Issuu

Vol. 23 No. 3

March 2015 Some security companies won’t work with the marijuana industry [Page 6]

The Buzz Health care section Cover story: PeaceHealth connects patients with primary care. CONTINUED ON 18 Adult Day Health program changes hands, prepares for move to Lynden. ADULT DAY HEALTH, 21 Fitness equipment goes high-tech. An “anti-gravity” treadmill and an energy producing elliptical machine come to Bellingham. FITNESS, 18

Where’s the snow? Milano’s Restaurant in Glacier closed and a lack of snow at the Mount Baker Ski Area is straining other businesses in the foothills. MOUNT BAKER, 24 Kathleen Hall, registered nurse, cares for a patient during a demonstration in the emergency department at PeaceHealth St. Jospeh Medical Center.

Business toolkit

OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

Prepare for trade show season

PeaceHealth handles a 10 percent patient increase

TOOLKIT, 25

BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal Since the first open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, the waiting room at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is a little more crowded and more equipment lines the hallways in the emergency department. The hospital, Whatcom County’s largest private employer and only

inpatient hospital, is handling 10 percent more patients than it was two years ago. The number of people the emergency department staff treats each day grew from about 155 to 180 in the last year and a half, said Margie Campbell, emergency department manager. To deal with the surge, PeaceHealth is teaching patients how to use health care more effectively. Whatcom County had a lot of

success in getting people signed up for coverage through the Affordable Care Act. The percentage of people without health insurance in Whatcom County went from 14.3 percent in 2013 to 4 percent by April 2014. That’s 20,909 Whatcom County residents who are newly insured. Whatcom Alliance for

Healthcare Advancement (WAHA), a nonprofit, was one organization chosen by the state to help enroll people in Apple

PeaceHealth, PAGE 18

Bellingham’s Best Marine Store

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The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

Contents

When you need a Jumbo mortgage, we have options and flexibility If you plan to purchase or refinance a higher-priced property, our jumbo mortgage options may help you make the most of today’s inviting home prices and low interest rates. Whether you want to purchase or refinance a primary residence or a second/vacation home, we have versatile financing options to meet your needs.

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Hallways in the emergency department at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center got more crowded with equipment after the Affordable Care Act went into effect.

Larry W. Evans

OLIVER LAZENBY | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

Branch Manager 360-738-2376

[1] PeaceHealth handles Obamacare

NMLSR ID 856141

About 20,100 Whatcom County residents are newly insured, and PeaceHealth is emphasizing education to handle a10 percent increase in patients.

Connect with us On Twitter @BBJToday

Anndi D. Pena

Home Mortgage Consultant 360-738-2363

NMLSR ID 413608

Ross Schram von Haupt

Home Mortgage Consultant 360-746-4050

NMLSR ID 1026086

Ryan D. Martin Home Mortgage Consultant 360-293-1160

[5] Mobile bar Local vintage trailer restorers built a mobile Airstream bar for weddings and events.

NMLSR ID 404824

On Facebook facebook.com/ BBJToday On Google+ Bellingham Business Journal

[21] Adult Day Health program plans for move Now managed by Christian Health Care Center, Bellingham’s Adult Day Health program is preparing to move into a new facility in Lynden this summer.

[24] Lack of snow hits foothills businesses hard Barry Weafer

Home Mortgage Consultant 360-647-0897

Brandon C. Mankle

Reah Marie Dewell

NMLSR ID 634610

NMLSR ID 156730

Home Mortgage Consultant NMLSR ID 420701 360-738-2362

Milano’s Restaurant in Glacier went out of business in February and other businesses have been hit hard by a lack of snow and tourists in the foothills. [9] Featured Lists [10] Market Indicators

Home Mortgage Consultant 360-384-4975

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[19] Public Records [25] Business Toolkit

The Bellingham Business Journal, BBJToday.com (ISSN 21620997) is published monthly by Sound Publishing Inc. at 1909 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Periodicals Postage Paid at Bellingham, WA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: BBJToday.com Circulation, PO Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

March 2015

BUSINESS BRIEFS City permit center offers online electrical permits The City of Bellingham’s permit center started offering permits for electrical work with a value of less than $1,500 online in January. Applicants can submit, review, pay and receive permits on the city’s website, which will eliminate the need for an estimated 1,800 trips to the permit center, according to a news release from the city. Lara Palmatier, permit center supervisor, said the city offered online payment in response to requests from permit center users who wanted an online option. “It is part of our effort at continuous process improvement,” Palmatier said in the release. “The number one request of permit center survey respondents has been the ability to pay online and issue permits online.” Online payment is available for permits that cost up to $1,500. In the last two years, 38 out of about 3,600 permits exceeded $1,500, Palmatier said. Dan Clapper, owner of JM Electric, estimates that his business requires about 15 electrical permits a month. The online process saves him about an hour

The Bellingham Business Journal

Whole Foods coming to Lakeway in 2016

per permit. “It’s a time saver,” Clapper said in the news release. “Any way we can save time helps out.”

BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal

Marriot TownePlace Suites opens on Northwest Avenue Marriott’s TownePlace Suites hotel opened on Tuesday Feb. 17. The 83-suite hotel at 4050 Northwest Ave. is connected to Marriott’s 122-suite SpringHill Suites hotel that opened in October 2013. The TownePlace Suites is designed for travelers who need accommodations for longer stays, according to a press release. The hotel has studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom suites with kitchens and separate working and living spaces. “We are pleased to introduce the TownePlace Suites brand to the Bellingham area,” said Loren Nalewanski, vice president and global brand manager for TownePlace Suites, in the news release. “Providing an upscale residential atmosphere, this TownePlace Suites hotel offers an appealing

Briefs, PAGE 4

Whole Foods Market announced in February that it will open a store on 1030 Lakeway Drive in summer 2016. The space is the location of the former Market at Lakeway, which closed in January 2014. OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM

Whole Foods Market announced that it plans to open a store in the Lakeway Center in Bellingham next year. The 50,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open summer 2016, according to a press release. The store will be located at 1030 Lakeway Drive in a space that has been empty since the Market at Lakeway closed in January 2014. Whole Foods Markets carry natural and organic groceries and have baked goods and take-out meals prepared on-site. “We’ve long believed that Bellingham is a wonderful fit for Whole Foods Market because the community’s values are so in line with our own,” Joe Rogoff, president of Whole Foods Market’s Pacific Northwest Region, said in a press release. The company estimates that the Bellingham Whole Foods Market will create about 150 local jobs, according to the news release. The new store will be the first Whole Foods Market in Whatcom County and 11th in the state. The grocery chains headquarters is in Austin, Texas, and its Pacific Northwest regional office is in Bellevue. Whole Foods has more than 400 locations throughout the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom.

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March 2015

BRIEFS, FROM 3

I believe...

alternative to more standard hotel rooms designed for shorter stays.” Other hotel amenities include an electric car charging station, laundry service, covered parking, wireless internet, and on-site business services including copying, faxing and printing. It is petfriendly. The TownePlace Suites shares a lobby bar, indoor pool, exercise room and meeting space with the SpringHill Suites hotel. TownePlace Suites is the third three-star hotel to open in Bellingham since 2013.

IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE, YOU WOULD LIVE HERE... Walking the Semiahmoo sand-spit adds life to your years. You can live in a community without big box stores and still have everything you need.

Cargo ships anchor in Bellingham Bay to wait out West Coast port slowdown

You shouldn’t choose your home on whether it’s close to your job but rather you should choose your home for the other 128 hours in the week.

Several cargo ships bound for large West Coast ports waited out a port labor dispute by anchoring in Bellingham Bay in February. After nine months of contract negotiations between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association, all 29 West Coast ports closed to incoming traffic on Friday, Feb. 13. They reopened in the morning on Tuesday,

Eating fresh means... you pulled your own crab pot. Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo,

Seeing is believing.

Feb. 17 as U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez arrived in San Francisco to meet with the two negotiating groups. According to marinetraffic.com, which collects information on ship locations from on-board transponders, four cargo vessels were in Bellingham Bay during Presidents’ Day weekend. West Coast ports handle about half of all U.S. maritime trade and 70 percent of shipments from Asia.

Haggen’s big takeover begins Haggen’s acquisition of 146 former Safeway and Albertsons supermarkets began at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, when the grocery chain took ownership of Albertsons in Monroe, Washington. The Bellingham-based grocery chain acquired the store as part of a $9.2 billion merger between Albertsons and Safeway. The Federal Trade Commission required Albertsons and Safeway to sell 168 supermarkets to settle charges that the merger would be “anticompetitive,” or reduce competition and lead to higher prices and less innovation.

Haggen acquired 146 of the 168 supermarkets. Associated Food Stores bought eight stores in Montana and Wyoming, Associated Wholesale Grocers/Minyards acquired 12 stores in Texas, and SuperValu acquired two stores in Washington. The Federal Trade Commission approved the divesture on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, and the merger of Albertsons and Safeway was completed on Friday, Jan. 30, 2015, according to a news release. The 146 stores that Haggen is taking over are in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona. With the acquisition, Haggen will expand from 18 stores with 16 pharmacies to 164 stores with 106 pharmacies. Haggen will convert stores from north to south, with a few exceptions, according to the news release. By July 2015, all 146 stores will be rebranded as Haggen stores.

Woods Coffee will open 16th and 17th locations this spring Briefs, PAGE 6

Online exclusive: couples in business together share tips for success Online at www.bbjtoday.com 9132 Wigeon Ct, Drayton Cove at Semiahmoo $1,595,000 MLS#: 743181 3BD, 3.25BA

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Whatcom County... even when it rains, I shine!

Christy Fox, left, and Shannon Fox are married and own Evolve Truffles together. They met on the Central Coast of California and it was love at first sight, they said. 1253569

OLIVERLAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

Vintage trailer company unveils mobile Airstream bar BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal

The interior of Old School Trailer Works’ mobile Airstream bar. The panel above the sink opens outward and the lights on the floor change colors. OLIVER LAZENBY | THE BBJ

COMING SUMMER 2015 100 additional hotel rooms and luxurious suites, plus more flexible event space.

Angi Soulier wasn’t a fan of vintage trailers before she bought one to rent out as a way to diversify her income. That was in 2013. Now she calls herself a trailer ninja. Soulier and her husband Jim restore and sell vintage trailers, in addition to offering trailer rentals. They run their business, called Old School Trailer Works, out of a garage near Irongate Road. “It turned into a vintage trailer habit, much to my husband’s chagrin,” Soulier said. “We love adventure and this is our adventure.” Soulier has two vintage trailers available for rent – a blue 1970 Boler named Bella and an orange 1985 U-haul named Dash. They both have beds, kitchens and tables inside their restored vintage interiors. Most of Soulier’s customers either come from out of town and rent a trailer to explore the Northwest, or they’re locals who rent a trailer for a road trip, Soulier said. “These things have been to the Grand Canyon, they regularly get taken several states over, and they also get local use,” Soulier said. “Someone’s renting one to take it to Mount Baker next month.” Soulier and her husband just finished a new trailer that will further diversify their business. They bought a 1960 Airstream Flying Cloud last year, gutted the interior,

and turned it into a mobile bar that they plan to rent out for weddings and events. Soulier and her husband did all the work themselves. “It was just a complete gut job. Most of them are,” she said. “That’s why we love Airstreams; you can do anything with them.” The aluminum-paneled trailer has a service counter below a window that opens outward for serving food and drinks. Next to the bar there’s a sink, a reservoir to store ice, and space for a keg. At the other end of the trailer, a couch seats 10 people next to a TV and DVD player. Soulier imagines it being used for corporate events, weddings and parties. Soulier is a self-described serial entrepreneur. Her other businesses include an interior design and general contracting company called Tandem Design and Construction, and a nonprofit called Evangeline International, which works to supply children in Ethiopia with clean water. Soulier started the trailer business to have another stream of income after the after the recession started. So far it’s working, she said. “There’s a huge demand for the tow trailers. We get five or so emails a day about them, but they only get rented frequently in the summer,” Soulier said. “The new one is a different venture since it’s solely an event rental. People will pay more to have unique cool factor at their wedding.”

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The Bellingham Business Journal

BRIEFS, FROM 4 After opening its first Skagit County location on College Way in Mount Vernon at the end of the 2014, The Woods Coffee today announced that its 16th location will be next to Costco in Burlington, in the former Apple Teriyaki site at 1779 S. Burlington Blvd. The coffee shop is under construction and expected to open in mid-April, according to a news release. “We have actually had our eyes on this spot for more than 10 years now,” said Wes Herman, Woods Coffee owner, in the release. “Being next to Costco and in front of Panera Bread will make it convenient for those in Burlington to enjoy Woods Coffee.” The Burlington location will have a

drive-thru and indoor seating. Woods’ 17th location will open on or around May 1 in Bellingham’s Barkley Village Haggen. It will be the second Woods location in Barkley Village and the second Woods Coffee shop in Haggen. Woods opened its first store inside Haggen in 2011, in Sehome Square Haggen. “Haggen has been a leader in bringing a coffee experience to its guests,” Herman said. “Our family and staff are looking forward to partnering with them in another location.” For more information on The Woods Coffee, visit www.thewoodscoffee.com, check out the company’s Facebook page, or call 360-933-1855.

