Inland Business Catalyst 57

Tech Titans Developing, selling, and using cutting edge technology

Nolan Garrett

Wayne Williams

Corbin Chamberlain

January - February 2014 #57 • $2.95 (Display Until March 15, 2014)

The Best In Business to business in our area Awards on page 28

www.ibcatalyst.com

Contents

Vol. 10 Issue 1 January - February 2014

On the cover

Nolan Garrett, Wayne Williams and Corbin Chamberlaina Photography by Don Hamilton Studio

departments Editor’s letter The BOMB: Direct to Schools Travel like a pro Hot off the BLOG New City Technology

Feature

6 9 10 10 11 11

22 Tech Titans

Technology is so integrated into our lives that we’ll soon wear devices in the form of eyeglasses and wristwatches to search the Web and make phone calls. In Spokane, there are three cutting edge firms that have entwined new technologies to amplify employee and customer relationships, changing what is produced and how it’s sold.

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28 Business To Business awards

The votes have been tallied! Inland Business Catalyst readers shared which businesses they appreciate doing business with, and who they turn to when they need the support, resources, and expertise of another business. We present the businesses that hit gold, silver and bronze with their clients in 2013 in Inland Business Catalyst’s Best of Business-to-Business Awards.

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BOMB: Trindera Engineering For nearly a decade, Trindera Engineering has helped engineer major projects in the Spokane region—from an office across the border in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. They are now opening a new branch office at 221 W. Main, Suite 200 in downtown Spokane.

Business Newcomer

Jennifer Robson, director of operations at Wenspok Resources, recently left the traffic and urban congestion of Seattle to move to Spokane. Now, at home on the South Hill, she and her husband are enjoying the slower pace and less expensive cost of living in the Inland Northwest.

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Internet tips It’s estimated that 97 percent of Internet users search for local businesses online, which means that your customers are searching for you. Do you know what story Google is telling them?

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20

encore careers

Considering a career change? Here are some tips to get you on your way.

No Holds Barred

We take an in-depth look into the work of INHS and get to know their CEO, Tom Fritz, on a more personal level.

Hello consistent branding. Good-bye elevator music.

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through the trenches Stephen Kraft dedicated two decades of his professional life as a salesman of medical devices before his company made cutbacks, and in the spring of 2010, he was out of a job.

The average customer spends 15 minutes a day on hold.

Hold On will make that time work for you, every minute of every business day.

Staci Clary | Owner | (509)599-5291| staci@holdon.us holdonnow.com

January - February 2014

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Editor's

Letter

You Hold the Power of What Consumers are Saying

“I

don’t understand why you would want to publicly say something negative to hurt a local company,” said the manager at Camp Chevrolet’s Service Department. I had been sharing my frustrations with him over the experience I was receiving while my car was in their care.

And I mentioned that in spite of my anger, I had yet to turn to social media to air my gripes.

“I write about my experiences,” I explained. “And you are in charge of what I am experiencing, you are in charge of the story I am going to share.”

I understand that, as an editor of several publications, I may be able to garner the attention of an intelligent businessperson in short order.

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Members of the media have historically held powerful voices, and have been able to yield that power to achieve results faster than the average Joe and Jane. But with technology at the fingertips of the masses and social media flowing as swiftly as your small motor skills can take you, the vast landscape of consumers now hold the power of media, they hold a powerful voice, in the palm of their hands. Most anyone can now make a big impression on your prospective clients/customers, on your business, in 47 characters or less.

Consumers will no longer go quietly into the night, and they will keep fighting for what they feel is right and just within the realms of commerce and capitalism. The beauty of this, for the most part, is that you are in charge of the story they are going to share. You still hold the power.

When consumers enjoy an experience, they will sing of it in the same powerful fashion. You just have to ask yourself how you are going to get your clients/customers to sing about you.

Through Inland Business Catalyst’s Best in Business-to-Business Awards, we asked the public to share their thoughts, to cast their power in helping us to develop a list of the best businesses in which to do business. And there isn’t a group more discerning than other business professionals. Granted, not everyone shares the same experience, so your opinions may not align spot-on with this year’s list.

However, it is fair to say that by popular vote, the 120+ businesses on this year’s honor roll rose to the top due to their power, and the resulting story their customers are sharing. They made people sing about them.

Here’s to kicking off a new year on the right foot, your ‘power to get the people singing’ foot.

Cheers to business, Stephanie Regalado editor@ibcatalyst.com Side note: Within minutes of tweeting my latest disappointing experience with the Camp Chevrolet service department team, the national Chevrolet customer service group contacted me in effort to help resolve my dispute.

Vol. 10 Issue 1 January-February 2014 Editor Stephanie Regalado editor@ibcatalyst.com

Creative Director Senior Designer David Crary david@bozzimedia.com

graphic Designer Camille Mackie Camille@bozzimedia.com

Photography Don Hamilton Darin Burt Contributors Matt Behringer Darin Burt Jennifer Ferrero Cheryl-Anne Millsap Jan Quintrall Rachel Sandall Account Executives Jeff Richardson jrichardson@bozzimedia.com

Cindy Guthrie

cindy@bozzimedia.com

Debra Smith

debra@bozzimedia.com

Diane Caldwell

diane@bozzimedia.com

Operations and Finance Manager Kim Morin kim@bozzimedia.com

Traffic Manager Arika Whiteaker ads@bozzimedia.com

circulation manager and accounts receivable Theresa Berglund theresa@spokanecda.com

Publisher & CEO Vincent Bozzi

vince@spokanecda.com

Co-Publisher Emily Guevarra Bozzi emily@spokanecda.com

Find us on

facebook View our e-magazine ibcatalyst.com

Inland Business Catalyst magazine is published bi-monthly by Bozzi Media.

104 S. Freya St., Suite #209, Spokane, WA 99202-4866 Phone: 509.533.5350 | Fax: 509.535.3542 All contents © 2014. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

Neither Bozzi Media nor Inland Business Catalyst magazine assume responsibility for errors in content, photos or advertisements.

January - February 2014

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s E v e n t D e ta i l

Inland Business Catalyst magazine presents

Nominees in each category will be recognized at the Award Breakfast. Winners will be featured in the March/April issue.

• Emerging Business Leader

EVENT DATE

• Established Business Leader

Tuesday March 11th, 2014

• Mover and Shaker • NonProfit Leader in Organizations

TIME

Doors Open at 7:00am Breakfast and Awards 7:30 – 9:00am

Deanna Davis is the author of three bestselling books: Living With Intention, Laugh, Cry, Eat Some Pie, and The Law of Attraction in Action. She is a professional speaker, leadership coach, and CEO of Applied Insight, which provides inspirational products and events that “inspire the world…one cool thought at a time!”

LOCATION

Chateau Rive at The Flour Mill

TICKET PRICE

$35 Per Person Reserve/purchase Table $280

keynote

Deanna Davis

She was the 2012 WIBL Winner as an ‘Established’ Woman in Business

Title Sponsor:

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To purchase tickets go to bozzimediaevents/eventbrite.com

B

B MB ✲

business at its best

the

A legacy of Spokane projects; now a new Spokane office Trindera Engineering expands to downtown Spokane, positions for growth beyond

F

or nearly a decade, Trindera Engineering has helped engineer major projects in the Spokane region—from an office across the border in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

As this electrical engineering firm opens a new branch office at 221 W. Main, Suite 200 in downtown Spokane, the company reflects on how exciting it is to open their doors in the community they have helped design.

“Trindera has already left a lasting mark on Spokane, with a diverse project portfolio including infrastructure improvements, parks and streetscapes, industrial facilities

and commercial spaces,” says Terry Stulc, president and principal engineer.

“Diversification of projects and services has allowed our company to grow, and we are proud to be a part of the vibrant Spokane business community.”

Major projects include the Huntington Park Revitalization in Riverfront Park; Spokane International Airport projects; City of Spokane Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility; City of Spokane Lift Stations and Stormwater Systems; Spokane Gateway Lighting Design; Spokane Central Business District Street Renovations; and Spokane Falls Boulevard Street Enhancements.

Trindera also works for large industrial clients in Spokane such as Kaiser Aluminum, Honeywell, and Goodrich; and a variety of banks, retail spaces, restaurants, commercial spaces, and higher education projects.

“We have considered Spokane part of our hometown reach for a long time.

Trindera looks forward to getting more

involved in design projects and our local community,” says Taryn Erickson, business development director. “Expanding into our Spokane office just proves our commitment to providing engineering services in this region.”

Most recently, Trindera secured a $20 million engineering and procurement contract for an international client, for the electrical and instrumentation systems of a large material handling project at an open pit mine. This three-year long project involves work with firms and vendors from around the world. Trindera plans to continue growth in their core markets of municipal, industrial and commercial industries, while expanding services and geographical reach.

