Business Pulse magazine September|October 2018

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WHATCOM COUNTY’S BEST PLACES TO WORK WHAT MAKES up A SUCCESSFUL WORK ENVIRONMENT? how important is COMPENSaTION? THE KEYS TO RETAINING YOUR EMPLOYEES

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Savi Hire

Welcome Rod Cann, a dedicated community banker Our mission is to bring long-term success to our clients and this community.

It’s who we are down to the core. And it’s why we are proud to announce that Rod Cann, a 33-year resident of Skagit County with over 18 years of banking experience, has joined Savi Bank as our Chief Lending Officer.

It’s easy to see why we’d want Rod on our team—from his deep banking experience, to his dedication to our community; Executive Board member and Treasurer of the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County, Board member of the Skagit Valley Family YMCA and Rotary Club member.

Because we’re a locally-based bank, we know the importance of strong communities that we all help create.

With the addition of Rod, it will make it that much easier to serve all of your banking needs.

Burlington 360.707.2272 1854 S. Burlington Boulevard Bellingham 360.685.0080 1910 Broadway sb-Rod-Cann-Hire-7.25x9.5.indd 1

Freeland 360.331.3717 5575 Harbor Avenue, Suite 100 Mount Vernon 360.419.0300 208 East Blackburn Suite 100

Oak Harbor 360.720.2202 390 NE Midway Blvd B-107 Anacortes Loan Production 360.755.3436 1015 14th St Suite B

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VOL. 43 | NO. 5 PUBLISHER | Tony Larson

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | Melissa Vail Coffman EDITOR | Mike McKenzie LIFESTYLE EDITOR | Danielle Larson

Bellingham 1619 Kentucky St. 360.734.5717

Mount Vernon Anacortes 2609 Old Hwy. 99 S. 8876 S. March Pt. Rd. 360.428.7788 360.293.7788

Sitka, AK 210 Jarvis St. 907.747.5315

COPY EDITOR | Larry Coffman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS | Dave Brumbaugh, Larry Coffman, Sherri Huleatt, Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy, Mike McKenzie GUEST COLUMNISTS | Gerald Baron, Tyler Byrd, Paul Twedt ART DIRECTOR | Scott Book PHOTOGRAPHY | Scott Book, Tiffany Brooks SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE | Jon Strong ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE | Ashley Butenschoen AD TRAFFIC | Maggie Stafford SUBSCRIPTIONS | Amanda May ADMINISTRATION | Danielle Larson

— WBA BOARD OF DIRECTORS — BOARD CHAIR | Doug Thomas, CEO, Bellingham Cold Storage EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE | Jane Carten, President/Director, Saturna Capital; Pam Brady, Director NW Government & Public Affairs, BP Cherry Point; John Huntley, President/CEO, Mills Electric; Doug Thomas, President/CEO, Bellingham Cold Storage; Josh Turrell, Partner, Larson Gross PLLC BOARD OF DIRECTORS | Ken Bell, President, Best Recycling; Janelle Bruland, President/CEO, MSNW; Tyler Byrd, Founder/ President, Red Rokk Interactive; Jeremy Carroll, Vice President, Dawson Construction; Andy Enfield, Vice President, Enfield Farms; Guy Jansen, Director, Lynden Transport; Sandy Keathley, Founder, K & K Industries; Tom Kenney, NW Regional President, Washington Federal; Ben Kinney, Operating Principal/Founder, Keller Williams, NVNTD; Tony Larson, President, Whatcom Business Alliance; Lynn Murphy, Sr. Government Affairs Rep, Puget Sound Energy; Laura McKinney, NW Regional Government & Public Affairs, Alcoa Intalco Works; Becky Raney, Co-owner, Print & Copy Factory; Sarah Rothenbuhler, Owner/CEO, Birch Equipment; Billy VanZanten, President, Western Refinery Services, Josh Wright, VP/Broker, Bell-Anderson Insurance For editorial comments and suggestions, write editor@ businesspulse.com. Business Pulse magazine is the publication of the Whatcom Business Alliance. The magazine is published bimonthly at 2423 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226.

360.746.0418. The yearly subscription rate is $30 (U.S.). For a free digital subscription, visit businesspulse.com. Entire contents copyrighted © 2018 Business Pulse. All rights reserved.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Business Pulse, 2423 E. Bakerview Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226.

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Investing in our community since 1971

Bellingham Technical College Bellingham, Washington

BP is committed to finding meaningful ways to support the Washington communities where our employees live and work.

Over the past year, our Cherry Point employees have contributed more than 5,400 hours volunteering with local organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs, Whatcom Literacy Council, and the American Red Cross. We invest in the next generation of Whatcom County, by sponsoring education throughout our community, from Bellingham Technical College to the Blaine High School Technology Student Association. We’re also the largest contributor to the Whatcom County United Way, donating nearly $5 million since 2004.

For more on how BP is giving back to Washington communities, go to bp.com/Washington

Š 2018 BP Products North America Inc. All rights reserved.

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Kevin DeVries has Passion for Curating Positivity in the Exxel Pacific Workforce

QA and

Bellingham: Ouch! No. 5 Worst Job Market in the U.S.

…And Washington in Bottom-5 in Small-Biz Friendliness

By Mike McKenzie

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n online organization called Zippia.com, specializing in resources for searching the job market for golden opportunities, listed Bellingham as the 5th Worst job market in America for 2018. The criteria for determining the rankings among 386 metro job markets in the U.S. included wage fluctuation, current unemployment, and the rate of rise or decrease in unemployment. The study scored each category best-to-worst, 1-386, and then ranked cities on the average of the three scores.

One other Washington city, Wenatchee, and four more West Coast cities ranked among the Worst 10—Grant’s Pass, Oregon, and three in California. Others in the Worst 10 are in West Virginia, New Jersey, and Maryland. These areas have the bleakest employment outlook in the country, according to Zippia, which stated, “If you’re a new grad looking for work or

Interview by Mike McKenzie

Growing up among seven children on a farm near Pella, Iowa (pop. about 10,400), Kevin DeVries developed a sense of “family, hard work, and respect for others.” He applies those core values in hiring at Exxel Pacific, the company he leads with 240 employees. He attended Dordt College on a “crazy little leadership scholarship,” majoring in psychology, and after graduation in 1986 he came to Bellingham to visit a classmate. And stayed.

He co-founded Exxel with Sid Baron 30 years ago. Creating a positive, caring work environment “is what gets me excited in the morning to go to work,” he said, crediting his Christian upbringing for his approach to “hiring the best possible people you can find, and all have a common goal—wanting to be the best.

It drives us.”

in mid-career searching for a change, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for in these places.”

Of Bellingham, the survey cited 4.8% unemployment among an employed population of 85,600 that shows an average annual income of $48,030. “Bellingham was (formerly) a force to be reckoned with…a major industrial player,” Zippia said. “Now the area isn’t exactly a hotspot for people looking for work.”

Zippia.com conducted a similar survey to rank the best job markets in the nation, and no metro area in Washington made the list. On another front, a respected research website, ValuePenguin.com, ranked states on Small-Business Friendliness. Washington ranked No. 47. That survey used criteria from data at the U.S. Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration to identify where small business , the lead researcher said, “…will succeed or not.”

What drives you in staffing Exxel Pacific?

Our leadership is very passionate about what it takes to run a company and make it very successful. Truly and simply, it’s your people. We stay focused on having the right people and helping them become the best they can be.

What do you look for in an employee?

What kind of messages do they convey? Will they contribute in a way that builds up people around them and encourages everyone to be the best they can be? We look for passion in what they do—that this is something more than just a job to them. When they’ve bought into our goals as a company then compensation and benefits are less of a factor than those who

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Looking for a career path? Oh, my—a couple of studies show clearly that to find it, you gotta get out of Dodge (otherwise known as Bellingham).

Photo: Scott Book

DEPARTMENTS

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Creating a positive workforce bent on excellence is an intentional exercise for Kevin DeVries at Exxel Pacific. “Mutual respect is absolutely at the top of our list,” he said. The company partners went to employee-owned last December.

AFTER HOURS BEVERAGES / CLOTHING /

BOOKS + MORE

PULSE AFTER HOURS Upsetting the apple cart

Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity Whatcom Museum | 8.8.19 – 1.6.19

Ernst Haeckel (German, 1834-1919); Reef-forming coral with six-fold symmetry, from the book, Art Forms in Nature (Hexacoralla, Kunstformen der Natur), 1904; Lithographic and halftone print. Courtesy of Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering and Technology, Kansas City, MO.

Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity presents 80 works of art in all media, from rare books to cutting-edge video, that span the 19th through 21st centuries. It highlights artists who celebrate biodiversity’s exquisite complexity, interpret natural and human-induced extinctions of plants and animals, and focus on endangered species from diverse ecosystems. The exhibition explores art’s historic role in raising public awareness about the human activities that threaten habitats.

Weaving together art, natural science, and conservation, Endangered Species also features creative solutions by ecological artists who revitalize habitats and reconnect people to the rich tapestry of life.

Endangered Species highlights an international group of 52 artists who celebrate biodiversity’s beauty, interpret natural and human-induced extinctions of plants and animals, and focus on species from diverse ecosystems under stress. It also includes the work of artists

who spotlight the human activities that threaten biodiversity alongside projects that revitalize habitats and reconnect people to the rich tapestry of life.

The exhibition spotlights five thematic concepts: Celebrating Biodiversity’s Beauty and Complexity: From Landscapes to Microscopic Imagery; Mammoths and Dinosaurs: Interpreting Natural Extinction; Portraits of Loss: Extinction by Human Actions; Endangered Species: Plants and Animals on the Edge of Survival, and At the Crossroads: Destruction or Preservation of Biodiversity.

Endangered Species has been organized with the intent of impacting public discourse about biodiversity while advancing the artist’s pivotal role in building awareness. By tracing links between contemporary and earlier artists, the exhibition examines art’s contribution to an enduring cultural legacy of nature conservation.

Madrone – Friday Harbor Marionberry Dry Sparkling Cider 750 ml • ABV 7.2% Facebook.com/madronecider

With approachable tartness, natural marionberry flavor, and clean sparkling finish, this small-batch cider is sure to win you over. Crafted in the champagne style without the final method of disgorging, this cider is unfiltered and naturally refermented in the bottle. By leaving the yeast, this prevents the removal of the natural flavor Madrone wishes to preserve. The flavor comes from fresh local marionberries added directly during primary fermentation, and Washington Piñata apples. No adjuncts, concentrates or fining agents—just 100% natural flavor.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 57

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Your guide to post 9-to-5 living.

Eat, drink and be entertained.

Eaglemount – Port Townsend Ginger Cider 750 ml ABV 8% eaglemountwinery.com

Eaglemount Ginger Cider, first produced in 2006, was one of the first commercially available ginger ciders. The lightly-spicy combination of heirloom apples from the Olympic Peninsula and certified organic ginger root create a surprisingly versatile, sparkling, semi-sweet cider.

Herb’s Cider – Bellingham Single Stroke Semi-Dry Cider 500 ml • ABV 6.5% herbscider.com

Herb’s Cider is produced by Primus drummer, Tim “Herb” Alexander. The semi-dry Single Stroke cider is based on a simple concept—use the most important and foundational fruit, the apple, using 100% organic apples. No added sugar. Visit the recently opened Herb’s Cider Tasting Room at 1228 Bay St. in Bellingham.

Alpenfire – Port Townsend Glow Aerlie Red • Single Varietal Rosé Cider 750 ml • ABV 8.2% alpenfirecider.com

Alpenfire’s Glow uses organically grown Aerlie Redflesh (Hidden Rose®) apples from the south end of the Willamette Valley, with red flesh, to create this single varietal rosé cider.

No filtration, adjuncts, colorings, or other fruits are added to this cider, just full-strength, fresh pressed, red-fleshed apple nectar.

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Upsetting the apple cart— along came a cider.

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FEATURES

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whatcom county’s best places to work

BY SHERRI HULEATT, CHERYL STRITZEL MCCARTHY, MIKE MCKENZIE PHOTOS SCOTT BOOK

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hat are the elements of a great place to work? We set out to answer that for Whatcom County companies, and results from the first annual Business Pulse survey of Best Places to Work provided some interesting and instructive insights into those elements—all from the employees’ perspective.

