April 2018
Volume 17 • Issue 4
Federal transfer of shoreline control may come this year BY ROBIN WOJTANIK
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Sustainability
Event offers tours of backyard chicken coops Page 11
Real Estate & Construction Page 21
Transportation
State DOT prepares for spring road projects page 39
he Said It
“I believe this is one of the most dynamic communities on the planet.” - Gregg McConnell, member of Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Affairs Committee Page 3
uSHORELINE, Page 31
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Frost Me Sweet to double in size
“Imagine the possibilities.” That’s what Brad Fisher ponders when he considers what the Columbia River shoreline could look like if it was in the hands of local jurisdictions and not the federal government. The senior vice president of RBC Wealth Management has teamed up with retired U.S. Congressman Doc Hastings and Gary Petersen, CEO of Petersen Consulting, to build community support for their plan to transfer river shoreline ownership and maintenance from the Army Corps of Engineers to the cities and counties. The land fell into federal control following a devastating flood in 1948, estimated by historians to have caused more than $500 million in damages in today’s dollars. “We think this is an issue that is so transformational for the Tri-Cities,” Fisher said. At stake are 34 miles of shoreline in Franklin and Benton counties starting at the bridge to Walla Walla County on the Franklin County side, up to the canal across the water from Hanford’s 300 Area. It also stretches from the Benton County side from near Finley, north to where the city of Richland meets Department of Energy land. “We’re not asking the Corps to give us permission,” Hastings said. “Congress is specifically writing legislation that says these Corps lands will be reconveyed back to the respective communities. There’s a huge difference. We call that getting away from the ‘Mother, may I?’ ” The group believes the time is now for this change in ownership so public access to the river can be improved through increased recreational offerings. Fisher, Hastings and Petersen said local entities could clean up the rivershores and lower the levees, which would beautify the area and encourage more people to use the natural resources. They said the effort also could allow for the possibility of future residential or commercial development.
David Lippes, left, and John Crook, principals at Boost Builds, stand outside their Richland building at 723 The Parkway that they recently bought and updated. It’s also home to Fuse SPC, a co-working community.
Richland developers plan to add apartments to city’s core BY ROBIN WOJTANIK
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
A Richland company has an ambitious goal of bringing city-dwellers back to the central downtown area, to places either dominated by businesses or abandoned altogether. This includes high-profile locations in The Parkway and along Jadwin Avenue and George Washington Way, including the controversial pit at the gateway to the city. “The goal is to add a critical mass of people in the downtown Richland core area who will have the opportunity to walk or bike to work, walk or bike to recreation, and walk or bike to restaurants,” said David Lippes, principal at Boost Builds. “As we
develop commercially, and we add residential, we are effectively urbanizing this area of the Tri-Cities.” The company recently bought two buildings on Jadwin Avenue once occupied by Fluor Corp. for just over $1 million. The smaller of the two — a five-story nearly 50,000-square-foot building at 1100 Jadwin — is about 65 percent occupied, while its sister seven-story building has 110,000 square feet of vacant space. The buildings are on a 9.74-acre city-owned campus. Lippes said he’s dreaming of what the buildings can become, with plans to rebuild the commercial site at 1100 Jadwin and then take on a larger project at 1200 Jadwin. uBOOST, Page 4
Tri-City, Spokane radiology groups to merge practices this fall BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz
A Tri-City radiology group has announced plans to merge with a Spokane clinic. Columbia Basin Imaging of the Tri-Cities and Inland Imaging PS of Spokane are combining their professional radiology groups, effective this September. CBI will be folded into Inland Imaging as part of the merger. CBI, made up of a Tri-City-based group of physicians, has provided radiology services at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for more than 30 years. “This partnership not only helps us better support radiology and imaging services throughout the region, it will also help promote the integration of services on the Kadlec campus by combining both interventional and
diagnostic radiology services within the new group,” said Dr. Richard Nguyen, president of CBI, in a statement. Nguyen said Inland Imaging Dr. Richard Nguyen approached the group two to three years ago to consider a merger, but CBI declined because the demographics of CBI’s radiologists were older and they wanted to stay independent. Today, the demographics are drastically different, he said. “It’s a very good move for the group and it was a unanimous decision by the shareholders,” he said.
uRADIOLOGY, Page 10
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Community input sought to craft vision for region’s future BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
What’s your favorite thing about the Tri-City region? What are our biggest strengths? What would you want to see change about the area in 12 years? Tri-City leaders are seeking the public’s input on these questions as part of a new community visioning project called MyTri2030. It’s a grass-roots initiative to develop a vision for the region’s future based on the collective feedback of Tri-Citians. Feedback is being collected via an online survey — available in English and Spanish — which can be found at mytri2030.com. The survey has nine free-response questions, that tackle “big picture questions about the region’s strengths and challenges, game-changing actions for the future, what should be different in 12 years, if money were no object where would people invest in the community, current things that are happening that you want to see grow, and things going on in other regions that interest people,” said Lori Mattson, president and CEO of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mattson spoke about the visioning project at a March 14 news conference in Kennewick.
She said organizers hope to receive thousands of responses that comprise a representative sample of the region’s residents. “We’re hoping people as young as 15 will take this survey,” she said. “This is the next generation of leaders.” Survey participants can opt to remain anonymous or provide their email for further contact, but the overarching goal is to get as many responses as possible. As an incentive to attract more respondents, each week someone will be selected at random to receive a $50 Amazon gift card. The regional chamber has teamed up with New Edge, a Richland-based consulting firm that helps Fortune 500 companies across the nation reinvent themselves, and “accelerate growth and innovation by identifying what opportunities to pursue,” said Ron Boninger, a member of the regional chamber’s Regional Affairs Committee. After the questionnaire period closes, New Edge will conduct one-on-one interviews with 25 to 30 community leaders recruited by the Regional Affairs Committee. “These are business people, highprofile CEOs, high-profile volunteers … ranging in all ages and all different demographics,” Mattson said. uSURVEY, Page 19
Visit Tri-Cities announces new CEO BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF
A former Tri-Cities Cancer Center administrator is the new president and chief executive officer of Visit Tri-Cities. Michael Novakovich replaced Kris Watkins, who retired April 6 after 24 years of leading the regional destination marketing organization. “I am proud to join Visit Tri-Cities and build on Kris’ impressive legacy,” Novakovich said in a news release. “As a longtime Tri-Citian, I am looking forward to establishing strong relationships and collaborating with the Visit Tri-Cities Board of Directors, city leadership, hoteliers, port districts, membership and the community to grow the region’s reputation as a premier destination and further unlock the potential of the Tri-Cities.” Novakovich, who has a background in corporate strategy, marketing and executive leadership, most recently worked as the director of strategy and business development at the cancer center in Kennewick. During his six-year tenure at the cancer center, Novakovich earned national recog-
nition for his efforts in leading the development and implementation of strategic initiatives, fostering strategic partnerships and the execution of effective marketing, public relations and communications strategies. Prior to the Michael Novakovich cancer center, Novakovich was the production manager at Esprit Graphic Communications Inc., where he transitioned the organization from a graphics communications company to a marketing services provider. He also is an adjunct professor of marketing at Heritage University. Michael earned both his bachelor’s in business administration with a minor in human resources and master of business administration with a certificate in marketing from Washington State University. Novakovich started his new job April 9.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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BOOST, From page 1 “We want to pull off a sort of Portlandstyle conversion of the large one into a loft-like, multi-family apartment, adding more critical mass to this area,” he said. Commercial broker Derrick Stricker of NAI Tri-Cities Commercial, who has been working for the past three-and-a-half years to sell the Jadwin property, said Boost Builds understands its long-term value. “Their vision will sync up to what the highest and best use of this property and should yield results that are exciting to see. From my view point, once 1200 Jadwin is stabilized with tenants, then there would be reason to talk about the next large vertical office building in Tri-Cities. We can’t build up, until we fill up our office vacancies,” Stricker said. Boost Builds combines Lippes’ 25 years of experience in finance with principal John Crook’s decades-long history of managing housing. Their company’s mission is to bring innovation to the land development process and is focused on three areas: multi-family housing, commercial building and student life, which includes student housing. While not officially Boost at the time, Lippes and Crook were partners in the development of the new dormitory at Columbia Basin College, Sunhawk Hall. The business partners are focused on “boosting” their surroundings. “We both showed up around 20 years ago to a city that was in desperate need of people who were willing to invest in a local market to improve their own quality of life,” Lippes said. Crook and Lippes want to be those people who invest — and not only finan-
Boost Builds recently bought two multi-story buildings featuring 160,000 square feet of space at 1100 and 1200 Jadwin Ave. in Richland for just over $1 million. (Courtesy NAI Tri-Cities Commercial)
cially — in the future of the Tri-Cities. “As opposed to ‘not in my backyard,’ we’re in my backyard and we want to make our backyard a better place,” Crook said. This backyard currently includes areas in and around The Parkway, where the men recently purchased and drastically updated the building at 723 The Parkway, also home to Fuse SPC, a co-working community. “We think this building could exist in Portland, Seattle or Boise and people would be proud of it,” Lippes said. “We want to bring a new level of expectation to our community.” Boost Builds also is working with Illinois-based real estate developer The Crown Group to fill in and develop
Kristina Lord
Editor 509-737-8778 ext. 3 editor@tcjournal.biz
Chad Utecht
Advertising Account Manager 509-737-8778 ext. 1 chad@tcjournal.biz
CORRECTIONs
Pondera Architecture was misspelled in a story on page 25 in the March issue.
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Richland’s notorious pit at 650 George Washington Way, often cited as an unsightly welcome mat to what the city has called a “vital link between the city’s downtown and waterfront areas.” They’re optimistic the project, called Park Place, will be completed by fourth quarter 2019. Lippes said the final hurdle for the cityowned property is raising the remaining equity. They are pursuing financing through the federal Housing and Urban Development agency. “We need 5 million bucks. We’ve got most of it, and we haven’t reached out to get the rest of it because we’re putting finishing touches on the financing. But basically, we expect to be coming out of the ground late summer, early fall,” Lippes said. The four-story apartment building will have underground parking and 6,700 square feet of retail space. “Every other place in the Tri-Cities is three stories. Why? Because you don’t need an elevator. So we went higher. We have two elevators. It’s much more of an urban building,” Lippes said. They expect a 12- to 15-month construction project resulting in studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments designed by a Portland architect. “One of the decisions to go up four floors is that the view over the park is spectacular,” Crook said. “So you’ve got a park on one side and a couple 100-foot walks to the center of The Parkway.” Every unit will have a balcony offering a view of the river and storage for renters to keep kayaks or bikes on the park level. The project includes removal of the former CREHST museum off Amon Park Drive, as well as filling in the pit. Just across the street, in The Parkway, Boost Builds is also working with a group that acquired a dilapidated, abandoned building at 702 The Parkway, just south of Frost Me Sweet near the fountain. “We are following that business model of working with some local companies that have an interest in participation on buildings, to be their sort of signature corporate home,” Crook said. They aren’t ready to announce final plans for the building just yet but assure it is “something that will be really exciting.” uBOOST, Page 8
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick-Richland tops in country for quick home sales
The Kennewick-Richland area topped a national list for quick home sales in 2017. Across more than 200 metropolitan areas, the average days on the market for a home was 67 days in 2017. This is a sharp decline from the peak in 2011 when the average was 120 days. The conditions in some local housing markets are much faster, with a typical sales transaction taking less than 40 days from listing to signing, according to a Health of Housing Markets report from Nationwide Economics. Homes in the Kennewick-Richland area were on the market an average of 31 days in 2017.
Lampson cranes move train at historic depot
As part of the transformation of the historic Walla Walla Train Depot building, a 1950s-era train dining car was lifted and moved by a pair of giant Liebherr cranes operated by Kennewick’s Lampson International. The rail car was moved to its new location on the north side of the depot building on March 27. Walla Walla Steak Co. and Crossbuck Brewing will open in the depot building after renovations are completed later this spring. The culinary team, led by executive chef Chad Bostwick, will serve steakhouse classics and beer-friendly taproom
fare in an open kitchen over a custom charcoal grill and wood stone oven. Crossbuck Brewing will brew on site in a new state-of-the-art facility and guests can enjoy a front-row seat to the entire brewing process, where craft beers are tapped directly from the tanks in view. The train car will be restored to its former glory and serve as a special events and private dining space as part of Walla Walla Steak Co. The 80-ton rail car is a former Amtrak car moved to the current site in 1991.
Newhouse holding April 21 job fair in Richland
U.S. Congressman Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, will host a job fair in the Tri-Cities on April 21. The free event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is at the Red Lion Hotel, 802 George Washington Way in Richland. Applicants should come prepared with résumés and/or interview materials. Employers wanting to participate may call 509-452-3243.
Coalition holding community forum on immigration
The Tri-Cities Immigrant Coalition is holding a public forum about immigration at 7 p.m. May 2 at the Richland Community Center. The panel includes law enforcement officers who will talk about crime rates of immigrants versus U.S. born citizens, educators who will cover learning English as a new language and other panelists who will discuss religion, cuisine, social habits, music and art.
Forum participants can answer questions or concerns the public may have on immigrants moving into the community. The coalition is a nonpartisan group of volunteers who work to build bridges and understanding. For more information about the group, email tricitiesimmigrantcoaltion@gmail. com or find on Facebook (@TCImmigrantCoalition).
Benton clerk’s office warns of jury duty scam callers
The Benton County Clerk’s Office is reporting that scammers are targeting the community using jury duty as the bait. The fraudulent callers claim to be the county clerk and tell individuals that they owe money for not appearing for jury duty. They tell victims that they must get a Green Dot gift card, read out the card information and meet the scammer in front of the justice center to get documents releasing them from claims or damages. If you receive a phone call related to jury duty that’s suspicious, call the Benton County Jury Department at 509-735-8388, ext. 3094.
Kennewick company wins $17.5 million school contract
Chervenell Construction of Kennewick has been selected to build a new elementary school in West Richland. The company’s winning bid of $17.51 million was the lowest of three bids submitted, according to the Richland School District. The district’s 11th elementary school
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will be built near the intersection of Belmont Boulevard and Sunshine Avenue across the street from the new Leona Libby Middle School. Work will begin in late April. The district will use this new 65,000-square-foot school during the 2019-20 year to house Tapteal Elementary School students while Tapteal is replaced. In 2020-21, the district will use it to house Badger Mountain Elementary School students while their school is replaced. District residents approved a $99 million bond for the new elementary school and nine other projects in 2017.
Hanford cleanup tour registration begins this April
The U.S. Department of Energy has opened online registration for the 2018 Hanford cleanup tour program at hanford. gov. The public tour provides participants with an in-depth look at several key projects that support the cleanup effort and includes briefings on several Hanford facilities supporting the cleanup mission. Tour participants must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Government-issued photo identification is required and must be presented when arriving for the tour. All seats are filled on a first-come, firstserve basis through the online registration system. The free tours begin at 8 a.m. on the following days and last about fourand-a-half hours: May 8, 10, 30 and 31; June 5, 7, 13, 19, 21 and 27; July 10, 12, 18, 24 and 26; August 7, 9, 15, 21 and 23.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-City’s indie film industry heralding recent surge of growth BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The cameras are rolling on the sets of a growing community of filmmakers shooting their productions right here in TriCities. Randy LaBarge, a Kennewick-based screenwriter and producer, said rapid advancements in the microminiaturization of technology has led to a surge in independently produced films. “With the availability of equipment, (movies) can be done really cheap today,” he said. “(It’s) taken it out of the hands of Hollywood and into the hands of aspiring filmmakers.” Moviemaking isn’t new to the TriCities—hobby groups have come and gone over the past couple of decades. And for the past 10 years, the Tri-Cities has hosted the Tri-Cities International Film Festival, known as TRIFI. “It’s the best kept secret of Tri-Cities,” said Nat Saenz, a Richland-based director and TRIFI organizer. Formed by a merging of the annual RadCon Fan Film and Columbia Basin Video festivals in 2008, last year TRIFI received 206 film submissions with budgets of up to $500,000 from 26 countries. Entries for this year’s festival — set for Oct. 12-14 at the Uptown Theatre in Richland — are already on track to surpass last year’s numbers, said Bryan McGlothlin, a Richland-based director, TRIFI board member and owner of River Road Media production company.
The scene is set at Hunt & Gather Antiques in Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center, which served as one of the sets for 2047 Productions’ “Strowger’s Revenge,” currently in production. Tri-City filmmakers say they generally find local business owners and other community members open to the opportunity to help out when asked.
The organization is using a local public relations group for the first time to manage advertising. “Our goal is to make TRIFI one of the top four film festivals in the Northwest,” Saenz said. LaBarge, McGlothlin and Saenz agreed that the Tri-City moviemaking industry really started to gain momentum in the past two years. McGlothlin said part of the uptick in activity can be attributed to the introduction of TRIFI’s 72-hour film challenge. Participants have just one weekend to make a short film. All writing, shooting and
editing must be completed the weekend before the festival. For this year’s competition, the clock starts the evening of Oct. 4 and ends Oct. 7. The goal is to put the focus on quick decisions and decisive shooting and also forces some to “just shoot it.” McGlothlin, who has taught the course, Acting for the Camera, at Columbia Basin College for the past seven to eight years said, “There hasn’t been as much enthusiasm (in the course) until the past two or three years.” He said it’s blossomed as more people got involved in the TRIFI competition.
“People realized, ‘Wow, I can make a movie,’ ” he said. McGlothlin won the 2016 72-hour film challenge with the help of one of his students, Ethan Schotz, on their short film, “11th Commandment.” It was their first year participating. This year, there will be separate brackets for films produced by high school students and younger, and another for all other entries. The top two finishing films will be shown at TRIFI. TRIFI also strives to bring in at least one Hollywood professional who’s worked on a big-name production to the festival. Several people who once worked in Hollywood have since relocated to the TriCities, and some are involved in the local filmmaking community, Saenz said. Though McGlothlin has been involved in theater for a large part of his life, many of the people involved in the Tri-City film community are retirees pursuing their passions. LaBarge and Saenz met at Battelle. LaBarge said he’d always felt writing was his thing. “When I retired, I decided I was going to do what I wanted to do,” he said. He is now a full-time screenwriter. Saenz said he’d always loved film. “I’ve always been the videographer… But it’s hard when you’re working full time,” he said. “The film community is my passion now.” The average cost of making a short film in Tri-Cities is $500 to $1,000, according to LaBarge, McGlothlin and Saenz. uFILM, Page 19
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Datebook
Visit tcjournal.biz and click on Event Calendar for more events
APRIL 17
• Senior Times Expo: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Visit: srtimes.com. • Live United Awards Ceremony: 11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: unitedway-bfco.com. • Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber Networking Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP 509-542-0933.
APRIL 17 – 18
• Safety Connect 2018: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., TRAC, 6600 Burden Blvd., Pasco. Contact: expo@rl.gov.
APRIL 18
• Annual Administrative Professionals Event: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: adminprofessionalstc.org.
APRIL 19
• Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. RSVP: bridgingpartnerships. com.
• Community Lecture Series “First In: U.S. Green Berets in Vietnam, 1957:” 7 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive.
Chamber of Commerce, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite C, Kennewick. RSVP: 509-736-0510.
April 20
• Sunrise Rotary Scholarship Golf Tournament: 1 p.m., Canyon Lakes Golf Course, 3700 W. Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick.
• Hope Changes Everything, benefiting Rebuilding Mid-Columbia: 6 – 9 p.m., M Hotel, 1515 George Washington Way, Richland. Tickets: 509-4204854.
APRIL 21
• Patriot Show and Shine: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Liberty Christian School, 2200 Williams Blvd., Richland. • Lights, Camera, Auction! benefiting Therapeutic Riding of the Tri-Cities: 6 p.m., Uptown Theatre, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Tickets: trot3cities.org.
APRIL 25
• Tri-City Regional Chamber membership luncheon: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: 509-736-0510.
APRIL 26
• Business Development University “Insurance Options & Risk Management” 8 – 10 a.m., Tri-City Regional
APRIL 27
APRIL 28
• Moving Beyond Cancer to Wellness conference: 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., TriCities Cancer Center, 7350 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick. Register: fredhutch.org/mbctw-TCCC. • Denim & Diamonds Auction, benefiting Liberty Christian School: 5 – 10 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Tickets: auction. libertychristian.net. • HeART of Healing, benefiting Cork’s Place: 6 – 9 p.m., At Michele’s Event Center, 2323 Henderson Loop, Richland. Tickets: chaplaincyhealthcare.org.