“Trindera’s team is licensed in 10 states and Canada, so our goal is to continue to grow local talent while working in both the Inland Northwest and beyond,” says Erickson. “Our roots are in Spokane and North Idaho, and our vision for the future is bright.”

www.trindera.com January - February 2014

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OPEN

the

Travel Like a Pro

SIGNS

Photo Apps for Busy Travelers

By Cheryl-Anne Millsap

T

he following smartphone photo apps (applications) on my iPhone and iPad have completely changed the way I create, manage and share the photos I take while traveling. They also let me follow the travels of friends, family and colleagues.

Mosaic: The Mosaic app has turned into my favorite

trip souvenir. The app allows you to upload 20 photos directly from your iPhone. In less than a week a beautifully packaged hardbound photo book arrives at your home (or wherever you choose to send it). The format is pretty basic, with no text on the pages and the cover is a mosaic of all the photos inside and each book is $20 (Standard shipping is another $5). I love this tool so much I usually spend my airport waiting time making books out of photos on my phone. www.heymosaic.com (iPhone only)

Instagram:

Instagram is another photo app that lets you personalize photos by uploading filtered (or unfiltered) photos directly to an online feed. It’s a live photo album of the things I see and want to share.

Available for Andrioid and iPhone.

iWatermark: This app helps you sign and

Darren King

Dickie Walsh

protect the photos you take and post on social media. You can choose from a large watermark or an individual signature.

Available for android and iPhone.

Postagram: Who doesn’t like to receive an old-

school postcard? The Postagram app allows you to design your own 99-cent paper postcard by choosing a picture and adding a message directly from your smartphone. The postcard is delivered to the recipients (snail)mail box within days and includes a removable photo. Available for Android and iPhone.

Pinterest: Pinterest is like having all the

magazines and scrapbooks in the world in the palm of your hand. I can post photos from my trip or, for inspiration, look at images others have posted. Travel content, from bucket lists to personal journals, tops the list on Pinterest. Available for Android and iPhone.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap is a travel writer whose audio essays can be heard on Spokane Public Radio and on public radio stations across the country. She is the author of ‘Home Planet: A Life in Four Seasons’ and can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com.

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Education Startup Designed to Revolutionize School Purchasing

D

irect To Schools, a Spokane-based educational startup, recently launched www.directtoschools.com, a free education resource that helps schools nationwide find the best price on the school supplies and equipment they use every day. For the first time in school purchasing history, schools have the ability to access volume pricing from multiple vendors on one site, saving them both time and money.

Founders: Darren King and Dickie Walsh Surf: www.DirectToSchools.com

@ Inland Northwest Business Watch

By Matt Behringer

Here is a look at some new businesses coming to the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area from the local business blog, Inland Northwest Business Watch.

Charming Lulu Sewing Boutique Available exclusively to public and private K-12 schools in the United States, Direct To Schools gives school administrators access to the products they use every day, such paper, ink and toner, and custodial, general office and classroom supplies, on one website.

The inspiration for Direct To Schools came from Darren King, a purchasing manager for the Central Valley School District in Spokane Valley. Having spent the last 15 years witnessing first-hand the inefficiencies in school purchasing, King vowed to simplify the buying process. A process, which under the current system, can take up to a week to get back quotes with volume pricing.

“Educational purchasing, as it stands now, is an archaic process. Time and money are wasted trying to find the best price, which is not always the lowest price. But we are changing that,” says King, who currently serves in an advisory capacity at Direct To Schools.

“Direct To Schools has combined the tier volume discounts associated with the bid process with the best practices in online shopping – an easy to use website, multiple products from multiple vendors, side-by-side price comparisons, and a secure checkout process.”

In 2012, after securing funding from private investors, King partnered with Dickie Walsh to co-found Direct To Schools. A WSU graduate with over 25 years’ experience in management, technology and education, Walsh was the ideal partner to provide the strategic direction for Direct To Schools. In January, King and Walsh began building the proprietary technology that is the backbone of Direct To Schools.

“The benefits that Direct To Schools offers, in money, time and other opportunities, is not something that schools can afford to ignore,” explains Walsh. “A mere five percent of annual savings for a school could equate to tens of thousands of dollars, which can be reallocated elsewhere, and we are getting our school administrators and teachers back to what they do best – taking care of the students.”

Write: eearin@directtoschools.com Call: (509) 828-4700

Charming Lulu is now open in Spokane Valley at 1300 N. Mullan RD, which is located within the Mullan Retail Center. Charming Lulu is a complete sewing store that offers fabrics, patterns, books, and much more. The store also features Janome sewing machine sales and service. For more information, Charming Lulu can be contacted at (509) 340-9256.

b

Decorum

Decorum is a new gift shop that just opened. You can find them at 305 W. Second Ave in Downtown Spokane. Decorum sells a wide variety of gift items including many locally produced items. For more information, contact Decorum at (509) 340-9830.

Pure Barre

To help get patrons in shape, Pure Barre offers fitness classes and more. Pure Barre is growing chain of studios that opened recently at 13910 E. Indiana Ave. Suite E in Spokane Valley. You can contact the local studio at (509) 315-4920.

Correction

In the last column and on the blog, I reported that Urbanna Natural Spa and Salon had opened a new salon called Incognito for their under 21 crowd. In fact, Urbanna rents booth space at Incognito and is not the owner. However, it is true that Urbanna now does serve beer and wine at their business. For more information on their business, you can call (509) 747-7076..

Inland Northwest Business Watch is a local business news blog highlighting new, closing, moving, or expanding businesses. The web site can be found at www.inlandnwbusiness.com and on Facebook. The blog is written by Matt Behringer and is always accepting news tips. You can contact Matt at inlandbusiness@yahoo.com.

The Business OF

I

Hot OFF THE

BLOG

By Jan Quintrall

GOVERNMENT

knew there would be differences when I left the business world to move into government. But they are fewer than imagined.

Both the City of Spokane and private enterprise have customers.

Developers, business leaders and builders have choices and can take their business to Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley or the County which means we also have competition.

The City of Spokane also has partners. We use consultants, experts and sub-contractors the same as many of you do. None of us can do it all, and we are quite good at knowing when it is time to bring in the right help.

And not all government is taxpayer funded. In the Business and Development Services Division that I oversee, we have several “enterprise funds” that must make a living on the fees charged for the services delivered. Sound familiar? Yes, those departments are run like small businesses embedded in a large one.

The big differences are—well—big.

Everything we do has more rules than I ever thought possible. For good reason, the auditor keeps a close eye on how we conduct our business.

One example, we must get bids on anything over a specific dollar amount, and that adds time and

expense to even simple purchases.

But it keeps us from playing favorites.

Another challenge requires us to take the lowest bid on services, products, and contracts. When I was still at the Better Business Bureau, we always cautioned buyers to look for quality, service, and value, not just the lowest price. I understand this requirement ensures fairness, but it still periodically gives me heartburn.

One misconception about government I still hear (and one I brought to City Hall) is that government workers are lazy.

Consider any business with 2000 employees. Are there some bad apples? Of course. Our business mirrors societies, but the vast majority of our employees are hard working and dedicated people who really care about Spokane. Unlike the business world, we cannot reward the stars on our staff as in the private sector. This makes managing and engaging our teams much more challenging and impossible to offer tangible rewards for exceptional performance.

But it’s great knowing you make a difference. 2013 has been a year of amazing achievement—just look around Spokane. And there is much more to come in 2014 for Spokane, the City of Choice!

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Business

Newcomer Jennifer Robson Wenspok Resources

by Cheryl-Anne Millsap

J

ennifer Robson, with her husband Josh Robson, recently left the traffic and urban congestion of Seattle to move to Spokane. Now, at home on the South Hill, they are enjoying the slower pace and less expensive cost of living in the Inland Northwest.

Where did you live before and what brought you to Spokane?

My husband and I recently moved from the Broadview area of Seattle, WA. I’ve worked as the director of business operations for a commercial real estate team for the past 10+ years; my husband has been in the wine industry for over a decade.

While we both loved our jobs and the city, the 60+ hour work week and hours in traffic was starting to wear on us. A great opportunity arose for me to transfer to Spokane and focus my energy on the business development and real estate sector of a parent company.

What was your first impression of Spokane? What were you expecting?

We were taken by how friendly and outgoing people were; it seemed like they truly had a genuine interest in getting to know us. We also fell in love with all the parks and outdoor recreation in the area. In Seattle you spend so much time getting to and from, you forget to look around at the beauty. I feel like you can focus more on quality of life here.