Responses to this inaugural survey surpassed expectations. Nearly 1,000 employees from 62 Whatcom County organizations, across a broad spectrum of business categories, ranked their companies on 10 criteria set forth in the survey: Compensation, Benefits, Vision, Leadership, Training, Flexibility, Diversity, Philanthropy, Innovation and Performance..

Business Pulse Associate Publisher Melissa Vail Coffman said, “One of the perks of participation in the survey is that we’re going to provide a summary of anonymized responses from all employees who participated to their respective companies. It’s sort of a report card on how the company is doing, in the eyes of its employees.”

Using a scoring scale of 10 highest-to-1 lowest, Here’s what we learned…

Guess what local employees like most about where they work. Pay? Benefits? Guess again….

BY BUSINESS PULSE STAFF

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They gathered for interviews, five racecar drivers.

One, Oliver Carpentier, stood about tire-high to a racing kart. He’s 4. He’s still learning. His brother, Levi, already races karts at age 6. Their uncle Michael has retired from Formula sports car endurance racing (think of 24 Hours of Daytona or LeMans) because of an injury. His son, Massimo, is filling Michael’s vacuum—at age 10!

Their grandfather, Claudio Valiante, began this family racing strain after he moved from Italy to British Columbia in 1965 and started racing vintage Fiats. This three generations of race car driving has all come to a zenith in Sumas, where they train, race, or work. The Valiante clan now operates Sumas International Motorsport Academy (SIMA) in northeast Whatcom County, sitting on 15 acres hard by the Canadian province where kart racing has long been a rage.

Claudio’s daughter, Claudia Carpentier (and Oliver and Levi’s mother), is General Manager of SIMA. And, Beverly Valiante—Claudio’s wife—oversees operations in the kart parts division. “Obviously, we’re a tight-knit family,” Claudia said. “And everything we do here revolves treating our customers like they’re ‘family’ too.”

Everything at SIMA operates under the umbrella of Italian Motors USA: one big pit stop, so to speak, incorporating everything associated with kart racing.

Subsidiary divisions outfit a kart driver completely, from head-to-toe with specialized helmets, racing suits, and the company’s own brand of imported racers (ItalKart). The Valiantes design the engines and chassis and have them manufactured in Italy and stocked in the Sumas warehouse. SIMA is one of the largest kart sources in North America, through online sales and shipping anywhere on the continent.

And SIMA is for everyone, female or male, any age. The experience holds appeal for a family outing or a company team-building retreat. All the necessary equipment is for rent, along with the karts and time on the 17 curves of the threequarter-mile track, the only artificial turf track oval in this region.

Then there’s the learning phase. SIMA

ViVliA a a t I mas?

in Su

By Mike McKenzie and Dave Brumbaugh Photos Scott Book

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For major indulgence in Kartology, head to Sumas and zoom into recreational or racing fun and folly.

BY

BY MIKE MCKENZIE AND DAVE BRUMBAUGH

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1 in Heart Patient Support

#

Left to right: Marilynn Huffman, Mended Hearts, membership; John Heinemann, Mended Hearts, president; Jerry Marschke, executive director, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Cardiovascular Center; and Dianna Konrad, Mended Hearts, public relations.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is proud to have been named the 2018 Mended Hearts National Hospital of the Year. Mended Hearts is a national and community-based non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for heart patients. Each year, this award is granted to just one hospital among the 460 hospitals with Mended Hearts chapters across North America. Celebrate with us by attending the awards ceremony at our next Mended Hearts-Bellingham meeting.

For more information, visit: PeaceHealth.org/CardiovascularCenter.

publisher’s note

As we enter election season, you should know who supports our local businesses TONY LARSON

A

s a community we have so many assets in Whatcom County to be proud of, but we have some serious issues that need attention, as well.

In our Leading Edge, we report on the results of research done by Zippia.com. They recently listed Bellingham as the 5th worst job market out of 386 metro markets in America for 2018. You can read more about them and their research on page 13.

This comes after Bellingham was listed in the Top 50 worst cities to live in by Wall Street 24/7 in 2016. Their key criterion was that median home prices were 7.3x median income. At the time, median home values were $303,900, with median income just under $42,000. Two years later, median home values exceed $400,000.

And, wages are not keeping up.

What this tells us is something we already know. It’s not that Bellingham is the worst place to live…it’s only a bad place to live if you want to raise a family and you don’t already own a home and have a good-paying job.

If you live in California and you’re thinking about retirement, why not sell the equity in your home and move to Bellingham? You probably can buy more of a house than you had, and you don’t have to worry about the job market or state income taxes. By the way, that will continue the upward pressure on local home prices and rents. Not much of an economic development plan.

It poses a real question for policymakers and anybody interested in local economic development. What are we doing to attract new employers who pay good wages and benefits? What are we doing to facilitate the success and growth of existing companies that pay good wages and benefits?

Many argue that policymakers are making it

President, Whatcom Business Alliance

more difficult to be successful. For example, the CEO of the largest private employer in Whatcom County told me he was unable to get permission for additional water for his expansion, so the jobs went from Bellingham to Georgia.

Another example: After hiring a law firm to find legal ways to limit exports from Cherry Point, the Whatcom County Council is poised to codify those recommendations later this year.

As you’ll read in this issue, Whatcom County has great companies to work for. In our first annual Best Places to Work, we received feedback from nearly 1000 employees from 62 local organizations. The employees anonymously ranked their employers in the categories of Compensation, Benefits, Vision, Leadership, Training, Flexibility, Diversity, Philanthropy, Innovation and Performance. All the areas that hold value

to the people who work there ought to be valued and supported by our elected officials.

Businesses in Whatcom County are the single-largest driver of and contributor to our community prosperity. They hold the solution to our economic development challenges. We need to support their efforts and do everything we can to make it easier, not harder for them to compete, succeed, expand, grow wages and provide opportunities.

As we enter this election season, I would encourage you to find out which candidates support local business and economic development. You can do that by attending our candidates forum on October 18, 7 p.m., at Meridian High School, or tuning in on Channel 10 or KGMI Radio.

Enjoy the issue!

A contingent from Whatcom County including WBA Board Chair Doug Thomas, WBA Vice President Jon Strong, Port of Bellingham Director Rob Fix, Port Commissioner Michael Sheppard, Port Public Relations Director Mike Hogan, Brittany Palm from BTC, Icy Straits Seafoods President Hank Baumgart and Plant Manager Mark Wallace were in Juneau, Alaska in late August on an Economic Development trip meeting with owners of the Douglas Island Pink and Chums (DIPAC) Hatchery and Taku Fisheries and officials from the state of Alaska in order to learn more about their highly successful salmon enhancement program as a possible model for similar programs in Whatcom County.

Business Banking Equipment Finance Treasury Management Multi-Family Income Property Home Builder Finance

“Since the beginning of our relationship, Washington Federal has shown itself to be a valued partner in our business.

Axiom companies have flourished with the thankful pairing of our banker Jonathan Ensch. Jon’s investment in Axiom is noticeably personal through his time and interest into our day to day operations and long term goals.

Together with Washington Federal, the Axiom companies have been given the confidence to continue the pursuit of new levels of success.”

Tim Koetje President Axiom Construction

Jeremy Parriera President Axiom Division 7

Jonathan Ensch VP/Senior Relationship Manager

360-255-2821

jonathan.ensch@wafd.com

Best in class? Only in class.

Legendary Porsche performance gets a thrilling new form. The Panamera Sport Turismo. A new powertrain including an 8-speed PDK transmission, and a cabin featuring the latest in Porsche connectivity. It is ideal for those who prefer different. Porsche. There is no substitute.

The Panamera Sport Turismo.

Porsche Bellingham 2200 Iowa Street Bellingham, WA 98229 Tel: (360) 734-5230 www.porschebellingham.com European model shown. Some options may not be available in the U.S. Š2018 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times.

leading edge NEWSMAKERS • NUMBERS • OUT AND ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP • PHILANTHROPY • GUEST COLUMNS

Bellingham: Ouch! 5th Worst Job Market in the U.S.

…And Washington, Bottom Five in Small-Biz Friendliness

By Mike McKenzie

A

n online organization called Zippia.com, specializing in resources for searching the job market for golden opportunities, listed Bellingham as the 5th Worst Job Market in the U.S. for 2018. The criteria for determining the rankings, among 386 metro job markets in the U.S., included wage fluctuation, current unemployment, and the rate of rise or decrease in unemployment. The study scored each category best-to-worst, 1–386, and then ranked cities on the average of the three scores.

One other Washington city, Wenatchee, and four more West Coast cities ranked among the Worst 10—Grant’s Pass, Oregon, and three in California. Others in the Worst 10 are in West Virginia, New Jersey, and Maryland. These areas have the bleakest employment outlook in the country, according to Zippia, which stated, “If you’re a new grad looking for work or

in mid-career searching for a change, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for in these places.”

For Bellingham, the survey cited 4.8% unemployment among an employed population of 85,600, with an average annual income of $48,030. “Bellingham was (formerly) a force to be reckoned with…a major industrial player,” Zippia said. “Now the area isn’t exactly a hotspot for people looking for work.”

Zippia.com conducted a similar survey to rank the best job markets in the nation, and no metro area in Washington made the list. On another front, a respected research website, ValuePenguin.com, ranked states on Small-Business Friendliness. Washington ranked No. 47. That survey used criteria from data at the U.S. Census Bureau and the Small Business Administration to identify where small business, the lead researcher said, “…will succeed or not.” P+

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leading edge NEWSMAKERS

People on the Move...

Burke

Lesinski

The Bellingham Technical College (BTC) Foundation recently elected Michael (Mike) Burke to a three-year term on the Foundation Board, from 2018 to 2021.

Mike is a Senior Vice President for US Bank who has managed a territory as broad as nine states with approximately 450 employees and 60 bank branches. He currently leads a group of 16 community bank branches in the five northwestern counties of Washington. Mike leads the sales and compliance operations for his group, as well as mentoring new territory leaders for the company. He also had the opportunity to expand US Bank’s presence in multiple markets with numerous branch openings.

In addition to the board of BTC’s Foundation, Mike has served on the boards of the Salvation Army, Skagit County Asset Building Coalition and Junior Achievement.

The mission of the BTC Foundation is to change lives by expanding access to quality education for the students of BTC. For more information, go to www.btcfound.org.

Matt Lesinski has returned to Bellingham as Marketing Manager at the Four Points by Sheraton Bellingham Hotel & Conference Center and the adjoining B-Town Kitchen & Raw Bar. A Western Washington University graduate, he has nine years of marketing and sales experience, including positions at the Mount Baker and The Upfront Theatres. Matt said, “We have an amazing team, a full spectrum of services and I’m thrilled to amplify the efforts for Four Points locally and throughout the Pacific Northwest.”

General Manager John Burns said Lesinski’s “skills and experience will bring people to Bellingham, benefiting the entire community.

We’re excited that he has accepted the position as Marketing Manager.”

Four Points, managed by Providence Hospitality Partners, is a brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, part of Marriott International.

Loween

McGriff

Signs Plus has recently added a new member to their team, hiring Jeremy Loween as their newest Project Manager. Jeremy was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana and moved to Tacoma in 2008 to attend Pacific Lutheran University. After graduating in 2012, Jeremy moved to Bellingham and worked primarily in banking. He was previously a Loan Officer at Bank of the Pacific here in Bellingham. Jeremy was hired because of his innate ability to build meaningful relationships, which will translate very nicely to the sign industry.

Lisa McGriff has been appointed as a Senior Real Estate Loan Officer at Peoples Bank’s Bellingham Home Loan Center in the Barkley Financial Center.

Lisa brings more than 22 years of experience in the financial-services industry and is passionate about helping customers realize the benefits of home ownership. She believes that “owning a home is an important step toward financial stability and feeling connected with the community.”

A 31-year resident of Whatcom County, McGriff appreciates all the region has to offer and comes from a racing family that enjoys NASCAR sprint-car races, drag racing, and riding motorcycles.

Pam Moser has been hired as the Head of West Coast Operations/Ferndale Plant Manager for Healthy Pet, a leader in the petproduct category.

As plant manager, Moser will be responsible for all production, manufacturing, and maintenance activities. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology from the University of Nebraska and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Pam began her career as a quality-control technician at a large manufacturing facility while attaining her bachelor’s degree. She now has 30 years of experience in manufacturing management, with a major share of those years

14 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Moser

Richardson

as a Plant Manager for Eaton Corporation, a $20 billion manufacturer of electrical and industrial power systems.

