JUNE 2019 • VOL. 19, NO. 6
Locally made
The people and companies behind Snohomish County products. B3
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June 2019 The Herald Business Journal
The Herald Business Journal
June 2019
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People and companies behind locally made products Herald Writer
What’s made in Snohomish County? The better question may be: What’s not made here? How about airplanes, bird control devices, costumes, dairy products, espresso, food products, garden tools, hand-crafted furniture, (aircraft) interiors for East Coast sports teams and airlines, jewelry, soups and
leather goods — well, you get the idea. Locally, manufacturing is a big economic driver, says Economic Alliance Snohomish County. Of the county’s 300,000 non-farm jobs, one-fifth, or nearly 60,000, are related to manufacturing. Aerospace products and parts manufacturing dominate, but that leaves plenty of room for makers of (A) water skis, (B) smart mirrors, (C) ocean-going
submersibles, (D) publicly traded toy producers and (E) tool-makers. (Answers below.) And there’s more on the way. On May 1, Kolstrand, a maritime fabricator, moved into a new Marysville facility. The family-owned business had been based in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood since 1929. Paul Glyer, the company’s chief operating officer, predicted that over the next decade “the maritime industry will move out of Ballard and most will be either
moving to Marysville/Arlington or Bellingham.” Glyer said that most of Kolstrand’s technicians already live in Snohomish County. Also last month, Web Industries, a Boston-based aerospace materials manufacturer, announced plans to open a factory in the Arlington Marysville Manufacturing Industrial Center, bringing more than 70 jobs to the region by 2021. Web Industries’ composite products are used in Boeing’s 787
Dreamliner and the wings of the new 777X. In both cases, Economic Alliance introduced the companies to Snohomish County. This month’s Herald Business Journal features stories about the people and companies behind locally made products. Answers: (A) Connelly Skis, (B) Electric Mirror, (C) OceanGate, (D) Funko, (E) Fluke Corp.
By Janice Podsada
This Arlington company was hired to ‘cool’ the Patriots’ jets Commercial Aircraft Interiors has been making airplane cabins look brand new since 2003. By Janice Podsada Herald Writer
ARLINGTON — The New England Patriots wanted their new ride to look as fly on the inside as out. Tired of squeezing into coach on charter flights, the football team bought a used Boeing 767-300 with 30 years of wear and tear. The former American Airlines passenger jet got a new red, white and blue paint job and five Super Bowl logos (this was 2017). But after years of commercial service, the plane’s interior also needed a refresh. Commercial Aircraft Interiors, an Arlington company that employs 80, has been making tired commercial airplane interiors look brand new since 2003. In 2017, the Patriots chose the Arlington firm to “cool” their jets. (The team actually bought two Boeing 767s; one as a spare.) “We take used materials, refurbish them to a like-new condition and pair them with new
ANDY BRONSON / THE HERALD
Commercial Aircraft Interiors General Manager James Barnett stands in a warehouse of Boeing 777 overhead bins at the company’s new building in Arlington.
components as required,” said Carlos Veliz, the company’s business strategist. Besides a few sports teams, Commercial Aircraft Interiors
serves domestic and international airlines and some militaries, Veliz said. The new and retrofit aircraft interiors market is worth an
estimated $26 billion a year and growing, according to Aircraft Interiors International magazine. Said Veliz: “Everything a passenger sees inside the cabin
from the flight deck on — we refurbish. That includes overhead bins, interior panels and See JETS, Page B4
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The Herald Business Journal
ANDY BRONSON / THE HERALD
Lee Johnson and his wife, Lee Johnson, organize parts for oxygen boxes in a warehouse at Commercial Aircraft Interiors in Arlington.
Jets Community Bank. Community Bankers.