MAY 1
• Prosser Chamber Membership Luncheon: noon – 1 p.m., Jeremy’s 1896 Public House, 1232 Wine Country Road, Prosser. RSVP: 509-786-3177.
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• You Medical Fundraising Banquet: 5:30 – 9 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: youmedical.org/ banquet.
May 2
• National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association lunch meeting: 11:30 a.m., Red Lion Hotel, 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. Visit narfe1192.org. • West Richland Chamber Networking Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. RSVP: 509-9670521. • TRIDEC Member Investor Luncheon: noon – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. RSVP: 509-7351000.
MAY 3
• Clore Classic Golf Tournament: noon, Canyon Lakes Golf Course, 3700 W. Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick. Tickets: theclorecenter.org.
MAY 4
• Cinco de Mayo Kids Haven Auction, benefiting
the Kids Haven program at SARC: 6 – 9 p.m., Holiday Inn Express, 4525 Convention Place, Pasco. Tickets: 509-374-5391. • The Derby, benefiting The Children’s Reading Foundation of the MidColumbia: 7 – 10 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: 509-222-7323.
MAY 12
• Run for Ribbons: 8:30 a.m., Howard Amon Park, Richland. Register: runforribbons.com. • POPP Fur Ball, benefiting Pet Overpopulation Prevention: 5 – 11 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: popptri-cities.org. • Asparagus Fest & Brews: 5 – 10 p.m., Middleton Six Sons Farms, 1050 Pasco-Kahlotus Road, Pasco. Visit: pascochamber. org.
MAY 14
• Pasco Chamber membership luncheon: 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: 509-547-9755.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
BOOST, From page 4 Crook and Lippes also are focused on bringing nightlife back to The Parkway, as well as experiential businesses, like Greenies, which sells and rents paddleboards, kayaks and bikes. They believe this would help to create a destination for people to gather. “We want character. We don’t want another Wall Street-financed chain destroying individual and family-owned businesses landing in our Tri-Cities. That’s what lands here and some of us have to stand up and do what Porter’s Real Barbecue has done and what Frost Me Sweet has done and provide environments for humanity instead of money. This is about character and culture,” Lippes said. Despite the activity in and around The Parkway, Boost Builds is not focused sole-
ly on Richland. “We also believe it’s time to look for opportunities to renovate, enhance, improve upon what’s here already,” Crook said. “At this point one of our biggest challenges is being disciplined about what we take on because we’ve got a lot going on right now.” The men speak with pride of their past work on the student housing project completed at CBC, describing a growing movement within community colleges to take on student housing that’s overlooked by companies generally building housing at large universities. They believe creating affordable, modern housing for local students provides one more opportunity for their future success. “The education provided by community colleges is the catalyst to elevate students
from one socioeconomic class to another,” Lippes said. “Kids who go to a university, they generally are reaching the educational level reached by one or both of their parents. That is not true of community college. So community colleges are really these socioeconomic game changers, which is really exciting.” That excitement includes the targeted effort to urbanize a suburban community, as a means of improving the overall quality of life. “John and I look at each other and say, ‘We want to improve the environment in which we live, in which our families live,’ ” Lippes said. “We think there’s a lot of demand from others who think like us, so it’s a matter of what we can do in the local market to build a community we want to live in.”
Boost is also encouraged by Richland’s plans to move City Hall and the George Washington Way fire station, which will allow for a new entry to Howard Amon Park and attract more people to this area of the city. “Things are happening here and we’re excited to be a part of it,” Crook said. They believe the Tri-Cities’ history as a federally-driven economy has stalled past opportunities for growth, but the time has come to invest and improve the Tri-Cities as other communities have done. “Someone has to drive it. Redevelopment is hard work. It’s expensive work. And with the cities’ help and people who, on the private side, are driving it, it’s going to happen,” Lippes said. Information: boostbuilds.com; 723 The Parkway, Richland.
uBUSINESS BRIEFS Richland seeks volunteers for several groups
The Richland City Council is seeking residents to serve on the following committees: • Code Enforcement Board: Applicants must be Richland residents. The appointment is for two years. Position is open until filled. The board meets at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. • Economic Development Committee: Applicants with expertise and experience in various professional disciplines and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. The board meets at 4 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month. • Public Facilities District Board Pos. 1: Interested parties must submit an application, résumé and letter of recommendation from a local organization. The board meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. For more information, call 509-9427388 or go to ci.richland.wa.us/bcc.
Pasco gets high marks as a retirement city in ’17 survey
Pasco’s rating as a good place to retire hit an all-time high, according to results of a biennial survey of Pasco residents in 2017. The citizen survey has been conducted since 2005 through the National Research Center in Colorado. The overall quality of life also was rated higher. Citizens gave positive feedback in the areas of employment, health care, fitness and education, as well as its openness and acceptance in the community. Confidence in law enforcement and city government also saw an increase. Winter turns on the gloom with residents giving the city lower marks for snow removal compared to the last survey in 2015. Pasco also recently topped the list of best places to relocate in the U.S. MoveBuddha.com ranked Pasco as the No. 11 most popular mid-size city in the U.S. to move to. It also was named the most popular mid-size city destination in the Washington. MoveBuddha.com is a moving assistance website that provides tools for those relocating.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Quilt a labor of love for Richland woman to support home repair projects BY KRISTINA LORD
editor@tcjournal.biz
A Richland woman will never forget the day she finished the quilt she spent months designing, sewing and making. It was the morning her 92-year-old mother died. Leslie Kelly started planning the kingsize quilt nearly a year before as a donation to Rebuilding Mid-Columbia. The nonprofit built a wheelchair ramp for Kelly’s mother, Isa “Dee” Lynch, that significantly improved the quality of her life. Rebuilding Mid-Columbia offers free housing repairs to low-income homeowners, with an emphasis on helping single parents, the elderly and disabled, and veterans. When the ramp was “finished that first day, we were in tears,” Kelly said. “What they did made the last year of her life so much better than it would have been,” she said. Kelly applied to receive assistance from Rebuilding Mid-Columbia for her mother on Easter Sunday last year. She didn’t have to wait long before receiving a call from the group to assess what was needed at Lynch’s Richland home. They visited her house the next day. “God just lined everything up for us. We never expected results that fast,” Kelly said. Having the ramp was critical to get Lynch, who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, safely in and out of her home.
Leslie Kelly of Richland holds up the quilt she donated to Rebuilding MidColumbia for its third annual fundraiser on April 20 in Richland. Money raised through the raffle of the blanket will be used to assist Rebuilding MidColumbia’s mission of offering free housing repairs to low-income homeowners. The nonprofit built a wheelchair ramp for Kelly’s elderly mother last year.
“She had gotten to the point where she couldn’t get out of the house. She fell twice on the two steps at the front door,” Kelly said. “I didn’t even like her walking with a walker because she’d be walking with it and suddenly she’d fall over backward. Her balance was greatly compromised.” When volunteers came to build the ramp, they asked how else they could help out around the house. Kelly asked if they’d play cards with her mother. “They sat around that table all afternoon and they played,” she said with a smile. “I
always told Mom that when death came around, she’d say, “ ‘One more hand.’ ” The family was grateful for the work and sought to find a way to say thank you. “I wanted to do something for Rebuilding Mid-Columbia simply because it was such a life-changing thing for us. I couldn’t afford to donate toward them,” Kelly said. That’s where the quilt comes in. Kelly spotted a quilt design featuring a pattern with small houses in a magazine. She instantly knew it would be perfect for Rebuilding Mid-Columbia. The agency is selling raffle tickets for
$25 apiece for the quilt as part of its third annual fundraiser, planned for April 20. “It’s an organization that people don’t know enough about,” Kelly said. Kelly said she sought her mother’s advice on the quilting project because she had a keen eye for colors and patterns. She said it was her mother’s idea to switch the planned floral border for a green one. The quilt proved challenging as Kelly made a mistake and had to redesign it. She also had to search for extra matching fabric for the green border. Luckily, a quilting friend came to the rescue, she said. The 12 applique flowers took six to eight hours apiece and were the hardest part of the project. Her mother loved the quilt, Kelly said. Kelly put the last stitch into its binding before her mother died on Feb. 16. “She was able to see it before she died — she knew it was finished,” Kelly said.
Rebuilding Mid-Columbia fundraiser dinner, auction
Raffle tickets for the quilt are $25 apiece. Rebuilding Mid-Columbia aims to raise $700 from ticket sales before pulling a winning ticket for the blanket. The annual fundraiser is at 6 p.m. April 20 at the M Hotel and Conference Center, 1515 George Washington Way, Richland. Cost to attend is $35 before April 15 and includes dinner, and hard cider by D’s Wicked Cider. Tickets at the door are $50. uREBUILDING, Page 10
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
REBUILDING, From page 9 This year’s event theme is “Hope changes everything.” “We chose it because every family we have served, every single one of them, their hope for their future and their community has been restored. We felt it was very fitting,” said Crystal Carter, executive director of the nonprofit. The fledgling organization, which has been operating for 18 months, has served 56 families to date on a shoestring $140,000 annual budget. Carter said she hopes to raise $40,000 at the April fundraiser. Rebuilding Mid-Columbia tackles plumbing, flooring and roof repairs, and installs wheelchair ramps. Each home repair project costs about $2,500. This year’s Leadership Tri-Cities class
teamed up with Rebuilding Mid-Columbia for its community service project. The leadership program aims to assemble, develop and educate a diverse group of skilled leaders to be catalysts for positive change. Bob Nelson, president of Leadership Tri-Cities Class 23, said his class considered several nonprofits for its community service project and chose Rebuilding MidColumbia for a variety of reasons. “We were looking for a new organization to help lift up and take to the next level. With Rebuilding Mid-Columbia, we felt we’d have the greatest impact with the skill set we have and determined we could have the greatest community impact by partnering with them. We were impressed by their organization and appreciated that they have taken the difficult path to not
affiliate with a national organization to ensure all proceeds stay within our community,” Nelson said. The leadership class collected more than $16,000 in donations for Rebuilding MidColumbia’s silent auction. Auction item highlights include a sevenday trip for two to Africa; a fishing trip for four; golf passes; skin care packages; wine, beer and restaurant gift certificates; heating, electrical and plumbing services; yearlong cleaning services, among many others. Tickets for the event and quilt raffle may be purchased at rebuildingmc.org. “It should be a lot of fun and by coming out and supporting this event, you are drastically impacting the lives of your neighbors,” Carter said.
RADIOLOGY, From page 1 CBI’s sub-specialized and general radiologists provide professional interpretations for patients of Kadlec Regional Medical Center, free-standing emergency departments, urgent care clinics and physician offices. The growing practice expects to interpret close to 300,000 studies, or imaging results, by the end of the year and expects this number to grow by 10 percent in 2019, Nguyen said. Last year, the group interpreted 250,000 studies. “Part of the reason we wanted to merge with Inland is because they’re a bigger group. This move facilitates patient care in Eastern Washington as Inland has a lot of contracts and operations throughout Eastern Washington,” Nguyen said. “We heard the siren call from our local clinicians here in the Tri-Cities. They wanted their studies to be read at the sub-specialist level, which was going to be a challenge with 12 radiologists,” he said. Physicians who have sub-specialities in radiology means they receive special training and are experts in acquiring and interpreting images for specific body parts. Nguyen said the merger means patients will have more peace of mind knowing their radiologists have specialized training, calling it “an immediate benefit for patients.” Inland Imaging has been operating in Spokane since 1930. The organization’s board-certified radiologists serve outpatient imaging centers, urban and rural medical centers, hospitals, clinics and private practices in western, central and eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. “By expanding our geographic footprint to more closely match that of our important health system partner, we are able to generate more effective ways to deliver services,” said Inland Imaging CEO Steve Duvoisin in a statement. “It allows us to see the region’s health care resources in a more global and holistic way. That broader point of view helps us imagine new ways to raise our quality and efficiency while holding down costs by serving more patients around the region.” Nguyen said Inland Imaging’s “business know-how” is another benefit of the merger as the group navigates reimbursement challenges related to the Affordable Care Act. Combining the two groups allows a better connection to the region’s medical imaging technology, expertise and resources to improve the way patients are served, said Dr. Jayson Brower, president of Inland Imaging, in a statement. “The ultimate winner is the patient,” he said. In addition, Inland Imaging’s radiologists own Inland Imaging Business Associates, a company that provides various radiology business and IT services to clients throughout the Northwest.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Sustainability
11
Backyard chicken coop tour eggs on wannabe beak owners
Tour De Coop event on April 21 offers scoop on a dozen coops BY ROBIN WOJTANIK
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Annette Pederson scooped up the fluffy yellow chicks that had just arrived at Kennewick’s Basin Feed and Supply to start her first foray into raising chickens. “I’m looking forward to fresh eggs, recycling all my food scraps, bug control and fertilizer,” the West Richland woman said. She’s also giddy for what she calls, “chicken TV,” or the entertainment provided by her future hens. “I just like to listen to them,” she said, explaining she built a chicken coop from hay panels, which she described as a “chicken RV” that she can pull around. People like Pederson are the new flock of chicken owners Chris Albertson hopes to inspire through the upcoming Tour De Coop event, planned for April 21. It’s sort of an open house of backyard chicken coops. Participants are encouraged to bike between the different loca-
tions — there’s 12 in all, an increase over the seven on the tour in its inaugural year. “They can see what I’ve got going on, see what 11 other people have got going on, ask questions, and feel a little more confident when they’re getting chickens,” Albertson said. He hopes to demystify the process, finding that many people are intimidated by the idea of raising a pet they’ve never owned. “Some people, when they think about chickens, they get all freaked out, like it’s so much work,” Albertson said. “But this is nothing compared to having a dog or a cat.” Albertson began raising his own backyard chickens about a decade ago. “I love seeing chickens running around and picking bugs. It’s so therapeutic,” he said. He’s had his current set-up in Richland for about three years, where he keeps a small menagerie. “Every animal I have has a purpose. The bunnies poop in the
Chris Albertson of Richland is a backyard chicken enthusiast who hopes to inspire a new flock of chicken owners to take up the hobby during an April 21 event called Tour De Coop. Participants can tour a dozen backyard coops and ask owners questions about raising chickens during the event.
same spot and I take that poop, which is super-high in nitrogen, and it’s like putting steroids in your plants. They do all the work for me,” he said. Despite working full time as a math teacher at Richland High School,
Albertson has a goal of providing all produce for his family from a home garden, with the exception of fruits and vegetables that can’t be grown successfully in the Tri-Cities. uCHICKENS, Page 15
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Sustainability
Chaplaincy opens second thrift store in Richland Uptown BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz
The successful launch of Chaplaincy Health Care’s new thrift store in Kennewick last year prompted the opening of a second store in Richland. The nonprofit, which provides hospice, palliative and grief care and behavioral health services, opened a second thrift store — also called Repeat Boutique — in the Richland Uptown Shopping Center in March. It’s next door to Octopus’ Garden. “The success of our first thrift store completely exceeded our expectations. A location in Richland will help us reach more shoppers and more people who want to donate their items to support a great cause — hospice,” said Gary Castillo, executive director of Chaplaincy, in a statement. Revenue from sales is used to enhance and support hospice services, both inhome and at the Hospice House in Kennewick. Rita Leach, the Richland store manager, already knows the shop will be successful. “The day we opened we had people waiting for the doors to open. It was a steady flow all day,” she said. Leach and her husband Bill had been volunteering at the Kennewick store since June. The Leaches owned The Bunker, a military surplus store in Richland, for two years, making them well suited to
Store manager Rita Leach sits among the furniture for sale at the new Repeat Boutique thrift store in the Richland Uptown Shopping Center. Revenue from sales is used to enhance and support Chaplaincy Health Care hospice services, both in-home and at the Hospice House in Kennewick.
running the shop, said Leslie Streeter, Chaplaincy’s director of business development and operations. “They have a ton of retail experience,” she said. The new store is brightly lit and well organized. The property owner added new flooring before it opened on March 22, Rita Leach said. Donations of shelving and cabinetry came from the Kennewick Hallmark store, which closed in January, Streeter said.
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Furniture is a popular item at the downtown Kennewick Repeat Boutique, which opened in March last year at 22 W. Kennewick Ave. “There are some days at the Kennewick store where we will get a dining set in through the back door and set it on the floor. It’s not even priced yet and someone will ask, ‘Is that for sale?’ ” Streeter said, adding these kinds of quick deals occur regularly. Many of the store’s donations come from families served by Chaplaincy
after their loved one dies. Adult children, who already have established households, often don’t know what to do with their deceased family members’ belongings, so they turn to the Repeat Boutique, Streeter said. The Richland store will feature the same kind of merchandise as in Kennewick: gently used clothing and accessories for men and women; household items; furniture, home décor and more. The Kennewick store still has a few gowns leftover from the original allotment donated by now shuttered Purple Parasol, which used to occupy the storefront, as well as donated evening and prom dresses. “We’ve got a good size formal wear section,” Streeter said. Some formal wear also is available at the Richland store. Both Repeat Boutique locations are staffed by volunteers and one full-time employee. About 45 volunteers work in Kennewick, and the Richland store needs more, as there are currently about 20. “The volunteers make the store what it is. They are so dedicated and they don’t miss a shift. They are amazing,” Streeter said. Interested volunteers may call 509783-7416 or ask for a volunteer application at either store. The Richland store’s shopping and donation hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Sustainability
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Richland hotel caters to travelers seeking more sustainable amenities Hilton Home2 Suites focuses on eco-friendly options throughout facility BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Richland’s new Hilton Home2 Suites appeals to travelers’ increasing environmental consciousness and desire for more sustainable amenities. The Queensgate area hotel’s sales manager, Berenice Trevino, said she’s interacted with guests who specifically seek out Home2 Suites for this reason and said hotel reviews often mention the green amenities. “We’re one of the only sustainable hotels in our region,” she said. Home2 Suites was Hilton’s first new brand in 20 years when it was introduced in 2009. Berenice Trevino “Hilton started with this brand to try to push forward and catch up with the times,” Trevino said, adding that the company is using the concept as a flagship to guide the evolution of its other brands. Born and raised in Pasco, Trevino sees Home2 Suites as a “fresh, new innovative addition to the Tri-Cities.” The pet-friendly Richland Home2 Suites represented the debut of the brand in Eastern Washington when it opened in February 2017. Trevino and her team predominantly serve Hanford contractors and medical personnel traveling to the area for work. Hilton operates 264 Home2 Suites franchises across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with a total of four locations in Washington state. The other three locations are along the Interstate 5 corridor. “A ton more are being built,” Trevino said. “It’s kind of the thing to do if you’re a Hilton franchisee; (Home2 Suites hotels) are simpler to construct and maintain.” She went on to explain how the Home2 Suites brand aesthetic is more scaled back, minimalistic and modern. “It’s a little more simplified … there’s not a lot of bulk in the rooms,” she said. “Almost every square inch of the hotel rooms and public spaces aid that sustainable program.” She said some of the carpeting, wallpaper and cabinetry in the rooms are made of recycled materials, and all of the suites’ kitchenettes are stocked with reusable ceramic dishes, glasses and cutlery visitors would find in their own home. Recycling bins also are provided in each room. Dual flushing toilets provide opportunities to save water, and bulk shower gel and shampoo dispensers are mounted in the showers to reduce the amount of plastic waste generated from travel size containers usually provided in hotels, though these are available upon request.