What do you feel you offer to the community of Spokane?

I work for Wenspok Resources, based in Spokane. They operate all of the Wendy’s assets in this area and Northern Idaho and are very involved in numerous charitable

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organizations here in Spokane and other cities donating time and food. We also work closely with the community on the betterment of the city. I plan to help grow our community involvement both as a representative of the organization and personally.

What part of the city do you call home? How was your real estate experience here different from your previous home?

After researching homes in all areas of Spokane for a good 9-12 months, we finally chose a wonderful 1950s ranch style home in the Comstock area of the South Hill. We moved from a 900 sq.ft. bungalow to a beautiful home with over 3,500 sq. ft. on a 15,000 sq.ft. lot! I have always loved the architecture and quality of 1950s homes; with some recent remodels, I hope this will be our home for years and years to come.

How would you like to introduce yourself to Spokane?

My husband Josh and I have been together for over 15 years. The time spent making work our primary focus has now allowed us to focus on family. The wonderful schools and community activities this area has to offer was a primary draw for us, and we are looking forward to growing our family here. Being avid gardeners we are looking forward to the beautiful summers here. Our bulldog Edgar has been taking advantage of the many trails below the South Hill and the many parks Spokane has to offer.

Cheryl-Anne Millsap can be reached at catmillsap@gmail.com.

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Tips Internet

By Rachel Sandall

T

he Internet has made it easier for customers to find you, easier to market your service and easier to grow your business exponentially, fairly quickly. However, it has also made it easier for that one unhappy customer to write a scathing review on Yelp or for your more technologically advanced competitors to leave you in the dust, even though your business has been around twice as long.

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CREATIVE

Steps to Managing What the Internet Says About Your Business It’s estimated that 97 percent of Internet users search for local businesses online, which means that your customers are searching for you. Do you know what story Google is telling them? If you don’t have a website or web presence, then Google is telling your customers that you hardly exist. If you do have a website but it hasn’t been updated in five years and your negative Yelp reviews are coming up first, Google is telling them that you probably can’t be trusted.

If your website is state of the art and your social media is current, then YOU are determining the story Google is sharing. You’re forming the message that your customers are hearing and you are, the best that you can, managing the story.

For many business owners the Internet is easy, they use it effectively and they have seen their businesses grow because of it. For others, it’s become the elephant in the room that seems to grow larger and more obnoxious every year. But the Internet doesn’t have to be scary and it doesn’t have to be time consuming, it just needs to be reckoned with.

The Internet belongs to no one, it can’t be controlled and it doesn't stay the same for long, but through some simple steps, it can be better managed.

Have a Website

It seems crazy this day in age that this would even need to be a stated, but it’s shocking how many Spokane and Coeur d’Alene businesses don’t even have a website. Many say that their business doesn’t need one or that their customers don’t find them that way. This might be true for two in 100 businesses, but it is the rare exception, not the rule. Your business needs a website and getting one doesn’t need to be difficult.

The options are endless when it comes to getting yourself a website.

You can make one yourself using a template site, hire someone to build you a simple, but effective site for a budget friendly price, or you can spend more to hire a web designer to build you a fully customized site with all the bells and whistles.

We Make it Easy for You!

Startup Websites

Only $495!

Why pay thousands of dollars for a website, when we can create a wonderful site at a fraction of the cost?

Home

ontact | About | C

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r page Welcome to ou

Red Carpet

Parties

About

Services

Phone # Address Email

info@redcarpe

tparties.net

509.555.1234

Galler y

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Collection Hot Rod

About

Galler y

Contact

Call and talk to one of our Sales Reps today!

509.535.5350

or email for more information sales@spokanecda.com January - February 2014

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customers use when they search Google for what you do. Fortunately, Google has a keyword tool, which makes this an easy task.

Most website platforms have built-in SEO forms and you just put your keywords into them; but it’s a good, and very worthwhile, idea to do some reading on the subject because Google never stays the same for long.

Have an Effective Website

Internet users form a first impression of your business in two-tenths of a second after they land on your site. This is not long enough to read your text or browse around; this is purely based on what your site looks like. Make sure your site is user friendly, attractive and gives all the information that your customers are looking for on the first page.

If your contact information and concise mission statement are not on the homepage, they will simply go back to their browser and find it somewhere else.

Make a habit of reviewing your site often to keep it up-to-date, and be sure to post any specials, discounts or sales you might be running. Most businesses don’t need to update their site every day, or even every week, an update every month is a good rule of thumb.

Understand How to Use Social Media

Most businesses understand that they should be using social media, but many don’t know how to use it effectively. The first thing to remember is that social media

is supposed to be the place where you interact with your customers; it’s not a place to tell your customers how great you are. If all you do is promote yourself, your fans will quickly stop following you.

The key is to get your fans engaging with you. Ask them questions about what they would like to see from your company, post pictures of your work, run competitions, give them a behind the scenes tour of your office or offer a discount just for them. Try to think about their perspective and what would interest them.

Engaging in social media is a foundational part of managing your Internet presence. It provides one more way for you to tell the story of your business.

Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is basically a long technical term for “Google friendly,” it simply means making it easy for Google to index and find your site, which in turn will make it easy for your customers to find you.

It’s not a necessarily complicated process, but it will require some research. You need to find out what key words your

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Good Old Fashioned Customer Service

You might be asking how customer service relates to improving your Internet presence, but your customers have more influence than ever before. If one person has a negative experience with you, all they have to do is go home and post it on their Facebook page and spread the word to their 500 “friends,” or they can post their experience on a review site like Angie’s List or Yelp.

It can be very upsetting to have a negative review, especially if you think it’s untrue, but in almost all cases it’s best to respond gracefully to the customer and learn from the experience. It’s more vital than ever to make sure your customers have a great experience with you, from start to finish.

Rachel Sandall is the owner of Spokane’s newest web startup, JustGetMeOnline.com, a company that builds affordable websites for small business owners.

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Careers Encore

Ready to Make the Jump?

Now’s the Time for a Heartfelt

Encore 18

CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com

T

hey’re called second acts, encore careers or reinventing yourself – they’re the completely new and different jobs people take in midlife or later.

Today, making that jump is more likely to be a matter of following the heart than it was during the throes of the economic recession, when professionals caught up in corporate layoffs discovered they were too old to find jobs in a poor market and too young to retire. They started second careers not to follow a vocation but to pay the bills.

“I’m glad to see the tide turning again – especially for all the baby boomers who don’t want to retire but do want to do something gratifying,” says Betty Hechtman, who was on the eve of her 60th birthday when her first mystery series prompted a bidding war between St. Martin’s Press and Berkley Books. She has since published eight “cozy mysteries.”

Hechtman has had a lot of practice reinventing herself. She has volunteered as a farmworker on a kibbutz in Israel, waitressed and worked in retail sales, and made connections as a telephone operator, among a host of jobs.

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“I’ve held jobs just for the paycheck and I’ve pursued my passions, so I know how profoundly different it is to do one versus the other,” she says. “No matter what age you are, if there’s work you feel called to, you should most definitely give it a try—you may well experience a joy unlike any you’ve ever known.”

Hechtman offers these tips for people considering an encore:

*

*

*

Do your homework. There’s nothing more disappointing them jumping in to something new only to become disillusioned and frustrated because you didn’t take the time to prepare.

If your dream is to open a particular business, research the market. Is there a demand for what you hope to sell? Should you give it a trial run as an online business before investing in shop space and other overhead? Start by checking the resources at Score.org, a nonprofit supported by more than 12,000 volunteers dedicated to helping small businesses off the ground. For other encore pursuits, you might take classes at one of the many higher education facilities in the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene area or spend a few hours a week working as a volunteer to learn the ropes.

Join a group of like-minded people. This is particularly helpful for aspiring artists who want to paint, play music, write a book or indulge some other creative talent. You can brush up on your skills and make valuable contacts by becoming a part of a community theater, joining a writer’s circle, or finding a group of hobbyists. You may find your skills develop much more quickly with the support and guidance of collegial peers who are all helping one another achieve a dream.

Consider working in one of the five most popular encore fields. Most people seek second careers in health, education, government, environment and nonprofits—all fields expected to provide abundant job opportunities in the next couple of years, according to Encore.org, a nonprofit that supports second careers “for the greater good.” If you need training to qualify, now is the time to get it, Hechtman says. “Invest now in the education, and you can soon have a job that feeds the heart, the mind – and the body!”