Bellingham foreclosure rates down slightly in November Bellingham’s foreclosure rate for November 2014 was down 0.36 percent from November 2013, according to a new report from CoreLogic, providers

March 2015

of real estate and financial information. Foreclosures on outstanding mortgage loans was 0.83 percent for November 2014. In November 2013, the rate was 1.19 percent, according to the report. Foreclosure rates in November 2014 were slightly lower than October 2014, when the rate was 0.84 percent. Foreclosure activity in Bellingham was also lower than the national foreclosure rate, which was 1.48 percent finNovember 2014. The mortgage delinquency rate in Bellingham also decreased. According to CoreLogic data for November 2014, 2.30 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared to 3.20 percent for the same period last year, representing a decrease of 0.90 percentage points. In October 2014, the mortgage delinquency rate was 2.34 percent.

WWU, WCC offer free tax assistance program

Community College, and community volunteers will offer free tax help from Feb. 2 through April 15 at Parks Hall 336 on Western’s campus and in Whatcom Community College’s Heiner Library. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program will be open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Parks Hall 336, with the exception of the school’s intersession closure dates from March 13 to 29. Whatcom’s site in Heiner Library will operate on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Western’s Beta Alpha Psi Accounting Society sponsors the program in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, according to a press release. For more information, visit http://www. wwubap.org/volunteer-activities/vita/, or contact Stephen Bellrichard, Western’s VITA coordinator, at vita.wwu.bap@gmail. com.

A team made up of students from Western Washington University, Whatcom

Security businesses leary about protecting the marijuana industry BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal

Considerate... just like our membership It’s time for shared values, because our community and each individual are important. Find solutions, not excuses, at WestEdge Credit Union.

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Jeff Clark was working late in the back of his store one December night when he heard a thump at the other end of the building. Shards of glass rained onto the floor as the outer pane on his double-paned door broke. The would-be burglar was trying to kick in the second pane of glass when he heard Clark’s footsteps and ran away. The incident shook Clark’s faith in his alarm system. Even though he was locked into a two-year security contract, he started shopping for another security system. Shopping for a new alarm system was more complicated for Clark than it would have been for other business owners. That’s because Clark owns a medical marijuana dispensary — Top Shelf Collective, at 2119 Lincoln St., in Bellingham. Not all security compa-

Jeff Clark, left, and Bethany Brediger plan an alarm system for Clark’s medical marijuana dispensary. Brediger, a security consultant with Sonitrol Pacific, provides security coverage for marijuana businesses in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties. OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

nies work with the marijuana industry. In a 2013 article on CNNMoney.com, ADT, one of the nation’s largest security providers

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said it won’t sell security services to marijuana businesses because it is still illegal under federal law. Justin West, owner of Cascade Herb Company, a recreational cannabis shop at 1240 E. Maple St., said he was refused service by one local security company. Most of the larger franchises wouldn’t work with Ken Linse, owner of Green Leaf, when he opened his recreational marijuana store at 4220 Guide Meridian, he said. Clark thinks some security companies don’t like to

work with marijuana businesses for several reasons: either they are morally or politically opposed to marijuana or they think the businesses are dangerous to insure. “There are much more vulnerable places than a marijuana store,” Clark said. “Now, are you going to get some young kids that are stupid and thinking, hey there’s lots of weed and cash in there? Yes, but I don’t think it’s any more

Pot security, PAGE 22

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

march 2015

ADVANCING EDUCATION INCOME AND HEALTH

CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION & AWARDS BANQUET T H U R S D A Y

MARCH 12

SILVER REEF EVENTS CENTER

THANK YOU TO THE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN OUR 2014 CAMPAIGN

● 3D Computer Corporation ● 3M ● Abbott Laboratories ● Adelstein, Sharpe & Serka ● Alcoa Intalco Works ● American Red Cross, Mount Baker Chapter ● Anvil Corporation ● Arc of Whatcom County ● AT&T Communications ● Attachmate Corporation ● Bank of America ● Bank of the Pacific ● Banner Bank ● Barkley Company ● Bay City Financial Services, Inc. ● Bellingham Bay Gymnastics & Preschool ● Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center ● Bellingham Cold Storage ● Bellingham Herald ● Bellingham School District ● Bellingham/Whatcom County Housing Authorities ● Best Buy ● Blaine School District ● Boeing Company ● BP Cherry Point Refinery ● Brigid Collins Family Support Center ● Brooks Manufacturing Company ● Bruton & Schelberg ● Business Bank ● Caffe Adagio ● Caitac USA Corp. ● Careerperfect.com ● Cargill, Inc. ● Cascade Natural Gas ● CenturyLink ● Chase Bank ● CH2M HILL ● City of Bellingham ● City of Ferndale ● Columbia Bank ● Combined Federal Campaign ● Comcast ● Compass Health ● ConAgra Foods ● Conterra, Inc. ● Costco ● Courtyard Gardens ● Dawson Construction, Inc. ● Diamond B Constructors ● DIS Corporation ● Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County ● Doyon Universal Services ● Employees Community Fund of Boeing Puget Sound ● Enterprise Rent-A-Car ● Ershigs, Inc. ● Federal Express ● FedEx Trade Networks T&B, Inc. ● Ferndale School District ● Fred Meyer ● General Electric ● General Mills ● GeoEngineers ● Goodwill Industries ● Haskell Corporation ● Heritage Bank ● Hollinger Realty ● HUB Northwest ● I.B.M. Corporation ● Ideal ● IKO Pacific ● Industrial Credit Union ● Intalco Employees Contribution Club ● Interfaith Community Health Center ● J.C. Penney Co., Inc. ● Key Bank ● King & Prince Seafood, Inc. ● Larson Gross P.L.L.C. ● Lehigh Northwest Cement ● LFS, Inc. ● Liberty Mutual Insurance ● Lithtex NW ● LTI, Inc. ● Lummi Indian Business Council ● Lydia Place ● Lynden School District ● Lynden Sheet Metal ● Lynden Tribune ● Macy's ● Matrix Service Inc. ● Max Higbee Community Recreation Center ● Meridian School District ● Metcalf Hodges PS ● Metrie Inc. ● Microsoft Corporation ● Mills Electric, Inc. ● MISTRAS Group, Inc. ● Morse Distribution, Inc. ● Moss Adams LLP ● Mount Baker Rheumatology Center ● Mount Baker School District ● Muljat Group ● NAES Corporation ● Next Medical ● Nooksack Valley School District ● North Coast Credit Union ● Northwest Regional Council ● Northwest Youth Services ● Opportunity Council ● O'Reilly Auto Parts ● PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center ● Peoples Bank ● Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery ● Port of Bellingham ● PowerTek Electric ● Premier Agendas, A Division of School Specialty, Inc. ● PUD #1 of Whatcom County ● Puget Sound Energy ● Safway Services, LLC ● Salvation Army ● Samson Rope Technologies ● Sargento Foods Inc. ● Sea Mar Community Health Center ● Sean Humphrey House ● Seattle Manufacturing Company ● Shell Puget Sound Refinery ● Skagit State Bank ● Sound Beverage Distributors ● SPIE ● State Employee Combined Fund Drive ● Sterling Realty Organization ● Target ● The Sign Post ● Timken ● Umpqua Bank ● United Parcel Services ● United Parcel Service-SCS Inc. ● United Way of Whatcom County ● US Bank ● Vanderpol Realty ● Whatcom Alliance for Health Advancement ● Wal-Mart ● Washington Federal ● Wells Fargo ● WestEdge Credit Union ● Whatcom Center for Early Learning ● Whatcom Council of Governments ● Whatcom County Council on Aging ● Whatcom County Fire District #7 ● Whatcom County Government ● Whatcom Educational Credit Union ● Whatcom Family YMCA ● Whatcom Literacy Council ● Whatcom Transportation Authority ● Williams Northwest Pipeline Co. ● Wilson Engineering, LLC ● Windows on the Bay Catering ● Work Opportunities ● Yorkston Oil Co. ● Zender Thurston, P.S. Attorneys At Law ● Zodiac Aerospace ●

GIVE. ADVOCATE. VOLUNTEER.

LIVE UNITED

UnitedWayWhatcom.org like us on Facebook

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United Way of Whatcom County

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

The Book of Lists: Featured Rankings

BANKS

Ranked by value of local deposits Rank

Company, local address

website

local executive/CEO

address

Local deposits

Peoples Bank

www.peoplesbank-wa.com

Charles LeCocq

3100 Woburn St. Bellingham, WA 98226

$673.2 million

2 3 4

Bank of America

www.bankofamerica.com

Brian Moyniham

100 North Tyron St. Charlotte NC, 28202

$375.9 million

www.washingtonfederal.com

Roy M. Whitehead

425 Pike St. Seattle, WA 98101

$362.3 millon

www.usbank.com

Richard K. Davis

425 Walnut St. Cincinatti, OH 45202

$260.8 million

www.wellsfargo.com

John G. Stumpf

101 N. Phillips Ave. Sioux Falls, SD 57104

$244.4 million

Washington Federal US Bank Wells Fargo

CREDIT UNIONS Ranked by value of local assets

Rank

Company, local address

Phone/web

Assets

Employees

Members

676-1168 www.wecu.com

$1.057 billion

350

73,724

734-2043 www.industrialcu.org

$190 million

23,573

671-8235 www.northcoastcu.com

$179 million

13,722

Whatcom Educational Credit Union 600 E. Holly St., Bellingham

Industrial Credit Union P.O. Box 1767, Bellingham 98227

North Coast Credit Union 1100 Dupont St., Bellingham

4 5

Pacific Northwest Credit Union 3250 Northwest Ave., Bellingham

647-0560 www.pacificnwcu.org

$136 million

15,815

WestEdge Credit Union 2501 James St., Bellingham

734-5790 www.westedgecu.org

$52 million

4,078

What is the Book of Lists?

he Bellingham Business Journal’s Book of Lists is an annual report of Whatcom County business statistics useful for prospecting and fact-finding in the region’s key industries. It is published each February as a supplement to the BBJ, and select lists are featured in the journal each month. The full book contains more than two dozen listing categories, including fields such as real estate, manufacturing, financial and professional services, technology, health care, hospitality, recreation, automotive and marine services, and large public and private sector employees. We hire a researcher to contact local businesses and organizations to ask for the information contained in the lists. Rankings are generated based on those responses, as well as additional research,

where necessary. There is no charge to be included in the book, and we assume that information provided by companies is accurate. Due to space constraints, the lists include only the highest ranking firms. Some firms choose not to be included, or do not return requests for information before the book’s annual deadline. Some of the lists featured in monthly editions on the BBJ will also be shortened, due to space constraints. These lists rely on research completed last year, and some items may have changed since then. We make every attempt to provide accurate information. But if you notice an error or beleive something important has been omitted, please contact us at 360-6478805.

DID YOU MISS THE LAST BOOK? You can pick up a copy or get extras for home or work at our office, located at 1909 Cornwall Ave. Also check out our online “green edition,” available at BBJToday.com.

The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

Market Indicators

Jobs: Little change in job market indicators Bankruptcies

December 2014: 6.4% December 2013: 6.2 %

December 2014: 63.6% December 2013: 62.9 %

Includes non-seasonally adjusted figures for Washington State

Chapters 11,13 Chapter 7

Unemployment rate

Labor force participation rate

January 2015 total: 32 Annual change: �23.07% Includes filings for Chapters 7, 11 and 13 in Whatcom County

67.5%

65%

62.5%

10 0

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2013

2014

60%

J F MAM J J A S OND J F MAM J J A S OND

2015

SOURCE: U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT, WESTERN DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON

Includes non-seasonally adjusted figures in Whatcom County

70%

2013

2014

SOURCE: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

2014

SOURCE: WASHINGTON STATE UNEMPLOYMENT SECURITY DEPARTMENT

Spending: Canadian dollar falls 5 cents Includes monthly averages (Canada-to-U.S.) at market closing

Includes basic and optional local sales tax to Bellingham

$30M

$1.2

2000000

$1.0

1500000

$0.8

$25M $20M $15M

$0.6

1000000 500000 0

January 2015: $6,392,671 January 2014: $8,375,238

January 2015: $0.82 January 2014: $0.91

January 2015: 1,625,715.56

2500000

Building-permit values

Canadian dollar

Sales-tax distribution

$0.4

$10M

$0.2

$5M J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J 2014

2013

2015

SOURCE: WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

2014

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2015

SOURCE: BANK OF CANADA

2013

2014

2015

SOURCE: CITY OF BELLINGHAM

Housing: Increase in pending home sales 350K

Foreclosures & delinquencies

Housing sales

Housing sale prices

Delinquency rate: November 2014: 2.30% November 2013: 3.20% Foreclosure rate: November 2014: 0.83% November 2013: 1.19%

Closed, January 2015: 165 Annual change: +11.49 % Pending, January 2015: 275 Annual change: + 15.06 %

Average: January 2015: $273,051 January 2014: $283,370 Median: January 2015: $254,000 January 2014: $251,750

Includes sales of single-family houses and condos in Whatcom County

500

Average price Median price

400

300K

Pending sales Closed sales

Delinquency rate

Foreclosure rate

300

250K

200

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2013

2014

2015

SOURCE: NORTHWEST MULTIPLE LISTINGS SERVICE

100

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2013

2014

2015

SOURCE: NORTHWEST MULTIPLE LISTINGS SERVICE

J F MAM J J A S O N D J F MAM J A S O N

2013

2014

SOURCE: CORELOGIC

Other factors: Airport traffic stays low Airport traffic

Cruise terminal traffic

January 2015: 35,862 Annual change: -8.62%

Border traffic

January 2015: 1,326 January 2014: 1,422

January 2015: 425,243 Year-over-year: � 3.67%

Includes total enplanements at Bellingham International Airport

80K

Includes southbound passenger-vehicle crossings into Whatcom County

Includes inbound and outbound passengers at Bellingham Cruise Terminal

5,000

600K

60K

4,000

500K

50K

3,000

70K

40K

300K

2,000

30K 20K

200K

1,000

10K 0

400K

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2013

SOURCE: PORT OF BELLINGHAM

2014

2015

100K

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J 2013

SOURCE: PORT OF BELLINGHAM

2014

2015

J F MAM J J A S ON D J F MAM J J A S ON D J

2013

2014

SOURCE: CASCADE GATEWAY DATA

Notes: Graphs include the most recent data available at press time. Annual changes show cumulative difference from the same time period during the previous year. Data include raw numbers only and are not adjusted to account for any seasonal factors.

