Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business April 2019

April 2019

Volume 18 • Issue 4

Race For a Ridgeline

Homebuilder leaves $9.2M in debts after bankruptcy

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

Environment

MSA increases number of alternative fuel vehicles in fleet Page 11

Real Estate & Construction

Freezer facility gets $35 million project underway Page 21

Transportation

High-end car services to cater to executive-level clients Page 43

Noteworthy “We have a very top-heavy market, and affordable homes underneath $300,000 simply just don’t exist.”

- Jeff Smart, past president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors Page 3

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A well-known Tri-City homebuilder has filed for bankruptcy, leaving homeowners, contractors and suppliers scrambling to file lawsuits and liens in hopes of recovering their portion of the $9.2 million owed to secured and unsecured creditors.

Marco Solferino is seeking Chapter 7 bankruptcy proMarco Solferino tection, weeks after he abruptly closed the doors of Solferino Homes, effective Feb. 26.

Solferino built high-end custom homes, often in a Mediterranean and Tuscan style.

The business was in the midst of rebranding and transitioning to the name M|S Homes Inc. In an email announcing the closure of the business to subcontractors and suppliers, Solferino said, “I did not intend for any of this to happen. I can only hope that my upstanding reputation will afford me grace in the face of these tough times.”

Contractors and suppliers say they are now kicking themselves, admitting they allowed chronic-nonpayment for work done around the Tri-Cities.

“He’s been in this for years as far as not paying his bills,” said Hector Ceniceros, president of C & C Construction, who was a roofer for Solferino, and is listed as being owed about $97,000. “We (local contractors) are all partly to blame because nobody would put a stop to it. We enabled it.”

Late payments might have been an open secret among local contractors, but it’s uHOMEBUILDER, Page 49

Photo courtesy David Comstock Friends of Badger Mountain Vice President David Beach stands on Lot 17, one of three lots on the summit of Little Badger Mountain that the nonprofit secured funding for, largely due to a more than $300,000 donation from Hanford contractor AECOM and Washington Closure Hanford as part of its efforts to connect Badger, Little Badger and Candy mountains.

Pursuing Badger Nonprofit hopes to raise money to buy land before developers to preserve public access

By Arielle Dreher

I

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

t’s a race against development for a local nonprofit working to preserve some of the Tri-City region’s natural habitat for future generations to enjoy.

Friends of Badger Mountain is working quickly and strategically to carve a trail through development, around and up Little Badger Mountain before houses completely cover the ridge side, blocking the possibility for public access in the future.

“We have to get in ahead of developers,

and the area is just expanding at an incredible pace,” said David Comstock, a Friends of Badger Mountain board member. “It’s kind of a race to preserve these areas that people have taken for granted all their lives ... that are now being consumed by development.”

Friends of Badger Mountain is working to complete its bigger vision of having a connected ridge trail that starts in the Amon Basin, goes over three mountain ridges uBADGER, Page 15

$5M allocated to ease Highway 240 gridlock Transportation department, partners eye potential fixes

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The state is ready to spend $5 million to reduce the snarl of traffic along Highway 240 in Richland, with up to half going toward improvements at the Duportail Street intersection once the new bridge is completed.

Plenty of Hanford commuters, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians have weighed in on what they think the best solutions would be.

They placed stickers on a map during a recent state Department of Transportation open house to indicate the solutions they preferred, or thought would have the great-

est effect on the congestion along the busy stretch of highway.

The Richland corridor covers the intersection of highways 240 and 225 to the north, near the Hanford nuclear reservation, and Interstate 182, near Queensgate Drive, to the south.

WSDOT and local partners — known as the M3 team for its multi-agency, multi-disciplinary and multi-modal approach — developed a list of potential solutions.

The M3 team scored each potential solution on its effectiveness and feasibility, factoring in issues like traffic, safety, air quality and cost. None of the offerings earned a score higher than 49. uGRIDLOCK, Page 46

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Homes out of reach for many at current prices Real estate experts say tight housing market persists in the Tri-Cities

BY KRISTINA LORD

“Yes, the builders are expecting things will slow down in the Tri-Cities based on what you’re seeing. Things are slowing down more because we don’t have enough lots available and/or qualified skilled labor.”

— Jeff Losey, executive director Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities

editor@tcjournal.biz

Don’t expect to see explosive growth in Tri-City residential and commercial sectors in the coming year.

That was the message from a panel of industry experts on a Building the TriCities panel at the Tri-City Development Council’s March 28 annual economic outlook meeting in Pasco. TRIDEC postponed the event a month due to February’s snow.

The Tri-City residential housing market continues to be tight, especially for homes under $300,000.

“We have a very top-heavy market and affordable homes underneath $300,000 simply just don’t exist,” said Jeff Smart, past president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors and treasurer of the state association of Realtors. He also owns Smart Realtors of Richland.

Smart said only a dozen homes priced under $200,000 were move-in ready in the Tri-City market — which includes Benton City and West Richland, with the total available numbering 308.

He said 40 percent of the available homes were $400,000 and up.

“Seventy-six percent of those homes are above $300,000, so we do have an affordable home issue in our market right now. And we also have that same issue across the state,” Smart said.

The area’s housing appreciation rate has averaged about 10 percent, Smart said, explaining that a home valued at $200,000 the year before is now worth $210,000.

“It’s a pace we probably can’t sustain for too long,” he said, forecasting in the coming year a leveling off of appreciation rates, flat sales and availability of fewer higher-priced homes. He was careful not to call the trend a market crash, but a “little bit of a correction.”

“Of course I could be wrong. My crystal ball broke yesterday morning,” he quipped.

Commercial brokers are feeling optimistic about the coming year, said Charles Laird, real estate broker for Pasco’s Tippett Co., a family-owned real estate business celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

He said most clients want to “dial right into Columbia Center mall area,” as it’s become the Tri-City’s central business district, as communities continue to morph away from their downtown cores.

He defined the area as between Gage Boulevard, Columbia Center Boulevard, Vista Field and Clearwater Avenue.

Development has stabilized in Richland’s Queensgate Drive area and Pasco’s Road 68 corridor thanks to big box retailers like Walmart, and Kennewick’s Southridge area with the consolidations in the medical field, he said.

But emerging markets are poised for growth, he said, pointing to Badger Mountain South and Road 100.

“There’s still a lot of the new develop-

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ment activity coming down the pike,” he said.

The Tri-City’s inventory of office and retail space has gradually increased from 2016 to 2018, with Benton County boasting “way more office and retail space than Franklin County,” Laird said.

Leasing trends showed 413,437 square feet of available office space in December 2018, compared to 362,416 square feet the prior year. On the retail side, there was 462,583 square feet of available retail space, compared to 406,589 square feet the prior year. Laird pointed out that most of the inventory was Class B and C property.

Property classifications fall into A, B and C categories, with A typically being the highest quality, most expensive and in the most desirable locations.

He said the latest vacancy rates show 5 percent vacancy for Class A properties, 15 percent for Class B and 25 percent for Class C. But he added that it’s hard to track Tri-City vacancy rates because it’s a small market.

The Tri-Cities showed 30 office property listings on Pacific Regional Multiple Listing Service on April 9, totaling 254,939 square feet, valued at more than $38 million and 21 retail listings with 211,426 square feet, valued at more than $36 million. These numbers don’t include properties listed by owner or elsewhere,

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Laird said.

In the past five years, the Tri-Cities added 6.5 million square feet of new construction across all real estate sectors.

Projected new construction for 2019 totals 2.9 million square feet. Of that, about 230,000 square feet will be new office and retail buildings, Laird said.

“There’s still holes to be filled in some of the submarket areas … I think we’ll just keep trucking along. I don’t see it being too fast or too slow,” Laird said.

Jeff Losey, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities, said he expects this year to look a lot like 2018.

In 2018, there were 1,466 single-family home permits issued, compared to the previous year’s 1,446. Permits are issued for homes to be built.

“It’s just over a 1 percent increase. It’s predictably what we thought would happen in our market,” Losey said.

Pasco led the way with a third of all permits pulled in the entire Tri-Cities with developments along roads 100 and 68 continuing to “be a very hot area for Tri-Cities, as far as growth is happening,” Losey said.

But a nationwide economic slowdown is approaching, Losey said, pointing to a chart from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and National Association of Home Builders.

Gross domestic product growth is projected to be 2.5 percent this year and 1.3 percent in 2020. That’s compared to 2.9 percent growth in 2018, he said.

“Yes, the builders are expecting things will slow down in the Tri-Cities based on what you’re seeing. Things are slowing down more because we don’t have enough lots available and/or qualified skilled labor,” Losey said.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 uBUSINESS BRIEFS

509-737-8778 8919 W. Grandridge Blvd., Ste. A1 Kennewick, WA 99336 tcjournal.biz

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STAFF

Tri-Cities Airport celebrates new nonstop service to LAX

Tri-Cities Airport, city and county officials, and other stakeholders celebrated new nonstop flights to Los Angeles on April 1.

The event included a water cannon salute, speeches and refreshments at the Pasco airport.

The airport announced the United Airlines nonstop flights last fall.

United expanded its route network in March by launching 18 new domestic routes, including the LAX-PSC route.

The nonstop service to LAX was years in the making and the result of regional collaboration to win a federal grant and

Melanie Hair

leverage matching funds to incentivize United to begin the service.

Tri-City taxpayers get some of state’s largest tax refunds

Taxpayers in Franklin and Benton counties collect some of the biggest tax returns in the state.

The two counties ranked among the top 10 of the state’s 39 counties with the highest amount of tax refunds, according to SmartAsset, an online financial technology company.

Franklin County ranked No. 3 on the list, with the average tax amount refunded totaling $3,086, with 30,520 taxpayers receiving refunds. The average amount of taxes owed was $5,467, from 5,540 people owing taxes.

Benton County ranked No. 9, with the average tax amount refunded totaling $2,873, with 67,300 taxpayers receiving refunds. The average amount of taxes owed was $5,318, from 16,370 people owing taxes.

SmartAsset analyzed data from the IRS to determine the counties where people received the highest average refunds and the counties that owed the most on average after filing their taxes.

To determine the counties that received the highest average refunds, SmartAsset divided the total amount of money refunded by the IRS to each county by the number of refunds given out in each county. It did the same to calculate the average amount owed, by dividing the total taxes owed in each county by the number of filers who still owe taxes.

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Opening Weekend April 27 & 28

Kentucky Derby May 4 & 5

Final Weekend May 11 & 12

UPCOMING May Focuses: • Arts & Culture • Hanford special supplement June Focuses: • Retirement • Food Processing • Magazine: Focus | Agriculture & Viticulture in the Columbia Basin

CORRECTION Deborah Barnard’s first name was misspelled on Page 9 in the March edition.

The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, a publication of TriComp Inc., is published monthly and delivered at no charge to identifiable businesses in Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Kennewick, Prosser and Benton City.

Subscriptions are $27.10 per year, including tax, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of TriComp Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent. Opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, other contributors or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by staff, contributors or advertisers. Every effort will be made to assure information published is correct; however, we are not liable for any errors or omissions made despite these efforts.

At Benton County Fairgrounds

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Gallo buys Hogue Cellars, other regional wineries

E. & J. Gallo Winery is the new owner of Prosser’s Hogue Cellars.

Gallo announced April 3 that it has entered into an agreement with Constellation Brands Inc. to buy more than 30 wine and spirits brands, along with six winemaking facilities in Washington, California and New York.

More than 30 brands will join the Gallo portfolio, including Clos du Bois, Black Box, Estancia, Mark West, Wild Horse, Franciscan and Ravenswood.

Also, as part of the agreement, Gallo will acquire several production facilities across the U.S. The included wineries are Hogue Cellars in Washington; Mission Bell, Turner Road Vintners, Clos du Bois and Wild Horse in California; and Canandaigua in New York.

Through acquisitions, strategic partnerships and new brand innovations, Gallo has sought to expand and diversify its portfolio across all price points to meet growing consumer demand and evolving preferences.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

Founded by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo in 1933 in Modesto, California, the company is the world’s largest familyowned winery with more than 6,500 global employees and is the producer of award-winning wines and spirits in more than 110 countries around the globe.

Cascade Natural Gas files request for rate increase

Cascade Natural Gas filed a request for a price increase with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on April 1. The proposed increase is for $12.7 million annually over current prices, or a 5.5 percent overall increase.

If approved, the monthly bill for a residential customer would increase by an average of $2.83 a month, or about $34 annually. The request is for costs related to providing service to customers and does not include the cost of natural gas.

The main reason for the new request is to recover the investments made in infrastructure upgrades, which accounts for about 70 percent of the total request, as well as increased operation and maintenance costs.

The request comes on the heels of state regulators approving another rate increase to recover costs associated with securing natural gas supply in the wake of the October 2018 rupture of a Canadian pipeline.

The state commission approved that request March 28 to recoup an additional $48 million in costs accumulated between Nov. 1, 2018, and Jan. 31, 2019, following the rupture of the Enbridge pipeline that disrupted natural gas markets throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Under the rates approved March 28, a typical residential customer will see a bill increase of about $4.11. This

increase took effect April 1.

The commission approved the company’s request on the condition that Cascade Natural Gas collect the costs over a three-year period, rather than the two-year period originally requested.

School closes as precaution after Milne ammonia leak

A Prosser fruit and vegetable processor reported an ammonia leak April 7 that prompted the temporary closure of a nearby elementary school.

Milne Fruit Products detected the leak at 6:45 a.m. in one of the plant’s tank rooms. A news release from the company said staff immediately sealed the room to

contain the gas.

Milne officials said the incident at 804 Bennett Ave. was “fully resolved” by 8 p.m.

Prosser School District officials decided that night to close Keene-Riverview Elementary School the following day, April 8. The school is across the street from the Milne plant.

The elementary students went to school across town at Housel Middle School as a precaution.

“Milne’s primary concern remains the public’s safety, the safety of any children in the area, as well as the safety of our own employees,” said Michael Sorenson, Milne’s president and general manager, in a news release.

5

“We immediately contacted federal and state agencies as well as local fire, police and school officials, who later in the day wisely decided to move students out of an abundance of caution,” he said.

Company officials said there was no immediate release to the atmosphere until company and fire officials properly ventilated the storage facility later in the day.

“It’s unfortunate that this impacted students and teachers but it was in the best interest of everyone concerned,” Sorenson said. “Milne strives to operate the plant safely and to remain good stewards of our environment through our ongoing preventative maintenance, safety and sustainability programs.”

6

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

DATEBOOK April 18

• Downtowner Banquet: 6 – 9 p.m., Clover Island Inn, 435 N. Clover Island Drive, Kennewick. Tickets: historickennewick.org.

• Community Lecture Series “Songs of Social Change”: 7 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland.

April 19

• Viva Las Vegas, benefiting The Arc of Tri-Cities: 5 – 9 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Tickets: arcoftricities.com • SIGN’s 20th anniversary celebration: 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., SIGN Fracture Care International, 451 Hills St., Richland. RSVP: 509371-1107.

April 20

• Winemakers Loft Food Truck Rally: Benefit for Heartlinks Hospice & Palliative Care. 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., 357 Port Ave., Prosser. 21 and older. Tickets: heartlinks hospice.ejoinme.org/foodtruckrally

April 23

• United Way Awards Ceremony: 11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Gran-

dridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: uwbfco.org/2019_celebration • You Medical Fundraising Banquet: 5:30 – 8:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: youmedical.org.

April 24

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• National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Tri-Cities Chapter 1192 monthly meeting: Noon, Red Lion Hotel, 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. Call Mary Binder 509378-2494.

• Tri-City Regional Chamber Monthly Luncheon: noon – 1:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. RSVP: 509-736-0510.

May 3

April 27

May 4

• HeART of Healing, benefiting Cork’s Place: 6 – 9 p.m., Uptown Theatre, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Tickets: chaplaincyhealthcare. org.

• The Derby, benefiting The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia: 7 – 10 p.m., Gesa Carousel of Dreams, 2901 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: read20minutes.com.

May 1

• West Richland Chamber Monthly Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. RSVP:

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• Adult Mental Health First Aid Training: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Kadlec Healthplex, 1268 Lee Blvd., Richland. Register: Kadlec.org/knrc.

• Tri-Cities Columbia Chorale spring concert: 3 p.m., Kennewick First Presbyterian Church, 2001 W. Kennewick Ave., Information: www. columbiachorale.net.

May 4-6

• Cinco de Mayo Festival Sponsored by Gesa: Downtown Pasco. Information: pasco5demayo.com.

May 11

• Fur Ball Dinner & Auction benefiting Pet OverPopulation: 5:30 to 11 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Gran-

dridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: http://bit.ly/2D8PuAW • Run for Ribbons: 8:30 a.m., Howard Amon Park, 500 Amon Park Drive, Richland. Register: tccancer.org.

May 13

• Pasco Chamber Membership Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: 509-547-9755.

May 15-16

• Bridging Partnerships conference: 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: bridgingpartnerships.com.

May 16

• Community Lecture Series “The End of Atticus Finch?”: 7 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland.

• Spring Into Action breakfast, benefiting Community in Schools Benton-Franklin: 7 a.m., Red Lion Richland, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. Register: https:// tinyurl.com/SpringIntoAction2019CISBF

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Winter’s snow adds strain to ag industry Farmers facing delay in planting, harvest on top of Yakima basin drought

BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

This year’s growing season may be challenging for farmers with possible drought conditions and delayed plantings after winter’s heavy, prolonged snow.

Wheat, wine grape, apple, asparagus and potato industry officials reported weather-related delays because of the record snowfall that blanketed the region for most of February and into March.

But despite the significant snow, water supply shortages are forecast in the Upper Yakima basin, which is 74 percent of normal. It’s prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a drought emergency in this watershed, along with the Methow and Okanogan basins.

The water supply for Yakima River pro-ratable users such as Kennewick Irrigation District was at 77 percent in early April, the district reported.

The state Department of Agriculture is already advising growers to prepare and plan for limited water supplies. Many high-value crops such as apples, berries, pears, cherries and wine grapes could be at risk.

Potato farmers were about a month behind in planting, and Chris Voigt, exec-

Photo by Jessica Hoefer Washington Wine Consultants owner, Ray McKee, left, and Coyote Canyon vineyard manager, Todd Chapman, examine a row in the vineyard now that the snow is gone. A warm spring should help plants catch up from a prolonged winter.

utive director for the Washington Potato Commission, said that could lead to a fry-apocalypse this fall.

The shepody potato is an early-season variety that’s fast-growing and typically ready to harvest the first or second week of July. With the delayed planting season, potato farmers are banking on a dry spring and hot temperatures to give potatoes time to catch up.

“But a lot can happen between now and the middle of July,” Voigt said.

“We’re a little nervous about that.”

For the last month two, Voigt said growers have been calling seed growers and fertilizer spreaders.

“Everybody is scrambling,” he said.

Although the snow disappeared quickly once mid-March hit, the wet soil made it difficult to use heavy machinery in the fields.

“It compacts the soil and squishes it down—turning it almost to cement. Dirt clods are created, and that will come up with the harvester and get loaded with your truck. Your truck will have half dirt

7

and half potatoes,” Voigt said. “It’d be helpful to have a little bit of wind right now. That’s great at drying out soil.”

Coyote Canyon Vineyards, which has 1,300 acres in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticulture Area, had to limit field equipment to avoid soil compaction, as it can affect water penetration. In addition, the company is using neutron probes in 80 sites to analyze soil data.

“I expected to see more runoff from the snow melt, but it occurred at a nice rate, allowing most of the moisture to be retained in the soil,” said Todd Chapman, vineyard manager for Coyote Canyon.

“We like to have a full soil moisture profile early in the season to promote healthy canopy growth, gradually drying things out until fruit set.”

Ray McKee, who owns Washington Wine Consultants and works with vineyards such as Coyote Canyon, Chandler Reach and Alexandria Nicole Cellars, said the snow had a positive impact in that it provided a nice blanket so the vines could weather the freezing temperatures.

“It’s probably going to delay the start of our season. For the last four years, we’ve seen bud break earlier and earlier.

Because there was quite a bit of snow, it will delay the ground from warming up,” said McKee, adding that when temperatures reach 50 degrees, dormant vines wake up. uSTRAIN, Page 8

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Cabernet reigns supreme as state’s top grape

BY ANDY PERDUE

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of Washington wine country.

Washington winemakers harvested 261,000 tons of wine grapes in 2018, up from 229,000 tons in the previous year, based on numbers released in March by the Washington Wine Commission.

Washington is the No. 2 producer of wine grapes in the United States, second only to California.

Leading the way was Cabernet Sauvignon, a red grape that originated in France’s Bordeaux region and is the grape

that has done the most to make California’s Napa Valley famous. In Washington, Cab was No. 1 with 74,400 tons picked, up from 62,800 in 2017.

As recently as 2014, Washington picked 42,200 tons of Cab, a trend that has been driven by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Washington’s largest and oldest wine producer. With brands that include Chateau Ste. Michelle, 14 Hands and Columbia Crest, the company uses two out of every three grapes grown in Washington. It appears as though Ste. Michelle’s thirst for Cab has slaked, according to Kevin Corliss, vice president of vineyards for Ste. Michelle Wine

Estates.

“We have plenty of Cab now,” he said.

“I expect Cab production numbers to plateau.”

In fact, he said, the company is looking to replant many of its older vineyards, replacing vines that were diseased or planted to varieties that aren’t optimal to the location. If anything, that could drive numbers down a bit next year until new vines come into production, which typically takes three to five years.

Overall, red varieties continue to dominate, with nearly 60 percent of the state’s overall production. Merlot accounted for 37,500 tons last fall, up from 33,000 tons

in 2017. At No. 3 is Syrah at 24,300 tons, up a bit from the 21,000 tons harvested in 2017. Syrah is traditionally blended with other varieties to boost flavor and balance in the resulting wines.

On the white wine side, Chardonnay led the way with 41,500 tons, up from 39,600 tons in 2017.

Riesling followed with 38,300 tons, again up a bit from 33,200 tons the previous vintage. Chateau Ste. Michelle produces more than a million cases of Riesling each year, making it the largest producer of Riesling in the world. uCABERNET, Page 9

STRAIN, From Page 7

Kimberly Garland-Campbell, a U.S. Department of Agriculture researcher at Washington State University, has a research specialty and interest in breeding wheat for winter survival. She said the snow also might have been a blessing for winter wheat farmers, as it acted as a protective blanket during the coldest temperatures.

State Department of Agriculture’s Chris McGann said his agency is hearing that spring wheat planting will be delayed as much as three weeks because of the weather.

Like the wheat, wine and potato industries, the Washington Apple Commission said orchardists were about two to three weeks behind in field work.

And the asparagus industry was feeling the stress as well.

“There’s so much need for labor around here during the spring,” said Greg Kinsey, who operates Kinsey Farms in Sunnyside.

“It’s pretty intense, but we’ll make it.

We’re just going to have to run tractors through the night if we have to.”

Normally Kinsey said his farm would be ready to cut the first week of April.

“But that’s not going to happen,” he said with a laugh.

Kinsey Farms has about 350 acres, and while his crops may be delayed, one of his biggest concerns isn’t the growth of produce, but rather finding labor.

For some companies, such as Coyote Canyon, the unusually warm November and December months gave workers a head start with pruning.

“A lot of growers were able to get quite a bit of work done because of the mild winter,” McKee said.

Chapman added that Coyote Canyon was two-thirds of the way done with pruning by the first week in February when the snow came.

“Chandler Reach waited until now to prune,” said McKee, referencing the 42-acre vineyard he consults for in Benton City. “They’ve held off until a week ago, but at their size, they’ll move through it in a couple of weeks.”

McKee went on to note that this summer is forecast to be one of the warmest in years, and if predictions are correct, they’ll be right back on track where they need to be in the vineyard.

“We hope for a nice, dry spring, considering we have all the moisture we need already,” he said.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

9

CABERNET, From Page 8 As recently as 2014, Washington was led by white wine, but starting in 2015, the trend to red has grown. Red grapes often cost more per ton, and the resulting wines command a higher price. In 2018, Cabernet Sauvignon brought in an average of $1,505 per ton, making Cab Washington’s most prized grape crop. Petit Verdot commanded the state’s highest average amount, at $1,675 per ton. By comparison, Chardonnay only averaged $939 per ton. Overall, Washington wine grapes averaged $1,213 per ton, up from $1,206 in 2017.

In addition to quantity, wineries are happy with quality. Corliss said it was a warm year with little disease issues. The warm, sunny autumn meant no early frosts, so winemakers could let their fruit hang on the vine until optimal flavors were achieved.

