nurturing
IBCatalyst.com
real
enter prise
mitigation
risk
innovation
internet
customer
demand
systems
2015
ifecycle
persona
suppl
capital
networking
lifecycle
e-business
sales
buy
relationships
enter prise
promotion
relevant
rtnership
human
capital
WINTER 2015/2016 #65 • $2.95 (Display Until April 15, 2016)
sector initiate
customer
passion
planning
mentor
b u s i n e s s t o b u s i n e s s a w a rd s
cash
trade
incubation
research
B 2 B
marketing
lifecycle
investor
star t-up
development
collaborative products
professional
i n f o r m a t i o n psector artnershi
coeur d’alene
communication
wholesale
networking
technology
money
sector
supply
spokane
wholesale
supply
information
website
spokan
connection
finance
emerg ing tech
energy
heart
innovation
risk
sales
passion
connection
mmerce
custome
investor
human
inland northwest
commerce
web
fulfillment
incubation
tools
need
networkin
demand
initiate
deman
retail
risk
information creative
systems
e-business
technology
sales
collaborate
reciprocating
reciprocating commerce
information systems web
communication
CONTENTS
25
FEATURE: THE BEST IN BUSINESS TO BUSINESS 2015
Celebrating Spokane companies voted best in their field by their peers and customers
41
VOL.
INVESTING IN GREEN CONSTRUCTION We speak to a couple of local green architects/ builders who help us understand the return on investment and what to expect during the process of green construction
12 | ISSUE
19 TOPIX: EMERGING TECH
1
Three trending tech companies from right here in the Inland Northwest that are making an impact globally and locally.
| WINTER
22 KUDOS:
Cover Art by Robin Bishop
Exciting news from Zak Designs. How they have had the best two years in history.
46 EQUILIBRIUM
Gray Dog Press speaks about rolling with economic punches and market demand, and we learn about Jay Swanson's innovative delivery methods for his fantasy novel, Into the Nanten: The Record of My Exile.
4
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
DEPARTMENTS
2015/2016
THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH THIS ONE
06 EDITOR’S LETTER 09 THE FEED 19 TOPIX 22 KUDOS 44 THE HIVE 46 EQUILIBRIUM
winter 2015/2016
5
LETTER WORDS FROM
OLD-SCHOOL ISN'T ALWAYS BAD
THE
Business
EDITOR
is like any other facet of life. It’s cyclical. Outside forces influence and drive trends just as in fashion and entertainment. While most of these trends and influences appear dressed in stylish robes of progress, some show up in vintage, repurposed threads that beg us to remember more comfortable times. This seems to be the growing trend in marketing and business development. Of course, no one is suggesting we shed the all-too-shiny accessories of technology, but maybe pair them with some retro relationship skills. With today’s ever-advancing tech tools, social media frenzy, and unrelenting connectedness, we can isolate ourselves from the very thing that’s foundational in building new business— relationships. Strangely enough, millennials are the more willing proponents of breathing new life into getting real in business, and making it look totally cool in the process. Obviously, there are those out there who have never strayed from the handshake based business model, but have they married that with the customer-pleasing efficiency of technology? As usual, when new trends come up we tend to go all in, completely abandoning practices that might have been working for the promise of the unknown. You don’t have to step completely outside the box. It could just mean adding a window in it or maybe opening the lid. Obviously, traditional “networking” is a relationship-building practice used to facilitate new conversations and open doors, but success in networking is completely dependent on the attitudes of the individuals involved. Trust me, I’ve hit more than most people’s share of networking events in my time, and they haven’t always been pretty. On occasion I have felt like an innocent little seal looking to make new friends that took a wrong turn and ended up in shark-infested waters. There’s a growing movement that just isn’t into that scene. There are those who feel their time would be better served sincerely reaching out to suppliers and potential clients, asking what they need to improve or grow their business before deciding if they are the right fit for them. It’s really a paradigm shift that begins at the cultural core of your company. That’s you, the owners, leaders, and influencers. Business to business marketing surveys are exposing customer requests for more human connection, one-on-one interactions, and a willingness to build a mutually beneficial foundation for both companies to grow from. Obviously, this isn’t just a business practice. It speaks to individual integrity, an awareness to enjoy what you do for a living, and to meet needs before thinking of the bottom line. I’d like to be able to go out on a limb and say, maybe we’re seeing the demise of the “you need me more than I need you” and “hard sell” practices of the past, but, again, that depends on you.
6
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
In all my years in administration, sales, marketing, and business development, the best response I ever received from a “sales call” was when I rebuffed my client’s nervous rambling about what they could do for me and sincerely asked, “What do you need from me?” I have never seen a grown business man so close to tears. Through an honest act of human connection, opportunities may be realized for real growth. Case in point: one of this issue’s featured “Emerging Tech” companies, etailz, has built their entire business platform on balancing sincere supplier/customer relationships with the development of new technologies to most efficiently meet their needs. This has resulted in steady growth for all involved. And obviously, our 2015 B2B Award Winners have done something right to be nominated by peers and customers. See the entire list in our B2B feature. Spokane is right in step with this trend. I am so proud of our business community for embracing a back-tobasics approach in building each other up so the entire region benefits. Wouldn’t it be nice if doing the right thing for your customers and suppliers was also the right thing for your company? We’re all in this together, so why not help each other out along the way? Trust me: there’s enough room. Speaking of supporting each other, I was honored when asked to judge StartUp Weekend Spokane in November. It was inspiring to be in the same room with so many passionate, creative, and energized business minds. This area is truly busting at the seams with innovation and spirit. I’ve included in this issue information about StartUp Weekend Spokane and the incredible resources for entrepreneurs in our area. I hope you enjoy reading about new and emerging technology, successes of veteran businesses, and stories of creativity and lessons learned along the way in this month’s issue. Thanks for reading. — Robin Bishop
P.S. If you’d like to share about overcoming hurdles, celebrating wins, or know of new or expanding business in our area, please contact me. You can reach me at editor@ibcatalyst.com.
LEARNING BEYOND the book Vol. 12 Issue 1 Winter 2015/2016
Junior & Senior classes available
EDITOR Robin Bishop
editor@ibcatalyst.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kristi Somday kristi@spokanecda.com
Spokane Valley Tech is growing and expanding. In addition to high quality Career and Technical Education programs we offer award winning Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs. Our academy courses provide high quality core curriculum for students in grades 9-12. All of our programs are free of charge for halfENROLLING day, full-day or after school time periods. FOR FALL 2016 2014-2015 Awarded:
PHOTOGRAPHY Mark Anthony
Advanced BioMedical
Washington STEM Lighthouse School Exemplary instruction in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math
CONTRIBUTORS Dennis Held Erika Prins BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Emily Guevarra Bozzi emily@spokanecda.com
Advanced Engineering Advanced Manufacturing Business & Entrepreneurship AP Computer Science & App Development Emergency Medical Technician Environmental Engineering Fire Science & Emergency Services
VP OF SALES Cindy Guthrie
Sports Medicine
cindy@spokanecda.com
SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Jeff Richardson jrichardson@spokanecda.com
Alternative Energy
509.228.5600 | spokanevalleytech.org 115 S. UNIVERSITY RD., SPOKANE VALLEY, WA 99206
ACCOUNT MANAGERS Erin Meenach erin@bozzimedia.com
Julie Lilienkamp
julie@bozzimedia.com
Christine King
christine@bozzimedia.com
EVENTS Jennifer Evans | j@allfortheencore.com Erin Meenach | erin@bozzimedia.com
PUBLISHER AND CEO Vincent Bozzi vince@spokanecda.com
CO-PUBLISHER/CO-FOUNDER Emily Guevarra Bozzi emily@spokanecda.com
Find us on
facebook View our e-magazine ibcatalyst.com
Inland Business Catalyst magazine is published quarterly by Bozzi Media. 104 S. Freya St., Suite #209, Spokane, WA 99202-4866 Phone: 509.533.5350 | Fax: 509.535.3542 All content Š 2015. 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.
HD VIDEO CONFERENCING "Multimedia Business Training, Video Conferencing, Distance Learning... It's All Right Here!" "This amazing Business Training & Conference Center is a regional jewel"
Business meetings, individual interviews, boardroom to classroom, this facility serves the Inland Northwest with formal, superb technology, and multimediatraining excellence. Be amazed at the interactive state-of-the-art, high-definition equipment and experience the professional amenities, services, and capabilities available here. The professional video conferencing can connect you live, faceto-face, and give a truly "global reach" to your meeting or conference.