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TD&H Engineering BEST ENGINEERING FIRM

E

veryday, the nuts and bolts

“Many small towns don’t have the

angle. They also are an employee-

of life come to us through the work

manpower to track down and write the

owned company that invests time and

of an engineer. Turn on the water,

grants that will improve their infrastructure

resources in education and technology

turn on a light, or drive on a street

and quality of life. We find out what issues

to make sure their employees are on

and you have had your world enhanced

a city may have and then actually do the

the cutting edge of their industry.

by the men and women who proudly

grant procurement to get this town the

work in the engineering field.

help they need,” Steve adds.

Getting them to talk about that world is a bit harder.

Some of the cities that TD&H have

Some of their most popular services are municipal engineering; grant writing for water, waste water, and

helped are Leavenworth, Lacrosse, Ione,

transportation projects; surveying;

and Oakesdale. In Spokane, they have

structural engineering; transportation;

over when I talk about my job,” Steve

recently done work for Avista and BSNF

construction administration; and land

Marsh says with a laugh. Steve is the vice

Railroad.

development.

“I’m used to seeing people’s eyes glaze

president of TD&H Engineering (TD&H),

“Just because a town is numerically

Steve concludes with “We know that

a civil engineering firm offering a full

small doesn’t mean they don’t need the

the work we do doesn’t always get

range of services throughout Montana,

infrastructure that a large city takes for

parades…but when things work right

Washington, and Idaho.

granted. We love to be able to do the

and we can eliminate one more worry,

little behind-the-scenes work to make life

we know we’ve done our job well.”

TD&H has been providing engineering services since 1965. They assist their clients through all phases of their projects, from

easier for our clients,” says Steve.

Currently, TD&H has offices in Spokane,

needs analysis through final construction.

Lewiston, Kalispell, Great Falls and

This year they were picked as “Top

Bozeman, but does work throughout the

Engineering Firm” from Inland Business

region. They take pride in their long-term

Catalyst out of 140 engineering firms in

relationships with current clients as well as

Spokane.

finding innovative solutions to challenging

The niche that TD&H has grown into

technical problems. As a full-service firm,

is finding funds for small cities through

they are able to provide experts to ensure

writing grants and financial management.

that every issue is addressed from every

The next time you turn on the water faucet and have it work right… you can thank an engineer.

TD&H Engineering 303 East 2nd Avenue Spokane, Washingon 99202 (509) 622-2888 January - February 2014

21

Nolan Garrett

Intrinium

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Wayne Williams

Telect

Corbin Chamberlain

ATC Manufacturing

T

Tech Titans Developing, selling, and using cutting edge technology in Spokane

By Jennifer Ferrero Photography by Hamilton Studio

T

echnology is so integrated into our lives that we’ll soon wear devices in the form of eyeglasses and wristwatches to search the Web and make phone calls. In Spokane, there are three cutting edge firms that have entwined new technologies to amplify employee and customer relationships, changing what is produced and how it’s sold.

Looking forward

“Spokane is an innovative community with hundreds of manufacturing companies and supporting companies developing the infrastructure for how we do business.

Technology has changed that landscape and our jobs are changing from just inputting information into the technological tools.

As a region, across industries, we are making better products and creating an entrepreneurial mindset for employees.”

Wayne Williams

January- February 2014

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ATC Manufacturing

T

S

Corbin Chamberlain

elling composites based components – an innovation for the aerospace industry.

They look like a typical manufacturing warehouse in the Spokane Valley off of Trent Road. But ATC Manufacturing, a Tier 1 supplier to Boeing, is innovating their composites based components to make airplanes lighter and stronger than ever before.

Composites, a buzzword in the aerospace industry is a product made from mixing two or more materials together in a molded or shaped format to make a stronger product. At ATC Manufacturing, they are creating products made from fiberglass, carbon fiber and thermoplastics.

Their staff are specially trained and certified in the manufacture of these materials. Corbin Chamberlain, engineering manager, says that their products also have sports and automotive related applications. The staff of about 40 is “coming up with new innovations all the time,” says Chamberlain.

With 10 CNC Machining centers in their plant they hire people with an aerospace background, when possible.

Chamberlain notes that there is an extensive paper trail and application process to become a Boeing supplier; and technicians need to have knowledge and good hands on skills.

He notes that, “Adoption of this technology, (was not) not widely used prior to us being here.” And adds that the “Number one goal for Boeing is to have a supplier that can get it done. When Boeing has new stuff, we may produce it,” Chamberlain says.

Overall, the materials that they produce save fuel and weight for aircraft.

In the office, Chamberlain says, “We are pretty high on the technology stream being 99% paperless and Ethernet based.

We can get files from anywhere.”

Photography by Hamilton Studio

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Intrinium

D

Nolan Garrett

eveloping new systems and methods of managing technology for customers.

Started in 2007, downtown-based Intrinium, a rapidly growing private company, has come up with new ways to develop technology security and network management for customers. Offering a holistic approach to IT management, Founder and Chief Consultant, Nolan Garrett, 30, says, “Most customers are used to fixes (for their IT troubles) but we set up regular IT meetings, talk about IT in general and set up strategic planning.” In many companies, when the IT teams, especially IT consultants, are called in; it usually means the situation is dire.

With Intrinium’s approach, they are proactive in developing solutions. Garrett adds, “We are also available for CIO consulting meetings just as a part of our standard management contracts.”

Located in 13,000 square feet of boldly remodeled office space, featuring black carpeting with red squares and a NERF gun at every employee’s desk, Intrinium also takes a different approach to employee satisfaction. “We offer chair massage, food and drinks,” says Garrett.

Like most companies of today, especially IT companies, where employees are called upon all hours of the day and on weekends to fix issues, Garrett extends flexibility to employees.

“We give back to them,” says Garrett.

And, they also give back to their alma mater, Eastern Washington University, with many employees graduating from the college.

Photography by Hamilton Studio

January- February 2014

25

T

Telect

U

Wayne Williams

sing technology for new thinking around processes and product development.

Wayne Williams, CEO of Telect in Liberty Lake is the Steve Jobs of this region. It’s his original and innovative thinking around the use of technology that has kept his telecommunications company afloat from the original dip in telecomm in the early 90s through the Great Recession.

With the advent of wireless, for all of us—all the time, Telect’s products have been picked up everywhere. Williams says that the “Communications industry is converging – Ethernet is not just the inside the building standard, it’s now standard inside and outside the building.” So while his flagship products use to line telephone company central offices, the products of today are in the fiber in our neighborhoods and offices.

But it’s more than the product they produce that brings Telect to the cutting edge. According to Williams, it’s more about the changing workforce. He notes that employees should no longer expect to be trained to do a certain job and push buttons to run reports.

He says, “We need to move our employee teams outside the transaction of just processing papers to predictive analysis of trends. We’ll see automated technology changing. It changes what people used to do. There is more work for the designers and creators.”

His approach leans on the employee feeling empowered to think broadly about integrated systems instead of just what their small role might be in the company.

He noted that his executive assistant of 18 years, Carrie Cook, has a much different role with him than she did five or 10 years ago. He says, “Her role has changed from one that is secretarial to one of project management and implementations.”

Their 100 employees in Spokane are set up with Apple products such as iPhones, MacBooks and tablets. The environment is shifting, as they need to be more responsive to the industry and its changing needs.

| www.ibcatalyst.com Photography

by Hamilton Studio 26 CATALYST

January- February 2014

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J

ust how important are personal recommendations? According to a recent study, they are the #1 driver of consumer purchase decisions at every stage of the purchase cycle, across multiple product categories, including Business-to-Business enterprises. This insight is of vital importance to every small business owner.

We asked our readers to tell us who they appreciate doing business with, who they turn to when they need the support, resources and expertise of another business. Read on for a list of businesses that hit gold, silver and bronze with their clients in 2013 in Inland Business Catalyst’s Best of Business-to-Business Awards.

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Best Florist

Liberty Park Florist & Greenhouse

Dominic Alice, an Italian immigrant, opened Liberty Park Florist in 1928, and while there have been many changes over the years, the familyowed business is still growing strong to meet your floral and planting needs. Hand picked specialties include fresh flower arrangements, unique European basket gardens, blooming and green plants, fruit and gourmet baskets, along with balloons and silk arrangements. www. libertyparkflorist.com, (509) 534-9381

Silver: Appleway Florist Bronze: Sunset Florist Liberty Park Florist & Greenhouse team

accounts; bad checks and NSF; judgements; and civil restitution. Bonded Adjustments maintains strict adherence to Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act. www.bondedadj.com, (800) 926-6333

Silver: Automated Accounts Bronze: Valley Empire Collections

Best Law Firm or Lawyer Keller Allen

Recognized as one of the Best Employment Law attorneys and a Super Lawyer by local and state magazines, Keller “Kelly” W. Allen developed

The CashLINQ Group handles all risk and underwriting functions, initiating our own merchant and electronic check accounts while providing excellent service and support through assigned Relationship Managers. www.thecashlinqgroup.com, (509) 789-2274

Silver: Sphyra Bronze: Merchant e-Solutions

Best Business Banking Washington Trust

Four generations of wise, practical leadership have led Washington Trust Bank to be the oldest and largest privately-owned commercial bank in the Pacific Northwest.