Chris Figgins, president and head winemaker for Leonetti Cellar in Walla Walla, said he is pleased with what he sees in barrel, comparing the quality of the 2018 vintage to 2012, widely regarded as one of the top vintages in Washington history. A fuller picture of the quality will come into focus as the new red wines are released this summer and fall. ●●●

Scott Williams, second-generation winemaker at Kiona Vineyards and Winery in Benton City, was named honorary grape grower for the 2019 Auction of Washington Wines, an annual fundraiser that will take place this summer in Wood-

Discovery Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills south of Prosser focuses on growing Cabernet Sauvignon for many top Washington wineries.

Photo by Andy Perdue

inville. Scott’s father, John, was the first to plant grapes on Red Mountain in 1976.

The honorary vintner was Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery in Woodinville. ●●●

The Tri-City Dust Devils baseball team unveiled a new uniform that honors the region’s wine grape industry.

The purple uniforms include a cluster of grapes. The minor leaguers will play in the new look for three games under the name Viñeros de Tri-City. This is the Northwest League’s effort to honor the community’s diversity. The Dust Devils

worked with the Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to come up with the new look. The team will wear the uniforms June 20, July 18 and Aug. 22. ●●●

Canvasback, a Washington winery owned by Napa Valley-based Duckhorn Vineyards, plans to open its first tasting room this spring south of Walla Walla.

The winery launched in 2013 with a Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain and has since added a reserve-tier wine.

In 2013, it bought and planted a 20-acre vineyard on Red Mountain and has since

boosted production to nearly 20,000 cases of wine per year, which it sells in all 50 states and exports to Asia and Canada.

The tasting room, which will be in the old Waters Winery building on J.B. George Road south of downtown Walla Walla, will open in April. It has expanded its wines up to 10 wines, primarily from Red Mountain and Walla Walla Valley vineyards.  Andy Perdue, editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine and founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine, is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times.

10

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

ENVIRONMENT

11

MSA boosts its alternative fuel vehicle fleet

BY KEVIN ANTHONY

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The message is simple. Clean, you might say.

While cleaning up one of the biggest environmental messes in the United States, it’s best to leave as small a footprint as possible.

It’s an attitude that Mission Support Alliance stresses in its role as a key contractor at the Hanford nuclear reservation. And a big reason why the company has been increasing its fleet of alternative fuel vehicles, or AFVs, for more than a decade.

“You can’t clean up 1940s waste and at the same time contribute to another environmental issue,” said Dave Baie, MSA’s director of fleet services.

“It doesn’t take a lot of forethought to know the right way to do it,” he added.

Mission Support Alliance’s role at the Hanford site is taking care of the infrastructure: security, utilities, fire protection and the like. It also maintains the 365 miles of paved roads on the 580-square-mile reservation, as well as a fleet of 1,800 vehicles.

MSA’s job is making sure it’s as easy as possible for everyone else to do their job. It has

some 2,000 employees on site, nearly a quarter of the about 9,000 workers involved in the Hanford cleanup.

MSA has been evolving its fleet of cars and trucks to run on alternative fuels since 2004.

Back then, Baie said, it was less about the environment and more about security.

“Initially when it started years ago, it was to reduce the need of foreign fuel,” said Baie, a self-described “gear head” who has worked for MSA at Hanford for 25 years.

The push for energy independence and security morphed into support of an industry built around an emerging technology.

MSA has 63 hybrid vehicles and three electric, but most of its nearly 1,000 AFVs are E-85, which means they run on fuel that is up to 85 percent ethanol.

About 20 million vehicles in the U.S. use E-85, also known as FlexFuel. The primary component in ethanol is corn, and about 40 percent of the corn grown in the U.S. goes toward biofuel.

Along the way, the reasons of security and industry became more about the environment and the company’s carbon footprint.

Calvin Dudney of Mission Support Alliance plugs in one of the electric vehicles in MSA’s fleet of 1,000 alternative fuel vehicles.

These AFVs now make up 56 percent of MSA’s vehicle fleet.

Photo courtesy MSA

uVEHICLE, Page 16

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Environment

Old wood gets new life in handmade furniture Salvaged Hardwoods owner reclaims wood, creates custom pieces

“I love salvaging material and making it into a new piece of art.”

BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Clinton Milton remembers tinkering around with his dad in the garage as a boy. He wasn’t building much, he admits, but it gave him the skills and confidence as an adult to build modest sample tables from salvaged hardwood pieces to sell at yard sales.

That was 10 years ago, but friends started to take notice and requested his tables and furniture.

“I love working with my hands.

I thought, ‘Might as well take a crack at it,’ ” said Milton, who works as a registered nurse on weekends. “It was just a side gig I would do here and there, but I started getting really busy.”

Five years ago, he decided to make it official. He got his business license for Salvaged Hardwoods to turn his craft into a legitimate operation.

Although he focuses mostly on custom orders for homes — his piéce de résistance so far is his work for The Bradley, a restaurant and craft bar in Richland. He built 17 tables and a 14-foot long bar using reclaimed century-old wood from bleachers at Columbia High School — a remnant of wartime Hanford.

- Clinton Milton, Salvaged Hardwoods owner

Photo by Elsie Puig Clinton Milton, the owner and woodworker behind Salvaged Hardwoods, sits at a table he made from black walnut that’s on sale at Gathered Home in downtown Kennewick. He said he loves salvaging material and turning it into a new piece of art.

“It was taken down in 1977 at the end of the baseball season and the wood was used to make a deck for a home in Richland,” Milton said. “My friend bought the house a couple of years ago and told me he would be removing the deck, as it was rotting out and asked me if I wanted the wood.”

It took almost four days to tear it down and three trailer loads to deliver it to his

900-square-foot home shop.

Then it took him four months to complete the project.

Milton’s unique salvaged hardwood tables are for sale at Gathered Home in downtown Kennewick. His pieces also are on display at Robinson Tech, Wright’s Surgical Arts and Kennewick Dental.

He said reclaiming materials and hardwood is especially important to him.

“I love salvaging material and making it into a new piece of art. It’s a perfect opportunity to salvage something that was probably going to a landfill,” Milton said.

He has transformed old tree stumps, pallets, hardwood flooring from a bowling alley and old furniture into dining tables, coffee tables, shelves, mantels and even urns and rolling amp cases. He also can breathe new life into heirloom tables and furniture by refinishing them.

Sometimes Milton has to get creative in sourcing hardwoods.

“I try to source everything locally to keep prices low,” he said.

He partners with arborists in places like Spokane who alert him to trees that might otherwise be chopped into firewood or incinerated due to hazard or disease.

But when the wood is salvaged from cut uFURNITURE, Page 19

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

ENVIRONMENT

13

Tri-Citians are big consumers of green electricity Data tracking life in the Tri-Cities reveal many departures from the overall profile of life in Washington.

Consider the racial and ethnic makeup here. In 2017, an estimated nearly 39 percent of the population was non-Caucasian, versus slightly over 30 percent for the state.

And the estimatD. Patrick Jones ed Hispanic Eastern population in Washington 2017 made up University about one third of the overall count, versus an eighth in Washington.

Or consider earnings in Benton and Franklin counties. The average annual wage is 80 percent of the state, yet at the start of the new century, workers here earned about 89 percent of the Washington average, according to Benton-Franklin Trends data.

One can, of course, point to metrics that follow those of Washington closely.

But like other Eastern Washington metros, the Tri-Cities isn’t often “average.”

So it is with electricity consumption.

As Benton-Franklin Trends data reveals, total electricity consumed in the two counties increased slightly over the past decade, about 11 percent cumulatively.

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends

For the most recent available year, the total slightly exceeded 5 million megawatt hours (MWh). According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency, the average U.S. home in 2016 consumed about 10.8 MWh. The Tri-City area recently consumed enough electricity to power more than 469,000 residential dwellings.

It seems like a lot. And it is.

Consider the per capita measure of consumption. For 2017, every man, woman and child in the two counties consumed 17,803 KWh, or 17.8 MWh. Compare that level to the Washington

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state average in the same year: 12,863KWh, or 12.9 MWh. Clearly, life in the two counties is

electricity intensive.

What is likely at work? It’s improbable that residents leave on their lights any longer than the average Washingtonian. More likely is the demand from certain industries.

Agricultural processing and the activities related to the Hanford cleanup come to mind. Representatives of these industries are all on the Tri-City Development Council’s list of largest employers.

Of course, there may be other industries that are high electricity consumers.

Interestingly, as online viewers of the Trends can note, there is very little difference in per capita energy use between the two counties.

Another departure of the two counties’ energy profile from Washington’s lies in the electricity fuel mix.

Hydropower plays a much larger role here than statewide. uCONSUMERS, Page 16

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Environment

Richland golf course earns green award

Columbia Point honored for conservation efforts by national association

The city-owned Columbia Point Golf Course in Richland recently received a Natural Resource Conservation Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America for its water and energy conservation, pollution prevention, and wildlife and habitat management efforts.

BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Carl Thompson loves what he does.

As the superintendent at Columbia Point Golf Course, it’s his mission – and his staff’s job – to make sure the course is in great shape for the region’s golfers, who played close to 46,000 rounds on the Richland course last year alone.

At the same time, Thompson and his team – Carl Thompson assistant superintendent Gerry Hyde, Steve Dickman, Shawn Steadman, Greg Ludwig and Scott Kossac – make the course as environmental friendly as possible.

So much so, that Thompson received the Natural Resource Conservation Award during the Environmental Leaders of Golf Awards at the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America convention during the winter.

“This is a staff award,” said Thompson, who has been at Columbia Point since

Courtesy city of Richland

August 2004. “It’s a reflection of them.

(The award) is good for the golf course, the city and management.”

Thompson also won chapter awards in 2016 and 2017.

He said almost all courses around the region do a lot of the same things.

According to the 2018 GCSAA’s report, “Columbia Point Golf Course, owned by the city of Richland, is a vital attraction on the city’s waterfront. Water

conservation and management are key concerns, given the course’s proximity to the Columbia and Yakima rivers, as well as its desert climate, which receives less than nine inches of precipitation per year.

“Thompson’s irrigation system and weather station allow for exact water replenishment, while the use of wetting agents and night watering have cut water use even further.”

Thompson has done the math, making

sure the right amount of water is used and the rest is never wasted.

“There is no soaking the course. No more than eight minutes per sprinkler head per night,” he said. “I’d rather the course play firm and be environmentally conscious than the other way. We put up with some turf loss during the summer.”

Thompson added that the big mounds of grass (for which the dirt was hauled in when the course was reshaped more than 20 years ago) are the toughest area to maintain.

“You can’t keep the moisture on them without overwatering,” he said. “This is 90 acres of rough out here. They built this as a park land.”

Eventually, the city will want to re-do the irrigation system.

“It’ll be an expensive project,” Thompson said. “But it would be nice to see some fescue around the bunkers and tees.”

The GCSAA report also cited Columbia Point’s “commitment to pollution prevention through safe use and storage of inputs, fuels and hazardous materials prevents ground contamination.

The course’s intentionally designed minimum-12-foot no spray/no-mow buffer strips protect ponds. In addition, Columbia Point’s energy conservation program aims to reduce consumption by 6 percent every year.”

Another big key is wildlife management around the course.

“Wildlife and habitat management is also a focus at Columbia Point, where 2,000 square feet of wildflowers have been established to attract pollinators,” the report continued. “Nesting areas for the local population of painted turtles was improved with the addition of sand along shorelines and logs in two ponds.”

Thompson said the course re-introduced the turtles about five years ago, when Sun Willows in Pasco donated a few. They’ve been thriving at Columbia Point since.

“We put out some sunning logs and uCOURSE, Page 19

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

ENVIRONMENT BADGER, From Page 1 (Little Badger, Badger and Candy mountains) and eventually all the way to the Yakima River. In creating this connected trail, the nonprofit must connect Little Badger to Badger, and it is in the process of securing enough money to do that.

“We (want) to preserve the last little pieces that are left to build this interconnecting trail system,” Comstock said.

Badger Mountain, its affectionately named younger sibling Little Badger and Candy Mountain are the only real mountains in the region that the public can climb because most of Rattlesnake Mountain and ridgeline is inaccessible, as it’s part of the Hanford Reach National Monument or the Hanford nuclear reservation.

The local mountains have not always been open to the public, however, and it was not until advocates like Friends of Badger partnered with cities and counties that they were accessible.

Friends of Badger formed in 2003 after a group of Hanford workers had a tradition of hiking Badger Mountain every New Year’s Day cut short by local private landowners who did not want them climbing on their property due to liability reasons.

The group first raised money and worked with Benton County to eventually create the Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve, a nearly 200-acre space now open to the public, with a park entrance in Richland.

The preserve belongs to the county, with a commitment from Friends to do trail maintenance and upkeep.

The Friends’ next project was Candy Mountain, and in 2017, it opened to the public, helping cut down on some of the foot traffic at Badger Mountain.

The Little Badger Mountain trail link would effectively connect Kennewick to Richland to West Richland and ultimately could go to Benton City, as that city works on converting old rail tracks and bridges to trails to meet it.

For Badger and Candy mountains, Friends worked with Benton County, but for the Little Badger project, it is working with the city of Richland.

The cost to complete the trail connection on Little Badger Mountain comes with an enormous price tag, in large part due to the value of the property, which private owners could sell to developers for a large profit.

Recognizing this, Comstock is in the midst of working with both developers and landowners to ensure they are paid a fair price for their land — and to ensure that Friends can secure the rights to the land that’s left between where the Badger Mountain trail ends at Queensgate Drive, up to the water tanks at the summit of Little Badger Mountain.

On some parcels, Friends of Badger is hiring an appraiser to determine how much the land they need to acquire to finish the Little Badger link is worth.

“We go through a good process to make sure that the landowners are fairly compensated if they’re going to work with us in creating these preserves,” Comstock said.

Friends of Badger does not keep the land it acquires, and the Little Badger project will eventually be a city of Richland park at the end of the process.

Photo courtesy Bettina Pickett Hikers walk along the eastern edge of Badger Mountain, with Little Badger Mountain pictured in the background.

Once Friends acquires the land needed to complete the trail, the nonprofit will quickly deed the property to the city, with conditions it must adhere to, like keeping it for public use.

The Little Badger project will cost about $4 million for 80 acres when it is completed, Comstock said, mainly because some of the lots the nonprofit had to buy are prime developer real estate, with river and Tri-Cities views up on the Little Badger ridge.

“We don’t want to be looking at someone’s giant back wall privacy fence for this whole center corridor, so that’s why this is so important to us to actually preserve some acreage,” Comstock said.

“If we were just doing a trail, we might need 10 feet, but we don’t want to be in a utility corridor with privacy fences on both sides and no view. We want to have the Badger Mountain-type experience, where we are meandering through the sage and having an enjoyable hike across the space.”

As of late last year, Friends of Badger had about three missing links in its proposed Little Badger project, but those links are slowly being connected as donations and funding sources emerge.

A more than $300,000 donation from Hanford contractor AECOM and subsidiary Washington Closure Hanford late last year helped secure the necessary funding to buy three ridge view lots on top of Little Badger Mountain, so the trail could reach the summit.

On April 2, the Richland City Council voted to approve $200,000 from the city’s tourism tax committee to help pay for one of the missing parcels as well.

Now, Comstock is focusing on finding a way to secure the last four parcels in the middle of the Little Badger site needed to connect the lower Queensgate part of the trail to the summit.

Friends of Badger Mountain is about $1.5 million short on funding for the remaining four parcels of the trail, Comstock estimated, and he is looking to various sources for help before beginning a fundraising effort later this year.

The group helped the city of Richland apply for a state Recreation and Conservation Office grant, which included trips to Olympia. The Little Badger project ranked 11th of 34 trail projects on the RCO funding list, which is funded in two-year cycles through the state’s budget. RCO would need to be funded at a record level, $120 million, for the

Little Badger project to see any funding.

Comstock also pursued another route, appealing directly to the various District 8 lawmakers for funding from the state budget.

The 2019-21 budget currently is working its way through the Legislature.

In the House version of the state budget, there is a $464,000 earmark to help pay for the project, but the Senate must approve this as well.

Comstock won’t know how much state funding he receives until the end of April, when the legislative session concludes and lawmakers approve a final budget.

Friends of Badger Mountain plans to begin work on the Little Badger trail this spring, when a contractor hired by the nonprofit is finished evaluating soil on

15

the slope of Badger to Queensgate.

Comstock expects work to begin as soon as fall on this portion of the trail.

Because the slope is steep, Friends will hire a contractor to build retaining wall structures through a competitive bidding process.

After that is completed, the nonprofit will lead the volunteer effort to build the trail to the top of the ridge, hopefully this fall. The hope is to have an interconnected trail completed by the end of 2020, Comstock said.

More than 200,000 people a year hiked Badger Mountain on average in the last six years, by the Friends’ count.

A city of Richland park’s survey found that 19 percent of visitors to the mountain were not from Benton or Franklin counties, Comstock said, meaning the preserve and the trails have become a tourist attraction in the area.

Comstock pointed to state recreation surveys that show outdoor recreation as an economic driver as well as asset to the community. He said he has conversations with small-business owners who take prospective employees up Badger to show off recreational opportunities.

He said the interconnected ridge trail is a way to preserve the area’s natural habitat for future generations.

“It’s incredibly powerful to know we are participating in something that will preserve this area and public access to the summit of Little Badger that will be enjoyed for generations to come,” he said. “I mean, my kids can take their kids up there and say, ‘Hey, my dad helped preserve this for everyone.’ ”

16

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

VEHICLE, From Page 11

Baie didn’t want to go too deep down the global warming rabbit hole, but “if some of what the studies say is true, we want to minimize our impact as much as possible.”

MSA’s fleet doesn’t include heavy trucks, which run on traditional diesel.

Mostly they are pickups, vans and small SUVs. But it does include half-ton and one-ton four-door trucks hauling crews to off-road sites.

Once MSA decided to add AFVs to its fleet, it didn’t take long to jump in with both feet. Within a year, half of the new vehicles it added each year ran on alternative fuels. In fiscal year 2018, AFVs accounted for two-thirds of the 230 added vehicles.

AFVs now Baie said make up 56 he doesn’t percent of the expect elecfleet. tric vehicles to make up a “Our goal significant is to continue to get AFVs portion of that fit with the fleet until battery techour mission need,” Baie n o l o g y improves. said, “and let the (AFV) MSA’s elecnumbers fall Alternative fuel vehicles make up 56 percent of tric cars are two Chevy where they Mission Support Alliance’s vehicle fleet. may.”

Bolts and a Along with the three electric cars, Nissan Leaf — not exactly something MSA has two charging stations in place you want to take off-road — and electric and two more waiting to be installed as trucks don’t yet meet the company’s more electric cars are added. needs.

ENVIRONMENT But, Baie added, a big breakthrough will happen sooner or later.

“That’s where I think we’ll be going someday,” he said.

There is an added financial cost of using AFVs. E-85 fuel costs about 10 percent more than standard gas, and fuel efficiency is 15 percent to 20 percent less than traditional gas engines.

The miles per gallon is not much of a concern at Hanford, Baie said, because most of the driving is short trips or offroad, hardly optimal miles per gallon to begin with. So, the drop off usually amounts to a mile or two per gallon.

“The biggest thing it means to the general public is (less) greenhouse gas production,” Baie said, adding, “We know we’re doing the right thing.”

CONSUMERS, From Page 13

For 2017, the state Department of Commerce calculated that over 85 percent of all the electricity consumed in the two counties was sourced from hydro versus 68 percent for the state — a share that hasn’t changed much over the past decade for the two counties.

In 2017, nuclear power generated 8.4 percent of total electricity consumed, exactly twice as high as for the state.

Nuclear power’s contribution here has diminished over the past decade.

For 2017, carbon-rich fuels of coal and natural gases amounted to 1 percent and 2 percent, respectively, of all electricity consumed. Washingtonians in general paid 13 percent and 11 percent of their electric bills on coal and natural gas generation, respectively.

For those wanting to live in a lowcarbon world, the greater Tri-Cities provides a home. Whether the hydro and nuclear power can continue to provide nearly 95 percent of all the electricity in the coming decades is an interesting question. The counties have experienced the fastest-growing population since the start of the century among all state metro areas.

The Washington State Office of Financial Management estimates that the area will gain more than 65,000 residents by 2030. With all the other demands on the Columbia and Snake rivers, the bounty of hydro may not be as present in a decade as now.

Perhaps nuclear power will win enough adherents to respond to the increases, conservation — in the form of lower per capita consumption numbers — will help solve the anticipated load issues or the planned solar farm by Neoen on Energy Northwest property will help respond to the load growth.

Perhaps a combination of all.

For now and for the next few years, it seems unlikely that the low-carbon cocktail of electricity that Tri-Citians are enjoying will change much. It also seems highly probable that electricity intensity will continue to be a staple of the local economy for years to come.  D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Environment

17

Watch out for hazardous materials in land acquisitions When a person endeavors to buy a piece of real property (i.e. land and any associated buildings), the buyer would be wise to study up on the potential liability he or she may be taking on.

Notably, the buyer should beware of liability for the existence of hazardous materials on the land.

Most people know or can imagine that a landowner cannot simply dump hazardous materials onto the ground without facing environmental disaster and liability for improper disposal. This wasn’t always necessarily the case.

A few decades back, it would have been much more common for a property

owner to, for example, throw out used motor oil on the ground without proper disposal. In response to reckless environmental behavior, and Beau Ruff to a larger extent Cornerstone commercial and Wealth Strategies industrial ground, water, and air pollution, Congress enacted various laws to curb the behavior and encourage cleanup efforts, including

CERCLA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980).

CERCLA addresses the release of pollutants and contaminants and gives the Environmental Protection Agency the power over cleanup. Various Washington state laws also control the release and cleanup of hazardous substances, including the Washington Environmental Policy Act, the Washington Water Pollution Control Act, the Washington Hazardous Waste Management Act, the Washington Model Toxics Control Act, as well as various regulations promulgated thereunder. As evidenced by the litany of laws in

this area, the broad concept of hazardous waste is a highly-regulated area.

Problematically for the land owner is the breadth of liability for the hazardous materials. Any current land owner can be held liable for hazardous substances on the property, even if the current land owner did not know of the hazardous substances and even if the current land owner didn’t cause the hazardous substances to be deposited thereon.

So, a land owner is not only responsible for what he or she does to the land and water, but the current land owner may be responsible for what past owners did to the ground and the water.

It becomes imperative to take action to ensure when buying property that you won’t be forced to foot the bill for past owners’ environmental transgressions.

The first action item is to ensure that any purchase and sale agreement includes certain protective provisions such as: broad promises that the sellers have never disposed of any hazardous materials on the subject property; broad promises that the sellers know of no hazardous materials on the property (whether caused by the seller or not); broad promises that the sellers have complied, in all terms, with the various state and federal hazardous materials laws; broad promises that, if the sellers have misrepresented any of their promises, that they will pay to make it right (indemnification for cleanup); and an investigative period to inspect the property and sample the ground for detecting the presence of any hazardous materials (the Phase 1 environmental site assessment).

The second action item is to perform the Phase 1 environmental site assessment, or ESA. Though the law provides that current landowners are responsible for defined pollutants on the land, it also provides a defense if the current landowner did not cause the pollution and can demonstrate that he or she made “all appropriate inquiries” into the land prior to purchase. The Phase 1 ESA can be used to satisfy the innocent land owner defense under the “all appropriate inquiries” requirement.

In the event a Phase 1 ESA identifies a recognized environmental condition, then it will likely recommend a more robust Phase 2 ESA. The third action item is to consult your insurer and consider whether environmental liability insurance is appropriate. The standard general liability insurance policy usually specifically exempts environmental liability from coverage.

Accordingly, a separate type of policy, the environmental liability insurance policy is available to assist in paying the costs associated with the presence of environmental pollutant and paying related settlements or judgements associated with enforcement actions.

Be sure to work with a good real estate attorney to ensure you are protected.

8 Attorney Beau Ruff works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a fullservice independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

18

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Environment

Local honey delivers a sweet deal in preserving bees Just about this time every spring, my farmer friend laments about how the bee population is in jeopardy. It’s a crisis. A state of emergency on their farm north of Pasco where they grow cherries, apples and blueberries.

Bees are essential to their crops, not to mention their livelihood, not to mention a third of all our food crops are pollinated by bees.

It’s a conundrum to be sure because, due to drip irrigation and modern farming techniques, like use of pesticides to kill weeds (bees adore weeds), bees are fleeing farms and foraging in towns and cities. There are more job opportunities because there are a larger variety of plants to pollinate than on today’s farms.

The plight of bees is real — but we can help.

Pollination is key, so crops can blossom and bear fruit. That in turn means that we have food on our plates and the cost to produce that food is more economical.

No blossoms, no pollination, no food.

And no bees.

Humans’ love affair with bees’ honey is as old as time. The Bible has 61 references to honey and it was clearly, unequivocally a revered food source.

Raw, unfiltered honey is 25 percent sweeter than processed sugar and never goes bad. Just ask the skeletons flanked with honey found in Egyptian tombs.