Trevino said one of Hilton’s longest standing sustainability programs is the company’s involvement in the “Clean the World Act,” through which Hilton recycles used and unused travel-size soaps left behind by guests. Once a month, Hilton’s hotel branches send what they’ve collected to the Clean the World organization, which filters and removes all debris from the donated soap, then transforms it into new bars to be distributed to people in Third World countries. Trevino said Clean the World’s work has contributed to the reduction of mortality rates in these countries by a huge margin by providing access to hygiene and regular handwashing, practices which help reduce the threat of disease-causing bacteria. “I really appreciate (Hilton’s) standards and what they’re doing to not just be a building somewhere where people stay. It really means a lot to the community and the environment,” Trevino said. In the breakfast area, guests dine on ceramic dishes and use silverware. Though the napkins are paper, they are made out of recycled fibers. The coffee and tea station is stocked with ceramic mugs, and to-go cups made from recycled material are available. Home2 Suites also focuses on offering
Richland Home2 Suites by Hilton, an extended stay hotel, offers a sleek, modern atmosphere and décor using recycled materials. Sustainable business practices are integrated into everyday hotel services and amenities.
products which come in mostly recyclable packaging or are made from recycled materials. Home2 Suites also has shifted toward digital room keys. Guests can access their room using their phone, instead of a plastic card key, though cards still are available. Guests also can opt for electronic receipts when paying for their stay. The hotel also has extended its sustainability program to its pool and spa areas, which are saline, as opposed to relying solely on chlorination. As Trevino explained, not only is this easier on the environment, but easier on guests. “It’s not going to dry out your skin …
you can open your eyes underwater and it’s not going to burn,” she said. Trevino said Hilton continues to refine its sustainable hotel concept. The hotel developer recently launched a new brand, Tru, which also will offer an extensive sustainability program. Geared more toward nightly bookings and the millennial traveler, Trevino said Tru is even more scaled back than Home2 Suites. “It’s very simple,” she said. “They’re going to have really small staffs and less rooms in the hotel.” uHOME2 SUITES, Page 14
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Sustainability
Moving toward sustainability at work or home begins with one step BY GAIL EVERETT
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
All this talk about sustainability only widens the gap between those who get it and those who are too overwhelmed to start. In general, being sustainable means doing your best to avoid the depletion of our natural resources and reducing your adverse impact by being careful stewards of the resources you are using for the next generation. So, a definition of a sustainable business, or green business, is one that has minimal negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society or economy — a business that strives to
meet the triple bottom line (social, environmental and financial). So, no matter how big or small your business is, as a communityminded business, you should Gail Everett Go Green Tri-Cities start somewhere. Starting small is a shoe everyone can wear. Begin with these steps: Water conservation: Fix drips and leaks, replace outdated aerators, sprinklers and other water using equipment with
more efficient models. Solid waste reduction: Take a look inside your garbage can. What are you throwing away that could be reused or recycled? Rethink your purchases and seriously evaluate the frequency or size of your container to save money. If your city offers curbside recycling, sign up for it. Energy conservation: Switch now to LED lighting. Activate the sleep mode on computers and turn off all computers, monitors and printers at night. The next step would be to dig a little deeper. You can perform a self-audit, ask employees for help, form a green team or hire a professional. This process allows you to actually pause and look at your entire operations to explore sustainable Paid Advertising
What should investors know about volatility? www.edwardjones.com
uBUSINESS BRIEF
As you may have heard, the stock market has been on a wild ride lately. What’s behind this volatility? And, as an investor, how concerned should you be? Let’s look at the first question first. What caused the steep drop in stock prices we experienced on a few separate days? Essentially, two main factors seem to be responsible. First, some good economic news may actually have played a significant role. A 17-year low in unemployment and solid job growth have begun to push wages upward. These developments have led to fears of rising inflation, which, in turn, led to speculation that the Federal Reserve will tighten the money supply at a faster-than-expected rate. Stocks reacted negatively to these expectations of
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alternatives. There are many benefits of going green: environmental stewardship, conservation and saving money, to name a few. You will see an increase in employee satisfaction, which in turn attracts and keeps good employees. The end result is an increase in customers and improved image by showing commitment and responsibility to the community in which you do business and/or live. April is Earth Month, the beginning of spring and basically, a new year. It’s the perfect time to start. For more information, visit Go Green Tri-Cities, a volunteer effort that highlights green businesses, organizations, resources and events in the Tri-Cities, at gogreentricities.org. Gail Everett is a Tri-City environmental educator and member of Go Green TriCities.
higher interest rates. The second cause of the market volatility appears to be simply a reaction to the long bull market. While rising stock prices lead many people to continue buying more and more shares, some people actually need to sell their stocks – and this pent-up selling demand, combined with short-term profit-taking, helped contribute to the large sell-offs of recent days.
Now, as for the question of how concerned you should be about this volatility, consider these points: • Sell-offs are nothing unusual. We’ve often experienced big sell-offs, but they’ve generally been followed with strong recoveries. Of course, past performance is not a guarantee of future results, but history has shown that patient, persistent investors have often been rewarded.
Corps awards contract to replace dam turbines
The Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District awarded a more than $321 million contract to Alstom Renewable US LLC of Colorado to design, manufacture and install 14 turbines at McNary Lock and Dam, replacing old ones. McNary Dam was commissioned in 1954 and the 14 main unit turbines at the powerhouse have been in operation for more than 62 years. The project to replace them will take seven years. McNary Dam near Umatilla provides power for 686,000 homes when it is operating at full capacity.
• Fundamentals are strong. While short-term market movements can be caused by a variety of factors, economic conditions and corporate earnings typically drive performance in the long term. Right now, the U.S. economy is near full employment, consumer and business sentiment has risen strongly, manufacturing and service activity is at multi-year highs, and GDP growth in 2018 appears to be on track for the best performance since 2015. Furthermore, corporate earnings are expected to rise this year. So, given this background, what’s your next move? Here are some suggestions: • Review your situation. You may want to work with a financial professional to evaluate your portfolio to determine if it is helping you make the progress you need to eventually achieve your long-term goals. • Reassess your risk tolerance. If you were unusually upset over the loss in value of your investments during the market pullback, you may need to review your risk tolerance to determine if it’s still appropriate for your investment mix. If you feel you are taking on too much risk, you may need to rebalance your portfolio. Keep in mind, though, that by “playing it safe” and investing heavily in vehicles that offer greater protection of principal, but little in the way of return, you run the risk of not attaining the growth you need to reach your objectives. • Look for opportunities. A market pullback such as the one we’ve experienced, which occurs during a period of economic expansion and rising corporate profits, can give long-term investors a chance to add new shares at attractive prices in an environment that may be conducive to a market rally. A sharp market pullback, such as we’ve seen recently, will always be big news. But if you look beyond the headlines, you can sometimes see a different picture – and one that may be brighter than you had realized. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
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HOME2 SUITES, From page 13 Trevino said Hilton also is considering combining the two complementary brands at some locations, such as attaching a Tru hotel to a Home2 Suites. A lot of sustainable business practices don’t cost more to implement, but rather save money in both the shortand long-term, said Trevino, who added that even little things make a difference. “Going paperless is huge,” she said. “And unsubscribing from physical mailings.” Trevino said Hilton is working on going paperless across all of its brands. She also cited that a reduction in the use of plastics and disposables can have a major effect on a company’s bottom line, saving on the high cost of waste disposal. Commercial curbside recycling in Richland doesn’t cost that much more to add on, she said. “You can’t do worse; you can only do better by being sustainable,” Trevino said. Information: home2suites3.hilton. com, 509-460-4040, or 2861 Lincoln Landing, Richland.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Sustainability CHICKENS, From page 11 His expansive garden covers much of his property and a homemade greenhouse shelters the lettuce that grows year round. He estimates he spends about five hours a week watering, weeding and harvesting his home garden. “People think eating healthy is expensive, but if you have your own garden, it’s a little bit of work that’s worth it,” he said. Albertson is keenly interested in lowering his carbon footprint and environmental impact to the earth. “I’ve always tried to be mindful in everything I do, and try not to be wasteful. If I know where all my food is, that’s organic. At the store, it cracks me up when people buy organic. I imagine someone laughing as they put an organic stamp on it. The only true organic comes from your yard,” he said. A Portland transplant, Albertson said he has seen a recent increase in interest from people in the Tri-Cities who are concerned about their personal impact on the earth or where their food comes from. “When we first moved here, I felt like the Tri-Cities wasn’t quite ready for (Tour De Coop), but in the last three years I felt like it’s the right time,” he said. The tour is one of six annual events hosted by the group, Runners of the Sage. The event is part of its Run for Mindful Living series, which included a 5K in early April coinciding with the last frost, to inspire the planting of this season’s crops and gardens. Basin Feed and Supply held its annual chick day in March, an event that draws
a crowd wanting to hold baby chicks, ducks and turkeys. All the fuzzy poultry is for sale. Cashier Jessica Carroll said the most popular sellers are the Ameraucana chicks which lay a pale blue or light greenish egg. Rhode Island Reds also are a popular variety and known for being terrific layers, but they tend to be aggressive. Carroll said customers also snatch up the Buff Orpingtons as soon as they’re in stock because the birds can be used for eggs and meat. While the idea of raising a turkey for an organic Thanksgiving dinner might sound doable, Carroll informs novices that “turkeys are vicious” and not all birds are ideal for every backyard environment. She recommended starting with one species to get experience before determining whether it’s feasible to add in others. The start-up costs for raising chicks can vary, but a good estimate can be about $50. This would include a feeder, waterer, heat lamp, bulb, probiotics and chicks, which run about $2 to $3 each for the most common breeds. This doesn’t include the cost of a container, since many people repurpose a plastic storage tub or other bin to hold the chicks for the first eight weeks, or until their feathers come in. Chicks can’t maintain their own body heat, which is why a heat lamp is necessary in a closely-contained environment. Pederson intended to use a former horse trough to hold her chicks. The set-up cost estimate doesn’t include a coop, which can range in price.
Albertson built his own coop using pallets and re-used materials from Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. Pre-made coops can run in the thousands. Carroll said some people opt out of providing their hens a coop at all, which results in chickens laying eggs wherever they choose. “You could search for your eggs every day. It’s like Easter all year long,” she said. Albertson estimates he spends about $60 a year on chicken feed. In return, he gets about one egg a day from March to October. During the colder months, his chickens usually lay one egg every three days.
Tri-City chicken laws
Before starting any kind of backyard chicken set-up, it’s important to check your city’s ordinances on owning chickens. Richland and West Richland allow up to five chickens in some parts of the city, but these count toward an overall limit on pets, so owners need to factor in the number of dogs or cats already on the property. It’s a similar story in Kennewick and Pasco, where residents can own up to three chickens, but each has a limit on the overall number of pets, with the cities categorizing chickens as pets. West Richland is the only one of the four cities to allow roosters. A rooster often results in better egg production from the hens, but cities usually ban them due to the noise they make. Chicks are sexed at the hatchery and considered to be 90 percent accurate. If
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you inadvertently end up with an unwanted rooster, Basin Feed will supply you with the number for a butcher or suggests posting the rooster on Craig’s List, where people are often looking for one to eat or own. Neighborhoods covered by a homeowner’s association should check their covenants before setting up a backyard chicken coop. Some HOAs have more restrictive rules than the city they are located in.
Tour De Coop
Albertson invites the public to visit his coop, nicknamed “Urban Farm,” during the free, family-friendly tour from 9 a.m. to noon April 21. Other coops across Richland, West Richland, Pasco and Benton City feature creative names like, “Cluckingham Palace,” “Egg-spensive,” or “Best Little Hen House.” There’s a punch card that visitors can have stamped as they make each stop. Albertson said the event might inspire visitors to start their own urban farm. “Living a self-sustainable life is an easy recipe to happiness. Studies have shown you’re healthier and you live longer if you have animals. If everyone had their own chickens, we’d never have to have the trucks hauling the eggs, or all the chicken factories,” he said. Tour De Coop coincides with the observed events honoring Earth Day. A map of the tour and coop locations is at tourdecooptricities.com.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Tri-City’s first bridal bar opens in Kennewick this month BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
White Glove Weddings Bridal Bar will be rolling out the red carpet for an April 27 grand opening of the Tri-Cities’ first bridal bar — a community resource for wedding and event planning. Inside the newly renovated Kennewick storefront — which features white furniture and crystal chandeliers — couples will receive recommendations about local products and services to suit their individual needs. “My goal is to inspire the community and promote the existing market, all in one place,” said Alexandra RoseLee, owner of White Glove Weddings Bridal Bar. “White Glove Weddings Bridal Bar will be styled and managed to promote itself as a unique boutique, specifically targeting local clientele who have elevated expectations and to attract those celebrating a destination event locally.” She said the bridal bar “also aims to attract vendors to participate … who can consistently deliver the highest level of service, are experienced, established, reputable and have been personally vetted by me.” Clients will be able to sip wine at the bridal bar while discussing the vision for their event with RoseLee, who then will be able to direct them to the vendors best able to meet their needs. Vendors can join on a month-to-month or yearly basis. So far, more than 60 local businesses have signed on.
“No one is ever successful alone. It takes a community of entrepreneurs to support one another and collaborate to grow an industry,” RoseLee said. RoseLee intends the bridal bar to be a one-stop-shop for local wedding resources and also will be establishing a website for the previously uncharted Tri-Cities wedding and event industry. Currently, the Tri-Cities is not a standalone wedding destination on either The Knot or Wedding Wire, two of the biggest wedding planning websites in the world, she said. Tri-City vendors are lumped together with other cities, such as Seattle, Portland, Spokane, cities in Idaho and nearby Yakima and Walla Walla, making wedding research difficult for Tri-City couples, she said. As a result, RoseLee said the Tri-Cities is losing millions of dollars in local wedding business to other cities. “Why aren’t we having people come here for their weddings?” RoseLee said. “It is a ripple effect – if we can capture money here and expose our consumers to the talent and the resources that we actually do have here, it is better for our economy as a whole.” Weddings are a strong segment of the Tri-City region’s tourism industry, said Karisa Saywers, director of marketing for Visit Tri-Cities. “When a couple hosts their wedding at any one of the local venues, they’re bringing friends and family into the region,” Saywers said. “These visitors stay in hotels, dine in restaurants and perhaps fly in and
Alexandra RoseLee, owner of White Glove Weddings Bridal Bar, plans to provide a one-stop shop for Tri-City wedding vendors. Her new shop will celebrate a grand opening at 4:30 p.m. April 27 at 8901 W. Tucannon St., Suite 145, in Kennewick
out of the airport, all of which contribute to the more than $444 million visitors spend in the Tri-Cities region annually.” Wendy West, co-owner of Sash wedding rentals in Kennewick, said she thinks the bridal bar will be a great starting point since many couples don’t have a true sense of what their budget should be in relation to the cost of wedding goods and services. “A lot of people just want that easy button,” said West, who is a White Glove Weddings vendor. “I think Alexandra will offer that easy button. … I think it will help people tremendously.”
RoseLee plans to launch a website that includes a free directory of local wedding and event services. She added that the bridal bar will include only local purveyors of goods and services and venues, as opposed to big chains. “It’s important that we support our local businesses,” she said. She added that social media platforms such as Instagram (#wgweddings) and Facebook (@wgweddings) also will connect customers with local vendors and services. uWEDDINGS, Page 18
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEF Tickets on sale for Pasco Taco Crawl fundraiser
What’s better than eating tacos? Eating tacos for a good cause during the Pasco Taco Crawl. Buy a booklet of 20 taco vouchers for $20, then visit downtown Pasco to pick it up at Vinny’s Bakery, starting April 20. Participants then have 16 days to eat a taco at each of the 20 participating taco WEDDINGS, from page 17 “These advances in our social media presence will help facilitate growth in the bridal community and provide another access point to local Tri-Cities vendors,” she explained. But ultimately, RoseLee said, it’s going to take a paradigm shift on the part of the community to create a cohesive Tri-City wedding industry online. “We believe in community over competition,” RoseLee said. She said that’s part of the reason why 10 percent of what White Glove Weddings makes will benefit Safe Harbor Support Center and My Friends Place. She said there’s no set pricing standards for different levels of event services, and there’s no baseline threshold in the TriCities. “When you walk into the bridal bar, it’s not exclusion; I will have diversity within all of the offerings that we have, but the reality is that you are going to pay a fair price for quality products and services. I am going to set the record straight on standards,” she said. Population estimates indicate the TriCities will continue to grow and that means competition is going to continue to get stiffer, RoseLee said. “I encourage businesses—from an advertising standpoint—to brace for impact,” RoseLee said. “If you think what worked for you yesterday will work for you tomorrow, in regards to advertising and marketing yourselves, you’re probably going to become extinct.” RoseLee began her career as a wedding planner 16 years ago in San Diego with the establishment of White Glove Weddings and has coordinated some 500 weddings, including multimillion-dollar productions in exotic locations, she said. After moving to the Tri-Cities, RoseLee worked with vendors to encourage owners
A T M
trucks and restaurants. Take good tasting notes to vote for Best Taco in Pasco through May 4. The winner will be announced at the Downtown Pasco Development Authority’s Cinco de Mayo Festival on May 5. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. Buy tickets online at pascotacocrawl2018.brownpapertickets.com.
to offer a wider variety of options geared toward more elevated tastes. Though initially apprehensive, the owners agreed and have seen success, she said. “We’re very traditional here,” she said. “But the people (who) are coming here are a lot less traditional and are going to want to invest in services and products that are unique and different.” Experiences like that informed RoseLee’s decision to open White Glove Weddings in Tri-Cities, and now, the bridal bar, which will be open by appointment only, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. RoseLee said the 650-square-foot bridal bar will be used for free, private consultations with perspective clients, as well as provide space for partner vendors to advertise their wares and services and for meetings with clients. Elegant, carved white custom furniture from Dubai and crystal chandeliers, complemented by velvet damask-print, pearlescent wallpaper and other accents will decorate the suite. The total cost to renovate the retail space is $75,000. “Everything in the space is custom, really custom,” RoseLee said. “Everything was ordered with the intention to create a ‘wow’ factor. … I didn’t want any of this to be familiar. I didn’t want any of it to be ordinary. I wanted it to be a completely different experience because that’s really how luxury brands are making their money.” The April 27 grand opening and ribboncutting starts at 4:30 p.m. and features a vendor fair where bridal bar partners will provide samples, advertise their services and gain exposure. Information: wgweddings.com; 503310-2933; alexandra@wgweddings.com; 8901 W. Tucannon St., Suite 145, Kennewick.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Series of free classes set on business basics
Wallula feedlot to pay reduced state fine
Bring a brown bag dinner during a six-week series of sessions providing helpful tips, discussion, and networking with business owners, managers and employees on topics all businesses can benefit from. The free sessions, sponsored by the Prosser Chamber of Commerce and Historic Downtown Prosser, are all in Prosser. Here’s the schedule: • April 18: Cross Promotional Partnerships, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Shear Delite, 1215 Meade Ave # A. • April 25: Storefronts and Displays, 5:15-6:15 p.m., TRT Printed, 1120 Meade Ave. • May 2: Business Marketing on a Budget, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Princess Theatre, 1228 Meade Ave. • May 9: Customer Service 101, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Chapman Lampson Real Estate, 623 Sixth St. • May 16: Making the Most of Downtown Events, 5-8 p.m., Studio on Sixth Salon and Spa, 610 Sixth St. • May 23: Planning for Holidays and Seasons, 5:15-6:15 p.m., Northwest Community Foundation Gift Shop, 708 Sixth St.
Simplot Feeders LLP has agreed to pay a reduced state fine and invest in a project to reduce small-particle pollution at their beef cattle feedlot operation in Walla Walla County. The Washington Department of Ecology fined the company $50,000 in 2015 for failing to manage air pollution, including dust and dried manure, at its Wallula facility. Fine particles like dust can cause health problems for people who are exposed frequently and at high enough levels, the state agency said. Ecology reduced the amount to be paid to $35,000 as part of the settlement agreement. Also, Simplot agreed to pay $5,000 of the fine, and use the remainder to pay for a project to help improve air quality. The project includes paving a hightraffic area to significantly reduce dust from vehicles driving in and out of the facility. The settlement also requires Simplot to update the facility’s dust control plan to strengthen measures that prevent particle pollution. The plan calls for improved staff training, using water to control dust from roadways and cattle pens, and daily monitoring to determine if dust control practices need to be adjusted.
SURVEY, From page 3 In late May, 40-plus community stakeholders will convene for a two-day workshop with New Edge to discuss the survey findings. “I believe this is one of the most dynamic communities on the planet. It really is a blessing to live in a community where we have so many organizations, agencies and really sharp visionary leaders,” said Gregg McConnell, Regional Affairs Committee member and former publisher of the Tri-City Herald. Prior to the workshop, “New Edge is going to go back and review past reports and regional plans — all of the work done thus far. They’re going to review current strategic plans and projects,” Mattson said. “They’ll look at trends that are impacting our region in the next decade or so.” At the workshop, leaders and stakeholders will “hone the opportunities where we can collectively work as a region and try to grow,” Mattson said.
Dave Zabell, Pasco’s city manager, said the exciting aspect about the work is the collaboration of the cities and communities. “It’s all getting combined in this process,” he said. “Together, we really can create something wonderful and new for the TriCities. Something that we wouldn’t be able to do individually, but together we can accomplish it,” CBC President Rebekah Woods said. Sponsors of the project are Battelle, Bechtel, AECOM, New Edge and the regional chamber. “Additional fundraising is going to be ongoing to bring this project to the finish line,” McConnell said. Once the final project is determined, the group will go back to the community and look for leaders and champions “to roll up their sleeves and move the needle on these big-picture opportunities,” Mattson said. The survey is available through May 15 at mytri2030.com.
