Journal of Business - October 2023

October 2023 Volume 22 | Issue 10

Benton, Franklin property valuation rates jump more than 20%

By Robin Wojtanik

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Inside

Focus Magazine: Construction + Real Estate in the Tri-Cities

Business Profile

Families can find seasonal fun at Queensgate Gardens Page A35

Real Estate & Construction

New retail center taking shape in Richland Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “This thing has a chance to be the most popular place in town.”

- Andrew McVay, co-owner Ray’s Golden Lion

Page A34

Scott Thompson had never felt strongly enough about an issue to display a banner criticizing elected leaders – until he got his property valuation from the Benton County Assessor’s office.

That’s when he put up the large sign on his wooden fence facing the well-traveled Keene Road in West Richland: “Ignorant voters + Incompetent assessors = Oppressive taxation.”

“It went up 26.4% in one year,” Thompson said of his property taxes. “I was surprised and so I went back to the only other postcard I had from 2020 to 2021, and it went up 3.6%, and I’m OK with that since it kind of goes up with inflation. But 26.4% is extremely excessive.”

Thompson’s valuation is in line with countywide trends, which averaged an increase in value of about 23% in Benton County and about 28% in Franklin County.

Thompson said homeowners shouldn’t have to pay property taxes on what someone else may pay for their home.

“Especially when they compare it to houses that are sold because they’re sold at their best condition. I need a $25,000 roof, I’ve got matted carpet upstairs; stuff that I don’t maintain at the level if I was going to sell my house. So why should I pay taxes on something so subjective and affected by so many things?” Thompson said outside the home he’s lived in for eight years.

He paid $275,000 for his home in 2015, marking a somewhat modest increase in value from when the home was built a decade earlier and sold brand new for about $221,000. Today, his home and property are assessed at $531,460, nearly double the value of what he paid for it.

Part of the shock Thompson felt when receiving his 2023 valuation came from his appraised value of $383,320 in 2021, followed by $420,350 in 2022 to the stunner of a more than $120,000 increase in a single year.

“Some people were saying the assessor was using Zillow to get the value, but when I looked uPROPERTY TAXES, Page A32

Photo by Ryan Jackman From left, Ravadi, Billy and Dara Quinn at The Emerald of Siam in Richland.

The beloved restaurant and live music venue is celebrating 40 years in business in October. Ravadi Quinn started the Emerald in 1983, and Dara and Billy, two of her children, are now the co-owners following her retirement.

At The Emerald of Siam, 40 years of love and acceptance

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

Bill Blakeman was one of the very first customers to walk in the door.

Back in October 1983, when The Emerald of Siam opened in Richland, there were no other restaurants in the Tri-Cities dedicated to Thai cuisine.

Blakeman had lived in Thailand for a year while serving in the military, and he missed the mouth-watering flavors he’d tasted there. So, he brought his young family to the Emerald – which had taken over a former drugstore and soda fountain space

in the Uptown Shopping Center – as soon as he got the chance. He’s been a loyal customer ever since.

In fact, over the last 40 years – Emerald is celebrating its milestone birthday this month – Blakeman has become one of the many people who’ve transformWed from customer to something more, as Emerald itself has morphed from an eatery to a place unlike any other in the Tri-Cities.

At the Emerald, you can dig into savory green curry chicken or a crispy spring roll while listening to world-class live music or taking in an art show – all while feeling uEMERALD OF SIAM, Page A13

Shelby’s Floral to put down roots in building of its own

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

Shelby’s Floral has for decades had a Clearwater Avenue address – from its debut in 1977 in the now-defunct Bramble Bush Mall to its current home in Marineland Plaza.

And that’s not going to change now that owner Jackie Brown is building a new home for the beloved flower shop.

Shelby’s Floral is relocating down the street to 6018 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick.

Construction is scheduled to start at the end of October.

Brown hopes to move into the new location by next August.

Until then, the existing store will remain open at its current home at 5211 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite A. “It’s been a long haul. We’ll be very happy when we see (the new building),” Brown said.

Shelby’s Floral has been in Marineland Plaza for 23 years. Brown didn’t have plans to move but wasn’t given the option to extend beyond her most recent twoyear lease, she said.

So, she decided to build. The new facility will be 6,100 square feet, with room

uSHELBY’S FLORAL, Page A4

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business 8524 W. Gage Blvd., #A1-300 Kennewick, WA 99336

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PASCO, WA PERMIT NO. 8778

A2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A3

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

The odds your new business will fail are high Here are some tips to beat them

By Jamie Council

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Tri-City experts say good planning and a good team can play key roles in setting new businesses up for success.

It’s solid advice since about 1 in 5 businesses nationwide fail within a year because they aren’t set up for long-term success or don’t understand some key aspects of owning a business, according to a report from LendingTree.

Businesses in the state of Washington have the second-lowest failure rate within the first year, with about 17% failing, according to the report.

But, the report noted that “although Washington has the second-lowest business failure rate (in the country) after the first year, it has the biggest failure rate after 10 years (78.5%). This long-term spike isn’t isolated, as the Evergreen State had the lowest one-year and highest five-year and 10-year failure rates during our 2022 examination.”

In the past three months, 612 new business owners in the Tri-Cities registered their new ventures with the Washington Charities and Corporation Filing System.

Why do small businesses fail? The report cites inflation, supply-chain issues, access to capital and bad luck as some of the reasons.

Creating a viable business plan that’s scalable and profitable is important, and while marketing is a fun and fundamental part of a business strategy, some of the less talked about nuts and bolts often get overlooked, experts say.

The less sexy topics of taxes, bookkeeping, insurance and banking are the power tools needed to drill down on success.

We talked with four professionals from these fields to get their best advice to ensure their future success.

Taxes The saying goes that death and taxes are the two certainties in life. While that’s true, learning about tax obligations and creating a plan for them will help keep pumping life into your business. Taxes shouldn’t be a stressful task that puts business owners in an early grave either.

Online tax software isn’t a plug-and-

play solution for business owners. Every business is different, and a certified public accountant can offer shrewd tax advice.

“Sitting down with a CPA and coming up with a strategic tax plan on how to avoid taxes where legally possible can save business owners thousands of dollars,” said Chris Porter, partner of PorterKinChris Porter ney CPA, which formed in 2014 and has offices in Richland and Kennewick.

Porter said that most people understand payroll taxes, but business owners need to understand their five tax obligations: income, sales, payroll, property (on real estate and equipment), and business and occupation.

Forgetting to pay taxes is one of the most common mistakes small business owners make, Porter said.

“They don’t hire a CPA or accountant when they start their business,” he said.

“They’ll go to a CPA to file their taxes at the end of the year, and then find out that they owe thousands of dollars that they’ve already spent. They’ll start year one already behind on taxes.”

Porter recommends new business owners interview at least three CPAs, or licensed tax preparers, and find one within their first month or before even starting their business.

“People who are not used to owning a business are used to receiving a paycheck and having the taxes already withheld from the paycheck,” Porter said. “Being a business owner is completely different.

You have to come up with a method to pay taxes, whether that’s paying quarterly or withholding from your own paycheck.”

Porter encourages people to think of their business like a member of the Avengers and assemble an expert team. A common mistake he sees business owners make is trying to do everything themselves.

“You have to get a team together,” Porter said. “For example, if you do your own

Business Failure rates in U.S. and D.C. Timeframe

Percentage of businesses that fail

Within 1 year

20.8%

After 2 years

27.6%

After 3 years

35.9%

After 4 years

42.6%

After 5 years

48.4%

After 6 years

52.5%

After 7 years

56.4%

After 8 years

59.2%

After 9 years

62.3%

After 10 years

65.1%

State

Business failure rate within 1 year

Nationwide rank, 1-year failure rate

Business failure rate after 5 year

Nationwide rank, 5-year failure rate

Business failure rate after 10 years

Nationwide rank, 10year failure rate

WA

16.7%

50

53.5%

6

78.5%

1

Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data

payroll taxes, you’re subjecting yourself to 30-plus deadlines per year and if you miss one of them, you get a huge penalty.”

He recommended hiring an accountant, attorney, banker, insurance professional and graphic designer for most businesses.

Bookkeeping Think of bookkeeping as a doctor’s checkup to make sure the business is healthy from the inside out. It can help businesses apply for loans Veronica Salazar and make sound decisions based on their companies’ financial health.

“Without bookkeeping, you can’t know where your business stands,” said Veronica Salazar, owner of BillaBillz in Richland. “How can you make business decisions today, tomorrow, or in the future if you don’t know if the business is going to survive? Having money in the bank doesn’t tell the full story and if you want a business loan or credit, you have to show

cash flow.”

Salazar has worked in the financial industry for 28 years and her company provides bookkeeping services and bookkeeping training to empower smaller businesses to oversee their own books. She says that bookkeeping has become more complicated with the introduction of applications to collect money.

For example, if a processor, or app (such as Square) performs a transaction, it deducts a fee. A bookkeeper needs to know how to correctly report that transaction.

“It’s not just black and white like cash and checks in the old days,” Salazar said.

“You could connect the dots. A bookkeeper needs to be able to track those transactions and everything that happens from Point A to Point B.” A discrepancy in bookkeeping can skew the profit and loss of a business, such as if an expense is listed as a liability.

If a business gets audited, bookkeeping can provide the proof to protect a business by making sure the books and financial records are accurate. Salazar recommends uBUSINESS TIPS, Page A10

A4

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 SHELBY’S FLORAL, From page A1

509-737-8778 Mailing address: 8524 W. Gage Blvd., #A1-300 Kennewick, WA 99336 tcjournal.biz

– STAFF – Kristina Lord Executive Editor 509-344-1261 kristina@tcjournal.biz Sara Schilling Reporter 509-344-1286 sara@tcjournal.biz Tiffany Lundstrom Associate Publisher for Sales 509-344-1271 tiffany@tcjournal.biz Chad Utecht Advertising Account Manager 509-344-1274 chad@tcjournal.biz Vanessa Guzmán Production Manager 509-344-1278 vanessa@tcjournal.biz Erin Landon Business Assistant 509-344-1285 erin@tcjournal.biz Rachel Visick News Assistant / Researcher 509-344-1281 rachel@tcjournal.biz Paul Read Group Publisher 509-344-1262 paul@tcjournal.biz

– UPCOMING – NOVEMBER Nonprofits Labor & Employment Lists: Largest social-service nonprofits Top employers DECEMBER Year in Review Energy specialty publication Lists: Top SBA lenders Commercial real estate firms The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, a publication of Mid-Columbia Media Inc., is published monthly and delivered at no charge to identifiable businesses in Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Kennewick, Prosser and Benton City. Subscriptions are $27.12 per year, including tax, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of Mid-Columbia Media Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent. Opinions expressed in guest columns and by advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, other columnists or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by staff, columnists or advertisers. Every effort will be made to assure information published is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

on the roughly 1.5-acre lot to add another 3,800 square feet at some point in the future to rent out, Brown said.

“It’s a big space, so we’re going to put it to as best use as we can,” she said.

The land cost $1 million and the building cost is about $1.8 million.

Hummel Construction and Development is the general contractor.

Brown said she loves the flower business. She can’t imagine doing anything else.

“Every day is different. We get to use our artistic side. We help people. We get many, many smiles. It’s a business I’ve been in since I was 14. I don’t really know any other business,” she said.

When Brown was a teen, her aunt worked in a flower shop in Pasco.

“My mom would drop me off and I’d work for free. Then I’d get 50 cents an hour and thought I was really doing good,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve stayed in the business the whole time.”

Brown named Shelby’s Floral after her oldest daughter.

She’s also mom to daughters Lindsey, Kasey and Cortney. Lindsey and Cortney both have joined her in Shelby’s Floral – Lindsey as manager and Cortney as bookkeeper.

Lindsey, whose last name is Meagher, said she’s proud of all her mother has accomplished, noting that Brown started Shelby’s Floral on her own with $500 and a refrigerator.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Senske Services acquires Arkansas company

Senske Services, a Kennewick-headquartered residential lawn care, pest control and home services company, has acquired Ace of Blades in Arkansas.

Ace of Blades was established in 2005 and is owned by Josh Landreth.

Photo by Sara Schilling Jackie Brown, owner of Shelby’s Floral, left, and her daughter Lindsey Meagher stand in the Kennewick flower shop, which has been a mainstay on Clearwater Avenue in Kennewick for four decades. Brown is breaking ground on a new building for Shelby’s Floral at 6018 W. Clearwater Ave.

“She’s worked hard and is successful enough that she gets to own her own building and not pay rent to anyone,” Meagher said, noting that business may expand into more gift items in the new building.

Like her mother, Meagher finds meaning in the work.

“We really do get to share in everyone’s life experiences, from their happy

moments to their sad moments,” she said. “We’re there for their prom, for their wedding, for their birthdays, for their anniversaries, for their family funerals. We really see people through a lot of life’s moments.”

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new Shelby’s Floral shop is set for Oct. 19.

Ace of Blades will now operate under the Emerald Lawns division of Senske Services with Luke Hawthorne, chief operating officer of Emerald Lawns, overseeing both operations.

The acquisition is Senske’s sixth in 2023 and the eighth overall since the company secured investments from private equity firm GTCR as it focuses on a nationwide expansion strategy.

Former Richland mayor dies at age 95

John Fox, a former Richland mayor, councilman, planning commissioner, parks commissioner and school board member, died Sept. 26 at the age of 95.

Fox served citizens for decades in his official capacities in addition to his work on countless other community projects.

“John was a reasonable and calming force in our community and he will be missed,” said Joe Schiessl, deputy city manager, in a statement.

He retired as mayor in late 2013.

The city lowered flags to half-staff at City Hall in his memory.

His funeral was Oct. 10.

Costco boasts 6% net sales increase over last year

Costco Wholesale Corp. reported net sales of $22.75 billion for the retail month of September, which included five weeks and ended Oct. 1.

The net sales were an increase of 6% over $21.46 billion last year.

Costco currently operates 861 warehouses, including one in Kennewick, 591 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 107 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 33 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, five in China, four in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden.

Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A5

State proposes 4.9% workers’ comp increase next year

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The state Department of Labor & Industries is proposing a 4.9% increase in the average hourly rate employers and workers will pay for workers’ compensation insurance next year.

If adopted, the increase would mean employers and workers on average would jointly pay an additional $65 a year for each full-time employee within a business.

“With help from our reserves, we’re finding a balance between charging enough to cover costs and keeping rates steady and predictable, as Washington employers deal with economic uncertainty and lingering impacts of the pandemic,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks in a statement.

The proposed increase is below what L&I expects to pay for 2024 claims, so the agency will augment the premiums with

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Former Pasco shelter managers charged with animal cruelty

The state attorney general’s office has filed multiple criminal charges of animal cruelty against the former managers of the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter in Pasco.

The charges include a mix of felonies and gross misdemeanors and allege that Rebecca Howard, 46, of Kennewick, and office manager Justin Hernandez, 36, of Pasco, committed animal cruelty while they managed the shelter in 2021.

The attorney general’s office also filed charges against Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation, the nonprofit that received the contract to run the shelter.

Howard was the director of the nonprofit and Hernandez served on the board and worked directly for Howard, the attorney general’s office said.

Fair’s stock auction breaks sales record

The Benton Franklin Fair Market Stock Auction in August broke a record with its sale total of $1.37 million.

More than 400 animals were sold to 244 businesses on Aug. 26, and the money will go to the youth exhibitors who participated in the auction after months of work with the livestock.

The buyers were able to choose to have the animals processed locally for themselves or give them to larger processors, where they can become a part of the food supply chain. Some purchasers also donated the meat to the Tri-Cities Union Gospel Mission.

The auction is the largest single-event fundraiser in the Tri-Cities and the largest youth livestock auction in the state.

Volunteers on the Market Stock Committee meet year-round to make the auction the best experience for all involved.

It takes over 500 volunteers to run the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, which has an annual economic impact of $18.5 million in Benton County.

Next year’s fair is Aug. 20-24.

funds from the workers’ compensation contingency reserve.

A typical worker will continue to pay about a quarter of the premium, similar to 2023, the agency said in a release.

The proposed increase means employees would pay about $11 more on average in 2024.

In part, the rate increase is needed because Washington has had higher-thannormal increases in the state’s average wage in recent years, the agency said.

“It’s good for workers that wages are rising, but that means the cost of replacing wages when a worker gets hurt goes up too,” Sacks said in the release. “Our

workers’ compensation state fund investments are performing well, so we’re able to use the returns to help cover costs again this year instead of passing it on to employers.”

The Association of Washington Business denounced the proposed increase as the state is already an expensive place to do business.

“Keep in mind this is an average rate increase across industry sectors. For some businesses, the increase will be as high as 20% while others may get no increase,” said AWB President Kris Johnson in a statement. “(The proposal) may seem like a small

increase when viewed alone, but it follows multiple years of rate hikes. Over the last two years, workers’ comp rates have increased nearly 10% in Washington while other states continue to lower their rates,” he said.

Johnson pointed out the increase comes on top of other cost pressures, including unemployment insurance, paid family and medical leave and the nation’s highest workers’ compensation benefits paid.

“These all add up. We’re disappointed that Washington once again missed an opportunity to lower costs for employers and to help them navigate this challenging economy,” he said.

A6

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

DATEBOOK

VISIT TCJOURNAL.BIZ AND CLICK ON EVENT CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS.

OCT. 13

• Una Noche De Éxitos: 6:309 p.m. Red Lion Hotel – Pasco, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s gala awards dinner with the theme of “Spooky Ball.” Cost: $60 per person, $400 per table. Go to: tchispanicchamber.com/events.

OCT. 17

• Fall Senior Times Expo: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m., Numerica Pavilion at Southridge Sports & Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Go to: srtimes.com.

Free.

• WSU Tri-Cities career and internship fair: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Consolidated Information Center and the Student Union Building on the WSU Tri-Cities campus, 2710 Crimson Way, Richland. Contact: tricities.careers@wsu.edu.

• Richland Chamber Luncheon: noon, La Bella Vita, 1515 George Washington Way, Richland.

OCT. 18

• Meet the Buyer: Doing Business with the U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Bechtel Board Room, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost: free. Go to: WashingtonApex.org.

• Columbia Basin Society for Human Resource Management Fall Conference: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Holiday Inn by the River, 802 George Washington Way, Richland.

OCT. 19

• Artificial Intelligence: Risks and Opportunities: noon to 1:30 p.m., virtual webinar. Cost: free for Badger Club members, $5 for nonmembers.

OCT. 24

• Ask the Experts: HR Pitfalls to Avoid: 3-4:30 p.m., Bechtel Board Room, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick or on Zoom. Cost: free.

Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com.

OCT. 25

• State of the Cities Membership Luncheon: noon to 1:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Cost: $30 for members, $40 for

nonmembers, $240 for a table of 8.

Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com.

• Yes, You Can! Contracts with the Government: 3-4 p.m. in English, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in Spanish, Bechtel Board Room, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost: free. Go to: WashingtonApex.org.

OCT. 26

• Energy Northwest Public Power Forum: 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Holiday Inn, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. Go to: publicpowerforum.com.

• Kennewick Public Hospital District Board of Commissioners Meeting: 5 p.m., Trios Care Center at DeBit – First Floor Conference Room, 320 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick, or on Zoom. Go to: kenkphd.com/ meetings.

NOV. 1

• Visit Tri-Cities 54th Annual Meeting & Luncheon: noon to 1:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Cost: $30 per person, table reservations available. Go to: visittri-cities.com/annual-meeting.

• Understanding the Changes in Agricultural Overtime Laws: 1:30-3 p.m., webinar hosted by the State Department of Labor & Industries.

Go to: lni.wa.gov/workshops-training.

NOV. 7

• Prosser Chamber Membership Luncheon: noon to 1 p.m., location to be determined.

NOV. 9

• Business After Hours: 4-6 p.m., Layered Cake Artistry, 117 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite 110, Kennewick. Cost: free. Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com.

• Washington Ag Outlook Conference: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

NOV. 10

• Dinner with Friends: 6-9 p.m., dinner and action benefiting local youth, featuring soccer legend Brandi Chastain, Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

OPINION OUR VIEW Community land trusts unlock affordable way to get homeowners their own place

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

We write a lot about housing, from homebuilding to home sales and the housing market. This edition is no exception, but it also offers stories about the need for affordable homes for the working middle class and features a nonprofit providing housing for young adults without stable homes.

Stories like these shine a spotlight on these challenges in our community, where the median home sale price is more than $400,000.

Our state must add 1.1 million homes over the next 20 years to keep pace with expected population growth, and more than half of them need to be affordable for residents at the lowest income levels, according to a state Department of Commerce report.

To address this challenge, communities must plan for housing needs across all income brackets, including emergency housing and permanent subsidized housing with essential support services for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

There’s no easy solution to this complicated problem, but a promising new nonprofit is stepping up to try to make a difference.

Tres Rios, which means “three rivers” in Spanish, is a community land trust (CLT) aimed at keeping housing affordable. (See story on page B1.) Though new to our area, CLTs have roots in the Civil

Rights movement and arrived in Washington in the late ’80s.

CLTs decouple land prices from the cost of home ownership. They use a blend of public and private investments to acquire properties with existing homes.

They then sell the homes and lease back the land.

They operate as shared equity programs, ensuring properties remain available at lower costs to enable people living in underserved communities to build up their home equity. Studies show CLTs promote housing stability by reducing loan delinquencies and default rates.

The Tri-Cities CLT effort is still in its infancy with the nonprofit seeking volunteers to get it off the ground. There are several ways to get involved as the group seeks volunteer grant writers, an attorney and experienced fundraisers, among others.

Municipal Research and Services Center, a nonprofit that helps local governments across the state with legal and policy guidance, offers suggestions on how local governments can help CLTs. They include selling or donating surplus land, applying for grants to offset the cost of extending infrastructure for new homes, permit streamlining and inclusionary zoning.

It’s clear communities must place an emphasis on home affordability. CLTs won’t solve all the housing challenges, but they’re one way to make a difference.

A7

It’s time to celebrate and support Washington manufacturing For the seventh year in a row, Washington marked the first week of October by celebrating the state’s remarkable manufacturing sector.

The Association of Washington Business, which serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturing association, created Manufacturing Week to help tell the story of Washington’s innovative manufacturers in every corner of the state, from the smallest one- and two-person operations to Boeing’s Everett production facility, the largest building in the world.

One of the ways we do this is by hitting the road each year in a tour bus and crisscrossing the state, stopping at manufacturing operations all along the way. The tour stopped at Lampson International in Kennewick on Oct. 6.

It’s always good to connect with manufacturers at their facilities, to meet with their employees and to hear about their concerns and challenges.

And it’s fun to discover all the amazing products Washington makes, from the handmade leather gloves worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator,” to virtually every music stand in every school and symphony orchestra in the country.

This year, Manufacturing Week is even bigger, with the first-ever “State of Manufacturing” address on Oct. 5 from the shopfloor of Hotstart Thermal Management in Spokane. The event also provided an opportunity to take stock of the industry’s overall health, and to

consider ways we can improve the business environment for manufacturers.

What are Washington’s biggest strengths for manufacKris Johnson turers? What Association of are some areas Washington Business that we could improve to help GUEST COLUMN attract more manufacturers and help existing manufacturers grow and expand? Are we on track to double manufacturing by 2031, which is the goal adopted by the state Legislature two years ago?

It won’t be easy to achieve the goal, especially now that we’re seeing signs of a cooling economy. Washington’s employers added a total of 2,900 jobs in August, barely a fifth of the hiring a year ago, the state Employment Security Department reported.

Manufacturing was actually one of the bright spots. It is one of seven major industries that gained jobs in August, while employment across six other industries declined. Manufacturing employment rose by 2,800, led by 500 jobs gained in transportation equipment manufacturing. That’s up from the monthly increase of 1,000 jobs in August 2022. uJOHNSON, Page A8

Natural gas restrictions stress struggling Americans Gov. Jay Inslee inappropriately used our state’s building codes to ban natural gas in new homes and commercial buildings. Now, the Biden Administration is going a step further issuing rules that drastically clamp down on natural gas used in heating and air conditioning units.

Inslee’s regulations phase out fossil fuels used for heating water and cooking in new buildings by 2030. They were the first steps to eliminating natural gas in and around the house.

Biden’s U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes overly restrictive efficiency standards for home heating and air conditioning by 2028. Those rules are expensive for home and building owners, many of whom switched to energy efficient natural gas heat pumps.

When the DOE unveiled the directives last year, the American Gas Association (AGA) commented: “DOE would force many consumers to replace their natural gas furnaces with other

equipment that is more expensive to operate in order to avoid the enormous cost of remodeling their homes.”

AGA calculates the new Don C. Brunell rule prohibBusiness analyst its between GUEST COLUMN 40% and 60% of home gas furnaces. They would result in higher overall costs for one in five gas furnace consumers, including 15% of senioronly households, 14% of low-income households, and 20% of small business.

Both Biden and Inslee’s actions overlook significant air quality improvements resulting from switching to cleaner burning natural gas.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and

Sinks. It shows that annual greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas declined 69% from 1990 to 2019. During this same period natural gas utilities added more than 788,000 miles of pipeline to serve 21 million more customers.

The Biden-Inslee goal is to replace natural gas with electricity, yet Biden and Inslee along with Sen. Patty Murray (D-Washington) support removal of four lower Snake River dams in our state.

Northwest Rivers Partners estimate breaching the lower Snake River dams requires an additional 14,900 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation – enough electricity to power 15 cities the size of Seattle. It would require three million solar panels occupying 6,000 acres to replace the dams’ generating capacity.

Replacement greenhouse gas-free electricity is hard to find if proponents continue to insist on eliminating natural gas, coal and nuclear power plants,

which furnish over 75% of our nation’s electricity.

Switching from natural gas to electricity is complicated and will impact everyone. Natural gas dependency is widespread. More than 95% of our everyday products are derived from or powered by natural gas.

With reference to Washington, Rep. Mary Dye (R-Pomeroy) added: “It is a big industry because it provides warmth for about 1.2 million residences, there are 107,000 commercial buildings and 3,500 industrial buildings that are working under clean, efficient, reliable natural gas. Plus, it fires about 11% of our electricity grid. So, you are talking a large labor force.”

Nationally, natural gas produced the most electricity in 2020 – more than 40%. Renewables, including hydro, wind and solar, accounted for 20%.

At present, electricity is affordable in Washington – the lowest in the 50 states uBRUNELL, Page A8

A8

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Businesses invited to learn how to work with Corps

Area businesses will have the chance to meet with the Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, at a Meet the Buyer Workshop on Oct. 18.

The Corps’ Walla Wall District purchases millions of dollars’ worth of products and services from area businesses each year. Workshop attendees will learn more about how to sell to the USACE and become better prepared to enter the federal government marketplace.

James R. Glynn, deputy small business programs, Corps Walla Walla District, is the guest presenter.

The event is presented by Washington

APEX Accelerator (formerly PTAC) and the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The workshop is from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Bechtel Board Room at 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick. The workshop is free, but RSVP is required as the space is limited.

Lamb Weston updates its 2024 outlook

Lamb Weston Holdings announced its results for the first quarter of fiscal 2024 and raised its full year earnings targets.

“We delivered solid sales and earnings growth in the quarter, driven by the carryover benefit of pricing actions initiated last year as well as improved customer and product mix,” said Tom Werner, president and chief executive officer, in a

statement. “Organic sales volumes were in line with expectations, and shipment trends improved as the quarter progressed.”

The revised outlook projects net sales in 2024 of $7 billion, up from $6.8 billion and net income of $870 million, up from $800 million.

“We raised our earnings target for the year to reflect our performance in the quarter, as well as the current solid demand and pricing environment. We continue to expect the potato crop in our growing regions in North America will be in line with historical averages, and we believe the overall crop in Europe has improved compared to earlier predictions as a result of better growing conditions,” Werner said in a release.

BRUNELL, From page A7 for residential customers, but adding new generating capacity is expensive and will drive power rates higher for families, medical facilities, schools and businesses.

While natural gas electrical generation is important, natural gas availability is vital to some smaller communities.

For example, the cities of Enumclaw and Ellensburg are the natural gas providers to 9,000 customers.

Renewable natural gas from farms, garbage landfills and waste conversion systems feed gas into the current pipeline system. That gas would otherwise dissipate in the atmosphere.

It is time to look at the impact of natural gas bans and realize this senseless attack endangers American farms, families and factories. Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com.

JOHNSON, From page A7 Manufacturing grew year-over-year, as well, adding 4,900 jobs over the year, about a 2% increase in employment, the state’s data shows. That’s compared to other sectors where employment is decreasing or staying stagnant. Business and professional services, for example, has shed 7,800 jobs in the past year.

If we’re going to continue growing manufacturing in Washington, and hopefully double the size of the sector, it’s going to require action from our state’s elected leaders. We need to do things like attract young people to careers in manufacturing, ensure we have enough low-cost, reliable energy to fuel our manufacturers, and make smart tax and regulatory policy decisions.

The state has convened a Manufacturing Council to advise on policy, strategies and investment to grow manufacturing, and AWB – as part of the 21-member council – has submitted several policies for consideration. They include lowering the business and occupation (B&O) tax for manufacturing, offering tax incentives for investment in manufacturing and reducing the sales and use tax for manufacturing expansion.

These are just a few ideas for growing manufacturing. The good news is we’re starting from a position of strength.

Washington is a state of makers and innovators, women and men who get up every day and go to work for employers that make products that are sent all over the country and around the world. That’s something worth celebrating, not only the first week of October, but all year long. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A9

Chaplaincy to close its remaining thrift store

By Kristina Lord

kristina@tcjournal.biz

A Richland thrift shop that provided an outlet for grieving families to donate their loved ones’ items and a place where shoppers could feel good about supporting a cause will close its doors next month.

Repeat Boutique, a thrift store operated

by Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, shutters its shop in the Uptown Shopping Center on Nov. 17. It stopped accepting donations in September.