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From Page B3
galleys, along with the parts that can’t be seen, such as the supporting wire harnesses, secondary structures and hardware.” The firm recently relocated from five smaller buildings to one 180,000-square-foot Arlington building, the size of a big-box store. “We do the machining, wire harness assemblies, composites manufacturing and priming and painting here. We’re a one-stop shop,” Veliz said. Inside the new warehouse, overhead bins and other components are stacked to the ceiling on huge shelves. In the next few years, the company hopes to reach $40 million in annual revenue, said James Barnett, the firm’s general manager. Commercial Aircraft Interiors also plans to develop an on-site training facility and partner with local schools to offer internships
and employment opportunities. Overhauling an airplane’s interior isn’t like remodeling the living room. Federal Aviation Administration regulations spell out how every part must be processed and certified, Barnett said. It’s Robert Lott’s job to scour the world for used airplane interiors. Airplane manufacturers, airlines and airplane leasing companies are primary sources, said Lott, the company’s sales and program manager. Manufacturers may have new seats or other items for sale, Lott said. Or airlines might jettison some or all of the cabin when they take out the frills and add more seats (to pack in more passengers). Whether it’s a wornout passenger plane destined to be scrapped or turned into a freighter, there’s plenty that can be salvaged, Lott said. When he makes a purchase, the company typically dispatches a crew to carefully remove the interior.
“I always have a bag packed,” said Dustin Welch, the company’s vice president of field operations. Welch oversaw the project to rehab the Patriots’ two jets. First, they removed the old furnishings.”By the time we finished in there, it was empty tube,” Welch said. The cabin’s soiled bins, ceilings and overhead panels were refinished with “bright white decorative coverings,” Welch said. The jet’s dark sidewall panels, lavatories and galleys “got a much brighter laminate to help lighten up the interior,” he said. The old narrow seats were removed, and larger seats with more legroom were installed. Up front, the cockpit seats were re-covered with blue sheepskins, Welch said. Refurbishing a commercial jet interior from “nose to tail starts at about $750,000,”said general manager Barnett. “Beyond that the sky’s the limit,” he said. Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
The Herald Business Journal
June 2019
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One custom handbag led to another — and sew on Madeline Chadwick has gradually built a home business that began with a chance encounter
Madeline Chadwick models a Yucatán crossbody bag at her home in Lake Stevens.
By Julia-Grace Sanders Herald Writer
LAKE STEVENS — Madeline Chadwick’s home studio is filled with the earthy, sweet scent of new leather. But after more than a decade making handbags, Chadwick said she can’t really smell it anymore. One wall of her airy studio is lined with recently completed projects. Her products range from sleek, minimalist clutches with nature-inspired details to totes with bright floral textiles. Chadwick describes her merchandise as functional, clean designs for a cool gal — and her clientele range from 18 to 80. “My bags allow people to be a bit more playful with their style,” she said. Chadwick got her first sewing machine at 18, when her goal was to get into costume design. Soon after, her brother asked her to make him a bag. She made one out of upholstery, and made one for herself while she was at it. Chadwick was wearing the bag in Seattle when someone stopped her to ask where she got it. “I made it, and I can make you one for $100,” Chadwick replied. Coming from a long line of entrepreneurs, Chadwick said she’s always known how to make a sale. Her parents owned a cleaning company, her uncle started a landscaping business and her grandfather, Bernie Webber, established himself as a prominent muralist. With many of Webber’s descendants also pursuing art as a livelihood, Chadwick said
Fabrics which Madeline Chadwick has collected during her travels, at her home in Lake Stevens.
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
Madeline Chadwick works on a bucket bag in her work room at her home in Lake Stevens.
“I never rag on Everett because it’s given me the ability to have this business”
Madeline Chadwick works on the strap of a bucket bag.
— Madeline Chadwick
creative pursuits were always supported as a viable career path in her family. “I’ve had the example of this being a potential life path since childhood,” she said. “It was encouraged.” Even with that support, starting her business was far from easy. “A lot of tears went into the last 10 years of my life,” she said. For the first six years, Chadwick worked part time for her parents while working toward full-time sewing. That happened in 2013. Chadwick’s deep Everett roots have helped her find success through a direct-to-consumer
Madeline Chadwick in her home studio.
approach. The majority of her sales are at markets or through Etsy and Instagram. It started with friends and family buying her bags. Then her friends’ friends, and so on.