2015

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

PORT NEWS Bellingham cruise terminal celebrates it 25th anniversary

Sponsored content provided by Port of Bellingham

This year the Bellingham Cruise Terminal (BCT) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Located in the historic Fairhaven District, BCT is the southern-most terminal for the Alaska Marine Highway System. Every Friday, one of several large vessels glide into Bellingham Bay to take passengers, vehicles and freight north to Alaska. The signature blue and white ferries with a yellow stripe have become a local landmark. 3 vessels rotate through the terminal during the year such as the 418’ M/V Columbia, and the 408’ M/V’s Malaspina and Matanuska. Visitors from around the world travel to Fairhaven to ensure their place aboard the Marine Highway System. Between 25,000 and 30,000 passengers use the ferry each year and these visitors shop, dine, and provision in Whatcom County before heading north. A recent economic impact study by Martin Associates noted this operation generates an estimated $4.2 million a year in revenue and accounts for the direct employment of 32 people. Some local businesses utilize the Alaska Marine Highway to support operations and generate economic activity. Lynden Transport specializes in shipping freight to Alaska and moves trucks of merchandise each week aboard these vessels. Dawson Construction uses the ferry to move equipment back and forth from commercial construction sites in Whatcom County and Southeast Alaska. “The Bellingham Cruise Terminal is a fantastic resource to have located in Bellingham” said Pete Dawson, owner of Dawson Construction. In recent years a voyage on the Alaska Marine Highway through the “Inside Passage” from Bellingham to Skagway

This roundtrip ferry run from Bellingham to Skagway takes a week. The Alaska ferries have amenities which include staterooms, a fine dining room, a cafeteria, cocktail lounge and bar, and a solarium deck where passengers can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. A second bi-weekly, Saturday summer sailing has been added to meet the increased demand for this flexible, cost-effective and “off-the-beaten path” mode of travel. Visitors on the Alaska Marine Highway often explore local attractions including the Fairhaven Historic District, Mount Baker, and Larrabee State Park. For Whatcom County residents, BCT is homeport to several seasonal charters operators such as San Juan Cruises, Historical Schooner Zodiac, and Gato Verde Adventure Cruises. These companies provide opportunities for residents and visitors to reach out and experience the San Juan Islands. BCT is also a favorite location for weddings, business meetings, private parties, conferences and other functions. The upstairs Dome Rome is available for rent with spectacular views of Bellingham Bay through floor-to-ceiling windows that arch overhead.

Bellingham cruise terminal

Bellingham cruise terminal domed front

has gained international acclaim as one of the world’s great journeys. The trip includes massive tidewater glaciers, forest-clad islands, and ice-carved fjords. The entire region is wrapped in the Tongass National Forest, the largest contiguous temperate rain forest in the world. Wildlife is abundant and visitors often see whales, dolphins, sea otters, bald eagles, mountain goats and bears. The first port-of-call is Ketchikan, the “Salmon Capital of the World,” a charming coastal town located next to the spec-

tacular Misty Fjords National Monument with a natural mosaic of sea cliffs, steep fjords and rock walls jutting 3000 feet straight out of the ocean. The breathtaking scenery continues as travelers venture north along the unspoiled coastline with stops at Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau, Sitka, Haines and Skagway. Skagway, the setting for Jack London’s ‘The Call of the Wild’, has one of the most colorful histories of any place in Alaska with a prominent role in the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1880s.

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The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

march 2015

By the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County

Financial picture doesn’t favor more urban villages

hatcom County and its W cities are upgrading their Comprehensive Plans. A major

issue in that work is projecting how many people may move to the area in the coming 20 years, and how to “accommodate” them. A major accommodation is housing – is there room for enough, in forms that people can afford and are willing to live in? Bellingham is now considering rules and goals that will determine whether its Comp Plan upgrade is practical in that regard. The city has projected population growth of 35,918 people – 48 percent of the growth expected in Whatcom County between 2016 and 2036. But is the city planning for the kinds of homes those people want and are able to afford? The building industry encourages Bellingham to take market realities into account in planning how to house newcomers. In December, a planning staff presentation to the Bellingham Planning Commission took an unsettling turn, suggesting solutions that would include yet another four “urban villages” – areas involving multi-level, very dense housing atop first-floor retail/commercial space. Planners suggested that about 80 percent of Bellingham’s newcomers will live in urban villages by 2036. What’s wrong with that? Bellingham’s current Comp Plan relies on urban villages to “accommodate” growth, but so far we have a lousy track record in that regard. Not one of Bellingham’s proposed urban villages has been built out as planned. Barkley Village probably comes closest, although the multi-level housing there is just a start of what was envisioned. Bellingham residents are moving into apartments as land for single-family homes become scarce and expensive here, and Barkley is a good example of that. But national market research consistently shows that 2 of

biawc.com

The bottom line is that this isn’t Seattle or Bellevue, where higher costs for dense urban development pencil out. every 3 American households wants a detached, single-family home. True to that assumption, as single-family lots have become harder to find, people have been leaving Bellingham to build in Ferndale and Lynden, each of which saw more single-family home permits in recent years than did Bellingham. Market preferences aside, there are other, economic reasons to question whether “more urban villages” will work. Downtown Bellingham has seen some multi-level development, but developers involved say current financing rules don’t favor more of that. Condos, one local lender notes, are difficult to finance on a good day. But Fannie Mae, the federal program many of these projects depend on, has changed its rules in recent years in ways that don’t favor the “urban village” configuration Bellingham is depending on: Retail ground space with several floors of housing on top. The current marketplace has difficulty delivering this housing form. The bottom line is that this isn’t Seattle or Bellevue, where higher costs for dense urban development pencil out. Multifamily rents here, according to Bill Henshaw of Windermere Real Estate, top out at about $1.50 per square foot per month. In Seattle, he reports, rents go twice that high. One would hope Bellingham’s rents are well below Seattle’s. Housing affordability – essential to maintaining a good quality of life here – is already at an official crisis point in Bellingham. But the market difference means housing forms that pencil out in the big

city won’t necessarily work here in the foreseeable future. Old Town, one of our current designated “urban villages,” sits atop an old garbage dump and former tidelands, where it’s difficult and expensive to build multi-level buildings with underground parking as envisioned by the city. Seattle was built on tidelands, some counter. True, and there we get back to the fact that market rates here don’t support projects that might be feasible in Seattle. Samish Way and the Fountain Neighborhood are indicative of another financial challenge. Urban village development the city wants to see would require assembling small lots, deconstructing existing buildings, then building new ones. Coming up with cash, or financing, for the long-term involvement required to make that happen is iffy in Bellingham – where we have a statewide reputation for prolonged and non-cooperative land-use planning. The soft costs involved are another barrier to this type of project. Alternatives? What can be done to accommodate growth in Bellingham – Whatcom County’s designated urban center? The Urban Growth Area (space around the city that is targeted for growth) includes a lot of land that cannot be used for affordable homes because it’s too steep or involves other “critical area” concerns like wetlands. The city could reconsider its UGA – either expanding the UGA’s boundaries, or reshaping the UGA to drop land affected by wetlands or other barriers to

1650 Baker Creek Place, Bellingham, WA 98226

development, and adding instead acreage that is actually “buildable.” Infill is another opportunity. One option presented by planners is increasing densities in newlyannexed areas or north of the city limits above the city’s official current minimum of six units per acre. Essentially, create higher densities in new neighborhoods where there’s no organized opposition yet. Another option is allowing greater densities in existing neighborhoods. This is a tough political nut to crack in Bellingham. But it has been done successfully in many other communities. Port Townsend, with a reputation for outstanding historic architecture, allows ADUs (additional dwelling units). As homeowners age and younger people return home between college and careers, ADUs can play an important role in supporting family lifestyles. These questions of how to “accommodate projected growth” are now before the Bellingham Planning Commission. Watch in coming months to see when this returns to the agenda. The Planning Commission starts consideration of ADU rule changes at 7 p.m. March 5. Now is the time to consider our options on this. The Planning Commission, and ultimately the City Council, also are taking up changes to the Subdivision Ordinance this spring. How can that be changed to actually accommodate growth as state law requires, instead of restricting it? It takes a huge amount of money upfront to get a multi-family housing project approved. In cities with developers who have that kind of money at hand, or where rents justify greater building expenses, the urban village model may work. In Bellingham, we need other housing options. With our Comp Plan update gathering steam, now is the time to see what can be done to improve that situation.

360-671-4247

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

Sponsored content provided by Loni Rahm, and Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism.

Do you want to become a Community Concierge?

I have a quick question for you… Do you think it’s a good idea to create a marketing/ communication oriented program that incorporates a word many people may find unfamiliar?

I hope the answer is yes! Because Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism is launching a “Community Concierge” program March 1st and we’d like to invite each of you to participate.

A concierge (con-see-air) is traditionally an employee of an apartment complex, office building or hotel whose job is to assist residents and guests by arranging tours, making reservations, calling a cab, providing directions and recommendations, and other services.

A community concierge is more of an information ambassador – providing referrals and assistance to customers, residents and visitors on a daily basis. In fact, you may already be using these skills in your current job.

For example, a car with a couple of dogs in the back seat pulls up to a coffee drive up window. Along with the beverage transaction, the barista may be asked where the nearest off-leash dog park is. Wait staff are often asked what there is to do in town at night – or if there’s live music anyplace nearby. A pedestrian walking down the sidewalk might be stopped and asked by a passerby where the nearest library is.

If the answer to these and any other number of questions is “I don’t know”, we’ve missed a valuable opportunity to provide an exceptional community experience.

Customer service is essential for attracting new customers, retaining loyal customers and developing referrals for future customers. The community

concierge program is designed to provide you (and your staff ) with the informational resources to help deliver exception customer service for those who visit, shop, work and live in and around Bellingham. Upon completion of three level one courses, you will become a certified community concierge. And the best part is – the classes are completely free! Each course lasts a little over one hour, and are offered in the morning or afternoon to best suit your schedule. All classes are presented at the Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Information Center, 1306 Commercial Street.

The initial class schedule includes: CC-101: Customers – What brings them back? Tuesday, March 3, 7:30 – 8:45 am OR Wednesday, March 4, 2:30 – 3:45 pm

CC-102: Communication – May I help you? Tuesday, March 17th, 7:30-8:45 am OR Wednesday, March 18, 2:30-3:45 pm

CC-103: You think you know Bellingham? T uesday, March 31st, 7:30-8:45 am OR

Wednesday, April 1st, 2:30-3:45 pm

You will receive your Community Concierge Certification upon completion of the three classes. Class size is limited, but we will repeat the free series as often as necessary. In April and May, a free 200-level series of classes will be offered to all level one graduates. In addition to the personal satisfaction of certification, all graduates and their business affiliation will be featured on our website and in our e-newsletters. Plus any business who can boast at least 50% of their employees have completed the certification will be provided with signage and

marketing exposure to encourage loyal patronage of your business. It’s fun. And it’s free. And we promise to teach you how to pronounce “concierge”.

bellingham.org or call

671-3990

for additional information.