East 4003 Broadway, Spokane, WA 99202
509-535-7794
Toll Free 1-800-765-9055 FAX 509-536-8965
www.oxarc.com winter 2015/2016
7
8
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
THE FEED U P D AT E S
Contineo is a managed IT services and security company focusing on small to mid-sized business in the Western United States. Contineo was founded to provide IT security consulting and project management services to the financial industry. “The biggest challenge,” says Craig Sanders, President and CEO, “has been educating businesses to understand that just because you are not a Fortune 500 company doesn’t mean you are not a target of a breach.” It takes a team to design, install and manage a proper technology environment. Through their integrity and customer-service driven approach, the team at Contineo has grown to be a mid-sized company with clients in more than half the states in the country. “The need for quality partners will be critical moving forward with evolving technology,” says Sanders. www.contineotech.com
&
Tracy Jewelers announced recently that the family business is being passed on to third generation Sean Tracy. In 1950, Patrick Tracy and his wife Norann opened Tracy Jewelers in a small shop on Argonne in the Spokane Valley. In 1972, second-generation Leo Tracy took over the family business. Leo Tracy sold the business to his sister Maureen Tracy in 1995. Maureen and her husband Dave Hansen built a freestanding building to house Tracy Jewelers in 2007. Now in Tracy Jewelers’ 65th year, third-generation Sean Tracy is taking over. Sean, son of Leo Tracy, worked as a jeweler in the 1990s. Sean recalls working with his grandfather sweeping the floors and learning the basics gluing pearls and repairing chains as a teenager. His training quickly progressed to jewelry restoration, repair and custom design. Along with his technical training he learned the family values of honesty, integrity and community involvement. Sean’s aunt, Maureen, will remain on staff in a limited capacity as a gemologist and AGS certified appraiser. www.tracyjewelers.com
Helps Prepare Against Breaches
BUSINESS
TRACY JEWELERS S t e p s U p To T h i rd Generation
Like • Comment Like • Comment
The Finally Light Bulb Company has created Acandescence™, an innovative lighting technology for everyday home use, which reliably recreates the same light as an incandescent without the energy waste or excessive cost. The light it produces is eco and consumer-friendly, easy on the wallet and comfortable on the eyes. Learn more at www.facebook.com/FinallyLightBulbCompany.
Like • Comment
AREA
F I N A L LY L I G H T B U L B C O MPA N Y – A New Light Bulb
GRAVITY JAC K Specializing in custom mobile apps, augmented reality, virtual reality, 360º video and more, Gravity Jack works to help some of the world’s most innovative brands and government agencies create a world where technology and the human experience intersect seamlessly. Gravity Jack was founded in 2009. The team of five, led by software veterans Luke and Jennifer Richey, began in Liberty Lake, offering fully custom software development services, ranging from mobile apps and websites, to custom algorithms and hardware solutions. 509.863.9228 www.gravityjack.com
Like • Comment
winter 2015/2016
9
THE FEED
DUTCH BROS. O p e n s Va l l e y L o ca t i on
Kerry and Kevin Parker opened their first Spokane Dutch Bros. in 2006. In November they opened their seventh location at 20 North Pines in the Spokane Valley. The Parkers strive to make a difference with every cup of coffee. This is why Dutch Bros. Spokane gives back to nonprofit organizations and local causes. Dutch Bros. Spokane employs 130 full-time and part-time employees. Follow Dutch Bros. Spokane at www.facebook.com/DutchBrosSpokaneWA
Like • Comment
SPOKANE VAL L E Y TECH E x pa nds P rogr a ms Located at the corner of Sprague and University in the Spokane Valley, SVT is a collaborative effort of Central Valley, East Valley, Freeman and West Valley School Districts. Their programs are built around local industries that are growing and include Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). SVT received an award for Exemplary Instruction in STEM by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and was designated a Washington STEM Lighthouse School for the 2014-2015 school year. Ten programs are offered to students as well as two academic programs. The academic programs include The STEM Academy for 9th and 10th graders and the Senior Academy. Enrollment for the 2016–2017 school year will be opening soon. www.spokanevalleytech.org
Like • Comment
Re s t a u r a n t P o i n t o f S a l e Spark Solutions is an authorized re-seller for MICROS, Dinerware, MobileBytes and NCR Silver. They offer two different types of digital signage, as well, along with credit card processing (Mercury, FirstData and TSYS). Spark Solutions has a combined 50 years of hands-on restaurant experience in their organization making their consultation services of great value to anyone needing a little guidance when looking into restaurant technology. “We’ve been serving the Salt Lake market for over 40 years and with that success have been able to move into the Boise and Spokane markets as well. Our ultimate goal is to develop long-lasting relationships with our customers that partner with them as they grow and expand,” says Randy Gunter, Spark Solutions Vice President. www.sparksolutionsgroup.com
Bathe your pet in luxury at DogLux Grooming Salon, Spokane’s newest and most luxurious pet care facility. DogLux is the ultimate spa-like environment with top-notch grooming services that ensure your precious fur-baby looks and feels its best. All breeds, sizes, and special requests are welcome. Call for an appointment at 509.315.4292.
Like • Comment Like • Comment
10
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
THE FEED
BUSINESS INFORMATION • Spectacular Downtown Spokane Skyline Views • Rentable Area 61,400 SF • Approx. Land: 4+/- Acres • Built in 1998, Recent updates • Excess parking 3.5 to 1, with two entrances • Minutes to Spokane Airport, Downtown & I-90 • Secured Campus Site • Showings by appointment only
Phase II Land
Available for Build to Suit
5+/- Acres
Gene Arger
G.Arger Co. Real Estate Inc.
Phone: (509) 926.5311 | Cell: (509) 844.8814 ggarger@argerco.com | www.argerco.com
winter 2015/2016
11
THE FEED
FA M I LY H O M E CARE H o n o re d a t 2015 Fa mi l y B u s i n e s s Aw a rd s Family Home Care was named as one of 13 companies honored at the 6th Annual Washington Family Business Awards by Seattle Business Magazine. This annual celebration recognizes the impact and legacy of Washington State’s top family-run companies. Congratulations to Family Home Care. www.fhccares.com
Like • Comment
Opens in Coeur d'Alene Pinot’s Palette teaches painting classes for beginners at a studio sporting a bar, with local wine and beer, and plenty of music to entertain while you Paint. Drink. Have Fun. Owner, Jackie Casey, attended a studio while living in Tulsa, and not being an artist herself was amazed at how well her painting turned out and the incredible fun she had throughout the evening. Pinot’s Palette is continually expanding their painting library and finding new specialty classes to offer, such as paint your pet, painting on jumbo canvases, tote bag classes, paint your own stocking, etc. Their classes are made for people who have never picked up a paintbrush. Absolutely no experience is required! Pinot’s expanded their offering with a new studio in Coeur d’Alene at 728 N. 4th St. that opened in November. www.pinotspalette.com
Like • Comment
12
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
Relax and Play Where You Stay Stay Alfred was founded, right here in Spokane, based on the idea of offering innovative, reliable, and consistent short-term vacation rentals at an affordable price while making booking, check-in, and check-out quick, easy, and stress-free. Stay Alfred is the first nationwide urban vacation rental company. They provide the consistency of a hotel and the size and space of a vacation rental in the most soughtafter downtown locations. Each Stay Alfred property offers first-class modern amenities, attractive decor, 4-star housekeeping, unsurpassed location, and is equipped with all the comforts of home. The people of Stay Alfred have a simple vision: Do Better. With this vision they will never be complacent. They strive to improve what they are doing, everyday. They set themselves apart by delivering on a consistent promise: “We will put you in the best location.” In Seattle, that means Pike Place. In New Orleans, that means the French Quarter. You will be steps from the things you came to see. In the heart of downtown, you will be within easy walking distance of upscale dining and shopping, as well as walking trails, parks, and historic sites. www.stayalfred.com
Like • Comment
THE FEED
R l eek y R MIE
PRE
- WEWSLETTEedia! N zzi M o by B
BE IN THE LOOP! SIGN UP AT WWW.SPOKANECDA.COM winter 2015/2016
13
THE FEED
Spokane-based Yoke’s Fresh Market will soon have a Liberty Lake location as the grocery chain takes over the former Haggen/Safeway store at 1233 N. Liberty Lake Road. This past June Bellingham-based Haggen bought the Safeway store in Liberty Lake and re-branded it. Haggen, with 18 stores, grew to over 160 locations throughout the West after acquiring Albertsons and Safeway stores following their merger. However, Haggen filed bankruptcy in August and began closing some stores, the Liberty Lake store among them. Yoke’s had the winning bid for the Liberty Lake location. Yoke’s has six locations in the Spokane area, a store in Kellogg, one in Sandpoint, and four locations in the Tri-Cities. www.yokesfreshmarkets.com.