“I never rag on Everett because it’s given me the ability to have this business,” she said. After starting with fabric bags, Chadwick taught herself to sew leather. She now sources material
from all over the U.S. and gets hand-made textiles in Mexico, which she incorporates into straps and details on leather bags. For most of her time making handbags, Chadwick worked out of her living room. About a year ago she moved to a place in Lake Stevens with a small, detached studio. With room to grow, she’s thinking of what comes next. Chadwick said she’d like to see her bags sold in boutiques around the country. She doesn’t have any interest in becoming a big business, though. Her focus is on quality over quantity. “That’s the number one thing my customers appreciate” she said. “I take a lot of pride in making a super-quality item.”
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Water-ski maker Connelly is expanding from boards to tubes
A wood inlay water ski at Connelly Skis in Lynnwood.
Meanwhile, tariffs could raise production costs at the longtime Lynnwood manufacturer. By Janice Podsada Herald Writer
LYNNWOOD — Connelly Skis would like to provide distributors with a list of rock-solid prices for its new line of water sports equipment, but until the trade war between the U.S. and China is resolved, the numbers are fluid. “At this point we’re starting to quote the prices of our 2020 product line, but there’s an asterisk — we’re telling people if we can’t honor the quote it’s because of higher tariffs,” said Jay Quam, the company’s vice president of marketing. Connelly, which makes water skis, wakeboards and other water-sport products, is facing uncertainty like other U.S. manufacturers. Increased tariffs on fiberglass and other materials it buys would raise production costs. Trade talks between the U.S. and China ended recently with no agreement, and the U.S. raised import tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. The Trump administration has said it’s prepared to extend tariffs to cover another $300 billion of goods. Tariffs, which are taxes paid by U.S. importers, are usually passed on to consumers or companies that depend on imported items. It’s hoped that trade talks will resume this summer. Once a week — usually Wednesdays — Connelly Skis
In the office of Connelly Skis in Lynnwood, a rack displays designs from over the years.
molds high-end water skis, wakeboards and wakesurf boards at its Lynnwood factory. “We mold once a week and then finish, package and prep for the next mold,” Quam said. The process sandwiches a foam core between layers of fiberglass or carbon fiber mesh, said Collin Spradlin, the company’s marketing manager. A paper-thin graphic layer brands the board and also protects against heat and sun damage. It’s then popped into a compression molding machine and baked at 180 degrees for 12 minutes. Workers then hand finish the board, an hour-long process, Spradlin said. Connelly Skis was founded in 1965 inside a garage in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood. In 1955, Chicago-native Pat
Brian Madsen works on a jump ski at Connelly Skis in Lynnwood.