The announcement follows the closures of Chaplaincy’s downtown Kennewick store in 2020 and its Pasco store in 2022.

The decision wasn’t an easy one for the nonprofit that offers bereavement and hospice services, including operating the largest hospice program in Benton County and the only one serving Franklin County.

“We are not in the business of retail. … As all nonprofits know, you have to regularly go back to your mission. What’s the focus? What are we doing? Are we serving our community best?” said Laurie Jackson, chief executive officer for Chaplaincy.

Repeat Boutique’s original mission was to offset the cost of operating the hospice program, which operates at a deficit – $228,000 in 2022 and $230,000 in 2023. But it’s never been successful since it operates in the red.

“In the last five years, we’ve lost near-

ly $200,000 on Repeat Boutique,” Jackson said.

The Richland store opened in March 2018. The Kennewick store operated from 2017-20 and Pasco’s from 2020-22.

The Richland shop’s core volunteers who staff the store were saddened by the news as Repeat Boutique provided a way to educate the community about Chaplaincy’s services, Jackson said. In 2022, volunteers provided 1,680 hours of service.

“I love what Repeat Boutique stands for. I love having the conversations with customers. People are coming and bringing boxes of things from their loved ones who died in hospice (care) and we have been able to gently care for those things, which is another way of being able to help with bereavement,” she said.

The thrift store employs three paid workers, but turnover has been high – 144% in the last year, Jackson said. Chaplaincy has had to rely on the services of a temp agency to staff the store.

Store employees have been encouraged to apply for open positions within the agency. The store’s lease runs out Dec. 31.

Jackson said indirect costs also have taken a toll. Core Chaplaincy staff have been tapped to keep the store afloat, with the human resources department working on the store’s staffing challenges and the aging building requiring the maintenance department’s attention.

Photo by Rachel Visick Esther Paredes, store manager, arranges clothes at Repeat Boutique. Tri-Cities Chaplaincy’s thrift store at 1331 George Washington Way in Richland will close Nov. 17.

Another big expense has been paying to dispose of donations that can’t be sold in the store. Chaplaincy’s 2022 Community Impact Report noted that 61,663 items were donated last year, generating more than $312,000 in sales.

“It’s not a rational decision to keep it going if it’s not meeting the core need of our mission, and it’s losing all kinds of money even on its best day,” Jackson said.

She hopes the dedicated volunteers who work at the store will “be able to take the passion that they have for Repeat Boutique and apply it to our current hospice families.”

Volunteers are critical to Chaplaincy’s work, as Medicare requires 5% of all patient contact to be done by hospice volunteers.

Jackson wants to make it clear to the community that Chaplaincy wants to keep investing in programs that support its overall mission. It reopened its palliative care program this year after closing it in 2020 due to the pandemic pressures, and plans are underway to remodel the 27-year-old Hospice House in Kennewick. uCHAPLAINCY, Page A16

A10

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

BUSINESS TIPS, From page A3 new business owners understand the basics of bookkeeping.

“There’s more to bookkeeping than most people realize,” she said. “I like to ask business owners why they got into business. If they have a vision and they can’t read their financial reports, how do they know if they’re going to survive or if they’re going to grow?”

Insurance According to the Small Business Association, 36% to 53% of small businesses are sued every year. It also reports that 90% of all businesses are involved in a lawsuit at some point. Having business insurance can help protect a business from a lawsuit.

“A business is an investment, and like

other investments, they need to be protected,” said Robert Krug of Robert Krug Agency of Kennewick, part of American Family Insurance. “WithRobert Krug out the proper coverage, you run the risk of losing your dream as a small business owner. They can be over just as fast as they started.”

Krug said that business insurance is usually an afterthought. Besides lawsuits, business insurance can protect a business and its assets from accidents and incidents including cyberattacks. However, it’s become harder to be insured and afford in-

surance. Between the rising costs associated with building materials and a rise in cases, the price of coverage had gone up.

“Underwriting has become more selective in what they approve,” Krug said.

“The rise of natural disasters between fires and floods contribute to this.”

However, over-insurance is a common problem that Krug says he faces as well.

He recommends meeting with an agent twice a year to ensure a policy properly represents and grows alongside a business.

Banking To make money, capital is often required. Learning how to use a banker can help a business grow faster through financial management and loans.

Banks can provide business banking services and many types of loans such as small business loans (SBA Express,

SBA 7(a), SBA 504), commercial real estate loans, lines of credit and equipment loans.

However, in the case of loans, managing the risk is where the bank Cassandra Arey comes into play.

“Having realistic projections and backing are useful when you are asking for a loan,” said Cassandra Arey, business banker of Community First Bank, based in Kennewick. “We also look at collateral, cash flow and a secondary source of repayment.”

However, it’s hard to provide a loan to a new business. Usually, banks will require small businesses to have at least 24 months of operation before applying for a loan.

Even if a business does have capital available, loans allow them to keep cash flow separate from personal finances or to set up tax benefits down the line. It gives them the flexibility to qualify for accounting and tax benefits such as write-offs for interest.

“It’s another income deduction,” Arey said. “They might also not want to put all that cash in on the front. It’s an easier pill to swallow for many business owners. It depends what the end goal is.”

She said that she helps businesses find financial options. If a business doesn’t qualify for a business loan, there are other options such as a home equity line of credit (HELOC) loan or angel investors like the Tri-Cities Angel Alliance (tc-angels.com).

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

Photo by Sara Schilling The Association of Washington’s Manufacturing Week bus tour stopped at Lampson International’s Pasco yard on Oct. 6. Employees signed the side of the bus that’s traveling across the state to raise awareness about the role the sector plays in the state’s economy.

Bus tour shines spotlight on importance of state’s manufacturing sector

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Employees from Lampson International and Tyson Foods grabbed Sharpies to add their signatures to the tall letters on the side of the bus crisscrossing the state to bring attention to the role the sector plays in the state’s economy.

The Manufacturing Week tour, now in its seventh year, is an awareness campaign organized by the Association of Washington Business, which serves as the state’s manufacturing association.

“It reminds us that in Benton-Franklin counties, there are 265 manufacturing companies that employ just under 8,000 women and men who wake up every morning and go make things like these cranes or French fries or so many other things in the Tri-Cities that the Tri-Cities are known for. Statewide, 270,000 men and women wake up every morning and make a great product,” said Kris Johnson, AWB’s president, at Lampson International’s Pasco yard on Oct. 6.

In addition to the Tri-Cities, the sixday tour made stops in Olympia, Sumner, Ellensburg, Spokane, Yakima, Bellingham, Hamilton, Anacortes, Everett, Mukilteo, Bothell, Seattle, Kent and Auburn on its journey to visit more than 20 manufacturers.

Manufacturing firms employed 268,000 people in Washington in December 2021, and employees earned an average annual salary of $97,600.

“We need a skilled, trained and educated workforce to come in and be the next generation of smart, talented people to lead these companies and build these companies,” Johnson said.

The sector contributes to about $63.3 billion in annual economic output in the state.

“We’re the most trade-driven state in the country. So that means we make

great products and then we ship them somewhere – somewhere across the state, somewhere across the country, for that matter somewhere across the world.

Great careers exist in this industry, manufacturing really matters and has a great multiplier effect. And if we’re going to preserve and maintain this, we’ve got to be really smart in our tax and regulatory policy environment. Those things matter greatly when companies think about making major capital investments, like manufacturers do every day here,” Johnson said.

The day before the Tri-Cities visit, Johnson delivered AWB’s first-ever State of Manufacturing address from the manufacturing floor of Hotstart Thermal Management in Spokane.

Washington’s agricultural sector was singled out as a major contributor, with the state leading the nation in such crops as apples, hops and blueberries. Johnson also mentioned innovations in automated, robotic and drone technologies that are increasing yields on the state’s 35,000+ farms.

Johnson also discussed Washington’s low-cost power as a significant competitive advantage that could make the state an innovator and leader in the growing sector of renewable aviation energy.

A recent milestone that will significantly impact the industry is the state’s goal of doubling existing manufacturing jobs by 2031, an objective that, if met, would increase annual manufacturing output to $126 billion, employ more than half a million people, and double the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing firms in Washington.

“It’s not going to be easy to achieve this goal,” Johnson said during his address in Spokane. “But good goals are rarely easy to achieve.

A11

A12

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 EMERALD OF SIAM, From page A1

The support from the community (during the spring protests and threats) was really special. They came out in droves to support us,” she said. “Love is powerful.”

like part of the family.

“It’s more than a restaurant,” said Blakeman, who lives in Pasco. “You can go in there and hear jazz, blues, anything.

They’ve become an extension of my family. I feel at home when I’m there.”

‘I need to tell people’ That’s what Emerald founder Ravadi Quinn intended.

She opened the restaurant not long after she and her husband and children moved to the Tri-Cities. She’s a social person and wanted a place to share the tastes and culture of her homeland.

“Eating food – it’s like meditation. You need to enjoy it,” said Quinn, who’s authored cookbooks and poetry books and put on cooking classes and cultural classes locally over the years. “The Emerald is a family place, it’s warm. That’s how I was raised: around food, you need to be happy.”

Quinn’s journey to the Tri-Cities and the Emerald started in Thailand, where she was born and raised. She met her husband when he came to the Southeast Asian country to work at the U.S. embassy during the Vietnam War. He was on his own with three young children, and Quinn became the family’s governess. In a twist straight out of “The Sound of Music,” they eventually married. Along came two more kids, Dara and Billy, who now co-own the Emerald after Quinn retired in 2011.

From the start, Quinn envisioned the Emerald as a safe, inviting place where people could enjoy new flavors and learn to see the world differently. She regularly welcomed school groups to the restaurant, teaching children about life in a country more than 7,000 miles away. “It’s something that I’m really proud of. Being from a country with so much beauty, I need to tell people about it. Children can learn that some things are the same and also to see the beauty of differences,” she said.

Anniversary events Quinn, whose most recent book, “The Voice of...Silence,” is a collection of spiritual poetry, now divides her time between the Tri-Cities and Thailand. She’ll be giving away copies of the book during Emerald’s anniversary celebration, which runs Oct. 20-21 and features a special buffet, poetry readings by Quinn, Thai dance and special musical guests including Nick Drummond, Whalien, Cockaphonix,

A13

Photo by Ryan Jackman Ravadi, Billy and Dara Quinn, from left, at The Emerald of Siam in Richland have made live music a centerpiece of their Richland restaurant, which celebrates 40 years in business in October.

Three Rivers Saxtette, SIRSY, Midnight Snacks and a family jam with guests.

‘Cultural hub’ Live music has been a staple of the Emerald for years, but it became a centerpiece when Dara Quinn came on board. The accomplished keyboardist and former touring musician put her music career on hold to move back to the TriCities and help run the Emerald after her mom retired.

Letting the restaurant go wasn’t an option; it was a deeply ingrained part of her family, she said.

So, she infused it with her musical passion. That’s meant the Emerald has become one of the premier live music venues in the Tri-Cities, drawing national and international touring acts.

It’s also become a haven for local musicians – from students in school jazz bands to fledgling alternative bands to professional jazz artists. They’ve all found a place to shine on the Emerald’s stage.

“I call it the ‘musical soul’ of the TriCities,” said Cindy McKay of Richland, a folk and Americana guitarist and singer who’s played regularly at the Emerald for years. “Dara and Ravadi have always valued the arts and opened doors and have been nothing but encouraging to musicians, especially local musicians. They’ve always opened their doors to young folks.

That’s part of the ‘home’ feel there.”

Mary Lou Gnoza of Richland, an American standards singer – think Frank Sinatra and Rosemary Clooney – who’s also been a regular Emerald performer for years, said it’s a place where “you feel very welcomed, you feel very accepted.”

The eclectic mix of performers adds to the charm, she said.

“You have young rock musicians who play there, and you have oldies but goodies like me. We enjoy one another’s company; we enjoy one another’s music,” Gnoza said.

For Dara Quinn, the live music is an extension of what her mother aimed to do with the Emerald.

“This place is a cultural hub. First with Mom and her Thai culture, bringing it to people. And then when I took over with my brother, putting in the live music and the art,” she said. “It’s always been a place for people to come explore new things and show their gifts.”

It hasn’t always been easy to run the restaurant, from weathering recessions to the Covid-19 pandemic to protests, threats and vandalism this past spring over an allages drag brunch.

But those who love the Emerald have stepped up in support, Dara Quinn said.

“We’ve definitely been tested. We thank our customers for being loyal, even during hard times. During the Covid shutdown, our takeout was insane.

Generations For Katrina Greenfield, the Emerald is an easy place to love.

She lives in Canada now, but she’s a longtime Quinn family friend who grew up in the Tri-Cities. She’s logged many hours in Emerald booths over the years.

“I haven’t found a Pad Thai that is matched anywhere else. And the spring rolls – I’ve never found spring rolls as good anywhere else,” she said. But, of course, it’s not just about the food.

Like many others, Greenfield said a big part of what makes the Emerald special is the Quinns and the sense of home and acceptance they’ve cultivated. The sense of family.

In 40 years, “we’ve seen generations of the same family come in. Babies are now bringing their kids here. We’ve had weddings here, proposals, receptions. Everything,” Dara Quinn said.

That’s been true in Greenfield’s family. She ate there growing up, and now her own son eats there.

Cindy McKay, the folk and Americana musician, had her first date with her nowhusband there.

For Bill Blakeman, one of the firstever customers, the Emerald has been the backdrop for many of his family’s most important moments, from birthday parties to a wedding rehearsal dinner.

He’s even spent holidays with the Quinns.

If you drop by the Emerald on a Monday night, you’re likely to see Blakeman, eating chicken fried rice and perhaps getting on stage to play piano as part of the weekly open mic.

He sees the importance of the Emerald in the community – that it’s a cultural hub, a musical haven, a beacon of acceptance and love. And he sees that on a smaller scale, too, in his own life.

“Ravadi shares her poetry. Her message of love is out there. Dara is like a daughter, too. I’m really proud of her. I’m proud of the decisions she’s made, the chances she’s taken,” he said.

When he walks in the doors, he feels good. He feels seen. He belongs.

“It just feels good to be known and be part of something,” he said.

Go to: emeraldofsiam.com.

A14

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

Businesses can do their part to help promote community health In recent years, the concept of corporate social responsibility has gained considerable attention among businesses as organizations recognize their role in contributing to the well-being of the communities in which they operate. The Covid-19 pandemic emphasized the fundamental relationship between public health and economic welfare.

The relationship between business and health is a complex and interconnected one, with each having a significant impact on the other.

On the one hand, businesses have the power to influence the health and well-being of individuals and communities through their practices, products and policies. For example, businesses that provide access to affordable health care benefits and promote workplace wellness programs can positively impact their employees’ physical and mental health.

Conversely, the health of individuals and communities affects businesses.

A healthy population means a productive workforce, reduced health care costs and a more stable consumer base.

Additionally, businesses can be affected by public health issues such as disease outbreaks or climate effects, such as wildfire smoke or extreme heat, which can disrupt operations and impact financial performance.

That’s why businesses must recognize their role in promoting and supporting health while also considering the potential health impacts of their operations and

decisions.

By fostering a mutually beneficial relationship between business and health, both can thrive and contribute to our community’s Honor Crawford overall wellBenton-Franklin being.

Health District For this reaGUEST COLUMN son, the private and business sectors are essential in improving community health.

The Benton-Franklin Health District, in partnership with Kadlec, Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance and Prosser Memorial Health, completed a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a comprehensive, data-driven report developed from stakeholder interviews, forums and surveys over nine months to better understand the community’s health needs and challenges.

A wide array of community members, including business professionals, had a say in the process. The findings are used to prioritize needs and inform a Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

The four priority areas for the 2023 Benton and Franklin counties CHIP are: • Housing and homelessness.

• Behavioral health.

• Access to health.

• Community partnership development.

The 2023 CHIP serves as a blueprint outlining the strategies and actions necessary to enhance our communities’ overall health and well-being.

The CHIP also brings together various community stakeholders to set goals and implement targeted solutions. The plan focuses on addressing our communities’ unique needs, fostering collaboration and creating sustainable solutions that improve health outcomes for everyone involved.

Based on understanding the unavoidable link between business and health, the 2023 CHIP identified community partnership development as a key opportunity and priority area for focus over the coming years.

Community partners interested in and working to improve the health of residents and employees in Benton and Franklin counties may use this tool to identify local health issues, set priorities, leverage resources, and coordinate efforts. Both the CHNA and CHIP documents can be found on the Benton-Franklin Health District website (BFHD.wa.gov) under the data and reports tab.

Wondering how local businesses can get involved? The CHIP presents opportunities for local businesses to obtain guidance and align their business practices with the community’s health priorities.

Businesses can demonstrate their commitment to their community by publicly amplifying, supporting and implementing recommendations from credible scientific

and data sources.

Examples of business activities that promote community health include: • Providing opportunities to support employee well-being, such as hosting a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training for staff with resources from Kadlec.

• Working with BFHD and 2-1-1 as a temporary cooling center or warming center during extreme temperatures.

• Referring employees to community resources such as encouraging the use of 2-1-1 and the Kadlec Resource Desk for assistance in identifying resources.

• Paid sick leave for all workers apart and distinct from paid time off (PTO) benefits that apply to vacation, holiday, military leave, and jury duty service.

• Paid maternity/paternity leave.

• Increased access to vaccinations (onsite or off-site).

• Flexible work schedules (compressed work week, job sharing and flexible start/ stop times) and greater flexibility in the choice of work locations (home, satellite office and socially distanced workspaces).

• Fostering a culture of work-life balance and encouraging mental health support services, such as telehealth counseling.

• Child and adult day care benefits that extend beyond the legal requirements of the Family Medical Act. This may include programs that promote on-site or com-

uCRAWFORD, Page A16

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A15

Top-secret Hanford documents travel cross-country under tight security a detailed stacking order and obscuring shrink wrap for shipment.

By Robin Wojtanik for HMIS

Drivers with top-secret clearance recently hauled classified documents crosscountry from Hanford to Washington, D.C. A tamper-indicating bolt and high-security lock secured their load: carefully packaged records documenting Hanford’s role in the Manhattan Project.

The destination? The U.S. National Archives near Washington, D.C. The documents from the 1940s and 1950s outlined work done at the time the federal government established the Hanford site as a secret city, focused on producing plutonium for the bomb that helped end World War II.

Permanent storage “Records related to the world’s first production scale nuclear reactor are of great historical value and significant enough to preserve indefinitely for their public value and educational benefits,” said Brian Harkins, assistant manager for Mission Support for the Richland Operations Office. “Permanent storage at the U.S. National Archives will allow equitable access, where possible, to these notable Cold War artifacts.”

Records from that time may still contain information deemed harmful to national security if improperly released and require stringent protocols to keep secure.

U.S. Department of Energy records may be classified under the Atomic Energy Act or executive orders issued from the U.S.

Courtesy HMIS Drivers holding top-secret security clearance from the U.S. Department of Energy hauled five pallets from Hanford containing more than 200 boxes of Cold War-era classified records under 24/7 monitoring.

president’s office.

Still, just 1% to 3% of documents and materials created during business conducted by the federal government are considered so important they must be kept forever at the National Archives.

The process to begin shipping records off the Hanford site first began in 2019 as part of an effort to reduce classified holdings stored locally while meeting an approaching deadline set by the agency overseeing the U.S. National Archives.

Soon, the agency will only accept digital versions of records eligible for permanent

storage.

Special handling required Hanford contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) oversees both records management and information security for the nuclear site. Due to the records’ national security importance, both HMIS organizations worked in tandem to securely prepare the records while adhering to stringent handling and protection requirements.

The National Archives requires use of special boxes, indexes, classification tabs,

Top-secret clearance When finished, the records totaled 225 boxes on five pallets ready for a lengthy journey from Richland to the nation’s capitol under escort by two drivers holding top secret clearance, or “Q” access authorization, from the Department of Energy.

HMIS loaded the classified material into a semi-truck and applied a high security lock, to which only the archives agency had a corresponding key, along with a tamper-indicating bolt.

Using two drivers as escorts ensured 24/7 monitoring while in transit this past July.

From there, staff from the Department of Energy who are in residence at the National Archives will evaluate the documents to look for potential opportunities to declassify material and make it available for public review within an on-site research room.

Any restricted data will be redacted. The agency carefully inspects formerly classified documents to ensure classification markings are properly cancelled before allowing copies to leave the Archives.

All records made available for public review require careful handling and storage to preserve them for future generations. Robin Wojtanik is a freelancer for the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business and Senior Times. She wrote this story for Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, where she works full time. HMIS gave us permission to share it.

A16

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 uBUSINESS BRIEF

WSU faculty, admin professionals receive 2.5% raise

Washington State University faculty and administrative professionals received a 2.5% salary increase beginning Oct. 1, with the increase to be first reflected on Oct. 25 paychecks.

Permanent as well as fixed-term faculty and administrative professionals were eligible for the increase.

The salary increase was funded in part by the state Legislature, which provided enough for a 2.2% increase, with the university contributing the rest.

A 4% salary increase for classified staff – entirely funded by the Washington State Legislature in the 2023-25 biennial operating budget – went into effect on July 1.

The university employs more than 8,200 people across its five physical campuses, WSU Global Campus, extension centers and other offices across the state.

CHAPLAINCY, From page A9 It has restructured Cork’s Place Kids Grief Center to serve more kids and their families than ever before. (See story on page B5) “We need to be sticking with what we’re experts in,” Jackson said.

The nonprofit will focus its philanthropy team on bridging existing funding gaps. It launched a new fundraiser in August – Bubbles and Brunch, a designer bag benefit and auction – which raised $56,000, including donations from 64 people who had never given to Chaplaincy before.

“That’s a big deal,” Jackson said.

The event will return in 2024.

Chaplaincy served 1,257 hospice patients and their families in 2022, and 1,252 adults and 333 children or teens through its bereavement program in 2022.

Go to: TCCBestLife.org.

CRAWFORD, From page A14 munity day care programs run as cooperatives.

• Livable wages that are in line with community norms and standards.

Now, businesses understand that their success is intertwined with the health and prosperity of the communities in which they operate. Consequently, there must be a collective effort to foster sustainable business practices, support community development and work to address community challenges.

Again, the 2023 Benton-Franklin CHIP is derived from data and needs specific to our community and region through a participatory process that ensures residents’ true needs are represented. Numerous organizations have contributed to and will find value in this guiding document.

For more information, contact me at honor.crawford@bfhd.wa.gov. Honor Crawford is the Community Health Improvement Plan coordinator at the Benton-Franklin Health District.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A17

The 8 techniques necessary to receive feedback Receiving feedback is an important skill that can help you grow personally and professionally. How you handle feedback can impact your relationships, your ability to improve and your overall success.

Remember the QTIP: quit taking it personally. You are still OK, even if some of your behaviors need attention.

Consider it diamond-polishing time.

Who decides if a feedback session has been successful? The receiver determines its effectiveness.

Look inward and consider these three trigger reactions that authors Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone of “Thanks For The Feedback” say block our ability to receive feedback well: • The truth trigger: Believing the content of the feedback is inaccurate or unhelpful.

• The relationship trigger: I don’t trust the credibility of or the positive intent of the giver of the feedback. The focus goes from the feedback to the person giving it.

• The identity trigger: Distorting the feedback and believing there is something wrong with me, therefore I feel overwhelmed, threatened, ashamed and off balance.

Do you find yourself relating to one or more of these triggers when receiving feedback? It’s important to know that receiving constructive criticism takes practice. The following eight tips will help you develop a positive mindset when receiving feedback: 1. Focus on the content, not the person. Assume the person has positive intent. This perspective staves off angry replies. Go in with an open mind. Look for the nugget of wisdom in the feedback.

2. Listen calmly and attentively.

Breathe. Tune in fully and demonstrate

your willingness to listen; this will help create a safe environment. Manage your emotional reactions. Pay attention to your facial expression, Paul Casey body language Growing Forward and tone of Services voice. As soon GUEST COLUMN as you start to feel this person has offended you, say the word “stop” to yourself.

3. Clarify the feedback. Ask a question. Repeat what you’ve heard and ask, “Is that right?” Find out information which will help you understand your specific behavior or patterns and its impact on others. Be sure to seek specific examples if they’re not given.

Be mindful of using an interrogating tone. Practice the question, “What do you mean by that?,” with a genuine desire to learn and grow rather than to defend or attack.

4. Acknowledge the other person’s concerns. Show you understand the other person’s perspective. This guarantees the sender-receiver communication loop is successful, allowing for more discussion.

Concur with what you know to be true.

Indicate your willingness to address the concern.

5. Avoid defending or overexplaining yourself or the situation. This response is often rooted in fear, and what you are most defensive about is the area needing the most growth. One difference between a servant leader and a self-serving leader is how they handle feedback: self-servers protect their status and fear losing their position. A key to being coachable is

Home is where you park it.

Find your dream RV today!

(509) 545-0101 clickitrvtricities.com

to drop your defensiveness by reminding yourself what really matters. If you can’t accept bad news or advice, you can’t learn, change or grow. It’s hard to hear the truth if you’re busy defending yourself.

Correct any inaccuracies you hear in a non-defensive manner.

If needed, take time out before responding to sort out what you want to say. Is what you’re about to say going to improve the situation? Make a repair if you feel it may have come out wrong.

6. Welcome suggestions. Focus on solutions for the future. Look at it this way: would you get mad at a golf pro or ski instructor who criticizes your form?

Remember it’s your performance, not your identity.

Ask for one suggestion on what you could do differently. You are adopting the mindset of how this person and this interaction can help you be better. Turn failure into fertilizer.

Take notes where appropriate. It calms nerves and shows you are taking this seriously.

7. Thank the person for sharing the feedback. This shows appreciation that others cared enough about you to share their perceptions. They had alternatives.

It means you agree with their assessment and are taking it seriously.

This positively reinforces and encourages others to provide feedback.

8. Evaluate the feedback you received

and decide how you may use it. State what actions you will take, if appropriate.

Give further thought and consideration to the feedback received. Take ownership.

Choose if and when to act.

Work it into your relationships and projects and after an agreed upon time, ask if there’s noticeable improvement.

Talk to a coach or mentor about the feedback – and process it.

Potentially schedule a follow-up conversation if it’s a larger issue.

How you act afterward is most important: you prove you value their opinion.

“The key to growing as a leader is to narrow the gap (of how you see yourself and how you want to be seen) by developing a deep self-awareness that comes from straight feedback and honest exploration of yourself, followed by a concerted effort to make changes,” said Bill George, Harvard professor and former chief executive officer of Medtronic.

Receiving feedback can be challenging, especially when it’s critical or unexpected. However, with practice and a positive mindset, you can use feedback as a valuable tool for personal and professional growth. Paul D. Casey lives in the Tri-Cities and is the owner of Growing Forward Services, which aims to equip and coach leaders and teams to spark breakthrough success. He also is the executive director of Leadership Tri-Cities.

A18

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

’Tis the season for holiday bazaars

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

In hyperlocal retail news, we offer up this roundup of the Tri-Cities’ upcoming holiday bazaars.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct., 14, The Divine Fellowship, 513 Barth Ave., Richland.

OCT. 14

OCT. 12

• Goose Ridge Fall Market: noon-8 p.m., Goose Ridge Estate Winery, 16304 N. Dallas Road, Richland. Go to: gooseridge.com/ visit/events/richland.

OCT. 13-14

• Divine October Bazaar:

• Harvest in Bloom Market: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 120 Paradise Road, Connell. Cost: free, classes offered for a fee. Go to: yourinbloom.com/events-classes.

• Highlands Middle School Fall Bazaar: organized by the Parent Teacher Organization, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Highlands Middle

CUSTOM LABELED BOTTLED WATER

Taste the difference with Paradise Bottled Water!

Your brand + our water = a winning marketing strategy!

School Gym, 425 S. Tweedt St., Kennewick.

• Fall Crafters Market: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Flat Bottom Ranch, 320 Bombing Range Road, West Richland.

• Fall Pop Up Event: noon to 4 p.m., Livin’ the Dream Stop & Shop, 118 Vista Way, Kennewick.

OCT. 20-21

• Fall Market: noon to 6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 22; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 21, Kennewick Valley Grange #731, 2611 S. Washington St., Kennewick. Cost: free.

OCT. 21

• Holly Daze Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kennewick First United Methodist Church, 2 S. Dayton St., Kennewick.

• United Women in Faith Fall Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Prosser United Methodist Church, 824 Sixth St., Prosser.

• A Haunting at the Carousel: noon-4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

• Uptown Shopping Center’s Fall Festival: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 1300 George Washington Way,

Richland.

• First annual Cottonwood Springs Fall Craft Fair: 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 21005 Cottonwood Springs Blvd., Kennewick.

• Fall Market: noon to 5 p.m., Badger Mountain Organic Winery, 1106 N. Jurupa St., Kennewick.

OCT. 28

• Happy HalloThankMas Holiday Craft Fair: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., American Legion Post 34, 1029 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

NOV. 3-4

• Desert Fiber Arts Guild Annual Fall Market: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, Central Church, 1124 Stevens Drive, Richland.

NOV. 3-5

• Custer’s Christmas Arts and Crafts Show: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 3; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov., 4; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 5, HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Cost: $8 for one day, $10 for weekend pass; children 12 and under are free. u

Custom Labeled Water Bottles: •

Are a useful promotional branding tool

•

Can promote your company, special events, coupons or seasonal offerings

•

Make a great attention-grabbing icebreaker when meeting with new clients and businesses

•

Can be used for private events like weddings or family reunions

CAREGIVERS

WA N T E D

• Are available in two convenient sizes: 16.9oz and 10oz

Graphic design services available!

(509) 792-3356 paradisebottledwater.com 6202 W. Deschutes Ave. Kennewick

Paradise Bottled Water is a Columbia Industries enterprise. It joins Columbia Industries’ lineup of businesses that help fund our mission of supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities and other challenges. When you purchase products from Paradise Bottled Water, you’re helping support life-changing programs for individuals in need in our community.