Her career began at Eaton and she moved through the ranks to manage a $100 million manufacturing facility with more than 400 operating personnel. She is wellversed in Lean, Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement management concepts and the application of those concepts in attaining operational excellence.

Healthy Pet is a member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition, supporting natural pet products that help to create a more ecofriendly environment and a mutually beneficial relationship between pets and their families.

Healthy Pet has leading products in smallanimal bedding and cat litter.

Scott Richardson is celebrating his 40th year in the insurance business, representing the Allstate Insurance Company.

Richardson began his career in the basement of the Bellingham Sears store in 1978 and progressed from Senior Account Agent, to office agent and finally to Exclusive Agent/Owner and President of State Street Insurance, with offices at 1901 State St. in Bellingham.

Scott has been heavily involved in the Bellingham community, including serving as past Board member of Lydia Place and past Chairman of the Board of the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce. His State Street Insurance firm was named the Small Business of the Year in 2014 by the Chamber.

He also has been involved with his professional association, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, including serving as the local President and Regional VP for the Washington State Association. And he spent many years as a speaker for the Washington Insurance Council, giving talks to high school students, driver-education classes and Junior Achievement.

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• Site Prep/Clearing • Environmental Cleanup • Excavation/Demolition

2380 Grandview Rd., Ferndale, WA 98248 360.366.3303 www.wrsweb.com

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Healthy Pet Employees Receive Free WCC Training

Brad Haggen Buys Capitol Hill Cafe

Healthy Pet, Whatcom Community College (WCC) and Impact Washington are collaborating on a program that enables a leading pet-products company to provide its employees free training courses at WCC. Funding will come through a State Board of Community and Technical Colleges Job Skills Program Grant, which funds customized, short-term, and job-specific training for eligible businesses, using dollar-for-dollar matching grants.

The Job Skills program supports three kinds of projects for a company’s current workforce: new-employee training, retraining, or upgrade training. The Healthy Pet subjects range from a course on the fundamentals of leadership to a series of courses on Lean Program Management

implementation.

Customer Experience Supervisor Sandy Bring took classes to learn more about Excel, Outlook, and leadership. She said, “The courses invigorated and energized me to begin thinking about what kind of working environment to create for my team. Ultimately, I want to have a culture that leads to team effort on developing new ideas and strategies that help Healthy Pet maintain ‘Best in Class’ status in our industry, with an emphasis on continuous improvement.”

With more than 120 employees in both Ferndale and Jesup, Georgia, Healthy Pet sees its employees as its greatest resource and is taking intentional steps “to build a team that is composed of passionate, innovative, and committed people,” Bring said.

Whatcom Land Title Donates $6,000 to Local Nonprofit Organizations Whatcom Land Title donated more than $6,000 to local nonprofit organizations in the first half of 2018, continuing its tradition of giving back to the community.

Among the groups that benefited from the donations are Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County, Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County, Whatcom Land Trust, Teach One to Lead One, Lydia Place, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

Whatcom Land Title Owner and CEO Colleen Baldwin said, “We love to support so many deserving organizations that serve people in need and make our communities better.” Her company, which offers title services, including escrow closings, is listed among the top 100 privately owned and operated businesses in Whatcom County. She launched in 1982 and now has branches in Bellingham, Blaine, and Lynden.

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Bellingham restaurateur Brad Haggen has acquired Tallulah’s, a vibrant neighborhood cafe on North Capitol Hill in Seattle.

Tallulah’s features a globally inspired, vegetable-driven menu that has has been widely acclaimed for serving healthy food in a creative setting, which includes a highly popular outdoor patio.

Haggen noted that Tallulah’s is “only five years old and has a very hip vibe with a great staff,” adding that “we have some unique menu items, like a lemon ricotta pancake, a great weekend brunch, and a large dinner following.”

Brad is President/CEO of Naples Best Restaurants Inc., the company he launched after selling his interest in Haggen in 2012, the grocery chain founded by his family. He has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of the food-service industry. Tallulah’s is at 550 19th Ave. E. in Seattle.

Woods Is Growing

Woods Coffee held the grand opening of its newest shop on Saturday, Aug. 11 in Bellevue. The new Woods Coffee Hotel 116 in the heart of downtown is the first coffeehouse in Bellevue with a drive-thru window. The spacious interior features exposed wooden beams, a semi-private meeting space, and a cozy double-sided fireplace on the inside and an oversized patio with ample warm-weather seating outside. Woods has 19 coffeehouse locations, including 15 in Whatcom County.

MORE NEWSMAKERS

And the Awards Go To...

Lynden Transport and Lynden International for 2018 Quest for Quality Lynden Transport’s 22nd award and sixth consecutive No. 1

It’s now six straight first-place finishes for Lynden Transport in the Quest for Quality Awards competition.

The latest honor came on Aug. 7 at the 35th annual Logistics Management Awards show in Anchorage, where Lynden received the highest score among Less-than-Truckload (LTL) western regional carriers—its sixth consecutive No. 1 ranking and 22nd overall award. And Lynden International also achieved strong results in the air-freight category, earning it a 16th Quest for Quality Award.

“We’re incredibly humbled to be ranked at the top for six years in a row,” said Lynden Transport President Paul Grimaldi. “The credit goes to our dedicated drivers, customer-service representatives, and support staff. We intend to keep the momentum going by continuing to provide the Lynden brand of service to our customers.”

Lynden International President John Kaloper said, “The air-freight industry is challenging and competitive and we strive to provide the best one-time performance service and value.

Our employees are the key ingredient in our excellent customer service and many years of Quest for Quality Awards.”

For more than three decades, Logistics Management’s Quest for Quality Awards have been recorded as the most important measure of customer satisfaction and performance excellence in the transportation and logistics industry. The results are the culmination of a sixmonth research project conducted by Peerless Research Group. Thousands of ballots were cast and counted to determine the leaders across a number of critical criteria, including on-time performance, equipment and operations, value, information technology, and customer service.

Lynden Transport and Lynden International are part of a Lynden family of companies, where combined capabilities include truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, scheduled and charter barges, intermodal chemical hauls, scheduled and chartered air freighters and domestic and international forwarding and customs services.

P+

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 17

leading edge NUMBERS

RED RASPBERRIES OF WHATCOM COUNTY

RASPB ERRIES KICK B U T T!

Whatcom County has a high quotient of razz-a-ma-tazz.

It’s one of the most prolific red raspberry-producing regions in the U.S., especially all the red raspberries processed for the frozen market. Go figure:

100 & 8,500

Number of growers and acreage, making Whatcom the highest per capita raspberry-producing county in the world!

6,000

Seasonal jobs created by the six-week peak season.

65%

Percentage of the frozen red raspberry market nationally from Whatcom growers, and they produce 85% of the state’s frozen-raspberry market.

$60,000,000

Approximate market value and economic impact of the 2017 Whatcom red-raspberry crop (it’s run as high as $70M in previous years).

Source: Washington Red Raspberry Commission

18 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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Photo courtesy of Phillips 66

leading edge ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

Phillips’ Sulfur-Reduction Hydrotreater a Boost to Air Quality and Public Health “This project is focused on hydrotreating the LSR; that is, removing sulfur by adding hydrogen in a catalytic reaction.”

–Mark Kitzan– Senior Project Engineer, Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery

By Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy In your mind’s eye, don your white lab coat. In your mental “test tube,” displace sulfur with hydrogen, and—voilà— you improve what’s going into the air from your automobile exhaust.

An initiative at the Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery will do just that: reduce sulfur emissions from vehicle fuel systems.

The pending completion of an innovative piece of equipment will produce gasoline that improves both air quality

and public health.

Construction began in 2016 on the unit, called a Tier 3 LSR Hydrotreater, and is on track for full operation by 2019.

The unit also enables the company to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory standards for fuel refining, which the EPA phases in nationwide over a period of years.

Tier 3 will cut the sulfur emissions from gasoline to an

22 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

annual average of 10 ppm (parts per million)—a significant 67% improvement over Tier 2, which in the early 2000s reduced those emissions to 30 ppm.

While gasoline for a vehicle contains many components, Mark Kitzan, Senior Project Engineer at Phillips 66 Ferndale, cited LSR (light, straight-run gasoline) as the key element in the Tier 3 Hydrotreater. “This project is focused on hydrotreating the LSR; that is, removing sulfur by adding hydrogen in a catalytic reaction.”

Besides boosting air quality and public health, the hydrotreater is good for Whatcom County’s economy because the $74 million budgeted on the new unit stays local. For oil refineries, projects of this magnitude often are managed and executed by teams based in corporate centers, such as Houston, and deployed to various sites.

But this is being managed and built by local folks at Cherry Point. “A project of this size and this nature comes along about once a decade” Kitzan said.

“The last similar-sized project built here was in 2003. JH Kelly serves as the general contractor. Subcontractors include Safway Services, Mills Electric, and Dunkin & Bush.

For context, $74 million is about what a major, full-refinery turnaround would cost—the kind that happens every five years when scores of employees move from one Phillips 66 refinery to another for temporary assignment. It’s “several orders of magnitude” beyond an annual maintenance project, Kitzan said.

“It’s going great and, cost-wise, we’re coming in below budget,” Kitzan continued. “And with all the demo and construction, we’ve had zero recordables (incidents requiring more than first aid, recorded by the Occupational Safety & Health Agency). I spend a third to a half of my time on safety.

“We have six full-time safety leads on this job representing contractors, plus Phillips 66 has its own full-time safety lead. Safety is everybody’s responsibility.”

Construction is winding down and operations training also is going well, Kitzan said. “We’re positioning the project to be ready to start up by the end of this year.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 23

leading edge PHILANTHROPY “Volunteers are from different congregations and work together to help the homeless, despite differences in doctrine or faiths. People are now graduating out of the program, finding jobs, and qualifying to pay rent.”

Photo by Scott Book

–Doug Wight– Owner, Windermere Property Management

Wight Helps People in Need—Day & Night

By Business Pulse Staff

For Doug Wight, his philanthropy begins when people in need walk through his office door or share their thoughts in a sandwich and soup line.

Wight, the owner of Windermere Property Management, manages rental properties for landlords. Potential tenants must provide financial information to lease an apartment. “From time to time, we come across people who need (financial) help,” Wight said. “It may be a veteran who hasn’t found a job, or a family struggling with their kids’ medical expenses. Now and

then we draw from company funds to help them through a tough time.”

Doug’s involvement with his church takes this personal mission a step further. Northlake Community Church belongs to the Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County, a nonprofit comprising 50 churches and other entities that help people deal with homelessness and poverty. Doug and his wife, Lynn, occasionally serve sandwiches and soup as volunteers in downtown Bellingham, which Interfaith does four nights a week. “People

24 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

come through the line, you chat, and they share with you,” he said.

The Wight’s daughter, Carolyn Roy, is Manager of Housing in Interfaith’s new Family Promise program. It mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to feed and shelter homeless families in unused church halls throughout Whatcom County.

Those families sleep overnight in beds and tents inside and then are taken after breakfast to a day-center house in north Bellingham, where they shower and depart for work or school.

These endeavors came together in a perfect storm for Doug Wight: He saw the need through his business and his Interfaith volunteer work. “Family Promise provides a loving, caring environment for these families,” he said. “Volunteers come from different congregations and work together to help the homeless, despite differences in doctrine or faith. It’s an example of the warmth in our human nature and it’s wonderful to see the successes. People are now graduating out of the program, finding jobs, and qualifying to pay rent.”

Laura Harker, Executive Director of Interfaith, pointed to Wight as an example of the business community’s commitment to philanthropy. “He’s a generous auction sponsor, both as a business and as an individual,” Laura said. Furthermore, she added, Windermere Property Management provides off-hours emergency service to tenant families in Interfaith housing. “They provide 10 housing units, at no charge.

And if an emergency happens in a unit in the middle of the night or on weekends, the tenant calls Windermere and an employee calls a repair person, which Interfaith pays for. Without this coverage, I don’t know what we would do. We only have a half-time property manager who can’t be on-call 24/7.”

Doug also makes himself available for free advice on landlord-tenant issues, and his company paid its attorney to help Interfaith with the legal work involved in acquiring a house for another of its programs.

“When you’re in this line of work,” Doug said, “you see that the fabric of our community does include folks in need. We identify, now and then, where we can help.”

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leading edge GUEST COLUMN | HOMELESSNESS

Homeless Solution: Go Tiny to Score Big Results

S

TYLER BYRD Whatcom County Councilman, District 3

ince being elected last November, I’ve become more interested in our homeless problem. We spend almost $9 million annually between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham in trying to solve this problem. Yet, the visible increase in the number of homeless is hard to ignore.