Connelly who died in 2014, moved to Seattle to pursue his passion for skiing — on snow and water. (Sorry, but it took a
Midwesterner, Ralph Samuelson, to invent water skiing in 1922. Samuelson strapped boards to his feet and used a clothesline as a behind-the-boat tow rope on a
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
Minnesota lake.) By 1965, Connelly was making a few simple flat-bottomed water skis from mahogany and cedar. “He would go down to Alki Beach and sell them out of the back of his van — people were buying them because they were beautiful works of art,” Quam said. If you visit the Lynnwood factory, you can see examples of his curving-inlaid wooden skis, forms that would be at home in a sculpture garden. In mid-1970s, Connelly moved from the garage to the company’s Lynnwood location at 20621 52nd Ave. W. By that time, lighter and stronger fiberglass had begun to replace wooden skis. “Connelly Skis eventually went from a local brand to a global See SKI, Page B7
The Herald Business Journal
Ski
High-end slalom skis range from about $350 to $1,700, he said. Connelly, which employs about 40 in the Puget Sound area, also keeps a few professional water skiers, most of them based in Florida, on salary to test the pro-level skis. New, recreational water sport designs get a try-out
From Page B6
brand,” Quam said. Its products are available at national chains like Dick’s Sporting Goods and independents such as Wiley’s Watersports in Seattle. In the mid-1990s, the company began producing water skis to fit differentsized skiers, and began making wakeboards and wakesurf boards. Wakeboards, a cross between a water ski and a surf board, emerged in the mid-1980s, followed by wakesurfing. Here’s the difference: In wakeboarding, a rider is towed behind a boat traveling about 10 mph. Wakesurfing also involves a boat and tow rope, but once a rider catches the boat’s wake, he or she drops the rope. In recent years, Connelly
June 2019
at the local pond. “That’s what I’m doing this weekend,” said Spradlin.”Going to Lake Washington.” As for trade talks and tariffs, “We can only wait and see,” Quam said. Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
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Connelly Skis marketing manager Collin Spradlin reveals the structure that helps make a board lighter.
Skis has begun focusing on water sports “that everyone can do,” Quam said. That includes inner
tubes that can fit one to six riders, floats for the pool and tow tubes. “Higher-end slalom
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skis are a tougher market,” Quam said. Wakeboards sell from about $300 to $800.
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Dr. Beyer with 2018 graduation speaker Ashley Kay Smith Everett Community College does not discriminate based on, but not limited to, race, color, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, language, culture, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy or parental status, marital status, actual or perceived disability, use of service animal, economic status, military or veteran status, spirituality or religion, or genetic information.
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‘We love Everett!’ A business finds a new home By Janice Podsada Herald Writer
EVERETT — A 40-year Seattle business that can help channel your inner Henry VIII or Sansa Stark has found new life in Snohomish County. Vintage Costumers, which rents historical costumes (including “Game of Thrones”-inspired garb), spent its first 40 years in Seattle’s Roosevelt district. When the storefront it leased was sold to make way for a fivestory apartment building in 2013, owners Arnie Grossinger and Cyd Hand began a trek north. Their first stop was Shoreline, where they bought a fixer-upper. About to open, the city seized their property through eminent domain. “They needed it for a fire station. After settling with the city, we had two months to find a place,” Hand said. Seeking retail space, work room and living quarters, they found a building that fit the bill on the corner of Colby Avenue and 21st Street in Everett. Vintage Costumers, an independent business, is one of a growing number of King County firms that have found new digs in or near Snohomish County. DeLorean Service Northwest, which repairs DeLoreans and other vintage sports cars, relocated to the Woodinville area last year after being priced out of Bellevue. Black Lab Gallery shuttered its Fremont location and reopened in 2016 at 1618 Hewitt Ave. in Everett. “We love Everett, and we don’t want to move again!” said Hand at Vintage Costumers. Hand designs and sews about half of the store’s costumes, offering a range of sizes. The remainder, mostly 20th century items, are originals. “I make them from scratch,” said Hand, who admits to washing out of home economics sewing class because she was “too ambitious.” “My first project was a pair of low-rise bell-bottom pants made out of lilac corduroy. Pants
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
Customer Barbara Kiesling tries on clothing at Vintage Costumers in Everett.
Dodi Rose Zooropa repairs a recently returned rental at Vintage Costumers in Everett.
are still tricky, zippers too,” she laughed. Grossinger’s specialty is crafting for rent gladiator-inspired leather breastplates and steel body armor. The racks of Vintage Costumers brim with lady-in-waiting gowns, Victorian frocks and beaded flapper dresses. Henry VIII-style tunics, chain mail and military uniforms, as well as top hats and black-and-white spats, round out the collection. You might even find a baby-blue tuxedo on the rack — like the one your mom wouldn’t let you wear in 1977 — in your size. You won’t find superhero or character costumes or price tags, however. Vintage Costumers doesn’t sell clothing. “We just rent,” Hand said.