FILM, From page 6 “Most of it goes to food,” McGlothlin said. “Everyone is working for you for free, so you better feed them well. Most of the budget is spent on food and props.” Saenz said the film and theater communities have become closely intertwined over the years. “We do have the talent here,” he said. LaBarge said they put out open casting calls across three different area websites. “Every time we do a film, more people turn out,” he said. One factor that helps keep costs low for Tri-City filmmakers is there are minimal barriers to shooting in public settings. At present, no special permits are required, they said. “One of the most expensive things is locations … we can’t afford to build sets; it’s cost-prohibitive,” McGlothlin said. He added that it doesn’t hurt to check with the city or local police though, especially if scenes involve the use of public roadways. “We go to businesses and people’s houses and I’ve never had a business turn me away. It’s amazing how helpful the TriCities community is. … It’s a really wonderful community for shooting independent films,” McGlothlin said. Independent films rely heavily on the community network to source technical skills, labor, equipment and services to bring a movie to completion. “The film industry thrives on connections and interpersonal relationships,” LaBarge said. For his latest project, “Strowger’s Revenge,” a short film directed by Saenz, the production company, 2047 Productions,
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had to overcome several challenges. The subject of the film is a haunted telephone dating back to the late 1800s. The cost to buy an actual Strowger Candlestick phone would have cost almost $10,000, and renting one would still have cost up to $1,000 per day—well outside the film’s budget. But one of the crew members had a 3D printer and was able to produce three replica phones for a fraction of the cost. “Strowger’s Revenge” also required the use of a green screen to incorporate some ghostly apparitions during key scenes. Another member of the crew, longtime KVEW-TV cameraman Scott Armstrong, runs a photography studio out of his converted garage and was able to capture this footage. “Filmmaking is the greatest collaborative effort,” LaBarge said. “It takes all of these people with their specialties to create something that no one person could create.” 2047 Productions plans to have the final cut of “Strowger’s Revenge” ready by June, in time to hit the summer film festival circuit. Saenz expects to start working on the production of a new film in the fall. He said they’re always open to new scripts. “I like independent film better than Hollywood,” he said. “It’s original storytelling. … It’s made for passion; we’re not worried about making the buck.” Those interested in becoming involved in the Tri-City film community can attend a monthly networking meeting held at 5 p.m. the last Thursday of each month at the Towne Crier in Richland.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Real Estate & Construction
Richland’s Frost Me Sweet cooks up expansion plans Popular eatery and bakery to double in size, offer new desserts BY ROBIN WOJTANIK
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Frost Me Sweet, a popular Richland bakery and eatery, is poised to expand by doubling the size of its restaurant seating and offering more dessert choices. Owners Megan and Jason Savely recently bought the building next door to their restaurant that was once home to a law office as part of their expansion plans in The Parkway. Work is scheduled to get underway this month, which will move the bakery and kitchen to the new building, reserving the existing space for restaurant seating only. “The restaurant is really popular, which we had never anticipated,” said Megan Savely, who originally planned to open only a bakery. “During the busy times, it gets so chaotic in here. People come in for desserts, to-go orders and lunch.” The expansion will increase the potential number of customers served at one time from about 32 to about 65.
The remodel also will allow the restaurant to add separate bathrooms with multiple stalls instead of the single-use restroom available currently. The Savelys said they originally opened Frost Me Sweet out of necessity after Megan’s love of baking had taken over their home. She was making cakes as a side-job for friends and co-workers. “I’d be making cakes all weekend,” she said. “We used to say our house is a ‘caketastrophe.’ (Jason) said, ‘You need to do this for a living, or cut down on work, but you can’t be baking all the time.’ And I said, ‘I think I want to do cakes.’ ” Megan grew up with a strong interest in baking. “When I got in trouble, my mom would ground me from the oven,” she said. That interest led to a natural talent in cake decorating as soon as she tried it out. “I’ve always been really artsy and into crafts. Painting and sculpting was huge for me. I never really married food and art
Frost Me Sweet owners Jason and Megan Savely stand in front of the two buildings they plan to combine to expand their popular Richland eatery. The couple recently bought the building next door to their restaurant, which was once home to a law office.
until about 2006, and then I started playing around with fondant because I had seen people on TV and I thought, ‘That looks a lot like sculpting.’ So I did it and I was really good at it, and instantly I was like, ‘This is what I’m supposed to be doing,’ ” she said. The couple opened the original Frost Me Sweet in July 2010 in a 200-square-
foot spot on Thayer Drive, now home to a coffee stand. Megan needed the location to start selling her creations because, at the time, Washington had not revised its “cottage food law,” which prevented people from selling “low-risk” foods, like baked goods, out of home kitchens.
uFROST ME SWEET, Page 22
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
FROST ME SWEET, From page 21 Though Megan describes those first months as an entrepreneur as a “scary, scary time” where the couple were mostly living on Top Ramen, the business took off significantly within six months, following a couple of appearances at bridal shows. “I was doing consults all the time and brides were throwing money at me, ‘Here, do my cake,’ and we only had one fridge, so if I wanted to do two wedding cakes in one weekend, I didn’t even have anywhere to put it,” she said. Megan quickly realized she had outgrown both her at-home baking and the shop on Thayer when the couple began scouting a new spot, knowing the expansion was a risk they hoped would pay off. “We invested everything we had made in the last year into this business and had
Real Estate & Construction
our fingers crossed that it’s going to work,” she recalled. The restaurant at 710 The Parkway opened in April 2011, in the space where Smoovies once operated. The Savelys have a long history in the service industry and found the added square footage would allow them both to do what they loved, without being forced to make rent on just the bakery. Megan focuses on the baking while Jason does the cooking, alongside loyal support staff they often refer to as “family.” With its hallmark mint green exterior, the restaurant quickly became a popular destination in Richland, especially in the summer months when patio seating is in use. “The success has been far more than we
ever anticipated when we opened our business, so we’re grateful for that,” Megan said. The couple went from tenants to owners when they bought the Frost Me Sweet building three years ago. They knew the business was outgrowing its current space but didn’t want to move. “We love everything that The Parkway is and what The Parkway is becoming, and all the new businesses that are coming down here,” Megan said. “I feel like I saw that before we opened.” When the adjacent building became available, Megan took a closer look at just how many customers chose to eat elsewhere rather than wait for one of their limited number of tables. “I spent a lot of time in the front during
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lunch to see, ‘Are we turning away that many people?’ And I found, ‘OK, yeah, we’re having to turn away a lot of people.’ And that hurts as a small business owner,” she said. The crunch is even tighter during the leaner winter months when the restaurant can’t rely on its outdoor seating. The Savelys recently made the decision to buy the adjacent building at 710 ½ The Parkway, which originally was home to a credit union. The large walk-in safe inside remains and will be repurposed for storage. Most recently, the building had been used as a law office, but still retains its original vintage character. Megan said she’s inspired by its “funky ’60s vibe” and plans to rework the décor inside the original half of Frost Me Sweet as part of the overhaul. Remodeling will take most of the spring, with the expectation of a summer finish of the new combined sites. Work on the new building can mostly take place without interruption to the current restaurant. The couple anticipates an eventual one-week closure for demolition of the current kitchen and bakery storefront, which will both be replaced with dining room seating. A doorway will be cut out of the brick wall that divides the two buildings, allowing access between the two sides. “People ask us, ‘Why don’t you just open a second location in Kennewick or something instead of making this one bigger?’ But we love what we do. I love to bake and he loves to cook, and we love our employees and the family atmosphere here and we love being a small business,” Megan said. The couple likes to stay close to the product and fears that wouldn’t happen with multiple locations. “I would no longer be able to bake and he would no longer be able to cook. We would just be overseeing other people, and that’s not what we got in the business to do,” she said. Frost Me Sweet employs 30 people, including many who have been there since day one. Rather than raise prices to cover the additional overhead or increase to the minimum wage, the Savelys hope they can simply seat more customers by adding about six additional employees. Once complete, Megan intends to have new offerings in her larger bakery, more on the scale of what’s found in a patisserie. She recently attended an exclusive training with French pastry chef Cédric Grolet, who’s been voted by the industry as best pâtissier in the world. “We have such a big following with our cupcake base but I just want to show people what else is out there, things you can’t currently find in the Tri-Cities,” she said. “Now we’ll be able to showcase amazing desserts even better.” This will include a bakery display viewable from George Washington Way. The Savelys look forward to building on their past accomplishments while staying in the spot that made them a success. “I’d always wanted a bakery in The Parkway. I felt like this area is so cute and I felt like this was our spot,” she said. Information: 509-420-4704, ext. 2; frostmesweetbakeryandbistro.com; 710 The Parkway; info@frostmesweet.com.
Real Estate & Construction
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Construction company expects to move into new building MH Construction moving from Clearwater Avenue to Badger Canyon BY JEFF MORROW
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Trying to get to MH Construction’s front office door in Kennewick can be tricky. While the building at 4211 West Clearwater Ave. is clearly visible from that main roadway, visitors might need a map to get there. They’ll have to drive a half a block west, turn right between a used car lot and a Mexican restaurant, then take a right into a back alley before finding the front door. “That’s why we’re building a new building,” said Alex Linde, vice president of administration for MH Construction. The company’s new building at 106010 Wiser Parkway in Kennewick is sidled up next to Interstate 82 in Badger Canyon. The cost of the building is estimated to be more than $1 million. The company plans on moving in the first weekend of May. “We’ve been working on the new place for over a year,” Linde said. The new building will provide MH Construction with more space. That’s what a growing company needs when business is going well. When owner Mike Holstein started the company in 2010, it was just him and a few employees, and he was running the busi-
ness out of his home. The company moved into its current location a few years later, but it’s grown to 25 employees and it’s looking for more. “We’ve almost doubled our business in the last two years,” Linde said. The current building has 2,500 square feet of office space. The new building features 3,700 square feet of office space, with some earmarked for a company interested in leasing it from MH Construction. In addition, there will be a 16,000-squarefoot warehouse. “The new place is huge. The warehouse will allow us to store our equipment, such as scissor lifts, inside instead of outside where they are now,” Linde said. “Or if we can get a good deal on lumber, we can order a large quantity and we can now store it in the warehouse.” In addition, the company that leases office space from MH Construction will be able to use some of that warehouse space. Holstein began his construction career as a carpenter for both Garrison Construction and Viking Construction before moving to Bouten Construction in 1993. At Bouten, Holstein kept getting promoted until he became a project manager/ estimator and then satellite office manager in the Tri-Cities.
Kennewick’s MH Construction expects to move into its new building at 106010 Wiser Parkway in in Badger Canyon in May.
He managed numerous projects, including the Kadlec North Tower ($36.3 million) and Spokane’s Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital ($17.2 million). From 2006-10, Holstein worked for Chervenell Construction, where he was a project manager/estimator before he became vice president of operations and a stock holder in the company. As an estimator and project manager, Holstein headed up the Columbia Basin College Vocational Educational Building project ($16.1 million) and the KionaBenton City High School project ($14 million), as well as numerous area elementary schools. “So Mike was accustomed to start projects and bid on them,” Linde said. “Some of the premier projects we’ve done are the Tri-Cities Cancer Center remodel and addition and the Country Mercantile store in
Richland. We’re also doing the public works project for the city of Union Gap, and the remodel of Zillah High School.” The Union Gap project will include a campus for City Hall, city council chambers, offices for all city departments and the Union Gap police department offices. MH Construction’s new building will match the growth the company has been experiencing and hopes to continue experiencing. “We are 100 percent a commercial and industrial construction company,” Linde said. “We’re going to continue going up the Yakima Valley for more work, and continue in public works. “We’re trying to fabricate growth, and grow organically as the community grows,” Linde continued. “Business is good. We need to keep feeding the machine.”
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Real Estate & Construction
Longtime book collectors building bookstore near Horn Rapids BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Mid-Columbia book collectors will have new shelves to comb this summer. Longtime book collector and retiring Bechtel radiological engineering health supervisor, Steven Woolfolk, is planning the construction of a 6,000-square-foot bookstore at 2240 Robertson Drive in Richland near Horn Rapids. The new store’s name: Xenophile Bibliopole & Armorer, Chronopolis. “It’s a lot more than your everyday bookstore,” said Woolfolk, who explained his store’s focus will be on books of “higher collectability, original art, movie posters, play sets from the forties and fifties,” and even props from movie sets — including “James Bond” — that he’s collected. There also will be an emphasis on the genres of science fiction, mysteries, nonfiction and some fantasy, he said. “I collect sci-fi, primarily,” he said, and added that business partner, Brian Sheldon, is the mystery novel aficionado. Sheldon is the former owner of the now defunct Sheldon Library, which used to be in Richland’s Uptown Shopping Center, and specialized in used and rare books. Woolfolk has sold books at the TriCities’ annual RadCon science fiction/ fantasy convention in Pasco for several years, but said he’s always wanted to start a bookstore of his own.
Bookstore owner Steven Woolfolk explains the story behind the store’s name: Xenophile - An early science fiction and pulp collectors’ magazine, and it means people attracted to the strange (e.g., aliens, creatures, strangers) Bibliophile - Means book store Armorer - Refers to suppliers of ray-guns, space ports, playset armies and maybe swords Chronopolis - A city in time, probably unstable Now that he’s nearing retirement, he’s decided to make that dream a reality. Woolfolk has been collecting books since 1975, around the time he began his work at the Hanford site. “I have the largest sci-fi collection this side of the Cascades,” Woolfolk said, adding that several years back, the TriCity Herald ran a photo of him with his expansive collection, which now fills a 30-by-40-foot warehouse in Benton City, in addition to his personal garage. Woolfolk said he already has shelving for his new shop in storage—purchased from the Richland Public Library and the Richland Hastings Books, Music & Video store during its store closing sale in 2016. He said much of what he’s accumulated in his warehouse will be used as inven-
Steven Woolfolk stands at the construction site for a new bookstore set to open this summer. He and business partner Brian Sheldon, former owner of the now defunct Sheldon Library in Richland, are building the 6,000-squarefoot store at 2240 Robertson Drive in Richland near Horn Rapids.
tory to help get the store started. In addition to selling, Woolfolk said Xenophile also will buy books, paperbacks, magazines, pulps, toys and movie posters, as well as science fiction, fantasy, nuclear, atomic, and collectable items and art. He said once Xenophile is established, the store will eventually come to specialize in rare copies, such as first editions and other printings, which can sell for thousands of dollars. Woolfolk said Xenophile also will have some of its books listed for sale online. He said the shop’s focus on rare books and other collectables prompted him to seek real estate off the beaten path. “It won’t make a lot of money, so the property and costs have to be reasonable. … I’m not expecting people to be walk-
ing by on the sidewalk and come in to shop,” Woolfolk said. He needed a larger piece of land to accommodate the store, but couldn’t afford the half-million dollars that parcels in town were fetching. Woolfolk said $50,000 for land off Highway 240 was a much more agreeable price. Due to the rising value of real estate, Woolfolk said he has received several unsolicited offers for the property in Benton City where he stores his books. In the future, he said he might sell it and build a new, more conveniently located warehouse behind Xenophile, to house the books and his book and movie poster repair workshop. uBOOKS, Page 26
Real Estate & Construction
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Spokane-based credit union plans expansion into Tri-Cities BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF
A Spokane-based credit union soon will open new branches in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. STCU recently finalized the purchase of a 1.5-acre site for a Kennewick branch at 4842 W. Hildebrand Blvd., across the highway from The Rock Wood Fired Pizza. Plans call for a 4,500-square-foot branch office with STCU Home Loans office, drive-through and 24-hour ATMs. Designed by Spokane-based ALSC Architects, the new branch also will feature water-efficient xeriscape landscaping. The Kennewick branch will open this year. STCU plans to build branches in Pasco and Richland, with one opening in 2018 and the other in 2019. Locations have not yet been announced. It’s no surprise STCU has been eyeing the growing Tri-City market. The Tri-Cities already is home to more than 2,300 STCU members. STCU also has ATMs in both Richland and Kennewick Target stores. “Over the past year, we’ve talked to more than 750 Tri-Cities residents who have said they would welcome STCU into their communities,” said Ezra Eckhardt, STCU’s president and CEO, in a statement. He said STCU looks forward to serving them in person soon. STCU staffs each branch location with about six employees and will be hiring from the Tri-City area. STCU employees get paid time off for volunteerism and full benefits, including a tuition reimbursement program. It’s the first expansion outside the Spokane-North Idaho market for STCU, which has been voted “best credit union” in the Spokane area for 12 consecutive years in the annual reader survey conducted by Spokane’s Inlander newspaper. The Northwest’s third-largest credit union — and the largest headquartered east of the Cascades — STCU offers a full array of credit cards, loans and savings accounts for consumers and businesses. It is the leading provider of home and auto loans in Spokane. STCU members have access to thousands of shared branching locations and surcharge-free ATMs nationwide, as well as STCU online banking and a mobile app. That made it easy for second-generation member Melissa Slahtasky and her husband to continue using STCU for their banking needs, even after moving from Spokane to Pasco about 15 years ago. “STCU has never given me a reason to leave, and many reasons to stay,” Slahtasky said. “It’s part of our family.” STCU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with 175,000 members and $2.7 billion in total assets. “As newcomers, we look forward to getting to know Pasco, Richland and Kennewick, and learning how we can best serve the communities,” Eckhardt said.
Founded by educators in 1934 as Spokane Teachers Credit Union, STCU is a member-owned cooperative with 21 branch locations, not including those planned for the Tri-Cities. Membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Washington or North Idaho. The credit union each year provides free financial education to thousands of students and adults, hosts back-toschool events for teachers in more than 20 public school districts, and sponsors many events related to the arts, education and community.
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An architectural rendering of STCU’s new credit union at 4842 W. Hildebrand Blvd. in Kennewick showcases the credit union’s water-efficient xeriscape landscaping. The new 4,500-quare-foot branch will open later this year. (Courtesy STCU)
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
BOOKS, From page 24 Currently though, his focus is on completing the initial $507,801 project, which is to be built by Cleary Building Group of Hermiston. It includes a $130,000 pole building. Woolfolk said he is serving as general contractor and will use several local sub-contractors. Though Xenophile will primarily attract a particular subset of customers, rare books aren’t all the shop will have to offer. In addition to the 5,760 square-foot store, Xenophile also will feature a 250to 300-square-foot conference room, which will be made available to area book clubs and other groups. The room will be outfitted with ample audio-
Real Estate & Construction
visual equipment and webcam capabilities so club members or special guests can participate remotely. As treasurer of the Friends of the Richland Public Library group, Woolfolk said he is familiar with the limitations of meeting spaces available at local libraries and aims to provide an improved space for groups to meet. He also said he hopes to have a space where local artists can showcase and sell their work. At Xenophile, Woolfolk also will feature permanent and rotating displays. One of these will be a Manhattan Project and nuclear history display, inspired by him as a third generation Hanford worker. Woolfolk emphasized that he is not
trying to compete with the nearby B Reactor Visitor Center, but instead to simply provide points of interest to those visiting his shop. Other displays will include select volumes from his personal collection of rare books, such as illustrated copies of “Don Quixote,” and other “unusual and interesting things,” including an original Osborne 1 portable computer—one of the first commercially successful microcomputers. He said Sheldon is an avid Water Follies memorabilia collector, so there may be a display about that as well. “It’s about getting people excited about collecting,” Woolfolk said.
uBUSINESS BRIEF Friends of library group to hold spring book sale
The Friends of Mid-Columbia Libraries is holding its semi-annual Giant Book Sale from April 26-29 at the Mid-Columbia Libraries’ Kennewick branch, 1620 S. Union St. Friends of the library members get first access from 4 to 6:30 pm. April 26. The sale opens to the public from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. April 27 and continues from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 28 and from 1 to 3 p.m. April 29. A variety of books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, and more will be available, and prices range from 25 cents to $2 per item, unless otherwise marked. Debit and credit cards are accepted.
Copiers Northwest and BluZEBRA 7035 W. Clearwater Ave.• Kennewick
Copiers Northwest and BluZEBRA Technologies recently finished construction on their new two-story Kennewick building. The project, valued at $2.3 million, which includes the cost of the land, is at 7035 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick near the grain elevator, McCurley Mercedes-Benz and The Pub. It was completed April 1. The main floor is home to Copiers Northwest and BluZEBRA Technologies, a sub-division of Copiers Northwest, which offers managed IT services, among other services. The top floor is home to Johnson and Johnson Law Firm. One additional suite is available. The 7,000-square-foot bottom floor features a technology showroom, office space and a warehouse. The new modern building will be able to service the Tri-City’s business needs in office equipment and IT services, as well as business workflow software, service and support locally for all the company’s product offerings, according to Copiers Northwest officials. Copiers Northwest and BluZEBRA
Technologies have 13 locations in the Northwest. The companies recently bought a building in Yakima, and with the new building in the TriCities, the company can service thousands of local business customers, the company said.