Founded in 1902, Washington Trust now has more than 40 financial centers and offices in Washington, Idaho and Oregon with nearly 750 employees. By personally getting to know you, your business and your goals, Washington Trust Bank custom-tailors solutions that give you exactly what you need to run your company effectively and efficiently. www.watrust.com, (800) 788-4578

Silver: Sterling Bank Bronze: Banner Bank

Best Credit Union

Spokane Teachers Credit Union

A handful of Spokane teachers launched the credit union in 1934, but now anyone can join who lives, works, worships, or goes to school in Washington state or Kootenai or Bonner counties, Idaho. At last count STCU had over 110,000 members. https://stcu.org, (509) 326-1954

Best Accounting Firm Fruci & Associates

Fruci & Associates serves an extensive clientele, ranging from single person operations to companies with hundreds of employees and millions of dollars in annual sales. Whether your company requires tax planning, accounting systems, auditing, or regulatory management advisory services, the professionals and certified public accountants at Fruci & Associates are prepared to give you and your company the personal service and dedication essential in making your business as successful and profitable as it can be. www.fruci.com, (509) 624-9223

Silver: Larson Allen Bronze: McDimid, Mikkelsen & Secrest

Best Collection Agency Bonded Adjustments Company

his practice through hard work, being accessible and providing high quality service to his clients.

The business philosophy that still controls his practice today is that the firm’s clients are always provided immediate attention, and he strives to provide the highest quality legal services. www. kellerallen.com, (509) 777-2211

Silver: McNiece Wheeler Bronze: Witherspoon-Kelley

Best Credit Card Processing Company CashLINQ Group

CashLINQ provides the latest payment processing technology using a fully certified Level 1 PCI-DSS platform and PA-DSS compliant solutions. As an end-to-end solution provider, Humanix team

Silver: Numerica Bronze: Global Credit Union

Best Employment/ Temporary Staffing Agency Humanix

As their name suggests, Humanix knows that the most valuable asset to any organization is their Human capital. The largest staffing and recruiting partner in the Inland Northwest, Humanix connects businesses with the best, most qualified staff resources to quickly fill any position or workforce need. www.humanix.com, (509) 467-0062

Silver: Provisional Staffing Bronze: Accountemps

You deserve what’s coming to you. Bonded Adjustments Company has been locally owned and operated since 1916. Licensed and bonded in WA State, they specialize in asset recovery for medical, dental, law and utilities; open credit

January - February 2014

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Best Commercial Real Estate Company Goodale & Barbieri

Since 1937 Goodale & Barbieri Company has established itself as one of the leading real-estate development and property management firms in the Inland Northwest.

Whether retail, office, industrial, medical or residential, Goodale & Barbieri has the space to fit your needs. www.g-b.com, (509) 459-6102

Silver: NAI Black Bronze: Century 21 Beutler & Associates

Best Business Insurance Firm Moloney + O’Neill

In 1947, Moloney + O’Neill opened its door for business to meet the insurance needs of the growing Spokane population.

From those humble beginnings, those goals have remained the same – treat clients as partners, offer a wide range of competitively priced, quality products, and provide them with the customer service they deserve. www.moloneyoneill.com, (509) 325-3024

Silver: Andre Romberg Bronze: State Farm

Best Office Supply Business Kershaw’s

Whether you need paper clips or a complete suite of office furniture, Kershaw’s is your one-stop business source. Founded in 1900, Kershaw’s has been providing products and services to the Spokane business community ever since. There have been many changes over the last 100 years, but one thing remains consistent Kershaw’s commitment to service. Among Hurtado | Hissong Design Group Team

2901 E. Trent Ave., Spokane, WA 99202

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CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com

Travis Knight, FKF (forteknight films)

the conveniences they offer are: Free Next Day Delivery and Fax, phone or Web Based Ordering. www.kershaws-spokane.com (509) 456-6500

Silver: Complete Office Bronze: Office Depot

Best Office Furniture Davis Office Furniture

As a locally owned business, Davis Office Furniture takes pride in their reputation for excellent service and individualized assistance.

Whether the need is for one chair or an entire office setup, owner Paul Davis and his expert staff look forward to establishing long-lasting business relationships with their clients – their business is your business. With 30,000 s.f. of warehouse space, Davis Office Furniture is able to maintain thousands of high quality products in stock. “We can supply needs of offices of up to 100 employees,” Davis says, “and we can do it in short order.” www.davisofficefurniture.com, (509) 3284893

Silver: Contract Bank & Office Bronze: Contract Design Associates

Best Promotional Products Zome Design

Zome Design is the area’s leading source for custom screen printing, embroidery and promotional products. Need a logo pen to hand out at a trade show? No problem! How about custom shirts promoting your next event? Zome is your one stop shop for all of your logo’d items needs for personal, school and business. www.zomedesign.com, (509) 279-2034

Silver: Brand-It Bronze: Adventures in Advertising

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Best Maintenance & Janitorial Service Jan-Pro

Jan-Pro offers a professional touch to the cleaning industry by providing you with a well-trained franchise business owner who focuses on customer appreciation, and possesses the attitude, desire and determination to maintain the superior quality of cleaning you require for your company. www.jan-pro.com/northwest, (509) 534-9080

Silver: Cleanworks Bronze: ABM

Best Office/Interior Design Company Hurtado | Hissong Design Group

Founded in 2010 by Armando Hurtado and Josh Hissong, HDG is a collaborative architecture and design studio specializing in kick-ass commercial and residential projects. “They’re masters at walking the line between pleasing the client and staying true to art and design,” quipped one client. As another client summed up this award-winning firm, “The HDG crew and the work they do is the perfect blend of professionalism, edginess and cool.” www.studiohdg.com, (509) 321-5064

Silver: Design Source Bronze: Contract Resources Group

Best Dry Cleaning Clarks Cleaners

Clark’s Cleaners has been washing and dry cleaning Spokane’s laundry since they opened in 1978 on the corner of Mission and Hamilton in the Gonzaga neighborhood. Owner Clark Kelsey launched the company’s second store downtown near Sprague and Division in 1983. “Our goal is to offer the best quality at the best price with the best customer service,” says Kelsey. Clark’s Cleaners does everything from shirts to suits and other dry clean only attire, draperies, bedding and more. www.clarkscleaners.com, (509) 487-3424

Silver: Next Day Dry Cleaning Bronze: Scollards

Best Gift Basket/Gift Service Simply Northwest

Sending a custom created gift baskets from Simply Northwest is a great way increase business and retain customer loyalty. As a professional gift service specializing in unique and custom gift baskets, specialty food and wines and handcrafted items made by unbelievable craftsmen, Simply Northwest is pleased to offer Made in the USA products from local and regional vendors here and across the country. www.simplynorthwest.com (509), 456-8206

Silver: Graceful Gift Baskets Bronze: Edible Arrangements

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Best Clothing Store for Business Apparel Anderson & Emami

At Anderson & Emami, their mission since 1985 has been to provide customers with the finest men’s fashion quality products and service.

From suits and ties to casual golf attire, among the well-known brands they offer are 34 Heritage, Bobby Jones, Bugatchi, Canali, David Donahue, Faconnable, Hickey-Freeman, Hugo Boss, Jack Victor, Raffi, Remy Leathers, Robert Graham, Robert Talbot, Rodd & Gunn, Thomas Dean, and Tommy Bahama. www.andersonemami.com, (509) 838-1652

Silver: Swank Boutique Bronze: Echo Boutique

Anderson & Emami team

Best Sign Company Baldwin Signs

Since 1940, Baldwin Sign Company has been creating custom sign packages for businesses locally, regionally and nationally. Baldwin Signs is a full service sign company offering a wide range of products and services. From design to fabrication and installation, their mission is to provide quality signs and excellent customer service. Their fabrication processes meet or exceed industry best practice for the manufacture of internally illuminated signs. www.baldwinsigns.com, (509) 489-9191

Silver: Signs for Success Bronze: Pro Sign

Best Business Security Providers Allied Fire & Security

You can’t take chances when it comes to protecting your business. Allied Fire & Security goes beyond a “typical” security company as they specialize in a wide variety of security and life safety products and services from locks and safes, security and fire alarms, to networked video and card access. A family-owned business since 1948, Allied’s mission is to ensure peace of mind for their customers and exceed their security expectations. www.alliedfireandsecurity.com, (509) 624-3152

Silver: Certified Security Bronze: ADT

Best Business Startup Business Texter

Shaking up the texting industry, Business Texter enables the modern Android smart phone to act as a texting server and uses the unlimited texting plan on the phone. With automated question replies, bulk sending capabilities and all the advanced features found in modern email campaigns applied to texting, the system offers a powerful communications platform. Founded by entrepreneur Aaron Rollins and software engineer David Johnston, Business Texter has surpassed 5,000 downloads and more than a million texts sent. www.businesstexter.com, (509) 944-5627

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Silver: Volsted Act Bronze: Patit Creek

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Best Employment/ Temporary Staffing Agency

Thank You Spokane for your votes!