Like • Comment
Second Harvest Goes Mobile Second Harvest has unveiled a new mobile kitchen program and support vehicle, funded by a $75,000 grant from UnitedHealthcare that will expand food programs and nutrition education efforts in at-risk communities throughout the region. The “Mobile Kitchen” provides low-income families with cooking demonstrations and nutrition classes, along with other health promotion programs including healthy-eating classes, scratch cooking demonstrations and meal sampling. UnitedHealthcare Community Plan helps Second Harvest provide free health screenings and other resources to promote healthy living at many of the events scheduled throughout the year. www.uhc.com
Like • Comment
14
ROTARY 21 Wi ns Phi l a nt hropi c Orga ni za t i on of t he Yea r !
Former Safeway to become Yoke’s Fresh Market
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
Congratulations to Rotary 21 for winning the Philanthropic Organization of the Year. This prestigious award is given by Spokane County United Way and the Emerging Leaders Society. Rotary 21 was nominated among twelve organizations for the many acts of compassion and philanthropy it leads in our community. Rotary 21 is a fellowship of business and community leaders committed to providing opportunities for people of Spokane and across the world through the ideal of service above self. Rotary Club 21 champions health, education and peace through fellowship and service using their resources to make their community and world a better place. www.rotaryspokane.com
Like • Comment
Arc hbr i g ht Opens Offi c es i n Spok a ne Archbright, providers of HR advice and legal counsel to employers in Washington State, recently opened an office in Spokane to accommodate growth in the region, as well as future expansion plans. Located at 5709 W. Sunset Highway in Spokane, the office provides increased capacity for member services, sales, and training classes. With Archbright membership, every employer gets unlimited access to the HR Hotline, two hours per quarter of attorney advice, hundreds of resources in the online HR Toolkit, compensation survey data, and more. Once a member, employers can purchase additional services that span every stage of the employer-employee relationship, including HR Consulting, Payroll, Retirement Programs, Safety and Workers’ Compensation, and Employment Law, Labor Relations, and Employee and Leadership Training. www.archbright.com
Like • Comment
winter 2015/2016
15
New Patients Welcome Appointments Available Monday through Friday
509.534.4600
2009-2014 Reader's Survey
BEST DENTIST 2009 - 2015
16
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
STARTUP
Grapetree Village | 2001 E. 29th
A BRAIN TRUST WITH EPIC IMPACT A Successful StartUp Weekend Spokane 2015
STARTUP WEEKEND is a fifty-four hour event that brings together Spokane designers, developers, entrepreneurs, and experts from all domains to do amazing things. It’s a worldwide movement of ambitious entrepreneurial minds who are looking to practice and learn the basics of founding and launching a startup venture successfully. Whether you are ready to go now or just preparing for the future, these weekends are meant to be a learning experience offering valuable mentoring and coaching by experienced professionals who volunteer their time for this intensive weekend. All StartUp Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and embark on a three-day frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekend culminates with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders providing an opportunity for additional critical feedback. StartUp Weekend 2015 was the most well-attended event yet, proving the entrepreneurial spirit in Spokane is alive and well. I was fortunate enough to be a judge at this year’s event and was beyond impressed with the geneous product ideas and business concepts introduced to us. In addition to providing a forum for learning the startup process, the opportunity is intentionally set up to allow valuable networking to take place. Ideas presented may find similarly passionate new partners or technical people asking to be involved with a project. Concepts are introduced and projects are born. The brain trust this weekend offers is of astounding proportions compared to any other event offered in this region. I, for one, will not hesitate if asked to participate again. Spokane continues to surprise me in the best ways possible. We are embracing thinkers, creators, and entrepreneurs, while also educating, encouraging and providing them with essential tools to accomplish their dreams. This is great stuff and I hope the movement’s momentum continues. www.startupspokane.com
Music by Spokane Voice and door prizes from our sponsors!
BEST B2B FIRMS 2015 THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH 2016 | 5-8pm
Bank of America Building | Lobby | 601 W Riverside | Spokane
Spokane area professionals will kick off the new year with a celebration of the region’s BEST B2B Firms of 2015. This trade show and networking event will feature area businesses who are making a difference in our region. You’ll meet the best business people, best PR firms, best staffing firms, best web design firms, best office supplies, best event facilities and more at this networking event.
SPONSORS
NON-PROFIT PARTNER
HOST SPONSOR
FREE ADMISSION!!
18
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
pictured here with co-founder Tom Simpson
ETAILZ is an online retailer that curates quality products for modern consumers and develops innovative technology for leading vendors. As a company, they are committed to helping vendors navigate international and domestic online marketplaces. Etailz was originally pitched by Josh Neblett as “GreenCupboards” to Tom Simpson’s entrepreneurship class at Gonzaga University back in 2007. Neblett and his then girlfriend, Sara Wollnick, went on to win the Inland NW Business Plan Competition in 2008. With Neblett’s comfort in risk taking and Wollnick’s incredible relationship skills, along with mentorship and guidance from Tom Simpson, entrepreneur and investor, Neblett and Wollnick began GreenCupboards. After several years of bootstrap product and business development, GreenCupboards had expanded its share in the online marketplace and its product offering enough to mandate a new moniker. Just before their fifth anniversary, 2012, GreenCupboards acquired ecomom.com and formally changed its name to etailz. Neblett and Wollnick have since married and Simpson remains a critical mentor in etailz’s growth and expansion. Etailz encompasses several satellite entities that have emerged in an effort to meet client demand and serve client needs. They operate a handful of niche websites offering items from ecofriendly beauty product to trendy home goods in addition to selling on Amazon for the last eight years, recently expanding to the Jet, Rakuten, and eBay marketplaces. Propriety software and their absolute commitment to longterm relationships are foundational at etailz. After building close and trusted relationships with vendors, and in an effort to do right by those relationships, they have created technology that optimizes brand performance across all channels and improves customer experience. This philosophy has naturally grown into product development, processing facilities, and innovative online retail partnerships. It has also expanded into a brick and mortar offering, Wollnick’s, a downtown Spokane storefront selling the same products they promote online. When asked about how the office dynamics work as a married couple running a company, Josh quickly quips, “We decided from the very beginning that I’m the boss at work, while Sarah is the boss pretty much everywhere else.” Sarah confirms, “It has always worked that way. We never wanted to create any confusion or tension about who does what and who has the final word.” This insight has helped build an energetic team of associates who are passionate about what they do, and has created an empowered team environment that seems to really work. Big Hairy “Tech” Dream? Sarah, the relationship guru, would love to see teleportation or some technology that would enable instantaneous person-to-person interactions to take place. Josh, on the other hand (tech nerd) is looking forward to the expansion of 3D printing and what that might mean for order fulfillment in the future. Think Jetsons.
winter 2015/2016
EMERGING TECH | TOPIX
JOSH & SARAH NEBLETT – CO-FOUNDERS, ETAILZ, INC. 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. Ste.110, Spokane, WA 99202 855.300.2710 | www.etailz.com
19
EMERGING TECH | TOPIX
GENETIC Veterinary
LISA SHAFFER, OWNER/FOUNDER, PAW PRINT GENETICS 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. Suite 200 Spokane, WA 99202 509-483-5950 | www.pawprintgenetics.com
20
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
Sciences, DBA Paw Print Genetics, is a laboratory that performs genetic testing for inherited diseases in dogs. They work with breeders to help ensure they are breeding healthy puppies and work with owners and veterinarians who are concerned about the genetic health of their dogs. Through a new product called Canine HealthCheck, Paw Print offers breed-specific genetic testing and genetic screening for any dog, purebred or mixed breed. Canine HealthCheck is especially useful for adopted or rescued dogs for which little history is known. Lisa Shaffer, Paw Print’s owner, has a PhD in human genetics and is certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics in genetic diagnostics. Shaffer found she really enjoyed answering genetic questions for animal researchers through work with her last company, Signature Genomic Laboratories. When Signature Genomics was acquired, she decided to combine her passion for genetic health and her love of animals. Paw Print Genetics was born. Several laboratories in the U.S. and elsewhere provide genetic testing for dogs. Most offer small menus of tests while Paw Print provides the largest number of tests for dogs, including breed-specific diseases, coat colors and other traits. Their tests are presented in panels so clients can choose the tests they need or select the whole panel for a comprehensive result. In addition, Paw Print is the only laboratory that performs every gene mutation twice, with two independent laboratory methods and each result is reviewed by and signed out by both a PhD geneticist and a veterinarian to provide the highest accuracy in the industry. Shaffer is most proud of the great customer service and online account management they provide their clients. They are working hard to be a one-stop-shop for everything genetic for dogs. Big Hairy “Tech” Dream? “Someday, we will know all there is to know about the canine genome. We will be able to sequence your dog’s genome at a reasonable price and tell you all of their genetic secrets – about their health, their anticipated lifespan, and behaviors,” says Shaffer. Her dream is that Paw Print Genetics will be able to provide even more information to enhance the health and well being of your dog as new technology emerges.