5 Days a Week – 5 Hours per Day Salary is $25 per hour.

Clean record, good recommendations, mobile, additional skills a plus.

For more details about the position, email nicholasgg147@gmail.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

NOV. 4

• Pasco High Bulldog Cheer Holiday Popup Event: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pasco High School, 1108 N. 10th Ave., Pasco.

NOV. 5

• Maker of Things: noon4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

NOV. 10-11

• Harvest Bazaar: noon to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, Numerica Pavilion Southridge Sports & Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Admission: $5 per person, ages 12 and under free.

• Makers Market: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

NOV. 11

• Pasco Eagles 2241 Fall Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2829 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

NOV. 18

• Marcus Whitman Winter

Kevin McClure Store Manager

Hometown | Richland

Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Marcus Whitman Elementary School, 1704 Gray St., Richland.

• Hello, November!: noon4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

• Southridge Music Boosters Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Southridge High School, 3520 Southridge Blvd.

• Jason Lee Elementary Craft Bazaar: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Jason Lee Elementary School, 1750 McMurray Ave., Richland.

• Calvary Chapel “Make a Difference” Bazaar: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Calvary Chapel, 10611 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick.

NOV. 24-25

• Tri-Cities Holiday Expo: noon-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25, HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco.

NOV. 25

• Small Business Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

• Small Business Saturday:

A19

noon-4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

• Lionsgate Christmas Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 621 W. Albany Ave., Kennewick.

Benton City.

• Confection Selection: 9:30 a.m. to noon, Grace United Reformed Church, 2500 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. Go to: confectionselection.com.

DEC. 2

DEC. 10

• Jingle Bell Bash: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Roscoe’s Coffee, 2003 Logston Blvd., Richland. Cost: free.

• Lincoln Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lincoln Elementary School, 4901 W. 20th Ave., Kennewick.

DEC. 7

• Holiday Maker’s Market: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Hosted by Atomic Alchemy.

DEC. 9

• Hanford High School Winter Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hanford High School, 450 Hanford St., Richland.

• Benton City Winterfest Bazaar: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Ki-Be High School, 1205 Horne Drive,

• Snowed In Bazaar: noon-4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

DEC. 15-17

• Home for the Holidays: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 17, HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Cost: free.

DEC. 17

• Stocking Stuffer Bazaar: noon-4 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

To be included on this list, email rachel@tcjournal.biz with details about your bazaar, including time, date, place and cost.

A20

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A21

A22

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TAXES

A23

KRISTI NELSON Northwest CPA Group PLLC Member (Partner) Number of employees you oversee: Our firm has 35 employees.

Brief background of your business: Northwest CPA Group PLLC was founded 20 years ago by a group of CPAs with a large number of existing clients. We serve all size businesses, in many different industries, in many different states. Our services include consulting, tax planning and preparation, and audited financial statement preparation.

How did you land your current role?

How long have you been in it?

After college I began work for Ernst and Young in Seattle, then returned back to the Tri-Cities where my husband and I grew up. I have been a CPA since 1989, an owner since 2006.

How has the accounting sector evolved since you first started working in it?

Technology and flexible work schedules are more prevalent in all firms now. The ability of the IRS to immediately match technology at the government level to data that is submitted has increased. One thing that has not changed, we are still our clients’ trusted advisor and that is a wonderful part of our profession.

Can you share your best tax advice for small businesses?

For anyone starting a new business my advice is to be frugal. Many times new business owners can become focused on the idea that all business purchases are now tax deductible.

Sometimes clients equate tax deductible as “free.” One of the goals of a new business owner should be to provide a generous salary for the owner.

Tax decisions should come second.

First make decisions based on what is best for the business.

Are there any significant tax changes businesses should be aware of as we head into the end of the year?

A couple of items to be aware of: • Bonus depreciation, which used to be 100%, will be 80% for 2023 and 60% for 2024.

If your business issues more than 10 Form 1099s for 2023 they are required to be e-filed.

• Beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, many companies in the U.S. will have to report information about their beneficial owners.

• In 2025, barring action from Congress, many tax provisions will sunset.

Tax planning will be needed.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

Humbleness. Seeking input on decisions results in better decisions.

nine months in advance.

There have been times Congress has retroactively changed tax provisions.

What is the biggest challenge facing business leaders today?

Delivering value to customers while creating a safe, positive workplace for employees is challenging. Headlines and social media can contribute to negativity, hopelessness and depression.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Read as much as you can about being a good leader, empathize with others, laugh.

If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your industry?

I love this industry. We have the privilege to work with successful professionals. Every day is different and we are constantly learning. However, if I had to change something it would be to have tax law changes known at least

Who are your role models or mentors?

My initial partners, Sandy Gamble and Bernie Walter, both taught me different skills, being organized and creative.

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey was very impactful.

Kristi Nelson

How do you keep your employees motivated?

It is most important to me that the employees here feel safe with me. They know I will treat them with respect and without judgment. I believe in the philosophy from the “One Minute uNELSON, Page A24

A24

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

NELSON, From page A23 Manager” by Ken Blanchard: To “catch them doing something right.”

How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today?

I was always an organized person and accounting classes were a very good fit for me.

How do you measure success in your workplace?

Success is measured ultimately by client and staff feedback.

TAXES

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

My leadership style is casual, but I really abhor waste and inefficiency.

I love the challenge of developing systems that give the most value in the most efficient way.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

My family loves to travel, hike, play board games and go to escape rooms.

One perfect day would be being with my family, eating cookie dough and playing a board game.

How do you balance work and family life?

First, I recognize I have a problem with overcommitting. Even if I am not officially on vacation, I schedule days to take time away from the office. This helps me put bookends for my time at work. We have a great staff here and I have lots of help. They help me get away.

What’s your best time management strategy?

Delegate early. Decide immediately that you will not have time to do a task and ask for assistance.

What’s your favorite TV show?

Favorite book?

At home, I have the home and garden station on at all times. I love to read. I only allow myself to read on the Stairmaster. I love fiction books about women who get stuff done!

Do you have a personal mantra, phrase or quote you like to use?

My two favorites: “It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Sir Winston Churchill “If you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

Conan O’Brien

Best tip to relieve stress?

I work out almost every day: Stairmaster at the Pacific Clinic or my husband and I hike Badger Mountain or McBee.

Largest Accounting Firms na nc Sm ial St al at IR l-C lie em S en n A t Bo udi Se ts t ok C rv ke on ice M su s an epi l ag ng tat io e G n ov m er en Fi nm t C na en on s n Ta cia t Ac ult in l x c Pl Pla ou g C om ann nn ntin i g pu ing ng te In rS te rn u Au atio ppo rt di na t Bu ing l Ta x si Pl n an R ess et ni ire Va ng m lua en tio tPl ns an Ad m in .

Ranked by number of CPAs*

Firm Name Address Phone, Website

Local Managing Partner(s)

No. of CPAs/ Other Accountants/ Total Employees, Full-/PartTime1

CliftonLarsonAllen 8101 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite 130 Kennewick, WA 99336 509-735-1561, claconnect.com

Nate Bishop, managing principal of office

15/ 7/ 45/ 4

Northwest CPA Group PLLC 1333 Columbia Park Trail, Suite 120 Richland, WA 99352 509-735-1300, nwcpagroup.com

Kristi Nelson, Don Persinger, Megan McCary; members

12/ 14/ 31/ 4

None

P P P P P P P P

Christensen King PC 1334 Jadwin Ave. Richland, WA 99354 509-943-1040, ckacpa.com

Carlyle Brown, shareholder

10/ 5/ 17/ DND

None

P P P P P

Blodgett, Mickelsen & Adamson PS 7139 W. Deschutes Ave., Suite 102 Kennewick, WA 99336 509-735-0379, bmncpa.com

Travis Adamson, partner

9/ 8/ 12/ 6

None

P P P P P

PorterKinney PC 8109 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Kennewick, WA 99336 509-713-7300, porterkinney.com

Chris Porter & Walter Kinney, CEOs

7/ 7/ 17/ 1

None

Baker & Giles PS CPAs 10110 Chapel Hill Blvd.

Pasco, WA 99301 509-547-0544, bakergiles.com

Mark Morrissette, president

6/ 3/ 11/ DND

DND

Epic Trust Financial Group LLC 1305 Fowler St., Suite 1D Richland, WA 99352 509-582-2047, epictrust.com

Nathan Burt, CEO

4/ 6/ 25/ 2

323 E. Second Ave., P Suite 101, Spokane

Moss Adams 7601 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 440 Kennewick, WA 99336 509-544-5010, mossadams.com

Craig Anderson, partner in charge

3/ 15/ 19/ 0

34 offices in the United States

P P P

P

P P

P P P

Alegria & Company 210 Chardonnay Ave., Suite D Prosser, WA 99350 509-575-1065, alegriacpas.com

Brian Newhouse, partner

3/ 1/ 8/ DND

Yakima County

P

P

P P

P P

Account Sense PLLC 6601 W. Deschutes Ave., Suite C Kennewick, WA 99336 509-591-0105, accountsense.cpa

Jennifer N. Mitchell, founder and CEO

2/ 9/ 12/ 1

DND

P P P P P

P P

ILUVTAX.COM 1587 Penny Lane Richland, WA 99352 509-531-1800, iluvtax.com

Bruce Jorgensen, owner

2/ 2/ 1/ 2

None

P P P P P

P P

Tri-Cities CPA PLLC 8511 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite C Kennewick, WA 99336 509-582-2000, tctaxcpa.com

Darren Szendre, CPA

1/ 4/ 6/ 1

130 locations across the P country

None

Other Services Include2:

Fi

Offices Outside Benton and Franklin counties

DND

Agriculture, construction, financial institutions, food service, government, wholesale, high technology, manufacturing, medical, nonprofits, real estate, retail.

P P P P

DND

Agriculture, construction, manufacturing, real estate, nonprofits, retail, wholesale, medical, food service, high technology, legal.

P P

P P P P

DND

Construction, real estate, agriculture, retail, legal, manufacturing, medical, high technology, food service, nonprofits, insurance, individuals.

P

P P

DND

Agriculture, medical, real estate, utilities, nonprofits, construction, legal, manufacturing, food service.

P

P

Tax preparation

Medical, dental, financial institutions, food service, wholesale, high technology, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail, law.

DND

Agriculture, construction, food service, wholesale, legal, manufacturing, medical, nonprofits, real estate, retail, other professionals.

P P P P P P P

P

P P

P P P P P

P P P P

P

P P P P P

Notes: *If number of CPAs is the same, firms are ranked by number of other accountants. If that number is the same, firms are ranked by total number of employees. If that number is the same, firms are ranked alphabetically. 1In Benton/ Franklin counties. 2Responses may have been edited due to space constraints. DND means did not disclose.

Industries Served Include2:

P P P

P P

P P

P P P P

P

P P

P P P

P

401(k) administration, payroll administration, commercial insurance, Financial institutions, insurance. personal insurance, group health administration.

Agriculture, construction, financial institutions, food service, wholesale, DND high technology, manufacturing, medical, real estate.

DND

Agriculture, construction, financial institutions, food service, insurance, legal, manufacturing, nonprofits, real estate, retail.

Fractional CFO services

Medical, legal, real estate, professional service based industries.

DND

Retail, professional services, medical, construction, food service, wholesale, legal, manufacturing, nonprofits, real estate.

Cost segregation studies/R&D Credit studies

Agriculture, construction, financial institutions, food service, high technology, legal, manufacturing, medical, nonprofits, real estate, dental offices.

Sources: Representatives and websites of the above firms.

Information current as of Sept. 28, 2023.

List compiled by Rachel Visick.

Copyright 2023 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TAXES

A25

Recent real wage gains haven’t materialized, but 2023 should be different Overall Average Annual Wage $90,000

$81,000

$72,000

$63,000

$54,000

$45,000

$36,000

$27,000

$18,000

$9,000

21

20

19

18

17

22 20

20

20

20

20

15

14

13

12

11

10

16

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

09

08

07

05

06

20

20

20

20

20

20

04

$0

20

inspection of the graph shows that 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 all brought falling real earnings of the average worker in the D. Patrick Jones greater Tri-CitEastern ies. It also might Washington University surprise readers to know that the GUEST COLUMN equivalent trends for the Washington average do not show any year-toyear declines until 2022.

Prior declines in real average annual earnings here cannot be laid at the feet of high inflation rates. For these years, the annual inflation rate, as measured by the national “urban” consumer price index (CPI), was modest, ranging from 1.4% to 3.8%. Rather, annual nominal wage increases were exceedingly modest, ranging from a slight decline (2012) to a 0.1% increase (2006) to the highest gain achieved, 3.5% (2008).

During and since the pandemic, however, this has not been the case.

Average annual wage increases have ranged from 2.8% (2022) to 7.2% (2020). Instead, it’s been a surge in inflation over the past two years that has dragged down real earnings. The CPI increases for 2021 and 2022 were 4.7% and 8.0%, respectively. As readers

Average Annual Wage

A glance at key dials on the dashboard of the local economy might conclude that last year was a good one.

The population in Benton and Franklin counties registered an increase of about 4,400, with the rate outpacing the state.

The number of residents employed grew by about the same – 4,000. Employers in the greater Tri-Cities added even more – 5,100 workers – as the local economy depends on a net inflow of workers from surrounding counties.

Average annual earnings in 2022 grew, too. Or did they?

On a face-value or nominal basis, the average paid to employees of all firms in the two counties climbed by about $1,600. But when measured by the ability to buy goods and services, the average annual wage here actually declined.

Benton-Franklin Trends data gives us this insight. The darker blue line on the accompanying chart is the nominal average wage, coming in for the year at about $61,000 and showing an increase of 2.8% over 2021. The light blue line reveals the number when the inflation is factored in. In that case, the “real” annual wage was $47,865, a decline in inflation-adjusted terms of -4.9%.

As one can see, this is actually the second year in a row where inflation’s bite was larger than the gain in average annual earnings. It might surprise TriCitians to learn that this has happened here a few times already. A careful

Benton & Franklin Counties - Nominal Average Wage Benton & Franklin Counties - Constant 2012 Dollars Washington State - Nominal Average Wage Washington State - Constant 2012 Dollars

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends

know, these were unprecedented hikes in the prices of goods and services, at least since the 1980s.

As is almost always the case with averages, the recent decline of real wages in the greater Tri-Cities has varied considerably by sector. This is due to a dispersion of nominal wage gains.

Among the five largest local sectors, by employment, nominal gains between 2022-21 ranged from a low of retail workers, 0.5%, to a high of health care workers, at 3.7%. None of these matched the 8% jump in the CPI over the two years.

Not surprisingly then, real average annual wages in all five top sectors suffered declines, ranging from a -7% by retail workers to a -4% by government workers (including school district employees). Wage earners in the next three largest sectors, by employment – hospitality, construction and scientific, and professional services – generally fared a bit better but still experienced real earnings loss. For example, workers in scientific and professional services managed to secure “only” a 2% uJONES, Page A30

YOUR COMFORT, OUR COMMITMENT

At Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, we are honored to serve our community with compassion, empathy and dignity.

Compassionate Approach: Our experienced team of chaplains and caregivers understands the emotional and spiritual aspects of endof-life care.

We provide a supportive environment for patients and families to find comfort and solace.

Family-Centered: We recognize the importance of involving families in the care process.

Our team collaborates with families to create personalized care plans that respect individual wishes and cultural beliefs.

Bereavement Services: Our care doesn’t end with the passing of a loved one.

We offer bereavement counseling and resources to help families navigate their grief journey.

Learn more at tccbestlife.org or call (509) 783-7416.

1480 Fowler St. Richland (509) 783-7416

A26

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TAXES

Prepare and plan for how 10-year rule can affect inherited IRAs The legislation known as the Secure Act of 2019 changed the tax rules for heirs of an individual retirement account (IRA) from someone who passed away on Jan. 1, 2020, or later.

First, it divided these heirs into three different types: eligible designated beneficiaries (EDB), non-designated beneficiaries (NDB) and noneligible designated beneficiaries (NEDB). The Secure Act also created what is known as the 10-year rule, which applies only to NEDBs. The legislation sets out deadlines for NEDBs to empty out their inherited IRA or face tax penalties. Confusion followed about when the tax penalties would be imposed. In response to the confusion, the IRS has updated its policies about it every year since.

Who are the NEDBs? The new deadlines for emptying an inherited IRA apply to only one of three categories of heirs, the NEDB. NEDB includes children, grandchildren and other individual heirs over the age of 21. Spouses, children under the age of 21, estates, and charities fall into the other categories, and the new 10-year payout rule does not apply to them.

When are the RMDs? The IRS regularly imposes an annual required minimum distribution (RMD) on older owners of retirement accounts. The IRS imposes this requirement to ensure that they receive taxes in a timely manner. The IRS most often calculates RMDs based on the age and life expectancy of the

account owner.

When the account passes to an heir, the age and life expectancy of the heir can factor into the RMD. Here is where the 2019 Secure Act Michelle Clary added a 10-year Piton Wealth rule for NEDBs GUEST COLUMN and confusion ensued.

If the heir inherited an IRA from someone who died Jan. 1, 2020, or later and had not started taking RMDs (currently starting the year after they turn 73), the NEDB now had to empty the IRA within 10 years or face a tax penalty.

If, however, they inherited from someone who was already responsible for the RMD, the heir has to take an annual RMD as well as ensure that the account is emptied within 10 years. Details were very unclear regarding this requirement, so the IRS subsequently waived the penalty for the missed RMDs in the tax years 2021, 2022 and 2023. The penalty is scheduled to be in effect for 2024 and beyond.

Which accounts?

Not all inherited IRA accounts are affected the same way. Heirs to a Roth IRA are subject to the 10-year cleanout rule, but they are not required to take the annual RMD, as heirs to a traditional IRA are.

What to consider New tax laws can seem overwhelming,

all the more so when the IRS itself has been rolling out updates and changes to the rules over multiple years. Nevertheless, the changes can cost people when they do not expect it or it can impact their financial well-being, so consider at least the following: • Are you or someone you know the heir to a retirement account of someone who died in 2020 or later?

• If so, do you know what kind of account (traditional or Roth, for example) and what the RMDs have been and will be for the account?

• Even when the IRS has waived the penalty for a missed RMD, it can still make financial sense to make a distribution. Deferring the withdrawal could contribute to greater taxes later, for example.

• Because the IRS made some of its waivers retroactive, a taxpayer can have options for RMDs already taken or penalized, but these opportunities have their own deadlines.

• The changes in the rules also can mean that the new withdrawal requirements can have an impact on other areas of finance. Some components of a retirement plan are typically calibrated to life expectancy, for example. The 10-year rule could change when funds are available within this span, and so it may be prudent to reconfigure the plan and resources accordingly.

Prepare a comprehensive plan If any of the above considerations or any of the information in this issue reso-

nates with you, I encourage you to work with appropriate professionals who can determine the best actions for your specific financial situation. Especially because the IRS has been releasing updates and revisions over multiple years and additional updates are expected. This should be a professional who is up to date on these developments and who will continue to be aware of changes that will come in the future.

When it comes to the 10-year rule, preparation can include making sure that someone, such as a financial planning professional, analyzes how the developments in this rule can affect other financial resources. The new rules can also mean that financial plans for your future will work better with adjustments. The currently designated beneficiaries for one or more retirement accounts, for example, might fare better if recalibrated based on the new rules.

Prepare and plan, and especially with ongoing complex changes like those described in this column, please consult a professional. Michelle Clary is a certified financial planner, chartered financial consultant, chartered life underwriter, retirement income certified professional and accredited estate planner. She is founder and chief executive officer/senior wealth advisor of Piton Wealth in Kennewick and Kalispell, Montana.

TAXES

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A27

How to navigate the personal residence capital gains tax trap for seniors As a senior citizen ages in her home, she begins to understand a problem that has been brewing for years or decades.

The house that she bought many moons ago with her husband has slowly appreciated in value over the years. Maybe she bought it in the 1980s for tens of thousands of dollars and now it is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars – maybe more than a million.

How does she navigate (and mitigate) the tax implications of a potential sale of the house? Is she better keeping the home and leaving it in her will to her children?

How does the new Washington Capital Gains tax apply?

Let’s add some names and numbers to showcase an example. Margaret and her husband, Philip, bought a home for $64,000 in 1983 and have lived in the same home since that time. The house is worth $1,064,000 today (an increase in value of $1 million). Philip passed away in 2018 when the house was valued at $800,000. The house is too big for Margaret and the maintenance is burdensome, so she is contemplating selling.

Capital gains tax In general, the sale of any asset (including a house) is subject to a capital gains tax on the increase in value from the so-called “tax basis.” The tax basis starts with the purchase price (here, $64,000) but can be adjusted. Ostensibly, the increase in value is $1 million, which would be the “gain” subject to the capital gains tax.

But in working through possible tax basis adjustments, Margaret would want to dig a little deeper and catalogue her extensive list of remodels Beau Ruff and repairs she Cornerstone Wealth Strategies has put into the house over the GUEST COLUMN years to keep it shipshape. These expenditures would generally be added to the purchase price and increase the tax basis. So, imagine she can show $100,000 of remodels and repairs she has made. The gain is reduced by the same amount down to $900,000.

Exclusion for personal residence The law also provides a specific exclusion for gains associated with a personal residence in the amount of $250,000 (for individuals) or $500,000 (for couples) so long as the home was used as Margaret’s main home for at least two of the last five years. So, Margaret might apply the exclusion and take that $900,000 gain and reduce it by $250,000. Still, that would leave gains of $650,000.

Step-up in tax basis It is important to note an intriguing tax issue at death that upends all the previous analysis: the step-up in tax basis.

The tax code provides a boon for indi-

viduals with capital assets (think stocks, land, buildings, real estate, and of course personal residences).

That is, at death, the asset gets a new basis equal to its then current fair market value. Taking the example above of the house – if it is sold after Margaret’s death, it gets a new tax basis equal to the then current fair market value of $1,064,000. Accordingly, when it is sold for $1,064,000 after her death, the taxable gain is zero. This means there will be zero income tax assessed on the sale of the capital asset after death.

Does that mean that Margaret should keep the asset through her death and leave it in her will to her children? Her children would certainly enjoy the lower income tax burden, but Margaret would experience no savings herself.

But there is another twist to the step-up analysis. In community property states like Washington, all assets owned by the community get a step-up in tax basis upon the death of a spouse. That means that the tax basis should have been adjusted to the fair market value of the house as of Philip’s date of death back in 2018.

Accordingly, the calculation of potential capital gains for Margaret during her life would be the current fair market value ($1,064,000) less the basis (which should have been adjusted in 2018 to the then-fair market value of $800,000) for a total gain of $264,000. But Margaret can still apply any costs of remodeling or repairs since 2018 that can further raise the basis. Her

goal is to track enough expenses to raise that basis just $14,000 more to $814,000.

That would make the total gain clock in at $250,000 – an amount of gain that can be fully excluded and therefore allow Margaret to pay no capital gains tax.

New capital gains tax Washington recently implemented its own version of a capital gains tax. Good news. The new capital gains tax passed here in Washington specifically exempts real property (like house and land) from the application of the tax. In this example, the Washington capital gains tax would not apply because the gains are attributed to the sale of real property.

Other situations Margaret’s example is of course cherrypicked. There are many people who have not been married and are not entitled to any step-up in tax basis upon a spouse’s death, and still others that have experienced gains well above any exclusion amount. Every situation is different, but the framework of analyzing the tax can help to start the conversation for mitigating tax. Work with your tax professional to analyze your particular circumstances. Beau Ruff, a licensed attorney and certified financial planner, is the director of planning at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

A28

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

TAXES

TAXES

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A29

There’s no crystal ball for strategic tax planning but good preparation can help Deciding if a Roth conversion is the right thing to do is a challenging decision.

At best, a Roth conversion strategy is an annual puzzle to figure out, hoping for the long-term outcome of reducing lifetime taxes.

At worst, it is speculation and guesswork, effectively a hunch. Where is that crystal ball when we need it?

At my firm, we wrestle with this question a lot. Should we do some amount of Roth conversion and if we think we should, how much?

The biggest guess of all We do this type of tax planning with the best of intentions. But ultimately, I call this the biggest guess of all.

Will we pay taxes at the time it makes the most sense by doing a Roth conversion now versus later? Will our taxable income be higher or lower in retirement? Will tax rates in general be higher or lower in the future compared to what we know for certain about this year or next year’s rates? These are questions I pose to my clients, and ones that, ultimately, we have to answer to bring clarity on how we will proceed.

As a refresher, a traditional IRA is an individual retirement account to which you contribute pre-tax dollars (and after-tax dollars too – the devil is in the details) and then owe ordinary income tax later when you make withdrawals. A Roth IRA is another type of retirement account where you have paid taxes on the money going in. Then, typically, all future withdrawals are tax-free.

There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to lifetime tax planning. What we do know is that the tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) are set to expire at the end of 2025.

Some tax cuts have to do with estate and gift taxation. But other cuts are centered around income and capital

gains taxation.

Barring any congressional action, a few key cuts could affect many people.

The standard deduction will decrease and Angie Furubottengenerally, brackLaRosee ets will increase.

Avea Financial In 2023-25, a Planning LLC household that GUEST COLUMN might be in the 24% bracket, could end up being in the 28% bracket only because of the sunsetting of the tax cuts. Paying taxes earlier could save 4%.

So, do you convert in a year that you know what the tax rates are, or do you wait for the future when you really have no idea what the situation will be like?

Crystal ball, what say you?

But wait, there’s more Other considerations can influence your decision to do a Roth conversion.

Many people have large, untaxed balances in their traditional IRAs or 401(k)s. As time passes and those balances grow, Uncle Sam eventually comes calling. That is called a required minimum distribution (RMD), currently beginning at age 73 (and ultimately age 75). As balances grow, RMDs grow, which means taxes may also increase. A Roth conversion strategy may help.

When planning for a married couple, when the first spouse dies, the surviving spouse will be filing as single and may be taxed at a higher rate, especially if there are large RMDs. If you will be giving away a large portion of your wealth to charity, you can deduct donations or give away your RMDs up to $100,000 as a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). In this

case, a Roth conversion may not be as necessary for reducing RMDs or future income taxes.

death of the first spouse and filing as Single (we call that the widow’s tax).

• You like the possibility of reducing lifetime taxes for yourself and your spouse.

Pros and cons • Who should consider a Roth conWho shouldn’t consider it? version?

• You’re near or in retirement and • You think you will be in a higher you need your IRA withdrawals for livtax bracket later than you are in now. ing expenses.

• Your IRA investment has hit a mar• You’re already receiving Social Seket low (taking advantage of a timely curity or Medicare benefits (increased dip in the market, perhaps). income from conversions can cause • You have heirs you wish to leave higher taxation on Social Security benemoney to and want to leave them taxfits and increased Medicare premiums.) free assets.

• You don’t have much money in • You don’t have diversified account your taxable account to pay taxes on the types (taxable, tax deferred, tax free). conversion.

• You have a low or no-income year • You plan on donating a lot of your or two coming up.

IRA to charity.

• You are not receiving Social Secu• You don’t have heirs you wish to rity or pensions yet, which are counted leave assets to. as taxable income once started.

• You don’t want to potentially be • You have money in a taxable acpushed into a higher Medicare premium count to pay the conversion tax instead (IRMAA) bracket. That’s not a fun of paying from the conversion itself. surprise.

• You have other losses, deductions, • You just don’t want to pay taxes or charitable gifts to offset the taxes due earlier than you must. on the conversion.

Closing thoughts • You won’t need to take distribuWhat I’ve written are my own tions before age 73. thoughts as well as ideas that I’ve • You plan to move to a state with learned while researching Roth converstate income taxes. sion best practices.

• You can wait the five years required Decisions often come down to client before needing to spend the conversion preference. Some people just don’t like amount. the idea of paying taxes now, even if • You can see the ticking tax time they know the rates and what to expect. bomb that your untaxed IRA represents, especially when RMDs begin and at the uFURUBOTTEN-LAROSEE, Page A30

A30

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

JONES, From page A25 decline real earnings.

And 2023 in the two counties?

Wage and earnings data are available for the first quarter, and the results show a reversal of the 2022 experience. Wages have risen faster than the CPI. The increase in overall average earnings hit 9.2% in the first quarter.

Inflation during the quarter was 5.8%.

It seems unlikely that local earnings will maintain this torrid expansion throughout the rest of the year.

But it certainly seems plausible that by the end of 2023, the annual rate will be at least 5%. And we know that inflation continues to subside. For the second quarter, the year-over-year rate dropped to 4.0%. For the two months

of quarter three available, the CPI increase is lower still.

All in all, it is my sense that inflation-adjusted average earnings in the greater Tri-Cities will show an increase for 2023. But the gain won’t be large. And it will not be large enough to compensate for the losses in 2021 and 2022. D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. BentonFranklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

TAXES FURUBOTTEN-LAROSEE, From page A29 in 1945 at 94%. We had to pay for a couple of wars somehow.

They take the approach that a dollar My takeaway? Rates can go up not yet taxed is money saved in the from where they are now. present, a “problem” that is pushed Will they? That I don’t know. into the future.

I do know that all of this creates Other folks want to get it over with, pay taxes now at a rate they already a planning opportunity for everyone know, and have tax-free, worry-free right now. distributions in the future.

So, get planning.

To each their own.

As recently as 1986, the year I Angie Furubotten-LaRosee graduated from high school, the highis a certified financial planner, est tax bracket was 50%. Go a little professional, speaker, podcaster and further back to 1981, it was 70%. I’ve founder of Avea Financial Planning been around long enough to rememLLC, a Richland firm offering ber those times, even though I was a fiduciary financial advice and kid and didn’t have a clue what taxes investment management for were. The year 1963 brought us a top rate of 91%. The highest of all was folks nearing or in retirement.