The more I consider our approach to this problem, the more I’m left scratching my head. I know why we do things the way we do—because it’s the way we’ve always done them. I’d like us to try testing new approaches, on a small scale, and see if we can do better. I’d like to begin with a tiny-home project.

The idea would be a small, structured program that would involve continuous monitoring of two or three small sites—little villages—ranging from a quarter- to a half-acre apiece. Each site would consist of no more than 12 tiny homes.

Participants would be required to: • Be clean of drug and alcohol use.

• Pay rent equal to 10% of their monthly income—up to $200 a month.

• Maintain the home in its original condition.

• Maintain the general-use facilities of the village.

The villages would be enclosed by a fence and have a manned security hut at the entrance. Access would be restricted to residents of the village, programs managers, and the police.

Proceeds from monthly rent would cover all expenses of operating the facility, removing the need for taxpayer funds. The only exception would be the possible use of county-owned land for the villages. Any leftover funds, after expenses, would assist participants with transition costs, such as deposits for rent and

26 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

utilities when they move into permanent housing.

I’ve researched and investigated several such villages across the country and the results are good. These sites have been more successful than the approaches we’re currently using and far better than the mega-shelter the City of Bellingham proposes. The tiny-home approach is meeting with success in Seattle and the nearby Lummi Nation, as examples close to home.

And the cost difference is astounding.

On average, a low-income apartment costs the city and county more than $200,000 and a tiny home costs about $2,500.

When tiny homes are done right, examples elsewhere have shown: • 30% of homeless people move back into permanent housing; • 25% of the homeless find full-time employment; • Neighborhoods decrease crime by nearly 30%.

These results come from providing a safe home that gives the homeless a foundation and a place to get a good night’s sleep, with the ability to shower and change their clothes each day, so they look and feel like a member of the community.

And they also have a place to store their belongings during the day, so they’re not pushing a shopping cart to a job interview in order to protect their possessions.

Tiny homes provide a mailing address, which is required to get a government-issued ID. Ultimately, these homes provide a way to give people a second chance, without giving them a free handout.

This isn’t a full-scale rollout costing millions. It’s a small test project, paid for by donors and nonprofits, to see if the idea could work. It’s a lean, data-driven effort toward finding the best solution to a serious problem. In fact, it’s an approach I think we should take on the majority of projects that Whatcom County tackles.

Could it fail? Yes, and that’s okay! We can learn from the failure and do better with the next idea. It also could succeed and give us a bigger impact than the current approach at less cost.

We do have the ability to do things better. The only things holding us back are tradition, the status quo, and the sites to launch the pilot program. If you have available property of adequate size and are willing to help, please email me at tbyrd@ whatcomcounty.us.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 27

leading edge GUEST COLUMN | AGRICULTURE Farmers are for REAL When It Comes to Environmental Action

I

GERALD BARON Whatcom Family Farmers Communications Director

n mid-August, Jeff Littlejohn noticed something strange. He lives near the Double Ditch stream, a bit south of the Canadian border, north of Lynden. The stream normally flows year-round, even during summers with little rainfall, like this year. But the stream was slowing to a trickle and that meant that the fish and aquatic life in the stream were dying. He contacted the State Fish and Wildlife Department, which sent representatives out to investigate.

Larry Stap is a fourth-generation dairy farmer and coowner of the popular glass-bottled dairy brand, Twin Brook Creamery, along with his son-in-law and daughter, Mark and Michelle Tolsma. Their farm lies adjacent to the Double Ditch stream—hence the name Twin Brook. When Stap saw the dying fish, he and Mark made an immediate decision: divert their much-needed irrigation water into the struggling stream. They pumped well water into the stream and helped provide the time needed to rescue as many of the remaining fish as possible.

This wasn’t the first time Whatcom’s family farmers sacrificed by lending time, energy, and resources to divert water into streams during the low-flow times of late summer. For several years, farmers in the Bertrand Watershed Improvement District worked with state officials to allow them to use well water to pump cold, oxygenated water into the Bertrand creek to support the fish habitat.

Legal decisions and bureaucratic processes delayed the effort for a couple of years. Farmers long have had the legal right to draw irrigation water directly from the stream. But now they understand that, during the heat of Summer, more water is needed in the creek. Hence, they’ve been allowed to convert their surface-water rights to groundwater rights, enabling them to use their wells for irrigation. More rights could be converted, but legal decisions have stymied that process.

These situations at Double Ditch and Bertrand are just two of hundreds of examples of what Whatcom Family Farmers call REAL—Real Environmental Action and Leadership. The public doesn’t automatically think of farmers as environmental activists but they might instead be called environmental “actionists” because of the proactive and positive actions they’ve taken routinely to help protect the environment.

in planting trees and vegetation along a portion of the Fishtrap Creek.

• Whatcom farmers have supported the restoration of riparian zones (as these vegetative buffers are called) along more than 200 miles of streams in Whatcom County alone. More than 1.5 million trees and shrubs have been planted as part of the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program through the Conservation District.

• Water efficiency has improved greatly because berry farmers have installed drip irrigation. While the older-style irrigation was about 60% efficient, the drip method is more than 90%.

• The 1998 Dairy Nutrient Management Act was supported by the dairy community, resulting in significant reductions in nitrate and fecal coliform contamination in surface and groundwater.

• Four Mile Creek, near Laurel was choked with canary grass and mud that contributed to flooding of farmland and harming fish. Farmers worked together to restore the stream.

In short, these and other examples of proactive measures by farmers to protect the environment are working.

Recent monitoring by the Department of Ecology shows that groundwater quality near our dairy farms is improving.

Nitrate levels are restricted

by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, and nitrate levels above the EPA limit are very common in most areas where farming has long existed. This is because. until about the 1970s, no one was aware that the heavy use of fertilizer, either cow manure or commercial fertilizer, meant that excess nitrogen was leaching into groundwater. We now know that it takes 30-50 years of improved farm practices to affect nitrate levels in groundwater. The fact we’re seeing improvement in Whatcom County means that what farmers are doing is positively working.

Farming always has had an impact on the environment. Problems continue, as we hear more and more about environmental impacts of farming across the U.S. and the world. Whatcom Family Farmers clearly understands that not all problems have been solved and that the potential for contamination remains.

That’s one reason why farmers have come together in groups such as the six Watershed Improvement Districts (WIDs) and Whatcom Family Farmers. Together farmers can encourage each other, support positive policy actions, and improve public understanding of the REAL environmental leadership farmers provide.

The public doesn’t automatically

think of farmers as environmental

activists…but they might be called

environmental “actionists” because of the proactive, positive actions they’ve taken routinely….

A few other examples: • Recently, farmers participated with the Whatcom Conservation District and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association

28 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

leading edge GUEST COLUMN | FINANCE

Potential Perks (and Pitfalls)—Beyond Your Paycheck

T

PAUL TWEDT Northwestern Mutual, CLU, ChFC

he days of staying at one workplace your entire adult life have passed. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker stays at one position for about 4½ years, with young employees staying in their same position about half that— scarcely over two years.

Not all such changes are bad. Even if you’ve just landed your dream job, negotiating what you want and keeping track of all of the changes can be complex. Use the following four considerations as guidelines to help evaluate that new career offer or to make the most of a recent change.

1. Evaluate major insurance benefits.

Health, Dental and Vision: These types of insurance vary a lot in what is covered and in what they cost you. Some employers offer more than one option. If you have a unique medical need or providers you like, find out in advance the details of your potential coverage.

Disability Income Insurance: Does your new employer offer short-term or long-term group disability income insurance?

Most employer-sponsored plans replace up to 60% of your pre-tax income if illness or injury befalls you. If you want to supplement this, you can get individual disability-income insurance.

Life Insurance: Many employers offer a group life-insurance program with a few coverage options. If you want more protection than offered by your employer’s option—either a

different amount of insurance or a different type of insurance— then evaluate purchasing your own life-insurance policy.

2. Understand your new employer-sponsored retirement plan.

If your new employer offers a 401(k), Roth 401(k) or 403(b), take advantage of the opportunity to save for retirement. Many companies will match a fixed percentage of your contributions up to a certain maximum amount. Wondering how much to contribute? Putting in enough to max out the company’s match is a good place to begin.

What if an employer-sponsored plan is not available? You might possibly set aside retirement savings in an individual retirement account, such as a Roth IRA, a traditional IRA, or an annuity. Note, however, that contributions to Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs might be subject to certain income limitations.

Talk with a financial professional to create your own retirement savings account.

3. Factor in additional perks.

Workplaces have become increasingly more creative in offering benefits and perks, from on-site sports to travel discounts. Individually, these might seem small, but they can add up quickly. Some common employer perks that might help your bottom line: • Paid time off or vacation days.

• Telecommuting, especially working from home.

30 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

• Paid maternity and paternity leave.

• Wellness programs, such as an on-site gym, a smoking cessation program, etc.

• Education reimbursement and professional-development opportunities.

• Technology: company phone, tablet, laptop, or other tools.

• Transportation allowances for mileage, parking, or fleet vehicles.

4. Decide what to do with your previous company’s retirement plan and company stock.

You may have cleaned out your old desk, but until you transfer these financials, you still have ties to your former job. You’ve earned them; do what it takes to keep them. You have four options with the assets you have invested in a retirement plan: • Do nothing: You probably can leave your assets in the existing account, but most likely that would have a minimum balance you must maintain, and you can’t continue to contribute to that plan.

• Roll over into your new job’s plan: Your retirement funds will be combined with any contributions you make to your new employer’s plan, possibly with a waiting period before all of the funds get rolled over.

• Cash out: You might have to pay taxes and potential penalties, and include the amount you received on your tax returns.

• Roll over into an individual IRA: This option keeps your money in taxqualified status. This choice could offer you a wider range of investments than you have available under an employersponsored plan.

Beyond your old retirement account, perhaps you also have a pension and company stock. The options with both of these assets vary, based on your former company’s policies. Talk to your benefits department and a financial advisor or tax accountant to make sure you understand the choices available to you.

Start a new job with a new financial plan.

Starting in a new position can be both exciting and overwhelming. Keep those four considerations in mind when negotiating a competitive offer. A few individual options can add up to make a big difference in your overall compensation.

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whatcom county’s best places to work

BY MELISSA VAIL COFFMAN, SHERRI HULEATT, CHERYL STRITZEL MCCARTHY, MIKE MCKENZIE PHOTOS SCOTT BOOK

W

hat are the elements of a great place to work? We set out to answer that for Whatcom County companies, and results from the first annual Business Pulse survey of Best Places To Work provided some interesting and instructive insights into those elements—all from the employees’ perspective.

Responses to this inaugural survey surpassed expectations. Nearly 1,000 employees from 62 Whatcom County organizations, across a broad spectrum of business categories, ranked their companies on 10 criteria set forth in the survey: Compensation, Benefits, Vision, Leadership, Training, Flexibility, Diversity, Philanthropy, Innovation, and Performance.

Business Pulse Associate Publisher Melissa Vail Coffman said, “One of the perks of participation in the survey is that we’re going to provide a summary of anonymized responses from all employees who participated to their respective companies. It’s sort of a report card on how the company is doing, in the eyes of its employees.”

Using a scoring scale of 10 highest-to-1 lowest, here’s what we learned…

Flexibility & Performance Rank highest in Whatcom’s Best WorkPLACES

By Business Pulse Staff Across the U.S., a popular and common practice among business media and organizations that deal with workplace satisfaction—such as headhunters, job-listing sites, and resumeposting services—is compiling Best Places To Work lists.

Over the years in Bellingham and Whatcom County, we’ve seen favorable headlines on many companies, like FaithLife (dating back to when it was called Logos Bible Software) under Founder/CEO Bob Pritchett, FastCap under Founder Paul Akers, and T-Mobile nationwide. Sure enough, the aforementioned all showed up in various parts of the survey.

We decided, what better way to generate input than by asking the employees? Responses poured in by the hundreds.

While we never intended to select a winner, per se, we learned much about what employees value in running and sustaining a successful business, from startups to decades-old companies.

A good place to begin sharing our findings is how nearly 1,000 employees from 62 companies ranked their companies on the 10 criteria, using a scoring scale of 10 highest-to-1 lowest. And they could leave comments. Respondents generally felt very positive about the companies where they work, with all 10 criteria ranking within less than one point of each other.

