at providing environmental solutions than politically-motivated programs that often are designed to generate public image benefits rather than actually helping the environment. Here’s one recent example. Many hotels now place a card in the bathroom exhorting guests to help the planet by reusing their towels, thus reducing the amount of water and energy used by the hotel. Such appeals are typically based on guilt – guests reuse the towels, and the hotel receives the 78 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
financial benefit. The success of such efforts, however, is entirely contingent on the convenience and good will of the guests. Westin Hotels, however, harnessed the free market to find a better way. Recently, when I checked into my hotel in Charlotte, N.C., I noticed a door hanger lying on the bed which read: “Make a green choice. Enjoy a $5 voucher at participating food and beverage outlets or 500 SPG Starwood points awarded at checkout for each night you decline housekeeping.” Instead of guilt, Westin recognizes that sharing the benefit of conserving resources is likely to make the program more successful. And they are seeing results. Westin reports that the program has grown in each of the first three years. They estimate 16 percent of guests take advantage of the program. This is remarkable considering what it might take otherwise to cut water use for laundry by about one-fifth. The Westin chain conceived its program in Seattle where the “green” ethic is ubiquitous, but it goes beyond simply cultivating a green image. Westin enjoys financial benefits in two ways. First,
it saves money by reducing the laundry and housekeeping costs. Second, it is an initiative Westin uses to attract corporate customers from organizations that require their employees to stay at “green” hotels. Those most likely to be incentivized by the program and use it are business travelers, and Westin’s Starwood points are a particularly attractive reward. Interestingly, Para seemed sheepish when I asked if the hotel benefited financially from the program. By providing benefits to the hotel and customer, however, the program is more likely to stand the test of time. Too many green programs are based on people’s willingness to endure inconvenience or cost, and such projects get jettisoned when times get tough. With the hotel benefiting, they are more likely to continue and even expand the program. Instead of apologizing for the benefits they receive, Westin should be proud. Those financial rewards may encourage other hotels to follow suit, further reducing overall resource use. By harnessing the incentives of the free market, Westin, its customers and the environment all benefit.
Simple. Affordable. Sustainable. ColorQube™ The greenest MFP on the planet! Solid ink technology generates 90% less landfill waste!
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201 E Chestnut St, Bellingham, WA 98225
www.benchmarkds.com We offer you the best of both worlds: the flexibility and responsiveness you’d expect from a local business, combined with the power and resources of the recognized leader in the office products and document services business: XEROX Corporation
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H.R. PROTOCOL Bob Pritchett | President/CEO, Logos Bible Software, Inc. Bob Pritchett co-founded Logos Research Systems, Inc. (now renamed for its niche-market product, Bible software) in 1992, and the business perennially has made fastest-growing companies lists regionally and nationally. He is on the executive committee of the Whatcom Business Alliance board of directors.
Never Fire Blind-Folded Y
ou need to be completely prepared before actually letting someone go. ...Make sure that you are not going to violate any employment or discrimination laws. Check any relevant employment contract for special notice or severance pay requirements. Inform various staff members or departments (payroll, security, network administration, etc.) who may need to know of the firing beforehand in order to cancel security codes and network access and to calculate final compensation. The most important preparation is to be firmly decided. The meeting where you fire someone is a presentation, not a negotiation. When you announce that you are firing someone, you are taking your professional relationship with that person over a cliff. There is no way back to the top..; there is only pathetic grasping at branches on the way down. The employee may suggest a change in job description, different working hours, or reduced compensation, or may ask for another chance to make improvements in her performance. You have reviewed all these options before deciding to fire, so you can clearly and polite80 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM
ly explain that the decision has been made and that there is nothing to negotiate. Five Steps to the Firing Presentation: 1. You’re fired. 2. Why you’re fired. 3. Things we need from you. 4. Things you need from us. 5. Good-bye. If you have followed the right steps before firing people it won’t be coming as a complete surprise…(Unless you are firing them because they can’t see things coming.)….Give only a short, verbal reason for firing someone. Don’t elaborate, and don’t put it in writing. Imagine that there is a Miranda warning for supervisors: You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney. If you can afford an attorney, you are wrong because you can’t afford not to have an attorney. Anything you say will be recorded, discussed, analyzed, dissected, twisted, and thrown back at you in a court of law, and in the eating and drinking establishments where your employees congregate
[Reprinted by permission from: Fire Someone Today, Bob Pritchett (2006), Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.”]