EMERGING TECH | TOPIX
NUVODIA
JON COPELAND, CEO/FOUNDER, NUVODIA 850 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. #124, Spokane WA 99202 509-688-6342 | www.nuvodia.com
photo by Mark Anthony AnthonyProductions.com
is an information technology business that delivers secure, reliable, cost-effective technologies and consulting services that help organizations improve performance, reduce costs and maximize results. Nuvodia has more than 120 professionals serving clients in healthcare, government, financial, energy, and manufacturing industries across the U.S. Their deep domain knowledge in healthcare has spawned intellectual property used today to efficiently manage, route and track radiology workflow in the U.S. and Canada. Nuvodia is also working on extending their expertise to a workflow application that they believe will be a game changer for anatomic pathologists. Nuvodia was created through a spin-off of the IT division of Inland Imaging, and acquisition of TROI, LLC in 2010 (both IT business units). In 2011 Nuvodia acquired business assets of a company in St. Louis called Quick Study Radiology (QSR). With these foundations Nuvodia, meaning “new day” in Latin, emerged. Novodia’s radiology picture archive and communication system (PACS) is utilized by dozens of hospitals and clinics and more than 5,000 registered users. Their service allows X-Ray or CT images from an injured or sick patient, for example in Montana, to be viewed by radiologists anywhere on the planet with secure login credentials and internet access. These patients can be diagnosed rapidly, improving patient care and conservation of resources. Information technology changes rapidly. “Customers need specialists who can create, manage, support and secure multiple systems. The complexity of the systems and the diversity of those systems drive ever-greater need for highly skilled individuals,” states Jon Copeland, Nuvodia’s CEO. “We seem to continually be seeking talented IT specialists and project managers to serve our growing clientele.” Although Nuvodia’s business footprint spans the U.S. today, they are committed to keeping its headquarters in Spokane. “We are proud to provide high-quality jobs and an opportunity to make a good living in this wonderful city,” says Copeland. Nuvodia recently relocated to the McKinstry Innovation Center and is excited to be in such an innovative environment in the U District. Big Harry “Tech” Dream? Copeland admits his would be to take all the medical “OLOGIES” to a digital state. Nuvodia took radiology digital for Inland Imaging and many other hospitals in the region and is now taking cardiology imaging and anatomic pathology from glass slides and a microscope to a digital format. They hope to be “Shutterfly” on steroids.
winter 2015/2016
21
KUDOS The Force Is Strong With This One Zak Designs Has Back-to-Back Record Setting Years
Earlier
this year, fervent fans across the country waited with bated breath for retailers to finally unveil collections of Star Wars: The Force Awakens products that had been shrouded in secrecy for years. Among the items that people rushed to get their hands on as soon as the clock struck 12:01 EST on Force Friday were the dinnerware, drinkware, and on-the-go products from Airway Heights manufacturer Zak Designs. “As long as I’ve been in the licensing business, I’ve never seen anything like what Star Wars has become this year,” says Irv Zakheim, Chairman and CEO of Zak Designs. “We expected big sales, but the event surpassed every expectation. No, it destroyed every expectation.” It’s a pleasant surprise that Zakheim and the rest of the team at Zak Designs is getting used to. In November of 2013, when Disney’s Frozen hit theaters, there were big expectations that the film would do well and that the products developed to support the movie would be extremely popular. No one, however, was prepared for the worldwide phenomenon that Frozen became. “Demand for product was unbelievable,” Zakheim said of the popularity of Zak’s Frozen products. “Retailers were begging us for anything and everything we could give them that had to do with Frozen, and we significantly added products to
22
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
our line and rushed product in to help meet the demand.” The unprecedented success of the fun and innovative products Zak developed for the movie catapulted the company to its largest annual sales in the company’s 40-year history. But it wasn’t just the popularity of Frozen that accounted for the growth in sales. Zak had also made a firm commitment in 2014 to expand into new and under-served categories. It launched a comprehensive offering in ceramics and glassware that included traditional coffee mugs, drinking glasses, and sculpted mugs in a wide assortment of licenses that appealed to fans of all ages. Zak also launched its Toddlerific assortment of mealtime products designed to make it easier for toddlers to transition from being fed to feeding themselves, and to give more options for people who wanted functional and fashionable on-the-go drinkware choices. Zak significantly expanded its Planet Zak offering with more thermal containers and new stainless steel growlers as well as innovative water bottles such as the HydraTrak bottle that allows people to simply and easily keep track of their daily water intake. These expanded categories not only helped Zak to its most successful sales year in 2014, they also helped position the company for continued growth in 2015 – especially considering that one of the most anticipated movies in history was just around the corner. “Star Wars isn’t an event,” Zakheim said. “Star Wars is something altogether different. It’s a part of our culture. It’s a part of who we are. Fans of all ages and from every background can find something to relate to with Star Wars. It’s never gone out of style, but it’s never been as popular as it is right now.” From durable plates and bowls to
ceramic mugs and water bottles, the assortment of products Zak Designs put together to feed the Star Wars craze surpassed any collection the company had previously developed. The company made a significant investment developing the products under the blanket of secrecy the licensor demanded. (Even Zak’s top international customers had to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements before they were allowed to see the prototypes of the products). Once Force Friday hit, however, both the investment and the secrecy paid off. The products lived up to the hype, and fans responded in a way that only Star Wars fans could. And after the dust settled, Zak Designs was left staring at sales figures that have climbed high enough to make 2015 an even bigger year than the record-breaking sales year the company had in 2014. Mega movie events like Frozen and Star Wars have not only given Zak its two biggest sales years in the company’s 40-year history, they’ve also helped position Zak for future growth that will continue to drive its success for the next 40 years. The company has recently expanded its workforce by adding key people in strategic positions that will allow Zak to move into different markets and increase its offering in existing accounts. To keep up with the anticipated growth in demand, Zak is also in the process of expanding its already impressive warehouse in Airway Heights by 50 percent and adding an additional 48,000 square feet of space that will be completed in March 2016 and help ensure that as the company continues to grow, it will always have enough room to hold the inventory it needs to keep up with the demand. “The whole team here at Zak has worked hard to give us the record-breaking success we’ve had the last two years, and with the expanded warehouse and new additions to the team, we’re helping to make sure that all that hard work and success keeps us on a trajectory of future growth,” Zakheim said. “It’s really going to be fun to see where we go in the next 40 years!”
Health symposium
Q+A with a panel of five practitioners (dermatology, back health, sports medicine, men and women’s health, mental health) plus a multitude of specialists in booths throughout the venue... we hope you will join us for the most relevant information that will help you live long, healthy, vibrant lives. Guests will enjoy great company, inspiring speakers, a complimentary glass of wine, and a healthy dinner buffet.
Wednesday
Jan 13th, 2016 5:00p.m. - 8:00p.m.
stephanie@spokanecda.com eventbrite.com
winter 2015/2016
23
It’s Prime Time for Real Estate Results. B E S T L O CA L B U S I N E S S WO M A N
MELISSA MURPHY, MBA CELEBRATING it’s 4th year in business this March, Prime Real Estate Group has seen a phenomenal year of growth in 2015. As a top agent for a decade, owner and Managing Broker Melissa Murphy is no stranger to success. With a reputation for innovative marketing strategy and a strong record of success, Murphy leads her affiliate brokers using her experience as a template
for their achievement. Prime now has affiliate offices in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, a flourishing property management division called One Property Management, and a recently-announced partnership with a private commercial developer for the new West End Lofts in Downtown Spokane. With 10 additional brokers on their roster this year, Prime is poised to ring in a bright 2016!