There’s no money in sales, Grossinger said. A custom-made garment might cost thousands of dollars, out of reach for most shoppers. Plus, it’s more fun to dream up something to rent than to try and please a buyer with a custom garment, Hand said. “They may have one idea and I have another,” she said. Complete costumes rent for about $130 a day. On a recent afternoon, Hand was cutting out strips of blue tulle, a fine-mesh fabric, to plump up a can-can dress that was on a dress form. A mannequin was cinched into a brilliant blue corset. Hand was transforming the thrift store find into the bodice of a Victorian See VINTAGE, Page B9
The Herald Business Journal
Vintage From Page B8
gown. The garments she and Grossinger create are “historically inspired,” which is distinct from true reproductions. Appealing to customers requires some creative license and “a nod to Hollywood,” Hand said. In fall and winter, Halloween, holiday parties and charity events keep the owners and a part-time employee busy. Summer draws the medieval and renaissance fair crowd. If you’re going to one, “consider renting a peasant costume,” Hand said. It’s cooler than strutting about as an overheated royal in 10 pounds of velvet, she explained. The vintage clothing trade isn’t a big moneymaker, said Grossinger, who started the business in 1976. “Up until 30 years ago,
you could make a living buying and selling used clothes,” he said. When the used-clothing market waned in the 1990s, the popularity of murdermystery parties presented an opportunity: rentals. “People weren’t into vintage clothing, but they had to be a character,” Hand said. Since then, they’ve outfitted rapper Macklemore and, last month, shipped a men’s Edwardian-era bathing suit to the TV program “Saturday Night Live.” What’s in vogue varies from year to year. Not surprisingly, “Game of Thrones” apparel is big right now. And 1980s prom dresses — think puffy sleeves and peplum skirts — are swirling out the door. Meanwhile, the “1950s are in the doldrums,” Hand said. There was a spike a few years ago when the AMC series “Mad Men” aired — “not for the poodle skirts, but the sophisticated
cocktail dresses,” she said. Barbara Kiesling, a returning customer, discovered the store last summer when she was looking for a dress for her gothic-themed wedding. “I wanted a black wedding dress and black veil, and that’s hard to find,” said the Marysville resident. Hand found a black evening gown from the 1920s that was “perfect.” Kiesling’s groom rented a black-and-white pinstripe suit, hat, pocket watch and wingtips. On a recent afternoon, Kiesling was perusing the racks to put together an outfit for a steam-punkthemed birthday party in Anacortes. “It’s nice to have the quality and variety up north,” Kiesling said. “For those of us who don’t want to go into the Seattle area, there’s a place for us here.” Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
June 2019
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An Everett company helps keep the birds at bay BirdBuffer makes a harmless spray device to keep birds away from food, airports and shopping malls. By Janice Podsada Herald Writer
EVERETT—Bird brains they’re not. At a major airport in Singapore, pigeons were tripping the door sensors and flying into the terminal. Steel spikes? They used them to anchor their nests, said Paul de la Port, president of BirdBuffer, an 18-year-old Everett business. De la Port and Jason Wilbur, the firm’s vice president, are the bird-control company’s new owners. Bird Buffer manufactures an environmentally safe device that deters pigeons, starlings and other birds from “hanging around” and posing a health or safety risk. The product’s inventor and company founder, Gary Crawford, retired and sold the business to de la Port and Wilbur last October. “The founder was the entrepreneur who perfected the product,” Wilbur said. “We’re here to professionalize the company.” Now their focus is on money-saving manufacturing and tapping global markets. Invasive birds in the U.S., such as pigeons and starlings, do millions of dollars worth a damage each year. Starlings, which can gather in flocks of one million birds, can devour up to 20 tons of potatoes in one day, according to a 2010 report in Time magazine.