The composite score—total responses divided by number of companies—gave Flexibility the highest grade, at 9.143, followed closely by Performance, at 9.063.

The high Flexibility ranking reflects today’s employee demands for both variable hours and the opportunity to work from home, though many employees also mentioned flexibility in the marketplace, i.e., adapting to changes in their respective industry sectors. The high Performance ranking indicates that today’s employees believe their production of goods and services matters greatly—and that their companies are delivering in this regard.

The remaining rankings: Philanthropy, 8.891; Innovation, 8.800; Leadership, 8.789; Training, 8.605; Vision, 8.475; Diversity, 8.416; Compensation, 8.213; and Benefits, 8.170. The low-end ranking of Compensation and Benefits is not surprising, with the barrage of news today about income equality on many levels.

Generally, the tendency is to think of Compensation and Benefits as the most inportant factors in employee satisfaction.

However, a Google search turns up dozens of articles, like one in The Atlantic headlined, “Work Is About More Than Money.”

Also, in this county, the salaries are comparatively low, and you

often hear that many people choose to work here because of the lifestyle advantages.

The companies represented by the responding employees fit into Large, Medium, and Small categories, based on number of employees—200+, 50-199, and fewer than 50, respectively. The composite score, in this case, is the total points for all criteria divided by 10.

Topping the list among Large companies were Mills Electric, 9.559; T-Mobile, 9.291; Peoples Bank, 9.005; ExxelPacific, 8.847; Western Refinery Services, 8.806; Samson Rope Technologies, 8.767; Puget Sound Energy, 8.347; Faithlife, 8.279, and Alcoa Intalco Works, 7.607.

Leaders in the Medium category were Birch Equipment, 9.705 (the highest score among all companies); Barron Heating, 9.444; Andgar; 8.913; Industrial Credit Union, 8.736; Fast Cap, 8.400; VSH CPAs, 8.320, and Timken, 8.300.

Since more than half of the respondents work at companies in the Small category, that list of leaders is substantially longer.

Augusta Lawn Care led the way with a 9.550 score, followed closely by Metcalf Hodges CPAs at 9.520.

The remaining leaders: Signs Plus, 9.380; The Comphy Company, 9.350; Habitat for Humanity, 9.230; Crystal Creek Logistics, 9,025; Overflow Taps, 9.000; ServiceMaster Clean by Roth, 8.825; Allsop and Environmental Resources Management, both 8.700; Whatcom Literacy Council, 8.525; Kulshan Brewing Company, 8.188; Innotech Process Equipment, 7.940; Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods, 7.933, and Louis Auto & Residential Glass, 7.150.

We’re also providing an anonymized summary of results for each company from which we received responses, giving them a report card on how they’re doing in the eyes of their employees.

In addition to the overall summary of the results above, six companies are featured in breakout articles about their best practices in one or more areas that caught our attention. And, you’ll find Founder/President Kevin DeVries’s passion for hiring and creating an ideal company culture at Exxel Pacific, highlighted in our regular Q&A/Personally Speaking feature (see page 54).

We’re grateful to all who took part in the inaugural survey of Best Places to Work and look forward to seeing the Business Pulse version grow in scope and in value to business leaders in the coming years. P+

34 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Guidelines, Factoids, and Quotables Highlight the Best workPlaces Survey

By Business Pulse Staff Clear guidelines steered the Business Pulse survey that enabled employees to rate their companies’ qualities as a place to work. The guidelines required that respondents work for companies that: • Are a for-profit or non-profit business.

• Are a publicly or privately held business.

• Have a facility in Whatcom County.

• Have at least five full- or part-time employees (including athome, but not contractors).

• Have been in business a minimum of one year.

Participants could range from the CEO and partners to entrylevel, including remote employees. They were assured that input will be held in strictest confidence.

In analyzing the responses received, we identified a number of highlights: • Large-category leader Mills Electric employees gave Flexibility the highest ranking, along with Compensation and Benefits, which stood lowest in the overall rankings.

• Employees at Peoples Bank, Exxel Pacific, Birch Equipment, Barron Heating, Timken, Signs Plus, the Comphy Company, ServiceMaster Clean by Roth, Capstone Physical Therapy, and Louis Auto and Residential Glass all gave their companies high marks for Performance.

• Medium-category leader Birch Equipment employees ranked the company no lower than 9.5 on any of the 10 criteria and they ranked highest among all 62 companies that had respondents.

• In The Small category, Habitat for Humanity employees gave the organization 10s in Vision, Leadership, Diversity, Innovation, Philanthropy and Performance—the only entry that had six 10s.

We also want to share several of the more interesting comments submitted by employees. Here are those examples: • Alcoa Intalco Works: “We have a very engaged and proactive leadership team that strives to make the workplace more

enjoyable and inviting….I feel very happy here, for almost 30 years now. Happiness includes everything.”

• Allsop: “Allsop is a family company with a family feel. We all have opportunities to give input and implement our own ideas. We have a laid-back, fun, and comfortable culture and employees get along extremely well.”

• Birch Equipment Rental & Sales: “Great benefits package, locally owned, no layoffs in its history, 80 full-time positions year-round, great culture….You will work really hard but you will learn so much.”

• Crystal Creek Logistics: “The work ethic is a tremendous part in our culture. CEO Cathy Hayward-Hughes believes in working with the strengths of our employees to allow them growth within the company. When there’s a query posed without an answer, we work together to learn what we can along the way until we have an answer. Inter-reliability also plays a large part in our organization.”

• Faithlife: “Faithlife has enabled me to find a work/life balance I have never known in over 10 years in the corporate world.”

• Ludtke Pacific Trucking: “I am treated like I am part of the family. Owners understand that life throws us curve balls.

They allow for time off and are genuinely concerned about how my family is doing. I am treated like a professional.”

• People’s Bank: “They provide us with $200 wellness incentive money to spend on activities or accessories needed to keep us active, as well as providing us with a wellness vacation day that can be taken any day you’re doing something positive to your health.”

• Puget Sound Energy: “I seldom have a bad day on the job.

I also think it is a privilege to work with the folks in my group. I do interesting work, which ultimately will benefit our rate-payers.”

• Western Refinery Services (WRS): “They try to know employees by name. There are many great opportunities available; if you want to try something new you can expect to get the backing of the company! From day one, I’ve felt valued and important. WRS works hard to protect its most valuable asset, its people.”

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 35

Augusta Lawn Care Services Work Culture Spurs Rapid Growth “Oh my word, YES!” That’s the answer Liz Naber gives when asked whether Augusta Lawn Care Services is growing. Naber is Office Manager for this company owned by a young local entrepreneur, Mike Andes.

Andes founded Augusta in Blaine in 2014 at age 18. Then he acquired a Blaine landscaping-materials business in 2015 and a Ferndale lawn-care company in 2016. Andes opened a second Augusta location in Bellingham in 2017. Over that time, Augusta has grown from three employees to its present 18 fulltime, year-round.

“We had 50 mowing customers two Summers ago,” Naber said.

“Now we have 250 to 300 mowing customers—that’s recurring mows.” In early 2017, Augusta’s landscaping remodels brought in about $3,000 to $5,000 each. “Now we can take on larger, more complicated jobs, up around $30,000.”

The company also recently launched a new division for installation of artificial turf and putting greens.

More than growth and year-round work, Augusta’s culture keeps employees happy. Field worker Austin Conn said that culture is

“always uplifting, with great co-workers who want you to succeed.

You’re always learning something new, and there’s great leadership.”

Office Assistant Charity Caldwell, “We’re not only employees, we’re a team. When a team has a high-driven, passionate leader, the business will run like a well-oiled machine. Not only does our company strive for excellence—it succeeds.”

Office Assistant Tara Martinez, comparing Augusta with other places she’s worked, said, “I’ve never felt so valuable, from the start. The environment is safe, with open communication.

They’re so driven you just have to keep up. Hands down, it’s the best team I’ve been a part of.”

Another employee (quoted anonymously from our countywide survey) was blunt: “Great culture, pays well.”

“There’s incentive to work hard and move up,” Naber pointed out. “Pay is $15 an hour to start. After two years, it’s $18. After another two years, it’s $20. That’s standard. Anyone who’s a high performer can be paid even more.

“Yesterday, one of the guys (in the field) sent me the quote ‘Be obsessed, or be average.’ I could tell he’d been listening.” —CSM

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kulshan brewing company happiness on tap Since opening its doors in 2012, Kulshan Brewery has seen tremendous growth—both in sales and in the company culture.

Just a year after opening in Bellingham, Kushan doubled the size of its brewhouse to 15 barrels; two years after that, it opened a second location—a 30-barrel store in the Roosevelt Neighborhood, called “K2.”

“Everyone is kind and friendly and helpful, we make fantastic beer, we offer a warm meeting place for the community, and we’re active on environmental and philanthropic issues,” Taproom Manager Jen Lamb said.

Last Summer, Kulshan partnered with 15 local breweries to host an ’80s-themed “Beer Prom,” at which a dollar from every beer sold was donated to Lydia Place, a local nonprofit serving the homeless. That event raised $8,500.

Kulshan also has donated money to more than 30 local nonprofits in 2018, among them The Lighthouse Mission, Max Higbee Center, Northwest Youth Services, Skookum Kids, and Whatcom Humane Society. In the workplace survey, this young company of about 40 employees scored high marks (9.1) in the Philanthropy category.

It also scored high in Vision and Performance. Over the last three years, Kulshan has won more than 30 state, national, and international beer awards, including four gold medals in this year’s Washington Beer Awards, a gold medal from the North American Beer Awards, and another gold medal in the Best of Craft Beer Awards.

One employee put it simply in the Business Pulse survey: “Great product, great culture, fun atmosphere, and the best co-workers with the most talent and drive!” Another respondent said: “Culturally, it’s the best place I have ever worked. It’s positive, fun, challenging, and rewarding.”

To keep up with increased micro-brewery competition in a crowded local-market sector, Kulshan launched a rebrand this Summer. Its new logo and new can designs feature local landmarks, such as Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, and the Salish Sea. “The new visual has many of the same elements as the original logo, but with a timeless feel,” said Kulshan’s Brand Manager Megan Bailey. “We’re not the new kids on the block. We’ve been around awhile now and we wanted to ensure that we didn’t abandon our loyal, local following with something too trendy or flashy.” —SH

38 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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samson rope

a tightly woven culture With more than 140 years as the self-proclaimed “Strongest Name in Rope,” Samson has built a customer base that spans the globe and the employee culture that’s as tightly knit as the fibers they weave.

“We’re like a family. We have a team spirit and all employees, from our CEO, Andrea Sturm, to the manufacturing personnel, have a say,” said Byron Peltier, the Purchasing Supervisor who has worked there 41 years.

Founded in 1878 by J.P. Tolman, a member of MIT’s first graduating class, Samson specializes in high-performance rope development and manufacturing for clients in mining, aerospace, search and rescue, military operations, commercial fishing, and more. Headquartered in Ferndale, Samson also has facilities in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Singapore. The company’s iconic logo, which depicts the biblical character Samson slaying a lion, is the oldest active registered trademark in the United States.

“This is a rapidly forward-moving company that is staying ahead of its time with innovation and product development,”

Evan Eddington, a Samson mechanic, said in the Business Pulse survey. “It’s easy to forget the little guy when moving at fast speeds, but Samson doesn’t forget us. I’ve never worked for—or even heard of—a company that jumps through the hoops that Samson does to take care of its employees.”

Benefits play a large role in employee satisfaction, with 11 paid holidays, funeral leave, a wellness program, several weeks of paid time off, and healthcare. “I can’t say enough of how I feel about working for Samson,” Peltier said. “It is a great company and we’re all proud of being the ‘Strongest Name in Rope.’”

Safety also is a major focus for Samson. According to Peltier, Samson hasn’t had a lost-time accident in three years or a recordable injury in two years. The company also dedicates one day a year to “Safety Day.” “My quality of life shot through the roof the day I got this job and continues to climb as I see how Samson cares,” Eddington said. “I don’t know what qualifies a company as a ‘Best Place To Work,’ but I do know that this is the only company that I P+ want to work for.” —SH

40 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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vsh cpas

balancing the work-life books Jessica Waggoner is an Adminstrative Partner at Varner Sytsma Herndon Certified Public Accountants in Bellingham (branded as VSH). She has been with the company 16 years and a partner since January 2016. In Business Pulse’s survey to examine Best Places to Work, Jessica addressed her firm’s commitment to one of the 10 criteria—Flexibility.