The general contractor was Apollo Inc. of Kennewick. Building designer was Jason Archibald of Archibald and Co. Architects, P.S. of Richland.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Real Estate & Construction
Richland police chief leaving for top cop job in Oregon BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF
Richland’s police chief is leaving his position to serve as chief for the city of Eugene. Chris Skinner’s first day in Oregon is April 30. Eugene City Manager Jon Ruiz noted Skinner’s demonstrated leadership abilities and depth of experience as qualities that are important to the department and the community and will help make him an effective police chief. “Chris is known for building relationships, using innovative
approaches and leading by example. He has an authentic and inclusive leadership style, and we’ve heard from people across the Northwest that he is an experienced and well-respected law enforcement professional. I am confident he will lead our police department with fairness and compassion in a way that builds trust within EPD and with the community,” said Ruiz in a news release. Skinner emerged as the top candidate for the position after an extensive nationwide search that culminated in a three-day interview process, including four community panels, a community
forum attended by about 85 people and review of community input collected in person and online, according to the Chris Skinner release. Skinner will earn an annual salary of $153,171 in Eugene and oversee a $50 million department employing about 190 sworn officers and 140 civilians. Eugene has a population of more than 166,000 peo-
Congratulations Copiers Northwest!
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ple. Richland police Capt. Jeff Taylor will serve as interim police chief beginning April 21. Taylor was raised in Kennewick and is a graduate of Kennewick High and Columbia Basin College. He served in the Air Force for nearly six years before being hired by the Richland police in 1990. He’s been captain since 2010. The city of Richland has initiated a nationwide recruiting effort in search of the permanent candidate. Skinner has served as Richland’s chief since 2011 and has 27 years of police and public safety experience.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Real Estate & Construction
Superior Glass
6476 W. Brinkley Road• Kennewick Superior Glass of Kennewick has expanded its glass and storefront operations to accommodate growth and provide better service to the public. The company constructed a new single-story building at 6476 W. Brinkley Road in Kennewick featuring 8,960 square feet of space. It’s in the Southridge area of Kennewick, near Trios Southridge Hospital off Highway 395. The building will be used for Superior Glass’ new offices, showroom and fabrication facility.
The company has more than 40 years of experience in providing residential, commercial and industrial products, according to its website. G2 Construction of Kennewick, an authorized Butler Builder, was the general contractor. Superior Glass’ project is a Butler Building, a metal building system for commercial construction. Brad Boler was the project manager. Eric Little of Archibald & Co. Architects, P.S. of Richland was the architect.
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Real Estate & Construction
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
SHORELINE, From page 1 “Some people think of this as an attempt to line both sides of the river with condos. But it’s not that at all,” Fisher said. “It’s leading with recreation, and other things might fill in using zero taxpayer dollars that might actually fund a lowering of the dikes and improving of the waterfront.”
Not all in favor of plan
Environmentalists like Ginger Wireman believe in “zero private shorelines.” She is a local Strong Towns activist. The national nonprofit aims to help cities, towns and neighborhoods become financially strong and resilient. “Maybe we approach it as a partnership with the Corps. I don’t think the cities or the counties have the ability to manage this. And what would we give up to let that happen? Parks? Roads?” she asked. Fisher contended the “Corps doesn’t have park management or land management in their mission” and has “not put $1 toward maintenance and operation or capital improvement of the shoreline” in the past 30 years. Fisher recalled when he was mayor of Kennewick in 1988 and Benton County determined maintenance of Columbia Park was a “budget buster.” It handed over control of the park to Kennewick and Richland, with the majority in Kennewick’s hands, while Richland’s responsibility covers the west end just past the Reach museum.
Jim Simpson shows a photo of the 1948 flood outside his Richland home. He’s in favor of leaving the shorelines the way it is.
Finding community support
It was when the Reach opened four years ago that Fisher first raised the issue of reconveyance with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray. He recalled asking, “Isn’t it time, with the construction of all the dams and dikes along the Columbia River, to return these lands, that were once privately-controlled, back to local control?” He said the senator agreed to support it, if there also was community support, but wanted to make sure local entities were aware of the potential price tag that comes with maintaining the land. Fisher’s group argues the local juris-
dictions are already paying $2 million annually for maintenance, and the construction of additional dams and levees make it nearly impossible to experience a flood of similar magnitude to 1948’s. Since asking that question in 2014, Fisher and others began a campaign to demonstrate community support by meeting and informing local stakeholders about the issue. One of Fisher’s first stops was to ask for Hastings’ backing, as he was still in Congress at the time. Petersen also was in his longtime role as the vice president of federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council, or TRIDEC, before his retirement last year.
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Fisher calls them “the grandfathers of reconveyance” for their work with the Department of Energy to transfer land at Hanford back to TRIDEC shortly before Hastings left office. The group said it has met with every elected body at least twice, along with Visit Tri-Cities, Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, TRIDEC, Water Follies and service groups, like Rotary and Kiwanis clubs. Fisher described the response as “tremendous support, throughout. Some has been stronger than others, admittedly, but we have not met one group that has been in opposition.” One group voicing opposition is the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society and its conservation chair Dana Ward. “Although it seems like a Tri-Cities’ right to have this land, this is also part of the nation’s land. Whether you’re from Pennsylvania or Florida, we see this as a larger interest,” Ward said. Ward worries that promises to provide public access and protection for environmental resources would give way to pressure from developers. “We really feel that the Corps has the better resources. It’s not going to be pushed around by local interests,” Ward said. Richland homeowner Jim Simpson lives alongside the Columbia River and while he said he doesn’t trust the Corps, he also would like to see the shoreline remain untouched. uSHORELINE, Page 32
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
SHORELINE, From page 31 He lives on Gowen Avenue in a home his family first bought in the early 1950s. The home was temporarily moved to the middle of the street to allow truck access to build the dikes following the 1948 flood. The house has a roof-height porch to allow a view of the water that’s currently obscured by the raised pathways running alongside the river. Simpson remembered when his family used to barbecue on Columbia River docks or launch water skiers from them until the Corps required all docks removed back in the 1950s. He said he enjoys the current status of the shoreline and doesn’t see the need for improvement. “I say leave it the way it is,” he said. With more waterfront homes on the Pasco side of the river, reconveyance proponents know the community would have some decisions to make if the land is transferred back. That could include whether homeowners would now have the first right to purchase the land, and, if so, what they would have to pay for it. “Once you get access to the river, believe me, that property value is going to go up,” Hastings said. “But those are decisions we’re not making with this legislation. The community is going to have to decide, I think, how they’re going to deal with all this.” Fisher returns to his vision of imagining the possibilities and points to the development of Osprey Pointe after the Port of Pasco requested Hastings’ assistance, while in office, to remove the easement in place with the Corps.
Real Estate & Construction
It allowed for a riverfront business center to be built on one of the last remaining levee-free shorelines in the Tri-Cities. Osprey Pointe has hosted evening events with outdoor movies and food trucks while offering views of a summer sunset over the river. “It’s an example of what could happen when you get the Corps out of the picture,” Hastings said.
Next steps
The next step is to introduce the legislation and schedule a hearing. The group wants the issue included in the National Defense Authorization Act because legislation was included by U.S. Congressman Dan Newhouse in the last act. “Now there may be a few legislative hurdles that we have to address, but we think we can do that,” Hastings said. The men said one of the questions they frequently hear from stakeholders is “what do the tribes think of this?” Hastings points out that “no tribal lands are involved in this reconveyance.” “Before the land transfer, it was all privately-owned,” Petersen said. But considering the skeleton known as the Ancient One, or Kennewick Man, was found on the Columbia River shoreline in Kennewick in 1996, the group realizes there may be input coming. They haven’t heard it thus far because they say tribes generally deal exclusively with the federal government and not local government entities. “We anticipate when this legislation is introduced, the tribes will have something to say,” Hastings said. “What they have to say, we have no idea.”
This shoreline view from in the Port of Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens Urban Wine & Artisan Village in Kennewick highlights overgrowth at the unmaintained rivershore, according to three Columbia River shoreline reconveyance proponents.
Wireman said she remains suspicious about the plan. “I do not trust that they are in a position to properly manage and do anything more than they already have. Why haven’t they had large public meetings and begun a public engagement process?” she said. Fisher said he sees reconveyance as an opportunity to improve, rather than exploit, the riverfront. And this could include a reduction in size of Columbia Park. “A park that’s about half the size would actually be a better park for the public. (Kennewick) would be able to improve it and maintain it better. So what happens to the land? Instead of the Corps saying you can’t even put up a sign, imagine next to the Reach, you’d possibly have a hotel or restaurant.” “Or an aquatic center, or tennis
courts,” Petersen said. The group wants to assure the public that any future development would still need federal approval before being allowed. “The federal laws don’t go away when the property is transferred to the community,” Petersen said. “If the community does anything with it, they still have to meet all federal requirements, including the cultural preservation act, the National Environmental Policy Act, etc.” Newhouse’s office confirmed that he supports the legislation and is working to include it in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which is typically passed in November or December, so the lands could potentially be transferred back to the city by the end of this year.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Regional wholesale plumbing distributor celebrates 90 years in business BY AUDRA DISTIFENO
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Consolidated Supply Co., which has a branch in Kennewick, celebrates 90 years in business this year. The Pacific Northwest wholesale distributor of plumbing, heating and water supplies strives daily to put its motto of “doing ordinary things extraordinarily well” into action. “The company takes care of its employees internally and the customers, externally,” said Shan Tasci, who has worked with the Kennewick branch since it opened 10 years ago and has been in the plumbing wholesale business for 19 years. He does outside sales for Consolidated Supply Co., which sells pipes, valves, fittings and plumbing fixtures. The company offers major brands such as American Standard, Bradford White, Uponor and Toto, to name a few. “We support plumbing contractors in town, but individuals are welcome to come in to choose parts and fixtures as well,” he said. Consolidated Supply Co. was established in 1928 when four supply houses in Portland, Oregon, merged. During the Depression, the Neupert family bought the company and remains at the helm today. Corporate headquarters and the company’s largest branch are in Tigard, Oregon, along with 16 additional branches – four in Idaho, seven in Washington and five more in Oregon. The four-and-one-half acre Kennewick shop at 621 N. Kellogg St. opened in its existing building in 2008 with seven employees. Today, there are 14 full-time employees. The 17,500-square-foot building includes about 2,000 square feet of offices, 13,500 square feet of warehouse space and a 2,000-square-foot fixture gallery. Customers can stop by The Fixture Gallery to see myriad fixtures – bathroom and kitchen fixtures, sinks, shower heads, tubs, toilets (with and without bidets), including high-tech faucets that “sense” when a person in near and turn on and off automatically. “(The showroom) has heated floors and working fixtures,” Tasci said. One change that has occurred in the industry over the past several years is that
people are “thinking of tubs in their master bathrooms as pieces of art,” he said. Consolidated Supply Co. provides materials for plumbing, service and mechanical contractors, with a bulk of its business supplying commercial contractors. The Kennewick branch also provides plumbing needs for area school districts, cities and municipalities. “If a main line breaks, we can provide materials for the city to repair it. We have faucets, pipe fittings and our water heaters are in a lot of the Pasco schools. We sell from residential to commercial size water heaters,” Tasci said. The Kennewick branch is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but offers emergency contracts for afterhours emergencies. “Plumbing emergencies don’t keep hours,” Tasci laughed. Because Consolidated Supply Co. also has branches in Spokane and Wenatchee, the Kennewick branch serves an area from LaGrande, Oregon, to Cle Elum, with multiple deliveries throughout the region each day. “We’ve always kind of catered to these areas but are always looking for growth within,” Tasci said. Deliveries are made to customers with large orders. Local contractors generally swing by the Kennewick building to pick up their orders, which are prepped and ready as “will call,” Tasci said. The company also does its part to be involved in the Tri-City community.
Jesse Schuh, from left, and David Henle, both of Precision Plumbing, order supplies from Consolidated Supply Co. salesmen Jeff Mucha and Shan Tasci. Consolidated Supply Co. celebrates 90 years in business this year. The Kennewick branch has been open for 10 years.
“Any time we get an opportunity to help in the community, we jump on it,” Tasci said. Kennewick employees and customers participate in an annual food drive for the Union Gospel Mission. The company also has adopted a family in need around Christmas and rotates annual contributions to local organizations, such as Special Olympics and the MakeA-Wish Foundation. The company also contributes to local charity golf tournaments. “We love this community. We support each other, so it’s cool to have that part-
nership. Together, we’re enhancing the lives of Northwest families and Tri-Cities residents,” Tasci said. The company’s 90th anniversary celebration will last throughout the year with a variety of events for vendors and customers. “To be celebrating 90 years in business says a lot about the Neupert family,” Tasci said. “We take pride in and stand behind the quality products we provide customers.” Information: ConsolidatedSupply. com; 509-783-9340; Facebook.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Small Business Symposium April 18-19 in Kennewick
The 14th annual Bridging Partnerships Small Business Symposium is April 18-19 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. The conference is a collaboration between the Department of Energy and Hanford contractors to allow businesses to learn about the mission and work conducted at Hanford and gain insight on becoming a contractor. The conference includes a welcome networking reception, breakfast, lunch, small breakout sessions and an exhibit hall with more than 250 participants, including small-business owners, procurement executives and supplier professionals. This year’s keynote speaker is Misipati “Semi” Bird of the Washington State University Tri-Cities’ Office of Professional Development and Community Education. Cost of attendance is $100. For more information and to register, go to bridgingpartnerships.com.
Priest Rapids reservoir lowered for inspection
The reservoir behind Priest Rapids Dam has lowered levels after an inspection drilling revealed leaking in spillway monoliths. Grant PUD officials declared a nonfailure emergency as a precaution. Officials note that there is no threat to life or property, and dam operations will continue as usual. The leaking in the spillway structure was found by a contract crew drilling inspection holes. The investigative drilling was a precautionary move.
Teen jewelry chain files for bankruptcy
Claire’s, a mall-based jewelry and accessories retail chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 19. Claire’s operates 7,500 stores — including its Icing brand — worldwide. Columbia Center mall in Kennewick has both Claire’s and Icing stores. The company, which was founded in 1961, plans to reduce its debt by $1.9 billion by September through a restructuring process. It held $2.1 billion in debt at the end of 2017.
Richland police foundation holding May 2 meeting
The newly formed Richland Police Department Foundation is having its first Community Care Forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 2 at the Richland Public Library. The foundation invites the public to attend to learn how they can assist the group. Richland police officers are often the first responders for a crisis situation and it is not uncommon that they use their personal resources to help victims in need. The Richland Police Department Foundation has a board of directors made up of volunteer citizens who support the officers and the mission of the Richland Police Department.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Gates opening soon for Kennewick horse racing season BY JEFF MORROW
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Nancy Sorick is in her 80s, while Shorty Martin is turning 70 this year. But rather than enjoying the easy retirement life, they’re putting in long days to bring back horse racing for MidColumbia enthusiasts. Sorick and Martin – and their merry band of workers – are preparing to kick off another spring horse racing meet at Sun Downs race track in Kennewick. The season runs on three consecutive weekends – April 21-22, 28-29 and May 5-6 – at the Benton County Fairgrounds. The first race is scheduled for 1 p.m. each day. Cost of admission is $5, while parking is free. Race cards – the number of races scheduled each day – varies anywhere from seven to 10. Sorick heads up the nonprofit Tri-City Horse Racing Association, which celebrates its 31st season of racing this year. During the race meet, the TCHRA employs 50 to 60 people, from program sellers, to people working the wagering machines, to those working the gate. Even at Sorick’s age, she still loves running the races. “I love doing this for my love of the industry,” she said. “I love working with down-to-earth people.” The TCHRA is in the final year of a three-year contract to run the races at Sun Downs. Sorick would like to keep
Full stalls are sure signs that horse racing is coming back to the Sun Downs race track in Kennewick. The season runs on three consecutive weekends – April 21-22, 28-29 and May 5-6 – at the Benton County Fairgrounds.
doing it after this year. “I still feel an allegiance to it,” she said. “Nobody is involved in it like I am. We take it one year at a time. But I am looking forward to it next year.” And Martin, who is the meet’s racing secretary and also doubles as the gate starter, plans to be right by her side. “I grew up in the business,” Martin said. “Horse racing just gets in my blood.” Martin got a job at a race track at 15, and will celebrate his 55th year in horse racing this year. Sorick and Martin are still positive
about a sport that has seen plenty of challenges in the Northwest over time. During the past 30 years, tracks in Spokane, Yakima, Walla Walla, Dayton, Waitsburg and Boise have all shut down. But at Sun Downs, things have been looking good. “Four or five years ago, we were down financially,” Martin said. “But in 2015, 2016 and 2017, we’ve been up a bit. I think one thing that has helped us a lot is going six days with the meet, and the Kentucky Derby webcast.” Once again, Sun Downs will be simulcasting the Kentucky Derby on May 5,
and local fans will be able to wager on the race. Also during the meet, Sun Downs will host regional stakes races – the Adequan Derby Challenge Finals, and the Boehringer Ingelheim Distaff Challenge Finals – where the winners advance to the national finals later in the year at the Los Alamitos Race Track in California. The biggest local race at Sun Downs will be the $30,000 Pot O’Gold Futurity (trials are April 22; finals are May 6). And Sorick said they’re seeing more entries for that race. “We have 49 head who have entered the trials,” she said. “Last year, we had 24. So we’ve more than doubled the field. We’ve got horses coming in from California and Oklahoma.” And some of the region’s top trainers – Hector Magallanes, Don Young and Bill Hof – will have strong stables competing in the meet. Visitors to the fairgrounds can stick their heads into the barns on the back side of the track and see horses everywhere. That’s the best sign that horse racing in Kennewick is just around the corner. “The barns are full,” Sorick said. “Every stall is spoken for, and we have close to 300 stalls.” For more information, visit sundownshorseracing.com.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Pasco company fined $18,000 for spilling liquid fertilizer into rivers BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF
A Pasco barge company has been fined $18,000 for spilling 40,000 gallons of liquid urea ammonium nitrate into the Snake and Columbia rivers. An investigation by the state Department of Ecology found that two steel tank barges owned and operated by Tidewater Barge Lines Inc. were not properly maintained, causing the liquid fertilizer to spill into the rivers during three separate incidents in April 2017. This common fertilizer is corrosive to steel, according to the Department of Ecology. The first spill occurred between April
11 and 21 during transfer and storing operations at the Tidewater Snake River Terminal in Pasco. The Vancouver, Washington-based company’s operations span 465 miles on the Columbia and Snake river systems, extending from the Port of Astoria, Oregon, to the inland Port of Lewiston, Idaho, according to its website. Tidewater operates five terminals with key intermodal connections to railroads, highways and pipelines. The Pasco terminal operates a railcar storage facility. State investigators determined that 16,639 gallons of urea ammonium nitrate were released by Barge No. 78 due to corrosion of the storage tank. The second spill occurred between
April 20 and 24 during a transfer operation as the barge transited and moored on the Columbia River near Vancouver. Investigators determined that 22,104 gallons of urea ammonium nitrate were released by Barge No. 74 due to corrosion of the storage tank. The third spill was reported on April 28 and occurred in the preceding days during transporting operations on the Columbia River near Vancouver. Investigators determined that 950 gallons of urea ammonium nitrate were released by Barge No. 74 due to physical damage to the tank’s side shell. “These spills were preventable through proper maintenance of the barges,” said Rich Doenges, Ecology’s water quality
section manager, in a news release. “While it dispersed rapidly in the Columbia and Snake rivers, urea ammonium nitrate fertilizer can stimulate plant and algae growth in water, which could impact fish and wildlife.” Along with the fine, the company is required to take immediate action to prevent future urea ammonium nitrate releases and submit to Ecology an annual comprehensive corrosion management plan for its barges. Detailed cleaning and inspection processes will help ensure the integrity of the steel plates and welds within the barge tanks. Tidewater Barge Lines Inc., has 30 days to pay the penalty or appeal it to the state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.
uBUSINESS BRIEF Toys R Us announces store closure plans
Toys R Us has filed a motion with the federal Bankruptcy Court to close all 735 of its U.S. retail stores. The company operates 10 stores in the state, including one in Kennewick. The company will attempt to sell its more successful Canadian operations, a deal that could potentially combine up to 200 of its top performing U.S. stores. Regardless of this outcome, inventory at all of its U.S. stores will be liquidated. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in attempts to restructure debt.
uNEW HIRES • Tracie Cowen has been selected as chief financial officer at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Cowen also will serve as associate laboratory director for Tracie Cowen Business Services. She will assume her new responsibilities on April 23. She replaces Marty Conger, who after 42 years at the lab, is retiring. He recently chaired the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce’s board, and chaired and served on some of its committees. PNNL’s Business Services Directorate is comprised of nearly 180 staff who oversee the laboratory’s $1 billion annual operating budget as well as all financial functions including payroll, accounts receivable and payable, asset management, contracts, business development and analysis, and other related business functions. Cowen has held several positions with increasing leadership responsibilities during a 25-year career at PNNL and Battelle. Currently, she is division director for business development and analysis.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Firefighting experience offers glimpse into servant leadership BY MELANIE HAIR
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Time critical. Highly technical. Labor intensive. These three phrases were repeated throughout my daylong stint as a firefighter trainee on March 23 at the Volpentest HAMMER federal training facility at the Hanford site in Richland. Called Fire Ops 101, the multi-agency event is designed to show everyday Joes and Janes what it’s like to perform the many tasks of a firefighter and to better understand the role of our community’s fire service agencies — a critical thing to remember anytime voters cast a ballot for a Melanie Hair fire bond or levy, or elected officials consider fire department funding requests. Eighteen fire agencies — from Spokane, Snohomish and Puyallup to the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla — and 30 participants, including Kennewick Mayor Pro Tem Steve Lee, David Reeploeg, vice president of federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council, and Hilary Franz, state commissioner of public lands, participated. From wielding a chainsaw to climbing a seven-story ladder in gusting winds, to crawling through a smokefilled maze to ripping apart an SUV to extricate a dummy — the day proved the work of a firefighter certainly is time critical, highly technical and labor intensive. But it’s not just that. Much about firefighting exemplifies servant leadership. Robert Greenleaf coined the phrase in his 1970 essay, “The Servant as Leader,” in which he asserted servant leadership “begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead.” In 2016, I graduated from Gonzaga University with a master’s degree in organizational leadership with a servant leadership concentration. A number of classmates during the two-and-half years I spent in the program were professional firefighters, including Crystal Murphy, who was a Lacey Fire District 3 firefighter and emergency medical technician for nine years before she died unexpectedly in December. Ask anyone who knew her. There was something different and special about Crystal. She exuded compassion and courage. It wasn’t just her obvious deep love for her wife and their two children, or her devotion to her brothers and sisters in the fire department. It was the way she lit up when she talked about working at Camp Blaze, a free weeklong camp that encourages young women to consider firefighting as a career.