Crawford, a pigeon fancier and animal lover, discovered that a concentrate made from grapes skins could keep birds at a distance. The grape-like scent irritates them and discourages them from roosting. “Birds have a great sensitivity to smell and apparently don’t care for the aroma of grapes,” Crawford told The Daily Herald in 2011. The concentrate, used by the food industry to flavor lollipops, candy and soda, is considered safe for humans and animals. Crawford, who created special effects for movies, built a machine that sprays the compound as a fine, dry vapor. “It doesn’t harm the birds,” said Brooks Smothers, the firm’s marketing and communications manager. “They shake it off and say that was no fun — I don’t want to go back there,” Smothers said. Control methods that employ nets, spikes and poison are inhumane and kill birds, de la Port said. Birds can pose a public health risk at outdoor food courts and food processing plants, where they fly in through open loading docks. Their droppings are a potential source of salmonella and other bacteria that can cause illness and, in some cases, death. Utility substations — coveted nesting sites — are another place where droppings can wreak havoc, de la Port said.
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
BirdBuffer employee Michael Ludwig assembles one of the company’s repellant-dispensing machines in Everett.
“The heated steel is like a Manhattan apartment to birds,” he explained. The buildup of bird poop, a fire hazard, can trigger power outages and cause millions of dollars worth of damage. Inside airplane hangars, bird droppings can ruin expensive paint jobs and interfere with commercial aircraft repair. The device, designed primarily for commercial and industrial use, is available in three sizes. The units are manufactured at BirdBuffer’s south Everett facility, which employs about 20. The smallest unit, about the size of shoebox, can handle food courts, stairwells and areas of up to 5,000 square feet, A finished BirdBuffer machine.
See BIRDS, Page B12
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June 2019
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Birds From Page B10
Smothers said. The mid-size machine provides coverage for about a half-acre. The largest, the size of a minifridge, can create a buffer zone of up to an acre. All three models dispense the company’s patented vapor concentrate at intervals, Smothers said. A medium-size unit uses a half-gallon of concentrate a month; the largest, about a gallon. Users can “set it and forget it,” de la Port said. BirdBuffer is also working with a solar installation in California to save birds. Besides generating power, large solar farms generate tremendous heat. “The birds fly in there — chasing insects — and just
die,” de la Port said. Mitch Corter, technical sales manager, said units were installed at the solar farm in 2014. “Bird deaths have fallen from about 400 a week to 10 a week,” Corter said. The company website features testimonials from shopping malls, food processors and architects. Because no one wants to admit to having a birdpoop problem, some names have been omitted, Smothers said. In one instance, the device has replaced umbrellas, a Reno bus terminal manager said. “With BirdBuffer operating, we were finally able to stop passing out umbrellas to stop the bird droppings from hitting our passengers lining up for buses.” Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
Employee Michael Ludwig secures the mist blower to the upper part of a BirdBuffer machine.
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June 2019
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3-D printing takes the bite out of visits to the dentist Valley Orthodontic Laboratory uses the new technology to create mouth guards and other dental devices. By Janice Podsada Herald Writer
SNOHOMISH —Three years ago, a sales rep walked into Valley Orthodontic Laboratory and handed the new owner, Jim Beierle, a plastic night guard. “It was nothing special,” Beierle recalled. Then the rep dropped a bomb: It had been made on a 3-D printer. “It was everything my dad and I had ever talked about. It was the way of the future,” said Beierle, who bought the business from his father, Udo, in 2016. “Until then, we’d been making mouth guards by hand,” Beierle said.