The Bellingham Business Journal

march 2015

Local businesses “showcase” their wares at Spring Business Showcase

By Alex Peterson Spring Business Showcase is not your run-of-the-mill tradeshow. It’s a meet-and-greet—a chance to meet more than 70 local businesses, try out their products, ask questions and get to know the people who operate businesses that call Whatcom County their home. Spring Business Showcase is a Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce event. It will be held Thursday, March 19 from 4-9 p.m. at the Event Center at Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa, the sponsor of the event. It is free to the public and tickets can be picked up at any participating business. (See list on next page.) Spring Business Showcase features business to consumer exhibits, product demonstrations, prize drawings, free parking, free admission tickets, and delicious food, wine and beer tasting. “Showcase allows our vendors to directly connect with consumers, increase their brand recognition, drive traffic to their retail locations, gain face-to-face exposure, and network with dozens of other vendors and meet hundreds of prospects,” said Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber Membership Director, Marvin Riggs. “Anyone who has attended Showcase in the past is aware of the amazing free food samples that our restaurant and catering vendors provide,” said Shelli Jones, Bellingham/ Whatcom Chamber Marketing Coordinator. Jeckyl & Hyde Deli is just one of the food vendors, providing samples of its famous pulled pork this year. “[Spring Business Showcase] is a good way to network for businesses and keep being part of the community and keep the local feel and flair,” said Richard van Dommelen, owner of Jeckyl & Hyde Deli. “We’re trying to provide great service and

products for area businesses and consumers alike.” Those in attendance will also enjoy a selection of sushi including seared tuna rolls and northwest salmon rolls, and Caesar salad from Steakhouse 9 Bistro’s menu, as well as tasty treats from The Burrito King and Memorable Events and Catering. Attendees age 21 and older can purchase a tasting glass for $5 to try a variety of local beer and wine from vendors including: Aslan Brewing Co., Wander Brewing, Boundary Bay Brewery, Samson Estates Winery, Mount Baker Vineyards, and Walton Beverage. Aslan Brewing plans to offer four of the beers in its current selection. The B’ham Brown, an American Brown Ale; Dawn Patrol Pacific Ale; and Batch 15 IPA offer a different type of beer for everyone from the casual beer drinker to beer aficionados. Alsan will also feature a limited release beer— their Aslan’s Spring Seasonal. Another Showcase attraction is the prize giveaways. This year’s prizes include a 60” LG Smart TV, tickets for two to the San Juans, and a multitude of giveaways at each vendor booth. “This is the premier small business networking event in Whatcom County, and we always look forward to participating,” US Bank Vice President Mike Yeend said. US Bank plans to give away piggy banks, tumblers and tickets to the Seattle Mariners in addition to canvas bags filled with day planners, highlighters, calculators and other goodies. SpringHill Suites by Marriott and the new Towneplace Suites by Marriott have a drawing to win a one-night stay in a king or queen suite at SpringHill Suites, or a one-night stay in a studio apartment-style suite with a king bed at Towneplace Suites. Kevin Coleman, Sales & Community Outreach Manager at Massage Envy said they will be changing things up a bit this year. “Everyone already knows we do massage. It says in our name! But did you also know that we do facials

Sponsored by:

Fabulous food Beer and wine tasting Giveaways and much more!

Enter to win a 60” LG Smart TV or tickets for two to the San Juans! When: 4-9 p.m. Thursday, March 19 Where: The Events Center at Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa Cost: Free!

“Memorable Events & Catering made last year’s Showcase memorable with their amazing food samples.”

360-778-2849

BANQUET FACILITIES

FREE tickets available at vendor locations— Complete vendor list at Bellingham.com

Right on Badger RD - 1.5 Miles to Depot Rd in LYNDEN

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

and skin care? Come and meet our excellent estheticians and learn all about your skin and outer self. Get your free skin care analysis along with entering a raffle for a Murad Healthy Skin Care Basket. By using one of our 4 proprietary Murad Healthy Skin Care systems, we can help you have great looking skin at an affordable price. This, combined with monthly massage at Massage Envy Spa of Bellingham, will give you the great feeling of living both inside and out,” said Coleman. Local talk radio station KGMI 790AM will broadcast live from Showcase as host Tracy Ellis interviews attendees and vendors. KGMI has been involved in the Spring Business Showcase since its inception in 2008, broadcasting from the event and serving as a promotional partner. “We decided last year to improve our coverage of local business,” said Ellis, the news director at KGMI. “The Spring Business Showcase was a great way to kick that effort into high gear. We were able to interview and network with several local business leaders. It was a lot of fun.” Those in attendance can also expect some discounts from some local businesses. Mount Baker Vapor plans to offer an event-only discount to anyone who wants to place an order of its e-cigarette products at Showcase. It will also provide more information about electronic cigarettes, including current and new legislation in the state. Radley Muller Photography plans to give discounted offers of $75 for business portraits and $100 for a Google Business View package to those who visit the Radley Muller Photography booth. Whatcom Community College will have information on classes and higher education. Visitors to the college’s booth can receive a free pair of sunglasses. “Pick up a pair of shades and let us shine some light on Whatcom Community College programs that will help your business and employees to succeed,” said Grace Jones, Whatcom Community College’s admissions outreach coordinator. So whether you come for the food, beer and wine tasting, prize drawings or the free swag at vendor booths, you

can also stop by the craps table, play slots or a few hands of poker or have a relaxing meal at one of Silver Reef ’s eight restaurants. Spring Business Showcase at Silver Reef has it all! For a complete list of businesses that will be at the Spring Business Showcase, visit Belligham.com.

“Some vendors have a lot of fun with their booths. Just ask Snapper, Shuler, Kenner Insurance how it’s done.”

“Uptown artist demonstrates the painting technique they teach at Uptown Art.”

“Red Wing Shoes display at 2014 Showcase.”

KEY Premium Booth Basic Booth No Power

Event Center Pre-Function Area

Booth or food station

Doors to Service entrance and Loading Dock for Load In and Load Out

Standard Booth With Power

67 28

71 73

36 w/ Power

Doors to Service Corridor

52 43

50 49

Booth or food station

Doors to Service entrance and Loading Dock for Load In and Load Out

Booth #

Company

Peter James Photography Studios

Bellingham Alive

Northwest Health Care Linen

Praise 106.5

Massage Envy

Mount Baker Vineyards

The Lakeway Inn

14/15

Main entrance and exit into Event Center

Spring Business Showcase Vendors

The Burrito King

Natural Way Chiropractic

Memorable Events and Catering LLC

BioLife Plasma Services

The Language Exchange

Northwest Jobs Alliance

Aslan Brewing Company

WECU

KGMI 790AM

Mount Baker Vapor

Farmers Insurance

Northern Light Newspaper

Samson Estates Winery

Hampton Inn Bellingham Airport

Whatcom Community College

Print & Copy Factory

Radley Muller Photography

San Juan Airlines

Jerns Funeral Chapel

Bellingham Explorer

US Bank

First Federal

Walton Beverage Company

Boundary Bay Brewery

Acupuncture Health Center

Caliber Home Loans

Steakhouse9 Bistro

Emeritus at Fairhaven

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

Wander Brewing

Kucumber Skin Lounge

Crave Catering

Johnsons Towing/Hortons Towing

Vern Fonk Insurance

Goodwill

Indepth Investigation

Waddell and Reed

Springhill & Towneplace Suites By Marriott

Uptown Art

Booth assignments as of 2/17/15. Subject to change. Doors to Service Corridor

Doors to Service Corridor

The Bellingham Business Journal

march 2015

Ski to Sea week – fun for the whole family!

The Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce has an extensive history of promoting our community with events including the Junior Ski to Sea Parade, the Junior Ski to Sea Race and the Blossomtime Parade.

Junior Ski to Sea Parade

Sponsored by Haggen Bring a camera, because the Junior Ski to Sea Parade has the cutest children, floats, pets and a variety of other sights you don’t want to miss. The Junior Ski to Sea Parade is held on Friday, May 15 along Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham. Anyone can be a part of this event by assembling at the beginning of the parade route (Cornwall at Kearney) from 4:30-6:00 p.m. and Junior Ski to Sea Race teams are encouraged to participate. Registration is required for floats, car and trucks, and can be done online at Bellingham.com. In addition, the Junior Ski to Sea Parade is looking for volunteers to carry the banners for the parade. Banner-carriers are usually middle school students. Anyone interested can contact the chamber at 360-734-1330.

Ski to Sea Blossomtime Parade

Sponsored by Camel Safari Famous for having a little bit of everything that you want to see in a hometown parade, the Ski to Sea Blossomtime Parade will be held on Saturday, May 23, on Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham. Led by the local police department, the parade features floats, marching bands, classic cars, fire trucks, horses and camels. The parade will be filmed by the city’s BTV channel 10 so that people who are unable to attend can still enjoy the event, or for those who want to see themselves on TV! For more information, to volunteer, or to learn about “Trinity Lutheran Vacation Bible School float at 2014 Junior sponsorship opportunities, contact the Chamber at 360- Parade.” Photo by Stacee Sledge/Whatcom Talk. 734-1330 or visit www.bellingham.com.

Junior Ski to Sea Race

Sponsored by Haggen For those kids who can’t wait to be old enough to do a leg of the iconic Ski to Sea race, there is the Junior Ski to Sea Race. Rain or shine, the Junior Ski to Sea Race is held Saturday, May 16, at Lake Padden Park. Six-member teams participate in a five-leg relay race including running, a threelegged race, biking, soccer and an obstacle course. There are two opportunities for third through fifth graders to participate and one race for sixth through eighth graders and the community. Prizes are awarded, including bicycles donated by Kulshan Cycles. Registration forms can be found on the Chamber website at bellingham.com.

2014 Junior Parade float. Photo by Stacee Sledge/ Whatcom Talk.

“Color guard ceremoniously starts the Blossomtime Parade”

3-legged race participants in the 2013 Junior Race.

Racers line up preparing for the bike leg of the relay in the 2013 Junior Race.

Whatcom Community College float. Parade.

2014 Blossomtime

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

New Members Join us in welcoming:

Lynden PRCA Rodeo cowgirls in the 2014 Blossomtime Parade.

“Bellingham High School band received third place honors at the 2014 Blossomtime Parade.”

Commercial & Home Lending Many lending options available and we’ll explore them with you. Commercial Equipment Commercial Lines of Credit Commercial Real Estate Buying • Refinancing • Bulding Local Lenders • Local Decisions • Local Focus

Learn more > ourfirstfed.com > 800-800-1577

Mount Baker High School marching band, the 2014 Ralph Pauley Award Winner for the Best Overall Band Performance.

Advanced Traffic Products Arlington Machine & Welding Aslan Brewing Company Bellingham Princess Parties Benslea LLC China Market Clay Management Clallam Public Defender Clear Water Click Monster Crave Catering eARThbenders & artisans GMB Entertainment Gown & Glove Kemp West Northwest Jobs Alliance Northwest Sand and Gravel Products O’Neal & Brokaw Retirement Group Peter James Photography Studio RA Investment Properties Real Deals on Home Décor Silver Lake Water District Sterling Real Estate Group / Marissa DeRousse Susan Sucee/John L. Scott Real Estate SupportMed The Crossing Guide Magazine & Tours TownePlace Suites Marriott Trampoline Zone Whatcom Occupational Health

Member FDIC

1253817

Chamber Members of the Week February Faber Construction

Mount Baker Vapor

131 East Grove Street Lynden (360) 354-3500 www.faberconstruction.com

7159 Guide Meridian Lynden (360) 526-2318 www.mtbakervapor.com

Praise 106.5

NW Washington Fair

1843 Front Street Lynden (360) 354-5596

www.praise1065.com

1775 Front Street Lynden (360) 354-4111 www.nwwafair.com

The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

Bellingham companies invest in high-tech fitness equipment An anti-gravity treadmill and an elliptical machine that puts energy back into the grid arrived in Bellingham early this year. Left: Capstone Physical Therapy opened an office in Barkley Village in January and got an anti-gravity treadmill. Users wear neoprene shorts that zip into an airtight enclosure on the treadmill, which fills with air. Air pressure gently lifts the user until they are only holding up 20 percent of their body weight. Greg Penner, president of Capstone, said the treadmill is popular with athletes recovering from injuries and people temporarily in wheelchairs strengthening their leg muscles. [IMAGE COURTESY OF CAPSTONE PHYSICAL THERAPY] Right: Fitness Gear and Training, a Bellingham company that sells fitness equipment to clients in northwest Washington, got an elliptical machine at its Bellingham training facility that generates and transfers energy back into the electrical grid. “It’s a gym-level product. If you have 10 units in a gym and they’re used five hours a day, you put about $20 worth of energy back into the grid per month,” said Zac Palmer, manager at Fitness Gear and Training. [OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL]

PEACEHEALTH, FROM 1 Health, the state’s Medicaid program. WAHA executive director Larry Thompson said the group was more successful than he expected. “We thought we could get the percentage of uninsured down to about 6 percent,” he

said. “We know about 2.5 percent of the population is not going to be eligible for health insurance. They are undocumented aliens or people who, for a wide variety of reasons, just don’t qualify. So you do the math and there’s only about 1.5 percent left to find.” PeaceHealth has seen a jump in patients on Medicaid and a corresponding decrease

Come view YOUR NEW EVENT SPACE

Settlemyer Family Hall at Bellingham Technical College

Open House Thursday March 5, 2015 6:00pm - 8:0pm A perfect space for fundraising, gala dinners, wedding receptions, meeting/ conference & large holiday parties. Settlemyer Family Hall features a lighting package, multi-media, space division and sound capabilities. JOIN US on Thursday, March 5th for an evening showcasing the multi-functionality of the hall. Come and experience what our full service event hall has to offer. RSVP Requested at events@btc.ctc.edu or (360) 752-8303 www.btc.ctc.edu/rentals Light Food and Drink provided. Free to Attend. Promos, raffles and fun included.