“Work-life balance is a core value at VSH,” she said, “and our self-directed schedules and ability to work anywhere allow us to have both strong careers and personal lives.”

Flexibility at the workplace sits well with employees in today’s fast-paced business world. VHS reflected the highest persentage of return of the survey forms among the companies whose employees chose to participate; the VHS employees recorded a 10 (the top rating) for Flexibility on 27 of their 32 submissions.

And several respondents praised the CPA firm’s attention to “work-life balance.”

Telecommuting, non-fixed work hours, and personal time off are standard VHS CPAs practices. Another Jessica in the firm, Jessica Good, wrote: “It’s rare for a CPA firm to actually practice work-life balance, but VSH excels at this concept by letting employees have flex schedules and part-time schedules, even among partners.”

In the 10 survey categories, the highest VSH ratings after Flexibility included Vision, Leadership, Training, and Performance.

Their 320 category responses revealed an 8 or higher on more

than three-quarters of the VHS employee ratings.

“Training, ongoing opportunities for ideas, and implementation around continuous improvement are supported and provided at VSH,” Jessica Waggoner said. “I see these ideas put in place in both our company and also the companies we work with, which adds value to our overall community by helping businesses thrive.”

One of the survey responses contained a telltale comment about the culture at VSH CPAs: “I love that this company treats its employees like individuals, honoring that we all have lives and families. The leaders are genuinely interested in my personal development and well-being. And they know that things like pay, flexible hours, benefits, and training all play a huge role in that. I love that our input is requested and encouraged from staff at all levels, and that our input is used to steer and improve the company every day. It’s a great place to work and I would definitely recommend it to friends seeking employment.”

VSH’s cadre of CPAs has operated since 1997, led by name partners Kathy Varner, Robert Sytsma, and Kathy Herndon. Five partners lead the firm now: Sytsma, Herndon, Jessica Waggoner, Chris Sullivan, and Mark Roetcisoender. They specialize in domestic and cross-border business advisory services.

Waggoner concluded, “Everyone, including the leadership, is committed to service to our clients, our community, and each other in reaching our goals and becoming our best selves.” —MM

42 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

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capstone physical therapy

clear values, burgeoning business Company growth and employee satisfaction go hand-in-hand, each boosting the other. Consider Capstone Physical Therapy.

Founded by the husband-wife team of Greg and Jeannett Penner in Lynden in 2012, it now has five other Whatcom County locations and a sixth opening soon, making it the largest private PT practice in this area.

Patient visits rose from 2,300 in Capstone’s first year to 31,500 last year. Its revenues grew from $2 million in 2015 to more than $3 million in 2017, with 2018 on track to top that.

Office Manager Krystal Dressler, who was the Penners’ first hire in 2013, put it this way: “I’ve watched us grow from one employee—me—to 41 full-time employees. This company values employees’ growth in professional and leadership skills.”

For organizations to get better, its leaders need to get better, Greg Penner said. Every employee is encouraged to participate in leadership training, and investing in this has been key to growth and expansion. His advice for others, especially startups: “Clearly define what they do and why they do it…create a vision

that will attract talented people. Let every decision be guided by these values.”

These values, he said, enable Capstone to recruit and retain talent without using recruiting firms. “This is important when we’re all competing for excellent people.” At Capstone, every physical therapist holds a doctorate. “Two recent hires have completed fellowships; less than 2% of PTs nationally have one,” Penner said.

On the Business Pulse survey, one employee wrote, “My co-workers are excited to come to work, and patients arrive to a positive environment. I moved from another city to work for them because they provide amazing compensation, benefits, and flexibility. The owners are generous people who make you want to work hard.”

Clinic Manager Mark Mydan said, “The owners are dedicated, generous, inclusive, and fair. Everyone here has the attitude of helping each other so that we can all be great—and have fun along the way.” —CSM

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louis auto glass

Shining in training and flexibilty Automobile glass glistens in the forefront at Louis Auto Glass, which also reaches far beyond windshields with its versatility in the marketplace. Fast approaching its 90th anniversary, the company has expanded its signature brand into several other applications at locations in Bellingham (where it began five generations of Adelsteins ago in 1929), Lynden, and Mount Vernon.

A core strength that the third-generation president of the company, Rick Adelstein, speaks of proudly is its in-house training.

That stems largely from the dearth of qualified labor, Adelstein said. “It’s so hard to find skilled workers these days.”

While windshields and windows remain the primary business, offering replacements in every vehicle model, the company has needed to develop and keep abreast of multiple aspects of industry-certified expertise. “For example, in windshield replacements it’s important to correctly install lane-departure and ‘asleep at the wheel’ sensors that are part of the new auto technology,” Rick said, “Otherwise, a dealer or auto-repair shop can’t recalibrate them correctly.”

Veteran Louis Auto Glass supervisors teach all of that. Some have worked at Louis Auto Glass for more than 30 years, beginning when they were teenagers. “We learn and teach as we go because changes take place so fast in the technology of automobiles” Rick said. “We rely on organizations that support the industry with classes and videos.” A manager and supervisor at each location oversee the specialized in-house training.

Training is one of the 10 criteria in the Business Pulse survey to identify the Best Places To Work in Whatcom County. Flexibility

is another. And Louis Auto Glass’s flexibility in developing glass-related prowess has led to expansion into the installation of shower doors and double-pane windows in residential housing, especially apartment complexes. “Seems like we get somebody needing a new shower door coming in every day,” Rick said.

Louis Auto Glass was the Business Pulse Small Business of the Year in 1994, and 17 years later, the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce named it the Large Business of the Year. It’s been a strictly Adelstein family venture. Rick is the son of owner Mel, grandson of founder Louis, and father of VP/General Manager Carrie, who steers the anchor store in Bellingham. Her younger sister, Lindsey, is an installer.

Ari Edelstein, Rick’s son, operates a related business—Final Touch Auto Spa—specializing in detailing, window tinting, paint protection, and, of course, windshield repair. A chip off the whole block, you might say.

“All in the family, that’s us,” Rick said. “But it’s not just all about us. We have the best employees, and the employees are any business’s best asset. From my grandfather on, we’ve followed the principles that customers are always right, and that you need to take good care of them. We have some who’ve dealt with us 50 years or more. One of my favorite things to hear is somebody in their 80s or 90s come in and say, ‘I knew your grandfather, and he helped me out.’

“It puts a smile on my face coming to work. I have no plans to retire (at age 67), and what could be better—(he paused and laughed) seeing my kids every day, whether they want me to or not.” —MM

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They gathered for interviews, five kart drivers.

One, Oliver Carpentier, stood about tire-high to a racing kart. He’s 4. He’s still learning. His brother, Levi, already races karts at age 8. Their uncle Michael has retired from Formula sports car endurance racing (think of 24 Hours of Daytona or LeMans) because of an injury. His son, Massimo, is filling Michael’s vacuum—at age 10!

Their grandfather, Claudio Valiante, began this family racing strain after he moved from Italy to British Columbia in 1965 and started racing vintage Fiats. This three generations of race car driving has all come to a zenith in Sumas, where they train, race, or work. The Valiante clan now operates Sumas International Motorsport Academy (SIMA) in northeast Whatcom County, sitting on 15 acres hard by the Canadian province where kart racing has long been a rage.

Claudio’s daughter, Claudia Carpentier (and Oliver and Levi’s mother), is General Manager of SIMA. And Claudio’s wife, Beverly, was an equal force in building the business from the ground up. Today she enjoys being the track “mom” with her inclination to take care of others.

“Obviously, we’re a tight-knit family,” Claudia said. “And everything we do here revolves around treating our customers like they’re ‘family,’ too.”

Everything at SIMA operates under the umbrella of Italian Motors USA: one big pit stop, so to speak, incorporating everything associated with kart racing.

Subsidiary divisions outfit a kart driver completely, from head-to-toe with specialized helmets, racing suits, and the company’s own brand of imported racers (ItalKart). The Valiantes design the engines and chassis and have them manufactured in Italy and stocked in the Sumas warehouse. SIMA is one of the largest kart sources in North America, through online sales and shipping anywhere on the continent.

And SIMA is for everyone, female or male, any age. The experience holds appeal for a family outing or a company team-building retreat. All the necessary equipment is for rent, along with the karts and time on the 17 curves of the three-quarter-mile track, the only artificial turf track oval in this region.

A V i V ia l a t I s?!

ma u S in

By Mike McKenzie and Dave Brumbaugh Photos Scott Book

Claudia Carpentier with her son Oliver.

Then there’s the learning phase. SIMA stages a driving academy, starting at pretty much any age; some families have twoyear-olds driving karts. (Children must be seven and certified before they can enter races.) Kart owners can rent garage storage space, and the maintenance and parts departments will keep their karts shipshape.

And the cost? “It’s the least-expensive form of motorsports racing,” Claudia said. The basics consist of a helmet, around $200 for a starter, and a starter kart around $3,000. However, helmets can range up to $1,000 or more and karts up to as much as $12,000, depending on the degree of customization, according to Claudia. “For instance, take tires—on other race cars they run $5,000 or more for a set of four, and ours are $250 for four.

You can put together a basic recreational race-wear package for probably $600.

SIMA creates marketing packages for birthday celebrations, family reunions, bachelor parties, and corporate outings. One package is a Mini Grand Prix that includes race instructions, a 10-minute practice session, a 12-minute race, and a podium

ceremony—all for $450 for 10 people (and $45 for each additional person). For $600, a group gets a heat race before the final race.

The patriarch, Claudio, is 72 and still going strong. He’s at the track daily, tinkering with engines and kart design, helping with construction, or whatever is needed. For the interview, he took a seat in the café on the premises (not just a burger and snack bar, but a full-menu café where he’s the chef on race weekends, producing full-blown Italian dinners) and he spoke of how this all came about.

“I came from Salerno to live with my sister in B.C. when I was 18,” he said. “Ever since I was 10 or 12, I loved working on anything that had an engine in it.” He came from a family of seven children; father was a carpenter, and mother an entrepreneur.

Once settled in B.C., he took a job at a company where “we built school-classroom chairs,” he said. At the same time, he became a machinist in a little shop at home and began racing in vintage cars—mostly Fiats—building his own engines and bringing home a slew of trophies and prize money. But when he married Beverly, they opened a European auto-repair shop.

50 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

“You can put together a basic recreational racewear package for probably $600. It’s so inexpensive, compared with other recreational sports, like skiing.”

–Claudia Carpentier, GM, SIMA–

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 51

K.J. Buettner (left), William Ginn (center), and Lucas Alamwala rest between races.

From their savings, Claudio and Beverly began buying land in upper Whatcom County, with dreams of building a kart track.

Their interest in karts grew from a track that operated up the hill from their home in B.C. Michael became one of the top kart racers in North America before switching to Prototype endurance driving. He drove for about 25 years on contract with various racing teams including the Lynx Racing Team. A few years ago, during a race, the brakes on a car behind him failed and the car rear-ended Michael, who already had been slowed by previous concussions. Injuries from that crash ended his driving career and he now oversees driver development at SIMA. He also helps design and calibrate engines on a $100,000 computerized Dyno-Test machine.

Claudia Carpentier raced for 10 years, and she went to Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C., earning a degree in recreational therapy. The family’s specialty car-repair shop eventually transformed into a full-service kart shop, and the family passion for the sport grew. “We first tried to build a track in Bellingham, on the I-5 corridor,” Claudio said. “But too many people didn’t

want it. They said too much noise, and the rabbits couldn’t survive, that kind of thing. So, after two years of headaches trying, we purchased the land in Sumas.”

That eventually proved to be a blessing for neighbors to the north. Canadians now cross the border at Sumas for more than gas and milk. They flock down to race karts. Celebrating its eighth anniversary this July with the SIMA Gold Cup, the weekend of kart racing drew 256 drivers from both sides of the border and hundreds more spectators and crew members.

With British Columbia’s Lower Mainland already intensively developed, Claudio has discovered that the west edge of Sumas, just a couple miles south of Abbotsford and the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1), places SIMA well within an hour of karting enthusiasts in Vancouver and its suburbs, plus the untapped market of Bellingham and Whatcom County.

What lies ahead for Claudio & Co.? “My vision is to improve our existing track, eventually build a longer track, and erect a grandstand. It’s hard to make this kind of investment and earn it back, but I can’t stop dreaming.”