Th ree-D printing, more formally known as additive manufacturing, has been around for more than 100 years but only became commonplace in recent decades. In the past three years, 3-D printers and scanners and the accompanying software have transformed dental devices and equipment, an $18 billion annual industry, according to IBISWorld, a New York consulting fi rm. Soon after, Beierle invested $100,000 in 3-D printers and scanners for the lab. The fi rst month, he made only 14 dental devices with the new
equipment — and tossed and turned at night. “I was worried about whether it would pay for itself,” he said. His timing, however, was right on. More dental professionals began abandoning mold technology and adding digital scanners to create virtual 3-D models of patients’ teeth and gums. For decades, molds — a direct impression of a patient’s bite — was the standard for fashioning custom mouth guards, retainers and braces. That’s changing. And here’s why it’s a big deal: If you’ve sat in a dentist’s chair and clamped down on a mouthful of dental
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OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
A 3-D printer holds bite-impression scans at Valley Orthodontic Laboratory in Snohomish.
putty for 20 minutes, you know how uncomfortable that can be. You might even have tolerated the ordeal by telling yourself that your suffering guaranteed an accurate impression. But you’d be wrong. A strong gag reflex can create ripples and streaks in the resulting mold,
Beierle explained. “As a dentist, all you could say was ‘this is the best we could do because the kid was gagging the whole time,’” Beierle said. Dr. Paul Kulits, who recently installed scanners at his orthodontic offices in Everett and Arlington, agrees. “Digital models are more
accurate,” said Kulits, who’s been practicing for 26 years. As an added bonus, Kulits’ storeroom is becoming a little less crowded. Dental professionals typically store their patients’ plaster molds longer than a tax See DENTIST, Page B14
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Dentist From Page B13
return. Digital models, however, reside in the cloud, freeing up space. Valley Orthodontic now prints 200 dental devices and night guards each month and has doubled its workforce. It’s client base has risen from 50 to 70. “The equipment paid for itself in the first year,” Beierle said. Now that dental offices can push a button and transmit digital files, it serves dentists across the U.S., including Alaska, California, Colorado, Georgia, New York and Virginia. Three-D technology can also help prevent your teeth from starting to drift the minute your braces come off. (Teeth do that.) When the orthodontist removes your braces, she
An impression scan used for 3-D printing is displayed at Valley Orthodontic Laboratory in Snohomish.
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA VANNI / THE HERALD
Jim Beierle talks about how they repair and fill retainers at Valley Orthodontic Laboratory in Snohomish.
“wants a retainer in your mouth — now,” Beierle said. Under the old method, a direct impression (another mouthful of putty) had to be taken once the braces
were off. A patient then had to wait until the retainer was made and show up for a fitting. “Now a doctor scans your mouth two weeks
before the braces come off, and we digitally remove the bands and brackets,” Beierle said. “The braces come off and you’re handed a retainer,” he said.
marked his return to the ring. Beierle’s father, who still works at the lab, “loves the new technology,” Beierle said. “But he’s glad it was me — and not him — that had to learn it.”
Beierle, a former “brace face,” knows his hardware. As a kid, he had extreme crowding and an underbite: “I looked like a little bulldog,” he laughed. Speaking of dogs, Beierle’s father, who founded the lab in 1973, once created a retainer for an expensive show dog. “His lower teeth jutted out,” Beierle said. Correcting the little dog’s bite
Janice Podsada; jpodsada@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3097; Twitter: JanicePods
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The Herald Business Journal
June 2019
JUNE 2019
Port of EVERETT
PORTREPORT Creating Economic Opportunities
JUNE EVENTS • Fridays: Food Truck Friday • Sundays: Everett Farmers Market • June 4/11: Port Commission Meetings • June 8: Marina Cleanup Day • June 11: ESPS Propane Safety Seminar • June 15: Milltown Sailing Boater Outreach • June 20: Port of Everett Strategic Plan Update Open House • June 20: Waterfront Place Open House • June 20/27: Music at the Marina
EXECUTIVE
In May, the Port Commission awarded $20,000 in sponsorships to community events that support tourism within the Port District. Recipients include City of Everett Stars & Stripes Fourth of July Festival, Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, Fresh Paint Arts Festival and Wheels on the Waterfront.
SEAPORT
The structural steel components for the Washington State Convention Center addition are coming through the Port of Everett Seaport. Additional shipments are anticipated in June.