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in charity care patients, who get treatment at no cost or a reduced cost, said Chris Phillips, community affairs director. Last year, PeaceHealth provided $13 million in charity care, he said. “More people are getting care and even with reduced reimbursement rates our bottom line is holding steady,” Phillips said. “While Medicaid rates are low, they are more than charity care.” Phillips said the Affordable Care Act is basically working, because more people have health insurance and more people are getting care. But it’s a problem that so many of the newly insured are using coverage by going to the emergency department, which is the most expensive and least comprehensive way to use health insurance, he said. More patients are using the emergency department for what the hospital calls “avoidable visits” — visits for ailments that could be treated by a primary care physician. “That suggests an access issue,” Phillips said. “Part of what this suggests is we need increased primary care capacity and we need to help people who are new to the system learn how to use it more effectively.” PeaceHealth is recruiting more doctors, which is difficult because of a nationwide shortage, Phillips said. To combat the problem of patients using the emergency department for avoidable visits, PeaceHealth and WAHA are working to increase “healthcare literacy.” In a joint effort, PeaceHealth and the WAHA created a new position called a community connector. The community connector helps emergency department patients access care outside the emergency department. “A simple example would be someone going to the ER with dental pain,” Thompson said. “There are no dental experts in the ER. They can give you something to staunch the pain and send you on the way, but the connector might be able to show you how you can afford to visit the dentist, which dentist you could go to that would accept the kind of insurance you have and help make the arrangements to get you

connected with the dental practice.” Ingrid Robinson, the hospital’s community connector, started working in PeaceHealth at the beginning of 2015. When she arrives for work in the hospital’s social services department, she scans her computer to see who is in the emergency department. If she identifies a patient who is using the emergency department more than they need to, she approaches them to discuss other ways they can get health care. In a normal day, Robinson reaches out to eight to 15 patients. “Mainly it’s just education about what the ER provides, and if they’re coming in for something that a primary care physician could better assist them with then we try and connect them with a primary care physician,” Robinson said. Robinson also helps patients who are using the emergency department correctly by setting up follow-up appointments with doctors. Robinson is the first community connector at PeaceHealth, but Phillips said the hospital will be hiring others. “Our aim is to have a team of bicultural, bilingual community connectors who are based in the hospital but working for their home organizations,” he said. Making healthcare more effective and reducing avoidable emergency department visits will help PeaceHealth with another change created by the Affordable Care Act. Upcoming changes to Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements will penalize hospitals if a patient is unnecessarily readmitted to the hospital within 30 days, Phillips said. “In the past the hospitals made money even if they provided miserable care,” he said. “That change will reinforce a healthcare system that looks toward health promotion and disease prevention as opposed to just sick care.”

Oliver Lazenby, associate editor of The Bellingham Business Journal, can be reached at 360-647-8805, Ext. 5052, or olazenby@bbjtoday.com.

March 2015

Public Records BUSINESS LICENSES Listings, which feature both new and renewed licenses, include business name and the business’ physical address. Records are obtained from the City of Bellingham. Abide Construction Llc, Abide Construction Llc, 1906 20th St # C, Bellingham, WA 98225. Able Appraisals, Shenandoah L. F. Myrick, 867 W Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. Activelife Massage Therapy Inc, Activelife Massage Therapy Inc, 2221 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Adam J Faber, Adam J Faber 119 N Commercial St. Ste 170, Bellingham, WA 98225. Agrifina Services Llc, Agrifina Services Llc, 522 W Illinois St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Alyssia Holmes, Alyssia Holmes, 1327 Pincher Ct., Bellingham, WA 98226. Andrea Asebedo, Andrea Asebedo, 909 Harris Ave Ste 201e, Bellingham, WA 98225. Anna Mizer, Anna Mizer, 1251 Nevada St Apt 10, Bellingham, WA 98229. Apparatus Printing, Apparatus Printing Company Llc, 336 36th St Ste 336, Bellingham, WA 98225. Apple Pediatric Dentistry Llc, Apple Pediatric Dentistry Llc, 3100 Squalicum Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98225. Armitage Paintings, Amy Armitage, 1525 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Barkley Village Family Dentistry, Swanson & Rogers, Pllc, 2940 Newmarket St. Ste 101, Bellingham, WA 98229. Bellingham Autoworks, Bellingham Autoworks Inc, 2145 Queen St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Bellingham Beer Week Llc, Bellingham Beer Week, 1327 N State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham On The Bay, Christine J Coder, 310 Palm St. Apt 1, Bellingham, WA 98225. Bellingham Professional Finishes Llc, Bellingham Professional Finishes Llc, 2704 Williams St., Bellingham, WA Bellingham Reflexology, Abigail Lee Soley, 1300 W Holly St. Ste 206, Bellingham WA 98225. Birch Bay Dermatology, Olympic Dermatology & Aesthetics, P.S., 4540 Cordata Pkwy Ste 101, Bellingham, WA 98226. Box Of Styles Llc, Box Of Styles, 3003 Pacific St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Briscoe Builders, Inc., Briscoe Builders Inc., 207 W Illinois St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Brittany L Bruner, Brittany L Bruner, 1116 Key St Ste 209, Bellingham, WA 98225. Burlingame Contracting, Paul Chisholm Burlingame, 320 E Bellis Fair Pkwy Apt. 101, Bellingham WA 98226. C.D. Jacobs, Llc, C.D. Jacobs, Llc, 610 Clark Rd, Bellingham, WA 98225. Capstone Physical Therapy, Capstone Health Services Inc., 3111 Newmarket St. Ste 101, Bellingham, WA 98226. Captain Bishop Llc, Captain Bishop, 5015 E Oregon St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Caren Studio, Marion Catherine Kalebu, 2239 Woburn St. Apt 23, Bellingham, WA 98229. Carrie Anne Selting, Carrie Anne Selting, 1000 Harris Ave. Ste 3, Bellingham, WA 98225. Cascade River Adventures, Cascade River Adventures, 375 W Lake Samish Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229. Cedar House Yarns, Jennifer Louise Lysen, 3705 E Smith Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. Cedar Male Medical, Pllc, Cedar Male Medical, 1100 Larrabee Ave Ste 100, Bellingham, WA 98225. Chickadee House & Garden Helpers, Chickadee House & Garden Helpers, 1511 E Illinois St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Clean Water, Pool And Spa Chemicals Llc., Clean Water, Pool And Spa Chemicals, 1225 E Sunset Dr Ste 145, Bellingham, WA 98226. Community Food Cooperative, Community Food Cooperative, 405 E Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Creative Commodities Llc, Creative Commodities

The Bellingham Business Journal

Llc, 3030 Cascade Pl., Bellingham, WA 98229. Daniel Cohen, Md Llc, Daniel Cohen, Md Llc, 200 E Maple St. Apt 310, Bellingham, WA 98225. David Richard Deyoung, David Richard Deyoung, 1616 Cornwall Ave. Ste 107, Bellingham, WA 98225. DCI Property Management, Llc, DCI Property Management, Llc, 405 32nd St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Dean’s Tree Service Inc., Dean’s Tree Service Inc., 483 Summerland Rd., Bellingham, WA 98229. Details By Trish, Trisha Jeanette Roberts, 1718 1/2 Wilson Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Dial Landscaping, Ben M Dial, 1015 E Orchard Dr., Bellingham, WA 98226. Dusty Laine Home/Office Care, Dusty Laine Rose, 2831 Nevada St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Earth Girl Productions Llc, Earth Girl Productions, 2204 B St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Eclectic Spirit, Deborah Arianne Dole, 2224 Lynn St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Egyptian Lotus, Ericka J Baumgartner, 1200 Harris Ave. Ste 104, Bellingham, WA 98225. Eight Days, Eight Days Inc., 30 Bramble Way, Bellingham, WA 98229. Ej Visuals, Llc, Ej Visuals, Llc, 2822 Wilson Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Elizabeth Blanco, Elizabeth Blanco, 3328 Mcalpine Rd. Apt 106a, Bellingham, WA 98225. Elizabeth Kimberly Thorndike, Elizabeth Kimberly Thorndike, 436 Tremont Ave., Bellingham, WA 98226. Emerging.Technology, Maury H Shelley, 119 N Commercial St Ste 1410, Bellingham, WA. Enfield Enterprises, Llc, Enfield Enterprises, Llc, 3320 Oregon Pl., Bellingham, WA 98226. Engage Educational Consulting, Jennifer Ann Reidel, 2229 Lynn St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Expressions, Expressions, 1511 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA. Fairhaven Pizza, Llc, Fairhaven Pizza, 1307 11th St., Bellingham, WA. Feed Advantages Llc, Feed Advantages Llc, Po Box 28627 Bellingham, WA 98228. Foxglove L.L.C., Foxglove, L.L.C., 1329 N State St. Ste 201, Bellingham WA 98225. H2 Home Inspection, Christopher Edward Howell, 5492 Kent Dr., Bellingham, WA 98226. Hair By Kali Estelle, Kali Estelle Jacobsen 1128 Finnegan Way # 1, Bellingham, WA. Hannah Hotchkiss, Hannah Lynne Hotchkiss, 907 Harris Ave., Bellingham, WA. Hawthorne Learning Solutions Llc, Hawthorne Learning Solutions Llc, 910 14th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Hearing Aid Home Service, Brenda Lee Litke, 2221 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Henna Art By Amy Lee, Amy Lee Buffington, 1804 E Sunset Dr Apt 202, Bellingham, WA 98226. Homeshore Handwovens, Mary Kathleen Pfundt, 317 N Forest St Apt 4, Bellingham, WA 98225. Huckleberry Knits Llc, Huckleberry Knits Llc, 3206 Vallette St., Bellingham, WA. Irecycle Guy, Chelsea Jimenez, 911 11th St # B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Jeffrey Eugene Keown, Jeffrey Eugene Keown, 119 N Commercial St. Ste 170, Bellingham, WA 98225. Jimmy Singh Enterprises Llc, Jimmy Enterprises, 4284 Spring Creek Ln., Bellingham, WA 98226. John Van Enk, John Van Enk, 3834 Fraser St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Jordan James Koplowitz, Jordan Koplowitz Design, 612 Bayside Rd, Bellingham, WA 98225. JRConstruction, Jim Ernest Runnalls, 1580 Avalon Court, Bellingham, WA 98226. Judy A Nasmith, Judy Anne Nasmith, 504 Briar Road, Bellingham, WA 98225. Jules Orion Mcevoy-Schaefer, Jules Orion McevoySchaefer, 246 Old Highway 99 North Rd., Bellingham, WA 98229. Julie Marie West, Julie Marie West, 2812 Cottonwood Ave. Apt 3, Bellingham, WA 98225. Kangas Repair Llc, Kangas Repair Llc, 2700 W Crestline Dr., Bellingham, WA.