Humanix

As their name suggests, Humanix knows that the most valuable asset to any organization is their Human capital. The largest staffing and recruiting partner in the Inland Northwest, Humanix connects businesses with the best, most qualified staff resources to quickly fill any position or workforce need. www.humanix.com, (509) 467-0062

Silver: Provisional Staffing Bronze: Accountemps

Best High Tech Firm Telect

Headquartered in Liberty Lake, Telect is a manufacturer of network infrastructure equipment for telecommunications, datacomm, CATV and other communications networks. Founded in 1982, Telect works with global service providers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Time Warner and others, as well as original equipment manufacturers such as Alcatel/Lucent, Tellabs and Hitachi. www.telect.com, (509) 926-6000

Silver: Interlink (merged with Intrinium Networks) Bronze: Next-IT

Best Engineering Firm DCI Engineers

Founded in 1988, DCI Engineers has earned the reputation as an innovative civil and structural consulting engineering firm that provides some of the most cost efficient engineering solutions for today’s construction environment. Licensed in all 50 states, DCI is headquartered in Seattle, DCI also has offices in Spokane, Portland and Eugene, Oregon; San Diego, Irvine and San Francisco, California; and Austin, Texas. www.dci-engineers.com, (888) 433-8130

Silver: Coffman Engineers Bronze: TD&H

Business Texter team

Best Employment Agency 2012

Best Temporary Staffing Firm 2012

Best

Employment Agency 2013

Local Relationships. Best Talent. Great Jobs.

1.800.805.0361 w ww.provisionaljobs.c o m

January - February 2014

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Copy/Print/Scan Solutions Let us help you acquire your dream machine.

(509) 755-8326

xerox@officetechusa.com

Best Commercial Architecture Firm NAC | Architecture

Architect Magazine recently ranked NAC|Architecture among the top 50 architecture firms in the U.S. An architecture, electrical engineering, interior design and planning firm with offices in Spokane, Denver, LA and Seattle, NAC|Architecture is a leader in education (K-University), healthcare and community recreation projects. Their impressive local portfolio includes The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Inland Northwest Blood Center, Rogers High School, and the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox. www. nacarchitecture.com, (509) 838-8240

Silver: Sam Rodell Bronze: ALSC

Best Commercial Photographer Dean Davis

“Photography isn’t just something I do - it’s a part of who I am. And a part of me goes into every project I shoot,” photographer Dean Davis writes on his Facebook page. “While my job is to capture compelling and effective images that translate equally well in print, digital, and interactive media—on time and on budget—my commitment to you is to provide a photography experience based on honesty, respect, and professionalism.” www.deandavis. com, (509) 456-8799

Silver: Don Hamilton Bronze: Tony Roslund

Best Commercial Construction Company Lydig Construction

Incorporated in 1956, Lydig Construction, Inc. is built on the tradition of fairness, excellence in craftsmanship and pride of a loyal and professional staff. Lydig has constructed and administered a wide range of projects from educational, retail, medical, detention, office, mission critical, hospitality, industrial and distribution facilities to smaller historical renovation, tenant improvement, capital improvement and seismic upgrade work. They employ more than 140 full-time office and field employees. www.lydig.com, (509) 534-0451

Silver: Barker Construction Bronze: Garco Construction

Best Advertising Agency Hannah & Associates

Northern Quest Resort & Casino, WSU Cougar Athletics, Avista Utilities, Sterling Savings Bank – just a few of the clients who rely on Hanna & Associates to help build their brand. Located in Coeur d’Alene, Hannah & Associates serves a broad assortment of regional and national clients across a diverse mix of industries. Started 35 years ago by Dayne Hanna, who still serves as President, Hanna is made up of “lifestyle refugees” from large metro areas such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Denver combined with the best and brightest from the Inland Northwest region. www.hanna-advertising.com, (208) 667-2428

Silver: Magner Sanborn Bronze: Quisenberry

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b2b Design Spike team

Print Design Business KlundtHosmer

For more than two decades, KlundtHosmer has created and maximized client’s branding, marketing and advertising budgets by developing effective visual communication materials that attract consumers and motivate them to action.

Their work has received hundreds of regional and national awards and been featured in branding and design publications such as the American Corporate Identity series and Print Magazine. www.klundthosmer.com, (509) 456-5576 x118

Silver: Range Bronze: Rainmaker Creative

Best Web Design Businesses Design Spike

Specializing in database-driven, contentmanaged, and e-commerce websites, Design Spike, Inc., is an award-winning web development firm, known for creative and innovative designs that define the individuality of clients. Among their satisfied clients are Provisional Employment Services, The Make-up Studio, SCAFCO, artist Richard Warrington, and KPBX Spokane Public Radio. www.designspike. com, (509) 252-5060

Silver: Switch Up Web & Marketing Bronze: Zipline Interactive January - February 2014

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HD VIDEO CONFERENCES

"Multimedia Business Training, Video Conferencing, Distance Learning... It's All Right Here!"

Best Public Relations Agency

Best Computer Repair Business

Desautel-Hege Communications is a fullservice public relations and marketing firm providing integrated marketing solutions.

Capabilities include advertising, public and media relations, crisis communications and plan development. DHC provides clients sound counsel, emphasizing strategic analysis, planning and implementation based on years of first-hand experience in diverse markets. www. desautelhege.com, (509) 444-2350

As we all know “friendly computers” can be an oxymoron. But not when it comes to service and repair when you deal with Friendly Computers in Spokane Valley. Locally owned and operated, Friendly Computers specialize in computer repair, hard drive failures, networking and virus removal. www.friendlycomputersspokane.com, (509) 3159492

Desautel-Hege

Silver: Rocky Hill & Knowlton Bronze: Clark Company Friendly Computers team

Friendly Computers

Silver: Strong Solutions Bronze: Computer Business Solutions

Best Office Building/ Business Park Bank of America Building

With 20 stories and 328,000 s.f. of rentable space, Bank of America Financial Center, a premier Class-A, downtown office property in Spokane represents the central business district’s largest and most prestigious asset with the most spacious floor plates in the market. Among the amenities is connecting skywalk for access to restaurants and services, on-site fitness center, after hours controlled access, and redesigned plaza and green space. 610 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201

Silver: Lincoln Building Bronze: Liberty Building

OXARC Training Center East 4003 Broadway, Spokane, WA 99202

Best Telecommunications Firm

509-535-7794

Toll Free 1-800-765-9055 FAX 509-536-8965

CenturyLink

Recognized as a leader in the network services market, CenturyLink is a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprise customers. The third largest telecommunications company in the U.S., CenturyLink provides data, voice and managed services through its highquality advanced fiber optic network and multiple data centers for businesses and consumers. www. centurylink.com

www.oxarc.com Stop by for a special treat before the show!

CenturyLink Team

m o r e c h o c o l a t e . l e s s s t r e ss . w w w . c h o c o l a t e a p o t h e c a r y. c o m

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Silver: TelWest Bronze: Access Unified Networks

107 South Howard Street Spokane, WA 99201

509.623.1000 | naiblack.com

Be

s t Lo

cal Bus ine

Gloria A. Ries Chief Financial Officer

Jeff Johnson Commercial President & Sales Manager

Tom Hix Senior Vice President, Asset & Commercial Property Management

Kim Sample Vice President, Multi-Family Property Management

ssm

an

Dave Black, CEO Management President and Developer

Powerful People. Powerful results.

January - February 2014

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Best Restaurant for a Business Lunch

Best Place to Hold a Company Party

Whether for a casual get-together with colleagues or an important meeting with a VIP client, the Palm Court Grill at the Davenport Hotel is the place to seal the deal.

Attentive, professional waitstaff, impressive atmosphere, and award-winning cuisine.