MARINA
Port of Everett and Signature Sponsors SeaLevel Properties + GRACORP, present the 4th Annual Sail-in Cinema outdoor movies to kick-off July 19. Join us at Boxcar Park Friday nights July 19 - Aug. 23. More information at www.portofeverett.com/sailin.
REAL ESTATE
On April 25, the Port Commission authorized a new office lease with NSF International, a global public health and safety organization. NSF moved its seafood services program from Seattle to the Port of Everett to be centrally located between Seattle and the Canadian border, allowing for more convenient access for both U.S. and Canadian seafood industries.
Mills to Maritime: Port Ownership Ensures Reliable Economic Prosperity BY LES REARDANZ, PORT OF EVERETT CEO On June 4, the Port Administration will be recommending to the Commission to authorize condemnation on up to 67 acres of the vacant Kimberly-Clark mill site in Everett. Why? We believe it is in the best public interest to maintain critical public infrastructure, such as a deep-water port, in public ownership to support maritime commerce, economic development, international trade and support the Department of Defense and other branches of the U.S. government. This property should be in Port ownership, managed by the Port District that is accountable to the public through elected commissioners, for the next century. This is what ports do, and why we were originally created. This property is located in the heart of the federally secure urban deep-water maritime complex that supports more than 42,000 jobs in the region, nearly $500 million in state and local taxes, and supports an annual average salary of $86,703. Snohomish County is the most trade dependent county in the state, with 60% of the jobs tied to trade and supported by more than $21 billion in U.S. exports (2018). The Port has been consistent since the mill closed in 2012 that its top priorities on the site were to restore the jobs lost because of the mill closure, support maritime job growth, and ensure the ongoing success and protection of this public resource for international trade facilities and Naval Station Everett. In 2013, the city of Everett, after a significant review and public process determined the highest and best use of the site was for urban deep-water Port and maritime jobs, and not such non-water dependent uses as a business park. This is not an action, or recommendation we take lightly, and we have worked for years in good faith with Kimberly-
Clark to attempt to reach a successful transaction without success. Just days after the Port announced its intent to consider condemnation, Kimberly-Clark announced an agreement with a private partnership to create a distribution center for fish processing and site corporate headquarters — most of the uses are not deep-water dependent. Port administration recommended moving forward with the June 4 meeting action as it believes public ownership is essential for this vital piece of our working waterfront. With that said, the one thing that is constant is that businesses come and go. The Port has been in the community for 100 years and will continue to serve the public's economic development interests for another century. If the Port had owned the land under Kimberly-Clark, it wouldn't still be sitting there vacant today over seven years later. This current situation with this vacant property is a prime example of why ports were formed. To ensure continuity of deep-water access to all users. The private sector, despite significant efforts from reputable and well-meaning companies, has been unable to successfully transact on this complex property due to financing, significant environmental challenges, and cost of building on the site. The Port is positioned to implement a near-term and long-term plan for the site that ensures job creation and economic development while a multi-year (or decade) cleanup effort is on-going. The Port has the demonstrated experience of cleaning up and putting contaminated industrial properties back into use, and can effectively and efficiently do so here also, all while ensuring public ownership to protect the property's economic vitality for the community into the future.
Two Ship-to-Shore Cranes Head to Port of Everett The Port of Everett's recently acquired cargo cranes are officially en route to Everett. On May 31, Foss Maritime departed Port of Los Angeles Everport Terminal with the two, 100-foot gauge ship-to-shore cranes in tow, anticipated for arrival at the Seaport June 8 - 9. This critical cargo handling equipment is destined for use at the Port's modernized South Terminal where a $57 The two, container cranes aboard a Foss Maritime million modernization project is nearing barge, sea-fastened and ready to depart the Port of Los Angeles completion. The project strengthens the on the 1,177 nautical-mile journey to the Port of Everett. wharf to ensure the Port's facilities are ready to support the next generation of ships and over-dimensional cargo now calling Everett, including aerospace parts for the new 777X.
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June 2019 The Herald Business Journal