There are two distinctions in the

Marilou Shea Food Truck Academy

world of honey — raw, natural and pasteurized. The honey industry is a steady one, but its consumption rate is not going to rival the sugar industry any time soon. The real story is not whether we’re producing quantities of honey on a massive scale, rather how our culture can become bee advocates and sustain our food supply chain.

Americans consumed 1.6 pounds of honey annually in 2016, according to Beeculture.com. Honey consumption is up year over year, but only 29 percent is produced in the U.S. Much of the honey bought in grocery stores is imported and pasteurized, or I’m going to say it, processed.

Commercial U.S. honey, harvested too early, is shipped stripped of its natural ingredients and heavily diluted with corn and rice syrup in China, and then export-

ed back to the U.S. Pasteurized honey has almost no medicinal or nutritional value and offers a pale flavor compared to raw, natural honey. This nectar of the gods is known for its goodness and health benefits.

More of us are consuming non-processed food, which means we’re intent on getting up close and personal with our food sources. It’s not about being trendsetters, but the cost-benefit ratio.

With honey, your best bet is always the raw, natural, unfiltered kind. The darker the honey, the richer in pollen and hence antioxidants.

Lucky for us, bees produce all sorts of honey — from lavender and orange blossom to buckwheat and the most popular wildflower. Bees are some of the hardest working creatures alive. Did you know

that the average worker bee produces one-half a teaspoon of honey? So much work for such a tiny, treasured payoff.

If you’ve got an allergy like hay fever, wildflower honey may reduce symptoms if routinely consumed. Why? Because there are so many varieties of wildflowers and the bees share that love as part of nature’s cycle with you.

Try sourcing local honey as close to your home as possible. And by local, I mean within a three-mile radius. That’s the average distance a bee travels before returning to the hive.

Threats to bees are pesticides, varroa mites and loss of habitat.

What can you do? Consider becoming a beekeeper and join the Mid-Columbia Beekeepers Association. Local beekeepers are a passionate, devoted group and possess a plethora of knowledge. Take your hand off autopilot and resist destroying the dandelions popping up in your yard with weedkiller pesticides.

Buy and consume raw, local honey.

Here again, local is best — for you and the bees. Like Pooh Bear, your life is sure to be sweet.

What’s not to love?

8 Food Love columnist Marilou Shea is an adjunct faculty member for Columbia Basin College’s hospitality program and Food Truck Academy, as well as the creator of Food Truck Fridays.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

ENVIRONMENT uBUSINESS BRIEF West Richland post office renamed to honor Marine

The West Richland post office has been renamed to honor a Marine from Richland who was killed in a cargo plane crash in Mississippi last year.

The post office at 801 W. Van Giesen St. is now named the Sergeant Dietrich Schmieman Post Office Building.

Schmieman’s family and friends, Marine Corps brothers-in-arms and local leaders honored him during a March 20 ceremony.

“It is our hope that the renamed facility will remind users not only of Dietrich, but of all those who have served under arms and given their all for our nation,” according to a statement from his parents Susan and Eric Schmieman.

Schmieman, a Hanford High graduate, served in the 2nd Raider Battalion at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, when his cargo plane crashed on July 10, 2017, killing 14 others on board. The crash was caused by a deteriorating propeller blade on the KC-130T, according to the Military Times.

Congressman Dan Newhouse proposed the bill to dedicate the post office in Schmieman’s name. It was signed into law by President Donald Trump in December.

FURNITURE, From Page 12 down trees, the wood must be left to dry from one to three years before it can be used.

Milton’s tables sell from $1,600 to $1,800, and he usually makes two to three a month, depending on the complexity of custom orders.

“The thing for me is creating a piece that is unique and you can’t get anywhere else,” Milton said. “I love the creative process and the people I get do it for. I like to get inside the customer’s head, making diamonds out of coal, creating stuff that is not easy.”

Milton said he loves the design process involved in bringing clients’ vision to life — but he’s not a designer, it’s something he’s had to learn on the job.

“I let the wood speak to me. I get to have fun with the design aspect. I get to shave a corner here and sand a corner there; that’s the part I love,” he said.

He worked with a client over a span of two years to turn a cherry tree stump into a distinct design element on wooden bookshelves.

He also sources and welds the bases of the tables and other furniture himself.

“The nice thing with what I have going on is that I will work with you from start to finish, from salvaging the wood to storing it, and designing the piece according to the specific color you want down to the metal bases,” Milton said.

As for what the future holds for Milton and Salvaged Hardwoods, he said he would love to have his own shop someday.

Salvaged Hardwoods: salvagedhardwoods.com; Facebook; salvagedhardwoods@gmail.com.

COURSE, From Page 14 concrete pads on the pond by No. 1,” Thompson said. “The turtles like to lay their eggs in the sand bunkers. So we added sand along the shoreline of the pond there. The turtles’ numbers have grown in the last few years to about a dozen.”

Thompson said his team also produced bat boxes on holes No. 1 and 14.

“That’s a natural way to help limit insects around the course,” he said.

The team’s biggest problems are the geese that like to hang around the course.

To that end, they’ve developed what they call a goosenator: a radio-controlled plane that chases them off.

“It’s painted in orange because they don’t like orange,” Thompson said.

“They don’t like it at all. They eventually come back. But there is not nearly as much poop now.”

In addition, Columbia Point is a certified Audubon cooperative sanctuary.

There is a stretch of three acres between the No. 5 hole and Interstate 182 that is off limits to golfers and designed for wildlife.

“We have signs that they can’t go in there to get their golf ball,” Thompson said.

Periodically, Thompson’s team helps host elementary school field trips.

“We’ll do water testing, soil texture analysis, have a golf station and a foot golf station for the kids,” Thompson said. “We want to show them that golf courses are not just elitist. We use science and math here.”

19

And they use it all the time.

“I went to the University of Washington,” Thompson said. “My dad is a retired mechanical engineer for Boeing. My brother is a mechanical engineer at Boeing. I knew I wanted to use math and science, but I didn’t want to be inside an office all day. I wanted to be outdoors.”

As a golf course superintendent, Thompson must have knowledge in a lot of subjects: plant science, recreation management, turf grass science, landscaping, horticulture, human resources and budget management.

“There are so many factors involved in this job,” Thompson said. “For the most part, I love the challenge of making this course better. I love going out and golfing on it, and I love seeing our product.”

20

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Chamber gives top awards to businesses, individuals

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce announced its Business on a Roll Award winners March 27 during its annual meeting and awards luncheon in Kennewick.

Winners were Knutzen Engineering of Kennewick (10 or fewer employees), Petersen Hastings of Kennewick (11 to 50 employees) and Gravis Law of Richland (more than 50 employees).

The awards recognize businesses achieving success in 2018.

Award recipients are businesses demonstrating growth in revenue/income or employees; seeking involvement in the Tri-Cities community; and receiving rec-

ognition as a model business for others through national or industry awards.

All nominees had to be members of the chamber and could self-nominate.

Other awards handed out at the ceremony included the regional chamber’s Board of Directors S.T.A.R. award, which was presented to Paula Linnen, executive director, external affairs, Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, for her service, time, attitude and reliability.

Charles “Mort” Mortimer received the Tom Powers Ambassador of the Year award for his time spent volunteering with the regional chamber.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center received the Community Impact Award and Washington River Protection Solutions took home the Corporate Impact Award for their support and financial contribu-

tions to the regional chamber, respectively.

Kadlec transfers operations of Prosser OB/GYN clinic

Prosser Memorial Health began operating Kadlec OB/GYN Clinic on April 1.

Dr. Brian Sollers and physician’s assistant Teresa Charvet will continue to provide care at the Prosser Women’s Health Clinic, and will be employed by Prosser Memorial Health.

Current patients of the clinic at 336 Chardonnay Ave. will receive official notification of the transition. There will be no care disruptions for patients during this process.

In addition to this transition, Prosser Memorial Health will begin an extensive remodeling project at the Prosser Clinic next door. The remodel will convert the

current unused pharmacy space into exam rooms and an imaging center.

When complete, the clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day offering full laboratory and X-ray services, similar to the new Grandview Clinic.

State raises minimum sales age for tobacco products

The minimum sales age of all tobacco and vapor products is now 21 years old.

Gov. Jay Inslee signed the bill into law April 5 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. The new law takes effect Jan. 1, 2020. The bill was considered in five legislative sessions before being passed this year.

The American Lung Association in Washington said the new law will make Washington the 10th state to increase its sales age for tobacco products to 21.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

21

$35M freezer facility project in works Preferred Freezer Services in north Richland expands to add 200,000 square feet

BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A massive freezer storage facility in north Richland is about to get bigger.

Preferred Freezer Services has begun a $35 million expansion project that will add space and jobs.

“We’ve been moving dirt for several weeks now,” said Burnie Taylor, director of major capital projects for Preferred Freezer Services. “And we have an expected opening of Nov. 1.”

This addition to the original facility, which opened at 2800 Polar Way in north Richland in July 2015, will add more than 200,000 square feet.

Taylor said the company bought 8.6 acres to support the expansion.

“It will have 204,000 square feet, 15.8 million cubic feet of storage, and room for 45,000 additional pallets,” Taylor said.

Photos by Kristina Lord Preferred Freezer Services has begun a $35 million expansion that will add space and jobs at its complex at 2800 Polar Way in north Richland. The project is expected to be completed by November.

The original facility, built four years ago, cost $115 million and it dominates the north Richland landscape, standing 120 feet tall, with 455,000 square feet of space and 313,000 square feet dedicated to automated freezer space.

The facility handles more than two bil-

lion pounds of food a year. And now, like then, it’s still all fruits and vegetables. No proteins.

“The demand for storage is high, especially in agriculture,” said Taylor, who was the Richland plant general manager in 2015. “(This expansion is) basically

adding over one-third of the size of the original building.”

He expects the expansion to add about 75 new jobs, bringing the company’s workforce close to 300.

“It will be a mix of jobs that will include warehouse positions, operations people, mechanics and drivers,” he said.

“It won’t be new technology, but the similar technology we have right now.”

Victory Unlimited Construction of Indianapolis is the general contractor on uFREEZER, Page 22

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Vista Field development, wine village moves ahead Port of Kennewick awards $6.4 million in contracts for projects’ next phases

BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The Port of Kennewick’s vision to create a destination waterfront wine village and redevelop former airport Vista Field is making headway.

The Port of Kennewick approved more than $6.4 million in construction projects in March: infrastructure work at Vista Field and a new wine tasting building that will be home to two new wineries at Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village.

Port commissioners awarded a $1.5 million contract to Banlin Construction of Kennewick to build a 2,568-squarefoot wood-framed building with exposed trusses at Columbia Gardens, the port’s wine village on Columbia Drive.

Roofing materials for the building include standing seam metal, and the mechanical systems are contained within a mezzanine in the centrally located cupola. The exterior will feature stone wainscoating.

Banlin also will build a 24-vehicle parking area with lighting, landscaping,

FREEZER, From Page 21 the project.

In addition to the Richland building, Taylor also is overseeing new projects going up in Dallas, Houston and New Jersey “We’re in the process of building two to three new buildings a year,” he said.

Preferred Freezer Services started in 1989 with 25 employees in a 1.3 million cubic-foot refrigerated warehouse in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

The company brought in $3.6 million in revenue that first year.

Today, the company has 39 facilities in six regions in the United States, 2,200 employees and $394 million in sales. It also has facilities in China and Vietnam.

The Richland facility sees trucks coming and going day and night.

The storage building is fully automat-

concrete flatwork, metal railings, a segmented block retaining wall and concrete stairs.

Cave B and Gordon Brothers wineries will be tenants in the new building, neighbors La Monarcha Winery and Bartholomew Winery.

Banlin built the first phase of Columbia Gardens.

Commissioners also awarded a $4.9 million contract to Total Site Services of Richland to build roads, make utility and landscape improvements, and add a water feature at Vista Field.

It’s the first step to launch the redevelopment of the 103-acre area at the former municipal airport.

The project will connect Deschutes Avenue to Grandridge Boulevard and add 12-foot wide sidewalks, street trees and decorative illumination. It also will add several streets and adjacent alleys, plus include all underground utilities.

The work also includes an 850-linear foot canal-like water feature running along one of the streets to a central park area.

The port’s vision for the property is an urban, mixed-use, pedestrian-focused area to serve as an epicenter for arts in the Tri-Cities.

Port officials anticipate providing “notice to proceed” on both projects by month’s end.

ed, with a monorail system. Employees working in a control room monitor the system.

About 65 percent of the facility’s inbound receivables arrive via automated shuttle trucks. The product is taken from those trucks to a pickup location, where it’s transported by monorail trolley system to the freezer. It’s called an automated storage/retrieval system, or AS/ RS. The remaining 35 percent of delivered product is handled in a more traditional way with forklifts prior to being brought into the AS/RS. Outbound orders flow through the same automated systems prior to delivery at the loading docks.

Forklift operators then take the product from the dock to trucks and rail cars.

Other workers load and unload pallets in bays in 36-degree temperatures.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Real Estate & Construction

Pub has new name, old favorites on tap Lazy River Taphouse in West Richland reopens after purchase of Wook’s

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

Photo by Robin Wojtanik Marcos Vargas and Melissa Rabideau bought Wook’s Cork and Craft in West Richland, then renamed and remodeled it. It opened as Lazy River Taphouse in late March.

and plans to bring in a winerator to dispense wine on tap. “We’d like to get some more women in here to join the men who tend to drink the beer,” Rabideau said.

There is a new shuffleboard table and the corner music stage remains.

The former owner frequently brought in live bands and offered open mic nights, and those traditions will continue.

Be Tricky is the first band scheduled, with the trio performing electrifying blues at 8 p.m. April 20.

The couple bought the business for $30,000, and invested about $25,000 into the remodel, getting help with construction from family, but also using Hometown Electric and Adrian’s Pro Plumbing for some of the work.

The pub, which does not serve liquor, is open seven days a week, with varying hours: from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; from 1 to 10 p.m. Friday and

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Canada-based company buys 2 Tri-City auto repair shops Atomic Auto Body, SonShine Collision renamed as Gerber

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A new pub will revive the focus on craft beers in a West Richland strip mall.

Marcos Vargas and Melissa Rabideau bought Wook’s Craft & Cork and reopened in late March as Lazy River Taphouse.

“Everyone really liked what (the former owner) was building with it, so we didn’t want to stray that far from the music, neighborhood, ‘everybody knows your name’ kind of ‘Cheers’ vibe, but just add our own thing,” Rabideau said of the four-year-old Wook’s.

The new name is a nod to the nearby Yakima River, a popular destination for locals wanting to drift and float downriver in the summertime.

“It promotes a chill, relaxing vibe after a day at work or on the weekend,” Rabideau said. “Chillin’ on the lazy river, having a good time, listening to music.”

Lazy River is at 4033 W. Van Giesen, Ste. E, behind Roasters Coffee, near the intersection of S. 40th Ave. For those who have visited Wook’s, the new owners say the bar will look about “half like the old place and half with new features,” Vargas said.

During the two months the bar was closed for remodeling, the couple added a kitchen.

The bar will open without food to start, but eventually will offer appetizers and possibly breakfast.

“We didn’t want to change it up too much for the regulars, but we saw the opportunity to make it something even more great, especially by adding a kitchen,” Vargas said.

Beers on tap are Northwest-dominant, but also include offerings from California, Montana and Hawaii.

The taphouse also will offer tap takeovers by Northwest breweries, which will exclusively pour their beers for a night.

Lazy River also serves local wines

23

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Saturday; and from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Three employees cover the bar, including the lone Wook’s staffer who returned to pour beer for the new owners.

Vargas is excited for past regulars to return to their old haunt.

“They’re going to come in and see a brighter, more vibrant energy in the house. It’s a clean, enjoyable spot to drink some beer,” he said.

Lazy River Taphouse: 4033 W. Van Giesen, Suite E, West Richland; 509420-4316; Facebook.

A Canada-based company recently acquired and renamed two Tri-City auto repair centers.

The Boyd Group Inc. acquired Atomic Auto Body and Detail on March 18.

The company served the Richland community for 53 years from the same location at 520 Wellsian Way. The Boyd Group does business as Gerber Collision & Glass in the U.S. The company uses newly acquired brand names during a transition period until acquired locations have been rebranded.

“We are excited to strengthen our presence in the state of Washington with this acquisition,” said Tim O’Day, president and chief operating officer of the Boyd Group, in a release. “This opening also allows us to better assist our insurance clients.”

The Boyd Group Inc. also acquired a longtime Kennewick collision repair center in October.

This shop previously operated as SonShine Collision Services and had served the market for almost 30 years, 20 years from 6211 W Okanogan Ave. “Entry into this market will allow uGERBER, Page 25

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Real Estate & Construction

Craft brew pub, soccer bar to open in Kennewick Former Snipes Mountain head brewer, wife to open Moonshot Brewing in May

BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Ryan Wattenbarger and Hilary Bird will be ready to share their craft brews and love of soccer with the Tri-Cities in May. The Tri-City couple are opening Moonshot Brewing at 8804 Victoria Ave., Suite 130, in Kennewick, near the Gage Boulevard and Steptoe Street intersection.

“I think we can be open in the first half of May,” said Wattenbarger, whose last day as head brewer at Snipes Mountain Brewery & Restaurant in Sunnyside was March 29.

It’s a dream come true for the couple, who met at a friend’s wedding in Boise.

They eventually got married and added a baby girl named Norah to the family.

“We did our business plan three years ago. It took us a couple of months to put together,” Bird said.

But that wasn’t the hardest part.

“It took 18 months to find a building,” Bird said. “We looked at buildings where it was more for office space. We looked at older buildings in downtown Kennewick where it was going to cost too much money to remodel. We wanted to be centrally located in the Tri-Cities.”

The new $1.2 million building was built by Jason Zook, owner of Smile-AMile Painting of Kennewick, who moved his growing business into the strip mall in 2018. It’s next door to Garland’s Gymnastics.

Moonshot joins a growing number of craft breweries in the state, which boasts 402, according to the Washington Beer Commission. That’s No. 2 in the nation,

Photo by Jeff Morrow Ryan Wattenbarger and Hilary Bird stand with their baby, Norah, in front of Moonshot Brewing at 8804 Victoria Ave., Suite 130, in Kennewick. The couple plan to open the new soccer-themed craft brewery in May.

according to the Brewers Association.

A total of 510,682 barrels are produced in the state per year. That’s 2.9 gallons of craft beer for every Washingtonian 21 years and older, said the Brewers Association.

The brewing industry’s direct economic impact, when coupled with the revenue generated by way of distributors and retailers, totaled more than $6 billion in 2014, according to the Beer Institute.

For Wattenbarger, who grew up near

Sunnyside’s hop fields, learning the craft of brewing was a natural fit, although it took him a while to figure it out.

He said he tried teaching as a career “and that was not for me. I went to study at the Yakima Valley Collect’s Grandview Wine Technology program. I realized I was good at it.”

He worked at a few wineries, but he wasn’t satisfied.

“Harvest was hard,” Wattenbarger said. “It was three months of not seeing (Hilary).”

So he found an opening at Snipes Mountain as assistant brewer. In less than a year, he stepped into the head brewer position.

It was the move that clicked.

“The brewery seeds were planted about five years ago when we started a website,” said Bird, who will be general manager of Moonshot.

Wattenbarger agreed: “I think the two of us fell in love with craft brewing. At Snipes, I was allowed to do everything. I was given carte blanche.”

That’s why he still enjoys brewing beer.

“For me, when I was making wine, I was ushering the grape to its best state,” he said. “But in beer, I get the full palette.

I can use my creativity.”

That’s what he’ll do at Moonshot.

He and Bird are already touting three beers on their website: Sagittarius, their flagship IPA; Flanigan’s Red Ale; and Libra, their flagship pale ale.

The red ale was an award-winner at Snipes.

At Snipes, Wattenbarger made 15-barrel batches in the tanks, which created 30 kegs.

“But if it didn’t work, we’d still have to sell it all,” he said.

uBREW, Page 25

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION BREW, From Page 24 Beers at Moonshot will be made in a 3.5-barrel Stout system, enabling Wattenbarger to experiment with smaller batches.

“By using a 3.5-barrel batch, we make four or five kegs. If they work out, we can make it again,” he said.

He said that they will be experimenting.

“We’ll be barrel aging stuff,” Wattenbarger said. “We’ll use local fruits. I’ve done a few of those with fresh peaches.”

Wattenbarger said when the brewery opens, it should be able to seat 100 people in 3,240 square feet of space.

“We’ll probably open with five taps of our beer. But eventually we’ll have eight to 10 taps for our beer, plus some rotating handles for other beers,” he said.

There will be no kitchen, but Wattenbarger and Bird would like to bring in food trucks.

“And with Uber Eats, people can have food ordered and delivered here,” Wattenbarger said.

For Bird, working as general manager will be a welcome challenge.

“I’m excited to get back to running a business, helping the community and being involved in the community,” she said.

Moonshot Brewing will be a soccerthemed bar, too, as Wattenbarger and Bird are serious Seattle Sounders fans.

“We’re huge soccer fans,” he said. “We wanted this place to fill our needs, where people can support the Sounders. We wanted a place that will be familyfriendly. Beer and soccer are the only things in my life right now.”

Moonshot also will be dog-friendly to leashed pets.

Moonshot Brewing: 8804 Victoria Ave., Suite 130, Kennewick; moonshotbrewing.com; Facebook; Twitter Instagram.

Horn Rapids golf course has new owner Gale-Rew Construction owner plans to renovate

BY KEVIN ANTHONY

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Long before Brad Rew ever imagined running his own construction company, he dreamed of owning a golf course.

He grew up playing the courses of the Tri-Cities and his first job after graduating from Richland High School was mowing the greens at Buckskin Golf Club.

He studied golf course management

in college, figuring he’d soon be on the road to running his own course.

After 13 years — and a major detour into construcBrad Rew tion after the golf course bubble burst — that dream has been realized.

Rew closed a deal March 14 to buy Horn Rapids Golf Club for $1.5 million from Bob Soushek, the owner of Fore

GERBER, From Page 23 us to serve new customers and assist our insurance clients,” O’Day stated. “We are pleased to be expanding Gerber’s presence in Washington.”

Gerber operates 33 collision and glass service centers in Washington.

The Boyd Group said it is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. The Boyd Group Inc., directly and through subsidiaries, is one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centers in North America in terms of number of locations and sales, according to the company.

It operates locations in five Canadian provinces under the trade names Boyd Autobody & Glass and Assured Automotive, as well as in 27 U.S. states.

The company also is a major retail auto glass operator in the U.S. with locations across 34 states under the trade names Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority and Autoglassonly.com.

The company also operates a thirdparty administrator, Gerber National Claim Services, that offers glass, emergency roadside and first notice of loss services. It has about 5,500 affiliated glass provider locations and 4,600 affiliated emergency roadside services providers throughout the U.S.

25

“O’Brien Construction performed the remodel on our current facility in 2018, and we were impressed from the start. The O’Brien team communicated well, scheduled efficiently and the quality was excellent. I highly recommend O’Brien Construction for your next commercial construction project.”

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Inc. Golf Course Construction in Maple Valley who built the course.

“It’s always been a dream,” said Rew, noting that it isn’t just about guaranteeing good tee times.

“I’ve always been an entrepreneur.

Even more than the game of golf, I love the business of golf.”

Rew, the owner and president of Gale-Rew Construction, said he plans to make upwards of $5 million in improvements at the course just off Highway 240 in northwest Richland.

Among the big-ticket items are fixing uHORN RAPIDS, Page 28

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

SILOS SPORTS BAR AND GRILL 12125 W. CLEARWATER AVE.• KENNEWICK

Silos Sports Bar and Grill, the Tri-City’s newest sports bar, has opened at 12125 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick.

Located off Interstate 82 near the Leslie Road roundabout, Silos is serving up a full menu featuring sandwiches, pizza, appetizers and burgers with beer, wine and spirits. It’s a 21-and-over establishment.

Featuring an agricultural industrial vibe with all-custom furnishings, Silos has twenty 75-inch

flat-screen TVs, making every seat the best in the house to catch the game, and a custom, regulation-size 22-foot shuffleboard.

The 5,621-square-foot bar and grill pays homage to state and regional sports teams, as well as the Columbia Basin’s proud agricultural and ranching heritage, featuring a wide range of mem-

orabilia.

Silos’ grand opening was April 9.

Conner Construction Co. of Kennewick was the general contractor.

Wave Design Group of Kennewick was the architect.

Silos is owned by VC Enterprises.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Richland medical practice buys larger building

Complete Healthcare for Women to move into Jadwin Avenue site

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A Richland OB-GYN bought a building not far from his current clinic and will move into a newly remodeled facility this summer.

Dr. Richard Lorenzo has seen patients at 1050 Gilmore Ave., Suite A, since August 2015.