Kaos Logic, Crescent Kao, 1110 N Forest St. Apt. C, Bellingham, WA 98225. Kathryn Edelstein, Kathryn Edelstein, 2200 Division St Ste E, Bellingham, WA 98226. Katie P Hagerman, Katie P Hagerman, 2623 Peabody St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Kickin’ A Saloon & Dance Hall, Llc, Kickin’ A Saloon & Dance Hall, Llc, 1322 N State St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Kickstart Law, Dawn Alisa Deans, 119 N Commercial St. Ste 320, Bellingham, WA 98225. Kulshan Brewing Company, Kulshan Brewing Company, 1538 Kentucky St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Law Rental, Victor Pak Tao Law, 2585 Lummi View Dr., Bellingham, WA 98226. Leslie Anne Deegan, Leslie Anne Deegan, 3750 Beazer Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. Limited Six, Limited Six, 1010 Railroad Ave. Apt 108 Bellingham, WA 98225. Little Cyborg Studios, Emily Elisabeth Lee, 2010 N State St Apt 203, Bellingham, WA 98225. Lux Salon, Stacie Postma, 1105 Mckenzie Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Lynne Nelson Counseling, Margie Lynne Nelson, 1101 Harris Ave Ste 21, Bellingham, WA Make.Shift., Make.Shift., 306 Flora St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Mangold & Sons, Seth T Mangold, 3108 Peabody St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Megan Yeates Law, Megan N Yeates, 114 W Magnolia St. Ste 100 #117, Bellingham, WA 98225. Mt. Baker Consulting Services, Jennilee M. Minier, 2530 Lynn St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Mt Baker Homegrown, Mt Baker Homegrown Llc, 2939 Spur Ridge Ln #101, Bellingham, WA 98226. Muttleedesigns, Muttleedesigns Llc, 1406 Lakeway Dr., Bellingham, WA. Myco Molding, Clearsnap Holding, Inc., 1650 Jills Ct., Bellingham, WA 98226. Nolo’s Detailing Car, Manual E Vargas, 6010 Guide Meridian, Bellingham WA 98226. Norcon Group, Inc., Norcon Group, Inc., 826 Queen St., Bellingham, WA 98229. North Coast Natural Sales Llc, North Coast Natural Sales, Llc, 3716 Dana St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Northstar Window Cleaning, Taresia Marie Merwin, 19 Longshore Ln., Bellingham, WA 98229. Northwest Handyman & Remodeling Service, Lois Ann Lenning, 3219 Pinewood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Northwest Rain Solutions Llc, Northwest Rain Solutions Llc, 1205 Euclid Ave. Apt 2, Bellingham, WA 98229. O’sulli’s Boat Works, Jake Sullivan, 2100 Douglas Ave. Apt A, Bellingham, WA. Ochean, Tyrone Rene Miles, 3316 Cherrywood Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. On Time Transportation Inc., On Time Transport Inc., 1313 E Maple St Ste 234, Bellingham, WA 98225. Organic Botanicals Llc, Organic Botanicals Llc, 33 Strawberry Pt., Bellingham, WA. Orphuys Enterprises USA, Vadim Krys, 4625 Cordata Pkwy Apt 316, Bellingham, WA 98226. Ovn Wood-Fired Pizza, Ovn, Llc, 1148 10th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Party City Corporation, Party City Corporation, 209 Hartford Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Patty Bover – Artist, Patty E Bover, 4420 Marionberry Ct., Bellingham, WA 98229. Pentagreen, Pentagreen, 13 Spring Rd., Bellingham, WA 98229. Performagrow Llc, Performagrow Llc, 4980 Mission Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226. Pickle Pots Pottery, Dyana Marie Fiediga, 1905 D St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Pinay Hands, Relly Rose Mayola Taunton, 2522 Dakin St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Power Yoga Institute Llc, Power Yoga Institute Llc, 2411 Cherry St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Prusik Mapping Llc, Prusik Mapping Llc, 1003 32nd St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Pyramid Green Houses, Pyramid Green Houses, Inc,

425 W King Tut Rd.,Bellingham, WA 98226. Quality Garage Doors, Randall Dee Brady, 2220 Humboldt St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Ravn Design Build, Ckvn Llc, 2416 Jaeger St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Repiece, Danelle Lee Weaver, 2820 Michigan St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Rock Royalty Jewelry, Caitlin Stoughton, 2001 E Sunset Dr Apt 102, Bellingham, WA 98226. Roland Oats Llc, Roland Oats, 1210 Roland St., Bellingham, WA 98229. Rosie-Colored Keystrokes, Rosa Elena Palma, 49 Cascade Ln., Bellingham, WA 98229. Royal Tern Press, David Sattler, 440 17th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Royal Truck Lines Llc,Royal Truck Lines Llc, 1313 E Maple St. Ste 234, Bellingham, WA 98225. Ryan Eston Paul, Ryan Eston Paul, 6034 Old Guide Rd, Bellingham, WA 98226. Sall Transit Llc, Sall Transit Llc, 516 Tremont Ave. Apt 202, Bellingham, WA 98226. Scott Caldwell Financial Services Inc., Scott Caldwell Financial Services Inc., 4164 Meridian St. Ste 104, Bellingham, WA 98226. Semteq Inc., Semteq Inc., 12 N Point Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229. Shannan Leslie Engel, Shannan Engel, 1116 Key St Ste 209, Bellingham, WA 98225. Simon Villeneuve Llc, Simon Villeneuve, 3405 Redwood Ave Apt 11, Bellingham, WA 98225. Skagit County Building Llc, Skagit County Building Llc, 320 Bayside Rd, Bellingham, WA 98225. Sone, Sone Llc, 1471 Old Samish Rd., Bellingham, WA 98229. Steph Will Inspire, Llc, Steph Will Inspire, Llc, 2130 Grant St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Super Supplements, Vitamin Shoppe Industries Inc., 1300 Ellis St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Superior Soups, Llc, Superior Soups, Llc, 1100 Railroad Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Susan M Glick, Susan M Glick, 1100 Railroad Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. Tattoos By Kurt Steder, Kurt Lee Steder, 1222 N State St., Bellingham, WA. Td Sports, Llc, Td Sports, Llc, 1301 W Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98225. Terrell E Holmes, Terrell Edward Holmes, 2937 Lindbergh Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. The Clothes Rack, Clothes Rack Consignment Llc, 1905 James St., Bellingham, WA 98225. The Dance Shop, The Dance Studio, Inc., 1820 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. The Puget Hound, The Puget Hound Llc, 2702 Nevada St., Bellingham, WA 98226. Total Vape Bellingham, T Vape Inc, 1317 W Bakerview Rd Ste 105, Bellingham, WA Towneplace Suites, 360 Hotel Management Company, Llc, 4050 Northwest Ave., Bellingham, WA 98226 Towneplace Suites, Bellingham 1, Llp, 4050 Northwest Ave., Bellingham, WA 98229. Two Old Crows, Two Old Crows, 3036 Birchwood Ct., Bellingham, WA 98225. Vanessa’ Mrs.Clean, Laura Jaime, 61 Lake Louise Dr., Bellingham, WA 98229. Vivaluxx Makeup Co., Sarah Rorvig Inc. 1321 Railroad Ave. # 200, Bellingham, WA 98225. Waterdog Process Serving, Waterdog Process Serving, 1153 Humboldt St. Unit B, Bellingham, WA 98225. Wonder-Flora Landscape Design, Janaki Kilgore, 2812 Iron St., Bellingham, WA 98225. Worc (I) Senior Lifestyle Services, Llc, Worc (I) Senior Lifestyle Services, Llc, 1210 10th St. Ste 204, Bellingham, WA 98225. Yondersea Men’s Grooming Lounge, Alesha M Allard, 2711 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA. Zender’s Truck & Equipment, Parts & Service, Inc., Zender’s Truck & Equipment, Parts & Service, Inc., 3876 Hannegan Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226.

BUILDING PERMITS

Includes commercial building activity in Bellingham with an estimated valuation listed at $10,000 or more. Records are obtained from the City of Bellingham’s Permit Center. Status updates on permits are available on the city’s website at http:// pnw.cc/sVCen. 1/19/15 to 1/23/15 Issued permits 1 Bellis Fair Parkway 410, $60,000 for tenant improvement: remodel of existing retail store: Hot Topic. Contractor: Horizon Retail Construction Inc. Permit No.: BLD2014-00362. 1/20/15. 915 Kentucky St., $10,600 for commercial: 24-foot by 20-foot post frame lean-to roof-only addition to existing storage building. Contractor: Alvord & Richardson Construction Co. Permit No.: BLD 201500012. 1/21/15. Pending applications 750 Lakeway Drive, $35,000 for commercial: tire storage racking. Permit No.: BLD2014-00551. 1/20/15. 750 Lakeway Drive, $415,000 for tenant improvement: remodel of former video store for tire store: Discount Tire. Permit No.: BLD2014-00550. 1514 12th St., $97,000 for tenant improvement: new office area in existing unfinished crawl space. Permit No.: BLD2015-00021. 1/21/15. 3115 Squalicum Parkway, $56,310 for commercial: alteration to existing entrance vestibule and landscape improvements at building entrance. Permit No.: BLD2015-00022. 1/22/15. 1201 N. Forest St., $300,000 commercial: alterations to existing structure to accommodate new mechanical work. Permit No.: BLD2015-00024. 1/23/15. 1 Bellis Fair Parkway 110, $180,000 for tenant improvement: modifications to existing retail clothing store. Permit No.: BLD2015-00011. 1/23/15. 210 E Chestnut St., $100,000 for tenant improvement: new kombucha brewery and cafe and alterations to alley door: Kombucha Town. Permit No.: BLD2014-00586. 1/23/15. 1700 Carolina St., $451,543 for new commercial storage facility. Permit No.: BLD2013-00393. 1/23/15. 4333 Water Lily LP, $470,290 for new three-story multifamily building with three units. Permit No.: BLD2014-00510. 1/23/15. Demolition permits None reported. 1/26/15 to 1/30/15 Issued permits 215 N Commercial St., $13,000 for commercial: install four new roof support beams with related hangers and hardware. Contractor: Strengholt Construction Co. Inc. Permit No.: BLD2015-00026. 1/26/15. AH Western Washington University, no calculated value for commercial: Install new wall and door to divide one second floor office into two. Permit No.: BLD2015-00019. 1/26/15. 125 Samish Way, $1,015,691 for Commercial: New Walgreen’s Pharmacy with drive-thru. Contractor: Robertson & Olson Construction Inc., Permit No.: BLD2014-00399. 1/26/15. 3930 Meridian St., 102, $145,000 For tenant improvement: interior remodel for new Dominos Pizza Bakery. Contractor: Sharp Construction LLC.Permit No.: BLD2014-00524. 1/27/15. 1026 N Forest St., $60,000 for tenant improvement: interior only repair/replacement of existing showers on second and third floor, misc. framing work associated with installation of new ventilation system. Contractor: Scoboria Construction, Inc. Permit No.: BLD201400443. 1/28/15. 1 Bellis Fair Parkway 110, $180,000 for tenant improvement: modifications to existing retail clothing store. Permit No.: BLD2015-00011. 1/30/15. Pending applications PA Western Washington University, $80,806 for commercial: minor addition expanding he generator room. Permit No.: BLD2015-00028. 1/27/15. 4277 Meridian St. 104, $150,000 for tenant improvement: minor demolition, new partitions, interior finishes, plumbing and mechanical: America’s

RECORDS, PAGE 20

The Bellingham Business Journal

March 2015

RECORDS, FROM 19 Best Contacts & Eye. Permit No.: BLD2014-00585. 1/27/15. RK Western Washington University, $3,700,242 for commercial alteration: interior renovation of Ridgeway Kappa residence hall. Permit No.: BLD201400556. 1/27/15. 468 W Horton Road, $789,830 for commercial: 9,920-square-foot addition to existing building: Flax 4 Life. Permit No.: BLD2015-00027. 1/27/15. 655 Telegraph Road, $488,599 for new six-unit multifamily building. Permit No.: BLD2014-00568. 1/27/15. 4055 Hammer Drive 103, $10,000 for tenant improvement: improve existing warehouse and office space for marijuana producing and processing business: Green Dreamer LLC. Permit No.: BLD201500030. 1/28/15. Demolition permits None reported. 2/2/15 to 2/6/15 Issued permits 4277 Meridian St. 104, $155,000 for commercial alterations: interior demolition to combine two tenant spaces; new restrooms, fixtures, doors, ceiling and finishes to prepare for future tenant. Contractor: TCI Inc. Permit No.: BLD2014-000582. 2/2/15. 2211 Rimland Dr. 220, $11,000 for tenant improvement: minor changes to existing space relocate break room and expand open area: Interfor. Contractor: Scoboria Construction Inc. Permit No.: BLD2015-00023. 2/4/15. BH Western Washington University, $51,072 for commercial: add access controls, replace various doors. Contractor: Valley Electric Co. Permit No.: BLD2014000576. 2/4/15. AH Western Washington University, $70,730 for commercial: add access controls, replace various doors. Contractor: Valley Electric Co. Permit No.: BLD2014000575. 2/4/15. 104 W Magnolia St., $2,200,000 for Federal Building ED-0110: tenant improvement: renovation of first floor offices, basement improvements, and system upgrades. Contractor: Tiger Construction LTD. Permit No.: BLD2014-00485. 2/6/15. Pending applications 8 Bellis Fair Parkway, $150,000 for tenant improvement: installation of finishes and sales fixtures: DSW. Permit No.: BLD2015-00034. 2/2/15. 1103 Railroad Ave., A101, $18,000 for new concrete

slab foundation and manufactured walk-in cooler. Permit No.: BLD2015-00035. 2/3/15. 4369 Meridian St., $398,671 for new commercial shell building. Contractor: Com-Steel LLC. Permit No.: BLD2013-00364. 2/3/15. 935 14th St., $30,000 for commercial: replace existing retaining wall. Permit No.: BLD2015-00037. 2/4/15. 1200 E Sunset Dr., $143,371 for commercial addition: 300 square foot addition to existing Building for new tenant: Verizon Wireless. Permit No.: BLD201500036. 2/4/15. 151 E Mcleod Rd., $44,800 for commercial: spa replacement. Permit No.: BLD2015-00040. 2/6/15. 1404 N Garden St., $100,000 for tenant improvement: remodel portion of first floor of existing SFR into chiropractic office, remaining first floor and entire second floor to be remodeled and remain residence; includes new sidewalk. Permit No.: BLD2015-00039. 2/6/15. 1270 Barkley Blvd., $450,000 for commercial: new shell building with drive-thru teller lanes for future retail bank branch. Permit No.: BLD2015-00042. 2/6/15. Demolition permits None reported with a calculated value of $10,000 or more.