4 1 7 W 1 S T | S P O K A N E , WA | 9 9 2 0 1 24
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
( 5 0 9 ) 2 2 0 - 0 1 2 8 | MELISSA@PROPERTYBYPRIME.COM
P R O P E RT Y B Y P R I M E . C O M
BEST FLORIST
APPLEWAY FLORIST & GREENHOUSE Established and family owned since 1952, Appleway Florist and Greenhouse strives to be your florist in the Spokane area. Appleway has more than 30,000 square feet of greenhouses growing many varieties of hanging baskets and bedding plants. With experienced designers on staff at any time, you can be sure your selection is given the professional attention it deserves. www.applewayflorist.com (509) 924-5050 SILVER: Liberty Park Florist BRONZE: Rose and Blossom
BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM
MOSS ADAMS A leader in assurance, tax, consulting, risk management, transaction and private client services, Moss Adams has a staff of more than 2,200 that includes more than 260 partners. They focus on serving public, private, and not-for-profit enterprises across the nation through specialized industry and service teams. www.mossadams.com (509) 747-2600 SILVER: Fruci & Associates BRONZE: Eide Bailly
BEST BUSINESS LAW FIRM OR LAWYER
bu sin e ss to bu sin e ss award s
B
usiness to Business (B2B) is all about one business supplying products and services to another. While this is an age-old model, the B2B paradigm has shifted in the past handful of years. Through the matriculation of online marketing and infiltration of social media in the daily lives of almost all humans on the planet, the customer-centric business model has filtered all the way to the “supplier” level (B2B companies). This trend, however, has spearheaded a return to a more traditional way of doing business. There has been recent demand for more relationship-based interaction, more one-on-one, handshaking, deal making relationships. The following list of businesses, therefore, must be operating ahead of this curve. Here are this year’s reader-voted businesses that struck gold, silver and bronze with their clients in the Inland Business Catalyst’s Best of Business-to-Business Awards 2015.
WINSTON & CASHATT LAWYERS Winston & Cashatt’s reputation with judges, lawyers, clients, and the community is unparalleled. That reputation was forged for more than 50 years by one thing: demanding excellence of themselves for each client, each case, and in every aspect of representation. www.winstoncashatt.com (509) 838-6131 SILVER: Keller Allen BRONZE: Witherspoon Kelley
Established 1951 Thank you Spokane for your vote of confidence. Congratulations to all of the 2015 B2B winners!
BEST CREDIT CARD PROCESSING COMPANY
WASHINGTON TRUST BANK MERCHANT SERVICES 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. www.watrust. com (800) 788-4578 SILVER: Heartland BRONZE: CashLINQ Group
BEST BUSINESS BANKING
WASHINGTON TRUST BANK 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: INB BRONZE: Umpqua
26
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
Rooted in Community
BEST ACCOUNTING FIRM
AFTER Congress enacted the first federal income tax law, John G. McIntosh opened an accounting firm in Seattle to support the Pacific Northwest’s forest products industry, and the rest is history. The Spokane office was a predecessor firm until it merged with Moss Adams in January of 1999. Moss Adams is a business and personal advisor serving public and private middle-market companies, government entities, and not-for-profit enterprises across 33 industries. They help clients nationally and internationally gain traction, manage risk, and seize opportunity through a breadth of assurance, tax, business consulting, and private client services. Moss Adams has been rooted in the Northwest since 1913, navigating in the complexities of business automation and the global environment with their customers. Their core services of financial statement reporting and tax preparation hasn’t changed much over the years as they continue to assist clients in meeting compliance requirements and growing their companies. 601 W Riverside Ave #1800, Spokane, WA 99201 www.mossadams.com | (509) 747-2600
Moss Adams professionals are hard workers committed to serving their clients holistically, going the extra mile and always looking for new ways to meet client needs. “This has always been a cornerstone for how Moss Adams does business, and I can’t imagine it being any other way,” reflects Rick Betts, managing partner of the Spokane office. “We recently affiliated with Spokane-based financial services consulting firm, Contineo, bolstering our offering. We plan to continue adding new services to strengthen our field of expertise and our offering to the community.” winter 2015/2016
27
BEST EMPLOYMENT AGENCY
HUMANIX Humanix offers direct hire, contract, and temporary staffing placements in the areas of management/technical, administrative/office, and skilled trades/light industrial. Their proven expertise and reputation in the marketplace allows them to partner with leading companies and qualified candidates to provide a wide range of career opportunities. Whether you are looking for your next Super Star or looking for your next career step, you can confidently know Humanix will make the best recommendations to meet your needs. www.humanix.com | (509) 467-0062 SILVER: Provisional Recruiting & Staffing BrONZE: Maxim Staffing Solutions
BEST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY
NAI BLACK Founded in 1958 as James S. Black and Company, NAI Black has a nearly five-decade track record of superior transactional performance and favorable outcomes for assets entrusted to their management. Under the direction of CEO David R. Black since 1984, NAI Black has been engineered to deliver cutting-edge services of the highest quality to its customers and serve a wide spectrum of real estate needs. NAI Black’s selection of commercial brokerage and property management services for owners, investors, developers, and occupiers demonstrates their broad range of expertise and market knowledge. www.naiblack.com (509) 623-1000 SILVER: Cantu Commercial Properties BRONZE: Coldwell Banker Tomlinson South
BEST OFFICE FURNITURE
DAVIS OFFICE FURNITURE Davis Office Furniture in Spokane has everything you need in office furnishing. They have served the Inland Northwest since 1995, providing a huge selection of new and used desks and chairs. Whether you need furniture for a complete office suite or a work station for your home office, you’ll find the best selection at Davis. www.davisbusinessfurniture.com (509) 795-2075 SILVER: Kershaw’s BRONZE: Contract Resource Group
28
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
BEST PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS
BRAND IT PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS As a division of Brand It Advertising, the team at Brand It Promotional products believes promotional products are a key component of your organization’s advertising efforts. You can find logo products anywhere—what sets Brand It apart is their understanding of the marketing process. They help you find custom imprinted solutions that complement your overall marketing objectives. www.branditpromo.com (509) 954-6374 SILVER: NBS Promos BRONZE: Cassel Promotions
BEST OFFICE DESIGN COMPANY
CONTRACT RESOURCE GROUP Contract Resource Group is one of the largest dealerships for comprehensive commercial interiors in the Inland Northwest, serving Washington, Idaho and Montana. With architectural products such as movable walls and raised flooring systems, office furniture, healthcare furnishings, open plan workstations, and high density storage systems, they stand ready to support the needs in the marketplace. www.contractresourcegroup.com (509) 458-0411 SILVER: Design Space BRONZE: Hurtado|Hissong Design Group (HDG)
BEST DRY CLEANING
CLARK’S 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 cleans everything from shirts to suits and other dry clean only attire, draperies, bedding and more. www.clarkscleaners.com (509) 487-3424
Thanks to our customers and the community for your votes in naming us the Best Janitorial Service!
We offer Commercial and Facility Services of all kinds, call today for services. We pride ourselves in serving you!
SILVER: Next Day Dry Cleaning BRONZE: Careful Cleaners
BEST GIFT BASKET/GIFT SERVICE
SIMPLY NORTHWEST Sending a custom created gift basket from Simply Northwest is a great way to 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) 927-8206 SILVER: Edible Arrangements BRONZE: Christ Kitchen
BEST SIGN COMPANY
MOUNTAIN DOG SIGN COMPANY Mountain Dog is owned by Colonel Steve and Marshon Kempf. Steve is a retired Air Force F-16 pilot with over 27 years of military service, including combat service in both Gulf Wars. Marshon is a registered nurse. Mountain Dog offers Spokane and Coeur d’Alene business messaging options from ADA-compliant braille and lobby signage to exterior signage. They also offer Di-NOC laminate finishes for interiors, trade show exhibits, wide-format digital printing, and vehicle graphics and wraps. www.mountaintdogsigncompany.com (509) 590-0312
112 N Altamont St Spokane, WA 99208
509-535-2022
LOCATIONS.ABM.COM
Visit our website to see a video tour
www.PaulsenCenter.com
AVAILABLE OFFICE SPACE 421 W Riverside Ave | Spokane, WA 99201 BEST OFFICE BUILDING/ OFFICE PARK
Suite 1081/ 725 sf/ $906 per month 2 large offices and reception area South facing views
Suite 902 / 1,218 sf / $1,320 per month
Open floor plan with 1 office; break area and storage South facing views
Suite 665 / 1,965 sf / $2,293 per month
East corner office w/ four offices, conference room, breakroom and built in reception desk.
Suite 1555 / 1,795 sf / $2,393 per month
East corner office with spectacular views of North and South Spokane. 4 offices, conference room complete with French doors, and break room.
Suite 1600 / 5,583 sf / $7,677 per month
SILVER: Baldwin Signs BRONZE: Signs For Success
East corner office with several offices, two conference rooms and breakroom.
BEST BUSINESS STARTUP
The Most Prestigious Address in Town! The Penthouse. Access via secure elevator, awe-some views; 500 sf patio space overlooking Spokane.