His new practice will be at 1045 Jadwin Ave., almost directly behind the space Lorenzo has been renting on Gilmore, on land originally owned by the federal government in the 1950s.

The building was recently purchased for $795,000 by Lorenzo’s real estate holding company, Issoma LLC. “Just like with housing, it’s smarter to own than rent,” said Kerry Lorenzo, Richard’s wife and marketing assistant for Complete Healthcare for Women.

“The building had been for sale for quite a while,” Kerry said. “We couldn’t find somewhere to build brand new and as close to Kadlec as he wanted to be. So this was the right fit for both the location and need.”

Complete Healthcare for Women will move into a 5,500-square-foot portion of the building that’s been vacant for a while.

The space is about 1,200 square feet larger than Lorenzo’s current clinic.

Two other tenants are in the 8,400-square-foot Jadwin building and will remain there, including Spink

Engineering and the Richland Education Association.

Renovations valued at $350,000 are just getting underway by Tri-Rivers Construction Services of Kennewick.

The building is more than 25 years old, and both exterior and interior updates are planned.

Kerry said the intention is to create a “classy, spalike” atmosphere for patients.

The doctor recently bought a new laser that can perform tattoo and hair removal, and the new services will be offered in the new location.

The practice may use more of the vacant space and hire an aesthetician, if the cosmetic procedures prove popular.

Kerry said the intent is to have the renovations finished and the move completed by early summer.

HORN RAPIDS, From Page 25 the course’s outdated irrigation system, adding a practice facility and building a ritzy new clubhouse. Improvements to the course’s fairways and green already are evident.

Rew said he expects the project to take 3 1/2 to 5 years.

Those improvements hinge on developing some of the nearby land that came with the course into townhouses — a $25 million project of up to 70 homes built in three phases.

“That makes this course viable to purchase,” said Rew, noting that getting loans for buying or renovating golf courses is next to impossible.

He came up with the $1.5 million purchase price out of his own pocket — easily the biggest check he’s ever written.

He said the development will be aimed at the 55-plus crowd, with homes selling for between $329,000 and $375,000. The land first must be rezoned, but Rew said he already has more than 30 people interested in buying.

He hopes to break ground on the first phase of 25 homes this summer.

Rich Quadrel, president of the men’s club at Horn Rapids, said he was thrilled to see someone from the Tri-Cities buy the course after it had been on the market for nearly five years.

“To have a local owner who spends time at the course, who is actively engaging in dialogue with golfers — I don’t think there’s a better situation,” Quadrel said.

He added that members he’s talked to are “real excited” about Rew’s plans, which were unveiled at two town hall meetings at the club earlier this month.

“At best,” Quadrel said, “what we hoped for was an owner who would make repairs to things that had started to fall apart over time.”

It’s going to make for a lot of busy days for Rew — adding golf course renovations and a townhouse project to the home renovations that are Gale-Rew’s bread and butter.

“It’s the biggest project for me,” he said. “Gale-Rew Construction has taken on a lot of big projects, but nothing this scale. But this is the dream for me.”

Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

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Burgers, pies, retro sci-fi equals one Hot Mess

Horror movie-themed restaurant to open in Richland’s Parkway

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

In addition to managing a cafe, owning a micro-bakery and parenting four children, Chris Nokes decided to add restaurant entrepreneur to his list.

He’s opening Hot Mess Burgers & Pies at 619 The Parkway in Richland, where Cheese Louise used to be.

“When we came in here in December, I just fell in love with the spot,” said Nokes, owner of Hot Mess. “My wife and I had been talking about two to three years out for opening a restaurant, but once we both came in here and saw everything, we both decided we need to move ahead.”

Nokes has been in the restaurant business for 15 years, working at various fine dining establishments, like Richland’s Fat Olives, Mojave in Prosser’s Desert Wind Winery and Katya’s Bistro and Wine Bar in Richland.

Most recently, he manages Kagen Coffee & Crepes in Richland’s Uptown, where he helps design and photograph the monthly specials and sells pastries from his micro-bakery.

Seeing the success of Kagen’s café affirmed his belief that the region is ready

Photo by Robin Wojtanik A science-fiction and horror movie-themed restaurant is on track to open in the spring in Richland’s Parkway, in the space once occupied by Cheese Louise.

Right top: Fluff from a Nutter World pie

to keep supporting locally-owned restaurants.

“The Tri-Cities, up until recently, has not had a lot of support for those smaller restaurants,” Nokes said. “But I feel like in the past five years or so, the whole demeanor has changed. Now Tri-Citians are very proud of our area and we’re starting to reclaim it as our own. We’re starting to get to the point where Olive Garden doesn’t win ‘Restaurant of the Year’ every year.”

Which begs the question, why do burgers, when Nokes has the skills to create

finely-crafted entrees?

“There’s nothing more fun than just a big, greasy burger. You ask any chef, and they’re not going home and making truffled potatoes. They’re getting burgers. As much fun as I’ve had making really highend, fun things, I’ve never had more fun than when I was working for Willingham’s Grill (formerly at 334 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick) and we were just making greasy spoon burgers. I wanted to get back to that type of cooking,” he said.

The restaurant will have a retro science-fiction theme with both the décor

and the menu, which will include offerings like: Teenage Beach Party Massacre Burger, with a beet barbecue sauce designed to be blood red, and the Lemony Wobbly Thymey Whimey pie, inspired

by Dr. Who. Hot Mess also will serve milkshakes made by a vintage machine, including one called The Twilight Zone, using white and dark chocolate.

Nokes and his wife are on the hunt for a retro pie case with rotating shelves to showcase the eight standard pies on the menu, along with seasonal offerings.

“Very few places in the Tri-Cities do pies,” Nokes said. “They’re very uniquely American. We took the whole concept from the English tradition, but there’s nothing more American in terms of desserts than pies, and it’s so regional, too.” uHOT MESS, Page 30

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

HOT MESS, From Page 29 There also will be poutine, salads, fish and chips, and a vegan burger made with falafel. The restaurant will serve beer and wine, but not liquor.

Nokes is investing at least $35,000 into the remodel of the 2,400-square-foot building on the southern end of The Parkway, near Casa Mia, where he signed a monthto-month lease.

“The Parkway is perfect. It’s becoming a dining destination,” he said.

His goal is to open in time for the Richland Farmers’ Market, which runs from May to October. Hot Mess hasn’t ruled out the idea of a Friday, Saturday or Sunday brunch, but right now it’s not part of the plans.

The current schedule would have the restaurant open every day but Sundays.

An online fundraising campaign through Kickstarter is helping to cover the investment costs of Hot Mess.

Photo courtesy Hot Mess Lemony Wobbly Thymey Whimey lemon meringue pie.

Nokes has a goal of $10,000 and had already raised nearly $1,000 within the first week. Supporters can earn everything from a logo sticker to free burgers and pie for life, depending on the amount of backing.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Thanks to a long history in the local service industry, Nokes has already hired most of the nine employees he expects to need.

Family and friends currently are working on the remodel, but Nokes expects to use Western Restaurant Supply & Design for the kitchen installation.

The restaurant will seat 87 people indoors. Outdoor seating will not be available to start due to the limitations that come with a liquor license.

The Parkway also is the site of a planned expansion of Frost Me Sweet, the new second location of Foodies Too and the anchor location of Porter’s Real BBQ, which was recently featured on the Food Network.

“We’re starting to create a food scene in the Tri-Cities and it’s beautiful,” Nokes said. “It’s such a great time to be here and I wanted to throw my name in the ring with my burger shop.”

Hot Mess Burgers & Pies: 619 The Parkway, Richland; Facebook.

LEGACY HIGH SCHOOL 4624 W. 10TH AVE.• KENNEWICK

The new home of Kennewick School District’s Legacy High School opened April 12 with a ribboncutting ceremony and tour.

The 18,000-square-foot Legacy High features 13,000 square feet of remodeled space, plus a 5,000-square-foot addition.

The school has 11 classrooms, a gym, computer

lab, offices and a conference and meeting space.

Located at 4624 W. 10th Ave. in Kennewick, the school is in the former City Church building.

Legacy High provides a direct instruction program with on-campus classes, as well as an online independent learning program and educational services for youth housed at the Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice Center and the Benton County jail.

The total project cost, including the land, was about $7 million, and was paid for with local capital project fund dollars.

Justin Griffeth of Kennewick-based Banlin Construction was the project manager.

Joe Hampton of MMEC Architecture & Interiors of Spokane/Kennewick was the architect.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

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Projects to add medical labs to Kadlec campus Plan enhances electrophysiology, gatroenterology care with fifth catheterization lab, clinic remodel work

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Two construction projects totaling more than $3.5 million are getting underway on the Kadlec medical campus in Richland to meet patient demand for electrophysiology and gastroenterology services.

One project involves adding a fifth catheterization lab to the main hospital

building at 888 Swift Blvd. This will result in more resources for electrophysiology cardiology, known as EP cardio, and is expected to be finished in late spring.

EP cardio focuses on the treatment of heart rhythm disorders.

Jim Hall, Kadlec’s marketing and communication director, recalled years ago when there were just two catheterization labs at the hospital, and now the need has

grown to support a fifth.

A remodel also is underway at the nearby Kadlec Healthplex at 1270 Lee Blvd. in Richland, which is home to several outpatient services, including aquatic physical therapy, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, massage therapy, a demonstration kitchen and classrooms for community education.

Crews are taking out the spot used by informational technology employees and replacing it with clinical space for gastroenterology physicians.

This work could be completed by later this fall and doctors could start seeing

patients in the newly-built rooms.

A second project will result in four new endoscopy suites where scoping procedures will be performed.

The target for this work to be completed is by June 2020.

“These are both high need areas to meet patient demand with expanded area of service,” Hall said.

The general contractor on the project is Sletten Construction Co. of Boise.

The catheterization lab construction is valued at $250,000, and the endoscopy center at the Healthplex is valued at $3.3 million.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION uBUSINESS BRIEFS West Richland library grand reopening set after remodel

The West Richland library’s grand reopening celebration after more than $306,000 in improvements is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 27.

The opening ceremony and a ribbon cutting begins at 11 am at 3803 W. Van Giesen St. Visitors can stop by and enter to win a new Apple iPad. There also will be music, activities and refreshments The temporary branch, located behind the permanent branch, will be closed April 21 for Easter and April 22-26 for moving.

Coffee shop at BlankSpace closes; event venue to grow

BlankSpace announced plans to expand its Kennewick event venue into the space formerly occupied by The Local coffee shop.

BlankSpace reported on Facebook that it is tripling the size of its venue at 5453 Ridgeline Drive to include a kitchen and balcony access. Completion is set for the end of April.

The Local announced on Facebook its plans to downsize with the closure of its Southridge location, which was inside BlankSpace. It opened there in January 2017. Its last day there was March 30.

The Local at 8530 W. Gage Blvd., Suite E, in Kennewick remains open.

West Richland election ballots due by April 23

West Richland voters are being asked to consider a $12.5 million bond to build a larger police station. The special election ballots are due April 23.

The bond would add 42 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to property taxes. That means owners of a $200,000 home would pay $84 a year.

The proposed 22,500-square-foot police building would have a secure armory and evidence room and a safer lobby for visitors and staff. There also would be more space for police and parole officers, who currently work four to a desk.

Parole officers must now meet with

35

offenders in hallways or parking lots because of lack of space at the current facility.

There also would be additional space for officer training, community meetings and an improved kennel for animal control, which community members have requested.

The location for the station isn’t set in stone, but two properties are under consideration: a 2.5-acre Bureau of Land Management-owned lot just east of Bombing Range Road off Morab Street and a privately-owned, 2.5-acre lot off Mount Adams View Drive.

Both properties are near the Benton Fire District 4 station on Bombing Range Road.

SUNDOWN SPORT & MARINE 135 REATA ROAD• KENNEWICK

Sundown Sport & Marine, a longtime favorite for Tri-City boaters and water sport enthusiasts, recently moved to a new 8,000-square-foot facility at 135 Reata Road in Kennewick.

Originally established in 1977, Sundown offers boat and RV services and repairs for several name brands, as well as a wide range of parts and water sports equipment for wakeboarding, water skiing, wake surfing and skating, and more.

Perfection Glass moved in September into the former Sundown building at 1238 Columbia Park

Trail in Richland.

Sundown’s new building was completed in November and features 4,000 square feet of warehouse, office and retail shop space.

The remaining 4,000 square feet has been leased to Tri-City Fence Works. Tenant improvements recently were completed on its portion, which features office and retail space, as well as space devoted to the fabrication of products.

Tyler Prince and Jeremy Robbins of TSR Management Group, who are the owners of

Sundown Sport & Marine, had the new building constructed.

Adam Hall at CRF Metal Works of Pasco oversaw the project.

Sundown Sport & Marine: 509-783-1649; sundownsportandmarine.com.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

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Kennewick batting facility opening in full swing D-BAT Columbia Basin opens near Vista Field

BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Bob and Tammy Benson have long wanted to run a batting cage business in the Tri-City area.

“We’ve always talked about having a facility,” Tammy said. “We’d look and talk about it. But we wouldn’t do it.”

Then a friend showed them information about a D-BAT franchise a few years ago.

The Bensons bought a franchise and opened in March near Vista Field in Kennewick.

D-BAT Columbia Basin is a 20,000square-foot warehouse filled with 15 batting cages, two golf simulators and three pitching tunnels for live batting practice.

Dustin Willis, a former college baseball player and community college coach, is general manager.

Tammy Benson said the early reviews are good.

“The response has been great,” she said. “The high school kids think this is awesome. The little kids are so excited.

We’re a little heavy on baseball right now. But we’re having a lot of older softball players from the Mid-Columbia Senior Softball League coming in.”

The facility features five baseball instructors and four softball instructors.

All work on an independent contractor basis and offer lessons.

Photo by Jeff Morrow Bob and Tammy Benson stand in the middle of their D-BAT Columbia Basin batting cage business at 6416 W. Hood Place in the Vista Field area of Kennewick. The indoor baseball and softball training, batting cages and merchandise franchise opened in March.

D-BAT was founded by brothers Cade and Kyle Griffis in Texas in 1998, when they traveled their state giving lessons.

They started franchising the company in 2009. There are 75 locations around the country, with 20 more in the process of being built.

A franchise fee costs $40,000, with an initial investment costs between $397,000 to $698,000, according to Franchisegrade. com. Entrepreneur magazine ranks it 341 among the Top 500 franchises in the U.S. Tammy, a former assistant softball coach at Columbia Basin College, who also coaches a softball team in the Wash-

ington Angels organization, believes a facility like D-BAT will make better players out of anyone who uses it.

“People are looking for more practice time,” she said. “These machines are state of the art.”

They include three FungoMan machines, which can throw baseballs, fastpitch softballs, or give slowpitch softball players a 12-foot arc pitch.

Machine speeds vary. In baseball, hitters can look at 40-, 50-, 60- and 70-mph pitches. Fastpitch softball will get you 40-, 50- and 60-mph pitches.

Pricing also will vary. The basic cost is

$2 a credit, and a credit includes 13 to 15 pitches. People planning to use the cages more can buy memberships, which can provide customer discounts on almost everything.

For instance, platinum memberships cost $68 a month; gold memberships are $48 a month. Platinum memberships provide hitters with unlimited cage time.

The Bensons also plan on offering numerous clinics and camps.

Other highlights include: hit track tournaments that involve four-man teams and six-inning games; two TrackMan golf simulators; strength and conditioning classes; a fully stocked pro shop that sells bats, gloves and other gear, with numerous brands.

Tammy said that Bothell has the first D-BAT in the state, but Kennewick is the second. It also is the second Tri-City batting cage business. The Batter’s Box in Kennewick has been open for a few years.

A former school secretary at Hanford High School, Benson said she’s found the perfect job.

“I’m already happy,” she said. “It’s a fun job, being around baseball and softball. There is no better way to spend your day.”

D-BAT is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Monday through Friday; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and from noon to 6 p.m.

Sunday.

D-BAT Columbia Basin 6416 W. Hood Place, Suite 150, Kennewick; 509940-3228; dbatcolumbiabasin.com; Facebook; Instagram; Twitter.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

uAPPOINTMENTS • Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Pasco School District’s Susana Reyes to the State Board of Education. Reyes is Pasco’s assistant superintendent of operations and human resources. She Susana has dedicated Reyes her more than 20-year career to serving students and families across

all areas of the education system.

Reyes joined Pasco School District in September 2017, and has held previous educational leadership positions in Mead, Pullman, and Wapato school districts. She is a member of the TriCities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club of Pasco and a governor appointee to the Washington Student Achievement Council. She will serve on the 16-member state board through January 2022.

• Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Deborah Ruegsegger of Kennewick to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board in March.

The term runs through 2023.

Benton grant program OKs $1.7M for port, city projects

BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

Benton County recently approved $1.7 million in grants from its sales taxgenerated economic development program.

The money will be put toward projects from the city of Kennewick and Port of Kennewick, Richland and Prosser.

The county awarded $1 million to Kennewick and its port to transform Clover Island’s shoreline. The money will go toward improving public infrastructure and preparing three commercial building sites totaling 3.24 acres.

Work will include shoreline stabilization, extension of utilities, trail building, installation of drainage infrastructure and landscaping.

The county also approved $350,000 for Swift Boulevard improvements between Stevens Drive and Jadwin Avenue that includes upgraded traffic signals, replacement of street lighting and installing on-street landscaping features.

Prosser received $340,856 to complete the first phase of a utility crossing project at Interstate 82. It’s part of a plan to facilitate commercial growth in the Gap Road Commercial District and surrounding area.

Upon completion, the utility crossing will assist in the recruitment of new businesses to about 160 acres of commercially zoned, public- and privatelyowned properties. Build-out is expected 24 months after completion.

The county’s grant will pay for a feasibility and engineering study to determine two possible crossing locations for water, sewer, natural gas, electrical, tele-

phone and fiber optic utilities, among other work.

Since spring 2017, the county has approved more than $9.2 million in projects through its Rural County Capital Fund, which is fed by a sales tax collected by the county and earmarked for economic development, job creation and tax revenue in the county.

The 0.09 of 1 percent tax generates about $354,000 in sales tax revenue for Benton County each month. The tax sunsets in 2026.

The county’s rolling grant program doesn’t come with a lot of red tape or competitive judging and matching dollars aren’t required.

The proposals made to the county are evaluated based on whether they meet state law and county policy.

The money is awarded based on city population, which is why the program was launched in the first place. It’s intended to give an injection of money to rural counties with a population density of less than 100 people per square mile, or a county smaller than 225 square miles.

Benton County qualified when the tax was implemented, though it has since grown to 112 people per square mile.

The county dispersed $2.1 million for 11 projects between 1998 and 2002.

After that, the county dedicated tax dollars from 2001-16 to pay off the debt for the Benton County jail.

The county policy was revised in 2017 after enough revenue was collected to satisfy the jail’s bonded debt. The state allowed Benton County to use the money for the jail bond but changed parameters later so other counties couldn’t.

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Teacher grants fuel STEM learning programs $15,000-plus distributed in Tri-City schools help increase STEM abilities

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

More than $15,000 in STEM education grants are in use at Tri-City area schools, creating or supporting robotics clubs, aeroponic gardening and microscopic photography, among other projects.

Tri-City teachers were invited to apply for the STEM Like ME! grants through the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, with selection help from the Dream Builder’s Education Foundation.

Chiawana High School science teacher Angie Jarvis received a $975 grant to put toward a Rube Goldberg project for her freshmen STEM students. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“We have wanted to complete a Rube Goldberg project for a couple of years … to integrate the content of our English, science and robotics classes into one project, but funding was always a concern,” Jarvis said.

A Rube Goldberg machine is designed to complete a simple task in a complicated manner. An example is the classic children’s board game, Mouse Trap, in which a ball must travel through a series

Photo courtesy Angie Jarvis A winning team of students from Chiawana High School who learned to design, test and run Rube Goldberg machines after their teacher received a grant for the STEM project.

of 3D challenges.

The STEM grants have been awarded for three years to teachers in Educational Service District 123. The Pasco-based ESD is one of nine in the state, serving 23 school districts in seven counties by providing a link to state and national educational resources.

It’s estimated at least 3,105 students benefited from the grants in the first two years, with an additional 5,618 students benefiting this current school year.

These estimates are conservative because at Pasco’s Marie Curie STEM

Elementary alone, a teacher requested grant money for USB microscopes — digital microscopes that connect to a computer — to be used by 23 students.

The microscope materials may be shared throughout the school and could potentially benefit 800 students in one year.

The grants reward innovative ideas, programs or projects that help inspire Mid-Columbia students to learn about STEM fields.

“Great teachers deserve all the support we can give them. STEM projects can be

costly and often teachers take these expenses out of their own pockets,” said Jean Dunkirk, chair of the STEM Like ME! Grants for Teachers program.

Jarvis is part of the ninth-grade STEM cohort at Chiawana and hoped to “teach students STEM concepts in a way that is engaging and innovative, in order to make the learning meaningful and relevant.”

At Chiawana, 64 students are part of the STEM program and worked in teams to design their Rube Goldberg machines using a variety of materials, including wood, plastic and ribbon.

“In order to be successful, we wanted to provide students with a selection of materials for building, as well as to allow students to determine the types of materials they wanted to incorporate beyond our initial inventory,” Jarvis said.

This helped teams put their knowledge of scientific concepts to use, including Newton’s laws of motion.

“Through this project, students were able to effectively demonstrate their content knowledge, cause and effect in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ physics principles such as momentum and acceleration, and to use a variety of sensors connected to their Lego EV3 robots.

They were able to combine all this learning into an integrated project,” Jarvis said. uSTEM, Page 41

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Electrical companies fined for unlicensed work

BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

A Minnesota company and several of its subcontractors are facing fines of $273,000 from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries for nearly 600 instances of making illegal repairs at retailers across Washington, including in Richland and Kennewick.

Bailiwick Services LLC of Chaska, Minnesota, subcontracted with five other companies to move electrical lines, adjust menu boards at fast food restaurants and install telecommunication equipment. L&I cited the companies for using unlicensed electrical workers and not getting permits for the jobs.

Bailiwick provided electrical contractors for large chain stores throughout Washington. The list of retailers includes The Home Depot, US Bank, Dollar Tree, and restaurants such as Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Panera. In all, there were 584 citations issued.

Bailiwick has appealed the citations, while the subcontractors have agreed to pay the penalties. The list of subcontractors and the amount of their fines include: I T Communications Inc., of Yakima, $28,500; SpringWise Facility MNGMT Inc., South Bend, Indiana, $13,000; Darwin TC Group, Hillsboro, Oregon, $5,000; Jones Sign Co., Inc., of DePere, Wisconsin, $2,500; and Rick Slape Inc., of Weatherford, Texas, $500.

The retail stores and restaurants where the violations occurred include locations in Richland, Kennewick, Spokane, Yakima, Wenatchee, Bellingham, Chehalis, Everett, Kent, Longview, Puyallup, Seattle, Sequim and Vancouver.

L&I uses a special group of 11 inspectors, called the Electrical Compliance, Outreach, Regulation and Education (ECORE) team, for its investigations.

ECORE issued a total of 2,976 citations against unlicensed contractors and uncertified electricians in 2018, and collected more than $2.5 million in penalties.

To find out whether a contractor is licensed, has an up-to-date workers’ compensation account, or has safety violations pending, go to Lni.wa.gov/Verify.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Fourth annual Taco Crawl to benefit Boys & Girls Club

Taco trucks and Mexican restaurants in downtown Pasco are participating in the fourth annual Pasco Taco Crawl to support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Customers can buy $25 booklets containing vouchers good for one taco from each of the 20 participating establishments, valid from April 19 through May 4.

They also can vote for the best taco.

Voting closes May 3. The winner will be announced at the Downtown Pasco Development Authority’s Cinco de Mayo Festival on May 4.

Nearly 2,000 people ate their way through downtown Pasco in previous events, devouring more than 22,000 tacos while raising more than $20,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs.

To buy booklets or more information, Go to PascoTacoCrawl.com.

Career Fair set for April 30 in Prosser at high school

Prosser Economic Development Association and the Prosser School District are joining forces to host a career fair on April 30 at high school’s main gym, 1203 Prosser Ave. This free event will be available for students from 1 to 3 p.m. and open to the public from 3 to 5 p.m.

The focus of the career fair is to educate students and the public about the potential employment options available in or near Prosser to all skill levels. Key employers will have booths to demonstrate their prospects, products and services.

To learn more about the event or how to participate, call 509-786-3600 or email economicdevelopment@prosser.org.

Moak seeks another term for port commission spot

Port of Kennewick Commissioner Thomas Moak has announced he seeks a second six-year term on the port commission.

Moak said he wants to follow through and complete the Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village, create Thomas Moak new opportunities on Clover Island and a Columbia Basin College culinary school, intensify the progress at Vista Field and develop the former Tri-City Raceway in West Richland to enhance the Red Mountain wine region.