TAXES

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A31

Take advantage of Roth conversions in down markets The year 2022 was challenging with the U.S. stock market posting a -19% return and the U.S. bond market not far behind at -13%. However, enough time has passed to where it is beneficial to conduct an after-action review. This isn’t an examination of what the ideal investment would have been because that information was unknowable at the time and trying to time the market is a fool’s errand.

Instead, we need to examine what opportunities to take advantage of during a down market. One such opportunity can be a Roth conversion.

A Roth conversion transfers funds from your tax-deferred traditional IRA account to your tax-exempt Roth IRA. Both accounts are considered tax advantaged, meaning they are granted special privileges by the government to encourage retirement saving, but they function in different ways.

Traditional IRAs and traditional 401(k)s are the most common retirement accounts and incentivize saving with their tax-deferred status, meaning money you contribute to these accounts reduces your taxable income for the year the contributions are made. The caveat is that the government eventually wants the IRA account spent down so it can

collect on the income taxes you deferred paying and the government deferred on receiving. This is why required minimum distributions (RMDs) Nicholas Haberling kick-in for IRAs Community First at age 73. You Bank & HFG Trust are required to GUEST COLUMN take a minimum amount out of the IRA, though you can still take out more than the RMD. These distributions are taxed as ordinary income.

Roth accounts operate a little differently. A Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) allows you to make after-tax contributions that then grow tax-free, meaning future withdrawals from the account are not taxed.

With that explanation out of the way, let’s go back to 2022. Let’s say a mutual fund in someone’s Traditional IRA is worth $100 per share at the start of 2022. Then toward the end of the year that same mutual fund is down 20% and worth $80 per share.

If someone wanted to do a Roth conversion for $20,000, they could move 250 shares of that mutual fund from their

tax deferred IRA to their tax-exempt Roth. This is compared to the 200 shares they could move for $20,000 at the start of 2022. The market downturn is a temporary discount that allows us to move more shares for the same dollar amount.

The Roth conversion is still taxed as ordinary income in 2022 but it may lead to a more tax efficient portfolio depending on the investor’s situation. What are the situations where it pays to pay taxes now instead of later?

Scenarios in which a Roth conversion would be beneficial share one commonality, the expectation that future taxable income will be higher than current taxable income. This can even extend beyond someone’s lifetime into the realm of estate planning.

An example within your lifetime is if you are already retired with a stable source of income but have a sizable IRA or 401(k) account balance and are concerned that future RMDs will force you into a higher tax bracket. If you do not want to be pushed into a higher tax bracket in the future, it might make sense to maximize your current tax bracket by conducting a Roth conversion. This will draw down your tax-deferred IRA account balance and reduce your RMD in the future.

Share your business news by visiting bit.ly/TCAJOBsubmit.

If you are interested in estate planning and care about the tax impact on your beneficiaries, then Roth accounts are great to inherit since the beneficiary must withdrawal all proceeds within 10 years of inheriting the account and those proceeds are tax free. This might be preferable to an IRA whose proceeds must also be taken within 10 years of inheritance but are taxed to the beneficiary as ordinary income. Let’s say instead of accounts going directly to a family member they are placed in a trust. If an IRA account is used, the trust will be required to take distributions which can then be taxed at a marginal tax rate of 37% if they exceed $14,450. The Roth has no such problem if placed in a trust since its proceeds are distributed tax-free.

Market downturns are frustrating and I’m happy that 2023 has been kind to investors, but the best time to examine your investment and planning strategy is when times are good. One opportunity, among many, is a Roth conversion, and it just so happens its greatest benefit is achieved when investors post negative returns. Nicholas Haberling is a partnership advisor at Community First Bank & HFG Trust in Kennewick.

A32

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

PROPERTY TAXES, From page A1 into it, I saw the (comparisons) they used, and some are one-story when mine is a two-story, and others are at least a decade newer,” Thompson said.

Determining values Zillow lists his home value slightly higher than the assessor’s office did, and both the Benton and Franklin agencies assure property owners that Zillow doesn’t factor into the yearly valuation process, which uses a three-pronged approach.

Assessed value is determined by using appraisal approaches to value: the cost approach, sales approach and income approach, said Benton County Assessor Bill Spencer.

“For the majority of residential properties, the cost approach is initially used to determine a replacement cost new. For example, how much would a house cost to be rebuilt from the ground up based on the price of materials. From this point, the sales approach is utilized, which analyzes arm’s-length sales to determine market value. The difference between valid sales and the replacement cost new is trended positively or negatively at a neighborhood level to arrive at 100% of market value.”

That 100% is what a property would really sell for in the current market, though values are based on sales ending in the previous calendar year and not what is seen at the time the postcards are sent.

Benton City and Prosser saw the smallest increases in Benton County, averaging about 18%, with north central Pasco averaging some of the lowest increases in Franklin with just under 14%.

Bill Spencer

Assessors evaluate neighborhoods as a whole and none saw a decrease in value.

“This does not mean individual homes, especially ones in our active revaluation area, did not individually lower in value if it was warranted after physical inspection or interview with the homeowner,” Spencer said.

Mass appraisals John Rosenau Most properties are part of a mass appraisal, though counties do physically visit some districts at least once every six years, and properties where building permits are issued for value-adding improvements are inspected yearly.

For the most recent assessments, Benton County assessors visited Kennewick west of Highway 395 to the westernmost city limits, while Franklin County visited west Pasco properties mostly north and south of Sandifur Parkway, from about Road 84 in the east to Road 36 in the west.

As most home prices have stayed fairly consistent throughout 2023, or even softened, property owners may expect a less dramatic increase in a year’s time.

Assessments went out in August for properties in Benton County, while Frank-

TAXES

Photo by Rachel Visick This Benton County property’s value increased nearly 25%, falling in line with the county-wide trend of about 23%. Franklin County properties averaged an increase of about 28%.

lin County’s went out at the end of May. Neither county has calculated expected property taxes for the year, and homeowners shouldn’t expect those changes until early 2024. But a 24% increase in valuation doesn’t equal a 24% increase in taxes, courtesy of a state law that limits the combined property tax rate to 1% of market value, with voter-approved special levies, like those for schools, as an addition to this amount.

The 1% cap applies to a taxing district’s levy amount and is not affected by an increase in assessed value of a single property.

Hoping to combat the property owners who are uninformed of the true impact of their new assessment, Benton County has an explanation on the Assessor’s Office homepage with anecdotal examples, explaining, “The 1% limit applies to the maximum increase in tax revenue levied by an

individual taxing district. It does not apply to individual homes, which tend to increase in assessed valuations at varying rates. Taxes on individual homes could increase by more or less than one percent depending on how they change in value relative to other properties in a district.”

Calling it a “perfect storm” for the timing of notices and the subsequent publicity, Franklin County saw valuation appeals shoot up, with most received at the end of September when fervor over Benton County’s assessments had created significant rumblings online.

“Around May, interest rates were up and the market was feeling the squeeze,” said Nikki Lyn Morgan, chief appraiser with the Franklin County Assessor’s Office. “Combine that with some very vocal property owners who do not understand appraisal or property taxes, and appeals are up across the state.”

In his last tax booklet, Franklin County Assessor John A. Rosenau included a letter reminding residents, “The assessor does not establish the dollar amount of taxes required nor does the assessor bill or collect taxes. The taxpayers, state limitations and assessed value determine the tax rate for each district.”

Franklin County had received 284 appeals as of the end of September, with 23 already going before the governing board and finding the assessor’s value sustained.

Despite seeing a somewhat similar jump in valuation year over year, Benton County said it’s receiving appeals on par with previous years, having received just a few dozen by late September.

“We encourage taxpayers to call or come in and speak with us before taking the step in filing a petition with the Board of Equalization,” Spencer said. “When data needs to be changed or updated, we can address it then and there rather than the taxpayer needing to start the entire appeal process.

The bottom line is, we want to be accurate and fair, and if we need to correct something, we can do it without getting to the appeal process.”

West Richland’s Thompson isn’t sure if he plans to appeal. He was more motivated to change the state law requiring homes to be assessed at 100% of market value.

“I’m trying to find how to do a petition online. I would imagine it being pretty easy to get 200,000 signatures in the state of Washington to change the law,” he said.

Property taxes for the upcoming year are due by April 30 but half can be paid when the other half is paid by the end of October 2024.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 uBUSINESS BRIEFS

State’s minimum wage to increase 3.4% in new year

A 3.4% increase in the minimum wage takes effect in Washington on Jan. 1, 2024, bringing the rate to $16.28 an hour.

Washington has the highest statelevel minimum wage in the nation this year. The federal minimum wage remains set at $7.25 an hour.

The state minimum wage applies to workers age 16 and older.

Forecast is mixed for Northwest crops

Northwest apple and cherry crops are projected to be slightly unprofitable over the next 12 months due mostly to large crops and low demand, according to AgWest Farm Credit’s quarterly market report.

The outlook sees the winery and vineyard industry as slightly profitable. Drivers include lower wine grape demand from Ste. Michelle in Washington, challenging conditions for uncontracted growers in Washington, favorable 2023 crops, strong wine demand among Oregon and small Washington wineries, rising borrowing costs and shifting alcohol consumption patterns.

The forecast calls for slightly profitable returns for contracted and uncontracted potatoes. Northwest potato production is expected to recover to historic levels after two years of decline. This will ease the strain on processors who have faced potato shortages but likely will reduce open-market potato prices to break even or lower.

The outlook sees apple growers as slightly unprofitable to breakeven, and packers as slightly profitable. Drivers include a large, good quality 2023 crop in the Northwest, an average 2023 crop size for the U.S., softening prices, increased borrowing costs and the re-

moval of import tariffs in India.

The outlook sees Northwest cherry growers as unprofitable. Drivers include large, overlapping West Coast crops and low demand.

Solar project at HAPO Center set to receive $1.5M

The state Department of Commerce is awarding $35.4 million in grants to local, state and tribal governments and nonprofits to plan and install solar and battery backup power systems at community buildings, and a Pasco facility is on the list.

A solar project at the HAPO Center is set to receive $1.5 million.

Donations help to upgrade WSU Tri-Cities engineering lab

Donations from a Washington State University Tri-Cities graduate, local philanthropists and Battelle have helped to modernize major equipment in the university’s engineering lab.

The college’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences has been upgrading major components of its engineering lab thanks to a $200,000 donation from Doug and Julia Hamrick.

The new equipment includes 3D printing machines used for prototyping, a Charpy impact tester (measures the energy level required to fracture material), and digital hardness testers and laser cutters required in today’s manufacturing processes.

In addition, Battelle donated $50,000, which initiated momentum for the upgrades by funding an automated, computerized-numerical-control (CNC) lathe.

WSU philanthropists Gene and Linda Voiland also donated $55,650 to buy a CNC mini mill and other equipment.

The total, $305,650, goes toward the upgrades, which will be completed in the spring.

PNNL poets win first place in national contest

A poem penned by scientists from a Pacific Northwest National Laboratoryled center won first place in a national contest.

The poem – called “Can a Scientist Dream it Alone?” – is about “the quest to unravel and understand the chemical phenomena of the Hanford site’s nuclear waste,” the lab said in a statement.

The poem was written by scientists from the Interfacial Dynamics in Radioactive Environments and Materials (IDREAM) Energy Frontier Research Center and took top honors in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Poetry of Science Art Contest.

Retail crime accounts for over $112B in industry losses

Retail crime escalated to unprecedented levels in 2022 with $112.1 billion in industry losses reported, according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey.

That’s up from the $93.9 billion recorded in 2021.

The survey encompasses insights from 177 retail brands, accounting for $1.6 trillion of 2022’s annual retail sales and representing more than 97,000 retailers across the United States.

Organized retail crime again was reported as a significant concern, with more than two-thirds (67%) of survey respondents witnessing an escalation in violence and aggression compared to

A33

the previous year.

The types of products targeted by shoplifters have diversified, ranging from high-price, high-fashion items to everyday products with quick resale capability, such as outerwear, batteries, energy drinks, designer footwear and kitchen accessories.

Food system infrastructure grant applications open

The state Department of Agriculture is offering more than $6 million in grants to support local food supply chains and market access for farms, ranches, food processors and food distributors.

The grants, which range from $10,000 to $500,000, are designed to expand and strengthen collaboration across linkages in the regional food supply chain.

The grant is available to farmers, ranchers, food businesses, or nonprofit/ tribal/government organizations that aggregate, process, manufacture, transport, store or sell food grown, caught or raised in the state for Washington consumers.

Grants can be used for planning, equipment, and facilities that support on-farm post-harvest handling, aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, distribution, and sale of locally and regionally-produced food products.

Applications are due Nov. 15.

Go to: agr.wa.gov/grants or email localfoodinfrastructure@agr.wa.gov.

Planning is a part of life, so why not pre-plan your end-of-life wishes?

Pre-planning your funeral is an important part of ensuring that your final wishes are respected and that your family is not left with unexpected costs or decisions to make.

Visit our website to learn more about the pre-planning process and how we can help you plan for the future.

Take a virtual tour of our facilities

(509) 943-1114 einansatsunset.com

A34

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

BUSINESS PROFILE

Reviving Ray’s has been labor of love for 2 musician-owners to the 1940s.

It was known as Ernie’s Restaurant in the 1940s and 1950s. It became Ray’s Golden Lion in 1963.

When it was Ray’s, it had a winning formula: Chinese restaurant during the day into the early evening; then a bar/ nightclub by night.

The list of performers or bands over the years who have played at Ray’s is impressive: Tiny Tim, Frank Sinatra’s son Frank Jr., Meatloaf, and Ike and Tina Turner.

In later years, Alien Ant Farm and Attila played during the heavy death metal era.

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Talon Yager and Andrew McVay each remember their first time playing in a band at Ray’s Golden Lion in Richland.

For Yager, a bass player, it was 2005.

For McVay, a guitarist, it was 2009.

But for both, it seems like just yesterday, full of fond memories. It’s a feeling they want other musicians to experience.

“This is home,” McVay said. “It’s a place where all my friends would hang out, either in this building or out in the parking lot.”

Yager, who has played 300 shows at Ray’s over the years, agreed.

“It was social media before there was social media,” Yager said. “There would be 400 of us hanging out.”

But those days have been gone since October 2015, when owner Wai-Mon “Raymond” Chin had to close for unpaid rent. A year later, Chin, 83, was hit and killed by a car while crossing Van Giesen Street on his daily walk.

Reopening Ray’s In the last few years, Yager and McVay have dreamed of reopening Ray’s as a place for live music and food.

The pair bought the business last year in December, and they’ve worked sometimes 70 hours a week to get the place up and running.

They originally had hoped to open on July 1. Then an anticipated Sept. 30

Photo by Jeff Morrow Andrew McVay, left, and Talon Yager bought Ray’s Golden Lion at 1353 George Washington Way in Richland about 10 months ago. They’ve been working hard to get it back open this October.

opening came and went when a burst water pipe caused damage. They’ve already had to cancel several scheduled bands.

Most recently, some leaky gas pipes are causing them trouble.

“We’re in for $700,000 to $800,000 at this point,” said Yager, who mentions part of that cost is the actual purchase of the building. “Getting the place up and

running took about $150,000 more than we thought it would.”

Yager is quick to point out this is a passion project, and $400,000 of that is for repairs.

“It’s our chance to give back to the community,” Yager said.

A winning formula The building has a history in the Uptown Shopping Center that dates back

Bar bites Yager and McVay want to bring back that same vibe at Ray’s from when they were kids. But there won’t be Chinese food.

Yager has grown up over the years as a chef. He owns Stick + Stone Pizza in the Queensgate retail area of Richland, as well as a catering business.

He’s already developed a menu for Ray’s and is, of course, in charge of the kitchen.

“The kitchen needed some work,” Yager said. “Cooking is my first love.

I’ve been a chef all of my life. For this menu, I’m still looking for a cross between gastropub food and bar food.”

Items on the menu could include fish and chips, chicken and waffles, a brisket uRAY’S GOLDEN LION, Page A36

BUSINESS PROFILE

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A35

Families can find seasonal fun at Queensgate Gardens

By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Brian Keele has grown his hair out long, and he has many days’ growth of beard that he doesn’t plan on shaving anytime soon.

It’s what you have to do when you’re getting ready to play the part of Santa Claus during the upcoming holidays.

Keele owns Queensgate Gardens in south Richland at 1040 Queensgate Drive, near the Interstate 182 traffic circles.

Fall fun Set on 1.5 acres of land, the garden center offers plenty of options for plant lovers and families.

There is a produce stand inside of a 1,600-square-foot canvas tent. But currently sharing space with the produce inside the tent is a bounce house.

The public walkway that runs through the facility is adorned with bales of hay and pumpkins of various sizes.

A 1,750-square-foot greenhouse is home to plants and flowers.

In between the two structures is a hay bale maze for the young ones and across the parking lot an archery facility is available for anyone to use.

Next to the hay bale maze is a large tank of water filled with hundreds of fish, waiting for children to catch them with a pole.

There are two slides on different parts

of the property, which children can use at any time.

And if customers get hungry, they can visit Eat Hot Tamales’ food truck.

On hot days, there’s also an ice cream truck. The bustle of activity looks like a smaller version of Middleton Farms near Pasco.

Keele likes that comparison and smiles.

On the day the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business interviewed Keele, a neverending stream of customers pulled into the parking lot to shop or let their kids play on the grounds.

He’s seen a lot of growth since he and his ex-wife started growing plants in a couple of window boxes at their home near Red Mountain.

Growing the Gardens Like the business, the planting of various flowers and plants continued to grow.

Suddenly, trays of seedlings were all over the house.

Eventually Keele, a former chemist who worked at Hanford at the time, would set up a stand in front of the old Tony Roma’s (now Buffalo Wild Wings) on Gage Boulevard in Kennewick.

He did that for a number of years, and there was a loyal clientele. Business never slowed down and so more inventory was needed.

Eight years in business With the continued growth, Keele

Photo by Jeff Morrow Brian Keele, owner of Queensgate Gardens, stands amid the hale bay mazes at his garden shop in Richland. It’s grown to include more activities for the kids over the years.

found the property on Queensgate, and it opened in March 2015.

He keeps adding new attractions.

“We started out with some pumpkin painting, then added a straw maze,” he said. “We just set up for Halloween. After that, we’ll set up for Christmas. Our main sales then will be Christmas trees and poinsettias. Inside the greenhouse,

we make ornaments with the kids.”

Keele has one full-time employee and four part-timers. “Mostly those are students or people working a second job,” he said.

After the holidays, the rush for spring planting begins.

“We grow all of the flowers here,”

uQUEENSGATE GARDEN’S, Page A37

A36

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

RAY’S GOLDEN LION, From page A34 patty, hamburgers, six or seven vegan options, and pork belly tacos.

He admitted things won’t get too fancy.

“It’s a dive bar,” Yager said. “I mean let’s be honest, you can’t put lipstick on a pig.”

They’ll follow the same old Ray’s formula: the restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., then the show takes over after that.

McVay will be in charge of the bar.

“We’re putting a twist on our cocktails,” he said.

But Yager admitted the food and drinks are secondary to this project.

“Eighty percent of what we’ll do is Andrew opening a bottle, and me flipping a burger,” Yager said.

Music is the mission It’s the live music that will be the draw.

Both men say that the number of local bands is nowhere near what they were when they were playing with their respective groups.

And they understand that the Emerald of Siam as well as the old Uptown Theatre on the other side of the Uptown

regularly schedule shows.

“It just adds more people in our area (of the Tri-Cities),” McVay said. “And we want to work with Emerald. We don’t want to book a punk show when they’re booking one.”

To that end, while McVay and Yager stay up on the latest acts, they have a friend, DJ Bobby Mansfield, who books a lot of their acts.

“He has the connection in the music community,” McVay said. “What’s hot right now is metal. Punk rock is making a comeback. And we want to cater to the metal and rock fans.”

Yager adds that progressive music is gaining steam.

“We want to be the CBGB’s around here,” he said, referring to the famous New York City music club that opened in 1973 which became a famed venue of punk rock and new wave bands like the Ramones, Blondie, and Talking Heads. “We want original music. No covers. One in every 45 shows might be a tribute band.”

To get the word out, Yager and McVay are doing most of their promotions/ communications through social media.

They launched a new Ray’s Facebook page. Since the old one is still up, the new one does not use an apostrophe (Rays Golden Lion).

The Richland venue is a great chance for groups to come through and do a show on their way to bigger cities like Seattle, Portland or Spokane, the new owners said.

The duo also wants to take care of those bands that pass through here. They remember what it was like when they played, and they weren’t always treated well by promoters or venue owners.

“Being on tour is awesome, but it also sucks,” said Yager, who at one time was the bassist for the band The Drip, which had some popularity and toured the western half of the United States.

“The next day after a show you hurt. Not making money that day sucks. Guys get so tight with each other when you’re on tour. You’re living in a van together. At the end of the tour you’re sick of each other. But eventually you remember the journey and it was fun.”

October opening?

The leaky gas pipes have to be fixed, obviously.

But Yager is trying to get a night club liquor license endorsement to open the place up.

“We need to get some money coming through here to keep things going,” Yager said. “And we’re hoping to get things open sometime this month (of October).”

The co-owners say they already have 15 to 20 employees ready to report to work when they open.

As the late Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.

McVay said he was outside recently working on the front when a person yelled encouragement at him to keep plugging away, that they’re almost to the finish line and not to give up.

It’s become a labor of love for them both.

“Being busy has been ingrained in me, from my grandparents to me parents,” Yager said. “My main goal is to take care of my family and friends. But my goal some day is to own 10 businesses.”

This one will be all about the music.

“I have a passion for the (local music) scene,” added McVay. “I want to get back what we once had, but this time make it even better. This thing has a chance to be the most popular place in town.”

Search Ray’s Golden Lion: 1353 George Washington Way, Richland; Facebook; Instagram.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 QUEENSGATE GARDENS, From page A35 hair. This is the first year I’ve grown Keele said. “Our goal is to get them a beard.”

As an owner, he’s pulling rank. No looking good on the shelf and have one is doing the job of Santa but him. them do well at home.”

“I’m going be Santa. I wouldn’t need The rest of the inventory comes from wholesalers and farmers; Keele has someone else to do it. I like being with built a Rolodex of 40 to 50 suppliers families,” he said. “I just like doing it over the years. and all of the people who come by, inCountdown to Christmas teracting with them.”

Keele may like all the seasons, but Queensgate Garden’s hours are it’s easy to tell that he’s pretty excited 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Satfor Christmas. urday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

In 2020, during the Covid-19 panFishing and archery are available demic, he had a Santa’s house built so from 2-6 p.m. Monday through Friday families could visit with old Saint Nick. and all day Saturday and Sunday.

This is where the beard comes in.

Search Queensgate Gardens: 1040 “I had a fake beard that would irritate Queensgate Drive; 509-460-7182; bdmy face,” Keele said. “I just bought my first comb after years of having short keele4@yahoo.com.

A37

uGRADUATION

uGRANTS

• The University of Idaho released a list of its 15 summer 2023 graduates. Sarah E. Hale of Benton City graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish.

• The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges has awarded $2 million to 11 community colleges to support programs which train students for high-demand careers. The funds will be distributed over a two-year period, and they build on awards first received in 2020.

Among the colleges listed are Columbia Basin College, which will receive $73,824 for its licensed practical nurse (LPN) to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program, and Walla Walla Community College, which will receive $216,968 for its welding technology program.

uBOARDS • The Tri-City Association of Realtors has elected its 2024 Board of Directors. The elected officers are Melissa Montgomery, president; Vicki Monteagudo, president elect; Jeff Thompson, vice president; and Glen Clark, treasurer. The directors are Katie Copeland and John Keltch, each with a three-year term.

A38

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

uAWARDS & HONORS

• Registered nurse Pamela Garland at Lourdes Counseling Center has been named a recipient of The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Lourdes Health. The DAISY Award is an international program created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes to express gratitude to nurses. Garland was nominated by a staff member, who noticed how she goes above and beyond to help patients and staff. Kena Chase, Lourdes’ chief nursing officer, said, “Pamela is an advocate for patients and staff. She is an exemplary nurse with 30 years of experience and demonstrates compassion to all.”

• Dalilah Fuentes of Kennewick, a member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, is the 2023 Pacific Youth of Dalilah Fuentes the Year, winning $30,000 in scholarships. Fuentes graduated high school last year and attends Pacific Northwest Christian College in Kennewick. To be eligible for the leadership and recognition program, teens write essays and speeches explaining how their club has positively impacted their lives and their plans to give back to the community. They then deliver their speeches and go through a formal interview process. Fuentes, representing Washington state, was one of nine finalists representing states in the Pacific

region, which includes Idaho, California, Oregon, Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. She attended the National Youth of the Year Celebration on Oct. 5 in New York City, along with five other teens from club regions across the country.

• Kylee Sullivan, owner of Dino DropIn Tri-Cities, and Dolores Broeske, HAPO Community Credit Union president and chief executive Kylee Sullivan officer, were honored Sept.

27 during the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce’s ATHENA Awards Luncheon in Kennewick. Sullivan received the Dolores Broeske ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award and Broeske received the ATHENA Leadership Award. The awards are sponsored by Kadlec Regional Medical Center and are presented annually to two local women for professional excellence, community service and helping other women gain leadership skills.

• Washington State University Tri-Cities student Derek Greenwood received a Lois Spratlen Foundation Scholarship.

Your local family-owned florist since 1969.

Decorate this spooky season with a Halloween bouquet.

509.582.5123 • 604 W. Kennewick Ave.

The scholarship recognizes psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students in Washington state who are skilled leaders dediDerek Greenwood cated to serving their communities. Greenwood, a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, works as an emergency room registered nurse in Goldendale, and as a clinical instructor in a community college nursing program in The Dalles, Oregon. He is dedicated to serving rural communities, which are often in need not only of mental health care, but providers with an understanding of rural populations. Greenwood, recovering from his own substance abuse and mental health issues, said in a statement, “This personal experience allows me to compassionately connect with patients and bring an understanding of how hard change can be and what I and the healthcare system can do to help achieve it.” He plans to graduate with his Doctor of Nursing Practice in June 2025 and hopes to practice for a small rural health care organization in Eastern Washington.

• Kennewick resident H. W. “Buzz” Bernard has been honored by two nationally-recognized organizations for his World War II historical fiction book, “When Heroes Flew: The Roof of the World.” The novel won the Military Writers Society of America’s 2023 Gold Star and Bernard was recognized with the 2023 MWSA Founder’s Award for his work of military fiction. “The Roof of the World” also received the Nancy Pearl Book award as the genre fiction winner for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.

• Employees from the Kennewick School District and Energy Northwest were among those honored with Governor’s Lifesaving Awards for jumping in to help others. The district employees used an automated external defibrillator, or AED, to revive a student after his heart stopped during P.E., and the Energy Northwest employees called for aid when a colleague suffered a medical emergency.

The Tri-Citians and other lifesavers from around the state were celebrated Sept. 27 during the Governor’s Industrial Safety

NETWORKING and Health Conference in Spokane.

uRESTRUCTURING Ryan J. Redmond, chief executive officer of Benton Rural Electric Association, has announced plans to restructure their internal operations to enhance member experiences. All member-facing departments will be brought under one umbrella to help exceed member expectations. Here are the changes: • Troy Berglund has been promoted to deputy general manager and vice president of member experience. Berglund has worked at Benton REA for 23 years and, in his new role, he will oversee billing, engineering and operations administrative services, information technology, member services and meter reading.

• Shannon Olsen is the new member services manager, where she will manage programs within the member experience group, including communication, marketing, energy efficiency, power quality, net metering, key accounts, economic development and more. Olsen first joined Benton REA in 2019 as assistant member services manager.

• Jeb Knox was promoted to operations manager. Knox began work with Benton REA in 2004 as a groundsman, and over the last few months, he has worked as both the interim operations manager and line superintendent. In his new role, Knox ensures maintenance of the distribution and transmission system, supports line superintendents and directs maintenance to make the system as dependable and reliable as possible.

• Nick Pryor is now the member engineering manager. In this position, he will take on more system planning while working with engineering and operations on construction work plan projects, system involvement projects and mitigation projects alongside his current engineering duties and support of the staking team.

Pryor has worked at Benton REA for 17 years, since being hired as a staking technician in 2006.

• Missy Jasso is the new facility services and safety manager. Jasso began work with Benton REA in 2001 as tech support in PowerNET, and she was most recently executive assistant to the CEO. In her new role, Jasso will be responsible for the facilitation and oversight of facility repair and maintenance, contract compliance, contract management and document retention.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

NETWORKING uNEW HIRES

• Visit TriCities has hired Sam Galbraith as its operations manager/executive assistant.

Galbraith has worked as a Realtor for the past Sam Galbraith four years, gaining experience in roles such as productivity committee chair and culture committee co-chair.

As director of operations, she helped to establish a Young Professionals chapter for real estate throughout Eastern Washington and in Idaho. In her new role, Galbraith provides administrative support to the president and chief executive officer and the vice president of finance and operations, coordinates committee work and provides bookkeeping services.

• Felice Presti is the new project manager of the High-Level Waste Facility for Bechtel’s Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Felice Presti project. Presti is a principal vice president at Bechtel and has 30 years of experience designing, constructing and commissioning major governmental and commercial projects. He has served as the deputy technical director and design authority of WTP as well as the deputy project director; he was honored by the U.S. Department of Energy with a Secretary’s Achievement Award for his leadership and service at WTP. Most recently, Presti worked as project manager of the Mobile Launch-

er 2 project through the design phase and the start of construction.

• Dr. Geoffrey B. Higgs has joined Prosser Memorial Health’s Orthopedic Center.

He has over 30 years of medical experience focused on sports Dr. Geoffrey B. Higgs medicine and has held positions including military orthopedic surgeon, team physician for both professional and collegiate sport teams and founder of a private practice. Higgs received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Virginia and his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. At Prosser Orthopedic Center, his services include orthopedic surgery, sports medicine injuries, arthroscopic surgery, knee meniscus repair and more.