GOLD: HYPERSCIENCES SILVER: Saranac Commons BRONZE: Cinder
Suite 1700 / 2,320 sf / $4,500 per month
Lisa Dowers, Lisa.dowers@paulsencenter.com, (509) 590-0685 Scarlett Stalter, Scarlett.stalter@paulsencenter.com, (509) 321-3991 winter 2015/2016
29
BEST HIGH TECH FIRM
ETAILZ etailz is an online retailer ushering in the next wave of commerce. They curate quality products for modern consumers and develop innovative technology for leading vendors. etailz is committed to helping vendors navigate international and domestic online marketplaces. Their industry experience and unique strategies have enabled them to become a top merchant on Amazon. Co-founders, Josh Neblett, Sarah Wolnick, and Tom Simpson are passionate about technology and entrepreneurship in the Spokane area. www.etailz.com (855) 300-2710 SILVER: Itron BRONZE: GravityJack
BEST ENGINEERING FIRM
COFFMAN ENGINEERING Incorporated in 1979, they have offices in Anchorage, Alaska, Bozeman, Hagatna, Guam; Honolulu, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle, and Spokane. The Spokane office was the result of a merger between Coffman Engineers and the structural firm Peden Petersen & Lee (PPL) in 1995. The office thrives on being integrated on multiple levels ... not just technically in their work, but also as good friends spending time together after hours and fostering a culture of healthy and whole people. www.coffman.com 509) 328-2994 SILVER: DCI Engineers BRONZE: TD&H Engineering
30
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
BEST COLLECTION AGENCY
BONDED ADJUSTMENT COMPANY You deserve what’s coming to you. Bonded Adjustment Company has been locally owned and operated since 1916. Licensed and bonded in Washington, they specialize in asset recovery for medical, dental, law and utilities; open credit accounts; bad checks and NSF; judgments; and civil restitution. Bonded Adjustment maintains strict adherence to Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act. www.bondedadj.com (509) 624-5181 SILVER: Automated Accounts BRONZE: Valley Empire Collections
BEST COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE FIRM
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: NAC Architecture BRONZE: Integrus
winter 2015/2016
31
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 his job is to capture compelling and effective images that translate equally well in print, digital, and interactive media—on time and on budget—Davis’s commitment to you is to provide a photography experience based on honesty, respect, and professionalism. www.deandavis.com (509) 456-8799 SILVER: Tony Roslund BRONZE: Diane Maehl
BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY
HANNA & ASSOCIATES Founded by Dayne Hanna 37 years ago, Hanna and Associates in Coeur d’Alene has become one of the largest branding and marketing communications firms in the Inland Northwest. It opened a second office in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, to serve longdistance clients. The award-winning agency serves a broad assortment of regional and national businesses and industries. Its current client list includes Northern Quest Resort and Casino, Avista Utilities, Pita Pit USA, Heritage University and Jewelry Design Center. www.hanna-advertising.com (208) 667-2428 SILVER: Quinn Group BRONZE: Market Vision
BEST PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY
DESAUTEL-HEGE COMMUNICATIONS 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. Desautel-Hege 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 SILVER: Galatin Group BRONZE: Propaganda Creative
32
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
BEST COMPUTER REPAIR BUSINESS
FRIENDLY COMPUTERS Friendly Computers is your reliable source for all your computer needs. They offer inshop or on-site services for all your business and residential needs: computer repair, virus removals, data recovery, networking, and more. They support their customers during and after the repair. You’re not just a number at Friendly Computers. www.friendlycomputersspokane.com (509) 315-9492 SILVER: Strong Solutions BRONZE: Mobile Computer Services
BEST BUSINESS INSURANCE FIRM
ANDRE-ROMBERG Andre-Romberg is a locally owned and operated agency with a long tradition of professional insurance service to the Inland Northwest since 1946. Since they are an Independent Insurance Agency, they can find the best insurance coverage for you. They are a full service agency with the experience and knowledge to work with you in protecting your home, auto and business. www.andre-romberg.com (509) 624-3291 SILVER: Moloney + O’Neill BRONZE: Country Insurance
BEST PRINTING COMPANY
PLESE PRINTING & MARKETING Plese Printing & Marketing is a state-of-theart, full service, commercial printing company located in Spokane. Plese Printing & Marketing 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: Mojo Print BRONZE: Lawton Printing Services
THANK YOU SPOKANE FOR YOUR VOTES! BEST RESTAURANT FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH
SPOKANE CLUB Located in the heart of the downtown business core, the Spokane Club offers the ideal venue for business people to meet, network, and host clients in a prestigious, casually elegant atmosphere. It’s also the perfect spot for holiday parties, awards dinners and employee appreciation events. For entrepreneurs and small business owners working from home offices, the Club provides a multi-purpose professional environment to negotiate contracts, build business connections and celebrate team successes. www.spokaneclub.org (509) 838-8511 SILVER: Hay J’s Bistro BRONZE: Scratch
BEST CATERING BUSINESS
FERY’S CATERING Fery Haghighi has been a restaurateur and pastry chef in Spokane since 1980. Her first business, Au Croissant, was a huge success. Over time, Fery added a sit-down dinner menu to her restaurant and eventually, she decided to use her creativity in a catering and take-out venue. Some of the largest caterings in the area are done by Fery and her staff, as well as some of the most intimate gatherings. www.feryscatering.com (509) 458-5234 SILVER: Beacon Hill BRONZE: Catered for You
BEST EVENT FACILITY
NORTHERN QUEST CASINO Northern Quest Resort & Casino is the Inland Northwest’s only AAA Four Diamond casino resort. With more than 22,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 16,000 of which is dedicated conference rooms, the property is a meeting planners dream. Meeting space features state of the art integrated technology and a team of certified IT and A/V experts are capable of assisting with the most dynamic requests. www.northernquest.com (509) 242-7000
BEST
EMPLOYMENT AGENCY 2015
Local Relationships. Best Talent. Great Jobs.
Connect With A Recruiter Now!
1-800-805-0361
WWW.PROVISIONAL.COM
SILVER: Spokane Convention Center BRONZE: Lincoln Center alon kets, s ent tic d more ! v e , g in an on din es, travel servic
who doesn't love a good deal? winter 2015/2016
33
Thank you Spokane for voting DCI Engineers a Top Engineering Firm!