Moak has lived in the Tri-Cities since 1979, and has been a librarian and manager for Mid-Columbia Libraries since that time. He currently is manager of the West Richland branch.

He served one session in the state House of Representatives and 12 years on the Kennewick City Council. He serves on the boards of the Kennewick Housing Authority and the Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership. He is a past Kennewick Man of the Year.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 STEM, From Page 39 Students dreamed up their machine using computer-aided drafting software.

Part of the goal was to create a comical machine, as the devices are named after a cartoonist who often featured them in his drawings.

The final projects were judged by a panel of community members, former STEM students and faculty. The Rube Goldberg work also provided students the opportunity to work with a materials engineer.

“Every opportunity we have to provide authentic learning experiences to our students through collaboration with community members from the industry is incredibly rewarding,” Jarvis said.

Elizabeth Stephens, materials science engineer, as well as the science and engineering education consultant for the office of STEM education at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, said the Rube Goldberg project was a hands-on, enriching experience that allowed students to integrate STEM concepts with a literary connection.

“It helped further their understanding of engineering design as well as develop critical soft skills such as creativity, collaboration, problem-solving and time management to better prepare them for their future,” Stephens said.

A local fish biologist from the Benton County Conservation District also worked closely with middle schoolers in the Kiona-Benton City School District.

Rachel Little taught students how and where to collect organisms and connected the health of river systems to the diversity of invertebrate species living in the water.

Projects and programs supported with the STEM Like ME! grants benefit students from kindergarten through high school.

Also thanks to a STEM Like ME! grant, the youngest students at Kennewick’s Lincoln Elementary are now using coding devices called Bee-Bots.

The simple robots are designed to entice younger children to learn about the building blocks of coding, using sequencing, estimation and problem-solving.

Teachers at both Lincoln and Vista Elementary were awarded grants for BeeBots.

A project supported at Richland’s Chief Joseph Middle School is allowing seventh-graders to grow food through aeroponic gardening systems.

Following Gov. Jay Inslee’s desire to encourage learning that connects students to potential careers, the project helps provide lessons on agricultural STEM careers, along with nutrition and plant development.

“We are delighted to partner with the Dream Builder’s Foundation and ESD 123 to support dedicated teachers who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of students and bringing STEM career-connected learning into their classrooms,” Dunkirk said.

The STEM Like ME! grant application process begins in the fall. Interested educators may apply through ESD 123.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS New law makes corrections to state paid leave program

A new law makes several technical corrections to the new Paid Family and Medical Leave program and clarifies a key provision related to supplementing wages while an employee is out on leave.

The bill was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on April 3.

The state Employment Security Department operates the program.

When benefits become available in January 2020, Paid Family and Medical Leave will provide partial wage replacement to all eligible state workers for leave to bond with a new child coming into the home through birth, adoption or foster placement, to care for themselves or a family member during a serious illness or injury, and for certain military-related events.

This statewide insurance program is funded by a small premium shared by both employees and employers.

Employers began collecting premiums Jan. 1.

Under the original law, employers would not be allowed to supplement the pay of an employee out on Paid Family and Medical Leave with other forms of paid leave, including vacation or sick leave. The new law changes this, essentially allowing employees the option to top-off their Paid Family and Medical Leave benefit with company-provided paid leave. This is in alignment with

other states’ policies and was supported by stakeholders representing the interests of both employers and employees.

The bill also makes some technical corrections to the law, including clarifications related to employer-run voluntary plans, appeal rights for employees covered by a voluntary plan, disclosure and privacy provisions, and some definitions within the law, and employees in this state.”

More information about the program can be found at paidleave.wa.gov.

The Office of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Ombuds recently launched its new website with information about services and resources for workers and employers who need help resolving issues with the Employment Security Department and the Paid Family and Medical Leave program at: paidleaveombuds.wa.gov.

Digital Marketing Summit date announced

The Crush Inland NW Digital Marketing Summit will be Oct. 11 at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick and is seeking speakers.

Digital Crush is a one-day conference for digital marketers and business professionals looking to grow their digital marketing skills.

Speakers applications can be found at thedigitalcrush.com.

Tickets to the conference will go on sale later this year. Follow Digital Crush on Facebook for updates.

41

State tax requirements alter for out-of-state businesses

Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill that simplifies Washington tax responsibilities for out-of-state sellers without a physical presence in the state.

The new law immediately removes the requirement for out-of-state businesses without a physical presence to collect and remit Washington sales tax if they make 200 or more transactions into Washington. Businesses will use $100,000 in sales to Washington as the primary threshold for collecting.

Beginning July 1, the bill eliminates the notice and reporting requirements established in the state’s 2018 Marketplace Fairness law.

On Jan. 1, 2020, the economic nexus threshold for business and occupation tax will match the retail sales tax threshold of $100,000. The threshold for retail sales tax and B&O tax will be calculated using all gross income, not just retail sales.

The bill also eliminates click-through nexus and most import commerce exemptions.

The Marketplace Fairness law went into effect Jan. 1, 2018.

Washington businesses that make sales into other states should be aware that they may now be required to register and collect sales tax in those states for items shipped outside Washington.

Check taxadmin.org or streamlinedsalestax.org for information about tax collection and registration requirements in other states.

42

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick school chief announces retirement

Kennewick School District Superintendent Dave Bond has announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Bond has led the school district since 2008. He began working Dave Bond in Kennewick in 2001, holding other administrative positions before becoming superintendent, including

assistant superintendent for secondary education from 2006-08, and principal of Kamiakin High School from 200106.

The district has outlined plans to start the search for a deputy successor superintendent immediately. The person selected will work alongside Bond for the 2019-20 school year until he retires.

The school board has hired Northwest Leadership Associates, a school leader recruitment firm, to recruit, screen and guide the district through the interview and hiring process.

The public is invited to provide input about the qualities and characteristics they would like to see in the next superintendent through a survey at: http://bit. ly/kennewicksupsurvey.

The application deadline is May 10, with a hiring decision expected to be announced by early June.

CBC launches new teacher education degree program

After nearly four years of work and dozens of requests, Columbia Basin College is rolling out a degree to help school districts hire qualified teachers.

The new bachelor of applied science in teacher education: residency teacher preparation program, with early childhood education endorsement, kicks off with 20 spots and is designed for students who finished their associate of applied science degree in early childhood education at CBC. When finished, the students will be qualified to teach pre-kindergarten through third grade. That covers a broad swath of jobs which can range in pay between $13.78 an hour and $23.35 an hour in Washington, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics.

The first half of the program is

uDONATIONS • At the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels Breakfast Fundraiser on March 5, McCurley Integrity Subaru presented the nonprofit with a check of more than $27,000 raised during Subaru of America’s annual Share the Love Event.

Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels was selected as McCurley’s hometown charity. This fundraiser event raised more than $32,000, which will fully fund more than 4,300 meals.

• A group of Spectrum employee volunteers supported Charter Communications Inc.’s first national philanthropic initiative, Spectrum Housing As-

uFUNDRAISER • Junior Achievement of Washington, Southeastern Region lassoed the efforts of supporters to raise money for local classroom programs at its 2019 Western Rodeo Bowl.

Organizers estimate $287,000 was raised at the annual event, which ran Feb. 26 to March 8.

designed to allow students to continue working during the day while they take classes at night. Then, for the second half of the program, students will move into classrooms, where they will start student teaching.

CBC plans to expand the program by summer 2020 by offering an option for part-time students.

More information, visit columbia basin.edu/teachered or call Daphne Larios at 509-542-4562.

Visit Tri-Cities releases 2019 visitor guide

Visit Tri-Cities has released the latest edition of the Tri-Cities Visitor Guide.

The 2019 issue features the local wine industry, STEM attractions, family activities, outdoor recreation, taco crawls and other things to do in the Tri-Cities.

To get a free copy, call 509-735-8486 or stop by the visitor center at 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite B, in Kennewick. The guide also is available online at VisitTri-Cities.com. sist. Spectrum worked with the American Red Cross to canvas the Lakeview Mobile Home Park neighborhood in Pasco, offering free smoke alarm installations and homeowner education March 30.

• Franklin PUD donated $1,000 toward the purchase of trees for the city of Pasco’s ceremonial tree planting event in observance of Arbor Day on April 12 and 12 years of being designated as Tree City USA, a program sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. The city planted eight trees, with the Kentucky coffeetree as the featured tree. Officials also handed out 200 tree saplings to community members to plant at home.

The top individual fundraiser was Jamei Perez of Bechtel National Inc. Best overall costume award went to Danielle Smith of Gesa Credit Union.

There were 313 teams from 90 local companies who bowled to support the organization which provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and fiscal choices

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

TRANSPORTATION

43

Ride in style with new black-car service Texas native aims luxury service in Mid-Columbia to executives-level needs

BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

Expect VIP treatment inside a TC Black car with leather seats, a customized music playlist, punctual pickups and a skilled driver wearing a jacket and displaying impeccable manners.

The owner of the Tri-City’s new blackcar service is a native Texan and former Navy submariner.

David McClain says his Lone Star State values drive his hospitality and four years on the USS Nevada prepared him to work with people from all walks of life.

He rolled out TC Black in December to fill a niche not offered in the Tri-Cities.

McClain, 44, of Kennewick, quips that he wants to do for Tri-City transportation what Chik-fil-A has done for fast food — pair the best chicken sandwich with the best customer service. Only swap out the chicken for the black luxury cars.

“That’s what TC Black is going to look

Photo by Kristina Lord David McClain stands between TC Black’s shiny Volvo and Cadillac Escalade at the USS Triton Sail Park in north Richland to pay a homage to his four-year stint assigned to the USS Nevada. McClain’s new black car service provides luxury and executive-level transportation within the Tri-Cities and beyond.

like. I’ve got the market and it’ll be unparalleled experience,” he said. “I offer big city style and small town service.”

TC Black offers rides inside a gleam-

ing black Volvo sedan or Cadillac Escalade SUV. A Ford F-150 pickup rounds out the fleet.

“A big black vehicle says executive

level and status. It’s a need the Tri-Cities has and it’s something I can do better than anyone else,” he said.

McClain should know.

He’s been an Uber driver since the app-based ride-sharing service began in the Tri-Cities two years ago.

He stepped up as an outspoken and passionate proponent for bringing Uber to the Mid-Columbia.

McClain became a de facto Uber spokesman, creating a Facebook page to educate Tri-Citians about the new service, crafting a petition to bring Uber to Pasco (It was the last of the Tri-Cities to allow Uber) and organizing Uber drivers to adopt a stretch of highway, the blue bridge.

He discovered he loved being behind the wheel at this side job, racking up 40,000 miles as an Uber driver last year alone.

“I like driving, conversing with people and building relationships,” he said.

McClain also drove a Second Harvest food truck to Grandview every other Friday for six years. uTC BLACK, Page 44

COMMERCIAL HVAC SERVICES Service & Repair • Installation • Emergency Maintenance JORDAN MECHANICAL GROUP

509-579-4500 • jordanmechanicalgroup.com

44

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

TC BLACK, From Page 43 Plus, his daily commute is 50 miles roundtrip.

McClain works at Energy Northwest as a reactor operator. He’s been with the commercial nuclear power plant north of Richland since 2001.

His four-day-a-week, 10-hours-a-day shift means he’s free Fridays and weekends to chauffeur clients.

If people need mid-week rides, he dispatches his two contracted drivers.

McClain might have been content to stick with Uber for his driving fix, but wanted to provide a higher level of care and experience to his clients, on his own terms, to cut out the middle man.

This stark realization, plus a conversation with a friend who worked for Nike,

TRANSPORTATION

“I can guarantee you the quality of ride you have. I picked the vehicles, and I keep them clean and can personally vouch for my drivers.”

- David McClain, owner of TC Black prompted him to venture out on his own.

“He inspired my entrepreneurial spirit,” McClain said. “I knew I had the skillset to launch my own company.”

After reading “Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight, Nike’s founder and CEO, McClain decided to “just do it” and moved “full speed ahead” — to borrow

slogans from Nike and the Navy.

He immediately launched a search for the right vehicles.

He didn’t want to acquire debt to start TC Black when he bought the Volvo S90, which seats four, in December, and the Escalade, which seats six, two months later.

He paid $60,000 cash for both cars, though it depleted his family’s nest egg.

It’s not cheap to get a new business off the ground and McClain said he’ll measure his initial success by reaching his first goal: to replenish the nest egg.

McClain had to spend $500 to be fully licensed in each of the Tri-Cities and with the state. He spends $5,000 annually on car insurance. Add in car detailing, personalized license plates, gas and membership to Visit Tri-Cities, among other costs, and the bills continue to climb.

But people are beginning to take notice of his new service.

An East Coast limo company contracted with TC Black to drive around a few high-profile clients. (TC Black has on-tarmac privileges at Bergstrom Aircraft in Pasco.)

McClain knows he needs to get his name out there. “It has to be as familiar as Uber,” he said.

Customers will pay more for TC Black’s services and this is intentional.

“I’m upscale from Uber. I’m not trying to compete with Uber,” he said. “But I can guarantee you the quality of ride you have. I picked the vehicles and I keep them clean and can personally vouch for my drivers — something Uber and Lyft can’t say.”

McClain is proud to offer pricing transparency on his website.

TC Black rides can be booked and paid in advance online, guaranteeing 24/7 availability.

The cost for a point-to-point transfer in the Tri-Cities is $40 in the sedan, $50 in the SUV. For a night on the town for a drop-off and return trip, it’s $65 in the sedan, $85 in the SUV. Hourly rates are $70 for the sedan, $90 for the SUV, with a minimum two-hour booking.

It’s also easy to add a box of Baum’s chocolates when booking online, too.

And customers can select their favorite music in advance.

Add in a flight number for an airport reservation and TC Black will track the flight to ensure prompt pickups.

Customers also will receive a meet-andgreet with a chauffeur holding up a sign with their name at the airport.

McClain is looking forward to serving wine enthusiasts and has his eye on the upcoming Spring Barrel weekend, April 26-28.

TC Black also has a mind toward community service, having recently kicked off a “Love the Blue” initiative, offering a free “top-notch date night” to a nominated law enforcement officer and his or her spouse. McClain said he’s seeking businesses interested in donating a meal at a local restaurant for winners of this monthly giveaway. He’ll provide the ride.

“I felt like it might be my calling in life to drive people around,” he said. “I love doing this.”

TC Black is the preferred transportation provider for White Glove Weddings, a Kennewick-based wedding and event planner and coordinator.

McClain’s future business plan includes offering a classic car service.

“My goal is to make you happier when you are dropped off than when I picked you,” he said.

TC Black: tricitiesblack.com; Facebook; Instagram.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Transportation

45

Family drive turns trucking company to brokerage Father-son team relocate, reinvent business to offer greater work-life balance

BY LAURA KOSTAD

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Oasis Freight Transport underwent a major transition in the past year.

Not only did Oasis rebrand — it was formerly known as Oasis Farms & Trucking — but the 20-year-old company also transformed its business model.

It sold off its fleet of 15 trucks and began operating as a freight brokerage.

“It’s hard to keep drivers and maintain all of the equipment,” said Polo Garza Jr., son of Oasis’ founder, Polo Garza Sr. “You have to either be really small — like three or four trucks — where it’s enough where you can handle it (yourself), or big with 40 or 50 trucks where you can afford to pay a full-time staff. It’s hard to be a medium guy.”

Previously based in Othello, Oasis shipped “anything that can be put on a flatbed,” said Polo Jr., including dry wall, steel, lumber, roofing and other construction materials, landscaping products and cardboard and metals for recycling.

Oasis also hauled agricultural commodities and crops.

Growing up, Polo Jr. explained that his parents were spread thin, trying to fill all the roles in the company, from vehicle maintenance to dispatching, to hiring and trucking shipments themselves, and more.

“The last five years of the era with the trucks, I was looking to get out of this business and lifestyle,” Polo Sr. said. “I had five kids at home and college coming up.”

He said he kept trying to find a solution for carrying on the business that would also improve his work-life balance.

The answer came a couple of years later from Polo Jr., who had been involved in the family business from a young age, and was working on a business degree at Belmont University in Nashville.

In an entrepreneurial class, Polo Jr. used an open-ended course project as an opportunity to explore expanding Oasis’ business model and got the company licensed and insured as a freight broker.

Instead of coordinating their own

Photo by Laura Kostad Polo Garza Jr., left, and Polo Garza Sr. have transformed their family-owned trucking company into a freight brokerage business called Oasis Freight Transport in the past year. In July, the father and son moved their operations from their original Othello location to 6318 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick.

trucks and trailers with available drivers to transport loads, brokering removes the overhead and limitations of maintaining a fleet, and instead plays a third-party role by connecting trucks and drivers across the country to loads in need of transport.

Working remotely from Nashville, Polo Jr. began managing the brokerage side of the family business.

In January 2018, Oasis hired its third full-time employee, Polo Sr.’s nephew, Vince Gonzalez, who trained under Polo Jr. to learn how to broker loads.

Before Gonzalez joined the team, “we were doing $3 million a year, just us,” Polo Jr. said, explaining that having the second set of hands enabled them to work with large-scale customers, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, ProBuild and Walmart, to expand Oasis’ reach across the western United States.

They also established a website as a touch point for contact information and to drum up more business.

By fall 2018, they had sold all their trucks, changed their name and transitioned into operating solely as a freight brokerage.

With no more trucks of their own to manage, Oasis no longer needed to maintain a truck yard and shop. They put their Othello facility up for sale and moved to an efficient 2,000-square-foot upstairs office at 6318 W. Clearwater Ave. in

Kennewick, leased to them by building owner Perfect Circle Construction.

“At the beginning of year 2018, we had 20 trucks that had ever hauled for us, driven primarily by local owner-operators. By the end of the year, we had 1,000 carriers across the U.S. and Canada … it was almost too good to be true. We were asking ourselves, ‘Why did we wait this long?’ ” Polo Jr. said.

The number of loads coordinated and successfully carried each week tripled from about 40 to 150 during the nonwinter months. Last year, they brokered a total of about 7,000 loads. Oasis has seen about a 300 percent increase in business since making the switch.

Due to the rising demand of the more than 3,000 manufacturing and shipping companies and more than 700 carrier companies that Oasis works with, the Garzas had to hire more support staff, adding a total of eight employees.

“The reason we’ve grown is because when we say that we’re going to pick it up tomorrow and deliver at a specified time, we’re going to do it,” Polo Sr. said.

Another accomplishment that Oasis is proud of, said Polo Sr., is that after more than 20 years in business, all “loads have been successfully delivered with minimal accidents and zero fatalities.”

In perspective, Polo Sr. estimates that Oasis has delivered about 100,000 loads

hauled over 35 million miles.

Those first two decades of what Polo Sr. calls “sweat equity” laid the foundation for today’s current success, the Garzas say.

The early years established the company’s credibility as a reliable carrier and logistics coordinator, and along the way, Polo Sr. forged long-lasting connections with clients and drivers across the Northwest.

Today, Polo Jr. manages the company’s operations, with some oversight from Polo Sr., who is now mostly retired.

Thanks to the inherently remote nature of freight brokering, all of Oasis’ freight agents are able to dispatch from home, just a phone call away from the drivers and able to confer by webcam with other freight agents to handle issues as they arise.

They also can spend more time with their families, which has made the transition to the new business model worthwhile for the Garzas and their family.

With the way things have been progressing, Polo Sr. projects that the business may double by the end of 2019, which would potentially mean making more hires and a possible service area expansion to Mexico and beyond.

Oasis already is expanding into coordinating dry good loads, in addition to construction and landscaping materials and agricultural products.

The father and son also are working on business plans and property development projects around the Tri-Cities, including a new office building at 1992 Saint St. in Richland.

“We are ready to be in the network of the Tri-Cities,” Polo Sr. said.

In the meantime, the Garzas remain passionate about “encouraging team members to participate in philanthropy,” Polo Jr. said. To kick off these efforts, half of the employees participated in a mission trip last summer at Caring Hearts Ministries in Sonora, Mexico.

“Besides donating money, we want to donate our time, and that’s what we’re trying to encourage with our company,” Polo Jr. said. “We want the benefit of this growth to be in giving back.”

Oasis Freight Transport: 6318 W Clearwater Ave., Kennewick; 509-7607287; Oftrans.com.

46

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

TRANSPORTATION

GRIDLOCK, From Page 1 “They were tasked within their agency to look at all different options, not only what can you get with $5 million, but maybe, ‘What else can we look at?’ ” said Julie West, transportation and development manager for public works for the city of Richland.

Hanford worker Kurt Gustafson deals with the backups on a regular basis. “I leave for work two hours early because if I leave half an hour later than that, it’s a nightmare,” he said.

At the end of the workday, he chooses a longer route that has fewer stops for traffic lights or slowdowns.

“It takes about the same amount of time, but with this way, I’m driving and I’m driving and I’m driving. It’s a psychological thing,” he said.

Gustafson and his friend Brandon Dieter attended the mid-March open house to review the potential solutions. They added their stickers to endorse the idea of building a bridge across the Columbia River at the north end of Richland to connect with Pasco and Franklin County.

“I think that’s the biggest, single thing you could do,” Dieter said.

The bridge, estimated to cost from $195 million to $260 million, would be near Washington State University Tri-Cities and Hanford High School.

Gustafson said the proposed bridge would resolve congestion most effectively by allowing drivers headed to Kennewick and Pasco to skip central Richland altogether.

“If you divert a bunch of the traffic before they even get to these points (southernmost George Washington Way), then the rest of these solutions, I don’t think, matter as much,” Gustafson said. “Added capacity options won’t matter if you’ve already diverted.”

Keeping traffic out of central Richland is an idea Debbie Berkowitz supports, but she’d rather not see it come with a new bridge.

“I think there are ecological factors that aren’t being considered,” she said.

She would rather send more traffic to the bypass highway.

“I want to see the traffic relegated from George (Washington Way) onto the bypass so you don’t have a through-street on George. That way, it’s just a city street.

What they call, grade-separated interchanges,” she said.

The bridge favored by Gustafson and Dieter scored 37, making it the secondhighest on the list in the “add capacity” category, just behind a much cheaper option to add capacity between Stevens Drive-Jadwin Avenue and I-182. This scored a 39, with an estimated cost varying from $16 million to $22 million.

The money for the traffic study and possible solutions covered by $5 million will be paid for through the Connecting Washington funding package, primarily sourced with an 11.9-cent state gas tax put in place in 2016.

The overall package is expected to raise $16 billion across the state over 16 years.

Richland received $20 million from this same funding package toward construction of the Duportail Street Bridge, which will connect the Queensgate area with the central part of town, near Wellsian Way. This bridge, currently under construction, is still in its first of two phases, but

Photo by Robin Wojtanik The state invited area residents to choose their favorite potential solutions to lessen congestion along the busy Highway 240 corridor in Richland. A portion of the state gas tax will go toward more than one solution to improve safety and reduce traffic, especially during the Hanford commute.

Rudy Guercia of Richland already thinks mistakes were made on alleviating congestion.

“The state screwed up by not requiring an overpass at Duportail when the city put that bridge in. The state ought to tell the city, ‘Put it in.’ It shouldn’t be the state’s problem that the city was stupid.”

Guercia believes local congestion is a mess of its own making, and that drove him to attend the open house. He believes the flow of traffic could increase on the bypass highway if most of the intersections were removed entirely.

“I have an iconoclastic view. My view is that they ought to shut the traffic lights off on the bypass and force the traffic into the city,” Guercia said. “I was talking to the county air guy, and he doesn’t want all these cars idling. I agree with him. Take the stupid lights out, people won’t be idling.”

Removing intersections wasn’t a solution offered by the state, but attendees were welcome to add their own suggestions to the list.

Synchronizing the lights on the bypass was an option. Other plans for the bypass, on the list presented to the community, included permanently changing the direction of one northbound lane to southbound.

With a ranking of 34, this came in just behind the bridge to Pasco as far as effectiveness in the “added capacity” category.

Other high-ranking solutions in a category titled, “traffic systems management and operations,” included creating a high-occupancy vehicle, or HOV, express lane during rush hour, changing a current lane to be an HOV lane during peak travel times, or creating two new reversible lanes that would work similar to the express lanes on Interstate 5 in the Seattle area. The latter option would open the new, reversible lane northbound in the morning and then turn it southbound in the afternoon.

Many in attendance were in favor of a return to the busing system once used to bring Hanford workers to the site.

“I think if they had Hanford-use buses again, like they used to, and not having the parking at the 1100 Area, but in the south part of town, or Kennewick or Pas-

co, it would actually free up the bypass,” Berkowitz said. The buses were once operated by the Department of Energy and eventually phased out.

WSDOT is committed to spending the full $5 million, but the sky is still the limit on ideas for improving congestion.