• The Port of Benton has hired Julia Mora as an accounting specialist. Mora previously worked as an accounting assistant at Basin Disposal and spent 17 years Julia Mora with HAPO Community Credit Union, where she worked nine years in operations before moving into an accounting position.

Her new role will focus on accounting and administrative tasks.

uPROMOTIONS Jason Mattox has been promoted to engineering department manager for PBS Engineering and Environmen-

tal Inc., a regional multidisciplinary engineering and environmental services firm. Mattox is based in Richland and will support the growth and expansion of the company’s engineering group and services lines. He started his career at PBS nearly two decades ago through HDJ Design Group, which was acquired in 2016. At PBS, he’s worked as a civil engineer, operations manager for the Eastern Washington offices and survey department manager.

uRETIREMENT • Brigit Clary, chief of police for the city of Richland, has announced her retirement, effective Jan. 1, 2024. She has led the Richland Brigit Clary Police Department since January 2023 and is the first female chief of police in Richland’s history. Clary joined the RPD in 2017 as a lateral hire and served as a sergeant, lieutenant hire and captain before her promotion to deputy chief in November 2021. During her time as chief of police, Clary formed the drone and major incident reconstruction teams, secured grants for new officer wellness programs, established a recruiting team and mentorship program, redeployed RPD’s traffic unit and rebranded the department with new patch and badge designs.

uDONATIONS • Amentum donated $15,000 to the Pasco School District to support STEM programs in schools during the 2023-24 school year. Amentum is the parent company of Washington River Protection Solutions and Central

A39

Plateau Cleanup Company and is part of the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant Project at the Hanford site. The company is a premier leader in global engineering, project management and solutions integration.

• UScellular has donated over 100 wireless hotspots and two years of service, valued at $67,552, to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties and the Washington State Booster Club Association. This donation is a part of UScellular’s After School Access Project, which helps provide safe internet access for homework and education after the school day has ended. The hotspots will allow youth at both organizations to access UScellular’s wireless network while at the facilities or while at home with a checked-out device.

uFUNDRAISER • Columbia Industries celebrated its 60th anniversary and raised over $148,000 at its Evening of Miracles gala at J. Bookwalter Winery. More than 250 guests attended the event, which was early 1960s themed to celebrate CI’s founding in 1963. CI is committed to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities and other challenges, and it seeks to advance accessibility, break down employment barriers, enhance social enrichment and foster equity in our community. The CI team’s original song and music video, “Breaking Down Those Walls,” shown at the gala, depicted the often-difficult journey their clients face while finding employment and social inclusion.

The funds raised at the gala help to continue programs such as employment services, food service job training, recreational respite services and connections to critical support services.

A40

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Kids grief center moves to new location after sale of former home

Page B5

Novel Coffee, Tea and Toast opening new locations

Page B13

October 2023 Volume 22 | Issue 10 | B1

New retail center taking shape in Richland

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A new 7,000-square-foot retail center is taking shape along Duportail Street in Richland, and it may be home to the second Tri-Cities location of a popular restaurant.

Gretl Crawford Homes is constructing the building in the city’s busy Duportail retail and restaurant corridor, home to Target, Walmart, Gold’s Gym, Stick + Stone and other shops and eateries. The contractor has a letter of intent in place with Dog Haus Biergarten, which already has a restaurant in Pasco.

The restaurant known for its variety of hot dogs, sausages and burgers would take up the middle portion of the building, which will total about 3,000 square feet, Gretl Crawford said.

In that section, “there’s a center patio space for outdoor dining, specific for them, as well as a roll-up garage door window area for an indoor-outdoor feel,” she said.

It’s not a done deal that Dog Haus will

set up shop in the building at 3151 Duportail St., though Crawford is optimistic.

Owners of Dog Haus Biergarten in Pasco couldn’t be reached to discuss a possible new location.

The retail center also will have two endcap suites, one with a drive-thru. Although tenants aren’t in place yet, Crawford expects another food service business to take up the drive-thru space.

The other endcap “will probably be more office or retail,” she said.

Construction started in August, and Crawford said businesses could begin opening there in the spring.

She declined to disclose the cost, although the building permit put the value at about $1.35 million.

Gretl Crawford Homes is the general contractor, and Bernardo Wills in Spokane is the architect.

Crawford said she’s “excited for this new addition,” adding that, “it will bring more services to the area, more jobs, more opportunities for our growing community.”

Photo by TCAJOB A new 7,000-square-foot retail center is under construction next door to Numerica Credit Union at 3151 Duportail St. in Richland.

New nonprofit aims to provide long-lasting affordable homes

By Robin Wojtanik

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A desire to create permanently affordable homes has motivated volunteers to form a new community land trust (CLT) in the Tri-Cities.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Tres Rios, is looking for grants, board members, viable homes, donations and, eventually, potential homebuyers.

While Tres Rios is a relatively new organization, forming in 2021, the CLT concept is far from novel, having gotten its roots in the Civil Rights movement before expanding into urban areas.

To keep housing affordable, a CLT buys the land a house is on, granting a 99year lease to homeowners, which guarantees a lower cost since buyers aren’t buying the whole package – just the house.

“It’s the only way to make sure housing stays affordable, really,” said Ginger Wireman, Tres Rios board chair. “There just doesn’t seem to be any other method, and this is proven and has been around for a while in Washington state.”

When a CLT homebuyer wants to relocate, and many eventually do, the house doesn’t go back onto the free market.

Instead, it is sold to the trust using a restricted price. Individual CLTs set up for-

mulas on how the buyer earns equity for their purchase that can be retained after releasing a home to the trust, though the equity doesn’t grow at the same rate as market forces.

Nationwide growth Grounded Solutions Network, another 501(c)(3), completed a recent census on CLTs and shared equity entities across the U.S., noting 314 of these organizations exist in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, marking a 30% increase since 2011. The inventory includes more than 15,500 homes and nearly 20,000 rental units.

“There are more than 2,200 units in Washington now. Lopez Island has had a CLT since the early ’80s. They were the first in Washington beGinger Wireman cause even back then they were already dealing with housing affordability because it’s a resort area.” Wireman said.

The Center for Community Land Trust Innovation, which tracks CLTs, lists more than 20 of these organizations in Wash-

“Wouldn’t you love to have a mechanism to ensure another family gets to raise their children and have good schools and the river nearby and a safe place to live, grow up and make memories like your family did?”

-Ginger Wireman, Tres Rios board chair

ington state, including a half dozen east of the Cascades, but doesn’t yet include Tres Rios on its searchable map.

The Tri-Cities CLT has a board of about a dozen members and is actively looking for more, including those who can assist with grant writing and fundraising.

“I think there’s a fair amount of money out there,” Wireman said. “It’s a question of figuring out the grant cycles. Community Development Block Grant money can be spent on this and other state and federal funds. The state is investing a lot to support more affordable housing, we just need people with the time and the expertise to help fill out grant proposals.”

CLTs can receive private investments and donations, like Seattle’s CLT, Homestead, which recently announced a $10 million bequest from billionaire MacKenzie Scott, who was once married to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. She also donated $12 million to Grounded Solutions Network to ensure lasting affordability of homes. Homestead plans to test out inclusionary housing using a multi-residence building, like condos or townhomes, selling some at market rate and keeping others permanently affordable.

Wireman noted how these one-time investments can create self-sustaining attainable homes, typically offered to those who make 60% to 80% of the average median income in the area.

Potential applicants likely make too much to qualify for assistance, but too little to realistically consider home ownership, especially after the surge in home prices over the last three years.

“We only want properties within a reasonable walk of a bus line because cars keep people in poverty. We want people who, in this ridiculous housing market, have no hope of getting a house. Your entry-level bank managers, dental hygienists, nursing assistants and people who uTRES RIOS, Page B3

B2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Islamic Center of Tri-Cities set to expand

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities is adding a building to its home on Bombing Range Road in West Richland. And the new facility will serve the entire community, the center’s president said.

The nearly 10,000-square-foot building will include a large multipurpose room, totaling about 6,300 square feet.

It’ll also have a lobby, restrooms, kitchen and classrooms.

The new building won’t attach to the existing 6,800-square-foot mosque at the site.

Instead, it will stand on its own.

A roughly 80-car parking lot also is planned.

Community groups will be able to use the new building for weddings, meetings and other events, said Yar Sidiqi, president of the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities.

“The goal is for us to use it when we need it, but it’s also independent enough that if someone in the community wants to come and rent it, we can rent it to them,” Sidiqi said.

A building permit is in the works, and construction will start once that’s in hand, he said.

Sidiqi estimates construction will take 18 months. He declined to provide a cost estimate at this stage.

The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities was established in 1979. Seven years later, in

uBUSINESS BRIEF

Businesses team up to build Pasco school’s outdoor classroom

Several Tri-City businesses played a role in helping Mark Twain Elementary

1986, the group bought a small home to act as its headquarters, but it eventually outgrew that space.

Then in 1996, the center moved into its current home at 2900 Bombing Range Road.

But growth has continued over the last 27 years, and the center once again needs more room to accommodate all those who come to pray and fellowship.

Today, 400 to 500 families are part of the center.

Leaders started working toward an expansion in 2011, but the group was limited by a 33-foot access easement that was in place on the eastern part of the 2.5-acre site. Earlier this year, Sidiqi was able to have it vacated, which freed up more space on the property for the new building.

The center also purchased an adjoining lot, which will be home to a play area for children.

Sidiqi said he’s excited about what the new building will mean for the West Richland community, which doesn’t have many large gathering spaces for events and activities.

And it will mean more room for the Islamic Center of Tri-Cities to continue its growth.

“We are at least 20 nations of Muslims coming and gathering in this facility. When we stand side by side, there are at least 15 to 20 languages spoken

School build its new outdoor classroom.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Oct. 6.

The idea for an outdoor classroom began when Genie Hernandez, a fifthgrader at the Pasco school, shared the idea of creating a relaxing place outside

Photo by Kristina Lord The Islamic Center of Tri-Cities is adding a nearly 10,000-square-foot building to its home at 2900 Bombing Range Road in West Richland. The building will include a 6,300-square-foot multipurpose room, plus a lobby, restrooms, kitchen and classrooms.

amongst us, but we all have the same beliefs. It’s an international community connected together by our religious belief,” Sidiqi said.

He noted that the center has become an ingrained part of the Tri-Cities community.

“Since 1979, we have done nothing but good for the community and have

become part of the fabric of the community,” including helping those in need, participating in community events and so on, he said.

Building the new facility is an extension of that, he said. “It’s not only for us.

We’re planning to make sure we have something from the whole community to use,” Sidiqi said.

where kids could read, play and create messy projects in the shade.

This project eventually transformed into a reality with the help of the businesses, the school’s parent teacher organization (PTO) and Genie.

The project was completed Sept. 16, when PARR Lumber provided volunteers to install the shade structure and railing.

The total estimated value of the project was $25,000, with Twain’s PTO contributing $15,314. The remainder of the funding was secured through collaborative efforts with community partners.

The following people and companies played pivotal roles in making this

project possible: • Travis Tholstrup, manager of Parr Lumber, and his team donated the shade structure and other essential materials for the concrete.

• Allen Cruz, account manager at Capital Lumber, made a significant contribution toward the shade structure donation.

• Norm Nordby, territory manager at International Wood Products (IWP), donated the railing.

• Wade Blagg, general manager, and John Mattson, site manager at American Rock Products, donated 15 yards of concrete for the project’s foundation.

Junk hauling, clean outs, dumpsters and demolition services.

(509) 416-0141 • trash-bandit.com

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B3

Osprey Pointe signs on to build Wyndham hotels in Pasco

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Osprey Pointe development near the river in Pasco is set to get two higher-end hotels.

James and Meredith Sexton of JMS Construction Inc. recently signed franchise agreements for a Wyndham and a Wyndham Garden. They’ll build the Wyndham first, followed by the Wyndham Garden.

“In the spring we’ll start sitting down with our architects and start designing,” James Sexton said, adding that, “We think within the next 2 ½ years, we’ll start building.”

Meredith Sexton is leading the projTRES RIOS, From page B1 have good jobs and would qualify for a mortgage, but there’s absolutely nothing in our market in good condition and meets their needs,” Wireman said.

Pool of potential buyers Right now, Tres Rios doesn’t have an application system set up to start creating its pool of potential homebuyers and doesn’t have the funding to buy or build its first home, but it hopes to by the end of 2024.

“We would keep a pool, not a list, because a list implies next in line. But the first person on the list when a home becomes available may not qualify, or it might not be the right fit. We’re not going to put a three-person household into a one-bedroom house,” Wireman said.

Those who qualify would typically make about $74,000 for a household of four and could afford a monthly payment of about $1,500, equating to a home costing about $300,000. The Tri-Cities Association of Realtors lists the median and average sold prices for homes in the region as between $430,000 and $458,500 for August 2023, the most recent statistics available.

Tres Rios leaders hope to use the owner-initiative model and think $500,000 would get the nonprofit off the ground with a few properties.

“We buy a house on the regular market and put it in the trust at closing, which is what they’re doing in Houston and Portland. If people qualify for $244,000 but it’s a $350,000 house, we present the rest of the money. They’ll have to put a little bit toward closing because you want to show they’re able to do this, but you can find loans to help them at closing. Then at closing, you put it into the trust. So, it’s not like we would buy the house free and clear and then turn around and sell it again. I think for our first several properties, it’s likely we might do that model,” Wireman said.

An added benefit to the significant investment by the trust is aimed at eliminating the need for private mortgage insurance (PMI), which is often required to protect the lender if the buyer puts down less than 20% of the purchase price. By avoiding PMI, it helps ensure a reasonable monthly payment.

Older homes that come into the trust would be updated for energy efficiency

ect, opening up benefits for being a woman-owned business.

The Sextons envision the two hotels being connected by a skybridge.

The Wyndham will be closest to the river and be larger, with up to 350 rooms, the Sextons said.

“We’re looking for an open yet welcoming/comfortable feel that highlights the Columbia River and our surrounding landscape,” they wrote in a September newsletter. “This is a full-service hotel with banquet rooms, exercise room, maybe an indoor-outdoor pool, we’d like decks overlooking the river, a planned restaurant on the roof, and uOSPREY POINTE, Page B5

to save money over the life of the home.

Wireman said the nonprofit would also work with the assessor to create a fixed resale rate with taxes on the resale value, not the market value, for when a house comes back into the trust and is made available to a new applicant.

“When a home becomes available, that means you’d need to get your FICO score up, improve your credit-to-debt ratio and be able to qualify for a mortgage,” said Wireman, adding that fewer than 1% of CLT homes were foreclosed on during the mortgage crisis.

Tres Rios would expect to build new or buy established homes, hoping that, to start, some might consider willing their home to the trust at a discounted price or

Courtesy of JMS Construction Inc. The planned Osprey Pointe development in Pasco is set to get two higher-end hotels, a Wyndham and a Wyndham Garden. The development also will include homes, restaurants, businesses, a marketplace and more.

outright donation, even allowing them to live out their natural life in the home.

“When I think of all those government houses (in Richland), people bought them for a song,” Wireman said. “They had great jobs with no trouble paying the mortgage with just one person working.

Wouldn’t you love to have a mechanism to ensure another family gets to raise their children and have good schools and the river nearby and a safe place to live, grow up and make memories like your family did? I think if we market it correctly, maybe with the help of a state attorney on our board, we might find people do give us houses.”

Volunteers needed Besides an attorney, Tres Rios leaders are looking to grow and diversify the talents of the board to be most successful in acquiring properties.

Wireman said they’re looking for someone with financial acumen or an experienced fundraiser, and she welcomes retirees.

“We have a couple, and more retirees would be great. We don’t have a paid executive director, so you need board members ready to roll up their sleeves and learn this stuff. It’s such a brilliant model, and you hear the stories and see the projects going on in other cities and know that could happen here,” she said.

Go to: tresriosclt.org.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Richland sewer project to support $1B fertilizer plant

The city of Richland will use a $4 million low-interest loan to build new sewer infrastructure to expand the North Horn Rapids Industrial Park.

The sewer will help support the $1 billion zero-carbon fertilizer plant planned by Atlas Agro.

The plant isn’t a certainty, but Atlas Agro is exploring the feasibility.

The low-interest loan was approved by the state Community Economic Revitalization Board.

The fertilizer plant project, is expected to create 160 jobs.

Port of Benton to buy former Richland Airport terminal building

The Port of Benton is buying a former terminal building at the Richland Airport Business Park, thanks to a $1.1 million low-interest loan approved by the Community Aviation Revitalization Board. The port will use the 12,000-square-foot building to add more leasable space and support the airport’s growth.

“The building purchase is strategic for the port and in line with Richland Airport’s Master Plan, which outlines future growth and development of the airport to benefit our region,” said Port Commission President Christy Rasmussen in a statement.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

The building at 1845 Terminal Drive was constructed in 1977 and was a commercial airport terminal for many years. It included a rental car facility, restaurant and office space. Over the years, the building has been home to several businesses.

Industry group speaks out on natural gas restrictions

The Building Industry Association of Washington says new natural gas restrictions approved by the Washington State Building Code Council don’t follow federal laws and fail to protect the public’s right to energy choice.

The building association is “working with others to explore our legal options to protect energy choice and help more

people in Washington find housing they can afford,” said Greg Lane, executive vice president, in a statement.

Kaizen Construction signs lease for new office space

Kaizen Construction has signed a 12-month lease for 1,070 square feet of office space at 6802 W. Rio Grande Ave., Suite B, in Kennewick’s Vista Field area.

The new space was needed “since achieving more business than anticipated and reaching a crossroads in their first year,” according to a release from NAI Tri-Cities.

NAI Tri-Cities’ Todd Sternfeld and Corren Heeren represented Matta Investments LLC, the landlord.

Sternfeld represented Kaizen Construction and Development LLC. Kaizen has a combined 40 years of experience in design, construction management and construction in both commercial and residential projects.

Pasco discusses downtown revitalization, public art at conference

Pasco’s downtown revitalization efforts are set to be showcased at a statewide conference.

Jacob Gonzalez, the city’s director of community and economic development, led a presentation with Framework Consulting during the Washington American Planning Association conference earlier this month in Spokane. The session focused on Pasco’s recently ratified Downtown Master Plan, which includes an ordinance that allows for creation of public murals through a city-sponsored program.

The Pasco City Council approved the plan and the mural initiative earlier this year, “reflecting Pasco’s commitment to renewing its downtown area,” the city said in a statement.

The session touched on topics from building community and business support for inclusive planning to collaborative endeavors and resource allocation. “It promises to offer other communities a replicable blueprint for downtown renewal,” the statement said.

Along with Gonzalez, Pasco’s Development Services Lead Jessica Brackin and Community Resource Specialist Gina Vasquez also attended the conference, which draws hundreds of economic development, urban planning and community engagement professionals.

This year’s conference theme was “Leading the Change: Ideas from the Around the State.”

Sen

ws.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

d

yo

u

s

ne

B4

ur busine

ss

info@tcjournal.biz

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B5

Kids grief center moves to new location after sale of former home five-week session, about 30 kids are enrolled, and the waitlist is gone.

Cork’s Place works with kids ages 5-18 and their grown-ups.

The kids and teens – who meet in small groups based on their ages – learn about understanding grief, coping skills, externalization and more. Their grown-ups learn ways to deal with their own grief and help their kids through the process of losing a loved one.

Kids and families can take part in more than one session if needed.

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

Selling former facility For years, Cork’s Place was based at 712 W. 19th Ave. in Kennewick, on a 1.42-acre property that included a 3,324-square-foot home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a basement and more.

The property was donated to Chaplaincy by the family of the late Tri-City pharmacist Cork Simmelink.

Chaplaincy listed it earlier this year

OSPREY POINTE, From page B3 we would like to have bike, kayak and paddleboard rentals available.”

The Wyndham Garden will be smaller, with up to 250 rooms, the Sextons said.

It will be inspired by nature and “bringing the outside in,” they said.

They like that the Wyndham allows for more flexibility and control in design.

“They give you the opportunity to design it how you want it, as long as it fits within the parameters,” Meredith Sexton said. “We said that we’d like to showcase the river, our landscape.”

The hotels will be part of the longplanned Osprey Pointe development totaling about 55 acres on the Columbia River in Pasco. JMS Construction Inc. has a development agreement with the Port of Pasco for the project, which also is set to include hundreds of homes, restaurants, a marketplace, enhanced waterfront access, concert venues and more.

In August, the Sextons started the Osprey Pointe OZ Holdings II LLC, which is a qualified opportunity zone fund, to raise $97 million for the first phase, including two four-story mixed-use build-

Photo by Sara Schilling Cork’s Place Kids Grief Center’s new home is at 2108 W. Entiat Ave. in Kennewick, sharing the same building as Chaplaincy’s Hospice House.

through Keller Williams Columbia Basin, with the Simmelink family’s blessing. It sold this month for about $470,000. The money will go back into Cork’s Place, which is supported by grants and donations. Cork’s Place costs about $300,000 a year to operate.

The grief center’s new home is at 2108 W. Entiat Ave., Kennewick, in the same building as Chaplaincy’s Hospice House.

The move has allowed Chaplaincy to consolidate resources and create a more integrated and comprehensive support system, the organization’s leaders said in a statement.

“By sharing a building with our Hospice House, the bereavement team can better serve our community by offering a

wider range of services under one roof,” the statement said.

New strategy Along with the location change, Cork’s Place also is using a new strategy that’s making its services available to far more children and families. The program used to run for a school year, serving about 100 kids total with a sizeable wait list. But now five-week sessions are offered, along with one-day workshops. In the current

Normalizing grief Although it’s centered around grief, Cork’s Place is filled with bright colors, with inspiring art – some of which was made by past participants – and with books, games and other activities that don’t look away from loss, but instead acknowledge and deal with it as part of life.

In our society, “we don’t normalize grief, we don’t normalize death,” King said. “Teaching kids the language of how to deal with death benefits entire generations.”

Laurie Jackson, Chaplaincy’s executive director, said Cork’s Place is “currently one of our community’s best-kept secrets.” But “we want it to be the most talked about program in our community because this is how, long term, this community thrives,” she said.

Learn more: tccbestlife.org/corksplace.

(509) 531-3589

ings with commercial and apartment space, a two-story commercial building, a Riverfront Marketplace with a banquet room and office space, and the riverfront hotel, their website says. An opportunity zone fund is an economic development tool that provides tax benefits to investors.

If they can raise enough through the fund, it will speed up the development of the project.

AMSHOCKEY.COM

There’s a “circle room” with comfortable chairs for sitting together and talking.

There’s a room with art supplies and a room with books and games.

There’s a “volcano room,” with pads, a punching bag and large, soft stuffed animals.

There’s a room with a small hospital bed filled with teddy bears. Some of the bears have bandages.

When you walk into Cork’s Place Kids Grief Center, you immediately know that it’s all about finding ways to meet children where they are.

The facility, operated by Tri-Cities Chaplaincy, is the only one of its kind in the Tri-Cities.

It moved into a new physical home in Kennewick this past spring, but its mission remains the same: to help kids and their families deal with grief so they can live their best lives.

For children, “grief comes in waves,” said Tommi King, Chaplaincy’s bereavement coordinator. Cork’s Place uses art, music, conversation, play and more to help them ride those waves toward healing.

1stprioritydetail.com 1stPriorityDetail

Get your vehicle winter ready!

Protect from salt and ice melt with ceramic coating.

Presented by

All games played at Toyota Center

B6

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B7

New grocery store now open in Kennewick

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A growing organic and natural foods chain has opened its new grocery store in Kennewick after a two-month delay.

Natural Grocers remodeled the 15,597-square-foot building at 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd. It used to be home to Joann Fabric and Craft, which now is open at Columbia Center mall.

Construction delays pushed the projected opening date at least twice. The store was originally set to open Aug. 2.

It opened on Sept. 29.

The new grocery store sells organic produce, body care, books, bulk foods, dairy products, dietary supplements, frozen products, grab-and-go items, household and organic pet products, meat and seafood.

The family-operated company has 166 stores in 21 states, including four others in Washington, two in Spokane and two in Vancouver.

The store’s parent company, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc., which trades under the symbol “NGVC,” reported in May that it had signed leases for an additional five new stores it plans to open in fiscal year 2023 and beyond.

It opened 26 new stores over the fiveyear period ending Sept. 30, 2022.

The company’s net sales were $283.2 million for the three months ending March 31, 2023, an increase of $11.4 million, or 4.2%, compared to net sales

of $271.8 million for the same period a year ago, according to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Each store costs the company an average of $2.4 million to open, with a five-year expected return on investment.

BCCM Construction Group of Kansas City, Missouri, was the general contractor for the tenant remodel, valued at $812,400, according to the building permit filed with the city of Kennewick.

Natural Grocers got its start in 1955 in Colorado. It operates a bulk food repackaging facility and distribution center in Golden, Colorado.

Freebies, sweepstakes and discounts are planned during the store’s grand opening, tentatively scheduled for late October.

Store hours are 8:27 a.m.-8:36 p.m.

Monday-Saturday and 8:57 a.m.-7:36 p.m. Sunday. The unusual store hours are correct.

“Our closing hours might seem a little odd to some (i.e., 9:06 p.m., 8:35 p.m.), but we did that on purpose – to remind customers that they are always welcome and that they shouldn’t feel rushed when shopping with us,” according to a blog on its website.

Go to: naturalgrocers.com/store/kennewick.

Courtesy Natural Grocers Natural Grocers is now open in a remodeled 15,597-square-foot building at 751 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick. The grocery chain has four other stores in the state.

CHURCH FOR SALE 5304 Burden Blvd., Pasco

PROF. OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE 400 Columbia Point Dr., Richland

5,373 sq. ft. bldg. on 1 acre.

Like NEW condition! $1.45M.

$18.00 PSF annually (Triple-Net).

1,506 sq. ft. and 2,240 sq. ft.

PROF. OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE 291 Bradley Blvd., Richland

$24.00 PSF/Yr. Gross. 4,152 sq. ft. office space

COMMERCIAL LOTS FOR SALE Clearwater & W. 10th Ave., Kennewick

Available: Lot 1 (1.18-ac.) - $720K and Lot 4 (1.15-ac.) - $699,900 “Shovel-ready” Lots (Note: Lots 2 & 3 are Sold)

E. A. ‘Rusty’ Morse

CCIM / Managing Broker C: (509) 438-9865 • O: (509) 783-4147 Rusty@cbt-tc.com Coldwell Banker Tomlinson Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 50 years.

B8

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Parade of Home announces this year’s winners

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Twice as many tickets as last year were sold for this year’s Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities’ Parade of Homes, and organizers are hopeful next year will be a return to pre-pandemic levels.

This year’s builders were Titan Homes LLC, North Custom Homes, Riverwood Homes Washington LLC, Prodigy Homes Inc., Hayden Homes and JK Monarch LLC. A virtual tour of a home built by Lexar Homes was also part of the annual event.

The Builder’s Choice Awards are selected by the participating builders and the

Judge’s Choice Awards are selected by industry professionals from outside the area.

The People’s Choice winners will be announced Oct. 18.

Here are the winners:

Under 3,500 square feet Best landscape: Hayden Homes.

Best exterior appeal: Titan Homes LLC. Best primary suite: JK Monarch LLC. Best kitchen: Titan Homes LLC. Best interior decorating: Prodigy Homes, Inc. Best home design: Titan Homes LLC. Best workmanship: Prodigy Homes, Inc.

Best overall: Titan Homes LLC.

Over 3,500 square feet Best landscape: Titan Homes LLC Best exterior appeal: Prodigy Homes, Inc. Best primary suite: Prodigy Homes, Inc. Best kitchen: 47 North Custom Homes.

Best interior decorating: Titan Homes LLC. Best home design: Titan Homes LLC. Best workmanship: 47 North Custom Homes.

Best overall: Titan Homes LLC. The Builder’s Choice Awards Outstanding Design for Indoor/Out-

Leading Contractors Company Name Address Phone Website

Top Executive(s)

door Executive Style Living: Titan Homes LLC. Forward Thinking Design with Entertaining in Mind: 47 North Custom Homes.

Innovative Design for Multigenerational Living: Titan Homes LLC. Outstanding Modern Comfort: Riverwood Homes Washington LLC. Contemporary Charmer with a View: Prodigy Homes Inc. Most Efficient Home Plan: Hayden Homes.

Exquisite Entertaining Home: JK Monarch LLC. Refined Living: Prodigy Homes, Inc.

Ranked by 2022 contract revenue1 2022 Contract Revenue (in millions)

Types of Contracting2

Recent or Current Projects Include2:

Apollo Mechanical Contractors 1133 W. Columbia Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 509-586-1104, apollomech.com

Bruce Ratchford, CEO

$865

Airport, design-build, industrial, manufacturing, multifamily, power plant, mission critical.

PNNL ESC and GSL Labs, Richland; Prosser Memorial Hospital, Prosser; multiple ongoing confidential client data center projects, eastern Oregon.

Lydig Construction 830 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite G Kennewick, WA 99336 509-987-1818, lydig.com

Larry Swartz, CEO

$389

Airport, construction management, design-build, general, industrial, manufacturing, multifamily.

Columbia Basin College Recreation Center, Pasco; Wildhorse Resort & Casino Family Funplex, Pendleton, Oregon; Central Washington University Health Education, Ellensburg.

Fowler General Construction Inc. 2161 Henderson Loop Richland, WA 99354 509-375-3331, fowlergc.com

Brooks Payne, president

$200

Construction management, design-build, general, industrial, multifamily.

Pasco Comprehensive High School #3, Pasco; Tri-Cities Readiness Center, Richland.; Kennewick High School.

Bouten Construction Company 1060 Jadwin Ave., Suite 300 Richland, WA 99352 509-943-7677, boutenconstruction.com

William O. Bouten, CEO

$178

Airport, construction management, design-build, general, industrial, multifamily, healthcare.

Prosser Memorial Health new hospital, Prosser; Grande Ronde Hospital surgical expansion, La Grande, Oregon; Washington State University Medicine Building, Spokane.