Crystal was passionate about mentoring at-risk youth. She lived to serve others; she aspired to lead. In a practical sense, the servant-leadership philosophy inverts the traditional heavy-handed, autocratic, top-down, hierarchical management model to a reverse pyramid with emphasis on shared status and responsibility, team building and collaboration. Firefighting strongly relies on trust, teamwork, collaboration and strong communication, which can be the difference between life or death in emergency situations. Ultimately, servant leaders focus on the growth and well-being of others. They put the needs of the greater good—those of customers, employees and communities—before their own. Every time firefighters go out on a call, they put the needs of the greater good before their own. During the firefighter-for-a-day experience, plenty of precautions were put into place to protect participants. That’s not the case during a real emergency. Firefighters not only risk their lives, they show genuine concern for others. Greenleaf believed that “caring for persons, the more and the less able serving each other, is the rock upon which a good society is built.” First responders show concern for health, belongings and people in their daily work. They accept the people they encounter—regardless of the situ-
Benton County Fire District 4 Capt. Bonnie Benitz, left, helps Melanie Hair, general manager and founder of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, adjust her breathing apparatus as a simulated car fire burns in the background during Fire Ops 101, a March 23 multi-agency training event at the HAMMER federal training facility at the Hanford site in Richland.
ation—as worthy of being taken care of, worthy of being saved. The next time you are asked to financially support additional fire services and updated equipment on a ballot measure, I urge you to consider the level of care firefighters and EMTs show us. It’s easy to take for granted the services we have available until we are in a situation where every second counts. Let’s remember how our fire-
fighters care for us during our times of need when their departments face funding challenges. After all, it’s what any good servant leader would do. Melanie Hair is the general manager and founder of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business and Senior Times.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Transportation
39
State gears up to build rock fence, improve I-182, Highway 12 BY JESSICA HOEFER
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Work is expected to begin in May on the biggest rock fence in Washington state’s history—and it’s not along the slopes of Snoqualmie Pass but along Highway 730 south of the Wallula junction. “That whole stretch from the Oregon border to the Wallula junction, there’s boulders in the ditch and there have been cars and trucks that have been hit by rocks,” said Alex Sanguino, Tri-Cities Department of Transportation project engineer for the south-central region. The $3.6 million project will be broken into two phases. During the first phase, which will last about seven months, three grate-like nets will act as a fence to prevent rocks from falling onto passing vehicles. Other areas around the state have used rock fencing material but have also used blasting and scaling. That makes this project the largest statewide fencing project to date, Sanguino said. Workers will have to drill anchors into the terrain at a depth of at least 15 feet to ensure the fencing doesn’t rip out. The second phase covers a longer section of slope but a smaller work area.
Nets and scaling also will be used in the second phase, which is expected to be completed by winter. L.R.L. Construction Co. of Tillamook, Oregon, is the contractor for the project. The DOT’s south-central region covers an extensive geographic area, including Benton, Franklin, Yakima and Walla Walla counties. Though nine percent of the state’s population lives within its boundaries, the region contains 16 percent of the state’s highways and 540 bridges— and there is never a shortage of projects on hand.
I-82 bridge
Other projects on the horizon for this spring include major work on the Interstate 82 Columbia River Bridge, because it’s showing signs of deterioration due to normal wear and age Built in 1955, the bridge connects Washington to Oregon at Umatilla. At nearly 3,300 feet in length, the deck is in need of repair, and workers have already started replacing the deck bridge in sections and rehabilitating critical steel components to improve safety. The $7.5 million to $10 million project is being done by Spokane-based Kuney
Workers are replacing the deck on the Interstate 82 bridge connecting Washington to Oregon and rehabilitating critical steel components to improve safety. (Courtesy DOT)
Construction. Work will continue through this fall.
Richland projects
A paving project to fix deteriorating wear and tear at the Highway 240, George Washington Way and Queensgate interchanges at Interstate 182 is set to begin in May.
Construction will be done by Richlandbased Inland Asphalt Co. and will run from May until the end of summer. It’s expected to cost about $3.3 million. Because it’s such a high-traffic area, Sanguino said the work will take place at night, starting at 9 p.m. and ending at 5 a.m. uWSDOT, Page 40
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
WSDOT, From page 39 Construction on two $3.9 million Queensgate roundabouts, which was scheduled to begin in March, is expected to begin in April, according to city officials. The city of Richland is working with DOT on the project. One roundabout will be at the Queensgate-Columbia Park Trail intersection, and the other at Queensgate and the eastbound I-182 ramps, just south of the bridge over the interstate. The more traffic a roadway sees, the quicker the concrete will break down. Michael Adams, DOT assistant project engineer in the Richland project engineering office, said officials are using a coring machine to take samples from areas showing asphalt distress. “That’s how we determine what kind
of shape a road is in. Sometimes the cracks aren’t very deep. We figure out what areas are of concern and how much to remove,” Adams said. Samples are taken constantly throughout the region, but not constantly in one spot. Adams said DOT is watching a specific section on Highway 395 from Mesa to Pasco. “That section has some wear on it, and we’re keeping an eye on it. That project is coming up next year,” he said. “There’s another one on U.S. 12 right through Burbank just past the Snake River. That’s on the agenda for next year.”
Highway 12
Highway 12 also is about to undergo phase seven of an eight-part plan to create a divided four lanes of traffic. This phase
Transportation includes an 11-mile stretch to help the flow of traffic from the Tri-Cities to Walla Walla. Sanguino and Adams agree it’s one of the most exciting projects on the docket. “We don’t have to deal with traffic,” said Sanguino, who said once it’s done, it’ll create two new lanes for safety. Because a barrier separates the new construction from the current lanes of road, Adams said that the construction project is safe for DOT workers, too, as they do not have to detour traffic or worry about distracted drivers. “That’s our No. 1 concern,” Sanguino said. “We emphasize that we need to be safe out there and watch out for everyone.” Sanguino said whenever someone calls in about a section of road that might need improvement, a crew goes out to check.
Public outreach is sometimes even solicited in cases such as the Highway 395 Safety Corridor Improvement project. In 2015, the Legislature provided funding for the DOT to make safety improvements between Pasco and Ritzville along Highway 395, which encompasses a 40-mile stretch. This project — a critical freight corridor — will add acceleration and deceleration lanes, improve existing left turn lanes, and add safety improvements between Pasco and the Franklin County line north of Connell to reduce congestion and the risk of collisions. Construction contracts for this project won’t be advertised until next year, according to DOT. Adams said the south-central region has been working with a consulting firm to help with public outreach. “We’re going to have some open houses to gather input on which intersections need improvement. We have this safety corridor area; we want to know what the public wants,” Adams said. County, city and state officials, as well as businesses along the corridor, will be asked to provide input, then public meetings will follow to gather more feedback. No public meetings have been scheduled yet.
uNEW HIRES • Clint Whitney will be the city of Richland’s next director of Richland Energy Services. He currently is the engineering and operations manager, and transitioned to his new role April 5 after Bob Hammond Clint Whitney retired from the position. Whitney has worked for the city for more than 20 years in both engineering and operations capacities. Previously, he spent five years at Hanford working on the electrical distribution system. He is working toward a master’s in business administration from Washington State Univeristy with an expectation of completing the program this fall. He has been married for 30 years and has two sons. Richland Energy Services is a cityoperated public power utility that provides reliable, safe, non-for-profit electric services to Richland customers. • Michael Morales has been appointed the deputy director of community and economic development for the city of Pasco. He formerly was the city’s interim economic development program manager. • Monteith Insurance in Kennewick hired Josh Hanson as its business and farm account manager. Josh Hanson
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Transportation
41
Pasco train congestion could be improved with new Idaho bridge Coalition of Washington business group supports $10 million project BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Planning is underway to build a new BNSF Railway bridge in Idaho that’s expected to improve train traffic in Pasco. BNSF Railway and Keep Washington Competitive representatives met recently in Pasco about the project. The permitting process is moving forward on the $100 million Sandpoint Junction connector project to build a second adjacent rail bridge to span Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho. The Keep Washington group is a coalition of business, labor, agriculture and trade organizations, and leaders promoting trade growth in the state. Supporters say the bridge will enable train traffic to move in both directions simultaneously, easing a major choke point on a key northern corridor route for the Columbia Basin and especially BNSF’s 32-track, freight classification hump yard in Pasco, where train cars are organized to form new trains. Project opponents have cited concerns about water quality, safety and other environmental issues. BNSF spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said three tracks converge in Sandpoint and are reduced to one track in one direction over a mile-long trestle crossing Lake Pend Oreille, leading to long wait times on both sides of the bridge. Wallace said this often leads to backups, which can extend into Washington and Montana. And with double track expansion projects planned in the future on the Spokane and Kootenai River sides of the current
bridge, it’s become increasingly imperative for a second bridge to be built, she said. An additional bridge “will help relieve that congestion. … We’re not going to have trains idling and hanging out in the yard here in Pasco. So, it means that folks who … need to get their goods to Chicago and elsewhere or out to the port, their trains aren’t holding because of a backup,” she said. Wallace said the new bridge will not only improve the flow of rail traffic, but also provide greater rail capacity along that line now and into the future for both industrial and passenger train traffic. BNSF employs about 3,700 workers in Washington, operates 1,332 miles of track and transports 1.6 million or more car loads annually. About 500 of those employees work in the Pasco area. BNSF submitted applications and permitting packages to the state for the project in December. Wallace said the goal is to start building the new bridge in 2019, after the completion of the 18-month permitting process. BNSF hopes to open the bridge in 2020. The Idaho Department of Lands scheduled May 23 public hearings on the BNSF’s applications in Ponderay and Sandpoint, Idaho. The agency will accept all public comments on the application. Comments can be emailed to comments@idl.idaho.gov or submitted through its website at: idl.idaho.gov/ comment.html. Keep Washington Competitive has a ready-made letter that supporters can send on its website at keepwashington competitive.com.
A new $10 million bridge across Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, Idaho, would improve rail traffic in Pasco, BNSF Railway officials told Tri-City leaders during a recent community meeting. The permitting process is moving forward on the $100 million Sandpoint Junction connector project to build a second rail bridge to span the Idaho lake. (Courtesy BNSF)
Other BNSF projects
In addition to the Sandpoint Junction project, BNSF has $160 million in infrastructure improvements planned throughout Washington this year.
This includes installation of mandated positive train control, or PTC, technology, which must be in place by the end of this year, Wallace said. uBNSF, Page 45
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Transportation
Federal regulations aim to keep workers safe, help track shipments Kennewick business owners support use of required electronic logging devices BY JESSICA HOEFER
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The transportation industry is feeling the effects of new regulations that went into effect at the end of 2017. After a 24-month phase-in period, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, now requires carriers and drivers to use electronic logging devices, or ELDs, to help create a safer work environment and make it easier to accurately track, manage and share data. The second phase of the congressionallymandated law will last until Dec. 16, 2019, at which time trucks with automatic on-board recording devices must use selfcertified ELDs registered with the FMCSA. The rule applies to most motor carriers and drivers who are required to keep records of duty status. It includes commercial buses as well as trucks. “For decades, the transportation industry had been run by a driver keeping a logbook. An all paper-based, all honesty-based system. The compliance and auditing were not there,” said Robert Thompson, who co-owns Vintners Logistics LLC with his wife, Shari. Their Kennewick-based business has about 20 trucks in operation and a federaland state-bonded wine warehouse with 160,000 square feet of temperaturecontrolled space. With more than 300
wineries and a plethora of vineyards within 75 miles of the company’s campus at 103612 E. Wiser Parkway, Vintners Logistics drivers are always on the move. “We actually pick up a lot of the handpicked wine grapes throughout Eastern Washington, and we put them immediately into a refrigerated trailer. Literally, we are there when the fruit is harvested,” Thompson said. And while there’s some grumbling in the transportation industry about the new regulation, Thompson said it’s not about big brother keeping an eye on industries— it’s about the safety of employees. “People are complaining that it’s taking longer for deliveries. No. Actually, people are driving the speed limit and taking their correct breaks,” said Thompson, who put ELDs in his trucks 18 months prior to the implementation of the FMCSA’s second phase. “It’s more of a level playing field for those who are playing by the rules.” Prior to the new rule, the driver’s supervisor would inspect every logbook weekly to look for violations, he said, such as maximum driving time limits and designated rest breaks. “There are quite a few in the industry who are fighting the regulations and are trying to get exempt,” he said. “The driver needs to be paid a living wage to do their job.”
Kennewick-based Vintners Logistics LLC is operated by the Thompson family and has about 20 trucks in its fleet. From left are Michael, Shari, Robert and Derek Thompson. (Courtesy Vintners Logistics)
An ELD automatically records a driver’s time on the road and hours of service. It even monitors a vehicle’s engine to capture data on whether the engine is running or moving and the number of miles driven. “I can tell you where every one of my trucks are right now and if they’re speeding,” said Thompson, who added that the new system is good for the clients as well. “It’s really helped with customer service. I can tell you the driver is on 405 and will be there in 15 minutes.” Since Vintners Logistics opened in 2007, it’s doubled in warehouse space and has available land for another 80,000-square-foot warehouse if needed down the road. And it’s not just the
company’s vehicles that have state-of-theart technology. Constructed with phenolfree products and built to maintain temperature and humidity, Thompson said environmental measures in the warehouse are tracked and logged 24 times a day, 365 days a year. “In the wine industry, they don’t like a thing called TCA—cork taint—and so our facilities are super clean. We do air samples, not parts per million, not parts per billion, but parts per trillion,” he said. “That way a customer can pull up five years ago at 1 in the afternoon and they can see we stay within those tolerances.” uVINTNERS, Page 45
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Transportation
43
Hittman Transport Services opens Northwest terminal in north Richland BY LAURA KOSTAD
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Hanford contractors have a new local set of wheels at their disposal. Hittman Transport Services, a national leader in the transport of radioactive and hazardous material shipments, has established its Northwest terminal in north Richland. “We’re the largest premier transportation company of radioactive waste and nuclear fuel in the country,” said Mike Lahr, vice president of logistics at Hittman’s parent company, Energy Solutions. With 130-plus employees nationwide, Hittman transports shipping casks, vans and flatbeds throughout the United States and Canada, logging an average of eight million miles per year and 300 radioactive shipments per month. The company specializes in the shipment of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive materials, highway route control and highlevel material/waste shipments, some of which are classified missions. Energy Solutions’ decommissioning, decontamination, packaging, processing and disposal services are complemented by subsidiary Hittman Transport Services. According to Energy Solutions officials, the company offers the largest fleet of industrial, types A and B, shipping casks and liners to the industry in multiple sizes, shielding and certifications. Hittman was founded in 1977 and is based out of Tennessee and South Carolina. For decades, Hittman has serviced the
Mike Lahr, vice president of logistics, from left, Christine Parks, terminal manager, and Tyler Denslow, dispatcher and truck driver, stand outside Hittman Transport Services in north Richland. Parent company Energy Solutions acquired the location from Apogee Logistics. Hittman specializes in the transportation of radioactive and hazardous material. The new terminal opened in mid-July 2017.
Hanford site and its contractors from its Clive, Utah, location. “What we were getting from our customers was they like us, but, being so far away, when they needed help, it took us a couple days to get here,” Lahr said. “We wanted to be able to respond more quickly.” Energy Solutions recognized a key expansion opportunity in the Northwest when it acquired two-thirds of friendly competitor Apogee Logistics’ (formerly Savage Logistics) assets. In July 2017, Hittman took over Apogee’s former headquarters at 2750 Salk Ave. in Richland, which is comprised
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of a two-acre yard and 3,000 square feet of office space. At the time of the acquisition, Apogee was in the process of constructing a new building. Lahr said the landowner, Port of Benton, was very open and supportive of the plan and worked out a contract with Hittman. Apogee moved to 1440 Battelle Blvd. in Richland and continues to operate shorthaul service to the Hanford area. Lahr said Hittman competes with about a half-dozen other transporters across the nation to move nuclear and hazardous material. Apogee’s clients and some of its drivers were transferred to Hittman as part of the
acquisition, which, with the help of existing local clients, enabled Hittman to hit the ground running. “Hittman has been our primary fuel transporter the last 25 years,” said Rich Gentz, international transport coordinator for Framatome, formerly Areva. Framatome is a nuclear reactor fuel fabricator that uses Hittman Transport Services to deliver fresh fuel to sites across the nation. “It’s nice to have local people,” Gentz said. “Most of our dispatchers are coming out of the Salt Lake City area, and prior to that, it was Kingston, Tennessee.” He added that many local businesses will benefit from having Hittman’s talents and expertise at their disposal. “It’s a unique commodity,” said Gentz, who went on to explain how timing is everything in the transport of nuclear fuel. Punctuality is mandatory; being late, or even early, is not an option, he said. “Hittman Transport is the carrier/trucker … but the load is Framatome’s responsibility. We’re the ones who will get the call if something is amiss, but that doesn’t happen with Hittman. Their drivers are first class and their equipment is first class. They represent Framatome the way we want to be represented,” Gentz said. “If you call us and you want us there at a certain time on a certain date with certain equipment, we will be there. We try to maintain world-class service. We sell our services based on value, not on price,” Lahr said. uHITTMAN, Page 45
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 HITTMAN, From page 43 “Most of our customers are east of the Mississippi,” Gentz said. “Three to five days in-transit, so there’s a reason we call on Hittman … they have a competitive rate. The equipment is outstanding and service is outstanding.” “I think the best word is value,” Lahr said. “We aren’t the cheapest, but we are the best. We are very, very dedicated and loyal to customer service — on time, a properly trained driver, safe equipment, good-looking equipment, clean equipment.” Safety is paramount for the company. “It’s serious work,” said Christine Parks, a former Apogee employee who was hired by Hittman to manage the new Northwest terminal. “This company lives and breathes safety without a doubt.” Hittman boasts more than 148 million incident-free miles since its inception, with 38 of its drivers nationwide having reached a one million-mile milestone of accidentfree trucking. Six have hit the two millionmile mark, and one has driven three million miles without incident. Lahr explained that though Hittman aims to specialize in nuclear and hazardous material transport, the company tailors its services to fulfill clients’ needs. “We wear many hats here,” Parks said. Tyler Denslow, a truck driver who came to Hittman via the Apogee acquisition and now serves as the new Northwest terminal’s dispatcher, said, “We’re their lifeline basically; they call us and need something fixed, and we have to figure out and solve the problem pretty quickly.” Looking ahead, Lahr said Energy Solutions remains open to new acquisition opportunities to expand its domestic footprint. Currently, Hittman is in the process of integrating the company’s first international acquisition—PHTS Logistics Inc., a Canadian company that would enable Hittman to ship intra-Canada. Locally, the company anticipates ample growth in the future as well. Parks said another five acres is available for the
Northwest terminal to grow into. “A lot of the other customers in the area are welcoming us with open arms. It’s going quite well, we’re very pleased,” Lahr said. Parks said Hittman is always hiring. “The quality of driver that (Hittman) strive(s) for is hard to find. … If someone comes along, we’ll bring them on board. They’re few and far between,” she explained, and added that the company plans to continue to source new staff locally. The average number of years of experience that Hittman’s drivers have is 26 and the average age of drivers is 56, Lahr said. As Parks elaborated, “It’s so specialized; there’s extensive training involved and we’re finding that the seasoned guys are a lot stronger.” “We’ve got a really strong group of guys in our company as a whole, in addition to this terminal as well,” she added. “We have a lot of our drivers and a lot of our management personnel who have been with us for 20-plus years,” said Lahr. “A lot of people retire from our company.” While the annual average industry turnover for trucking rings in at 85 percent, Hittman’s turnover by percent is in the single digits, Lahr said. Its secret? “We treat them well, we pay them well, we train them well,” Lahr said. As Parks explained, “The training is above board; this is my fourth company in this industry that I’ve worked for, and nothing compares to the training and the requirements of the folks that work for this company.” Currently, Hittman’s Richland terminal employs seven people, including a Utah driver and an Idaho driver who are managed out of that office. All in all, Lahr said, “We’re looking forward to being a good corporate citizen and supporting the local community.” Information: www.energysolutions. com/waste-transportation/hittman-transport-services-inc/; 509-392-8652; 2750 Salk Ave., Richland.