“There are several intersection projects we can stitch together with that $5 million,” said Paul J. Gonseth, WSDOT regional planning engineer. “We’re going to take what people consider the most important, of the lower cost ones, to spend that $5 million. And then we’re going to take some of the higher suggestions and do some further study to refine them and figure out what they will be, so we can get the big picture of what they’re going to cost. We can then take it to the Legislature to work on finding funding.”

The state hasn’t yet determined which projects to fund, other than spending up to $2.5 million on intersection improvements at Duportail. Construction wouldn’t begin until next year, Gonseth said.

The state Legislature would need to approve a project like the bridge to Pasco, which was the most expensive choice on the list of potential solutions. But other options cost less than $50,000 and were ranked 25 and higher for their impact, including coordinating traffic signals on 240, promoting vanpools and implementing anti-idling ordinances.

Other inexpensive solutions to increase the connectivity for cyclists and pedestrians included creating separate bicycle lanes at Duportail and Highway 224-Van Giesen Street, as well as relocating the Greenbelt Trail crossing at Van Giesen to Highway 240. The most inexpensive solution on the list was a $10,000 project to restrict northbound U-turns near the MoonRiver RV Resort on Saint Street in north Richland.

The state also is looking at ways to improve congestion at Aaron Drive, where traffic often backs up onto Wellsian Way near the Richland Fred Meyer, as drivers head west on Aaron to access I-182 or 240.

Potential solutions cost between $3.4 million to $4.6 million for a roundabout, to 10 times that cost to create a grade-sep-

arated interchange.

The recent open house was the culmination of a process that began in September 2018 to identify the root of the congestion problem and its possible solutions. This included two separate online surveys, with the first including about 2,600 respondents between September and October 2018. What was learned from this survey was that the heaviest users of the bypass, those who travel it five or more days a week, cited “traffic” as the biggest problem in the corridor.

Those surveyed who traveled the bypass one or fewer times a month cited “unsafe passing” as the biggest problem.

A second survey of about 1,000 respondents took place between November 2018 and early January 2019. About twothirds said they drive on the bypass five to seven days a week. The most favored solutions from this group included adding lanes on the bypass between Stevens and Highway 225, programming the signals on the bypass to favor traffic and building a bridge near WSU Tri-Cities to improve the bypass from Stevens to I-182.

Now, the state and M3 team will work to refine and implement some of the options using the $5 million currently available.

“We have a team of partners we’re working with,” Gonseth said. “We’re going to take this information, and all the stuff that we’ve done so far with rating projects, to them, to help filter through and find out how to prioritize. DOT as an entity of its own will not do it.”

Larger, expensive projects will require approval by the state Legislature. Design work on any of the initially-chosen projects will begin this summer, with the goal of completing the work by the end of 2020.

Additionally, the city of Richland will find ways to improve 240 with another north-south option that runs parallel to the bypass, near Kingsgate Way. Ben Franklin Transit also will look for funding to create additional park-and-ride locations and increase vanpool use.

“Let’s use what we already have more efficiently,” Gonseth said.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

47

Kennewick company stars in statewide campaign

Washington employers are entrepreneurs who build their companies for more than the product they make and the services they provide; they build them to fulfill their values of community, compassion and conscience.

That’s the message behind Grow Here, the multi-media employer image ad campaign from the Association of Washington Business.

In it’s third year, Grow Here’s goal is two-fold: to highlight the “why” that motivates Washington companies and share the employee experience within those businesses. And, to remind people that Washington state’s competitiveness — its ability to attract and retain employers — is critical to an economy that works for all residents.

To illustrate those goals, AWB takes closer a look at three very different companies and how they are improving lives and supporting communities – here and around the world.

A fast-growing company, MOD Pizza, which has a restaurant in Richland, is giving “justice-involved” individuals and those recovering from addiction a second chance to gain meaningful employment and rebuild their lives.

In Kennewick, Lampson International, the company that builds some of the largest construction cranes in the world, has literally helped build the community by donating cranes to lift hydroplanes in and out of the Columbia River during the annual Columbia Cup as well as structures including the local high school sports stadium.

And in Tumwater, Alaffia, a fair-trade skin-care product manufacturer, is waging a war against poverty in the small nation of Togo, West Africa, one job at a time.

It’s not “business as usual” for Washington state companies.

We’ve heard time and again how private enterprise is used as a catalyst for good, both for the people of the state and the environment.

There are many reasons to tell the employer story but one of the most important ones is that policy makers — at every level — often craft policies that have unintended consequences. Those policies may end up hurting some of the underly-ing work a business is doing, work that’s about not about the bottom line but about doing good.

Telling the story can help lawmakers understand how their actions may hurt job creation, but also impact social good within a community.

For example, when lawmakers talk about raising taxes or creating new ones to generate more money from the “wealthy,” small, family-owned businesses almost always get ensnared, too.

Take the 67 percent business and occupation tax increase proposal in the Legislature right now. It would hit service-sector employers, including small health care clinics, affecting their ability to serve those most in need and to fulfill their values-driven and philanthropic missions.

In its first year, AWB’s Grow Here

Kris Johnson Association of Washington Business

campaign highlighted Nucor Steel Seattle.

It’s the cleanest and greenest steel mill in the world. It upcycles steel scraps, melting and molding them for reuse in buildings, the Seattle Tunnel Project and more.

Without Nucor, Washington would need to import steel, creating a hefty carbon footprint.

As a Nucor employee put it, “You can’t make the argument that getting steel from Oregon, Utah, California or China is going to be greener than getting it from your neighbor in West Seattle.

For us, sustainability is about maintaining living wage jobs and it’s about being good environmental stewards.”

That’s the power of private enterprise – entrepreneurs see a need and fill it.

They take to heart community values and

they live them. They see a need in their community, and they serve it.

For every story highlighted in the Grow Here campaign, there are thousands more that go untold. We should all feel proud to support the industries and companies that make our communities great places to raise a family, find a good job and enjoy the beauty around us.

8 Kris Johnson is the president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and designated manufacturing association.

Member SIPC

Put This Year’s Investment Performance in Perspective How can you assess your investment portfolio’s performance in 2019? The year was full of wild swings in the financial markets, so your own results may well have bounced around quite a bit, too. But you can still get a clear picture of how you did if you keep your investments’ returns in the proper perspective — by making sure your expectations are relevant, realistic and reviewed.

Let’s look at how these terms can apply to a meanDUSTIN CLONTZ ingful evaluation of your investment progress: Relevant: Many investors compare their portfolio (509) 943-1441 returns to a popular market index, such as the S&P 500.

But this comparison is not really valid for a variety of reasons. For one thing, indexes are typically not diversified across different types of investments — the S&P 500, for instance, only tracks large U.S. companies. But your portfolio should consist of a brad range of investment: domestic and international stocks, bonds, mutual funds, government securities and so on, appropriate for your goals and risk tolerance.

Also, your portfolio’s performance will be affected by your contributions and withdrawals, which market index returns are not. S, instead of measuring your results against an index — and possibly worrying about underperformance — you’re better off establishing relevant expectations of your investment returns, based on your specific goals. So, for example, if you want to retire at age 62, you’ll need to know the rate of return you need to achieve this goal — and then compare that desired return with your actual results.

Realistic: Ideally, of course, you’d like really high returns with really low risk — but that’s really not feasible. To get high returns, you’ll need to invest aggressively, which means you’ll need your portfolio to be heavily weighted in stocks. However, stocks are also riskier than more conservative investments, such as bonds or government securities. So, you’ll need to be realistic in what you can anticipate from your portfolio. You can shoot for high returns and accept the higher level of risk, or you can lower your expectations in exchange for greater stability.

Reviewed: The performance of the financial markets — and also your own portfolio — will fluctuate from year to year. Consequently, it’s important to review your portfolio’s results and the progress you’re making toward your goals on a regular basis, possibly with the help of a financial professional. In these reviews, you may conclude that you’re doing fine, or you might discover that you need to rebalance your portfolio by realigning your investments with your goals and risk tolerance, or perhaps make other adjustments, such as changing the amount you invests, to get you back on track. In addition, you may even need to re-evaluate these goals in response to changes in your life — a new job, marriage, new child and so on — as these changes could affect the rate of return you need from your investments.

As you look back on 2018, and look forward to 2019 and beyond, take a holistic approach to how you evaluate your investments’ performance. By looking for relevance, being realistic about what you can expect, and reviewing your portfolio in the context of your goals, risk tolerance and changing circumstance, you can gain a thorough understanding of where you are, where you want to go — and how you can help yourself get there.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

www.edwardjones.com

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Personalized shoppers bring deliveries to your door Courier services gain popularity as local drivers bring groceries, supplies from out-of-town stores

BY GARY CRAWFORD

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Tri-Cities has long said it would love to welcome a Trader Joe’s, a second Costco and an IKEA furniture store.

But until that happens, consider hiring a courier to do runs to your favorite store for you.

Two local drivers have found their niche and started their own independent courier services.

Nick Black of Richland started his side hustling early in 2018 by driving for Uber and Lyft.

But his eureka moment came while he was driving for UberEats.

“I had a customer who ordered a $7 coffee but was willing to pay $12 extra for delivery,” he said.

This realization of the premium some people will pay for convenience started him on the road to launching Top One Solutions.

Black, a teacher by day at Chiawana High School, heads to Portland about once a month, on Friday nights, to pick up customer orders at IKEA and shop on their behalf at Trader Joe’s.

His minimum charge for IKEA runs is $25 per order, for orders up to $125. For orders more than $125, he charges a sliding scale. For example, 25 percent for orders up to $750, 23 percent on orders from $751 to $1,200, and 20 percent for orders above $1201.

For Trader Joe’s runs, he charges a $15 base service charge, plus 10 percent of the cost of the groceries.

It’s a price many are happy to pay to save themselves the time and gas driving to Portland or Seattle, Black said.

For IKEA orders, Black has customers buy from IKEA in advance and gives instructions to the store that he will pick up the items on their behalf.

The orders are waiting when he arrives and he can load with minimum fuss.

Black noted that IKEA does have shipping available, but it contracts the shipping to a freight hauler.

Most of Black’s repeat clients are Trader Joe’s customers, but he admits that fulfilling them is time consuming since he takes a more hands-on approach.

Trader Joe’s does not offer online ordering.

For Black, this means consolidating several shopping lists, navigating the store aisles and long checkout lines.

After leaving the store, he loads frozen and perishable items in chests with cold packs before heading back to the Tri-Cities.

Repeat customers for IKEA are infrequent except for a small cohort of “maker ladies” who have crafting side

Courtesy Top One Solutions (Above) Nick Black of Richland runs Top One Solutions, a courier service that makes Trader Joe’s and IKEA runs to Portland. He also offers wine club pickups at area wineries.

Courtesy Donna Lasater of Walla Walla Photos (Left) Michael Wilcsek operates Walla Walla to Costco to You, a courier service that allows Walla Walla area residents to place their Costco orders with him for home delivery. His delivery fee is based on the total cost of customers’ orders.

hustles. They place repeat orders for welcome mats and throw pillows that they personalize and resell, Black said.

Black said that as Top One Solutions evolves, he is looking at ways to increase his profits and add more services.

He now offers monthly wine club pickup from Prosser and Walla Walla wineries, with home delivery, a service that ranges from $20 to $25.

This is a welcome departure from the 400-mile roundtrip to Portland, especially when hauling with his trailer means averaging 7 miles per gallon, which has hurt his bottom line due to the recent increases in gas prices, he said.

Michael Wilcsek founded Walla Walla to Costco to You in 2007 as a shopping and delivery service for people or businesses in Walla Walla who appreciate Costco’s prices and quality but find the time driving back and forth daunting.

Wilcsek, who has worked for Costco since 1984, currently in the receiving department, moved to Walla Walla about 12 years ago.

When his neighbors started asking him to pick up items at the Kennewick membership-only warehouse store to save them the trip, he realized that this could turn into a side business that would pay for his commuting costs, while also putting extra dollars in his pocket.

He charges $15 for orders up to $100, and then $5 for every $50 above the $100 threshold.

His has a base of about 100 customers.

His typical customers are the elderly or young families who do not have the means or time to make the two-hour roundtrip.

Michael said that for many people in Walla Walla, a trip to Costco becomes an “event day that includes additional shopping and lunch at the Olive Garden.”

Also, while most of his customers are in Walla Walla, he will deliver to communities along his commute home.

He also services customers in Dayton and Athena, Oregon.

Customers can place orders by emailing him, and payment can be made by cash or check.

Wilcsek works a 4 a.m. to noon shift at Costco and does his customer shopping after his shift ends.

A typical shopping list includes meat, dairy and produce, but he anticipates upticks based on the season.

For example, he has delivered big items like gazebos in the spring and flat screen televisions in advance of Super Bowl games.

He also has several wineries which order disposable wine glasses and cheese platters in advance of their events.

When asked about the future of his business, Wilcsek said he plans “to continue it until he retires in about 10 years, or until Costco decides to build a store in Walla Walla, whichever comes first.”

Top One Solutions: toponesolutions.info; 509-5315060.

Walla Walla to Costco to You: costcotoyou.com; 509522-4625.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 HOMEBUILDER, From Page 1 unlikely those hiring Solferino to build their dream home had any idea they might be out hundreds of thousands of dollars with little to show for it.

This is the case for a West Richland couple, who did not want to be identified, who paid Solferino about $275,000 to build a home in Richland’s Westcliffe neighborhood. They were left with a home completed only through the wiring stage, and liens filed against their property by unpaid subcontractors. “(Solferino) was taking money way in advance of what he was doing,” said Gretl Crawford, owner and president of Gretl Crawford Homes. “There were rumors about his business, but he’d been operating this way for so long, no one knew when the other shoe was going to drop.”

Crawford stepped in as a consultant, helping the homeowners get the work completed.

“They are victims in this, as well as all of the subcontractors and suppliers,” Crawford said. “All of the money that they had paid out, little of it actually made it to pay any of the parties working, or that had worked, on their home up to that point. Now, having to deal with liens on their home, attorney fees and the prospect of having to pay twice for everything, it’s horrifying for anyone.”

Solferino’s attorney Bill Hames did not want to answer questions about the bankruptcy without permission from his client, and Solferino did not return voicemails left on his cellphone.

Ceniceros admitted that his certified public accountant advised him to stop doing business with Solferino years ago, but he didn’t listen. “(Solferino) would drag it out. I’d have to nag him five to seven times to get paid,” Ceniceros said.

This habit didn’t just affect Solferino’s crew — it had a trickle-down effect on other builders in the region.

“Frankly, Solferino and his lack of paying subs affects the whole industry and it has for a number of years,” Crawford said. “Subs would be on a 120- to 180-day turn around on payments. So they would come to me and immediately want payment because we were more responsible.

But it’s not fair to me or other subcontractors to shoulder the load, and he’s over there building $800,000 homes.”

C & C Construction finally stopped working with Solferino in October, and Ceniceros believes any outstanding work went to Pasco’s Royal Roofing, which is listed on bankruptcy documents as being owed about $86,000 for work done in 2018 and 2019. A representative with Royal Roofing declined to comment.

Richland’s Premier Landscape and Design Inc. officials said they were concerned that if they stopped working for Solferino, they’d never get paid.

So, the company kept landscaping, laying concrete and installing pools and water features for Solferino Homes, despite not being paid since 2017. The company was responsible for a cascading water feature that was a highlight on the corner lot of Solerino’s 2018 Parade of Homes entry in the Westcliffe neighborhood.

“We worried that if we stopped working for him, he’s going to get somebody else, and they’ll be paid first and we’ll never be paid,” said Eve Masterman, office manag-

Photo by Robin Wojtanik Marco Solferino’s Kennewick business office on West Tucannon Avenue was in the process of having tenant improvements completed when he filed for bankruptcy. Building owner Washington Securities and Investment Corp. and Solferino mutually agreed to surrender the remaining term of the five-year lease.

er for Premier Landscape and Design. “He didn’t seem to bat an eye when we began adding finance charges to his bills.”

Premier Landscape and Design is owed $283,640 for work done between 201719. Masterman said her business tried drawing up monthly payment agreements, but Solferino would never stick to them.

“It’s very upsetting. If we had that money in the bank, it’d be great. It’s made it extremely difficult to keep up,” she said.

Masterman also said the company was never paid for work done on Solferino’s personal home in West Richland.

Many contractors shared a belief that Solferino’s reputation as a quality homebuilder would result in his eventual payment for their work.

“It was a nice product that he built, and it was nice to have your name behind it,” Ceniceros said. Solferino was one of just a handful of preferred builders in Westcliffe, which limits the choice for consumers looking to build a home in the affluent neighborhood.

The controller for Apollo Sheet Metal Inc., Mary Davis, said the company was lured in by Solferino’s reputation for quality, but never received a single payment for work that started in November 2018.

“This was all new,” Davis said. “Based on his reputation, we didn’t foresee any issues with payment.”

Apollo installed heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and fireplaces in three homes before it was alerted by a homeowner that Solferino was going out of business.

Due to the timing of the work, Apollo managed to file liens against the homeowners’ property to recoup the money owed.

Despite waiting months for full payment on a job, one of the owners of Ironesque Inc. still said she was “in shock” when she learned Solferino filed for bankruptcy.

In late 2018, Juli Molvik said she was going to file a lien against a West Richland home where her company Ironesque had done work, but she said Solferino begged her not to, claiming she’d ruin things for everyone else.

Ironesque builds gates, fences, railings and other metal works.

“For other builders, I wouldn’t have been as flexible,” said Molvik, owner of Ironesque. Since they had a professional relationship going back at least 13 years, Molvik decided to hold off on the lien.

“Because I’d worked with him for so long, I thought I’d give him a chance. Everyone deserves a chance, and he said he was restructuring. And then we got burned.”

Molvik is frustrated with a system that she feels is set up to benefit the general contractor more.

“Unfortunately, the subs are the ones that get hurt the most. The laws protect the big guys,” she said.

Crawford also is frustrated with the system.

“The problem I have is, how can you be legally shielded when (the homeowners’) future safety and integrity is on the line?” Crawford asked.

Ironesque is owed about $25,000 for unpaid work, which Molvik said is about a third of the remaining cost for her portion of a remodel done on a single home in West Richland.

Since 1997, Solferino changed the name of his company three times, building homes under the names Storybook Homes by Solferino Construction, Solferino Homes, and most recently, M|S Homes Inc. In an email to subcontractors and suppliers, Solferino said his company “was one of many to suffer major economic setbacks when the housing market plummeted in 2008. This reality, along with a few other market-related factors, made it impossible for me to recover — even after a decade of hard work.”

Solferino’s contractor’s license with the state was suspended in March following a complaint against his bond.

In bankruptcy documents filed March 13, Solferino lists dozens of unsecured creditors, owed about $7.4 million and creditors secured by property, owed $1.8 million.

This list includes private citizens, subcontractors and suppliers. Solferino divulged limited personal assets, including no cash, $1.1 million in property, $10,500 for the value of vehicles, and $500 in office equipment.

The West Tucannon Avenue address for his Kennewick office has his company name on the marquee, but the suite is vacant and the interior partially built out.

Building owner Washington Securities and Investment Corp. and Solferino mutually agreed to surrender the remaining term of the five-year lease.

Solferino’s personal home in West Richland is valued at just under $600,000 by the Benton County Assessor.

ProBuild Co., which does business as Builders FirstSource Inc., filed a $62,238 complaint against Solferino’s bond for unpaid supplies.

“We’re doing what we can on our end to secure what we can,” said Leslie Fontaine, senior director of credit and collections for

49

Builders FirstSource. “We’re working with all of his customers directly and working hard to make it a better deal for our customers.”

Since the bankruptcy filing, Standard Paint and Flooring also filed suit against Solferino Homes. According to bankruptcy documents, Standard Paint is owed $54,455 for unpaid supplies.

This is not the first bankruptcy filing for the custom homebuilder.

Solferino also filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in May 1997.

Multiple private citizens are named in the current bankruptcy filing, with some owed as much as $484,000 for payments and deposits on work not completed.

Those who had contracted with Solferino might face liens for work done on their homes by subcontractors and suppliers who were not paid. This could result in paying twice for the same job to be completed. Most homeowners pay a general contractor directly, and expect the contractor to pay the subcontractors and suppliers.

If it’s within 90 days, a lien may be filed and the homeowner will be responsible for paying the subcontractor, despite already paying the contractor for the same work.

“Homeowners are already somewhat afraid of contractors, and when this gets out, they’re going to be even more afraid of what could happen,” Crawford said.

Jeff Losey, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Tri-Cities, said this could be avoided if homeowners request a lien release signed by each subcontractor or supplier who contributed to the project.

“Most people don’t get one. One of the largest purchases you make is your home, but it seems that people might spend more time investigating their cellphone contract,” Losey said.

He said the only way consumers can protect themselves is through a lien release, yet Losey estimates fewer than five percent of those working with a general contractor end up getting one.

“People assume it’s a contractor and they know what they’re doing. They trust them. It’s not personal, it’s business, and you have to conduct it that way,” Losey said.

He said even homeowners who buy a spec, or speculative, home should get a list of all subcontractors and suppliers, including a signed lien release from each one.

“There’s a ton of extra effort that goes along with lien releases on our side of it,” Crawford said.

But without a lien release in place, those who did work or provided supplies will still have the right to file a claim, even when a contractor was paid in full.

“This can happen to anyone,” Losey said. “The consumer has to be their own advocate.” Templates for lien releases are available online from the state Department of Labor and Industries.

For the West Richland family left with an unfinished home, Crawford is helping oversee the project to completion.

“I’m having them pay contractors directly and get their lien releases. It’s better for their attorneys to know who they have paid and the amounts,” Crawford said.

She said Solferino broke ground in August 2018, but the home went through long periods of inactivity when subcontractors weren’t showing up for the job, likely because they weren’t being paid.

50

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

BUSINESS PROFILE

El Asadero adds second restaurant in Richland

Father-son team opened first eatery in Pasco in 2004

BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

El Asadero — which serves up Mexican cuisine with a focus on homemade freshness — opened a new restaurant on 127 Gage Blvd. in Richland.

The restaurant is owned and operated by father and son duo Rafael Arriaga Sr. and Rafael Arriaga Jr. Their first restaurant opened in 2004 on Fourth Avenue in Pasco, where El Nuevo Amanecer is now. In 2007, they moved to 2318 Court St. Arriaga Sr. was a chef in Mexico who always dreamed of having his own kitchen. He and his sister — who is no longer involved in the business — partnered up to start El Asadero.

“He started with nothing and built the restaurant from the ground up, from a small location to where it is now,” Arriaga Jr. said.

He was only 12 and his younger brother 4 when his dad opened the restaurant.

He said he “literally grew up inside the restaurant,” watching his dad toil away at the business.

It wasn’t always fun as a boy, he admitted, but now he can appreciate the sacrifices his father made, he said.

“It was my second home. I literally grew up in the restaurant. I see all the sacrifices at the end and it’s worth it,” Arriaga Jr said. “Ever since I was 23, I knew I wanted to be a part of the business and help it grow. If they did it with all the obstacles they had, why can’t I? “It was hard for him. There were days when they didn’t know how they would make rent. They were scraping the bottom of the barrel those first five years.”

But they sensed they had gotten to a point last year where they were ready to expand — and needed room to grow.

“We’ve had that place at max capacity.

We outgrew it,” Arriaga Jr said. “A lot of our customers from Pasco live in this area, so that has been good.”

And when the opportunity presented itself, they jumped on it.

The building used to be home to Lepice Spice Kitchen, a French restaurant that closed in 2016.

“We didn’t even plan to be at this location. We looked at the right building at the right time; it’s a great opportunity for growth,” Arriaga Jr. said. “We’ve been blessed to have clients from Pasco know where we are so it hasn’t been bad. We’ve had a great start in this location. Word is getting out. Every person who has come

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Rafael Arriaga Sr. and Rafael Arriaga Jr. stand outside their new Richland restaurant El Asadero at 127 Gage Blvd. The Mexican restaurant focuses on serving fresh ingredients.

Photo by Elsie Puig

in here has brought in other family members afterwards.”

Now Arriaga Jr. is at the helm of the busness and helping the second location grow. It opened in February.

Arriaga Jr. said what makes the restaurant unique is its focus on fresh ingredients — all produce and meat are bought daily before 8 a.m. They also make homemade tortillas.

“The only thing we freeze is the ice cream,” Arriaga Jr. said.

He used to do all the sourcing himself, but now that his younger brother, Carlos Arriaga, is 18, he is filling his older brother’s shoes.

“He was trained by our father to know what to look for in produce and what prices to look for,” Arriaga Jr. said.

The special attention makes their customer favorites — barbacoa, caldo de res, pollo asado, tacos, and tortas — taste that much better, he said.