Chervenell Construction Company 107422 E. Detrick PR SE Kennewick, WA 99338 509-735-3377, chervenell.com

Brandon Mayfield, president

$93.5

Design-build, general, industrial, manufacturing, multifamily.

Ridge View Elementary, Kennewick; The Perch Restaurant, Richland; Columbia Valley Community Health - Medical Dental Building, East Wenatchee.

Cliff Thorn Construction LLC 1552 Georgia Ave. Richland, WA 99352 509-416-2007, ctcbuilds.com

Cliff Thorn, president/owner

$21

Construction management, design-build, general, industrial, manufacturing, multifamily.

Ahtanum Fuel Stop, Union Gap; The Meriwether Apartments, Richland; Spokane Teachers Credit Union branch, Othello.

Hummel Construction and Development 1360 Florida Ave. Richland, WA 99352 509-713-1440, hcd-gc.com

James Hummel, managing member

$13.6

Construction management, design-build, commercial, industrial, agriculture, multifamily.

Calvary Chapel Tri-Cities, Kennewick; Flex Space Business Centers, Richland; Walker Amon Creek Mini-Storage, Richland.

G2 Commercial Construction Inc. 7117 W. Hood Place, Suite 110 Kennewick, WA 99336 509-783-8900, g2construction.net

Ami Gunther, president

$12.8

General.

Pasco Fire Station, Pasco; Tri-Cities Animal Shelter, Pasco; PSD Administration Building remodel, Pasco.

TTap Construction Services LLC 241 Jackrabbit Lane Kennewick, WA 99338 509-579-6172, ttapconstruction.com

Tyler Tapani, owner

$10.4

Design-build, general, highway, industrial, manufacturing, multifamily.

River Ridge, Boardman, Oregon; Ranchland, West Richland; Echolands, Walla Walla.

Avery11 Construction LLC dba Amos Construction 106006 E. Wiser Parkway Kennewick, WA 99338 509-366-8959, amosconstructioninc.com

Chris Avery, president/owner

$103

General, multifamily, commercial wood framing.

Alvarez Auto, Kennewick; Tru by Hilton, Yakima; Toppenish Justice Center, Toppenish.

RM Construction & Interior Design Inc. 1231 Country Ridge Drive Richland, WA 99352 509-539-2200, DND

Rajiv Malhan, president

$4

Multifamily.

Hotel remodel, Pasco; tilt up office/warehouse, Pasco; Terrace Heights Apartments, Pasco.

Banlin Construction 320 W. Columbia Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 509-586-2000, banlinconstruction.com

Jansen Banta and Casey Lindstrom, owners

DND

Construction management, design-build, general.

Fire Station #1, Kennewick, Wash.; Benton County Admin Building, Kennewick; Tri-Tech Building C, Kennewick.

Notes: 1Projects completed or in progress during the year; value based on percentage of completion method. If contract revenue is the same, companies are listed alphabetically.

2 May have been edited for space. 3Avery11 Construction LLC purchased Amos Construction Inc. Dec. 8, 2022; this figure represents the total between Amos Construction Inc. and Avery 11 Construction LLC. DND means did not disclose.

Sources: Representatives of the above companies.

Information current as of Oct. 2, 2023.

List compiled by Rachel Visick.

Copyright 2023 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B9

Planning underway for City Hall demo, school buildings, travel center

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Documents filed under Washington’s environmental review process reveal a list of projects in the works for the MidColumbia.

The State Environmental Policy Act, or SEPA, often provides the first look at the mixed-use projects, mini storage facilities, apartments, industrial expansions, subdivisions and more that are working their way through the various planning departments of Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties.

Here’s a look at projects that appeared in the SEPA register in the past month.

Stegall rezone Kennewick Stegall Trust submitted plans to rezone half an acre at 408 W. 36th Ave. from residential, suburban density to residential, low density.

Dinah Lane realignment Benton City Spink Engineering LLC submitted plans to align Dinah Lane with the intersection of Dale Avenue and Seventh Street, creating a safer intersection for increased traffic when Bridge Park opens. The sewer line will be moved to address any encroachment issues and a section of the line will be upgraded.

Clearwater grading Kennewick Knutzen Engineering submitted plans to grade eight lots around 10840 W. Clearwater Ave., consisting of 49 acres.

The site is being prepared for future development. The properties are zoned commercial, community and residential, high.

Clodfelter grading Benton County KTS Construction submitted plans to grade about 3,000 cubic yards of material for landscaping purposes at 38702 S. Clodfelter Road, a residential 5.44-acre property.

City Hall demolition Prosser Prosser submitted plans for the demolition and material disposal of the old City Hall, a portion of the police department and the Masonic Lodge, all damaged in a 2021 fire. The building is located at the southwest corner of Bennett Avenue and Seventh Street.

Evergreen Cemetery Benton County Steve Wallace with Evergreen Cemetery submitted plans for a 2-acre expansion of an existing cemetery at 7 W. Corral Creek Road, Benton City.

Creason Ridge Prosser John Hawley with Prosser Development LLC and J Bar W Ranch LLC submitted plans to modify a portion of the Creason Subdivision, located southeast of Highway 22, from about 74 lots to 56 single-family home lots. About 24.8 acres of undeveloped property will be developed into residential lots, including the installation of water, sewer, streets, curbs, electrical systems and street light-

ing.

Code amendment Kennewick Marquis Holdings LLC submitted a proposal to amend the development code to permit espresso stands, restaurants and fast food restaurants as permitted uses in the commercial auto row.

DISH Wireless permit West Richland Jessica Pierce with Ryka Consulting applied for a conditional use permit for a new wireless communication facility.

The project is on Keene Road and would consist of an 80-foot monopole with a concrete foundation to accommodate

two future carriers. The site is zoned commercial general.

School land lab permit West Richland Caren Johnson with the Richland School District applied for a conditional use permit for a land lab for agricultural science instruction. The project would allow Richland School District students to raise animals for local fairs and participate in horticulture projects. The site is at 3807 E. Lattin Road and is zoned commercial limited.

Frank & Sons permit West Richland Sean Markussen of FNS Collision

Group Inc. applied for a conditional use permit to construct two buildings totaling 11,250 square feet for an automotive collision repair business that includes paint booths. The project, located at 3390 Kennedy Road, will involve the construction of 38 parking stalls, onsite store detention, utility extension and frontage improvements. The site is zoned commercial limited.

Irrigation pipeline Kennewick Irrigation District Daniel Tissell submitted plans to install about 1.2 miles of irrigation pipeline and infrastructure to upgrade facili-

uSEPA, Page B12

B10

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B11

Transitional housing program registers as nonprofit to extend its reach

By Jamie Council

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A transitional housing and mentoring program has secured nonprofit status to begin taking advantage of grants and create tax benefits for its partners.

It’s all part of Snipes H3’s plan to fill in the gaps between public education and government services and provide transitional housing and a mentoring program for young adults ages 18-24.

The organization registered as an LLC in 2021 and received its 501(c)(3) status in September. Snipes H3 is shorthand for “housing and hope for humanity.”

“We want the community to be involved and set up a foundation for grassroots support,” said Tobaski Snipes, executive director of the organization. “It’s the community’s kids. It’s more than just mentoring and housing, it’s how we do it.”

Snipes H3 operates a 12-bed co-ed facility at 2625 W. Bruneau Place, #136, in Kennewick.

The dormitory-style setup has four bedrooms and features leisure and creative spaces, as well as a workout area.

Snipes H3 aims to create a familystyle and interactive atmosphere, combined with weekly case management and personal development meetings.

“At the time when we saw the need for housing for young adults, we didn’t know how to protect ourselves and the program. After talking to nonprofit attorneys and consultants, we understood how to set ourselves up as a nonprofit to be around for the long haul,” Snipes said.

Snipes H3’s mentoring program requires participants to be enrolled in one of its three programs: high school com-

Reach thousands of businesses across the Mid-Columbia Compelling businessfocused content provides the perfect avenue for marketing messages.

Contact: Tiffany Lundstrom tiffany@tcjournal.biz 509-344-1271 Chad Utecht chad@tcjournal.biz 509-344-1274

pletion, employment or general public mentoring.

The high school program requires residents to be enTobaski Snipes rolled in on-site classes and maintain good attendance. A GED completion option is offered on a case-by-case basis.

The employment program provides housing and mentoring with the goal of helping participants secure employment within a month. The job must offer

a minimum of 20 hours a week. In this program, 30% of the net pay goes back into Snipes H3, not to exceed $300 per month.

The general public mentoring provides a hands-on program for personal development. Through activities, classes and community service, individuals learn basic social skills to set them up for success.

Washington state has the fourth largest homeless population per capita in the nation and it’s on the rise according to a December 2022 study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

About 7% of the homeless population

is in the 18-24 age range, but 91% of the homeless population under 25 are “unaccompanied youth,” meaning they are in an at-risk group to become homeless.

Snipes saw the need for a transitional housing program with a gap in services for this population.

“It’s not only to help them find themselves but become the best version of themselves to be able to become positive contributors to society,” Snipes said.

“There are services out there for drug dependency or crimes, but there’s not that accountability for adults that don’t have a stable home life and want to improve.”

Search H3 Snipes: snipesh3.com; 253208-1494; Facebook @SnipesH3

B12

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

SEPA, From page B9 ties. 24-, 20-, 12-, 6- and 4-inch diameter pipes will be installed, as well as four 2-inch diameter irrigation services, a system blowoff and a new concrete turnout.

DH Recycling Yard Kennewick B4 Development and Consulting submitted plans for a concrete and asphalt crushing operation. An access road will be graded and site prep will take place, and the location will include a portable rock crusher, parking for trucks and stockpiles of used asphalt and concrete.

Approximately 5,250 cubic yards of material will be stored on-site at 109 N. Oak St. The site, at over 16 acres, is zoned industrial, heavy.

Morris Cemetery PEMB Pasco Paul Knutzen with Knutzen Engineering submitted plans to build a 7,284-square-foot funeral home at the northeast corner of North Idaho Avenue and North Oregon Avenue.

Imago Dei Community Church Pasco Joseph A. Sapp submitted plans to operate a weekly church worship space on Sunday mornings in a rented portion of the Fairchild Cinemas movie theater, 5020 Convention Drive.

Career and College Academy High School Pasco Amanda Whitehead of Knutzen Engi-

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

neering submitted plans for the construction of a new Pasco School District Career and College Academy High School.

The project, located northeast of the North Utah Avenue and East Salt Lake Street intersection, will involve site preparation and the construction of the new building including parking lots, driveways, walkways, landscaping and some recreational space.

The 75,000-square-foot building will be two stories in height and include two outbuildings, and will house up to 600 students grades 9-12.

Vargas Event Center Pasco Jaime A. Vargas submitted plans to create an event center with auxiliary parking for various celebrations, meet-

ings and more at 801 S. Fourth Ave.

Gerizim Church Pasco Gerizim Church submitted plans to renovate an existing warehouse to be used for a church, including increased parking period. The warehouse is located at 1310 Road 36.

C-1 to R-4 rezone Pasco Dennis Gisi submitted plans to rezone a 2.52-acre lot parcel from retail business to high-density residential for future development of a 100- to 110-unit apartment complex. The complex will include parking and related amenities including outdoor recreation facilities. The lot is located at Road 76 and Wrigley Drive.

Richview Water System Franklin County Randy Mullen submitted plans to allow for the siting of a booster station, water storage tanks and a back-up generator for a new Group “A” potable water system facility. It is proposed to serve multiple properties slated for future residential development along the Fraser Road north/south alignment.

Tidewater Terminal Franklin County Shaun O’Conner submitted plans for the installation of a new truck loading lane to the northwest of the existing three-lane truck track, as well as adding electric emersion heaters and new pumps to the tanks at 671 Tank Farm Road, Pasco. Approximately 1,191 cubic yards will be excavated and 814 cubic yards will be used as fill.

Evolver Salon Dance Hall Pasco Evolver Salon LLC submitted plans to convert a building previously used as a restaurant into a dance hall, located at 605 Road 27.

Big Apple Travel Center Pasco SRB Real Estate Investments LLC submitted plans to construct a 10,100-square-foot convenience store, 2,560-square-foot restaurant, 8,200-square-foot truck wash, 19 fuel dispensers, fueling canopies, truck scale, 64 light duty parking spaces with 5 electric vehicle chargers and 55 truck spaces on an approximately 10.6 acre vacant site located at the northeast corner of Kartchner Street and Industrial Way.

Connect with us! /tcajob /tcajob /company/tcajob

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B13

Novel Coffee, Tea and Toast opening new locations

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

The literary-themed Novel Coffee, Tea and Toast is ready for its next chapter.

The shop that got its start in the Richland Public Library and now operates out of the Park View Plaza building off George Washington Way is moving into a bigger space down the street.

Owners Oscar and Lonnie Suarez also plan to open a second location in Pasco in the early part of next year, and eventually they want to open a Kennewick shop as well.

“As a coffee shop, if you want to build a brand you have to be in all three cities,” Oscar Suarez said.

For now, they’re focusing on moving to the former Quiznos building at 950 George Washington Way, near the Richland Fire Department station at Swift Boulevard.

They hope to be in the new location for a soft opening the first week of November, Suarez said.

However, they don’t plan to close the current spot at 710 George Washington Way, Suite B-B right away, if at all. They may explore being open later hours there and offering beer and wine.

Suarez said the current Richland location – which is at Howard Amon Park, in a building with a few other businesses

Courtesy Oscar Suarez Owners Oscar and Lonnie Suarez.

– has been a good spot, where they’ve be able to build up a devoted following.

But they need a bigger kitchen, more visibility and more parking availability.

The new space is about 1,800 square feet, and the Suarezes are doing much of the work to transform it into a coffee shop themselves.

“We’re not trying to spend more than $50,000,” Oscar Suarez said.

Novel moved into its current Richland spot in fall 2020 and has been a hit,

Photo by Rachel Visick Novel Coffee, Tea and Toast plans to move its literary-themed Richland shop to 950 George Washington Way by November.

with fans across the Tri-Cities. It serves specialty coffees, such as the Blank Page, Typewriter and Author, plus boba tea and various food items, including its popular avocado toast. The decor also stands out, with book pages on the walls and comfy sofas and chairs making it a cozy spot to spend time.

Suarez said the new Richland shop and the Pasco shop will have the same look. The Pasco is scheduled to be in the HUB International building at 2713 W. 20th Ave., near Columbia Basin Col-

lege.

Suarez said he and his wife are grateful for the community’s support and they’re looking forward to Novel’s new additions.

“We’re just thankful the Tri-Cities has embraced us as a brand and a coffee shop. We’re excited for the future of how we can continue to bring the best coffee and boba in the Tri Cities to all our residents,” he said. “We know that if we don’t grow, what are we doing?”

Go to: novelcoffee.co.

B14

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

WHY advertise

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

with US

NOVEMBER JOURNAL OF BUSINESS TOPICS:

NONPROFITS | LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

17%

volunteered their time at a charity

About

65%

87%

About of our readers say they spend at least 15 minutes with each issue of the Journal.

of our readers either approve or influence financial decisions at their company.

60%

of our readers have discussed with others an item they saw in the Journal.

37%

donated to a charity in the past 12 months

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? These facts show that our readers are charitable, well-educated decision makers.

509-737-8778 | tcjournal.biz The data is from our 2023 Reader Survey. Market comparisons are from Eastern Washington University Institute for Public Policy and Economic Analysis.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B15

Coffee aficionado buys specialty shop in Kennewick

By Sara Schilling sara@tcjournal.biz

Ryan Hatch got his first taste of coffee as a boy on his grandparents’ ranch.

“They had these little blue camper mugs, from maybe the 1950s. They’d drink their morning coffee out of them.

I’d go around after everything was all cold and drink (what was left),” Hatch said.

Now a full-fledged coffee aficionado, Hatch has opened coffee shops or drivethru coffee businesses in Connell, Pasco and West Richland in the last several years. In September, he became the new owner of the former Indaba Coffee on Gage Boulevard in Kennewick.

The shop’s name is changing to Flying X Coffee, the moniker used by all of Hatch’s coffee ventures. It’s an homage to the brand used on his family ranch in the Ephrata-Soap Lake area.

“We want to become a spot for the community, where they can come and enjoy what we hope will be the best coffee in Eastern Washington,” said Hatch, who declined to give the purchase price.

“When you think of specialty coffee in Washington state, a few names come to mind. We want to be right up there in terms of what people think of as quality,” he said.

In a Facebook post, the Enslow family – owners of Indaba Coffee, which

Photo by Sara Schilling Ryan Hatch, center, stands with baristas at Flying X Coffee, formerly Indaba Coffee, on Gage Boulevard in Kennewick. Hatch recently bought the coffee shop.

started in Spokane and has multiple locations – praised Hatch, writing, “we are excited to see Ryan’s passion for specialty coffee and local roots continue to make this shop the best shop in the Tri!” Hatch said he expects the signs to change from Indaba to Flying X Coffee

by December.

The shop will continue to serve Inda-

ba coffee, and Hatch also will bring on other roasters “so people can have a new experience along with their familiarity,” he said.

The hours will be the same, and don’t expect big changes to the menu.

“We’re really hoping to add more than subtract. We want to enhance the quality,” Hatch said.

Hatch and his wife, Carrie, who works as the special education director for the North Franklin School District, have two sons, 4-year-old twins Mavrick and Everett.

For Hatch, “the initial thing that brought me into coffee was the combination of science and art that it takes to brew the perfect cup. It’s an ongoing journey. Having a place like this is going to allow me to continue that journey with other people who are also interested in coffee,” he said.

Hatch is focusing his attention on the Gage shop, as his Connell, Pasco and West Richland ventures sold or have closed. It’s a place that’s meaningful to him and his coffee journey, he said.

Hatch started frequenting the shop back when it was The Local, before it sold to Indaba.

It always represented quality to him, he said.

“It’s a legacy I want to continue, it’s not a shop I want to take over. Right now, I just happen to be the steward of this place. This place is bigger than me or anybody that’s come before me,” he said. “Understanding that and being appreciative of that is really important.”

Flying X Coffee is at 8530 W. Gage Blvd., Suite E., Kennewick.

B16

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Paid Advertising

Pasco School District Digital Learning Center 4403 W. Court St., Pasco

Pasco School District completed its new Digital Learning Center at 4403 W. Court St. in August.

Suite B houses the 7,404-square-foot Digital Learning Center while Suite A houses the district’s 2,565-square-foot Health Services Center.

The Digital Learning Center is the centralized office for the district’s Pasco Digital Learning Academy, comprised of four digital learning programs Pasco Innovative eXperiences & e-Learning (PIXeL), Internet Pasco Academy of Learning (iPAL), Pasco Parent Partnership (P3), and Virtual New Horizons High School serving over 600 students.

The Health Services Center is a dedicated space where district staff focus on nurturing students’ social and emotional well-being. The center serves as a central hub for a variety of critical services, including hosting training sessions, and conducting immunization clinics, Covid-19 testing, and hearing and vision screenings.

The project cost $3.1 million for the building and land. The district purchased an existing building and renovated it.

Nelson Construction was the general contractor for Suite A. G2 Construction was the general contractor for Suite B. Design West was the architect for both suites.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Pasco School District Thank you for choosing G2 Construction as your General Contractor.

We are proud to have been a part of this amazing project and team!

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

KNUTZEN IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT! Civil • Structural

509.222.0959 5401 Ridgeline Dr., Ste. 160 • Kennewick, WA 99338

knutzenengineering.com

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Superior Glass!

(509) 586-6000

www.superior-glass.com office@superior-glass.com

#SUPERGL876N7

Congratulations on your new Digital Learning Center!

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B17

Paid Advertising

Creative Concrete Design, Inc. & Floor Polishing Systems

Congratulations Pasco School District!

Quality you can count on.

Thank you for choosing us to be a part of the team!

Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 40 years

509-727-2170

Creative_Concrete@live.com creativeconcreteandpolishing.com Lic. #CREATCD026C6

(509) 366-7029

918 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick Lic. #BNBMEML845KB

509-396-5151 • budgetblinds.com 3310 Kennedy Road • West Richland

B18

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Paid Advertising

Kennewick Fire Department Fire Station & Administration Building 302 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick The city of Kennewick recently completed a new two-story fire station approximately 23,200 square feet in size that includes operations on the ground floor and fire administration offices on the second floor. The facility is at 302 W. 10th Ave. The ground-level areas support crew functions with work spaces, living areas, three apparatus bays and bay support areas.

The second-floor administrative area includes training rooms, conference areas and administrative offices.

The highly durable and low maintenance exterior materials consist of concrete masonry, metal panels, concrete windowsills and low maintenance insulated sectional doors. The massing of the station is consistent with the scale of the local surroundings and by going up a second floor, the site can not only accommodate public and secure departmental parking, there is additional site area to support future city needs.

The energy-efficient station is planned to support the city for the next 50 years.

This fire station is one of five that are strategically located throughout the city of Kennewick to provide

fire, emergency medical and specialized rescue services to approximately 86,000 people. Although it is located in east Kennewick, the apparatus and personnel housed at this fire station respond to emergency incidents that occur anywhere within the city and also assists with providing automatic and mutual aid assistance to neighboring emergency service agencies.

The total cost of construction, including land, was $11.2 million.

Construction was completed Sept. 14.

Banlin Construction is the general contractor.

Fire Chief Chad Michael was the customer representative throughout the project.

Alliance Project Management was hired as the project manager for this project. Doug Carl was the representative for Alliance throughout this project.

TCA Architecture Planning & Design was the architecture firm.

Brian Harris of TCA was the principal assigned to the project, and Jason Warner was the senior project manager.

A community open house is scheduled to take place in mid- to late October.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

#CA-SC-AF-P203MW

“Committed to Building Lifetime Customers”

ktp-inc.com (509) 893-0750 Kalwall Translucent Panels Composite Metal Wall Panels

Congratulations!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide construction services for Kennewick Fire Station #1.

(509) 586-2000

320 W. Columbia Dr. Kennewick, WA Washington • Oregon BANLICL88ICB

Louvers & Sunshades Window Replacement

Thank you for letting us be part of this project!

Maximum fire protection through engineered fire sprinkler systems.

(509) 783-9773

cascadefireprotection.com

BUILDING OR REMODELING? Your building could be featured in an upcoming issue.

Contact Chad Utecht

Email: chad@tcjournal.biz

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B19

Paid Advertising

Thank you for letting us be a part of this project!

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Apollo!

(509) 396-COLD

1119 W. Columbia Drive • Kennewick www.ApolloHeatingandAir.com

Congratulations Kennewick Fire Station #1!

Thank you Banlin Construction for choosing Continental Door Company!

(509) 783-6700

509-934-2023 | continentaldoorco.com

6200 W. Brinkley Road • Kennewick

ADENMI*033BA

Congratulations Kennewick Fire Station #1!

Thank you for choosing Alliance Management & Construction Solutions.

alliance

MANAGEMENT & CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

(509) 366-7029

918 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick Lic. #BNBMEML845KB

alliancemcs.com

Earl Eastman, Principal 509-222-9800

Doug Carl, Principal 509-430-8295

B20

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

Paid Advertising

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Three Rivers Therapy 10467 and 10521 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick

Three Rivers Therapy has completed two new buildings on its behavioral health campus at 10467 and 10521 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick that include an outpatient therapy office providing youth counseling services and a peer respite facility.

Three Rivers Therapy’s mission is to ensure equal access to equitable behavioral health care for all individuals.

The youth services building is 3,827 square feet, with six private counseling offices and a seventh office designed to offer more space and versatil-

ity when working with multiple family members or other individuals helping to support youth behavioral health needs.

Additionally, the building has a large group area for drop-in peer services where adults can access support regarding everything from community resources and employment to parenting skills and household budgeting.

The peer respite facility is 2,979 square feet, with six individual rooms, a laundry facility, a large selfservice kitchen, group space for daily workshops

and therapeutic activities, and a central hub designed for relaxing, socializing and general entertainment including movies, games, puzzles and books.

The youth services building opened Oct. 3.

The peer respite building is scheduled to open the first week of November.

Banlin Construction is the general contractor.

Archibald & Co. Architects is the designer.

Three Rivers Therapy will be hosting an open house later in October to offer tours of both facilities.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

“Committed to Building Lifetime Customers”

Congratulations!

Thank you for the opportunity to provide construction services for Three Rivers Therapy.

(509) 586-2000

320 W. Columbia Dr. Kennewick, WA Washington • Oregon BANLICL88ICB

Commercial & Residential

Commercial & Residential

509.946.4189 www.archibald.design info@archibald.design 660 Symons Street, Richland, WA Committed to improving our community with every design.

Congratulations Three Rivers Therapy!

Thank you Banlin Construction for choosing us to be a part of this project!

Contractor ID # COLUMRP919J2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

B21

Paid Advertising

Thank you Banlin Construction for the opportunity to be part of your team.

Steel Fabrication and Welding 509-947-5820 www.509construction.com Cont. Lic. #

J&E

WA Lic# JEMEZPI060N6 OR Lic# 135687 ID Lic# RCE-16884

Meza Plastering, Inc.

Specializing in Stucco & Stone Veneer Systems and Waterproof Decking Systems

(509) 545-8771

office@jemezaplastering.com Congratulations and thank you for choosing J&E Meza Plastering!

BUILDING OR REMODELING?

Your building could be featured in an upcoming issue.

CONTACT CHAD UTECHT 509-344-1274

B22

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

Paid Advertising

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

The LaCoste Building 2062 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick

Family law attorney Jennifer LaCoste has completed a 15,000-square-foot office building that will serve as a forever home for her Kennewick firm.

Located on a 15,000 square-foot lot at 2062 N. Steptoe St., this modern two-story building was designed by DKEI Architecture.

The occupied portion, currently home to LaCoste Law, is 4,952 square feet.

The future tenant improvement space is an open concept space ready for buildout, with 1,851 square feet on the first floor and 1,964 square feet on the second floor.

The designer of the building was Chris Baugh of DKEI. He created a space that accurately depicted the LaCoste team’s wishes and “vibe” of old library meets modern industrial.

LaCoste’s vision to own her own firm was inspired by her grandmother, Roberta LaCoste, an educator and author, to whom the building is dedicated.

The total project cost, including the land, which was purchased separately in 2020, is just under $2.7 million.

“This building shows that local busi-

nesses like LaCoste Law have the resources to successfully build their dream firm using Tri-Cities-based companies. It’s proof of the high-quality businesses available in the TriCities but also the fact that this community is happy to support one another at a businessto-business level. Ms. LaCoste hopes to pay that forward by providing the opportunity for local or abroad a la carte entrepreneurs to hold meetings and trainings in their high-tech conference room. LaCoste Law takes pride in being a Tri-Cities-based law firm and this building shows that they have a commitment to bringing excellence to the Tri-City area for many years to come,” LaCoste wrote in a statement.

Hummel Construction finished the project in early August.

The project and construction managers at Hummel Constuction, Chris O’Neil and Colten Montgomery, helped Shawna Ihde, firm administrator at LaCoste Law, oversee the project without assistance from an outside company.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Lic#RIGGLPI795MK

Congratulations LaCoste Law! “We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with you on this project.”

Commercial | Industrial | Residential

(509) 713-1440 • hummelconstructionllc.com

"Earning your respect one job at a time."

Thank you Hummel Construction.

509-735-3916

6508 W. Deschutes Ave. • Kennewick

J&E

WA Lic# JEMEZPI060N6 OR Lic# 135687 ID Lic# RCE-16884

Meza Plastering, Inc.

Specializing in Stucco & Stone Veneer Systems and Waterproof Decking Systems

(509) 545-8771

office@jemezaplastering.com Congratulations and thank you for choosing J&E Meza Plastering!

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

B23

Paid Advertising

Proud to be part of the team!

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

Thank you for choosing Dynamic Building Solutions!

(509) 539-1102 Cont. Lic. # DYNAMBS11CG

Commercial & Residential

(509) 627-0575 www.ddtririvers.com Lic. #DDTRIDT964MA

BUILDING OR REMODELING? Your building could be featured in an upcoming issue.

Contact Chad Utecht

Email: chad@tcjournal.biz

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Superior Glass!

(509) 586-6000

www.superior-glass.com office@superior-glass.com

#SUPERGL876N7

Creative Concrete Design, Inc. & Floor Polishing Systems Quality you can count on.

KNUTZEN IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS PROJECT! Civil • Structural

509.222.0959

Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 40 years

509-727-2170

5401 Ridgeline Dr., Ste. 160 • Kennewick, WA 99338

Creative_Concrete@live.com creativeconcreteandpolishing.com

knutzenengineering.com

Lic. #CREATCD026C6

B24

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

50gunners.com 50 GUNNERS is a networking group of local, trusted industry leaders who provide outstanding services and quality products.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

TIM METHER

WESTIN MICK

DENNIS MILLER

STEVE MCPEAK

Kestrel Home Inspection Services

Minuteman Press of Kennewick

Artmil Design

We Know Medicare

kestrelhis.com (509) 987-4441

Accuracy, thoroughness and customer satisfaction in every inspection.

MICHAEL THORN

artmil.com (509) 736-4002

tricitiesprinter.com (509) 586-7858

I’m Licensed and Certified representing Medicare Insurance Plans.

MARK MONTEITH

GREG HAMMER

AAA Insurance Of Washington

Inline Computer and Communications

JAMES ATWOOD

Cornerstone First Mortgage

Commercial, residential renovation services and new construction.

Purchase, refinance and investment property mortgages.

ctcbuilds.com (509) 416-2007

Graphic design and website development.

Design, printing, copying, signs, banners and promotional products.

Cliff Thorn Construction

AtwoodLendingTeam.com (509) 301-6106

wa.aaa.com (509) 396-6529

Business Insurance Solutions.