ADVERTISER INDEX ALCOA Intalco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Anderson Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Archer Halliday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Assoc. of Washington Business . . . . . . . . . 77 BAI Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Bank of the Pacific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Barkley Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Bellingham Golf & Country Club . . . . . . . . 61 Benchmark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Best Western Lakeway Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Big Fresh Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Chmelik Sitkin & Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47, 59 Cornwall Chroma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Data Link West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Edmund Lowe Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Exact Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Gateway Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Hilltop Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Innotech Metal Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Innovations for Quality Living . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Key Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 LaserPoint Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Little Ceasars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Mills Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Morgan Stanley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 NW Business EXPO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Northwest Propane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Oltman Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center . . 83 Print & Copy Factory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Saturna Capital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Scotty Browns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Second Time Around Computers . . . . . . . . 33 Semiahmoo Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Silver Reef Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Skagit State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Solutions Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Sterling Savings Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 TAG . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 The United Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 The Unity Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 US Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 VSH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 WBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 53 WECU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Whirlwind Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Whidbey Island Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Community Roots. National Strength.
Mike Yeend
Mike Cromer
Strength makes a difference. U.S. Bank is the financial partner that’s strong, stable and committed to providing high quality, innovative products and services that meet the needs and demands of our customers. Our strong capital position, growing deposit base and solid credit quality allow us to invest in our company, our customers and our communities so we can keep looking up. In keeping with our commitment to the Community, U.S. Bank in Bellingham welcomes Mike Yeend, Sr. Vice President and Commercial Team Leader. Mike is responsible for serving and growing the Northwest Washington Region’s commercial client relationships. He is located at the U. S. bank office at 121 W. Holly Street in Bellingham. In addition, we are pleased to introduce Mike Cromer, Vice President and Relationship Manager in the Northwest Washington Region. Mike is responsible for managing and growing business client relationships within the Northwest Washington Region. Mike is also located at the U.S. Bank office at 121 West Holly Street in Bellingham, Washington.
usbank.com Member FDIC
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EXPERIENCE
EVENTS
Representatives are ready to book your next event in the Pacific Northwest’s newest event space. 6,300 sq ft of Indoor Function Space 19,800 Additional sq ft Coming Spring 2013 Full Range of Custom Catering Packages Professional Sales Staff Airport Shuttle Available • 1 Exit North of the Bellingham Airport Three Diamond Hotel Rating • 105 Beautiful Rooms & Suites Complimentary Wi-Fi • 7 Diverse Dining Choices Full Service Spa (Discounts for Hotel Guests) Indoor Pool & Whirlpool • Sauna & Steam Room
Room Name
Classroom
Reception
Rounds (8)
Pavilion
4,150
62’x67’
14’
440
200
400
300
-
Pavilion East
2,010
30’x67’
14’
200
80
200
125
-
Pavilion West
2,010
30’x67’
14’
200
80
200
125
-
Legacy
1,000
35’x28’
11’
100
40
100
70
-
Legacy Pre-function
680
26’x26’
14’
-
-
70
-
-
Executive Boardroom
510
19’x26’
12’
-
-
-
-
14
Coming Soon
Event Center
Sq. Ft.
Sq. Ft.
Size
Ceiling
Size
Ceiling
10,100 120’x85’
Theater
Theater
Fixed
Classroom
Reception
Rounds (8)
18’-20’
1,000
600
1,000
700
Fixed
-
Event Center North
5,070
57’x89’
18’-20’
500
250
500
350
Event Center South
5,070
57’x89’
18’-20’
500
250
500
350
-
Event Center Pre-function
1,500
-
18’-20’
-
-
150
-
153
Visit SilverReefCasino.com for event room and catering menu details. For more information or to schedule your event or conference, please contact Linda Barsalou. 866.383.0777 ext. 140 or LindaB@SilverReefCasino.com
Theatre
7,000
64’x87’
12’-25’
153
-
-
-
Theatre East
2,300
-
12’-25’
53
-
-
-
53
Theatre West
4,700
-
12’-25’
100
-
-
-
100
Director’s Room
800
21’x37’
12’
70
30
80
60
-
Chairman’s Room
360
20’x17’
12’
-
-
-
-
14
EXPERIENCEEVERYTHING Vancouver, B.C.
BC, CANADA
PEACE ARCH
WA, USA
24/7 ACTION
SilverReefCasino.com
I-5 Exit 260 • 4 Min. West Haxton Way at Slater Road (866) 383-0777
N Ferndale EXIT 260 Bellingham Seattle
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