BEST PLACE TO HOST A COMPANY PARTY
THE COEUR D’ALENE CASINO The Coeur d’Alene Casino story is relatively brief in the world of gaming and resort development, having begun in March 1993. Yet, their story is timeless in the world of traditional Indian hospitality. It is hospitality, you see, that has nurtured their relationships with guests since that small bingo operation was first introduced to their friends here in the Inland Northwest. www.cdacasino.com (800) 523-2464
MELISSA MURPHY Consistently ranked among the top agents in the city for the past decade, Melissa Murphy has forged a reputation based on market knowledge and superior client representation. Melissa has listed and sold more than 600 homes throughout Spokane and Spokane County over the years. Melissa has the knowledge, skills, and motivation to complete your transaction with a best-scenario ending. www.propertybyprime.com (509) 218-HOME
SILVER: Northern Quest Resort & Casino BRONZE: Chateau Rive at the Flour Mill
SILVER: Heather Hanley BRONZE: Nancy Nelson
BEST OFFICE BUILDING
BEST TRADE SHOW DISPLAYS
MCKINSTRY BUILDING The Spokane & Inland Empire Railroad (SIERR Building) at McKinstry Station, built in 1907, was formerly a repair depot for the city’s first electric railway system. McKinstry converted this turn-of-the-century building into their innovative, energy efficient Regional Inland Northwest headquarters, complete with green office space and retail tenants. www.mckinstry.com (509) 747-3389 SILVER: Iron Bridge Office Campus BRONZE: Paulsen Building
BEST LOCAL BUSINESS MAN
34
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
BEST LOCAL BUSINESS WOMAN
SKYLINE INLAND NORTHWEST Skyline helps you succeed with design, service, and high quality trade show displays. They offer custom modular exhibits and portable trade show displays to match any size and budget. From design and functionality to logistics and budget, they have you covered. www.skyline.com (509) 892-5354 Silver: LCD Exposition Services Bronze: FastSigns
BEST COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
WALT WORTHY Walt Worth is a man of vision and a successful businessman with the aptitude for bringing his plans to fruition. Best known as the redeveloper of The Davenport Hotel and more recently the developer of The Grand Hotel, Worthy’s investments and developments have included condominiums, storage facilities, student housing, commercial buildings and office complexes. (509) 455-8888 www.davenporthotelcollection.com
BAKER CONSTRUCTION Baker Construction & Development, Inc. is one of the premier construction and development companies in the Western United States and is committed to providing their customers with superior service and construction. Baker Construction & Development, Inc. succeeds by developing and retaining relationships with those customers who share their passion for and recognize the value of the superior construction services they provide. www.bakerconstruct.com (509) 535-3668
SILVER: Jerry Dicker BRONZE: David Black
SILVER: Lydig BRONZE: Garco
BEST COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE FIRM
BEST WEB DESIGN BUSINESS
LAND EXPRESSIONS Land Expressions designs spaces for human use, creating places that are well planned, designed, and crafted for the purpose of creating a positive interaction between people, the built environment and our natural world. As landscape architects they apply their comprehensive knowledge as problem solvers, visionaries, artists, builders and craftsmen. www.landexpressions.com (509) 466-6683 SILVER: Four Seasons Landscaping BRONZE: Dew Drop Landscaping
BEST WEB DESIGN BUSINESS
DESIGN SPIKE There’s no B-team at Design Spike. Everyone at their advertising agency plays a role in bringing your brand’s story to life. They are small by design and love it when an ad comes together. Design Spike offers consulting, web design and development, brand strategy, printed collateral design and much more. www.designspike.com (509) 252-5060 SILVER: Well Dressed Walrus BRONZE: Rainmaker Creative
BEST WHOLESALE COFFEE SERVICE
COFFEE SYSTEMS At Coffee Systems, Inc., they pride themselves in providing quality service, products, and consulting to businesses, hotels, restaurants, food service, and convenience stores. With access to over twelve different roasters, they are confident they can find a gourmet coffee to fit any discriminating gourmet palate or budgetconscious application. www.coffeesystems.com (877) 927-7272 SILVER: Thomas Hammer BRONZE: Craven’s Coffee
winter 2015/2016
35
BEST CREDIT UNION
NUMERICA CREDIT UNION Numerica Credit Union understands that life and money are in constant motion. So for over 75 years, they’ve helped protect and advance our members’ financial health through better rates, lower fees, no-stress services and outstanding support. Since they’re founded by locals and owned by members, they always find ways to give back to the communities in which we all live and work. www.numericacu.com (509) 535-7613 SILVER: STCU BRONZE: Global Credit Union
BEST FACTORING COMPANY
UNIVERSAL FUNDING Many of Universal’s clients find them after being dissatisfied with another factoring company. Universal makes a difference by making your success their success; they tailor an accounts receivable financing program to perfectly fit your business needs. They anticipate your company’s growth, therefore, your line of capital can grow with you. www.universalfunding.com (855) 782-1493 SILVER: Lawson and Lawson BRONZE: AMCI
BEST BUSINESS SECURITY SYSTEM PROVIDER
ALLIED FIRE & SECURITY Allied Fire & Security has been a leading edge provider of integrated security for homes, businesses, banks, and government buildings for over 70 years. Today, they still offer the most advanced security technology along with a host of other products and services, such as home and commercial safes, lock and key services, alarm monitoring services, and much more. www.alliedfireandsecurity.com (509) 624-3152 SILVER: ADT BRONZE: Certified Security & Sound
36
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
BEST OFFICE SUPPLY BUSINESS
KERSHAW’S Kershaw’s is big enough to get you the right product at the right price yet small enough to be flexible to the way you do business. Kershaw’s was founded in Spokane in 1900 and has been providing products and services to the Spokane business community since. There have been many changes over the last 100 years but one thing remains consistent, their commitment to service. www.kershaws-spokane.com (509) 456-6500 SILVER: Office Depot BRONZE: Staples
BEST MAINTENANCE & JANITORIAL SERVICE
ABM JANITORIAL SERVICES ABM Cleaning Services combines today’s most efficient cleaning solutions and technology with more than 100 years of innovative experience. They offer a full range of services based on your individual needs and facility type: single or multiple locations nationwide, a one-time service call, or an ongoing cleaning maintenance program. www.abm.com (866) 726-2651
2015 SPOKANE PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR! ROTARY CLUB 21, IN COLLABORATION WITH ROTARY INTERNATIONAL, CHAMPIONS HEALTH, EDUCATION AND PEACE THROUGH FELLOWSHIP AND SERVICE USING OUR RESOURCES TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY AND WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
COME SERVE WITH US! LEARN MORE (509) 534-8998 ROTARYSPOKANE.COM
SILVER: Jan-Pro BRONZE: Total Clean Commercial Cleaning
BEST TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIRM
CENTURYLINK CenturyLink, Inc., is an American worldwide communications company headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. It provides communications and data services to residential, business, governmental and wholesale customers in 36 states. www.centurylink.com/business SILVER: Comcast BRONZE: Tel-West
winter 2015/2016
37
38
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
40
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
photo courtsey of Sam Rodell Architects
TOPIX
THINKING
GREEN
INVESTING IN GREEN CONSTRUCTION by Erika Prins
IN
construction industry marketing, the term “energy efficient� often means building to code compliance and nothing more. Sometimes, though, it means much more. Engineering a building for airtightness and insulation nearly eliminates the need for heavy-duty heating and air conditioning systems. Filtered ventilation controls all airflow into the home, scrubbing out pollutants to laboratory levels. Proper sun exposure even heats the building almost entirely.
winter 2015/2016
41
photo courtsey of Pura Vida
Pura Vida sees growth in “deep energy retrofits” for existing buildings that reach beyond what Tenold calls the “low-hanging fruit,” like replacing furnaces and sealing air leaks commonly subsidized by public utilities. “They’re trying to—and justifiably so—help as many people as they possibly can,” Tenold says. “So, the simplest way to do that has been through very basic energy audits of projects.” Tenold says we can do more. The region is at a tipping point, he says: to meet projected energy demand, we must either build additional power power plants or buckle down on efficiency. His money is on energy efficiency—and he’s not alone. The Northwest Power and Conservation This approach, called Passive House, doesn’t bear the strange appearance of Council, charged with creating the Northwest the “passive solar” building of the 60s and 70’, yet adheres to much more strinstates’ twenty-year regional power plan in accorgent and comprehensive standards than its predecessor. dance with federal law, reports, “Using modeling A Passive House or Passive Commercial Building looks like any other house to test how well different resources would perbut consumes about 90 percent less energy. Yet, building a Passive Houseform under a wide range of future conditions, compliant building doesn’t cost much—if any—more than conventional conenergy efficiency consistently proved the least struction. expensive and least economically risky resource.” “People think this Passive House thing—that they can’t afford it—but if they In an overwhelming 90 percent of scenarios, look at it, they’ll find they can’t not afford it,” says Sam Rodell, owner of Sam energy-efficiency measures, not building new Rodell Architects in Spokane. “The initial cost is so easily overcome by the power plants, could meet all the region’s increased savings.” energy demand through the year 2035. The savings pencil out for families whose energy bills can get as low as the Tenold expects the retrofit industry to fall in price of a pint of beer. For corporate projects, the numbers astound. line with his “deep energy retrofit” model in the “We did a project for a [corporate] client last year that is saving them coming years, examining insulation levels, light$120,000 a year on their energy bill. It was in Spokane Valley and it didn’t cost ing and other energy hogs in addition to sealing them any more to build.” leaks and replacing old furnaces. In recent decades, the Passive House approach RoEnergy used to light, heat and cool dell uses for all his projects has gained such momentum buildings accounts for 47 percent of “A well-designed that it’s been adopted as building code in many Gerglobal greenhouse gas emissions. Facman, Austrian and Scandinavian municipalities. The tory pollution, agriculture, forestry space that’s a little European Union requires all member states to elevate and transportation trail behind signifibuilding codes to “nearly zero-energy” by 2020. cantly. bit smaller will Gavin Tenold owns Pura Vida High Performance Yet, both Tenold and Rodell say always be more Builders with his wife, Anne Grayhek Tenold. Like that’s not a selling point they often use. Rodell, Tenold is a certified Passive House Consul“That’s a values question. Energydesirable than a tant and Certified Passive House builder specializing efficiency is not a values question; it’s in energy-efficient homes and “green” building using a pocketbook question,” Tenold says. larger, poorly—or sustainably sourced materials. “My current Passive Home construcless thoughtfully— tion clients are educated people. They Tenold’s custom-built homes do cost more than production housing—but not because they’re built to Pasare making a smart financial decision,” designed space.” sive House standards. Clients in a position to build a he says. custom home often want larger homes with big-ticket Rodell even thinks the environluxury interior finishes. mental angle repels certain clients. “We encourage our clients to build a little bit smaller “It’s unfortunate that this is politicized, but and a whole lot smarter,” Tenold says. “A well-designed space that’s a little bit highly conservative people are very conservative smaller will always be more desirable than a larger, poorly—or less thoughtabout ‘green,’” he says. “They’re very skeptical fully—designed space.” about it—they feel you reaching into their walSustainably sourced building materials, which are optional for Passive House let.” construction, can also drive up building costs, not because the materials are Instead, Rodell’s learned to speak their lanpricey, but because finding them can be time-consuming. Clients often hunt guage: laying out the costs and savings in a spreaddown products and materials on their own to bring down costs. sheet. “Numbers don’t lie,” he says.