– ADDITIONAL MEMBERS – Frank Prior 1st Priority Detail

Debbie Thornington Cornerstone First Mortgage

mcpeaksteve280@gmail.com (509) 503-0070

Joseph Castro Leaders Who Coach, LLC

Kim Palmer Perfection Tire

inlinecomputer.com (509) 783-5450

Network services, providing business telecommunications solutions and IT consulting.

Jeff Sperline Sperline Raekes Law

Angela Dryden Action 2 Awareness

Jim Carey Cruise Holidays

Andrew Ziegler Moon Security Services Inc.

Matt Sweezea Primerica

Marcia Spry Aloha Garage Door Company

Justin Dodd Dayco Heating and Air

Troy Woody Mr. Electric

Allyson Rawlings Rawlings Flooring America

Tiffany Lundstrom Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Greg & Sandy Brown Brown Bear Construction

Lisa Goodwin Elijah Family Homes

Emily McKee Non Stop Local Tri-Cities

Michael McKinney Riverside Collision

Victoria Yocom Victoria Lynn’s

Al Thiemens Gesa Credit Union

Jeffery Prause Northwest Injury Clinics

Larry Duran Rudy’s Tree Service

Kara Vogt The Village Bistro

Mike Duarte Paintmaster Services Inc.

Zane Lane Smooth Moves

Jenny Callies Windermere Group One

Tim Rosenthal Perfection Glass

Dawn King Spectrum Reach

Omar Garcia Chem-Dry of Tri-Cities Angelita Chavez CHUGH, LLP

Jason Simonis Columbia Basin Plumbing

Marcie Torres Gutter Girl

Jennie Oldham Kennewick Flower Shop

Jacob Mesner The Truss Company

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

PUBLIC RECORD uBANKRUPTCIES Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 – Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt property and debt is discharged.

Chapter 11 – Allows companies and individuals to restructure debts to repay them.

Chapter 12 – Allows family farmers or fishermen to restructure finances to avoid liquidation for foreclosure.

Chapter 13 – Plan is devised by the individual to pay a percentage of debt based on ability to pay.

All disposable income must be used to pay debts.

Information provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Spokane.

CHAPTER 7

Bonnie Louise Hall, 5313 Roosevelt Drive, Pasco.

Larisa M. Lowery, 1111 Potter Ave., Richland.

Pauline Soumaly Vongsikhay, 1112 S. Blueberry Place, Kennewick.

Alicia Sue Clay, 1775 Columbia Park Trail, #B111, Richland.

Annalee Maxine Molt, 28605 Dallas Road, Richland.

Morgan Jean Deford, 1617 Perkins Ave., Richland.

Elisa Lemos Farias, 21403 S. Henry Road, Kennewick.

Robert D. Rising Jr. & Michelle M. Rising, 4106 S. Fisher St., Kennewick.

Diana Kay Anderson, 10407 Pine Court, Pasco.

Sila Salas Mendoza, 7618 Massey Drive, Pasco.

Katrina Dionne St. Mary, 8180 W. Fourth Ave., #J207, Kennewick.

Craig Frank Hively, 312 S. Columbia Center Blvd., #36, Kennewick.

Brandon T. Moody & Linaya L. Moody, 5512 Holly Way, West Richland.

Darren Michael VanCorbach & Karissa Jazzlin VanCorbach, 2028 W. Ninth Ave., Kennewick.

Lisa Ann Mort, 170 Aloe Court, Richland.

Veronica Vadim Babalau, 10305 Chapel Hill Blvd., #N1078, Pasco.

Michael Anthony Shipman & Nellie Shipman, 700 N. Road 32, #10, Pasco.

Jillian Marie Wardlow, 4214 Palmyra Drive, Pasco.

Sylvia Lorena Conner, 3012 S. Dawes Place, Kennewick.

Richard Cody Floyd & Sandra Jo Floyd, 1005 E. Eighth Ave., Kennewick.

Lori Garner, 4702 N. Goose Gap PR NE, Benton City.

CHAPTER 13

Michael Bittrick, 501 S. Fir St., Ken-

newick.

Larry Dean Jaramillo & Chrystal Ann Jaramillo, 7803 W. Deschutes Ave., #M151, Kennewick.

Jesus Ochoa Manriquez, PO Box 4900, Pasco.

Jane Elizabeth Dickhoff, 2500 George Washington Way, #229, Richland.

Shane Lee Williams & Amanda Lynn William, 965 Campbell Drive, Prosser.

uTOP PROPERTIES

Top property values listed start at $700,000 and have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure. Property values are public record and can be found by visiting the county assessor’s office.

BENTON COUNTY

109004 W. King Tull Road, Prosser; undisclosed location, 16,960-square-foot pole building on 40 Ks irrigated pasture.

Price: $875,000. Buyer: Judith K. Harvey.

Seller: David L. & Caroline S. Wilson.

464 Anthony Drive, Richland, 3,183-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Scott Christopher Jeffers & Barbara Ane Hodgson. Seller: Richard B. & Deborah B. Toner.

21509 S. Davlor PR SW, Prosser, 3,437-square-foot home on 6.85 acres.

Price: $700,000. Buyer: GTH Holdings LLC. Seller: Rick T. Gray.

5704 Glenbrook Loop, West Richland, 2,742-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Hannah & Tyler Burgett.

Seller: Scott A. & Janet L. Maple.

2264 W. Elma Ave., Kennewick, 2,911-square-foot home. Price: $945,000. Buyer: Christopher & Stephanie O’Brien. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 3601 Mt. Baker Court, West Richland, 2,431-square-foot home on 1.04 acres.

Price: $855,000. Buyer: Jamie & James Mehrer. Seller: Michael C. Jones.

25801 N. Rothrock Road, Prosser, 1,369-square-foot home on 1-acre homesite, 1,008-square-foot pole building and 16.62 acres irrigated agland.

Price: $720,000. Buyer: Ramona Jean & Jeffrey Dwane Wallace. Seller: Georgia A. Rogers.

105550 E. Tatum Blvd., Kennewick, 3,033-square-foot home on 1 acre.

Price: $899,900. Buyer: Song & Kannika Soukkhammala. Seller: Christopher & Melinda Major.

2502 E. 25th Ave., Kennewick; 2514 S. Alder St., Kennewick; 2612 S. Beech St., Kennewick; 203 E. 26th Ave., Kennewick; 131 E. 26th Ave., Kennewick; 119 E. 26th Ave., Kennewick; 130 E. 25th Ave., Kennewick; 208 E. 25th

1304 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco, WA (509) 545-8420 • skoneirrigation.com

Ave., Kennewick, 1.78-acre homesite.

Price: $877,200. Buyer: Peake Contractors LLC. Seller: Hoch Grapevine LLC. 194006 27th Ave., Kennewick, 3,086-square-foot home on 4.55 acres.

Price: $1.09 million. Buyer: Gary & Mary Holbrook. Seller: NGC General Construction LLC. 3260 E. Mt. Adams View Drive, Richland, 2,376-square-foot home on 2.5 acres. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Jerod & Kristine Harding. Seller: Michael W. & Cynthia L. Patrick.

2513 Legacy Lane, Richland, 2,563-square-foot home. Price: $789,900. Buyer: Monte & Angela Ahlmeyer. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights II LLC. 1622 Livorno Ave., Richland, 2,624-square-foot home. Price: $713,100. Buyer: Camille Weight & Joel Metcalf Tingey. Seller: P & R Construction LLC. 5414 S. Kent St., Kennewick, 2,939-square-foot home. Price: $885,000. Buyer: Colin & Cornelia J. Masson. Seller: Samed & Maida Osmanovic.

Undisclosed location in Finley, 18.6acre homesite. Price: $942,000. Buyer: UPI Property III LLC. Seller: Pronghorn LLC. 978 Allenwhite Drive, Richland, 1,553-square-foot home. Price: $760,200. Buyer: Michael Denard & Jolene Marridee Grimes. Seller: Kim Y. & Theodore P. Pietrok.

3830 North Lake Drive, West Richland, 3,290-square-foot home on 1.06 acres. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Terry E. Wickersham. Seller: Ryan Covert & April Wickersham.

51112 S. Carrol PR SE, Kennewick, 2.37-acre homesite. Price: $765,500.

Buyer: Kenneth W. Oldford II & Courtney Lynn Oldford. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 2463 Falconcrest Loop, Richland, 2,261-square-foot home. Price: $1.4 million. Buyer: Thomas Michael & Kathleen Bridget Galioto. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 800 and 801 Dalton St., Richland; 990 and 750 Currie St., Richland, 2 3,840-square-foot commercial buildings on 5.7 acres commercial/industrial land and 3 acres commercial/industrial land.

Price: $2 million. Buyer: MFG Holdings LLC. Seller: IC University Square LLC. 2296 S. Belfair St., Kennewick, 2,443-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Lori K. Mattson. Seller: Daniel Marquina.

931 S. Highland Drive, Kennewick, 3,220-square-foot home on 1.5 acres.

B25

Price: $829,900. Buyer: Victoria Kile.

Seller: Peggy S. Albertson.

424 Piper St., Richland, 2,180-squarefoot home. Price: $888,000. Buyer: Michael Hall & Jamie Adams. Seller: Lemberg Homes LLC. 946 Heidel Court, Richland, 3,644-square-foot home. Price: $1.35 million. Buyer: Munish Kumar Kannabhiran & Deepthi Mathukutty Sabapathi.

Seller: Titan Homes LLC. 4004 W. 47th Court, Kennewick, 2,536-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: James & Heidi Longan. Seller: Alan J Kowalski & Tamara B. Werner.

86705 E. Sagebrush Road, Kennewick, 3,273-square-foot home. Price: $810,000. Buyer: Matthew & Laura Angela Ault. Seller: Thaddeus & Jennifer Coleman.

3180 Duportail St., Richland, 1.43 acres commercial/industrial land. Price: $1.06 million. Buyer: Idaho Central Credit Union. Seller: Ambrosia QSR Chicken Real Estate LLC. 614 Ninth St., Benton City; to be assigned Benton City, 14,432-square-foot commercial building. Price: $1.05 million.

Buyer: Jose de Jesus Munoz de Luna and Sergio de Jesus Munoz. Seller: Whitman Empire LLC. 15 N. Cascade St., Kennewick, 10,095-square-foot commercial building. Price: $830,700. Buyer: Weidenbach Family LLC. Seller: Craff Properties LLC. 718, 720, 722 N. Arthur St., Kennewick, ten 4,512-square-foot apartment buildings. Price: $5.84 million. Buyer: CRE 5600 Partners LLC. Seller: Red Pines Holdings LLC. 76402 E. Timothy Lane, Kennewick, 2,573-square-foot home. Price: $705,000. Buyer: Melissa & Joshua Michaelsadanaga. Seller: Angela L. & Ryan A. Roberts.

3401 S. Johnson St., Kennewick, 2,118-square-foot home. Price: $795,000. Buyer: Chad R. & Lacy A. Simmonds. Seller: Ramesh Raman Trustee.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

10400 W. Court St., Pasco, 2,375-square-foot home. Price: $1.32 million. Buyer: Robert & Christine Gebo.

Seller: Deitz Family Trust.

Undisclosed location, Connell, 30,144 and 25,539-square-foot potato storage buildings on 9.5 acres industrial land.

Price: $1 million. Buyer: Lamb Weston Inc. Seller: Columbia Basin Storages

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B26

B26

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

LLC. 6638 Whetstone Drive, 2,606-squarefoot home. Price: $875,000. Buyer: Michael J & Angela Grace Duarte. Seller: Kathleen E. Huggins.

Undisclosed location southeast of Connell, 361.1 acres irrigated farmland, 860.6 acres unfarmed land, 39.18 acres potential farm, 52.3 acres resource land.

Price: $1.8 million. Buyer: Six D Land Company LLC. Seller: Parconco LLC. 8045 Olin Court, Pasco, 1 acre undeveloped land. Price: $720,000. Buyer: Tina Marie & Stephen Mark Sullivan (II). Seller: Olin Homes LLC. Undisclosed location north of Interstate 182 and west of Columbia River Road, 97.9 acres of agricultural resource land. Price: $1.78 million. Buyer: Henry Walden Field (TR). Seller: Louis W. & Margaret Jenepher Field (TR).

Undisclosed location north of Interstate 182 and east of Columbia River Road, 107.1 acres of agricultural resource land. Price: $1.95 million. Buyer: Henry Walden Field (TR). Seller: Louis W. & Margaret Jenepher Field (TR).

uBUILDING PERMITS

BENTON CITY

Adroit Properties, 1200 Corral Creek Road, $9,500 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Mechanical Inc.

BENTON COUNTY

Paradigm Building LLC, 105609 E. Wiser Parkway, $300,000 for covered storage. Contractor: P & R Construction LLC. WSU, 24106 N. Bunn Road, $450,000 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Olympic Roofing LLC. Benton County, 93315 N. SR 225, $12,000 for commercial construction.

Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

City of Pasco, 957 E. Foster Wells Road, $29,400 for commercial demolition. Contractor: Tapani Inc. Diamondback Farms, 4648 Columbia River Road, $25,000 for plumbing. Contractor: owner.

Bengen Farms LLC, 3205 Samual Brown Trail, $145,600 for an accessory building. Contractor: Maintenance Plus WA St LLC. Country Christian Center, 5500 W. Sagemoor Road, $90,000 for plumbing.

Contractor: GIS Construction LLC.

KENNEWICK

Clearwater Lofts LLC, 7275 W. Clearwater Ave., $689,800 for new commercial. Contractor: to be determined.

Kishore S H M – Madhur Varada, 124 W. Kennewick Ave., $8,500 for a commercial remodel. Contractor: Valley Pros Construction.

TMG Northwest/DWP General Contracting Inc., 814 S. Columbia Center Blvd., $1.74 million for multifamily construction, $320,000 for mechanical, $210,000 for plumbing. Contractor: to be determined for construction, Americool Heating & Air Conditioning for mechanical, Mullins Enterprises LLC for plumbing.

Dayco Heating & Air, 1613 S. Dawes St., $15,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Dayco Heating & Air. Caott LLC C/O Everstar Realty, 3902 W. Clearwater Ave., $69,300 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co. Kennewick School District #17, 1229 W. 22nd Place, $20,000 for a commercial remodel. Contractor: Zenisco.

Kennewick Association LTD Partnership, 407 W. Canal Drive, $21,000 for mechanical. Contractor: to be determined.

Robert F. & Laura S. Ogata, 627 N.

Kellogg St., $7,000 for a commercial remodel. Contractor: MP Construction.

Stanfords Recreation, 711 W. Vineyard Drive, $5,500 for mechanical. Contractor: to be determined.

Phoenix Apartments, 1310 W. Fifth Ave., D101, $35,900 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Royal Roofing Inc. Kent Business Builders LLC, 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite 11, $44,000 for mechanical. Contractor: to be determined.

Tudo Bem LLC, 419 N. Yelm St., $13,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Craig Eerkes Trustee, 825 N. Edison St., $185,000 for a commercial addition.

Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Edgar Guizer, 5205 W. Okanogan Place, $40,000 for mechanical. Contractor: CTC Construction LLC. Riley Ollero, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, Suite D110, $18,400 for mechanical.

Contractor: Bruce Mechanical Inc. Benton Franklin Elder Services, 10 N. Washington St., $8,400 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Clearwater Lofts LLC, 7275 W. Clearwater Ave., $3.5 million for new commercial, $117,000 for plumbing and $119,400 for mechanical. Contractor: to be determined for construction and mechanical, McGee Plumbing Company for plumbing.

Avalon Court, 801 N. Tweedt St., Suite C101, $30,000 for a commercial addition.

Contractor: to be determined.

Innovative Solutions Construction LLC, 1120 N. Edison St., $6,100 for mechanical. Contractor: Innovative Solutions Construction LLC.

PASCO

Robertson Real Estate Investments, 928 N. 28th Ave., $27,100 for an accessory building. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction.

CSP Pasco LLC, 1408 N. 20th Ave., $85,000 for a sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. CSP Pasco LLC, 1308 N. 20th Ave., $60,000 for a sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. CSP Pasco LLC, 2226 W. Court St., $25,000 each for two signs. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. K & S Family Enterprises LLC, 1935 E. Superior St., $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication.

Grigg Enterprises Inc., 801 W. Columbia St., $64,800 for a commercial reroof.

Contractor: Leslie & Campbell Inc. TFP Limited Partnership, 2407 W. Court St., $27,200 for a commercial reroof.

Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co. World Life Christian Center, 3315 W. Court St., $9,000 for heat pump/HVAC and $8,500 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: 3 Rivers Heating & Air LLC. Bethany Worship Center Assembly, 1730 W. Park St., $5,100 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: 3 Rivers Heating & Air LLC. City of Pasco, 6200 Burden Blvd., $414,600 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined.

Port of Pasco, 2505 E. Ainsworth Ave., $204,300 for a commercial reroof. Contractor: Arrow Roofing and Construction LLC. Lakeshore Investment Corp., 1131 W. Court St., $27,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Roto Rooter.

Northwest Farm Credit Services, 9915 St. Thomas Drive, $7,500 for a sign.

Contractor: Yesco LLC. World Life Christian Center, 3315 W. Court St., $5,000 for miscellaneous.

Contractor: owner.

Circle K Stores Inc., 4805 Road 68, $15,000 for a commercial remodel. Contractor: owner.

Spokane Teachers Credit Union, 5677

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B27

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 Road 68, $8,300 for concrete/flat. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction.

Big Sky Real Property LLC, 2828 W. Irving St., $96,900 for a commercial reroof.

Contractor: Leslie & Campbell Inc. National Retail Prop, 9420 Sandifur Parkway, $140,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Tom O’Brien Construction Co. Inc. Lawrence B. Stone Properties #0, 216 S. Sixth Ave., $10,000 for plumbing.

Contractor: Columbia River Plumbing.

Iris Landholdings LLC, 2735 W. Court St., $50,700 for a commercial reroof.

Contractor: Palmer Roofing Co. RT LLC, 2799 W. Lewis St., $8,000 for miscellaneous. Contractor: Premier Property Maintenance & Construction LLC. Port of Pasco, 3025 Rickenbacker Drive, $23,000 for grading. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Darigold Inc., 8201 N. Railroad Ave., $53.9 million for new commercial. Contractor: Miron Construction Co. Inc.

PROSSER

Gap Road Properties, 30 Merlot Drive, Suite C, $10,000 for plumbing. Contractor: CoolSys Light Commercial Solutions.

McDonalds Corp., 103 Merlot Drive, $125,000 for a commercial remodel.

Contractor: to be determined.

RICHLAND

Battelle Memorial Institute, 620 Battelle Blvd., $3.86 million for tenant improvements. Contractor: DGR Grant Construction.

West Side United Protestant Church, 608 Jefferson St., $9,400 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Delta Heating & Cooling.

South Side United Protestant Church, 517 Jadwin Ave., $18,500 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Campbell Cooling Electrical Plumbing.

Ben Franklin Transit, 1000 Columbia Park Trail, $452,300 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Peak Contractors Inc. Carmax Auto Superstores Inc., 1261 Tapteal Drive, $5,600 for grading. Contractor: Wasatch DC Builder NW. Apex Spine Institute, 821 Swift Blvd., $8,400 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Mechanical Inc. JCLTG LLC, 1353 George Washington Way, $16,800 for plumbing. Contractor: Roto-Rooter Service.

Columbia Community Church, 150 Gage Blvd., $2.06 million for tenant improvements. Contractor: C L EnterprisesGC Inc. First Richland L P, 2751 Queensgate Drive, $125,000 for tenant improvements.

Contractor: Associated Construction.

In Slide Out LLC, 3200 Duportail St., Suite 101, $100,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development.

Liberty Christian School, 2200 Williams Blvd., $20,000 for tenant improvements.

Contractor: Liberty Christian School.

Circle K Stores Inc., 1401 George Washington Way, $15,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: TLM Petro Labor Force Inc. SRA-CH Richland I LLC, 395 Bradley Blvd., $5.7 million for multi-family. Contractor: Cedar & Sage Homes LLC. Matson Development, 1333 Tapteal Drive, Suite 102, $17,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: T-Roy’s Creative Construction LLC. Richland State Professional Building LLC, 1661 Fowler St., $5,800 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Mechanical Inc. Kadlec Medical Center, 945 Goethals Drive, $232,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Apollo Mechanical Contractors.

WEST RICHLAND

Grace and Truth Community, 1301 Bombing Range Road, $8,000 for plumb-

ing. Contractor: to be determined.

AT&T Mobility, 5375 Astoria Road, $25,000 for an antenna/tower. Contractor: AT&T Mobility.

Desert Wind Investments LLC, 2901 Bombing Range Road, $5,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Mr. Rooter Plumbing.

uBUSINESS LICENSES KENNEWICK

33 Roofing Construction LLC, 431 NE Quail Court, Hermiston, Oregon.

Rockstars Slope Stabilization LLC, 20925 S. Bakersferry Road, Oregon City, Oregon.

Calem Medical, 14210 Fir St., Oregon City, Oregon.

Babcock Services Inc., 8113 W. Quinault Ave., Suite 201.

Columbia Classics LLC, 5200 W. 26th Ave. Mobile Pet Works LLC, 4350 Kimberly St., Richland.

Inland Sign & Lighting Inc., 131 N. Altamont St., Spokane.

Deko Builders, 180 Moore Road, Pasco.

Act Now DME LLC, 7405 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Insignia Sign & Re-Imaging, 325 Burnett Ave. North, Renton.

Compass Pest Control, 109 N. Palouse St. Kagen Coffee & Crepes, 308 W. Kennewick Ave. Solstice Heating & Air Inc., 818 W. John Day Ave. Treasure Trunk Art, 7306 S. Toro Place.

Tacos La Quinta, 1320 E. Lewis St., Pasco.

US Construction LLC, 10154 W. 17th Place.

Sunvalley Exteriors LLC, 1101 Gap Road, Granger.

HGL Express LLC, 430 S. Fir St. Studio A, 2411 S. Union St. Chef Magana Catering, 4706 Yuma Drive, Pasco.

Positive Nature Homecare LLC, 7405 W. Grandridge Blvd.

JR General Concrete, 1534 E. Spokane St., Pasco.

M3 Security Inc., 4400 S. 47th Ave., West Richland.

Valencia’s Daycare, 3106 W. 24th Ave. L&M Flooring LLC, 5631 W. Fourth Ave. Omega Roofing, 319 N. Third Ave., Pasco.

Artistry Studios LLC, 10121 W. Clearwater Ave. The Pizza Box, 6481 W. Skagit Ave. Jeannot Cutz, 8 N. Quincy St. Johnson Lighting Services, 5205 W. Clearwater Ave. Signature Cabinets and Building Supplies Inc., 8524 W. Gage Blvd.

M-A Coloring, 206 N. Buntin St. Lovely Roofing LLC, 3407 W. Hood Ave. Fynline, 4605 Campolina Lane, Pasco.

Columbia Basin Home Renovations LLC, 8180 W. Fourth Ave. Fresh Coat LLC, 3324 W. 19th Ave. Trash Bandits, 2241 Airport Way, Richland.

RR Pena, 5120 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

Premier Paint and Flooring, 259 Adair Drive, Richland.

Hernandez Concrete, 5106 W. Third Ave. Tim Smith, 204 S. Grant St. Comb + Chemist Hair Lab, 8390 W. Gage Blvd.

J&A Plastering LLC, 5007 W. Clearwater Ave. Remodeling & Construction Solutions LLC, 4115 Hilltop Drive, Pasco.

A Plus Contracting LLC, 517 Castle Drive, Moses Lake.

Kennewick Perry Suites, 66 N. Perry St. Pie Sharks, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Roza Candles, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Patagonia Trucking LLC, 437 S. Irving Place.

DSM Intergrated Industries Inc., 6066

W. 38th Ave. Melanie’s Homecare, 7901 W. Clearwater Ave. X-Dot LLC, 3712 W. Wernett Road, Pasco.

Sophia Quinying Fang, 16830 SE 59th St., Bellevue.

MIH Road Construction, 103907 Wiser Parkway.

Neurolingua Therapy LLC, 7511 W. Arrowhead Ave. Lucky Shoe Coffee Company LLC, 221 Jake Road, Pasco.

MSL Consulting, 5610 W. 15th Ave. Greenhead Lawn Care, 3126 S. Jefferson Place.

Landsea Homes US Corporation, 4706 W. Fourth Court.

MD Rock Construction LLC, 727 S. Kellogg St. Handmaid Massage PLLC, 124 W. Kennewick Ave. Dogs N Disc, 2213 W. Clearwater Ave. Malcom and Ashley Investment LLC, 1217 N. Dawes St. Skinny Pete Sport Fishing, 2331 N. Quebec Court.

McFadden Services, 109 N. Waverly Place.

The Copper Table LLC, 8797 Gage Blvd., Suite A. Bello Sleep Anesthesia SVCs, 2288 S. Elma Place.

Al Aghawani Transportation LLC, 3717 W. 29th Court.

Western Pine General Contracting LLC, 4803 W. 10th Ave. Em & T Cleaning LLC, 6919 W. First Ave. Bling X Beauty, 8121 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Prime Culture Barbershop LLC, 1408 N. Louisiana St. Blest Training, 804 Davenport St., Richland.

Zenfendel Tarot, 1001 W. Fourth Ave. Card Distro, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

B27

Alicia Corrales Sanchez, 117 Vista Way. Shark Cleaning Services LLC, 1625 S. Rainier St. Facelift LLC, 3014 S. Tacoma Place.

Adam’s House of Shine, 8808 W. Klamath Ave. Luz Daycare, 2321 W. 19th Ave. Sunshine Cleaning, 1609 S. Garfield St. Cornerstone Speech Therapy PLLC, 96907 E. Brooklyn Drive.

Smiles Daycare LLC, 2207 W. 20th Ave. Three G Vending, 428 S. Tweedt St. Right Path Transactions, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

Leif Skyving, 2401 W. Canal Drive.

CV Snaps LLC, 414 E. 34th Court.

Adventures in Candiland, 8180 W. Fourth Ave. Mohamad Salah A. Aghawani, 3717 W 29th Court.

Spotless Option LLC, 1209 S. Olympia Place.

Dreamweavers USA LLC, 522 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane.

Paul Crowley, 1613 W. 38th Place.

Bob&Oso Delivery, 830 S. Hawthorne St. Blended by Jenn, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Casa de Cascades LLC, 2115 W. Eighth Place.

A. Holverson Anesthesia LLC, 1554 W. 32nd Ave. Moran Services, 1115 W. Hopkins St., Pasco.

Joelle McClendon LMT, 8797 W. Gage Blvd.

Oak Tree Media, 2555 Bella Coola Lane, Richland.

Lucatero Investments LLC, 3312 S. Quincy Place.

CTM Holdings LLC, 1556 W. 52nd Ave. Clear Business Service, 200802 E. Game Farm Road.

Pristine Lawn Services LLC, 3312 S.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B28

B28

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

Quincy Place.

9round, 321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Infinity Event Rentals LLC, 2212 N. Rhode Island Court.

Nailcessity Academy, 100 N. Morain St. Viral Media, 4011 S. Olson Place.

Serenity Software Solutions LLC, 2804 S. Dawes Place.

A People of Prosperity, 1000 W. Fifth Ave. Statement, 6607 W. Canal Drive.

Cameron’s Detail LLC, 5031 W. Clearwater Ave. Ornito’s Auto Body LLC, 205607 E. Schuster Road.

J&S Hauling LLC, 4402 W. 21st Ave. Equity Estate Sales, 902 W. Canal Drive.

Skin Kiss Beauty LLC, 7101 W. Hood Place.

Massage by Lindsey, 7101 W. Hood Place.

Quest Diagnostics – Aibz, 3001 W. 10th Ave. Elysian Beauty LLC, 10121 W. Clearwater Ave. McClendon Medical LLC, 1030 N. Center Parkway.

The Heartbreakers Club, 6223 W. Deschutes Ave. Cloud9Skin.Co, 5009 W. Clearwater Ave. J.B. Matson Transportation LLC, 1105 W. 10th Ave. Twenty Westgate LLC, 325 S. Johnson St. Darden’s Excavation, 1705 Silverwood Drive, Richland.

ProCare For You PLLC, 805 S. Auburn St. Trout Properties Inc., 2369 Island View Road, Burbank.

Mindful Billing Solutions LLC, 1505 W. 41st Ave. Mid-Columbia Rotoract, 9221 W. Clearwater Ave. Taxes 7 Rayos, 500 W. First Ave. Lance Rhoten DDS PLLC, 5000 W. Clearwater Ave.

Jora Singh, 5004 W. 32nd Ave. Kevin Clark LLC, 1026 SW 30th St., Pendleton, Oregon.

Olson Contracting LLC, 700 N. College St., Newberg, Oregon.

DJ’s Electrical Inc., 2321 SE Grace Ave., Battle Ground.

Roach Construction Company LLC, 214 E. Walnut St., Genesee, Idaho.

Onyx Infrastructure LLC, 716 E. Wilbur Ave., Dalton Gardens, Idaho.

Professional Meters Inc., 3605 N. Route 47, Suite E, Morris, Illinois.

Airefco, 751 Lakefront Commons, Newport News, Virginia.

Pro Meters Inc., 3442 Britton Road, Kaiser, Missouri.

Zumiez Inc., 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Cascade Utility Adjusting LLC, 11219 Benston Drive East, Puyallup.

Gorman Roofing Services Inc., 9702 Sales Road South, Lakewood.

River City Glass Inc., 6615 E. Main Ave., Spokane Valley.

NVL Laboratories Inc., 4708 Aurora Ave. North, Seattle.

The Drain Surgeon, 89758 E. Calico Road.

Stonecrest Builders Inc., 2381 Robertson Drive, Richland.

James Taylor, 3400 W. First Place.

DS Jewelry, 3523 W. Hood Ave. O.C. Detail, 10 N. Olympia St. Aria Construction Company, 1805 W. 24th Ave. Cooper Collectibles, 806 Clark Court, Walla Walla.