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BNSF, From page 41 PTC is an onboard and trackside automated system designed to prevent collisions and derailments by synthesizing data pulled from defectdetecting wayside devices installed along the track and autonomous track geometry cars, which record data about track conditions. PTC transmits data using GPS, Wi-Fi and high-band radio transmissions. Wallace reported that 100 percent of BNSF’s required locomotives had been equipped with the technology as
of Dec. 31, 2017, and that all PTC infrastructure is installed for those routes, including radio towers. As of Jan. 2, 2018, Wallace said more than one million service trips had been operated by BNSF using PTC and 80 percent of BNSF’s freight volume moves on PTC routes. She said that BNSF continues to work with the Federal Railroad Administration to enhance safety standards, including the testing of BNSF’s PTC system with other railroads.
VINTNERS, From page 42 In November 2017, the American Institute of Banking audited the company for food safety and sanitation practices. Thompson said Vintners Logistics received 990 out of 1,000—the highest score the inspector had ever given an operating distribution center. “I am proud of my team and the score that we earned because it validates the passion (that) we have to provide safe, clean warehouses and fleet for our customers,” he said. While Vintners Logistics services a large number of wineries throughout the region, warehousing and transportation services are not limited to the viticulture industry. The company also does business with
snack food processors, beer and spirits distributors, ingredient manufacturers and more. Although Vintners Logistics is ready for the third phase—full compliance of ELDs by 2019—the House Transportation Committee noted the mandate could be financially burdensome on small carriers, projecting it to cost more than $2 billion to implement. However, in writing the rule, the FMCSA alleges it recognizes the cost concerns and notes that smartphones, tablets and handheld devices can be used as long as the system as a whole meets ELD requirements, including a hardwired connection to the truck’s engine.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
uNEW HIRES
• Ed Dunbar has been named the Pasco Fire Department’s deputy fire chief. He has been in fire services since 1983 and has lived in the Tri-Cities since 1994. • Dr. John Groner joined PMH Medical Center and will lead the integrated health care team at the newly opening PMH Pain Clinic in Benton City. The clinic at 701 Dale Ave. provides comprehensive pain Dr. John Groner management care, including physical and message therapy, occupational medicine, medication management, chiropractic care and behavioral health services. Previously, Groner worked at hospitals and pain centers throughout Washington and Oregon. • U.S. Cellular has named Roberto Pineda the business area sales manager for Oregon and Washington. He will lead business sales associates to help Tri-City area customers select the best plan and devices to meet their data needs. He has more than 12 years of wireRoberto Pineda less sales experience at U.S. Cellular. Most recently, he was the retail area sales manager in central Oregon.
• Jaleh Flinders has been hired by Numerica Credit Union as the assistant branch manager for the recently merged Monad Credit Union Jaleh Flinders branch in Pasco. • Jeannie Steiling passed her Realtor license exam and joined the team of Integrity Real Estate Northwest in Richland as a real estate agent and licensed broker. • Steve Worley is now the public works director for the city of Pasco. He was previously the assistant public works director for the city of Fife.
uDONATIONS • Bechtel donated $12,000 to Second Harvest’s Bite2Go program that provides food supplies for weekends during the school year for children of need. More than 25 Bechtel employees volunteered their time during a Bite2Go Build event, packaging the food kits. The kits contain healthy, kid-friendly, easy-to-open and nonperishable single-serve items that will supply food for four meals and three snacks, and do not require preparation or cooking. • In an effort to assist local veterans in need, the Department of Energy’s Richland Operations Office, with support from Hanford site contractor Mission Support Alliance (MSA), is donating excess clothing. More than 250 pieces of clothing including pants, shirts, sweat-
shirts, vests, jackets, coveralls and bib overalls, valued at more than $16,000, will be donated to the Columbia Basin Veterans Opportunity Center (CBVOC). CBVOC provides a variety of services to local veterans. In addition to helping veterans access benefits they have earned through their service, CBVOC also offers transitional housing, counselors and case managers, and assistance with identifying education and employment opportunities. CBVOC requested the clothing to assist local veterans in finding jobs. This is the second donation of its kind to CBVOC, bringing the total value of excess clothing donations to CBVOC to more than $27,000 in the past two years. As the Hanford site integrator, MSA processes excess property, including clothing, from DOE and Hanford’s prime contractors. Property is excessed in many ways, including through direct donations.
uSCHOLARSHIP • Seth Lowery of Hanford High School has been selected by Better Business Bureau as one of only 29 regional finalists in the 2018 Students of Integrity $10,000 scholarship contest. Applications were open to students in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Hawaii and Western Wyoming. Students submitted a 90-second video on how to be a smart consumer. Videos were posted on YouTube, and 20 percent of the finalists’ scores were dependent on the number of viewers. One recipient will receive $10,000. Lowery’s video is at bitly/2I1Bj1y.
The winning video will be announced in mid-April.
uHONORS • Flo Sayre, a real estate agent with Farmers National Co. in Pasco, received the 2017 Land Realtor of America Award from the Realtors Flo Sayre Land Institute. She has been a real estate agent for 24 years and is a fourth-generation Pasco resident. • Jason E. Johnson, an advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Spokane, who also serves the Tri-Cities, has qualified for the company’s Circle of Success annual recognition program for the company’s top advisors. Ameriprise has an office in Kennewick. • Longship Cellars in Richland was awarded Best of Class for its 2014 Quinn red blend at the 2017 SavorNW Wine Awards in the other red blends category. Proceeds from this wine, named after a local 5-year-old girl, will benefit the Great Strides team “All in for Quinn” to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. Its 2015 Wise Man Cabernet Sauvignon also won best of class. • Petersen Hastings, an investment company in Kennewick, has been named as one of the 2018 Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors by InvestmentNews.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
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Simplifying life can simplify administration of an estate after death BY BEAU RUFF
planning perspective, to plan to go through probate than try to avoid it.
Above all else, two issues impact the complexity, time and cost of the administration of a person’s estate more than the rest: the assets and the heirs. One of the keys from a planning perspective is to determine how best to position yourself to limit the complexity caused by those two issues. It is likely your estate will require some kind of administration. After a person dies, they own stuff. And necessarily, that stuff needs some kind of process to account for the stuff, divide the stuff and distribute the stuff. Most people in Washington will go through a process called probate. Specifically, a person’s estate generally goes through probate unless: (1) the person has a fully-funded revocable living trust, in which case the trust estate goes through a process substantially similar to probate called Trust Administration; (2) the person has a surviving spouse and community property agreement, in which case minimal administration of the community property agreement is required; or (3) the estate consists of less than $100,000 and has no real property like a house or land or condo, in which case the estate goes through a process called small estate administration by affidavit. Contrary to conventional wisdom, and unlike other states, Washington has a simplified and streamlined probate process. Indeed, it often makes more sense, from a
The assets
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The mix of assets and the value of those assets can weigh heavily on the administration of a person’s estate. Imagine that John’s estate consisted entirely of $500,000 cash in a bank account and he rents a one-room apartment with personal property worth about $2,000. Imagine that Frank’s estate is also valued at $500,000 but consists of: (1) a duplex in Richland with $80,000 in equity; (2) a personal residence with $120,000 in equity, (3) cash valued at $30,000 spread across three banks; (4) a timeshare in Arizona valued at $20,000; (5) cars, an RV and a boat valued collectively at $80,000; (6) a gun collection worth $20,000; and (7) an investment account worth $150,000. Though the assets are valued the same, John’s estate is much simpler to administer. The person in charge of John’s estate need only contact one institution — the bank. He or she needn’t put assets up for sale. John’s estate doesn’t require an influx of cash like Frank’s might, say, putting new roof on the house to maximize the sale potential of the property. John’s estate doesn’t require any safeguarding of assets. The goal is not to live like John, but to be cognizant of the complexity caused by the asset mix and determine if the asset is worth the hassle. Sometimes simplification can be achieved by combining bank
accounts or investment accounts. Sometimes it is selling a piece of land or oil/mineral rights that really aren’t yielding any income or Beau Ruff happiness to the Cornerstone individual. By Wealth Strategies taking these steps during life, it can greatly reduce the complexity of the estate for the heirs.
The heirs
Continuing with the example of John and Frank, let’s assume that John’s sole heir is his only living relative – his son Phil. Phil is the person in charge of the estate and the entirety of the assets go to Phil. Phil’s job is really quite simple. And, there is really no likelihood of any dispute or litigation because Phil is the singular person to benefit from the estate. Frank’s heirs include his two children, Melissa and Tonia, as well as his two stepchildren from a later marriage, Tom and Chris. Frank appoints Melissa to be in charge of the fair and equal distribution of all the assets of Frank’s estate. Even though the will spells it out that “all assets are split equally,” there are still plenty of issues to fight about. Why did Melissa choose that realtor and set the price so low for the house? Why did she sell the guns when really Tom wanted them? Even
though Chris has been living in one-half of the duplex, both Chris and Tonia think they should receive the duplex. As one might imagine, the potential for conflict and emotional turmoil is much greater for Frank’s heirs. Again, the goal is to be cognizant of the complexity raised by the number and type of heirs of the estate. While the “simplification” of the heirs is not necessarily a solution technique, a helpful option exists. Often the complexities raised by multiple or adverse heirs can be greatly diminished by putting a professional third-party in charge of the administration of the estate. Sometimes these third-parties are called professional fiduciaries. They charge a fee to properly and fairly administer the estate without bias and emotion. This can greatly reduce the potential for conflict and litigation as the heirs now have no emotional feelings toward the third-party. The professional fiduciary has dealt with this scenario dozens of times before and has simple-solution techniques to quickly work through the administration of the estate and get each heir the maximum value to which he or she is entitled.
Conclusion
Take stock of your assets and your heirs. If you think there might be ways to simplify either, start working on it now. Your heirs will be well served. Attorney Beau Ruff works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
uHONORS • Tammy Darling has been named Secondary Educator of the Year for the Washington Association for Learning Alternatives. Darling teaches high school students and MidColumbia Partnership and Tammy Darling coaches the school’s Destination Imagination team. The award recognizes middle and high school teachers and staff members in alternative learning programs who stand out for their contributions and service to educating students and helping make their school or
program be successful. • Keith Klein was honored with the WMS/Wendell D. Weart Lifetime Achievement Award that recognizes the commitment of recipients to solving major nuclear challenges. Klein is a retired Department of Energy Richland Office executive director. He is now a vice president of Longnecker and Associates and served on the Environmental Management Advisory Board. • The city of Pasco has been named one of 20 finalists for the All-America City Award given by the National Civic League. This year’s theme is “Promoting Equity Through Inclusive Civic Engagement.” Teams from finalist communities will participate in presentations and workshops June 22-24 in Denver to compete for one of 10 awards given. • Richland lawyer George E. Telquist
was named among the 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction in Washington by the Four Years American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. • Junior Achievement of Washington Southeastern Region announced the following prize winners for its annual bowling classic, the Comic Con Bowl-A-Thon: Brittney Hopperstad, HAPO, top individual fundraiser; Jamei Perez, Bechtel, top individual fundraiser runner-up; Ana Valencia, HAPO Community Credit Union, AutoZone’s getaway fun vacation stay; Keith Schmaljohn, CH2M, prize table drawing, resort stay with Vacation Internationale; Jim Hui, Wheatland Bank, Seahawks autographed football; Kevin Gunn, Pacific Crest Planning, Gold’s Gym membership; and Danielle Smith, Gesa Credit Union, overall best costume. • The following John L. Scott Pasco
agents have received Northwest honors: Curtis Dahl, President’s Elite, top producing agent; Juan and Netty Zuniga, President’s Gold; Tina Morales, President’s Gold, top producing agent. The following received regional recognition: Geoff Guidry, top producing agent; Tony Verret, Rookie of the Year. • Zane Castilleja, a Prosser High School sophomore, was named the 2018 Youth of the Year for Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties. It is the highest honor a Boys and Girls Clubs member can receive. He went on to be chosen as the 2018 Washington State Youth of the Year by a panel of 10 Zane Castilleja judges based on his outstanding character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community. The honor comes with a $5,000 college scholarship. Zane will be eligible to compete for the Pacific regional competition in July. He hopes to attend the University of Washington to become a surgical nurse. • Michelle Frost, security chief for the Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District, was recognized as the Corps’ best anti-terrorism program manager for 2017. She joined the district readiness office in 2012 and contributed to the district achieving Emergency Management Michelle Frost Accreditation Program accreditation in 2017. • Kennewick insurance agent Scott Smith has been named to State Farm’s Chairman’s Circle. It is the fifth time he has won the award since he opened his office in 2011. • Framatome’s Richland fuel manufacturing facility recently was recognized by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its commitment to safety and continuous improvement during its biennial licensee performance review. The NRC review confirmed that between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2017, the Richland fuel facility met all compliance and regulatory requirements with no areas identified for improvement. The facility has sustained this rating since August 2006.
uPROMOTIONS • Don Persinger, a certified public account with Northwest CPA Group in Richland, has been admitted as a partner with the firm. Persinger manages the technology needs of the company as well as other services. He has been with the company since it was established in 2004. He is a graduate of Washington State University. • Alison Gebers, the manger of audit and accounting services of Northwest CPA Group, has been promoted to principal. Gebers has been with the company since it was established in 2004. She is a graduate of Washington State University.
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Public record uBANKRUPTCIES Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt property and debt is charged. 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 Miguel A. and Cindy S. Gutierrez, 1001 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. Jeremy A. and Christine M. Ball, 1308 Alameda Court, Richland. Robert L. G. and Elizabeth J. Ortiz, 7322 W. Bonnie Ave., Kennewick. Aaron Haro, 3712 Roberta Road, Pasco. Kyle J. Daniels, 4205 W. Argent Road, Pasco. Victor O. and Socorro Gutierrez, 311 N. Beech Ave., Pasco. Gilberto Lazaro, 2906 W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Mitchell May, 632 N. Arthur, Kennewick. Vincent E. Kerchal, 1600 S. Ione St., Kennewick. Jacob W. and Abadeen F. Peters, PO
Box 1184, Connell. Mark D. Holt, 2100 Bellerive Drive, Richland. Delia Gonzalez, 4331 Hendricks Road, Connell. Kimberly R. Saworski, 1620 Teal Court, West Richland. Alicia M. Scott, 2102 W. 34th Ave., Kennewick. Adrena K. Tracy, 460 N. Arthur St., Kennewick. Juan C. Garza, 1919 W. Hopkins St., Pasco. Jimmy A. John, 5008 W. 32nd Ave., Kennewick. Brittany M. Icayan, 2513 Durportail St., Richland. Sergio Mendoza, 1814 W. Marie St., Pasco. Silvia Y. Lopez-Lazo, 1007 S. Gum St., Kennewick. Jason M. Haggerty and Courtney L. Brown, 208 Wright Ave., Richland. Hector L. Mendoza, 620 N. Tweedt, Kennewick. Darla K. Don, Po Box 297, Prosser. Vanessa Garcia, 119 S. Elm, Pasco. Alex Catalan, 705 N. 25th Court, Pasco. Jerry D. and Bobbie L. Haug, 25212 N. 251 PRNW, Benton City. Ronald and Linda Fields, 3300 SW Payette Ave., Kennewick. Tim G. Montgomery, 6102 N. Road 68, Pasco.
Lori A. Ganders, 1109 Potter Ave., Richland. Ryan J. and Atalia Grogan, 810 N. Johnson St., Kennewick. Franklin Lopez, 416 N. Waldamar Ave., Pasco. Ashley R. Meadows, 465 N. Arthur St., Kennewick. Daniel Hunt, 216 E. First Place, Kennewick. Tammye K. Bowen, 3626 Rocky Mountain Road, West Richland. Karely Hueso, 2710 E. Helena, Pasco. Darlene W. Pogue, 2406 W. Bruneau Ave., Kennewick. Salvador G. Barragan, PO Box 121, Eltopia. Oscar Hernandez, 608 N. Arbutus Ave., Pasco. Caren Godinez, 5031 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Courtney M. Vowels, 6408 Dodger Drive, Pasco. Maria V. Campos, 116 E. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Freddy O. and Guadalupe Martinez, 2410 W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Jeniffer N. Boyles, 205 S. Washington St., Kennewick. Alfredo D. Casimiro, 5704 W. Court St., Pasco. Jack W. and Tracie S. Burger, 15203 N. Albro Road, Prosser. Juliette Moody, 1509 Ferrell Land, Richland.
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CHAPTER 13 David Hernandez, 4421 W. Marie St., Pasco. Travis W. Ouderkirk and Liset Ruiz, 606 Torbett St., Richland. Jay John, 4301 W. 35th Court, Kennewick. Alvaro Gonzalez, 6405 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. Jose M. Rojas, Jr. and Wendy L. Hernandez, 5213 W. 32nd Ave., Kennewick. Elizabeth Mujica, 4212 Cochins Lane, Pasco. Michael R. Meyer, 5412 W. 23rd Ave., Kennewick. James M. Swanson, 103 N. Lincoln St., Kennewick. Judy M. L. Cruz, 502 Cascade Court, Prosser. Juan M. Velasco, 4505 W. Brown St., Pasco.
uTOP PROPERTIES
Top property values listed start at $500,000 and have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.