42
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
DOWNTOWN SPOKANE’S PREMIER RIVERSIDE EVENT CENTER Located on the ground floor of the historic Flour Mill building, Chateau Rive is an elegant venue with old world charm.
The perfect venue for company parties, weddings, luncheons, meetings, retreats and trade shows. F O R M O RE I N F O R M AT I O N O N FAC IL ITY RENTAL RATES & C ATERING OPT I O N S ,
PLEASE CALL 509.795.2030
PRESENTED BY
6 2 1 W E S T M A L L O N AV E N U E , S P O K A N E , WA 9 9 2 0 1 W W W. C H AT E A U R I V E . C O M
TECH / DEVELOPMENT:
A ROUNDUP OF ENTREPRENEURIAL
paper florist. Give flowers that last. (509) 230-1911 | www.paperflowers.com | 301 W. 2nd Ave Seasonal • Wedding • Birthday • Anniversary • Branding • Gift Giving • Home Decor
44
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
RESOURCES
Your everything
Build Guild Spokane (on Facebook) WSU Innovation Center (UDistrict Spokane/Innovate NW) MEETUP.COM sites: Spokane Frontend Spokane Game Development Spokane PHP/Backend Dev. Spokane Python Spokane UI/UX Design
STARTUP / ENTREPRENEURSHIP Coffee & Concepts www.innovatecda.com
StartUp Spokane www.startupspokane.com Ignite Northwest www.ignitenorthwest.com Innovate Washington Foundation www.innovatewashington.org SNAP www.snapwa.org SCORE Spokane www.scorespokane.org Small Business Administration www.sba.gov CO-WORKING /STARTUP SPACE Buchanan Building www.buchananbuilding.com Fellow Coworking www.workatfellow.com IC: Work www.inovatecda.com/co-working/ StartUp Spokane Central www.startupspokane.com/coworking Spokane Entrepreneurial Center www.spokanecenter.biz Toolbox www.toolboxnw.com Spokane Create! www.spokanecreate.org
20
16
WIBL Awards Nominations OPEN Established Business Owner/Leader: These women have been business leaders or owners for more than five years. Emerging Business Owner/Leader: These women have been in business leadership or ownership roles for less than five years. Movers & Shakers: These women business leaders are also involved in many different organizations throughout the community (volunteerism, nonprofit boards, etc). Nonprofit Leader: These women lead nonprofit organizations in our region.
NOMINATIONS:
Email your nominations to: editor@ibcatalyst.com Deadline for nominations: Friday, January 29th Self-nominations are accepted Must include: Name of Nominee, Their Business Their Email, Category Nominees will be contacted for further information
EQUILIBRIUM 46
Gray Dog Press A Nimble Pup by Dennis Held
You know
what they say about old dogs and new tricks. But Gray Dog Press, started in 2006 as a subsidiary of Ditto’s Digital Solutions, has had to learn new ways of staying in the front of the pack. “If you go back six years, Gray Dog wasn’t even a blip on the radar,” says Russ Davis, who owns the business with his wife, Julie. “But in terms of book production, in the last four years, Gray Dog has grown about 15 to 20 percent a year.” Three years ago, the business moved from Lincoln Heights to a renovated building at 2515 E. Sprague. Everything Davis needs to print a book is housed under one roof. Grey Dog’s high tech tools means that Davis’s design work is in high demand. “As of today, I have a dozen books I’m doing layout work on. A couple of years ago, it might have been two or three.” Gray Dog publishes work by local writers under its own imprint. “We have about 20 titles,” Davis says, “mostly local and regional trail guides and topical books. We’ve published a guide to Spokane cemeteries, and a book about Lake Chelan that’s sold well.” Grey Dog dabbled early on in fiction, poetry and memoirs and found out quickly that “We didn’t appreciate the difficulty of selling those things.” Now, they stay with the nonfiction books that won’t go out of style. About 15 percent of the books Gray Dog Press prints are for local self-published authors and books for small presses nationwide. “In the last six months, I’ve picked up four new publishers: two in Southern California, one in Florida, and one in Brooklyn.” Gray Dog has found itself referred by word of mouth. “They see each other at trade shows, at conferences, and they say, hey, that
CATALYST | www.ibcatalyst.com
book looks good. Who does your printing?” For the majority of the local authors he works with, Davis designs the book, including the cover and the interior layout. “To a large degree, they know what they want--they just don’t know how to get there. “The strength of any company is based on their ability to fill a niche. Just about any printer still in business has one thing they do especially well. Ours is book production.” It took eight or so years to get everything dialed in but Davis has configured his machines to most efficiently accomplish the task. Davis himself is no stranger to change. He started out in the oil business, became a computer programmer, and eventually opened the print shop on the South Hill. Because of the recession, Davis says, the number of printers in the region dropped from “about 100 to 20.” His business was not immune from the decline. “In a six-month period, a number of small business print customers went away. When you lose 30 to 40 accounts just like that, you have to figure something else out.” That “something else” included the move. “We were coming to the end of our lease,” Davis says, “and we were looking at getting out of self-service printing. So we moved to this location. It took about a year to get caught up with our moving expenses. We spent three years going down and three years digging back out, so overall the move has been a very good thing.” Davis says the combined businesses employ six people full-time. “We’re growing, and I’m training Julie to help with book design. It’s hard to keep up with the demand.” That’s a problem any old dog would be glad to have.
by Erika Prins
Jay Swanson week.
wrote his recentlypublished novel in one
Shadows of the Highridge draws inspiration from an unlikely mash-up of Alan Patton’s novel Cry, the Beloved Country, set in pre-Apartheid South Africa, and the Western horror flick Tremors.” He delivers the tale of how this came to be in a breathless play-by-play. For years, he’s developed an intricate character, Salisir, and searched for the right way to tell his story. “He’s sort of like this ‘most interesting man in the world’ character,” Swanson says, one who has powerful enemies within the fictional universe where Swanson’s six novels—including serial novel Into the Nanten, released in daily installments on his website —take place. Swanson talks about this guy like he’s real: Personality quirks. Backstory. Complicated relationships with characters his devoted pack of readers know from the other books. Swanson starts writing Salisir’s autobiography. He can tell right away it’s going to be long. Problem is, it can’t be long: the book’s deadline is two weeks away. On the plane that week (he flies all over the country for his day job) Swanson reads Cry, the Beloved Country, part of which takes place on a countryside farm. Something about the farm feels right. “I was like, ‘Okay, this is my setting,” he says, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with this, but I have a setting.” Then, he remembers Tremors, in which a town is mystified by a series of gruesome crimes. A cabal of giant worm monsters emerge and the plot thickens. In Swanson’s world, Cry, the Beloved Country’s farm and the Tremors storyline constitute prime plot material. The story mari-
nates in his head for a week. He doesn’t even have a Chapter One when he arrives home to Spokane. Each morning for a week, he finds a cafe, opens his laptop and makes himself write. “The first hour is pretty painful. But, when you get into it, you don’t stop until you’re too tired to keep going,” he says. He writes a few chapters, then deletes them. He starts over, this time “a little closer to the action.” He’s averaged eight hours per day and 10,000 words for most of his books. Shadows of the Highbridge doesn’t come so easily, so he’s averaged half that. A week later, Swanson has the first draft of his book. What follows (revisions, editors, more revisions, proofreaders) sounds like a publishing house’s next steps for his novel. But it’s not. Swanson self-publishes, collaborating with artists he’s found online and wrangling his own editorial staff. By now, he’s gotten good at it. So good, he says, he’s being courted by a publisher. Volume One of Into the Nanten, his serial novel, has been downloaded more than 40,000 times and sold more than 1,000 copies. He’d like to expand his invented world into “a universe of multimedia offerings.” Offering things like video games, board games, comics and movies. “That’s the long road,” he says. “I started in 2010—really started working on this—and I’ll be lucky if I get somewhere by 2020.”
winter 2015/2016
EQUILIBRIUM
The Long Road
47
Tapio Yellow Flag Bldg Ste #209 104 S. Freya, Spokane, Wa 99202-4866