52 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Massimo Valiante

From Age 4 to 72, The Valiante Family Keeps on Karting Massimo Valiante spends most of his free time swerving around the 17 curves of a race track in Sumas, home of the Sumas International Motorsport Academy (SIMA) that his grandparents created eight years ago. Massimo zooms around the course at 35-40 miles an hour, and when he stepped away long enough to talk to a reporter he said, “This is my favorite thing to do.”

He’s 10 years old. What else is there to do? “School and video games,” he said.

Sometimes he shows classmates video of himself racing his kart, and he said their reaction is, “Wow!” His father, Michael, raced karts at an early age, too, and later in life evolved into a successful driver in the Prototype division of Formula, Grand Prix endurance racing until a wreck ended his career a short while back. He now oversees driver development at the Michael Valiante Driving Academy on the SIMA grounds.

“My dad is what helps me go faster,” Massimo said of his father’s coaching.

This summer he won his first Gold Cup. But he also indicated that he really enjoys racing against only the timer. “I feel good racing against myself,” he said. He outlined the routine he goes through

driving away to the race track. “Put on my (safety) suit. Get the kart regulated— check tire pressure and things. Put on my helmet and neck brace. Go practice.”

His assessment of whether he’ll become a race driver like his father and grandfather before him fell somewhere between maybe-and-probably; but he was very clear on what he wants to be when he grows up: “A forensic engineer…(explaining) say, a bridge collapses, they’re the ones who figure out the cause and who’s to blame.”

Massimo has two cousins among the many student drivers at SIMA, Levi and Oliver Carpentier, who also stood in on the interview session. Levi is 6, and he competes in sanctioned racing. Oliver is 4, and he’s still in the learning stage.

Their mother, Claudia, once a kart race driver herself, is the general manager of SIMA operations.

Both of her boys said they love driving karts because they “want to have fun.”

Uncle Michael takes them under his wing, along with dozens upon dozens of other budding drivers of all ages—men, women, and children, some as young as two. Some have accelerated into professional careers after starting out at SIMA: Remo Ruscitti and Scott Hargrove, who

drive for Porsche and Open Road Auto Group. They and pro driver Adam Isman were once official junior and senior Italian Motors drivers, and now young students aspire to follow their path onto the Italkart Factory Racing Team that travels regionally and nationally.

Michael shies from interviews about his accomplishments as a driver and an mentor, but he took time to graciously recount how an accident on a Michigan course took him out of the game. He’d driven professionally for many years and teams sanctioned by CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams), primarily the Lynx Racing Team.

The SIMA website details Michael’s widely-decorated career from kart racing early on, up through the Grand circuits—Grand Prix, Grand Am, and Grand American—on such renowned tracks as Daytona and Sebring. One highlight in 2013 came when he joined Grand Am history as one of just three drivers ever to win two professional races in the same day.

“I don’t really remember specific races and trophies much,” he said self-consciously of his award-laden career. “I remember moments at events and the great people I met and drove with.” —MM

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QA and

Interview by Mike McKenzie

Kevin DeVries has Passion for Curating Positivity in the Exxel Pacific Workforce

Growing up among seven children on a farm near Pella, Iowa (pop. about 10,400), Kevin DeVries developed a sense of “family, hard work, and respect for others.” He applies those core values in hiring at Exxel Pacific, the company he leads with 240 employees. He attended Dordt College on a “crazy little leadership scholarship,” majoring in psychology, and after graduation in 1986 he came to Bellingham to visit a classmate. And stayed.

He co-founded Exxel with Sid Baron 30 years ago. Creating a positive, caring work environment “is what gets me excited in the morning to go to work,” he said, crediting his Christian upbringing for his approach to “hiring the best possible people you can find, and all have a common goal—wanting to be the best.

It drives us.”

What drives you in staffing Exxel Pacific?

Our leadership is very passionate about what it takes to run a company and make it very successful. Truly and simply, it’s your people. We stay focused on having the right people and helping them become the best they can be.

What do you look for in an employee?

What kind of messages do they convey? Will they contribute in a way that builds up people around them and encourages everyone to be the best they can be? We look for passion in what they do—that this is something more than just a job to them. When they’ve bought into our goals as a company then compensation and benefits are less of a factor than those who

Exxel Pacific employees (left to right in the photo): Adam Bravo, Brian Proctor, Mike Shafer overseeing construction of the new Bellwether Apartments

54 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Photo by Scott Book

want to talk about salary before they even know what “the job” is.

How do you approach the labor market?

The depleted labor pool continues to be a big issue. Exxel Pacific works very hard to provide a high-quality place to work. Our success in adding people to our organization is a tribute to the people we have. It’s important to identify people who enjoy and contribute to the teamwork and camaraderie. We also seek people who sustain a balanced work environment. A key factor is whether we have something to offer that is perceived as extra special and that other companies don’t have.

What’s at the heart of your hiring?

From the beginning, our focus has been on highly skilled professionals who also are good people who have strong character.

People do business with people; and if they don’t like you, they won’t work with you.

What’s the hiring process?

We do a lot of peer hiring. Respect and trust from peer workers is a big thing.

Everyone needs to earn that respect of others in their roles in the company. We’ll put prospects into multiple positions, let them meet our people, get a flavor of what our people say—and vice versa. We don’t really have a sales pitch for new people, just our workplace culture that we think is special. We are not perfect, but every one of our leaders and managers believes that what we do is the right thing—even when it might cost money to do so.

Name a favorite characteristic you look for.

People who take ownership of their position, which goes to the base integrity of the individual. If they had to write the check themselves, would they make the same decision to do it? Would they say, “I screwed up, and it’s going to cost us some money,” or do they immediately try to deflect the problem to somebody else?

What’s the greatest factor in managing staff?

Mutual respect. How we treat each other is absolutely at the top of our list.

If you are not respected as a leader, then

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Field of Fun for the kids

Friday, Sept. 21

Downtown Bellingham & Squalicum Harbor

AND

Enjoy Traditional Lummi Nation Firepit Salmon

Saturday, Sept. 22 Zuanich Point Park & Squalicum Harbor

FOOD

rvival Watch Su Suit Races

SeaFeed at the Harbor Taste the Sea Seafood Market Oyster Shuck & Slurp Contest Food Trucks

FISHING

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PULSE

HOURS AFTER BEVERAGES / CLOTHING /

BOOKS + MORE

Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity Whatcom Museum | 8.8.18–1.6.19

Ernst Haeckel (German, 1834-1919); Reef-forming coral with six-fold symmetry, from the book, Art Forms in Nature (Hexacoralla, Kunstformen der Natur), 1904; Lithographic and halftone print. Courtesy of Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology, Kansas City, Missouri.

The exhibition, Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity, presents 80 works of art in all media, from rare books to cutting-edge video, spanning the 19th through 21st centuries. It highlights artists who celebrate biodiversity’s exquisite complexity, interpret natural and human-induced extinctions of plants and animals, and focus on endangered species from diverse ecosystems. The exhibition explores art’s historic role in raising public awareness about the human activities that threaten habitats. Weaving together art, natural science, and conservation.

Endangered Species highlights an international group of 52 artists who celebrate biodiversity’s beauty, interpret natural and human-induced extinctions of plants and animals, and focus on species from diverse ecosystems under stress. It also includes the work of artists who spotlight the human activities that threaten biodiversity alongside projects that revitalize habitats and reconnect people to the rich

tapestry of life.

The exhibition spotlights five thematic concepts: Celebrating Biodiversity’s Beauty and Complexity: From Landscapes to Microscopic Imagery; Mammoths and Dinosaurs: Interpreting Natural Extinction; Portraits of Loss: Extinction by Human Actions; Endangered Species: Plants and Animals on the Edge of Survival, and At the Crossroads: Destruction or Preservation of Biodiversity.

Endangered Species has been organized with the intent of impacting public discourse about biodiversity while advancing the artist’s pivotal role in building awareness. By tracing links between contemporary and earlier artists, the exhibition examines art’s contribution to an enduring cultural legacy of nature conservation.

The exhibition will run from September 8 through January 6, 2019 at the Whatcom Museum. For more info visit whatcommuseum.org.

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event picks PULSE AFTER HOURS FILM Far Out, A Film by Teton Gravity Research SEPT 26 Bellingham, get ready! TGR is returning to the Mount Baker Theatre for the Winter kickoff party of the year. You won’t want to miss this one-night-only premiere of the new feature-length ski and snowboard film, Far Out. There will be prizes from REI, Yeti, Atomic, Volkl, Outdoor Research, and more, plus everyone in attendance will have a shot at the tour grand prizes. Don’t miss your chance to see Far Out on the big screen.

Mount Baker Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Tickets at mountbakertheatre.com.

Keyper, and Mozart will complement the evening’s centerpiece — Chopin’s Concerto in E Minor, Op. 11.

Jansen Art Center, 7:30 p.m. Tickets at jansenartcenter.org.

Mike Allen Quartet

Whatcom Jazz Music Arts Center SEPT 19 NYC jazz/funk guitarist, Will Bernard, joins Arête Quartet for this very special performance. Multiple Grammynominee Will Bernard has worked with luminaries Don Cherry, Tom Waits, Ben Sidran, Stanton Moore, Dr John, Charlie Hunter, Medeski/Martin/Wood and many others. He brings masterful guitar-playing and several of his compositions to the genrebending Arête Quartet, teaming with Joe Doria (keyboards), Steve Jones (bass) and Joel Litwin (drums).

Sylvia Center for the Arts, 7 p.m. wjmac.org.

Milica Jovanović SEPT 29 Pianist Milica Jelača Jovanović is joined by bassoonist Pat Nelson and a classical string quintet for a special performance at the Jansen Art Center. The quintet includes Laura Camacho, violin; Grant Donnellan, violin; Eric Kean, violin; Coral Marchant, cello, and Spencer Hoveskeland, bass. Works by Gardel,

Whatcom Symphony Orchestra

TALK

Whatcom Jazz Music Arts Center

Arête Quartet featuring NYC guitarist Will Bernard

Classical at the Museum

OCT 12 In honor of the Whatcom Museum’s Endangered Species: Artists on the Front Line of Biodiversity exhibition, join members of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the unique relationship between music and biodiversity, with chamber performances in the Rotunda Room of Old City Hall. Explore how composers choose to express their relationships with diverse bird species through birdsongs, and join in a short trivia game!

Old City Hall, Noon–1 p.m. Free with Museum admission. whatcommuseum.org.

MUSIC

SEPT 12 WJMAC welcomes Western Canadian Music Award-winning saxophonist Mike Allen back to the WJMAC stage!

He returns with his quartet, featuring the incomparable Miles Black on piano, with eloquent, masterful jazz.

Sylvia Center for the Arts, 7 p.m. wjmac.org.

with orchestras and graphics designers.

Mount Baker Theatre, 10 a.m. & 12:15 p.m.

Tickets at mountbakertheatre.com.

RHYTHM & BEAUTY

Whatcom Symphony Orchestra SEPT 30 The Whatcom Symphony Orchestra opens its 43rd season with the premiere of a new piece by local composer Scott Henderson, titled Cascadiana. Inspired by the majesty of our natural landscape, the piece commemorates the 50th anniversary of the North Cascades National Park, established on Oct. 2, 1968. Repertoire also includes Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

Mount Baker Theatre, 3 p.m. Tickets at mountbakertheatre.com.

Press Play! Video Games with the Symphony

Whatcom Symphony Orchestra OCT 15 Gain a new understanding of symphonic instruments in technology and life. The Whatcom Symphony Orchestra will be featuring music from popular video games to explore careers in music and technology, while introducing students to the orchestra.

Students will learn about the history of music in video games. From Tetris to Angry Birds to Minecraft, we are exploring video game music from past to present. Today’s videogame composers frequently are inspired by and reference great orchestral composers of the past. These composers use cutting-edge technology to create their scores and work

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Jane Goodall: Tomorrow & Beyond OCT 8 Jane Goodall, conservationist and world-renowned expert on chimpanzees, is founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

Her discovery that chimpanzees make a use of tools rocked the scientific world and redefined the relationship between humans and animals. She travels the world speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, environmental crises and her reasons for hope. Her talk is part of the Western Washington University Fraser Lecture Series.

Mount Baker Theatre, 7 p.m. Tickets at mountbakertheatre.com.

