Bellingham Business Journal, July 07, 2014

Page 1

Vol. 22 No. 7

JULY 2014 A cooperative of farmers are looking at producing a North Cascades Meat brand [Page 5]

The Buzz

Family brings personal touch to chain yogurt A couple open two Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt shops in Bellingham, and learn that running a franchise can be like running a family business. PAGE 4

Oil Trains Burlington North Santa Fe railway releases details about the number of trains carrying Bakken crude oil that travel through western Washington. PAGE 15

Marijuana ads With marijuana stores soon opening, the state runs radio ads urging parents to talk to their children about pot. PAGE 10

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Dan Bates / The (Everett) Herald

Frontier West Region President Melinda White reflects on the deal with Verizon that established her company in western Washington.

Frontier’s purchase, four years later Top exec sees customer service, investment key for company BY JIM DAVIS For The Bellingham Business Journal Last winter, Frontier Communications’ west region president, Melinda White, sent out a holiday greeting to the hundreds of thousands of customers in her service area. She included an email address asking for people to feel free to

contact her. “Some might say, ‘Are you nuts?’ Do you really want to put yourself out there to all of the customers?” White said. “Within Frontier, because of our values and culture and our focus on the customer, it was just a natural. “Everybody understood that’s exactly what we want to do.” Hundreds and hundreds of peo-

ple responded, White said. “I received compliments, concerns, questions, ‘can’t-believeyou-made-yourself-availablelike-this,’ all kinds of comments,” White said. “We responded to every single one.” Four years ago on July 1, Frontier took over 4.8 million landlines from Verizon in 14 states including Washington to become

Space reserved for mailing label

The Summer days areyour just Schedule boat haul out ahead. before 3/1/2012 Be sure your to receive half off boat is ready.

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the largest provider of telecommunications in rural and suburban areas of the United States. The company provides telephone, Internet and video services to more than 210,000 customers in Washington, operating from Whatcom County south to Snohomish County. While Bellingham isn’t included in the com-

A Ferndale company wins a $6.4 million contract for the long-term clean up at the Oso slide. PAGE 3

Haggen Bellingham’s Haggen closing two stores in Snohomish County after it couldn’t reach a lease agreement with the property owner. PAGE 10

FRONTIER, PAGE 3

Bellingham’s Friendliest Marine Facility — When you need us ... We’ll be there

• Self & Full service Boatyard

• Storage & Repair Facility

• Inside Repair Space

• Over 20 Marine Professionals

• Load/Offload Barges

• Land/Building Rent

(360) 715-1000 (800) 742-4262 1001 C Street — On the Whatcom Creek Waterway

www.landingscolonywharf.com • amber@landingscolonywharf.com

1081298


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