LIQUOR AND MARIJUANA LICENSES Records include license activity in Whatcom County. They are obtained from the Washington State Liquor Control Board, online at www.liq.wa.gov. New license applications OVN Wood-Fired Pizza, OVN LLC; Matthew Brawner, Calerie Crawner, Janice Brown and Larry Brown applied for a new license to serve spirits, beer and wine in a restaurant and lounge at 1148 10th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. License No.: 419081. 2/11/15. Fairhaven Pizza, Fairhaven Pizza LLC; Barbara, James and Jon Wadkins applied to assume an existing license from Fairhaven Pizza and Prawns to sell beer and wine in a restaurant and operate as a direct shipment receiver in Washington only at 1307 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. License No.: 080359. 2/2/15. Honey Moon, Honey Moon LLC; David Evans, Anna Hall-Evans applied for an addition to a license for operating as a domestic winery, Farmer’s Market wine sales and beer and wine sales in a restaurant at 1053 N.

State St. License No.: 085203. 1/30/15. OVN Wood-fired Pizza, OVN, LLC, Matthew and Valerie Brawner applied for a new licenst to serve spirits, beer and wine in a restaurant and lounge at 1148 10th St., Bellingham, WA 98225. License No.: 419081. 1/26/15. Recently approved licenses Trail Blazin Productions, 2005 Division St., Bellingham, WA 98226, received approval on an addition to a license to operate a tier 2 marijuana production facility. License No.: 412082. 2/19/15. Jen’s Sushi and Bento, at 202 E Holly St. Suite 110, Bellingham WA 98225, received approval on a new license to sell beer and wine in a restaurant. License No.: 418555. 2/10/15. Point Roberts Texaco, at 1557 Gulf Road, Point Roberts, WA 98281, received approval on a change in privilege to a license to sell beer and wine in a specialty shop. License No.: 072735. 2/10/15. Menace Brewing, at 7056 Portal Way Suite O3, Ferndale, WA 98248, received approval on a change of corporate officer to a microbrewery license. License No.: 407613. 2/6/15.The Rustic Coffee and Wine Bar, at 1319 11th St., Bellingham, WA 98225, received approval on a new license to be a direct shipment receiver in and outside Washington. License No.: 408514. 1/27/15. Hilltop Highgrade, at 4933 Elder Road Suite A, Ferndale, WA 98249, received approval on a new application to operate as a tier 1 marijuana producer. License No.: 415958. 1/22/15.

FEDERAL TAX LIENS Tax liens of $5,000 or more issued by the Internal Revenue Service. Listings include taxpayer name(s), lien amount, document number and filing date. Records are obtained locally from the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office. Bookkeeping Solutions, $31,656.29, 2150101894, 1/22/15. Pioneer Woodworking, $8,665.17, 2150102189, 1/26/15. La Cantina, $23,626.56, 2150102190, 1/26/15. John M Schleimer, $25,990.11, 2150200440, 2/2/15. Dykstra Construction Services LLC, $15,297.67, 2150200441, 2/2/15. Van Hofwegen Family Dairy, $6,831.07, 2150201018, 2/9/15.

Pioneer Pole Buildings & General Construction Inc., $81,909.72, 2150201019, 2/9/15. Bel Core Cutting, $5,971.80, 2150201020, 2/9/15. Roger Dandliker, $131,124.05, 2150201021, 2/9/15. Tario & Associates PS, $28,267.21, 2150201022, 2/9/15.

RELEASE OF FEDERAL TAX LIENS Parkway Chevron LLC, $7,042.65, 2150102191, 1/26/15. TA Maranda Consultants Inc., $90,984.38, 2150102192, 1/26/15. Vicente Farms, $51,225.60, 2150102193, 1/26/15. Robert Shelton Jr., $15,865.15, 2150102194, 1/26/15. Daniel Stapish, $8,940.94, 2150200442, 2/2/15. George M Petronella, $31,495.90, 2150200443, 2/2/15. Rebecca Bourdeau & Roger Myklebust, $459,240.18, 2150200444, 2/2/15. Parkway Chevron LLC, $6,153.49, 2150201023, 2/9/15. Vicente Farms, $29,861.29, 2150201024, 2/9/15. Swans Moving & Storage Company, $22,774.98, 2150201025, 2/9/15.

STATE TAX JUDGEMENTS Judgments of $5,000 or more issued by Washington State government agencies and filed locally in Whatcom County Superior Court. Listings include business name, judgment amount, the state agency filing the judgment, originating case number and filing date. Judgments can later be paid and lifted. Listings are only current as of their filing dates. Records are obtained from the Whatcom County Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Dykstra Construction Services, $5,459.28, L&I, 15-2-000256-9, 2/13/15. Mehar Express LLC, $14,863.37, L&A, 15-2-002577, 2/13/15. BR Crew, Inc., $6,043.53, Revenue, 15-2-00232-1, 2/11/15. Birch Bay Restaurant and Lounge LLC, $5,080.53, Revenue, 15-2-00206-2, 2/9/15.

Saints Trim and Paint, Inc., $10,071.49, Revenue, 15-2-00208-9, 2/9/15. Willo Pub & Cafe, $7,708.38, Revenue, 15-2-001741, 2/2/15. Chad Lehn, $7,746.73, Revenue, 15-2-00175-9, 2/2/15. Bellingham Indian Restaurant LLC DBA The Lotus Grill, $8,252.74, Revenue, 15-2-00172-4, 2/2/15. Cascade Inn, $5,310.50, L&I, 15-2-00141-4, 1/29/15. Anderall Home Repair, $5,770.71, L&I, 15-200143-1, 1/29/15. Ironman Movers & Storage Inc., L&I, 15-2-001465, 1/29/15. Weston Roofing, $10,945.64, L&I, 15-2-00147-3, 1/29/15. Lynden Ice Company, Inc., $45,937.95, L&I, 15-200149-0, 1/29/15. Border Tire LLC, $8,587.94, Revenue, 15-2-00127-9, 1/28/15. O’Daniels Painting Service, $7,918.17, Revenue, 15-2-00105-8, 1/23/15. Bender Remodeling, $5,053.22, Revenue, 15-200106-6, 1/23/15.

BUSINESS BANKRUPTCIES Whatcom County business bankruptcies filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western District of Washington. Chapter 7 Heritage Building Co, LLC, Estimated asset range: $500,001 to $1 million; liabilities: $100,001 to $10 million; case no.: 15-10710-KAO. Date filed: 2/6/15. Chapter 11 and 13 No chapter 11 or 13 bankruptcies were filed in the last month.

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March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

Adult Day Health program moving to Lynden this summer In 2013 Preble Poland, 85, spent most of his time in a recliner. His progressive dementia, poor eyesight and poor hearing made it hard to even watch TV or read. Preble was regressing and his wife Eva, 79, felt like she wasn’t doing enough to keep his brain working. “Most of the time he’d go to sleep unless I engaged him,” Eva said. “As a caregiver, that’s very difficult because of the fact that I’m responsible for everything in both of our lives.” In January 2014, Eva started taking Preble to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center’s Adult Day Health program, which aims to keep seniors living in their homes as long as possible by providing them with care during the day. The program’s activities stimulated Preble and gave him a chance to interact with adults with similar conditions. Preble loves the program and it has made him more alive and alert, Eva said. In July, seven months after Preble enrolled in Adult Day Health, PeaceHealth announced plans to close the program at the end of 2014, citing the need to cut costs and close the South Campus building that houses Adult Day Health. Eva didn’t have a backup plan. She thought she would go back to caring for Preble herself and he would probably regress. Instead, Christian Health Care Center, a nonprofit nursing and rehab facility in Lynden, took over management of the 37-year-old program at the beginning of the year. For now, the program is still at PeaceHealth’s South Campus building in a nearly windowless former operating room that Christian Health Care Center is renting from PeaceHealth for $1 a month, said Anita Tallman, director of Christian Health Care Center. This summer, the program will move into a new 5,730-square-foot facility in Lynden that Christian Health Care Center designed for Adult Day Health. When construction is finished, the new facility will have windows, a fenced-yard,

more rooms and other features that the current facility doesn’t have. The same eight employees who staffed the program when it was operated by PeaceHealth will stay with the program in Lynden, Tallman said. “They’re just making a state of the art center,” said Mary Lynn Palmer, a registered nurse who has worked with the program for 23 years. “We’re thankful to have had this space, but to look at those plans and realize we’re going to have a huge yard with a tall fence so everyone will be safe, and we’re going to have picnic tables and a walking trail — those are things we have dreamed of.” The new center will have more separate rooms than the program’s current space. Adult Day Health staff frequently break up the program’s participants into small groups for activities like painting, solving puzzles, story telling and “brain jogger” groups for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, Palmer said. Tallman doesn’t plan to make any changes to Adult Day Health, at least not at first. “My motto is don’t mess it up, just let them go,” she said. “Mary Lynn and her crew, it’s not just what they do but how they do it. They have tremendous heart and there’s a calmness and a feeling of safety. It’s a safe harbor for people who are alone and need help.” Tallman had been thinking about starting an Adult Day Health program for a couple years before PeaceHealth dropped its program, she said. She calls Adult Day Health and similar programs that keep seniors in their homes the future of health care for seniors. Without the program, most patients would be in assisted living facilities or nursing homes, she said. In 2010, nursing home care cost more than $200 per day on average, according to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services fact sheet. Adult Day Health costs $67. “I don’t think anyone has done a financial analysis or otherwise it would be better funded,” Tallman said. Currently, the program is funded entirely

Kathleen Orcutt, an occupational therapist with Christian Health Care Center’s Adult Day Health program, works with a patient on a puzzle game called Brick by Brick. OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTO | THE BELLINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL

1983

2015

Adult Day Health, PAGE 22

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BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal

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ADULT DAY HEALTH, FROM PAGE 21 through the $67 a day fee. Christian Health Care Center is looking into grants and other funding opportunities for the future. For $67, program participants get care from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., a bus ride to the facility, a hot meal, and care from eight employees, including registered nurses and occupational therapists. Staff provides special care for those with dementia and other memory loss, which includes about 60 of the program’s 78 participants. The program also offers lectures and support groups for patients’ family members. Speakers discuss things like planning activities at home and grieving. Program staff decided at a retreat years ago that patients’ caregivers are almost the primary customer of the program, Palmer said. “A lot of the caregivers put their needs on the back burner,” Palmer said. “I don’t think they know how worn

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POT SECURITY, FROM 6 out they are and how tired they are.” Eva regularly attends a caregiver support group. “It helps me to understand that some of the things I thought were odd are not odd at all,” she said. For example, Preble likes to walk directly behind Eva rather than beside her, she said. She found out at the support group that that’s because he can see her better that way, and many other Adult Day Health patients do the same thing. Eva’s husband Preble hasn’t noticed the switch in the program’s management, but Eva worries about how he will do when the program moves to Lynden. “I think it will be nice because I understand their facility will really be nice, but Preble is not too crazy about taking a bus,” she said. “I don’t know what I would do without the program. I would be willing to drive to Lynden everyday because it makes the quality of life for both of us better.”

prone to thieves than any other business.” At Clark’s store, a potential thief would have to make it through several dead-bolted doors before getting to the safe, which is bolted to the floor. He set his store up Top Shelf Collectiver to be compliant with laws for recreational marijuana stores, which require motion detectors and other alarms on all doors and windows and video cameras throughout the store.

The number of alarm companies that don’t offer service to marijuana businesses created an opportunity for Bethany Brediger, security agent for Sonitrol Pacific, a Sonitrol franchise based in Everett. She has clients in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties. “Right now with all the producer/processors that are opening up, it is a significant part of my business,” Brediger said. “It’s probably at least half my business right now.” Her business has grown mostly through word-of-mouth referrals. Clark called her after the attempted break-in, and he isn’t the first customer who contacted her after having an incident with a different security provider, she said. “Once I signed up I let people I know in the business that this is a company where you don’t have to wonder whether they’re going to work with you,” Clark said. “I immediately spread the word.” Brediger’s other top clients include schools and churches, she said. For her, the only difference in working with the marijuana industry is that sometimes they have tight deadlines for passing government inspections. In addition to cameras, Brediger’s security systems use audio equipment. When the system detects abnormal noises or volume, it notifies people at Sonitrol’s verification center, who listen in to determine if the noise is from a burglary attempt. She said Sonitrol’s systems have allowed police to apprehend thieves who cut through a roof to get into a business. Brediger isn’t concerned with working with the marijuana industry, she said. She provides security to both medical and recreational shops, as well as marijuana growers. “For any legal business that needs security, I’m in favor of giving them the best security out there and treating them with the same respect we treat all of our customers with,” Brediger said. “It’s not our job to take a political stance.”

Oliver Lazenby, associate editor of The Bellingham Business Journal, can be reached at 360-647-8805, Ext. 5052, or olazenby@bbjtoday.com.