Pal Kennewick LLC, 7255 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Living by Dezine LLC, 101 S. Washington St. The Woodwork Shop, 402 S. 23rd Ave., Pasco.

Generations Trenchless LLC, 3040 Hickory Ave., West Richland.

A&R Pacific N.W. Construction LLC, 19618 S. 2198 PR SE.

Book now for Holiday Parties - Newly Remodeled Space • The Dining room can accommodate 130 people • The newly remodeled 19th Hole Event Center has a 130 people capacity • Heritage room can accommodate 15 guests with or without use of Golf Simulator • Legends room can accommodate 12 people

509-783-6131 • zintelcreek.com 314 N. Underwood, Kennewick

Cars 4 Less Auto Sales, 707 W. Columbia Drive.

NWP Builds LLC, 4083 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland.

Market Equipment & Refrigeration, 1114 N. Ruby Street, Spokane.

US Fuel, 1123 E. Fourth Ave. Statewide Construction, Restoration and General Service LLC, 1845 Leslie Road, Richland.

Amazing Exteriors, 4505 Pacific Highway East, Fife.

BSL Carpentry LLC, 1711 W. 40th Ave. Kings of Landscaping LLC, 704 W. 36th Place.

DC Painting, 5750 W. Kennewick Place.

Chaparro Landscaping LLC, 1218 13th St., Benton City.

R&R Pavement Maintenance LLC, 7401 Courtney Drive, Pasco.

Happycruser, 610 N. Volland St. Mackebon Construction LLC, 4104 S. Waverly Place.

Bell Auto Garage, 3060 W. Clearwater Ave. TJ Massage LLC, 4727 W. Clearwater Ave. Guerreros de Cristo, 4804 S. Jean St. Angel Foot Spa LLC, 4218 W. Clearwater Ave. Suprhype, 510 S. Hawthorne St. Worthy Beginnings, 8121 W. Hood Ave. Foward Focused, 2801 S. Morain Place.

R&L Painting, 5906 Robert Wayne Drive, Pasco.

Sweet Dream Spa, 5612 W. Clearwater Ave. VM Flooring LLC, 3202 S. Mayfield Court.

Aion LLC, 911 S. Edison St. Wedding Warriors TC, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave. Kreme Properties LLC, 911 S. Edison St. Frontier Counseling Services, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave. Esmay Beauty, 216 W. Kennewick Ave. Condie Trading Co., 2518 W. 32nd Ave. Designed with Art, 1804 W. 11th Ave. Northcare, 520 N. Fisher St. Stephen Stott, 719 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Davis General Construction LLC, 904 Empire Drive, Pasco.

Northcare, 1208 W. 11th Place.

3 Dogs Manufacturing, 2017 W. 29th Ave. Natural Aesthetic PLLC, 5453 Ridgeline Drive.

Bettyco.Sweets, 188 Travis Lane.

Premier Pacific Construction, 26104 S. Dague Road.

Veronica Perez, 5889 W. 28th Ave. Nani’s Deserts & Cakes, Nani’s Cheesecakes, 5889 W. 28th Ave. Gamify Education, 3710 S. Garfield Place.

Rainy Dayz Massage, 7411 W. Clearwater Ave. B&B Commercial Printing, 7519 W. Kennewick Ave. Sol Esthetics, 203 N. Dennis St. Gravity Tattoo, 3801 S. Zintel Way. IZN Carpet Cleaning LLC, 4111 Twilight Court, Pasco.

Spicy Delight Popcorn, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. 241 Builds LLC, 106 Canyon St., Richland.

Assisting Others, 6113 Kona Drive, West Richland.

Bae Sugar & Skin, 203 N. Dennis St. Heavy Bravo LLC, 1030 N. Center Parkway.

Midnight Electric LLC, 763 Franks Road, Sunnyside.

Kelli Hubbard NHP, 8797 W. Gage Blvd.

Francis Robert Dean, 312 W. 26th Place.

Precision Roofing & Exteriors LLC, 8717 W. Second Ave. Iyabo Visiting Care, 2809 S. Zillah Court.

American Pacific Mortgage, 30 S. Louisiana St.

Alma Leticia Beauty, 5009 W. Clearwater Ave. GS Collision Center LLC, 2710 W. Seventh Ave. PNW Eagle Transport LLC, 1104 S. Joliet St. Bluescapes LLC, 732 W. Leola St., Pasco.

JML Safety LLC, 1708 W. 37th Ave. Jessica Gribble Tattoos, 3801 S. Zintel Way. Always Striving Transport LLC, 8025 W. Deschutes Ave. Stadium Backyard Recreation LLC, 4295 Highview St., Richland.

Concierge Medicine LLC, 2300 W. 21st Ave. JVC Automotive Locksmith, 112 W. Columbia Drive.

Bitsy’s Place LLC, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Estilo Barbershop, 2500 W. Kennewick Ave. ATM Transport LLC, 1402 E. Sixth Ave. WM Behavioral Health LLC, 333 W. Canal Drive.

J and S Legacy LLC, 3887 W. Seventh Ave. Parkade Bar & Grill, 207 W. Kennewick Ave. The Odd Job Guy, 425 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Starz Auto Shine, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Sagebrush Construction, 5701 N. Fork Road, Yakima.

Kennewick Irrigation District Employee Association, 2015 S. Ely St. Back Magic, 5861 W. Clearwater Ave. Curve Appeal, 8121 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Tanya Snyder, 9 S. Yost St. Lightning Express Courier, 1025 W. Entiat Ave. SG Drywall & Paint LLC, 508 N. Green Place.

High Desert Transport, 420 W. Columbia Drive.

Holmes Dental, 8305 W. Quinault Ave. Art’s Barber House, 4827 W. Kennewick Ave. FlossyFoxShop, 7224 W. Sixth Place.

Effective Pest Control, 2406 S. Keller St. Dahlias by Mary, 5715 W. Sixth Ave. Enhanced by Rosales LLC, 7101 W. Hood Place.

Aga Services, 506 E. Eighth Ave. Tahmeena Mohammadi Store, 600 N. Georgia St. Hood Munchies, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Walter Co. Properties, 10203 W. 18th Place.

The Spruce Up Organization Studio, 3905 S. Irby St. Maltos Pro Climate LLC, 818 S. Belfair St. Vicky’s Cleaning Services, 1707 W. Sixth Ave. HEI Property Management LLC, 225 W. Main Ave., Spokane.

Method Design & Construction, 4611 Candy Mountain Ave., West Richland.

Oliver & Alder Apothecary, 707 S. Buntin St. Nurse Becky Delegation LLC, 804 W. 43rd Ave. Hooked Up Kennewick Inc., 1615 E. Chemical Drive.

United Rentals (North America) Inc., 120 N. Morain St. Tee Time, 4009 W. Pearl St., Pasco.

Angel Spa LLC, 4218 W. Clearwater Ave. Desert Bluffs Poker Club, 5215 W. Clearwater Ave. The Big Bro Joe Foundation, 3500 W. Clearwater Ave. Columbia River Nanny Connection, 59202 N. River Road, Benton City.

Weatherbee Consulting LLC, 1817 W. 32nd Ave. Curly Dog Trucking LLC, 4519 W. 10th Ave. Jackie’s Bakery LLC, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Mercury Defense Industries, 516 S.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B29

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 Wilson St. Citi Cab LLC, 312 W. 11th Ave. Antojo Costeno, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. Star Media & Event Management LLC, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Que Rico Pollo, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. The Obsidian Boutique, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

Rodriguez Distribution LLC, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Powers Crypto and Cards, 4609 S. Quincy Place.

Jasmine Patalon, 3801 S. Zintel Way. Luxe Artistry Studio, 203 N. Dennis St. Miranda McCombs MSN, 6505 W. Sixth Ave. Tri-Cities Web Designs, 1903 W. 43rd Place.

JTG Equipment Repair, 8300 W. Yellowstone Ave.

PASCO

Omega Roofing, 329 N. Third Ave. CJM Investments LLC and Loads of Wash LA, 720 W. Lewis St. Bright and Beautiful, 2602 E. Broadway St. Greasemonkey’s Auto Repair Inc., 1030 N. Center Parkway, Suite N262, Kennewick.

R&L Painting, 5906 Robert Wayne Drive.

Rapasa LLC, 720 W. Lewis St. King Builder Co. LLC, 2420 W. Court St. Art YOUR Way, 6303 Burden Blvd., Suite A. Kaanapali LLC, 1423 N. 15th Ave., #B. Happy Feets Daycare LLC, 1808 W. Irving St. Columbia Bin Washing LLC, 1800 NE 10th St., Unit 94, Hermiston, Oregon.

Botas El Compa, 2015 W. Pearl St., Suite A. Maria Olivera, 1812 W. Brown St. Airam LLC, 1803 W. Yakima St. UBG LLC, 7304 Spokane St., Yakima.

Tri-Cities Mobile Auto Service LLC, 715 Thayer Drive, Richland.

Grace Contracting LLC, 3705 W. Park St. Renovo Properties LLC, 1501 Goethals Drive, Richland.

Kaci K Construction LLC, 730 Dogwood Road.

Cascade Plumbing LLC, 15146 Fisk Road, Yakima.

Leaffilter North of Washington Inc., 4702 20th St. East, Fife.

Sonido Andariego, 4813 Seville Drive.

The Resilient Child Speech Therapy PLLC, 3719 Lakelse Lane.

Glory’s Pupusas, 7425 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick.

J R Lash & Esthetics, 5232 Outlet Drive.

Wenaha Group Inc., 505 S. 336th St., Suite 630, Federal Way. HDT Pools Inc., 11402 W. Amity Road, Boise, Idaho.

FT Acquisitionco LLC, 4500 Seventh Ave. South, Seattle.

Transformation Tri-Cities, 607 W. Clark St. Total Body Massage and Pain Management, 5232 Outlet Drive.

Jeskitas Munchkys, 118 Vista Way, Kennewick.

Noemi’s Cleaning Service LLC, 925 N. Elm Ave., SP 055.

C&M General Contractor LLC, 2568 Anvil Court, Richland.

OneNorth Integrated Facility Solutions, 10102 E. Knox Ave., Suite 250, Spokane.

Johansen Interiors LLC, 395 E. Warner Road, Suite 2, Chandler, Arizona.

Ostler and Bunker Orthodontics, 1520 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

Pine Skyline Cleaning, 591 S. Phillips Road, Mabton.

Kinwell Physician Network – Pasco, 7505 Sandifur Parkway, #103.

A&B Corner Properties LLC, 4005 E. B St. RE/MAX Horizon, 1419 Meadow Hills

Drive, Richland.

Gonzalez Pinatas & Decorations, 3425 E. A St., Suite N201.

Get Life in Order, 6102 Road 68, #M205.

MSKTD International Inc., 1715 Magnavox Way, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Beautyxmanuelaa, 3501 Road 68, #103.

El Dorado Beauty Boutique LLC, 118 N. Fifth Ave. Tups LLC, 3710 El Paso Drive.

Heavenly Roofing, 524 E. Division Ave., Ephrata.

Biogas Engineering, 2321 E. 28th St., Suite 400, Signal Hill, California.

Floor & Home Tri-Cities, 1330 Tapteal Drive, Richland.

K9 Companions 4Ever, 6116 Bulldog Lane.

Sweet Squeeze Lemonade, 5906 Mandra Lane.

McCann Trucking LLC, 661 Airport Road, Cle Elum.

Three Rivers Electrical LLC, 1900 S. Clodfelter Road, Kennewick.

DDD Mobile Detailing LLC, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland.

Pacific Channel Transportation LLC, 8812 NE Alderwood Road, Portland, Oregon.

Baker Leasing Inc., 3851 Fruitvale Ave, Bakersfield, California.

Taylor Family Trust, 6116 Bulldog Lane.

Kirby Nagelhout Construction, 63049 Lower Meadow Drive, Bend, Oregon.

Scott Butner Photography, 1319 Stevens Drive, Richland.

KounchaiVisuals, 1333 Tapteal Drive, Suite 114, Richland.

Very Best Electric LLC, 510 Wolfe Lane, Grandview.

Tetra Pak Materials, 1616 W. 31st, Vancouver.

Bavihealth, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd., Spokane.

Irrigation Solutions LLC, 117 S. Conway Place, Kennewick.

Elevate Excavation and Development, 371 Keene Court, Richland.

Rainier Softwash LLC, 515 Hancock Road, Cowiche.

Deem LLC, 11201 USA Parkway, Suite 200, Fishers, Indiana.

Chavez Cotton Candy, 2023 E. 19th Ave., Kennewick.

Paloma’s Child Care LLC, 3421 W. Sylvester St. JD Construction, 640 SW Panorama Drive, Pullman.

Healthy Habitat 360, 405 S. Third St., Suite A, Yakima.

H2Woah Cleaning Services LLC, 1205 13th St., #1205B, Benton City.

Columbia Basin Home Rehab LLC, 8655 Clearwater Ave., 321 Building, #A101, Kennewick.

Tequila de Maya LLC, 3637 W. Agate St. Solid Rock Builders Inc., 6616 Pimlico Drive.

Gradient Electric, 3908 Estrella Drive.

Fast and Curryous, 3521 Polo Greens Ave., West Richland.

La Mariposa Properties, 2503 E. Helena St. Romero’s Pro Multi Services & Staffing Agency, 800 W. Lewis St., Suite B. AZ Translation Service, 7712 Wrigley Drive.

MM Assortment LLC, 1117 W. Ainsworth Ave. Lourdes Pediatrics, 9915 Sandifur Parkway.

AJ Outdoors, 6304 Wrigley Drive.

NW Alvarez Transport LLC, 732 S. Beech Ave. Zuly’s Super Cleaning, 733 S. Beech Ave. Triple 8 Drywall LLC, 1108 Elm Ave., Richland.

In Bloom Floral LLC, 8302 Silver Mound Drive.

CPH Painting LLC, 925 N. Elm Ave., #015.

Daily Deals, 2799 W. Lewis St. Aerial Innovations, 7211 Cerulean Court.

Meske Physician Services PLLC, 520 N. Fourth Ave. Sean Hayes Flooring, 507 N. Louisiana St., Kennewick.

The Kids Garden LLC, 533 S. Owen Ave. Martinez Home Solutions LLC, 6108 Camden Drive.

Perez Med LLC, 9605 Kokanee Drive.

Bulldog Constructors LLC, 222 Homestead Drive.

8K Electric, 31402 S. Clodfelter Road, Kennewick.

Joshua Hyrkas, 416 S. Olympia St., Kennewick.

Jackie Sharpe Images LLC, 1878 W. 25th Court, Kennewick.

Sanjay Munjal, 6115 Bayview Lane.

Fashion Nails, 1211 N. 20th Ave. F & L Trucking LLC, 1810 E. Highland St. Basil and Blush, 1156 Viewmoor Court, Richland.

Michael Iverson, 421 N. Washington Place, Kennewick.

Supreme Construction LLC, 1607 W. Irving St. T-Shirt & Hat 27 45 LLC, 1015 W. Sylvester St. Drive 55 Motors LLC, 6908 W. Argent Road, Suite B-1.

Royal T Industries LLC, 110 S. Fourth Ave. All Star Fence Company, 903 E. Pacific Ave., #A, Spokane.

Rain for Rent, 19430 59th Ave. NE, Arlington.

The Helpful Neighbor, 2324 S. Highlands Blvd., West Richland.

Cobra Transport, 919 W. Marie St. Mission Angelitos, 5300 W. Sylvester St. UpAngle Drone Services, 3801 Artesia Drive.

Corvel Corporation, 6825 Burden Blvd., Suite D. Tools, Well Applied, 6 1/2 N. Second

B29

Ave., Suite 200, Walla Walla.

JD Creations LLC, 5105 W. Sylvester St. Breakthrough Inc., 6304 Bulldog Lane.

J&Q Trucking LLC, 1717 W. Sylvester St. N2 Wellness, 5232 Outlet Drive.

SGR Transport LLC, 807 S. Fourth Lane.

Hair by Veronica, 6415 Burden Blvd.

Advanced Protection Services Inc., 3130 Varney Lane, Suite 101.

Only Techs LLC, 1005 N. Cleveland St., #C, Kennewick.

Door-to-Door Dog Grooming LLC, 5114 Point Fosdick Drive, Suite F3021, Gig Harbor.

Heavyweight Haulers, 1732 N. 18th Drive.

Northern Latitude Foods, 5411 N. Martha Loop, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Ceso Inc., 3601 Rigby Road, Suite 300, Miamisburg, Ohio.

U & A Scrubs LLC, 125 S. Tweed Place, #125, Kennewick.

Mid-American Group, 8475 Port Sunlight Road, Newport, Michigan.

Kindhearted Home Child Care, 3914 Milagro Drive.

Astro Painting LLC, 199008 E. Third Ave., Kennewick.

The Crafty Granny LLC, 110 Fourth Ave. Kaizen Construction & Development LLC, 2839 W. Kennewick Ave., PMB 366, Kennewick.

Pineda Construction LLC, 411 S. Quillan St., Kennewick.

Alpha Roofing LLC, 194 Garden Drive, Walla Walla.

The In & Out Home Services, 334 Buckwheat Court, West Richland.

Garcia’s Cleaning Services, 306 S. Johnson St., #4, Kennewick.

Hike Camp Climb, 5610 Denver Drive.

ESD Employees Association, 3924 W. Court St.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B30

B30

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023

A Place Construction, 6420 W. Umatilla Ave., Kennewick.

Kimo Express LLC, 4202 Finnhorse Lane.

Swift River Properties, 8625 Whipple Ave. Towers Vending, 3618 Laguna Court.

Lisa Susan Lang MS, 1116 Road 76.

Nutricion Alvarado, 125 N. Third Ave., Suite A. Divina, 516 W. Clark St. Encanto Arts, 4838 Delridge Way SW, #A, Seattle.

Northwest Lawn Care & Maintenance LLC, 6219 Berea Lane.

CleanCutz, 524 W. Clark St. Ortiz Concrete, 602 N. Conway Place, Kennewick.

Welcome Little Ones LLC, 3904 Estrella Drive.

RR Pena, 5120 W. Sylvester St. Tequila de Maya LLC, 2903 N. Commercial Ave. Rodriguez Law PLLC, 10811 W. Court St. ET Promotions, 8603 Desoto Drive.

Next Level Studio, 110 S. Elm Ave. Partner Haiti, 6307 Bayview Lane.

Healthsource Chiropractic of Pasco, 5250 Outlet Drive.

Sunvalley Exteriors LLC, 1101 Gap Road, Granger.

Maria Nini Duran Cervera, 3512 Kathren Lane.

Fynline, 4605 Campolina Lane.

Dan’s Clear View LLC, 4333 Campolina Lane.

Top-Notch Window Cleaning, 626 Calistoga St., Lacey.

Day and Night Childcare, 4513 W. Octave St. Bonifacio Munguia Blanco, 1119 W. Court St. Contact Lens King Inc., 30 Lawrence Paquette Drive, Champlain, New York.

Jeannot Cutz, 8 N. Quincy St., Kennewick.

2023 Tuesday, October 17, 2023 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Southridge Sports & Events Complex 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick

Free admission.

Visit booths to learn about products, services and ideas for better senior living.

Brought to you by:

Mi Mundo Magico de Aprendizaje LLC, 3223 E. Helena St. Chef Magana Catering, 4706 Yuma Drive.

H.E. Solutions, 196769 E. Caufield Ave., Liberty Lake.

GG’s Plant Shop, 3713 W. Jay St. Eclipse Lawn Services LLC, 731 W. Leola St., #B. Xtreme Beauty, 3616 W. Court St., Suite B. Erin Griffin, 5727 Biscuit Ridge Road, Waitsburg.

Cold Pieces, 1094 Waylon Drive, West Richland.

Leif Skyving, 2401 W. Canal Drive, #1C, Kennewick.

2House Solutions LLC, 4510 Kubota Lane.

MD Rock Construction LLC, 727 S. Kellogg St., Kennewick.

Flores Integrity Construction LLC, 1109 E. 23rd Ave., Kennewick.

Fetch Sam!, 1319 Birch Ave., Richland.

Method You Dental, 12205 Rock Creek Drive.

Insignia Sign & Re-Imaging, 325 Burnett Ave. North, Renton.

TriCities Podiatry, 660 Swift Blvd., Richland.

L&M Flooring LLC, 5631 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

Johnson Lighting Services, 5205 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick.

Leslie Nance, 2009 Trippe St., Richland.

Thompsons Appliance, 414 N. 22nd Ave. Paul Crowley, 1613 W. 38th Place, Kennewick.

BalancingBooks, 804 Road 62.

Level-Up Concrete LLC, 6106 Maryhill Lane.

Accident Care Chiropractic, 1123 W. Court St. Uber Paul, 125 Englewood Drive, Richland.

PBH Construction LLC, 3516 Elon

Lane.

Swift Industrial Supply, 5120 Westminster Lane.

McFadden Services, 109 N. Waverly Place, #E, Kennewick.

Darden’s Excavation, 1705 Silverwood Drive, Richland.

WEST RICHLAND

H.A.A. Investments LLC, 4105 Kennedy Road.

Taco Jose #2, 1400 Bombing Range Road.

Casandra N. Jaimez, 4033 W Van Giesen St. T6 Truck and Equipment Repair LLC, 1308 N. 37th Court, Pasco.

Bonded Through Birth - Doula Services, 514 Newcomer St., Richland.

Yea Lawn Care LLC, 273 Mata Road, Kennewick.

Zoe Anesthesia Services LLC, 2335 Bellaview Ave., Richland.

Manny’s Drywall Taping LLC, 3004 W. Wilcox Drive, Pasco.

Restoration 1 of Central WA, 9708 E. Montgomery Ave., Spokane Valley.

Norma Mendoza Insurance Agency, 4001 Kennedy Road.

47 North Custom Homes LLC, 1740 Belmont Blvd., Richland.

R&R Roofing Repair, 8719 W. Falls Ave., Kennewick.

Haynes Homes, 5410 Hershey Lane.

Walla Walla Carpet One LLC, 1611 W. Rose St., Walla Walla.

Tri Cities Staining, 1639 Meadow Hills Drive, Richland.

Loco’s Rebel Drinks, 961 N. 60th Ave. RL Roblee @ Associates LLC, 5303 Sagehen Place.

Method Design & Construction, 4611 Candy Mountain Ave. Richard Erd, 4625 Blue Heron Blvd.

Pacwest Transport LLC, 6022 Thynewood Loop.

Aloha Fence Company LLC, 5110 Canter St. Bejar Trucking LLC, 1713 Elmwood Ave. Sage Electric & Contracting LLC, 405 Bedrock Loop.

JSP Interpreting, 726 W. Marie St., Pasco.

Tri_Bilt LLC, 512 S. Dawes St., Kennewick.

NB Construction, 14900 Interurban Ave. South, Suite 271, Tukwila.

J. Pierce & Company LLC, 4513 Horizon Drive, Pasco.

Terra Firma Testing, 6001 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick.

Pure Energy Systems LLC, 1115 Annajean Ave., Benton City.

SS Construction, 1654 Cactus Loop, Richland.

Tri-Rizin Sales & Services LLC, 7822 Massey Drive, Pasco.

Mufasa Construction & Remodeling LLC, 313 S. Williams St., Kennewick.

JLB 1 Construction LLC, 623 Hanson Loop, Burbank.

NWCleaningMasters LLC, 427 SW Bade Ave., College Place.

Emerald Properties, 4802 W. Canal Drive.

Maltos Pro Climate LLC, 818 S. Belfair St., Kennewick.

Cleanworks Inc., 4206 Sahara Drive, Pasco.

uJUDGMENTS The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes and then get a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton-Franklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

PCH Framing LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept.

1.

Wave Design Group LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 1.

Wave Quantum Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept.

1.

Divine Blessings LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes filed Sept. 6.

Garlar Landscaping LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes. Filed Sept.

6.

Samantha Elyse Hoover-Earl, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 11.

Mu Sigma Business Solution, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 13.

Wish A Latte LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 13.

GRY Transportation LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept.

13.

Islas Landscaping LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 13.

Baisch Vegetation Management, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 14.

Efrain Cuevas Rivera, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 15.

Antonio Mireles, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 18.

Eduardo Munoz Escoto, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 18.

P J R Construction Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 18.

Mavway Contractors Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept.

18.

Thompson Flanagan Executive, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 21.

Legacy Lawn & Tree Care LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 21.

FP Express LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept.

21.

Mas Tacos LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept.

22.

Vanguard LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept. 25.

Oscar Gomez A. Arriaga, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 25.

Thomas Lee Black, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept.

25.

Maria Alvarez, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed Sept. 25.

EZ Fix Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 27.

West Columbia Painting LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept.

29.

Sandoval Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Sept.

29.

uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW

Wheat Head Brewing Co., 92308 E. Locust Grove Road, Kennewick. License type: microbrewery; beer/wine on premises endorsement; farmers market beer sales. Application type: new.

China Cafe Express, 201 N. Edison St., Suite 236, Kennewick. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: new.

HAA Investments LLC, 4105 Kenney Road, West Richland. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

Desert Bluffs Poker Club, 5215 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 111, Kennewick.

License type: direct shipment receiverin WA only; takeout/delivery; growlers takeout/delivery; tavern – beer/wine; off premises. Application type: new.

Flight Tap & Table, 502 Swift Blvd., Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+; catering. Application

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B31

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023 type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Parkade Bar & Grill, 207 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: spirits/ beer/wine restaurant lounge-; off-premises sale wine; kegs to go. Application type: assumption.

Max Mart Truckstop, 528 S. Ely St., Kennewick. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

Seoul Fusion, 5011 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite A, Kennewick. License type: soju service; spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+. Application type: new.

The Prosser House by John Gray, 1232 Wine Country Road, Prosser. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+; catering. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Abarrotes Mi Ranchito LLC, 325 Wine Country Road, Prosser. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: new.

Rocket Mart, 5304 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

APPROVED

Greek Islands Cuisine, 600 Gage Blvd., Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: assumption.

Pal Kennewick LLC, 7255 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. License type: serve employees & guests. Application type: new.

Harry and David LLC, 101 Max Benitz Road, Suite C & F2, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters.

Application type: change of corporate officer.

Isla Bonita Restaurant, 1524 Jadwin Ave., Richland. License type: takeout/ delivery. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Flight Tap & Table, 502 Swift Blvd., Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+. Application type:

added/change of class/in lieu.

DISCONTINUED

Pal Kennewick LLC, 7255 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. License type: serve employees & guests. Application type: discontinued.

FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW

King City Smoke Shop, 2505 N. Commercial Ave., Suite D, Pasco. License type: beer/wine specialty shop. Application type: new.

Pasco Food Mart, 1504 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

Sky Market, 1935 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. License type: grocery store – beer/ wine. Application type: assumption.

Quiktrip Gas & Food, 221 S. 10th Ave., Pasco. License type: grocery store beer/ wine. Application type: assumption.

APPROVED

Tequila de Maya LLC, 2903 N. Commercial Ave., Pasco. License type: spirits distributor. Application type: new.

Tequila’s Sports Bar, 414 W. Lewis St., Pasco. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge-. Application type: new.

Wild Olive’s Charcuterie Kingdom, 3306 N. Swallow Ave., Suite 205, Pasco.

License type: beer/wine specialty shop.

Application type: new.

King City Smoke Shop, 2505 N. Commercial Ave., Suite D, Pasco. License type: beer/wine specialty shop. Application type: new.

DISCONTINUED

Tequila’s Sports Bar, 414 W. Lewis St., Pasco. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge-. Application type: discontinued.

uMARIJUANA LICENSES FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW

The Lucky Leaf, 3501 Road 68, Suite 104, Pasco. License type: cannabis retailer; medical cannabis endorsement.

Application type: new.

uBUSINESS UPDATES

NEW

Let’s Glow Mini Golf has opened at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd., #114, Kennewick. Hours: 2-9 p.m. MondayThursday; 2-10 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.

Contact: 509-873-0014; Facebook.

Once Upon a Child has opened at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd., #102, Kennewick. A franchise offering gently used children’s clothes. Bring in children’s clothes, shoes, toys, furniture and baby gear and get paid cash if it meets style, safety and condition standards. Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Monday-Saturday. Contact: 509-2850297; onceuponachild.com/locations/ kennewick-wa.

Sharetea has opened at 128 S. Ely St., Kennewick. The bubble tea shop held its grand opening Sept. 16. Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Contact: 509-396-7481; shareteatricites. com.

NAME CHANGE

Lotus of the Moon has changed ownership and is now called Blu Journey LLC. The spiritual shop is located at 1386 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. The

B31

grand opening of Blu is Nov. 11. Contact: 509-940-7460; blujourney1111@ gmail.com; blusjourney.com; Facebook.

Chaplaincy Health Care has changed its name to Tri-Cities Chaplaincy. The name change is a part of the organization’s commitment to better serving community members and guiding them to live their best lives. Chaplaincy remains dedicated to compassion, integrity and excellence in all aspects of care. Contact: TCCBestLife.org, 509783-7416.

MOVED Wild Olive’s Charcuterie Kingdom has moved to 3306 N. Swallow Ave., Suite 205 in Pasco. The business will continue with online orders and, while there are no dine-in options, pre-made charcuterie boards can be picked up in the store.

Workshops and pop-ups will be hosted in the new space. A grand opening will be held on 5-8 p.m. Oct. 21. Contact: 509-551-5242, info@wildolivesck.com, wildolivesck.com, Facebook, Instagram. d.lynne’s boutique has moved to 5215 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 113, Kennewick. The lifestyle boutique offers locally sourced and established brand items featuring women’s and men’s styles.

Contact: dlynnes.com, 509-221-1254, info@dlynnes.com, Facebook, Instagram.

CLOSED Sage Brewing Company has closed its Hansen Park taproom at 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite G, in Kennewick, effective Sept. 26. Its Pasco brewery and taproom at 8425 Chapel Hill Blvd. remains open.

B32

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2023