The restaurant still serves The Davenport Crab Louis, their signature crab-meat salad that was originally created by hotel founder Louis Davenport in the early-1900s. www. davenporthotelcollection.com, (509) 455-8888

Make a grand statement by hosting your next company party at the historic and elegant Davenport Hotel, offering more than 33,000 square feet of elegant meeting space, comfortably accommodating groups as intimate as 10, to larger functions of up to 700 guests. The Davenport is the highest rated and largest hotel in Spokane, and the fourth-largest hotel in Washington State. www. thedavenporthotel.com, (509) 455-8888

Davenport Hotel Restaurant

Silver: Spokane Club Bronze: Max at Mirabeau

The Davenport

Silver: Northern Quest Bronze: Glover Mansion

Best Local Business Man Walt Worthy

Walt Worth is not only a man of vision, but also a successful businessman with the aptitude for bringing his plans to fruition. Best known as the redeveloper of The Davenport Hotel, Worthy’s investments and developments (many funded largely from his own wallet) have included condominiums, storage facilities, student housing, commercial buildings and office complexes. His latest venture is the city’s largest hotel: a 700-room, 15-story showpiece connected to the Spokane Convention Center.

Silver: Jerry Dicker Bronze: David Black

Best Catering Business Red Rock Catering

When your event calls for on-site food service, turn to Red Rock Catering. From helping you make your selections from their affordable a la carte Catering Menu, to ensuring you have the linens and cutlery you need to make an impressive showing, Catering and Sales Director Kelli Hoy and Executive Chef Jason Hoy will make you look great and make your event a flavorful and memorable one. www. redrockcateringspokane.com, (509) 459-0000

Silver: Just a Couple of Moms Bronze: Fery’s

Best Event Facility

Spokane Convention Center

Located in downtown Spokane along the Spokane River, the Convention Center is the perfect place to host an event, trade show or convention. Amenities include a 100,000 s.f. exhibit hall, 24 state of the art breakout rooms, 25,310 s.f, ballroom for meetings, trade shows or banquets. The INB Performing Arts Center, which is adjacent to the Spokane Convention Center, has a 2,700 seat auditorium with a built in stage, perfect for performances or plenary sessions. www.spokanecenter.com, (509) 2797000

Silver: Lincoln Center Bronze: Chateau Rive at the Flour Mill

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Best Local Business Woman Nancy Nelson

As President of Spokane Valley-based Humanix, the region’s leading temporary staffing service, Nancy Nelson enjoys strategizing the future of her company and working with staff to bring that vision to reality. Since its beginning in 1986, Humanix has placed over 80,000 employees in positions ranging temporary fill-in and executive level careers.

Nelson is actively with local volunteer organizations including Spokane Valley Partners, and helping to develop future business leaders as Youth Council Chair with Spokane Area Workforce Development Council. (509) 467-0062

Silver: Marti Hollenback Bronze: Melissa Murphy

Best Wholesale Coffee Services Coffee Systems, Inc.

When it’s time for a coffee break, call Coffee Systems, Inc. Locally owned and operated, Coffee Systems provides coffee equipment and supplies, as well as the freshest brews from over a dozen roasters. Don’t know Morning Blend from Italian Roast? Coffee Services will bring doughnuts and pre-brewed coffee to your office for a great morning of coffee tasting. www.coffeesystems.com, (877) 927-7272

Silver: Thomas Hammer Bronze: DOMA

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Request a Quote: (877) 927-2727

Thanks for voting us #1 for Best Wholesale Coffee Services! www.coffeesystems.com

Best Networking Events

Best Networking Events

GSI Breakfast and Business After Hours on Location

At Greater Spokane Incorporated networking events you build relationships, not just a Rolodex. Monthly breakfast programs offer information about current issues and initiatives impacting regional businesses, and Business After Hours On Location is a fun mixer held every other month at a sponsoring host business. Both events are the perfect way to meet the business people who make our community great. www.greaterspokane.org, (509) 624-1393

Silver: Bozzi Media Release Parties Bronze: Third Thursday

Best Travel Agency Travel Leaders

The largest travel agency in the Inland Northwest, Travel Leaders assists travelers, leisure and business alike.

Travel Leaders will collaborate and consult with you to find the perfect balance between service and fiscal management to create your company’s one-of-a-kind business travel program. www.spokanewa.vacation.travelleaders. com, (509) 327-9585

Silver: Global Travel Bronze: Cruise One

Best Trade Show Displays Zome Design

As a custom screen printer, Zome Design can set your trade show booth apart with personalized backdrops, banners and table runners. To complete the package, they offer a complete catalog of portable exhibit booths, popup displays and banner stands. www. zomedesign.com, (509) 279-2034

Release Parties Connect and Engage

Bozzi Media Events throws an exciting release party for every issue of Spokane Coeur D’Alene Living Magazine.

We deliver the party, wine, hors d’oeuvres, guests and more.

Host more than 100 guests at your location or ours, where you can celebrate an opening, thank your customers, or draw in a new crowd.

Call today to host the next release party!

509.535.5350 40

CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com

Silver: Skyline Bronze: Cassel Promotion

Best Printing Company Plese Printing

“It’s all about service” for owner/ president Kim Please and the team at Plese Printing & Marketing. The fullservice printing company specializes in design services, sheet-fed full color printing, spot color printing, high speed digital black and white copying, high speed digital color copying, binding/ finishing and complete in-house direct mail marketing. www.pleseprint.com, (509) 534-2355

Silver: Lawton Printing Bronze: Ross Printing

112 N Altamont St | Spokane, WA 99208

509-535-2022 WWW.ABM.COM

Thanks to everyone who voted us Best Maintenance and Janitorial Service

Law Firm of Keller W. Allen, P.C. e m p l oy m e n t L aw

AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell Fellow - College of Labor & Employment Lawyers Listed in "Best Lawyers in America"

Selected as "Super Lawyer" in Super Lawyers Magazine Associate Lawyers: Mary M. Palmer Stephen E. Sennett

w w w. kel l er a l l en . c om 5915 S. Regal, Ste 211 | Spokane, WA 99223 Tel: 509-777-2211

Top Attorneys

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2013

Keller W. Allen

Best Law Firm 2013

Admitted in Washington and Idaho January - February 2014

41

No Holds

Barred

In Depth with

Tom Fritz

CEO of INHS

By Kyler Hood

T

oday more than ever, healthcare is a hotly debated and discussed topic: Healthcare.gov rollout, the insurance exchange, reducing costs and finding ways to more efficiently deliver care with quality outcomes.

For Tom Fritz, these topics have always been much more than talk around the water cooler.

After seeing the transformative struggles of fellow men and women in the Marine Corps, Fritz set out to gain the necessary skills to work as a public administration

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manager in healthcare, and now, his success appears to have surpassed some modest expectations for a local company.

Fritz, 62, currently works as the CEO of Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS), a nonprofit corporation based in its Wells Fargo building in downtown Spokane. INHS oversees a variety of healthcare companies and services including St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, Northwest MedStar, Health Training, Information Resource Management (IRM), Community Wellness, Northwest TeleHealth, Center of Philanthropy, and Center of Occupational Health & Education (COHE).

In 2012, INHS posted gross revenues of about $200 million and is hoping for similar results for 2013.

Last year, 18 hospitals that use health information technology from INHS once again earned the distinction of being among the most technologically advanced in the country according to the “100 Most Wired” or “Most WiredSmall & Rural” lists in Hospitals & Health Networks.

INHS has close to 1,100 employees, and it is because of employees that the successes of INHS have surpassed expectations, Fritz said.

“I’m very proud of the people that are here,” says Fritz. “Our employees are extremely smart and very dedicated to what they do here. They are the real reason that we’re successful.”

Fritz describes the size of the original community INHS served as a local healthcare collaborator that grew to facilitate the sharing of resources among healthcare providers, develop new efficiencies through technology, create healthier communities and improve access to healthcare.

“When I first started at INHS 15 years ago, we were a local company serving the greater Spokane area. We started serving the rural hospitals in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, and began to expand from there. We then added to our mission of being a regional collaborator to build healthier communities wherever our services are needed,” says Fritz.

While primarily serving the northwest region, INHS has expanded their information technology customer base to communities in Colorado, California, New Mexico and as far

away as New Jersey and Georgia.

INHS has continued to grow, according to Fritz.

“We started working with other hospitals throughout the nation on their health information technology systems, bringing revenue back to our community and creating additional economic impact. Being able to provide services over our Telemedicine network provides open access and we are seeing that today when we connect first responders in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to health education services for their community members.”

Fritz notes the INHS location in Spokane offers a big advantage.

“We’re in a beneficial position as the region’s healthcare center between Seattle and Minneapolis. Spokane offers a community of expertise that most communities don’t have unless they’re a very large community,” he says.