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

Become Bank Savi. We did. Savvy. It’s our obsession. It’s part of our DNA. Heck, it’s where our new name comes from. And it’s what you can expect every time you walk through our front door, dial up our phones, or visit our website. We go above and beyond other banks. Using knowledge and expertise, our mission is to bring long-term success to our clients. It’s who we are down to the core. And it’s why our old name, Business Bank, just didn’t work. Whether you own a business, a house or a dog, we are equal opportunity advocates, helpers, and champions of our clients. Whether it’s your retirement, a new house, your old house, or your business, we are determined to help improve your life. That’s why we didn’t sell, merge, acquire, buy out, sell out, or start a mutiny. We’re still the friends and faces you see every day at our branches and in the community. Like a wise owl, we’ll keep our minds keen and our eyes sharp to help you reach your financial goals. If wisdom, determination and a friendly smile are missing from your bank, maybe it’s time to become bank savi. Just like we did.

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March 2015

Weathering the stormless winter on Highway 542 Milano’s Restaurant closed as low snowpack and lack of skiers strains foothills businesses BY OLIVER LAZENBY The Bellingham Business Journal On a typical winter morning, a line of skiers and snowboarders file into Wake ‘N Bakery in Glacier for a caffeine fix or breakfast burrito before driving the hairpin turns on Highway 542 to the Mount Baker Ski Area. But there’s no morning rush this winter at the coffee shop and bakery, owners Court and Rebecca Andersen said. Snow depth at the ski area was 27 percent of average on Feb. 1, according to Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center data, and the skiers and snowboarders who come to Mount Baker from Bellingham, Vancouver and beyond aren’t showing up to the slopes or to Wake ‘N Bakery. Although the ski lifts are still turning, the lack of snow is straining businesses in Glacier and Maple Falls, the towns closest to Mount Baker. Local landmark Milano’s Restaurant, in Glacier, went out of business after President’s Day weekend. Dave Reera took over Milano’s in August 2014 from Tom and Jeannie DeBari, who opened it in 1990. Summer and fall were great for business, Reera said in a phone interview the week before closing, but when snow didn’t pile up in the ski area, midweek traffic at the restaurant dropped off. Reera stopped opening during the week to cut costs, and tried to keep the restaurant in business until the snow came, he said. The collection of restaurants, cafes, stores, vacation rentals and other businesses near Mount

Baker are used to ebbs and flows. Tourist dollars from the summer season get businesses through the “mud-season” in October and November. But the lean times usually end in December, when snow flies and skiers return. “We knew from the get-go that if winter was truly horrible the business wouldn’t survive. A gamble on the weather that didn’t turn out well,” Reera said in a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page. The Andersens said tourists often found the Wake ‘N Bakery after stopping in Glacier to eat at Milano’s. “It’s been such a part of local life. People come here and all they want to do is go to Milano’s,” Court said. “Even if they don’t come in here or anywhere else, they’re stopping in Glacier. They’re having an experience. They might have a really good meal and think, ‘Oh, this little podunk town has some things going for it.’” Business owners in the area call the restaurant, which was known for pasta and seafood, a “Highway 542 institution.” “What makes it an institution is the amazing food. The quality of the food has been fantastic over the years, including this year,” said Gwyn Howat, operations manager at Mount Baker Ski Area. Howat has friends from all over the world who come to Mount Baker annually to race in the ski area’s Legendary Banked Slalom, and she said the food and social experience at Milano’s is part of the experience for them. Those friends haven’t arrived in the foothills this year, as race organizers rescheduled the 30th

Above: A snowboarder navigates a slope above the Heather Meadows Lodge at the Mount Baker Ski Area. Right: Court and Rebecca Andersen, owners of Wake ‘N Bakery in Glacier, in front of their coffee shop and bakery off of Highway 542. OLIVER LAZENBY PHOTOS | THE BBJ

annual Legendary Banked Slalom from Feb. 19-22 to March 19-22 due to lack of snow on the course. The snowboard race dates back to the beginning of snowboarding and draws competitors from around the world. Race competitors and spectators fill the area’s restaurants, stores and lodges all weekend. “It’s pretty monstrous,” Court said. “It would be a big loss if it doesn’t happen. That’s potentially

the biggest weekend of the whole year.” Since opening on Dec. 20, the Mount Baker Ski Area has remained open seven days a week, though often with a limited number of chairlifts running. Ski area staff have been moving snow to cover holes and keep the runs skiable, Howat said. The area is also offering discounted lift tickets, free hot waxes for the first 50 customers, and other deals.

“Obviously the season is affecting the bottom line,” Howat said. “You try to do a good job with what you’ve got. That’s the secret to life.” Howat said if the ski area gets enough snow in March, they will look at extending the season as long as possible.

Mount Baker, PAGE 25

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March 2015

Business Toolkit

MOUNT BAKER, FROM PAGE 24

Use online marketing to get the most out of the upcoming tradeshow season Tradeshow season is upon us in Whatcom County. From construction pros to wedding vendors, Whatcom County event centers will be buzzing with excitement as all types of businesses step out to showcase their products and services at local events like these: •

• • • • •

The Bellingham Business Journal

Whatcom County Home & Garden Show: March 6-8 at Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden Spring Bridal Show: March 8 at Ferndale Events Center Spring Business Showcase: March 27 at Silver Reef Event Center in Ferndale Fairhaven Festival: May 24 in downtown Fairhaven Cross-Border Expo: June 17-21 at Silver Reef Event Center in Ferndale Lynden Farmer’s Day Parade: June 6 in Lynden

Did you know that your business, as a tradeshow vendor, can play a big part in the overall success of any event you participate in? And it has a lot to do with marketing and promotion.

It’s your job to help bring attendees to the show Vendor fees are paid to event organizers, plans are lined up for staffing the booth and your company’s display is designed and almost ready to go. Promotional items are ordered and there are enough business cards onhand for all of Whatcom County. At this point some vendors think their job of preparing for a tradeshow is done, but they are mistaken. They

need to step up and help market the event to bring attendees (ahem, consumers) to the door. This can be done using marPatti keting tools already in Rowlson place for your busiOn Social ness. Here Media & are three quick and Marketing easy ideas: 1. Email Marketing: Use email marketing to let past and current customers know your business will be at the event. Invite them to stop by and visit you personally at the booth (maybe even have a special promotional item on hand just for those booth visitors). Send a “Save the Date” email about one month prior to the event, and then a reminder email the week before. 2. Social Media: Post a series of status updates promoting the event on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Try sharing one post per week the month before the show. Use the posts to promote the event, thank the event organizer, share details on any prizes/ drawings you will have in your booth, give away free tickets, let consumers know what other relevant businesses will be vendors at the show, etc. 3. Brick & Mortar: Promote the show at your brick-and-mortar location. Insert event flyers in shopping bags, hang posters in your shop win-

dows, use contests to give away tickets to the show, print the event website address on cash register receipts. The ideas are endless!

Let go of the thought that event organizers are responsible for all the marketing Yes, event organizers are responsible for a baseline of marketing and promotion. They may be using posters, print ads, radio spots, email campaigns and social media posts to get the word out. You’ve actually helped pay for those marketing expenses in the cost of the vendor booth, so why do you as a vendor need to do more? The answer is simple actually—the more the merrier. The more attendees that come to shows, the more successful the event will be for all involved. If vendors work with tradeshow organizers to spread the word the reach of promotion expands significantly which means more people will have a chance to learn about your business. Imagine what an event would look like if each vendor helped with marketing and promotion and their efforts generated 50 more attendees. Together the vendors could bring hundreds of consumers to the show! If you’re participating in a local tradeshow this year, or planning to host an info booth at a community event in 2016, consider what your business can do to help promote the event. Your efforts can make a big difference in the overall success of the show.

Patti Rowlson is a marketing consultant and social media manager at PR Consulting, Inc. Learn more about small-business marketing by visiting www. pattirowlson.com.

Lack of snow doesn’t just mean a lack of tourist dollars in the foothills, it also means residents of Glacier and Maple Falls have less money to spend at local businesses. Many in the area work at the ski area or in other seasonal jobs, Court said. “When we’re all making money, we’ll all go around and spend it,” he said. “When we’re not making money, we’re more likely to just eat dinner at home again.” Court and Rebecca said people have been going out of their way to spend money at Wake ‘N Bakery. “People are coming here and they’re telling me, ‘I’m trying to do my part,’” Rebecca said. “A couple from Portland bought a coffee mug and two greeting cards. That makes a difference. I’m just so appreciative that people are conscientiously trying.” Rebecca said they’re in no danger of going out of business, because regular customers have made getting coffee at Wake ‘N Bakery a part of their daily routine. Restaurants have it tougher, she said. Like Reera at Milano’s, Kirby Cook also recently invested in a new business. Cook owns and operates Chair 9 restaurant and the Blue T Lodge in Glacier with his family, and he started leasing Graham’s Restaurant, across the highway from Milano’s, in November. Chair 9 has held its own through the winter, Cook said, but Graham’s Restaurant has struggled and more people call to cancel reservations at Blue T Lodge than to book them. Cook said even if he knew in advance how little snow would fall this winter, he still would have taken over Graham’s Restaurant. “If I could see the future I would have been hesitant but I would still have gone ahead and done it,” he said. “We’re kind of like farmers in that the weather can sometimes wreak havoc and take a crop. The snow is our crop, we needed it.” This is worst winter for skiing Cook has seen since opening Chair 9 in July 2010, he said. Lois Buckner has seen several bad snow years in the 30 years that she has worked at Crossroads Grocery. Now, Buckner is ready for spring. Mount Baker’s summer tourist season starts when the Washington State Department of Transportation plows the road through the ski area to Artist Point, she said. “We beg them to open it as soon as possible,” Buckner said. “We feel it instantly.”

Oliver Lazenby, associate editor of The Bellingham Business Journal, can be reached at 360-647-8805, Ext. 5052, or olazenby@bbjtoday.com.

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March 2015

Toolkit

Unlock employee potential with nontraditional collaboration “Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.” - Dr. Seuss Turn back the clock to an April afternoon in Michigan in the spring of 1965. A young man leaves the back door of the high school gymnasium headed for baseball practice. Cleats slung over his shoulder, mitt under his arm, he is hailed by members of the track team and challenged to a footrace in the school parking lot. The young man has developed something of a reputation for being fleet of foot, at least on the baseball field, regularly stealing two and three bases a game. His colleagues on the track team want to see if he can translate his speed on the bases to speed on the track. The runners gather at a line on the asphalt lot measured 100 yards from a finish near the baseball diamond. The young man was not prepared for this race; he wears low cut canvas sneakers and long pants. His challengers from the track team are dressed for their practice: shorts and running shoes. At the sound of the starter they are off and 10.2 seconds later the young baseball player crosses the finish line ahead of the members of the track team. The track coach who has been watching the proceedings approaches the baseballer

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and asks him about joining the track squad. Flattered, the young man expresses interest provided that he can also remain on the baseball team, his first love. In response the coach says that the young man will have to choose between the two sports and points out that he could likely be very successful as a sprinter for the track squad. The young man thanks the coach for the offer but chooses to remain with the baseball team. Later that spring at the all-city track meet the 100-yard dash is won with a time of 10.0, two-tenths of a second faster than the young baseball player had run in sneakers and long pants with no warm up that April afternoon. Fast forward to early 2009, the former young baseball player, now an experienced organizational development consultant leads a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary initiative on behalf of a client interested in generating innovative thinking and solutions in some critical customer facing areas. Players in this initiative are offered the opportunity to work on one of five suggested projects where major improvements are necessary and desired within a 12-month period. Each employee involved, chosen because they were identified as “high potential,” is allowed to self-select to work on a project where they feel their talents will be put to good use. These are real projects with real needs and real dollars (in the multi-millions) and real customer relationships at stake.

When the initiative nears completion, four of the five projects have shown solid progress. The fifth project team, working on the most entrenched and critical customer Mike servicing processes, presents Cook a set of ideas for segmenting and On servicing customManagers & ers that stands to revolutionize not Employees only the client’s business model but the industry model as well. Key contributions to this revolutionary set of ideas have come from diverse and unanticipated sources. The project team leader is a woman with less than five years experience in this 40-yearold company. Her most valuable collaborators have been a senior human resource analyst who was virtually unknown outside of HR when this initiative began and a finance director who had no experience in the customer facing areas of the business in his fifteen-year career with the client company. Prior to this initiative the only one of these three people who would have

been invited to participate on this project was the woman team leader and she would have been given a secondary role because of her limited experience. The connection between these two stories is of course the baseball player turned organizational development consultant who never forgot what could have been that spring of 1965 if a different model had been in place. What if the track coach has focused his attention on making use of the best available talent, regardless of the source? Your organization might not be as strapped for talent as you might imagine. Quite possibly your mental models for what it takes to contribute are the true limit to what you are experiencing when it comes to innovative thinking. Where is your organization trapped by its adherence to a tradition of finding solutions to current problems from among the available functional knowledge and experience that created them? What would it take to allow people with talent, passion, initiative and creativity to become involved regardless of current assignments or functional history?

Mike Cook lives in Anacortes. His columns appear on BBJToday.com every other Tuesday. He publishes a semiweekly blog at www.heartofengagement.com and also facilitates a monthly business book reading group at Village Books.

March 2015

The Bellingham Business Journal

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march 2015