BENTON COUNTY Undisclosed location, 7.73 acres of commercial land. Price: $4,000,000. Buyer: Lewis and Clark Ranch. Seller: Frank Tiegs.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 50
SENIOR TIMES E XPO Tuesday, April 17 • 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Red Lion Hotel • 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, WA
Visit booths to learn about products, services and ideas for better senior living. Enter drawings, pick up freebies and fill out the “Hunt for the Treasure” contest to win prizes! The Senior Times Expo is free to attend.
sponsored by
For more information about the expo, call 509-737-8778 or visit srtimes.com
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
PUBLIC RECORD, From page 49 3403 S. Ledbetter St., Kennewick, 0.27 acres of undeveloped residential land. Price: $526,500. Buyer: Jeffrey McDannel. Seller: Don Platt Construction. 1658 Meadow Hills Drive, Richland, 2,426-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $565,000. Buyer: Anthony and Yvonne Sako. Seller: Larry and Karen Dodson. 22403 S. Ward Gap Road, Prosser, single-family home on 1.47 acres. Price: $670,000. Buyer: Charles and Gina Royer. Seller: Dean and Judith Benson. 3702 Eastlake Drive, West Richland, 4,221-square-foot, single-family home on 4 acres. Price: $985,000. Buyer: Brett and Tracy Spooner. Seller: Robert and Brenda Mercer. 6103 Coulee Vista Drive, Kennewick, 2,313-square-foot, single-family home on 0.91 acres. Price: $505,000. Buyer: Ray and Candy Richardson. Seller: Ryan and Jenny Jackson. 518 Ferrara Lane, Richland, 0.34 acres of undeveloped residential land. Price: $784,000. Buyer: Yang Kui Lu and Qi Chen. Seller: P&R Construction. 4204 W. 42nd Ave., Kennewick, 2,289-square-foot, single-family home on 0.88 acres. Price: $644,000. Buyer: Paul and Darris Griffith. Seller: Timothy and Penny Buffington. 44207 N. McDonald Road, Prosser, 2,455-square-foot, commercial building; 3,572-square-foot, single-family home on 124.5 acres of agricultural land. Price: $2,820,300. Buyer: Olsen Family LLC. Seller: unlisted.
8202 W. Quinault Ave., Suite A, Kennewick, 7,588-square-foot, commercial building. Price: $1,475,000. Buyer: C5 Land Company. Seller: Engelhard Properties. 1905 Gala Way, Richland, 2,540-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $627,700. Buyer: Charles and Carli Hesse. Seller: Solferino Homes. FRANKLIN COUNTY 11720 Pheasant Run Road, Pasco, 3,529-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $600,000. Buyer: AJ Wade. Seller: H.A. and Linda Rowell. 3005 Road 84, Pasco, 3,321-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $525,000. Buyer: Catalina Meraz. Seller: Bruce and Sherry Little. 3309 Road 100, Pasco, 1,280-squarefoot, single-family home on 12.88 acres. Price: $862,900. Buyer: TSR Properties. Seller: Sunbelt Properties. 2005 Amy Loop, Pasco, 1 lot of undeveloped residential land. Price: $502,400. Buyer: Kenneth and Audrey Idler. Seller: P&R Construction. 7520 Pheasant Lane, Pasco, 3,289-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $619,900. Buyer: Bradley Bell. Seller: Chad Langford. 5617 W. Court St., Pasco, 17.6 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $999,000. Buyer: Viking Builders. Seller: First Pacific Properties. 5671 & 5481 Greenacres Road, Othello, 1,314-square-foot and 2,638-square-foot, single-family homes on 323.5 acres of agricultural land. Price: $5,750,000. Buyer: GKB Land. Seller: Calaway Co. Chinook Lane & Coho Court, Pasco,
9 lots of undeveloped residential land. Price: $633,600. Buyer: Olin Homes. Seller: Big Creek Land Co. Nitinat Lane, Cariboo Drive & Vermilion Land, Pasco, 10 lots of undeveloped residential land. Price: $600,000. Buyer: Hayden Homes. Seller: Ron Asmus Homes. 11919 Harris Road, Building A, Pasco, multiple commercial buildings on 13.5 acres. Price: $800,000. Buyer: Interstate Concrete and Asphalt. Seller: American Rock Products.
uBUILDING PERMITS
Building permit values have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.
BENTON COUNTY Finley School District, 224606 E. Game Farm Road, $573,100 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. CSS, 105106 E. Wiser Parkway, $746,800 for new commercial construction. Contractor: CRF Metal Works. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, 178810 S. SR 221, $162,900 for a heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. FRANKLIN COUNTY Verizon Wireless, 1970 N. Railroad Ave., $10,000 for an antenna/tower. Contractor: Legacy Telecommunications. KENNEWICK Two Dawgs, 4528 W. 26th Ave.,
$175,000 for tenant improvements, $10,000 for a heat pump/HVAC and $25,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Kitt Construction & Development, All Seasons Heating & Air and Apex Plumbing & Mechanical. MGPXXXIX, 2802 W. 35th Ave., $60,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Interstate Restoration. Kennewick School District, 5405 W. Metaline Ave., $25,000 for demolition. Contractor: Andrist Enterprises. The Living Room Community Church, 1409 S Garfield St., $575,000 for commercial remodel and $30,000 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Banlin Construction and A-One Refrigeration. Walla Walla Farmer’s Co-op, 5003 W. Brinkley Road, $15,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: General Dynamics Info Telecommunications. Hutten Settlement, 4309 W. 27th Place, $6,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Signs. SP LLU Riverpointe, 321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Signs. Kevin Bacon Investments, 8112 W. Klamath Court, $15,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Signs. Metropolitan Plaza, 321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $14,900 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Kdow Construction. Save the Club LLC, 314 N. Underwood St., $5,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. Garfield Mart, 30 S. Garfield St., $6,500 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Brothers Heating & Air.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 51
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 50 Smile-A-Mile Painting, 8804 W. Victoria Ave., $1,200,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Smile-A-Mile Painting. Washington Securities, 8901 W. Tucannon Ave., $30,000 for tenant improvements and $5,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Solferino Construction and Three Rivers Mechanical. McDonald’s, 2721 W. Kennewick Ave., $25,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Mastec Network Solutions. Columbia Hills Building, 510 N. Colorado St., $712,400 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Chinook Heating & Air and Campbell & Company. Lithia Real Estate, 7171 W. Canal Drive, $8,000 for a sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs. BNSF Railway Corp., 411 W. Railroad Ave., $149,000 for a commercial remodel and $6,000 for a heat pump/ HVAC. Contractors: owner and Apollo Inc. Marquart Investments, 6321 W. Canal Drive, $17,700 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Real Centric Solutions. AP Properties, 6201 W. Clearwater Ave., $27,300 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing. BMB Development, 1903 W. 19th Ave., $8,000 for plumbing and $8,000 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: DDB LLC and Bruce Heating & Air.
for commercial reroof. Contractor: Perfect Circle Construction. Simplot-RTD, 1825 N. Commercial Ave., $17,400 for commercial addition. Contractor: Fisher Construction Group. City of Pasco, 1025 S. Gray Ave., $5,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Oregon St. Group, 1304 E. Lewis St., $18,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Teton West of WA. First Baptist Church, 1105 Road 36, $9,500 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. JPS Investments, 1506 E. Salt Lake St., $7,100 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: 3 Rivers Heating & Air. 598 Building Association, 1328 N. 28th Ave., $20,000 for a sign. Contractor: Inland Sign & Lighting. Pasco School District, 1915 N. 22nd Ave., $31,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: to be determined. Pasco School District, 5706 Road 60, $90,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: to be determined. Pasco School District, 1616 W. Octave St., $70,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: to be determined. Tim Corwin, 1225 Autoplex Way,
$39,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: LCR Construction. Goodwill Industries, 3521 W. Court St., # B, $90,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Bosch Construction. Red Lion Pasco, 2525 N. 20th Ave., $46,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Elite Construction & Development. RICHLAND City of Richland, 555 Lacy Road, $2,400,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Rotschy Inc. Mac Holdings, 221 Wellsian Way, $1,100,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Bouten Construction. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 969 Gage Blvd., $372,300 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Jacobsen Construction. Conagra Foods, 2005 Saint St., $30,900 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Steven Woolfolk, 2240 Robertson Drive, $507,800 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Cleary Building Corp. T&J Rental Enterprises, 1504 Torthay Place, $5,800 for a heat pump/HVAC.
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Contractor: Jacobs & Rhodes. Port of Benton, 2701 Salk Ave., $7,400 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. 723 The Parkway LLC, 723 The Parkway, $45,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Chervenell Construction. Scott Tri-City Properties, 850 Aaron Drive, $5,300 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: All Climate Services. Marsh Queensgate, 2150 Keene Road, $7,500 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Kadlec Regional Medical Center, 888 Swift Blvd., $80,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: Bouten Construction. Grigg Family, 1425 George Washington Way, $46,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: MP Construction. City of Richland, 530 Columbia Point Drive, $180,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Chervenell Construction. HAPO Community Credit Union, 601 Williams Blvd., $26,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Royal Roofing & Siding.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 52
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PASCO Hogback Sandifur, 5710 Road 68, $12,000 for a sign and $293,300 for tenant improvements. Contractors: Wang Enterprises and to be determined. Raon, 6605 Burden Blvd., $5,900 for a sign. Contractor: A-1 Illuminated Sign Co. Port of Pasco, 3295 E. Ainsworth Ave., $75,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Industrial Constructors. Jean You, 8120 Sunset Lane, $8,300
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
PUBLIC RECORD, From page 51 WEST RICHLAND Bush Living Trust, 3320 Kennedy Road, $20,800 for tenant improvements and $550,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: MH Construction.
uBUSINESS LICENSES
At time of press, Kennewick, Pasco and Richland business licenses were not available.
WEST RICHLAND Saddle Mountain Homes, 3312 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick. A Clip Away Lawn Maintenance, 1311 11th St., Benton City. Valiant General Contracting, 700 N. Road 32, Pasco.
A&A Construction, 1615 W. 25th Place, Kennewick. J and C Flooring, 5702 Roosevelt Court, Pasco. Pacific Northwest Construction & Restoration, 420 S. Quincy St., Kennewick. Western Exterminator Company, 10905 E. Montgomery Drive, Montgomery. Bahia Vista, 4008 Cascade Drive. Holster HQ, 4615 Snowy Owl Court. Lumin Solar, 3609 168th St. NE, Arlington. Angler’s Edge Guide Service, 1827 Talon Court, Richland. All Concrete Speciality, 904 W. Leola St., Pasco. Murphey Brothers General Excavating, 144001 W. Johnson Road, Prosser. Affordable Handyman, 1823 W.
Henry St., Pasco. Nuclear Care Partners, 214 Torbett St., Suite C, Richland. Mi Hom Construction, 4403 Meadow View Drive, Pasco. BT & Sons Construction, 9020 W. Skagit Ave., Kennewick. Forever Life System Stucco, 237 E. Eighth Place, Kennewick. Rika’s Total Lawn Care, 4414 NW Commons Drive, Pasco. Elegant Custom Homes, 1756 Silver Court, Richland. Taylor Ridge IT Consulting, 5803 Glenbrook Loop. Nicoles Hobby & Design, 701 Hill Top View St. Tri-Cities Ballroom Dance, 4711 N. Dallas Road. A-1 Airvents Northern States, 2844 E. Dodd, Road, Hayden Lake, Idaho. Sherlock Homes Improvements,
1037 N. 60th Ave. All Cities Solar, 288 Wellsian Way, Richland. Lien Brothers, 5101 Spirea Drive. A&M Carpet & More, 1019 S. Sixth Ave., Pasco. DV Handyman Services, 1930 Benton Ave., Prosser. Magic Touch Janitorial Service, 1515 W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Action Materials, 10710 S. Cheney Spokane Road, Cheney. Adam H. Berkey’s Northwest Pole Buildings, 3127 S. Caballo Road, Kennewick. Sequoia Business Services, 5900 W. Yellowstone Ave., Kennewick. Ramsay Construction, 2403 Olympia St., Richland. Pending Inspection, Home Inspection Services, 6406 W. 15th Ave., Kennewick. Felicianos Construction, 111 Austin Drive. Aalliam, 2633 Quarterhorse Way, Richland.
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.
Advantage Evolution, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 1. Ainsworth Collision Center, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 2. Israel Mendoza, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 2. Essential Planning Incorporated, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 6. Columbia Memorial Park, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 6. Ivans Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 6. JJ Carpeting Installers, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 7. NA&S General Construction, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 7. 3 Cities Landscaping, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 7. Jose M. Damian, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 8. Jose L. Urvina, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 8. Eastern Washington Metal Work, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 8. Jose M. Salas, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 8. Rivers Edge Auto Repair, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed March 8. Proficiency Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 12. Luis Perez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 12. Jak Ventures, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 12. Juan Alvarado, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 12.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 53
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 52 Metzeri Zavala, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Ubaldo Reyes Ramirez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. John W. Dorsey, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Alvaro A. Gonzalez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Maria N. Portillo, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Rebecca L. Percifield, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Kendra M. Halbert, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed March 16. Kathryn E. Silva, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 20. Joel Salas Correl, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 20. Barajas Auto Body, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed March 20. Monica Crutchfield, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed March 21.
uLiquor Licenses
Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS The Bradley, 404 Bradley Blvd., Suite 106, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver in/out of Washington; direct shipment receiver in Washington only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Riverside Restaurant & Lounge, 50 Comstock St., Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; beer/wine restaurant with taproom. Application type: new. Horse Haven Saloon, 615 Sixth St., Prosser. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; spirits/ beer/wine restaurant lounge; catering. Application type: added/change of class. MV Chrysalis, 458-C Columbia Point Drive, Richland. License type: spirits/ beer/wine restaurant ship/lounge; off premises sale wine; catering. Application type: added/change of class. Prosser Food Depot #868, 1309 Meade Ave., Prosser. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; beer/wine grocery store; spirits retailer; beer/wine tasting. Application type: added/change of class. APPROVED The Lodge at Columbia Point, 530 Columbia Point Drive, Richland. License type: hotel. Application type: new. Vinaceus, 318 Wellhouse Loop, Richland. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: alcohol permit.
MV Chrysalis, 458-C Columbia Point Drive, Richland. License type: interstate common carrier. Application type: added/change of class. Kiona Vineyards Winery, 44612 N. Sunset PRNE, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: alcohol permit. Fidelitas Wines, 51810 N. Sunset Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: alcohol permit. Red Lion Hotel Richland, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. License type: hotel. Application type: assumption. 7-Eleven #26088J, 1540 Jadwin Ave., Richland. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: assumption. Ms. Rhoda’s Wine Garden, 702 Jadwin Ave., Suite B, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver in/out of Washington. Application type: new. Hedges Family Estate, 53511 N. Sunset Road PRNE, Benton City. License type: domestic winery >249,000 liters. Application type: alcohol permit. Foodies, 308 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in/out of Washington. Application type: added/change of class. DISCONTINUED Downtown Dupus Boomer’s, 502 Swift Blvd., Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, 8108 W.
Gage Blvd., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in/out of Washington. FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS La Palma Market, 2120 E. Lewis St., Pasco. License type: beer/wine grocery store; spirits retailer. Application type: new. APPROVED Wines of Sagemoor, 8930 W. Sagemoor Road, Pasco. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. 7-Eleven #2306-14406Q, 1504 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: assumption. Red Lion Airport Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: added/change of class.
uMARIJUANA Licenses
Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Green Bluff Orchards II, 102003 E. Badger Road, Suite A, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 2; marijuana processor. Application type: assumption.
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APPROVED Mother Nature, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Suite H, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: change of location. Sunnyside Northwest, 41305 N. Griffin Road, Grandview. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: added fees. Ponder Vita Productions, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Suite I, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: assumption.
ubusiness UPDATES NEW BUSINESSES Avea Financial Planning has opened at 723 The Parkway in Richland (inside Fuse SPC). The business offers financial planning and investment services for pre-retirees and Generation X families, specifically focusing on college funding and retirement planning. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact: 509-366-0032, aveafp.com, Facebook. CrossFit 12 Stones has opened at 101 N. Union St., Suite 209 in Kennewick. The gym offers CrossFit and high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, as well as open gym time. Hours vary by class time. Contact: 509-531-6072, crossfit12stones.com, Facebook.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 54
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 53 Europa Italian & Spanish Cuisine has opened at 2459 S. Union Place, Suite 110 in Kennewick. The restaurant offers authentic Italian and Spanish dishes including pasta, paella, appetizers, desserts and local and imported wines. Hours: 5 - 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact: 509-579-5828, europatialianspanish. com, Facebook. Furbabies Bakery and Boutique has opened at 710 George Washington Way, Suite E in Richland. The business sells pet accessories and grain-free/dairy-free pet treats. Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Contact: 509-5315898, furbabiesbakeryandboutique. com, Facebook. Gathered Home has opened at 211 Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick. The business sells furniture, home décor as well as hand-made, custom and repurposed items. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Contact: 509-531-9979, Facebook. Gallery Underground has opened in the basement of Roxy Antiques at 101 W. Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick. The gallery sells paintings, photography and pottery from 10 local artists as well as doing art demonstrations on the First Thursday Art Walk. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact: Facebook. Spa Reju has opened inside the Tri-City Court Club at 1350 N. Grant St. in Kennewick. The spa offers various types of therapy including Pulsed Electromagnetic Field, Sonic WholeBody Vibration, Bio-modulated Light, Oxygen and Hyperbaric Chamber treatments. They also offer hot yoga classes, spray tanning and massage chairs. You do not need to be a gym
member to use the spa’s services. Hours: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. Friday; and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Contact: 509-619-0304, spa-reju. com. ADDITIONAL LOCATION Chaplaincy Repeat Boutique has opened a second thrift store at 1331 George Washington Way in Richland. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact: 509-9405599, chaplaincyrepeatboutique.org. Dark Zero Tattoo has opened a second location at 2500 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite C in Kennewick. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. Contact: 509-627-7222, Facebook. MOVED Cinder’s Boutique/Boutique 627 has moved to 1341 George Washington Way, Suite C in Richland. Contact: 509-392-9494, Facebook. Craig Griffiths State Farm Agency has moved to 309 Bradley Blvd., Suite 101 in Richland. Contact: 509-547-9571, craiggriffiths.org, Facebook. Sculpt Tri-Cities has moved to 8503 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite C in Kennewick. Contact: 509-579-0089, sculpttricities.com, Facebook. NAME CHANGE Michelle Clary’s Thrivent Financial is now Piton Wealth. Contact: 509582-0570, pitonwealth.com CLOSED Stay Gold at 1615 Columbia Park Trail in Richland has closed.
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2018
Around Town
Garrett Ossman, Rascal Rodeo’s self-proclaimed “Legendary Cowboy,” stands with the Benton Franklin Mounted Sheriff’s Posse, which was honored as the Volunteer Group of the Year during the fourth annual Honky Tonk Hoedown fundraiser March 23 at Pasco Red Lion. The nonprofit seeks donations to keep its rodeos free of charge to special needs cowboys and cowgirls. The event raised $45,000 with 265 people in attendance. Colton Schmidt and Josh Lembcke, center, Rascal Rodeo cowboys of Othello, also helped present awards. Happy Horse Riding School of Burbank was named Volunteer Group of the Year. Volunteer of the Year was Geri Meredith of Finley. (Courtesy Rascal Rodeo)
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell speaks at an April 2 press conference announcing a partnership between the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Washington State University about the formation of the WSUPNNL Institutes — a collection of three joint institutes to advance discoveries and innovation in nuclear science and technology, advanced grid, and bioproducts. Sitting are WSU President Kirk Schultz, left, and PNNL Director Steven Ashby. (Courtesy WSU Tri-Cities)
The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce ended its annual meeting and awards luncheon on March 28 by dropping a net full of colorful balloons. Business on a Roll Award winners announced at the meeting were Burt Tax and Accounting of Kennewick (10 or fewer employees), Teknologize of Kennewick (11 to 50 employees) and I-3 Global of Kennewick (more than 50 employees). (Courtesy Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce)
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Kirby Amacker, president of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin board, from left, Bill Lampson, capital campaign cabinet member, Yousif Yousif, club member and a Delta High School Intern, and Ty Haberling of HFG Trust/Community First Bank get some help with their shovels during the March 26 ground-breaking ceremony of the new Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties clubhouse in Kennewick. Supporters have raised more than $4.8 million toward the $5.1 million goal. (Courtesy Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties)
Columbia Industries clients and staff participated in the March for Respect on March 24 in Richland. The grass-roots initiative aims to help raise awareness about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pictured from left to right are Michael Schutz, AJ Andrade, Libby Campbell, Vanessa Cedergreen, Nathan Plung, Michael Stein, Jonathan Baer, Marie Lathim, Kailey Baer and CEO Brian McDermott. (Courtesy CI)
Dru Seed, right, a senior in Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology program, pours during the third annual Blended Learning Release Party fundraiser on March 28 at Budd’s Broiler in Richland. Budd’s donated its service, food and use of the restaurant so all ticket proceeds went directly to the WSU program. More than 100 people attended and more than $18,000 was raised. (Courtesy Anthony’s Restaurants)
Email Around Town photo submissions with captions to editor@tcjournal.biz
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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ April 2018