He already has his eyes set on more growth — adding another restaurant in

Richland — to complete the trifecta and maybe one day franchising the restaurant.

“I think it’s possible to take the franchise to the next level,” he said. “Franchises are great but they could be better. I don’t like the idea of making a new franchisee purchase stuff from their approved vendors. I want to fully train staff of a new franchise to teach them how to purchase how we purchase, to keep the freshness how we keep the freshness. That’s what makes every location that much better, but it’s same menu.”

“I’ve always been open to improving,” he said.

The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

El Asadero serves beer and wine and will soon get a liquor license to serve other alcohol. They also serve breakfast until noon every day.

El Asadero: 127 Gage Blvd., Richland; 509-554-7313; Facebook.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Business Profile

51

Great beards aren’t born, they’re made Pasco native launches beard care product line

BY KEVIN ANTHONY

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Joe Sanchez had no intentions of starting a business.

He just wanted to have a nice beard.

“I never heard of beard products before my brother-in-law gave me beard products for Christmas,” said Sanchez, who started Average Joe’s Beard Essentials in January 2017.

When he started looking for other products, Sanchez said he wasn’t finding much that was all-natural, and nothing from this area.

A month after that Christmas gift, Average’s Joe’s was up and running, selling beard oil, balm and wash, each for $15.

“I ran out, did some research and said, ‘I’ll just make it for myself,’ ” Sanchez said. “Then I found out there was no one selling it around here, so I thought, ‘Why not?’ ” Sanchez, a warehouse worker for the city of Richland, didn’t have any experience remotely related to creating his own line of beard care products.

But he said it only took an initial investment of $200 to get started, and a few months later he had a good base for all the products. He’s been tweaking the formula ever since.

Sanchez and his wife, Maegen, do all the work right in their home, mixing up the product at the kitchen table. It’s adds up to a couple of hours each night after work, and full time on the weekends. It leads to a busy life, with three children already and a fourth on the way in June.

Maegen designed the website, which she learned for her own business of fitness-related nutrition.

She said their entrepreneurial spirit took root when they started their family.

“Before, I never said I would work from home or for myself at all,” she said.

“But being a parent, I wanted at least one parent home for them all the time.”

There has been plenty of trial and error along the way, such as the mixture that tried for the scent of cloves that went particularly off track.

Sanchez gives batches of new mixtures to his barber and waits for the feedback.

He is particularly proud that all his ingredients are natural, and most are bought here in the Tri-Cities.

Being a lifelong Pasco resident has its advantages. He knows a “bee guy” who provides the wax for his balm.

“We try very hard to buy all the ingredients locally,” he said.

Most of sales have been around the Tri-Cities — either from the website (averagejoesbeard.com) or in local barbershops. But word is getting out.

Average Joe’s has sold coast to coast, Sanchez said. The key to getting the word out, he said, has been social media (@averagejoes_be on Instagram, @AveragejoeBE on Facebook).

He’s a member of a slew of social

Average Joe’s Beard Essentials products include beard oil, beard balm and beard wash. They sell for $15

Photos courtesy Average Joe’s Beard Essentials Joe Sanchez of Pasco started Average Joe’s Beard Essentials in January 2017 after receiving some beard products for Christmas. Most of the ingredients are locally sourced.

media beard groups — Beards of Seattle, Beards of Portland, Bearded Villains, etc.

Yes, guys posting about their beards is a thing.

“When two guys with beards are in a conversation, eventually it will come up,” said Andrew James of Pasco, an Average Joe’s customer. “ ‘What kind of waxing compound do you use?’ ” Taking care of those whiskers has grown into big business. Surveys show a third of men have facial hair, and one in five have stopped shaving altogether.

The global men’s toiletries market was valued at $19.2 billion in 2017 and expected to continue to grow, according to Hexa Research, a market research and consulting group. The market growth is primarily driven by the growing the male population who are very conscious of their appearance and significantly spend on their beauty treatments, apparel and grooming, according to Hexa.

By all accounts, beards have gone from shabby to chic, and they’re not just for hipsters, gold miners, “Duck Dynasty”

fans and lazy guys who don’t like to shave. Check out the Boston Red Sox baseball team.

“I’ve sold product to a wide range of guys,” Sanchez said. “Hard, rugged construction guys to stay-at-home dads. We don’t discriminate over beard size.

“All beards matter.”

Chauncey Bass, another customer who lives in Pasco, said he’s grateful that Average Joe’s beard oil works well for African Americans, whose whiskers tend to come in a little more curly and coarse.

“I was looking for beard care for black dudes for a while,” he said.

Bass has been growing a full beard for three years and hasn’t trimmed it at all in seven months, coinciding with his wife’s pregnancy. He added that beard care for men is similar to skin care for women.

“My wife gets up every morning to do her makeup,” he said. “I do my beard.”

Average Joe’s is far from big business just yet. Sanchez said it brings in enough money to pay for itself and reinvest back into the business.

Last December was his best month, with about $1,500 in revenue.

Average Joe’s oil and balm come in 13 scents, from coffee, cinnamon and vanilla musk, to spearmint, lemongrass and pine.

It’s a $15 price tag for the 20-milliliter oil, 2-ounce balm or 8-ounce wash.

“I’m proud of him,” Maegen said. “It started out as just something for him. And now, when I watch him come up with ideas and brainstorm - it’s nice to see him passionate about something in life.”

Average Joe’s Beard Essentials: averagejoesbeard.com; 509-942-8113;

COMMERCIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION

Office: (509) 416-2007 ctcbuilds.com Ted Ebbelaar, Commercial Construction Estimator/ Project Manager

TENANT IMPROVEMENTS PRE-ENGINEERED STEEL BUILDINGS

52

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 uNEW HIRES • Gesa Credit Union commercial loan officer Michelle Potts is now serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding area.

She has 17 years of experience Michelle Potts in agricultural and commercial lending and has been with Gesa for four years.

• Terra Blanca Winery and Estate Vineyard of Benton City has hired Executive Chef Jim Vande Berg, who has seven years of experience in fine dining at hotels and 13 years in waterfront Italian restaurants. Vande Berg of Richland and his team have crafted a culinary program that can accommodate private events, such as weddings, as well as overseeing the winery’s Vineyard Grill, which offers wood-fired pizzas, salads and more.

• AHBL, which offers civil and structural engineering, landscape architecture and land surveying services, has three new employees at its Pasco office: Mason Mendel, a professional engineer, brings 13 years of experience in Mason Mendel civil engineering consulting.

He has worked on projects spanning a broad range of civil engineering disciplines, clients and geographic areas in Ryan Sternfeld Washington.

Ryan Sternfeld is a survey crew chief. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and comes to the company havRyan Krieg ing spent the past two years as a survey technician in Kennewick.

Ryan Krieg is a survey technician who graduated from Washington State University in 2016.

• Rosa Torres is the new finance director at Elite Construction & Development in Pasco. As a member of the management team, Torres provides strategic vision and leadership as Rosa Torres Elite continues to grow into new sectors of the construction industry. She brings more than 20 years of experience managing finances.

Most recently, she worked with Microsoft as a financial controller and senior financial manager. Before that, she served as a senior financial analyst at Starbucks, working on its supply chain.

• Sage Design Group PLLC of Kennewick will add Zochil Castro to its team in May. She will be leading the residential division of the landscape architectural “designonly” firm. She is a recent graduate Zochil Castro of the landscape architectural bachelor program at Washington State

University in Pullman.

• Dena Putnam-Gilchrist has joined Trios Health and as the new chief nursing officer and Chad Pew as the chief operating officer.

PutnamGilchrist joined Trios in February and has more than 29 years of experiDena ence as a nurse.

Putnam-Gilchrist Most recently, she worked as an interim CNO and assistant CNO at McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield, Oregon.

53

Pew joined Trios in March.

Originally from Nebraska, Pew has worked for 20 years in medical facilities and was most recently interim Chad Pew CEO at a facility in Nebraska.

Pew completed his undergraduate degree in biology at Chadron State College in Nebraska, as well as a medical tech degree from Hayes Pathology in Kansas and a master’s in business administration from the University of Nebraska.

54

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

uNew hires • Kylie Hirai joined the Franklin Conservation District as a classroombased educator. She will provide handson science lessons to students in kindergarten through grade six.

uAwards & honors • Solar Spirits Distillery of Richland won several awards at the 2019 American Distilling Institute Judging of Craft Spirits. Its Eclipse Vodka won Best of Class, Best of Category and a gold medal. Silver medals went to its London Dry Gin in the contemporary gin category and Grappa Brandy in the grappa/ pomace/marc brandy category.

• Judy Hicks, Baker Boyer’s consumer loan supervisor, received the Patriot Award from the Washington Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Hicks was nominated by David Keeley, a Baker Boyer consumer loan advisor who serves as a first lieutenant in the Air National Guard, for her outward recognition and support for his service in the Guard.

• Two Columbia Basin College employees received National Institute of Staff Organizational Development Excellence Awards: Kim Tucker, director for CBC’s nursing program, and Su-Hyun Kim, physics instructor. The awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their

students and colleagues.

Recipients will be celebrated during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence on May 25-28, in Austin, Texas.

• The Auction of Washington Wines, a nonprofit wine event that has been around for 32 years, recognized Chris Gorman of Gorman Winery in Woodinville as its 2019 Honorary Vintner, and Scott Wiliams Scott Williams of Kiona Vineyards outside Benton City as its 2019

Honorary Grower. He is a supplier to some of the most esteemed wineries on the West Coast, including Betz Family Winery, Long Shadows and Gorman Winery. He owns and farms more than 260 estate-grown acres on the Red Mountain American Viticultural Area and works with his father and sons to run the operation.

The men were selected because they exemplify leadership in the industry and have made significant contributions to the Washington wine community. These honorary positions are peer-nominated and reserved for leaders who invest in and positively affect the Washington state wine community.

• Matthew Riesenweber of Cornerstone Wealth Strategies in Kennewick was recently recognized among the best in the state and in the country, appearing in Barron’s 2019 Top 1,200 Financial Advisors in America ranking. BarMatthew Riesenweber ron’s annual list highlights financial advisors based on data provided by more than 4,000 advisors nationwide.

• Jason E. Johnson, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial with offices in Kennewick, was named to the “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” list published by Forbes magazine. The list recognizes financial advisors who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism and success. He was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, regulatory and compliance record and revenue produced over a three-year period.

• The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys has recognized the exceptional performance of Washington’s Family Law Attorney Katherine SierraKelly of Gravis Law as one of the 10 Best Family Law Attorney for Client Satisfaction in 2019.

• Mathew Purcell of Purcell Law in Kennewick has been ranked by the American Institute of Family Law Attorneys as among the 10 best in the state for client satisfaction for the third year.

• Allan Felsot, academic director for math and science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington State University Tri-Cities and professor of entomology, is the recipient of the Pacific branch of the Entomological Society of America’s award for excellence in teaching. The award honors educators who have excelled through innovations in developing new courses, programs and teaching methods in the field of entomology and the sciences. In his 26 years at WSU, Felsot has mentored more than 50 master’s and doctoral students. He also has been instrumental in developing new courses at WSU Tri-Cities, as well as several for the WSU Global campus. His research at WSU has focused on environmental toxicology and risk assessment of pesticides. The regional award was presented during an April 2 awards luncheon in San Diego.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019 uAWARDS & HONORS • Petersen Hastings, a registered investment advisory firm in Kennewick, has been named one of InvestmentNews’ 2019 Top 50 Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors in the nation for the second consecutive year. This program is dedicated to identifying and recognizing advisory firms across the United States that empower, encourage, and inspire employees to provide their clients with the best possible investment and financial planning advice. The firm, established in 1962, was named a Top 50 Employer in March 2018 by InvestmentNews in the inaugural year of the recognition.

• The Central Washington Fair Association board of directors recently recognized longtime board member and chairman Sid Morrison, who retired from the board.

Morrison spent two terms on the board and has been a lifelong Sid Morrison volunteer at the fair. The board also recognized longtime president/general manager Greg Stewart for 45 years of service to the association.

• Grant Blake, based at the Richland Framatome fuel unit, received an Engineer of the Year award. Framatome honors employees in North America who have achieved engineering excellence through notable achievements in their profession and the company’s engineering activities.

Winners were nominated by their peers.

• The Tri-City Association of Realtors has announced the winners of its 2018 annual awards. They include Realtor of the Year, Mary Harris, Smart Realtors; Rookie of the Year, Shana Brown, Keller Williams Tri-Cities; Citizen of the Year, Larry Haler, former legislator; Larry E. Miller Award for Excellence in Real Estate, Louise Olsen, Smart Realtors; Affiliate of the Year, Jonas Rosenberg, Summit Lending; Realtor Community Service Award, Mike Alvarez,

55

uELECTIONS Vision Mortgage; and Sunrise Award, Jerry Rhoads, KC Help.

• Columbia Basin College celebrated its 10th year as a designated a Tree Campus USA by planting 12 trees on campus April 10 as part of Arbor Day. New this year, the campus community planted a noble fir tree in honor of the accomplishments and campus work of the late Karen Grant, a CBC professor emerita who helped build the Pasco college’s chemistry program. Grant died in November.

uGRANTS • Fines paid for water quality violations in Washington in the last few years will pay for $331,000 in projects designed to restore local ecosystems.

Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group in Benton County received $22,585 to increase the cool water influence of a disconnected oxbow on the lower Yakima River, north of Benton City. The state Department of Ecology awarded up to $45,000 for 12 projects that will improve water quality through environmental enhancements via its Terry Husseman Account. Husseman was a longtime Ecology deputy director who died in 1998. This year, Ecology considered 32 grant requests. The grants support work starting in May. • Columbia Basin College was one of 48 colleges and universities receive a grant from Truth Initiative to adopt a 100 percent tobacco or smoke-free campus policy. The Pasco college received $19,980. The effort is part of a national movement among students, faculty and administrators to address smoking and tobacco use at college campuses throughout the U.S. Over the next 16 months, CBC will form a campus task force to assess tobacco use behaviors and attitudes, identify a treatment plan for smokers and develop a smoke- or tobacco-free policy.

Two student leaders will develop and lead educational efforts to build a movement to become a tobacco-free campus.

Blueberry Bridal Boutique is the Tri-Cities’ newest bridal shop offering bridal and formal dresses in a relaxing, no pressure sales environment.

Plus size, modest and customizable options are available.

Make an appointment at blueberrybridalboutique.com 1-833-LOVEBLU • 8901 W. Tucannon Ave., Ste. 155, Kennewick

NEWS TIPS

We want to hear from you Email information to news@tcjournal.biz.

• The Tri-City Association of Realtors’ 2019 Board of Directors include President Dave ShinaDave Shinaberger barger, Smart Realtor, and the board of directors: John Keltch, Windermere Group One; Cindy House, Keller Williams TriCities; Cari McGee, Keller Williams Tri-Cities; Jeff Smart, Smart Realtors; Ron Almberg, Keller Williams Tri-Cities; Barry Long, Everstar Realty; Jerritt Wiser, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson; John Mower, Retter & Co., Sotheby’s International Realty; Nate Biehl, ReMax Northwest Realtors; Chad Markel, Markel Properties; Gayle Stack, Everstar Realty; and Melissa Montgomery, Re/Max Northwest Realtors.

• Members of the Central Washington LaVonne Boogerd Fair Association recently elected a slate of officers and reelected three members to its board of directors.

New offi cers are: Halley Newhouse Local insur-

ance professional Dave Hargreaves, chairman; Tom Stokes, a community volunteer and recently retired as CEO/ Tom Stokes president of Tree Top Inc., vice chairman; Lower Valley dairy owner LaVonne Boogerd, secretary; and Sunnyside hop Ignacio Marquez rancher Halley Newhouse, treasurer.

Stokes, Ignacio Marquez and Don Whitehouse were re-elected Don Whitehouse to the board for another term.

The Central Washington Fair Association and its board of directors operate Dave Hargreaves the Central Washington State Fair and State Fair Park under a long-term lease with Yakima County.

56

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business •April 2019

Use your sleuthing skills to avoid online scams Employment scams were the riskiest con of 2018, according to the latest report from the Better Business Bureau.

These scams topped the list for men and women, three of BBB’s six age brackets, and for both students and veterans, according to data from the BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report.

The risk report has been published annually since 2016 and has provided Better Business Bureaus around the country with statistics and information to help elevate the education of consumer and businesses. In 2018, there were 50,559 scams reported with an average dollar loss of $152, which was a 33.3 percent decrease from 2017.

The BBB Scam Tracker Risk Report uses the BBB Risk Index, a threepronged measure of scam risk based on exposure, susceptibility and monetary loss. How likely are you to be targeted by a particular scam? What are your odds of losing money when exposed? If you lose money, how big will your losses be?

Taking the second spot in top scams of 2018 was online purchase scams. This situation can happen in several different ways. A buyer makes an online purchase from an individual or company. However, the items never arrive or in some cases a person sells an item online, but the check received for payment is fake.

The No. 3 riskiest scam is the fake check or money order scam, where a consumer receives a check that is “an ac-

cident overpayment” and they are requested to wire the money back. The check bounces and the consumer is on the hook for the money which is usually discovTyler Russell ered much later.

Better Business Age seems Bureau to have a factor in the susceptibility and dollars lost. For the younger consumers, ages 18 to 24, they have a susceptibility of 42.4 percent and a median dollar lost of $92. For consumers aged 65 and older, they have a susceptibility of 20.8 percent and an average dollar lost of $400.

As we look at gender, men have a susceptibility of 29.1 percent and a median loss of $222, and women have a susceptibility of 30.5 percent with a median loss of $120. The gender differences in susceptibility are small, but the dollar losses for men were much higher.

Let’s look at how many of the employment scams work.

In 2018, job scams often impersonated Amazon. The reason? The online retailer was frequently in the news with its highprofile search for a second headquarters.

In 2017, only 24 BBB Scam Tracker reports were employment scams that

mentioned Amazon. In 2018, that jumped to 564.

Amazon scams and other employment cons typically follow the same pattern.

Scammers contact victims by finding résumés posted online, posting phony job listings, or cold emailing targets. In most versions, the target starts corresponding with the “business” about a job opening.

The pay is good, the job seeker can start immediately and no in-person interview is required.

The catch, of course, is that job doesn’t really exist. The scammer may ask for an upfront payment for training or a background check. In other scenarios, the con artist asks the job seeker to deposit a (fake) check and wire back part of the money. They may even get your bank account number to “direct deposit” your paycheck.

Be cautious of any job that asks you to share personal information or pay money.

Scammers will often use the guise of

running a credit check, setting up direct deposit, or paying for training.

If a job looks suspicious, search for it online. Google the title and company name. If the result comes up in many other cities with the exact same post, it may be a scam.

Check out the business’ website.

Scammers often falsely use the names of real businesses. Check on the business’s website or give them a call to confirm the position exists.

For more information, go to BBB.org/ RiskReport to learn more about the top scams of 2018 and BBB.org/ScamTips.

If you’ve been targeted by a scam, help others avoid the same problem by reporting your experience online at BBB. org/ScamTracker.

Tyler Russell is the marketplace manager for the Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

PUBLIC RECORD uBANKRUPTCIES Information provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Spokane. Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt property and debt is charged.

Chapter 11 — Allows companies and individuals to restructure debts to repay them.

Chapter 12 — Allows family farmers or fishermen to restructure finances to avoid liquidation for foreclosure.

Chapter 13 — Plan is devised by the individual to pay a percentage of debt based on ability to pay.

All disposable income must be used to pay debts.

CHAPTER 7 Tommy Quoc Le Dang, 220 W. 12th Ave., Kennewick.

Nikolas K. & Lynnea N. Rex, 2555 Duportail St., B215, Richland.

Irma Delamora & Juan A. Gomez, 227 N. Wehe, Pasco.

James Kirkelie, 521 Grosscup Blvd., West Richland.

Norma D. Pineda, 8010 Salmon Drive, Pasco.

Desirae Danielle Baird, 3305 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

Juan Luis Quiroz, 1928 W. Yakima Ave., Pasco.

Penny Davies, 5031 W. Clearwater Ave., #43, Kennewick.

Solferino Homes Inc., 1975 Sand Hill Drive, West Richland.

David Haldeman, 7803 W. Deschutes Ave., P-258, Kennewick.

Anthony Griggs Smith, 6408 Dodger Drive, Pasco.

David Carl & Theresa Lee Styrcula, 451 Westcliffe Blvd., E239, Richland.

Ward Thomas Boursaw, 8537 W. Yellowstone Ave., Kennewick.

Alan Clifford Sparks, 819 S. Ivy St., Kennewick.

Maria Feliz Plasencia, PO Box 4372, West Richland.

Cesar Cardenas & Diamond Tina Chavez, 4310 Meadow View Drive, Pasco.

Brandon Garcia, 812 N. Road 35, Pasco.

Thomas & Carla Bock, 4772 Mt. Adams Drive, West Richland.

Richard & Octavia Pounds, 4803 Guemes Lane, Pasco.

Katie Lyn Dewitt, 15203 N. Albro Road, Prosser.

Raymond Lee Wilcox, 1309 N. 26th Ave., Pasco.

Sean Carl & Crystal Ann Riding, 35003 N. Sunset Road, Benton City.

Elizabeth Delgado, 200802 E. Game Farm Road, Kennewick.

William Alberto Canas, 1935 W. Yakima St., Pasco.

Sharlyn Marie Archibeque, PO Box 5229, Benton City.

Cameron Lewis & Kimberly Ann Wilson, 8703 Desoto Drive, Pasco.

Bailey Dazo, 1876 Fowler St., Richland.

Mark B. Hinojosa, 6305 Chapel Hill Blvd., L-102, Pasco.

Brandi Lynn Myers, 819 W. 25th Ave., Kennewick.

Sheyla Reyes De La Riva, 1310 W. Fifth Ave., D-104, Kennewick.

Patricia Sanchez, 8507 Piccadilly Drive, Pasco.

Hilda Muniz, 4615 W. Metaline Ave., Apt A, Kennewick.

Travis Schnebly, 1832 W 52nd Ave., Kennewick.

Sandra M. Bourgeault, 222805 E. 50th Place, Kennewick.

Daniel Lawrence & Amanda Rae Riedinger, 6813 W. Willamette Ave., Kennewick.

Alfonso Martinez, 1000 Alexander Ct., #41, Prosser.

Darin Middleton, 66603 Harrison Loop, Benton City.

Robert D. & Marie Winchester, 400 14th St., Lot 28, Benton City.

Laura Cancilla, 7803 W. Deschutes Ave., Apt.

It’s Family It’s Home Bringing independence to living and quality to life

Schedule your tour today (509) 734-9773

7820 W. 6th Avenue Kennewick, WA

O155, Kennewick.

Kathleen Theresa Reed, 93703 E. 89th PR SE, Kennewick.

Kyle Thomas & Mary Elizabeth Perry, 5315 Tiger Lane, Pasco.

Christopher Michael & Roberta Suzanne Smith, 302 Jadwin Ave., Richland.

James S. Gordon III, 1018 Rio Senda Ct., Richland.

Aubrey Dean Nelson, 1930 George Washington Way, Unit 204, Richland.

Anthony Just, 7207 W. Sixth Place, Kennewick.

Shawn & Brittney Masenten, 1316 Alameda Ct., Richland.

Walter Leon James, 33 Proton Lane, Richland.

Maria Mallela Fernandez, 5215 Flores Lane, Pasco.

CHAPTER 11 R & R Trucking, Inc., 210 N. Oregon Ave., Pasco.

CHAPTER 13 Robert Scott Locati, P.O. Box 4136, Pasco.

Donald J. & Mandy L. Hoiland, 8506 E. Massingale Road, Benton City.

Alexandria F. Babcock, 3706 E 99th PR SE, Benton City.

Diana Lynn Soper, P.O. Box 896, Richland.

Luron Anderson & Lindsey Kay Lish, 4719 Hilltop Drive, Pasco.

Khyl Walter Cassano, 219 Washington St., Apt. 4, Kennewick.

Aaron Daniel & Bethany Rose Hanson, 2309 Muriel Court, Richland.

Joseph Ryan Garcia,1819 W. 21st Ave., Apt. D, Kennewick.

Araceli Flores, 1940 W. Hopkins St., Pasco.

Miguel & Alexandra Reyna, 1024 E. Fourth Ave., Kennewick.

57

uTOP PROPERTIES Top property values listed start at $500,000 and have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.

FRANKLIN COUNTY 1319 W. Ainsworth Ave., Pasco, 7,917-squarefoot commercial building. Price: $1,022,850.

Buyer: Ainsworth Holdings LLC. Seller: Kenneth M. & Ann E. Bailey.

11912 Blackfoot Drive, Pasco, undeveloped land. Price: $634,907. Buyer: Gregory S. & Amy L. Moore. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 12426 Jayleen Way, Pasco, 3,887-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $621,900. Buyer: William Everett & Michelle L. Nichols. Seller: Gale-Rew Construction.