Fritz also mentions the outstanding collaborative culture that exists in the area that compliments the mission of INHS. “Our board and Spokane’s business and community leaders, in all industries, work together and do things in a collaborative way. I feel very blessed that we have that opportunity here in Spokane.”

January - February 2014

43

Larger communities, according to Fritz, also do not have the personal touch found in Spokane.

“In other large cities, it’s very difficult to even get to know your peers sometimes because of the numbers of people and the ability to run into somebody is virtually nonexistent in many cases, but here in Spokane we have a culture here that is part of our community. It permeates our community in many things that we do whether it’s a community event or advocating for Fairchild Air Force Base.”

Fritz finds collaboration essential for success. It reduces overhead, improves the quality of care, eliminates over-utilization of services, and effectively monitors outbreaks of infectious disease.

“We try to build a culture of service-oriented, quality clinical outcomes and really do things in a way that allow us to make good decisions and smart decisions that impact patient care and the community,” says Fritz.

Fritz shares the education benefits for the company and its commitment on collaboration to develop healthcare professionals.

“We provide clinical job shadows and internship programs for professional disciplines including nursing, occupational, and physical and speech therapy, people working under masters in healthcare administration, physicians, and residents. Our future workforce has the experience of being able to experience the environment they need to get the expertise to strengthen their medical background.”

The collaborative structure works well for INHS, according to Fritz,

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and is something he is very proud of.

“I was trained both as the Fritz also points out the bright future administrative manager of the for healthcare in Spokane, where the squadron and as an avionics technician development of new opportunities in to maintain and fix the electrical the field of healthcare is available. As components of the aircraft.” part of several advisory boards, Fritz The psychology of struggle first drew and other community leaders are in Fritz to leadership in healthcare. the development stages of outlining “After the Marine Corps, people what a medical school would get into the real could do for creating world and be exposed needed additional to unique types of medical professionals stress. I really paid a lot in the area. of attention to people’s “We really feel behavior, their attitudes, very strongly that and the way that they that is an important looked at teamwork and future economic leadership.” development asset So Fritz earned here in Spokane, to a masters degree in have a medical school psychology and found where students of all work in the healthcare healthcare disciplines industry. are trained here in “I ended up starting Spokane. Our vision my health care career Tom Fritz as a member of the rescue helicopter of the curriculum is unit of the Air Wing in the Marine Corps. working at a UCLA so positive and slightly different in terms hospital running the Department of of educating all professional disciplines Psychiatry. I worked with physicians together. These professionals who and psychiatrists and was very receive training in Spokane are likely interested in helping people, especially to stay in the region, creating a much those suffering from mental illness,” healthier community for the future,” says Fritz. he says.

But as Fritz gained experience, he Success in healthcare did not happen felt a pull to the public administration immediately for Fritz. side.

“I had my first job when I was 14 years “The more I started working with the old. I worked in a fast food restaurant hospital the more duties they started peeling potatoes and making french giving me and the more that I felt that I fries. That was outside of Philadelphia needed to learn more about health care in a city called Allentown. Then I went and hospital care.” to work at a gas station where I worked So Fritz earned another masters for a few years.” degree in public administration and In high school, Fritz wanted to put his education to work, leading him become an architect, so he studied to his current position. mechanical drawing and later joined “I moved through a variety of the rescue helicopter unit of the Air different jobs and ran Eastern State Wing in the Marine Corps.

Hospital from 1988 to 1993 and

Bluffing with IT compliance?

then came back in 1998 to run the operations of INHS. This was a great opportunity for me to come back to Spokane and make a difference in the Spokane community,” he says.

The new year marks 20 years since the founding of INHS. Fritz remains optimistic for the company’s future, and noted the ongoing challenge of standardizing medical data for the betterment of patient care.

“A hospital can be sold a system that doesn’t communicate with another system’s data. It’s a national problem because of a lack of or confusion with data technology standards. Our technology teams figure out how to marry those systems through an interface to then be able to make sense out of the data.”

“The industry is getting closer to finalizing the basic standards everyone will use.”

Fritz predicts the solution will come from meaningful use standards.

“This is something that the federal government is requiring all hospitals and physicians to be able to use computer systems in a meaningful way,” says Fritz. “And INHS is part of that conversation and always looking ahead.”

Fritz attributes that kind of visionary approach across all of INHS lines of business to its unique vision developed over the last 20 years.

“Our mission is to serve the community and create better access to the care and solutions that people need.

Every day we get validation that we do the right thing whether it’s bringing a flight in on NW Medstar and saving someone’s life or being at St. Luke’s and watching somebody walk for the first time after a serious injury.”

Navigating the technology requirements of HIPAA, HITECH, and Meaningful Use is a high stakes game and you can only bluff for so long.

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info@intrinium.com January - February 2014

45

Through The

Trenches T

Steven Kraft

of Froyo Earth Steven Kraft with his daughter, Olivia

The taste of success – with a healthy topping of fruit and nuts 46

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Story and Photo by Darin Burt

he self-serve frozen yogurt business is a simple one: A customer grabs a cup, squeezes frozen yogurt out of a machine, dishes out spoonfuls of various toppings, weighs the bowl on a scale and pays for their treat by the ounce.

As with most great recipes, every chef has their own special version. Stephen Kraft, owner of Froyo Earth, is no different.

First, it’s important to note that Kraft isn’t a “chef ” – he’s a former salesman of medical devices; an industry he’d been in for two decades before the Affordable Care Act forced his company to make cutbacks, and in the spring of 2010, he was out of a job.

Most people in that situation would clamp their wallet tight, but Kraft took his family on a spring break trip to Hawaii. It was a good chance for him to refocus and figure out the next stage in his career.

“I was going to raid my kids’ college funds to open a business, so I wanted to be confident,” Kraft says, “even though I was aware that only a small percentage of small businesses make it.”

A friend in Hawaii suggested a frozen yogurt stand. Businesses like TCBY had been wildly popular a few years back, but Kraft recalled that their product just wasn’t so yummy. Turns out they weren’t using fresh ingredients. Kraft wondered if he put the emphasis on serving up a “healthful” treat if consumers in Spokane would be interested.

“Everybody was saying don’t do it because Spokane isn’t Hawaii – we’ve got winter and who will want to eat a cold treat?” Kraft recalls. “Then somebody told me that in Alaska they consume more ice cream than any other state in the country. . . I thought, why not?”

“I started looking at the health profile of frozen yogurt relative to ice cream and it blows it out of the water,” he adds, “The yogurt is also so much better tasting now.”

Kraft attended YoCream University, at the YoCream headquarters in Portland, Oregon, a two-day seminar that teaches strategies for starting a frozen yogurt shop. He smartly chose to use their frozen yogurt mixes, which have no artificial coloring or high fructose corn syrups,

limited preservatives, not to mention miniscule fat and less sugar than ice cream. Most of the flavors are also gluten-free.

Even the toppings offered at Froyo Earth are of the highest quality – the M&Ms, Gummy Worms and Heath Bar chunks are the real candy. There is also a large selection of fresh sliced fruit such as kiwi, strawberries, pineapple and blueberries.

“You can go healthy or you can go sinful,” Kraft says.

“Think of all the places you can go for fast food or casual dining – there aren’t many places where you can get fresh fruit. A lot of people will come in for lunch and they’ll have a little bit of frozen yogurt and a bunch of fruit and nuts.”

It was Kraft’s daughter, Olivia, who came up with the name for the business.

He’d been toying with “Yogurt Galaxy” and “Yogurt World,” but Olivia insisted on Froyo - the common term for frozen yogurt. Olivia also designed the Froyo Earth logo.

The first Froyo Earth opened in spring 2010 in the plaza at the corner of 2nd and Division in Downtown Spokane.

After working day and night to get everything ready for the expected rush of hungry customers, first through the door was a homeless couple.

“We were so excited to show everything off, and then they said they didn’t have any money,” Kraft recalls. “Our first dollar was an IOU.” Kraft wasn’t discouraged; he recalled how in Greek mythology the Gods would walk the earth disguised as paupers and reward the people they met based on their hospitality. By that night over a hundred customers who had seen the open sign and caught the buzz on social media had visited Froyo Earth.

Froyo Earth took off from there, and now there are four locations in town, with others in Cheney, Chelan and Wenatchee.

The company mantra of “Treat Well, Be Healthy!” is certainly paying off.

“My definition of success is the satisfaction that I see on the faces of people who can drop in and get a more healthful treat in a clean, fun and friendly place,” Kraft says. “If you’re doing the right things and you’re in the right location, success will follow.”

January - February 2014

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Tapio Yellow Flag Bldg Ste #209 104 S. Freya, spokane, wa 99212-4866