VISUAL Boneyard and Bloom: Paintings by Cynthia Camlin SEPT 6 – NOV 30 Cynthia Camlin’s paintings from 2017 interpret changes in the world’s oceans. The ghostly architecture of bleached coral in Boneyard evokes the withering of life in an acidifying ocean. Bloom is an ongoing series of paintings that revel in the fertility of growing reef systems. These underwater vignettes have been an opportunity for multilayered experiments with paint and process.

Jansen Art Center, jansenartcenter.org.

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour: Showcase Exhibit SEPT 6 – NOV 30 The Whatcom Artist Studio Tour is celebrating 24 years with an amazing group of 39 artists working in nine different media throughout Whatcom County. This exhibit showcases many artists participating in the 2018 tour. Visit the Jansen Art Center to preview the work of the artists on tour and pick up your Whatcom Artist Studio Tour guidebook. During the Whatcom Artist Studio Tour, artists open their studios to the public. Visitors will meet the artists and get a glimpse into their creative process.

Many of the artists will offer tours of their workspaces or demonstrations of the tools and process they use to create their art.

Jansen Art Center, Bellingham, and throughout Whatcom County. Artist information and tour maps at studiotour.net.

www.whatcomenvironmental.com 228 E. Champion St. #101 | Bellingham, WA 98225 | 360.752.9571

Fibers & Beyond Exhibit SEPT 6 – NOV 30 Colorful, finely crafted, elegant and playful work in fiber media by local and nationally known artists will be exhibited at the Janson Art Center during the Fibers & Beyond exhibit. Featured artists include John Mullarkey, Caryn Friedlander, Patti Barker, Liz Moncrief, Marilyn Olsen and Sheri Ward. The exhibit will also include woven rugs by the late Jo Morgan and work by members of the Whatcom Weavers Guild that showcases tablet and floor loom weaving techniques, eco-dyed monoprints, hand stitching and felting. Don’t miss the annual Fibers & Beyond Conference and Sale, at the J from Oct. 10–13 that includes a keynote speaker, workshops and the popular Whatcom Weavers Guild sale.

Jansen Art Center, jansenartcenter.org.

2018 Fall Juried Exhibit SEPT 6 – NOV 30 The Juried Exhibits are open to the public as a way to showcase the artistic talent in Whatcom County and the surrounding region. Each season, artists are invited to submit up to five pieces to be judged by a qualified jury made up of artists, curators, and other figures in the arts community. The selected pieces are displayed in the Jansen Art Center for the community to enjoy. There were 195 items from 46 artists submitted to the Fall Juried Exhibit. The jury selected artwork from 35 artists, with 81 pieces being chosen from those submitted.

Jansen Art Center, jansenartcenter.org.

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PULSE AFTER HOURS Upsetting the apple cart

Madrone – Friday Harbor Marionberry Dry Sparkling Cider 750 ml • ABV 7.2% Facebook.com/madronecider

With approachable tartness, natural marionberry flavor, and clean sparkling finish, this small-batch cider is sure to win you over. Crafted in the champagne style without the final method of disgorging, this cider is unfiltered and naturally refermented in the bottle. By leaving the yeast, this prevents the removal of the natural flavor Madrone wishes to preserve. The flavor comes from fresh local marionberries added directly during primary fermentation, and Washington Piñata apples. No adjuncts, concentrates or fining agents—just 100% natural flavor.

Eaglemount – Port Townsend Ginger Cider 750 ml ABV 8% eaglemountwinery.com

Eaglemount Ginger Cider, first produced in 2006, was one of the first commercially available ginger ciders. The lightly-spicy combination of heirloom apples from the Olympic Peninsula and certified organic ginger root create a surprisingly versatile, sparkling, semi-sweet cider.

Herb’s Cider – Bellingham Single Stroke Semi-Dry Cider 500 ml • ABV 6.5% herbscider.com

Herb’s Cider is produced by Primus drummer, Tim “Herb” Alexander. The semi-dry Single Stroke cider is based on a simple concept—use the most important and foundational fruit, the apple, using 100% organic apples. No added sugar. Visit the recently opened Herb’s Cider Tasting Room at 1228 Bay St. in Bellingham.

60 | BUSINESSPULSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

Alpenfire – Port Townsend Glow Aerlie Red • Single Varietal Rosé Cider 750 ml • ABV 8.2% alpenfirecider.com

Alpenfire’s Glow uses organically grown Aerlie Redflesh (Hidden Rose®) apples from the south end of the Willamette Valley, with red flesh, to create this single varietal rosé cider.

No filtration, adjuncts, colorings, or other fruits are added to this cider, just full-strength, fresh pressed, red-fleshed apple nectar.

Honey Moon – Bellingham CiderHead Semi-Sweet Cider • ABV 4% honeymoonmeads.com

A session cider at 4% ABV with a kiss of sweetness. More acidic than most semi-sweet ciders, with a pronounced apple note. Just apples. Sulfite free. No sugar. No concentrate. Naturally gluten free. You can visit Honey Moon Mead & Cider at 1053 N. State St. Alley in Bellingham.

Whatcom Artist Studio Tour Lost Giants Cider Company – Bellingham Semi-Sweet Cider • ABV 6% lostgiantscider.com

A perfect balance of sweetness and acidity makes this semi-sweet cider a pleasure to drink. The tartness of the Granny Smith apples, mixed with a unique blend of sweet apples, provide for a full-body mouthfeel that leaves you with a crisp, tart finish. Visit their Tap Room at 1200 Meador Ave. in Bellingham.

COME SEE WHERE CREATIVITY BEGINS!

First 2 weekends in October ✽ Oct. 6,7 & 13,14 A FREE SELF-GUIDED ART TOUR

Visit our website for additional information and Google Maps with easy locators for all the studios!

For more info: studiotour.net facebook.com/WhatcomArtistStudioTour SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 61

reads PULSE AFTER HOURS Measure What Matters: OKRs—The Simple Idea that Drives 10x Growth John Doerr Legendary venture capitalist John Doerr reveals how the goal-setting system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) has helped tech giants from Intel to Google achieve explosive growth— and how it can help any organization thrive.

In 1999, Doerr met with the founders of a startup he’d just given $12.5 million, the biggest investment of his career.

Larry Page and Sergey Brin had technical expertise, entrepreneurial energy, and skyhigh ambitions—but no real business plan.

Doerr taught them about a proven approach to operating excellence—OKRs—that he discovered in the ’70s as an engineer at Intel, where Andy Grove then headed the best-run company Doerr had ever seen.

In the OKRs system, objectives define what we seek to achieve; key results are how those goals will be attained, with specific, measurable actions within a set time frame. Everyone’s goals, entry level to CEO, are known to the entire organization. The benefits are profound. OKRs focus effort, foster coordination, keep employees on track, and link objectives across silos to unify the entire company.

Doerr also shares a broad range of case studies that demonstrate the focus, agility, and explosive growth that OKRs have spurred at so many great organizations.

(April 26, 2018, Portfolio) Hardcover $27: Available to order Village Books, Barnes & Nobel, and Amazon.

Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Kim Scott Author Kim Scott was an executive at Google and then at Apple, where she worked with a team to develop a class on how to be a good boss. She has earned growing fame in recent years with her vital new approach to effective management, Radical Candor.

Radical Candor is a simple idea: To be a good boss, you have to Care Personally at the same time that you Challenge Directly. When you challenge without caring, it’s obnoxious aggression; when you care without challenging, it’s ruinous empathy. When you do neither, it’s manipulative insincerity.

This simple framework can help you build better relationships at work, and fulfill your three key responsibilities as a leader: creating a

culture of feedback (praise and criticism); building a cohesive team; and achieving results you’re all proud of.

Radical Candor offers a guide to those bewildered or exhausted by management and is written for bosses and those who manage bosses. Taken from years of the author’s experiences, it gives clear and actionable lessons to the reader and shows managers how to be successful, while retaining their humanity, finding meaning in their job, and creating an environment where people both love their work and their colleagues.

(March 14, 2017, St. Martin’s Press) Hardcover $27.99: Available to order Village

Books, Barnes & Nobel, and Amazon.

Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't Simon Sinek Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion.

In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other.

Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation, and failure. Why? The answer became clear to him during a conversation with a Marine Corps general.

“Officers eat last,” he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the

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line. What’s symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort—even their own survival— for the good of those in their care.

Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a “Circle of Safety” that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.

Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.

(May 23, 2017, Portfolio) Hardcover $28:

Available to order Village Books, Barnes & Nobel, and Amazon.

Q & A Continued from Page 55

you won’t have many people follow you.

As managers, we are only as good as those around us to support our efforts. It is a two-way street.

How has the employee pool changed?

With younger people coming into the construction industry it’s a new day. The workforce is much different; job change and transition is a positive. That goes against the old approach of having employees for 20 years. This generation looks for constant feedback in their roles, and their compensation and benefits are more immediate concerns. As leaders, we try to look at their point of view, which is very hard to do sometimes, but management also needs to adapt. As a construction company, you still need people who know how to build the project and do the work.

How do you deal with that?

We spend much more on training people in the ways we feel can be successful for all parties. It’s expensive, but we work hard to get new hires who want to stay a long time.

We believe that our new Employee-Owned concept helps, although base salary still has a tendency to be very important because that’s usually what’s discussed with their peers in the industry.

Do you need a college in your business?

We have a lot of people with construction-management degrees, but we also have a number with no college education. We want to know who you are, not what major you have. These days you hear, “I don’t want go college, don’t want to spend the money, don’t know what I want to do.” We encourage attending college. We have a number of fantastic people (without degrees) who work very hard and are very proud of what they do.

We all need each other in this business and it takes a wide variety of people to make a company successful.

What criteria carry the most weight in your hiring?

We make sure we hire people who are grounded in their communities, who give back, and who believe in something more Q&A Continued on Page 64

Doug, Tasha, Elsa and Addi Ericksen Pepper and Mac

“I’d like to thank the Whatcom County business community. Working together we have done great things. With your vote and continued support we will keep doing great things to improve our quality of life.”

“Let’s get it done.”

Senator Doug Ericksen Paid for by the Committee to Elect Doug Ericksen—GOP PO Box 748 Ferndale, WA. 98248

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018 BUSINESSPULSE.COM | 63

2018

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Wednesday, October 24 | Four Points by Sheraton, Bellingham Registration 12:30 PM | Speakers 1:30 – 5 PM | President’s Club Reception 5 – 7 PM

LEARN HOW TOP EXECS HAVE TAKEN THEIR COMPANIES TO THE NEXT LEVEL The NW Business Conference + Expo features top regional CEOs who share success stories and critical business advice that any organization can use to increase profits, grow business and prepare for scalability.

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DEBBIE AHL

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AARON SCHUH

Founder | Partner Edgewater Advising

Co-Owner Chuckanut Bay Foods

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President/Founder Opportunity Interactive & Recruit 4 Business

“No matter your company size, level of success or challenges you’re facing, you and your leadership team will leave this conference knowing how to make your company more successful and profitable.”

—TONY LARSON | President, Whatcom Business Alliance

TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WHATCOMBUSINESSALLIANCE.COM WBA Member Tickets: Individual $55 | Group of Four $200 Non-Member Tickets: Individual $65 | Group of Four $240

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Q & A Continued from Page 63 than just going to work on a job. I’ve truly enjoyed working with young people who don’t expect a handout and who work because they enjoy it. If you give them the tools to succeed, they’ll exceed your expectations.

Do you have time clocks?

No. We never have had them. If we have to worry about whether an individual is putting in their time, we probably shouldn’t have hired them and they will eventually work themselves out of the company.

Do you have titles?

We do, and I think more emphasis has been placed on titles than necessary. Titles are only as good as your leadership characteristics. If you are respected as a leader, you can have any title you want. If you are not respected as a leader, a title won’t make a difference. People need to trust us as leaders in the same way we need to trust them to do their work—a way that meets our goals for the project and client.

What’s the future for Exxel?

It takes a lot of capital to operate a construction company. Our partners have found that the best future for the company is to walk the talk and always do the right thing for the people we work for and with. We put our faith and trust in our people. We decided to go to employee-owned last December. We believe that employee ownership goes to the base of our culture and can provide for long-term sustainability of our workforce.

Sum up Exxel Pacific as a workplace of choice.

Numbers and longevity speak well for us. We have a few hundred employees, and many have been with us a long time— up to 25 years or more. When someone new wants to come on board I hope they hear from our work family that this is a great company to work for, with great benefits, that’ll provide everything needed to get the job done, that the company and leadership care for you as an individual.

And that we like to have fun and no drama.

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