12004 Clark Fork Road, Pasco, 0.5 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $547,400. Buyer: Christopher D. Coffman-Martin (Etux). Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 12608 Jayleen Way, Pasco, 0.53 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $664,427. Buyer: Ernest C. Graff. Seller: Gale-Rew Construction.

1103 & 1101 W. Shoshone St., Pasco, 2,282-square-foot and 11,076-square-foot multiresidential units. Price: $1,100,000. Buyer: The Chandler A. Jones Separate Property Trust.

Seller: Rawlings Family Investments LLC. 4402, 4326, 4322, 4218, 4314, 4310, 4306 Goldstream Lane, Pasco. 9 lots of undeveloped land. Price: $675,000. Buyer: Pro Made Construction LLC. Seller: William & Rosa Rupp.

3603 W Court St, Pasco, 3,442-square-foot dental office/clinic. Price: $818,126. Buyer: Court St. Holdings LLC. Seller: Revocable Living Trustw Howard W. Davis.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 58

58

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

Benton County 2920 George Washington Way, Richland, 80,000-square-foot commercial building. Price: $955,000. Buyer: Croskrey Brothers LLC. Seller: Port of Benton.

1725 Milan Lane, Richland, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.32 acres. Price: $676,128. Buyer: Roberto Gioiosa & Gokcen Kestor. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 56007 E. Taggart PR SE, Benton City, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 5.24 acres. Price: $511,350.

Buyer: Stevi L & Brenden R Ullrich. Seller: Muzzy Construction LLC. 1068 Suquamish St., Richland, 3,432-squarefoot home on 0.44 acres. Price: $501,868. Buyer: Sean E.& Heather J. Stolberg. Seller: Varsity Development LLC. 4199 Rosencrans Drive, West Richland, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 2.5 acres. Price: $512,500.

Buyer: Tyler & Shalyse Hukill. Seller: Ranchland Homes LLC. 1341 George Washington Way, Richland, 16,274-square-foot commercial building. Price: $740,000. Buyer: Chong W. Bak. Seller: LR Bailey Inc. 5750 , 5738, 5726, 5714 & 5702 W. Kennewick Place, 5747 & 5772 W. Albany Place, 9 N. Jefferson Place Kennewick, 8 lots. Price: $600,000. Green Plan Construction LLC. Seller: Jaya Holdings LLC. 556 Ferrara Lane, Richland, 1 lot of undeveloped land. Price: $547,000. Buyer: Marnae Collins. Seller: Don Pratt Construction Inc. 2800 Clubhouse Lane, Richland. 10 lots, 55+ acres. Price: $1,302,104. Buyer: HJBT Properties LLC. Seller: Columbia Golf Associates.

Bennett Road, Prosser. 8 lots. Price: $1,635,016. Buyer: J2 Land & Cattle LLC. Seller: Anderson Land & Livestock Inc. 2636 Quarterhorse Way, Richland, 2,180-square-foot home on 0.55 acres. Price: $627,900. Buyer: Edgar Martinen & Susan Fahey.

Seller: Richard W. & Janet M. Gerlitz.

520 Wellsian Way, Richland, 11,360-square-foot commercial building. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Wellsian Way Properties LLC. Seller: Grant Land Co. 3600 W. 42nd Ave., Kennewick, 3,406-squarefoot home on 0.26 acres. Price: $530,000. Buyer: Thomas P. & Wendy S. Crosier. Seller: Mark & Susan Fisher.

170 Meadow Hills Drive, Richland,

2192-square-foot home on 0.47 acres. Price: $620,000. Buyer: Dustin & Sheila Smith. Seller: Kevin V. & Elizabeth Asselin.

1120 S. Kansas Place, Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.3 acres. Price: $515,000.

Buyer: Robert O. & Shannon Theel. Seller: Titan Homes LLC. 2120 Legacy Lane, Richland, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.24 acres. Price: $528,248. Buyer: Sandra D. Haynes & Robert Demsey. Seller: Pahlisch Homes At Westcliffe Heights LLC. 110302 E. 297 PR, Kennewick, 4,333-squarefoot home on 2.7 acres. Price: $625,000. Buyer: Kevin Asselin & Elizabeth Shavon. Seller: Ronald E. & Mischelle D. Morton.

5003 W. Brinkley Road, Kennewick, 6,750-square-foot commercial building on 4.4 acres. Price: $1,100,000. Buyer: Bruceco LLC. Seller: Walla Walla Farmers Co-Op. 85603 E. Wallowa Road, Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.70 acres. Price: $538,575.

Buyer: Shelbi G. Zigler Engle & Kirk Engle.

54801 N, Gap Road, Prosser, 1,118-square-foot home and 80 acres of farmland. Price: $1,168,000. Buyer: Golden Gate Hop Ranches Inc. Seller: Adolfo Alvarez.

2821 S. 38th Ave., West Richland, 3,251-square-foot home on 2.5 acres. Price: $550,000. Buyer: Katheryn E. Leiter & June Gideon. Seller: Arlen J. & Cindi J. Homer.

uBUILDING PERMITS Building permit values have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.

BENTON CITY Phil Winterho, 744 Ninth St., $5,000 for a sign.

Contractor: Eagle Signs.

Raphael Zepeda, 509 Ninth St., $204,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: R&R Heating and Air. Adroit Properties, 1505 Dale Ave., $240,200 for new commercial. Contractor: Androit Concrete.

Sharon Molton DVM, 510 Ninth St., $6,000 for remodel. Contractor: Creative Remodeling.

Kiona-Benton City School, 1107 Grace Ave., $8,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Don Johnson Benton CountY Finley School District, 37208 S. Finley Road,

PUBLIC RECORD $875,000 for reroof. Contractor: Siefken & Sons Construction.

AgriNorthwest, 33262 SR 14, $179,500 for remodel. Contractor: Silver Creek Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, $600,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: MH Construction.

Lamb Weston, 158695 S. SR 221, $2.2 million for agriculture building. Contractor: Teton West of Washington.

Green2Go, 214307 E. SR 397, $5,300 for heat pump. Contractor: Welch Heating & AC. KENNEWICK Brinkley Investments, 65672 W. Brinkley Road, $9,700 for plumbing and $17,900 for HVAC. Contractors: Columbia Basin Plumbing and Total Energy Management.

Yellowstone North, 8524 W. Gage Blvd., $26,000 for remodel, $18,000 for mechanical, $8,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Owner, Western Equipment Sales and Riggle Plumbing.

GR 1 LLC, 8101 W. Grandridge Blvd., $512,500 for tenant improvement, $48,700 for HVAC, $34,800 for plumbing. Contractors: Chervenell Construction, Bruce Heating and Air and BNB Mechanical.

Tightline Ventures, 8804 W. Victoria Ave., $5,000 for sign, $125,000 for tenant improvements, $35,000 for HVAC, $20,000 for plumbing.

Contractors: Mustang Sign Group, Booth & Sons Construction, Americool Heating & Air, Precision Plumbing.

ME & CE LLC, 6917 W. Grandridge Blvd., $40,000 for sign. Contractor Mustang Sign Group.

Kennewick School District, 3500 S. Vancouver St., $159,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Total Site Services.

Bible Missionary Church, 1720 W. Seventh Ave., $100,000 for remodel. Contractor: Owner Kennewick Assoc., 7411 W. Canal Drive., $30,000 for remodel, $5,000 for heat pump.

Contractors: Mike’s Construction, Bruce Heating & Air Wyo-Wash Corp., 404 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $18,000 for sign. Contractor: Ramsay Sign Co. Elite Investment Group, 9001 Tucannon, $132,100 for tentant improvements, $30,000 for heat pump, $6,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Elite Construction & Development, Total Energy Management, Columbia Basin Plumbing.

FC4 LLC, 2909 S. Quillan St., $120,000 for tenant improvements, $6,000 for heat pump.

Contractors: W McKay Construction, Bruce Heating & Air. City of Kennewick, 416 N. Kingwood St., $9,600 for heat pump. Contractor: Total Energy management.

JC Penney Properties, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $350,000 for remodel. Contractor: H J Martin & Son Inc. Washington Securities, 8901 W. Tucannon Ave., $10,000 for signs. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Washington Securities, 8418 W. Gage Blvd., $80,000 for tenant improvements, $5,000 for plumbing. Contractor: One Stop Construction and Riggle Plumbing.

Dana J. Brown, 1720 W. Fourth Ave., $50,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Owner.

Gem Kennewick LLC, 2800 W. Clearwater Ave., $16,000 for heat pump. Contractor: Bruce Heating & Air. SeaShell LLC, 6601 W. Clearwater Ave., $15,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Hubby’s Pizza, 346 Columbia Drive, $17,700 for heat pump, $17,400 for new roof. Contractors: Jacobs & Rhodes and Palmer Roofing Co. Dress Brothers LLP, 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $121,400 for tenant improvements.

Contractor: O’Brien Construction.

Canyon Lake Villas, 3701 W. 36th Ave., $7,400 for heat pump. Contractor: Jacobs & Rhodes Inc. Tri-City Hotel Corp., 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $9,300 for plumbing. Contractor: Campbell & Co. AAA Storage Depot, 6026 W. Clearwater Ave., $2.5 million for new commercial, $45,000 for heat pumps. Contractors: O’Brien Constructions and Chinook Heating and Air. WW Real Estate LLC, 10370 W. Clearwater Ave., $15,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

Cynergy Enterprises, 4309 W. 27th Place, $40,000 for tenant improvements, $7,000 for mechanical, $7,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Veksel Constulting & Co. and McKinstry Co. Rock Island Partners, 4008 W. 27th Ave., $15,200 for heat pump, $7,000 for plumbing.

Contractors: Total Energy Management and Patriot Plumbing.

PASCO Port of Pasco, Parcel 17 010 010, $800,000 for roadway and utilities, Big D’s Construction of TriCities.

Real Property, 4824 Broadmoor Blvd., $16,700 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Advanced Protection Systems.

Devin Oil Co., 2601 W. Court St., $20,000 for demolition. Contractor: LCR Construction.

Pasco School District, 9507 Burns Road, $20.2 million for new commercial. Contractor: TBD Goodwill Industries of the Mid-Columbia, 3521 W. Court St. #B, $34,200 for heat pump.

Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., $30,000 for commercial. Contractor: Burton Construction.

BLT LLC, 6825 Burden Blvd., Ste B, $6,000 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs.

Flamingo Village, 71 Bonanza Drive, $17,000 for patio/cover. Contractor: Owner Whitten Family Investments, 2138 N. Commercial Ave., $5,200 for sign. Contractor: Yesco LLC Washington Industrial Properties, 355 N. Commercial Ave., $112,400 for fire alarm system.

Contractor: Patriot Fire Protection.

PROSSER Brian Dreher, 556 Wine Country Road, $130,500 new commercial. Contractor: Owner.

Benton PUD, 715 Sixth St., $12,000 for underground utilities. Contractor: Benton PUD MS Properties, 1855 Wine Country Road, $10,00 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Owner.

Prosser School District, site undetermined, $36.6 million for new commercial. Contractor: TBD Club 24, Jo Mayfield, 275 Gap Road, $450,00 for new commercial. Contractor: Conner Construction Co. RICHLAND Port of Benton, 451 Hill St., $21,000 for demolition. Contractor: DGR Grant Construction.

Port of Benton, 1915 Horn Rapids Road, $25,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Sac Wireless Richland Ace Hardware, 1415 George Washington Way, $25,700 for HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company.

Raber LLC, 3100 Queensgate Drive, $23,600 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Structural Components.

Petbo Properties, 79 Aaron Drive, $35,000, for tenant improvements, $9,900 for heat pump.

Contractors: O’Brien Construction and Campbell

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

PUBLIC RECORD & Co. Corp. of Catholic Bishop, 1111 Stevens Drive., $272,242 for new roof. Contractor: Leslie & Campbell Inc. Viking Builders LLC, 2000 Gage Blvd., $27,000 for fence/retaining wall. Contractor: Four Seasons Landscaping.

P&R Construction, 3234 Wild Canyon Way, $9,400 for fence/retraining wall. Contractor: Huesitos Co. AJSA LLC 2, 5151 Trowbridge Blvd., $723,200 for new commercial. Contractors: Quality Backhoe Service and Rapid Service LLC. Dule Mehic, 2451 Henderson Loop, $444,500 for new commercial. Contractor: DM General Builder.

JLW Asset Management, 2375 Jericho Road, Bldg. 8, $792,900 for new commercial.

Contractor: Aura Homes.

Matson Development, 257 Reata Road, $125,00 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development.

Benton Franklin, 1549 Georgia Ave., $19,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: First American Construction.

Washington Square Apartments, 2455 George Washington Way, $150,000 for siding/windows on three buildings. Contractor: Roberts Construction.

Issoma LLC, 1045 Jadwin Ave., $350,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Tri-Rivers Construction.

Wal-Mart #3261, 2801 Duportail St., $42,600 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Rod Graham Handyman.

West Side United Protestant Church, 615 Wright Ave., $6,500 for heat pump. Contractor: Delta Heating and Cooling.

650 GWW LLC, 650 George Washington Way, $13.2M for new commercial; 610 George Washington Way, $476,500 for new commercial; 620 George Washington Way, $476,500 for new construction. Contractor: Fowler General Construction.

Lex Richland LP, 2800 Polar Way, $35.8 million for tenant improvements. Contractor: Victory Unlimited Construction.

Kadlec Medical Center, 1270 Lee Blvd., $5.8 million for tenant improvements. Contractor: Sletten Construction Co. Dollar Tree #11285, 1307 Jadwin Ave., $125,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: B Davis.

Inc. Timbers Apartments, 1900 Stevens Drive, $5,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor:

Northwest Restoration.

Columbia Villas, 245 Broadmoor St., $9,500 for heat pump. Contractor: Campbell & Co. LN Real Estate LLC, 1350 Aaron Drive., $38,000 for demolition. Contractor: Andrist Ent. City of Richland, 225 Columbia Point Drive, $13,600 for heat pump. Contractor: Bruce Heating and Air. WEST RICHLAND Silara LLC, 4900 Paradise Way #100, $90,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Gale Rew Construction.

Ron Asmus, 2943 Belmont Blvd., $3.2 million for new commercial. Contractor: REA Commercial.

Mid-Columbia Libraries, 3803 W. Van Giesen St., $8,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group.

T Mobile USA, 5370 Astoria Road, $23,000 for

uBUSINESS LICENSES CITY OF PASCO Alcaraz Concrete Corporation, 1625 W. A St. F Bonny Reyes, 2420 W. Court St. Compass Painting, 4214 Anza Borrego Ct. J& H Construction Services, LLC 6715 S. Waldemar Ave. Structures Engineers PLLC, 5804 Road 90, 104 D Linaldi Trucking, 616 N. Cedar Ave. Snag That Swag, 5412 Eisenhower Ct. JD Landscaping LLC, 1121 N 28th Ave. Brink’s Incorporated, 2325 W. Lewis St. Lacoste Law PLLC, 1310 N Fifth Ave. McPallets, 1228 S. Fifth Ave. Sarah Flohr Media, 6207 Hampshire Court GMG Siding & Paint, 4517 Baja Drive Lotus Homes, 203 N. Fourth Ave. Express Care Pasco, 5506 Road 68 DJ Silver Entertainment, 4319 Desert Plateau Drive M& T Tax Service, 310 W. Columbia St., Suite 2 Ralph’s Garage, 609 W. Lewis St. A Beauty Zone, 516 W. Lewis St. La Magui Disco Bar, 1901 N. Fourth Ave. Mitz Wealth Management LLC, 3909 Phoenix Lane Extrado, 6203 W. Marie St. Emily Byers Photography Inc., 3507 Hovley Lane

Charis Contractors LLC, 4311 Desert Plateau Drive Kendar Industries, 4225 N. Capitol Ave. Drywall Repair and Construction, 67 Bonanza Drive Rocket Fast Delivery Services, 4621 W. River Blvd.

Insulation Management Services, 100 Garden Drive Anasazi Builders LLC, 4235 Galway Lane Estrella’s Magic Cleaning, 915 Seventh Ave. 917 Glistening Beauty, 920 N. Beech Ave. V M General Landscaping and Lawn Care, 1743 S. Cascade St., Kennewick G2 Home Inspections, 7203 W. 13th =Ave., Kennewick Anthony’s Art Pruning, 405 S. Dawes St., Kennewick West Coast Warehouse & Logistics Inc., 2715 Travel Plaza Way CedarBloom’s LLC, 1436 Kimball Ave., Richland LZ Auto Repair, 609 W. Lewis St. Alvarez Heating & Air Conditioning, 21309 W. 51st Ave., Kennewick, Reve Exteriors LLC CBA DaBella, 8318 W. Gage, Kennewick On Time Taxi, 1621 W. Second Ave., Kennewick Superior Industrial Mechanical Inc. 623 W. Seventh St. Sioux City, IA Eclipse Heating and Cooling, 290 W. Marie Ave., Hermiston, Oregon Flamingo Co LLC, 509 Austin Drive, West Richland Legacy Drywall, 1351 E. Third Ave., Suite H, Kennewick Tri-Cities Diamond, 30 Galaxy Lane, Richland Newlook Landscaping LLC, 1008 E. 234rd Ave. Apt. A, Kennewick 85 Decibles LLC,2302 W. 50th Ave., Kennewick Accident Chriopractic of Pasco, 1123 W. Court St., Pasco Advance Custom Cabinets, 9896 Chelsea Court, Hayden, Idaho Circkle K Enterprises, 61 Cedar Road Hoopes Well Drilling, 520 Berkshire St., Richland Living Stone Homes, 506 W. 48th Ave., Kennewick G4 Cabinets, 3801 S. Lincoln St., Kennewick Results Driving Technology, 3205 N. Commercial Ave. A. Groth Family Insurance Co. DBA Don Halvo,

4021 W. Court St. Washington Fleet & Auto Repair, 3120 Travel Plaza Way A. HBZ Express, 424 N. 18th Ave. Lourdes Health & Wellness, 4215 Convention Place Blue Bridge General Construction, 1618 W. Sylvester St. C Morrison Management Specialist, 520 N. Fourth Ave. Gargoram Carpet Cleaning, 5706 W. Hood Ave., Kennewick Jaldo Construction, 1711 S. 10th Ave., Yakima Court St. Mini Mart, 3720 Court St. Tri-City Singles, 2411 Boulder St., Richland King Carpets, 4416 W. Riverhaven St. CI Construction & Consulting, 209609 E. Schuster Road, Kennewick American Eagle Family, 2907 Leavenworth Lane, Richland Veliz Property Management, 1600 W. Clark St., Heather Phillips, 4102 S. Kent St., Kennewick CITY OF WEST RICHLAND Washington Self Storage Company, 4334 Fallon Drive, West Richland Kona Ice of Pasco, 4003 Monterey Drive, Pasco APC Services, LLC, 72609 E. Sundown PR SE, Kennewick Jon Scott Floors LLC, 1506 Cimarron Ave., Richland Fur Baby Whisperer, LLC, 1112 Perkins Ave., Richland Baker Construction & Development, Inc. 2711 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Personal Winery Tours & More, 829 S.E. Scenic View Drive, College Place Cardenas All Around Construction & Remodel LLC, 1204 11th St., Benton City Florascapes West, LLC, 521 Dogwood Road, Pasco A Plus Masonry LLC, 11606 Pheasant Court, Pasco Contreras Lawn Care Service, 18304 S. Myrtle St., Kennewick Macroberts Handyman LLC, 221007 E. Game Farm Road, Kennewick J & M Construction & Cleaning LLC, 631 S. Hugo Ave., Pasco King Cleaner, 407 W. Sylvester St., Pasco

uPUBLIC RECORDS, Page 60

Meet Rachel Jobs, our new commercial lender!

C

ommunity First Bank is pleased to welcome Rachel Jobs to our commercial lending team.

Rachel brings over 20 years of experience in the banking industry and is committed to developing important and meaningful relationships with her clients and the community.

If you are looking to expand your business, Rachel can assist you with construction, real estate, engineering, medical, and professional service lending as well as SBA loans. She also has expertise in lines of credit and equipment loans.

Contact Rachel today!

509.222.2259 | rjobs@community1st.com

community1st.com | 509.222.2259

Connell | Kennewick | Pasco | Richland

59

Community First Bank NMLS #409021 Rachel Jobs NMLS #637024

60

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

uBUSINESS LICENSES The Helpful Neighbor, 2324 S. Highlands Blvd.

A.B.C. Fire Control, Inc., 1113 N. Sixth Ave., YakimaHH Iggy’s Construction, 3106 S. Highlands Blvd.

On The Move Professional Cleaning Service, 3720 Mountain Meadows Road Quarterly Business Gateway, 5931 Deer St. Johnny on the Spot LLC, 351 Karria Lane, Mesa Shamrock Traffic, Inc., 110 N. Hayford Road, Spokane Luna Quality Painting LLC, 8212 W. Octave St., Pasco Tri-City Plastering Detail & Stone Inc., 213003 E. 22nd Ave., Kennewick Angela’s General Construction, 210004 E. Bryson Brown Road, Kennewick Northwest Premier Insurance Agency, 4083 W. Van Giesen St. Felix Mobile Car Wash, 2105 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick Sac Wireless, LLC, 1037 Thomas Ave. S.W., Renton Lindsay Clark, 6070 Juneberry Drive Bookkeeper 4 Me, LLC, 1901 Diamond Head Way Michael Hughes, 5285 Everett St. Edith Zambrano, 4033 W. Van Giesen St. Energeo LLO, 2453 Morency Drive, Richland Pelayo’s, 607 Lonetree Lane, Richland KENNEWICK McNamara Dental Services LLC, 3504 W. 34th Ave Sparkle & Shine House Cleaning, 1819 W. Park St., Pasco First Security, 45 W. Mead Ave., Yakima Iron Sharpens Iron Construction, 2105 N. Steptoe St #121 Stunning Cleaning Services, 1832 W. Nixon St., Pasco Fresh Water Industries, 7509 W. Deschutes Ave. Clem Matylinski, 1641 Sagewood St., Richland Wheatland Insurance Center Inc., 2626 W 43rd Place Kennewick Fire Fighters Local 1296 Benevolent, 5502 W. 24th Ave. Anchor Hauling LLC, 8210 Selph Landing Road,

Pasco Aspen Anesthesia PC, 9049 W. Deschutes Drive Johnson Exteriors Inc., 1724 Garrett St. #A, Enumclaw K.D. Steel Inc., 7004 N. Altamont St., Spokane Revel-E Group LLC, 6725 W. Clearwater Ave. Iplay Experience, 8524 W. Gage Blvd., Unit B110 RDO Equipment Co., 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Perfection Miller Paint, 8818 W. Victoria Ave. Olympic Pools & Construction, Inc., 1111 102nd St. S., Tacoma Absolutely I Do, 2608 W. Deschutes Ave. Clearwater Plumbing, 5031 W. Clearwater Ave #106 Crest Counseling Services PS, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave. Bruchi’s Cheesesteaks & Subs, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Cathy’s Cleaning, 4104 S. Newport St. Insulation Specialists Inc., 12415 E. Trent Ave. Susan Lind MS LICSW, 1409 N. Pittsburgh St. Brooks & Brooks PLLC, 7233 W. Deschutes Ave. Asplundh Tree Expert LLC, 20004 144th Ave. N.E., Woodinville Blue Ribbon Recovery, 127 N. Canal Pipo’s Landscaping, 817 N. Arbutus Ave., Pasco Richard Klingele, 309 N. Belfair Court Gimmaka Enterprises Inc., 930 S. Johnson St. Royal T Industries, 2619 W. Deschutes Ave. Water Treatment Resources, 1030 N. Center Parkway Rw Jensen Engineering, 3439 S. Buntin Court.

Freedom Counseling LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd. #200 Isela’s Janitorial & Maintenance LLC, 1912 W. Ruby St., Pasco Mid-Columbia Tri-Cities SCORE, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Danny Wright dba Northstar Massage, 1004 W. 44th Place It’s All in the Details LLC, 4504 W. 26th Ave. Dutch Bros Coffee, 3918 W. Clearwater Ave. Dutch Bros Coffee, 3 W. Columbia Drive Fulton Management Solutions. LLC, 106206 E. Tripple Vista Drive Renaissance Homes, 2919 Troon Court., Richland Compass Career Solutions, 7401 W. Grandridge Blvd.

TC Black, 1702 W. 25th Place Olson Brothers Pro-Vac, LLC, 6622 112th St. E.,

PUBLIC RECORD Puyallup JVC Auto Repair, 112 W. Columbia Drive Sun Market #39, 10799 Ridgeline Drive Select Rehabilitation LLC, 7820 W. Sixth Ave. Dutch Bros Coffee, 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

SG Construction, 3555 Regent St., Richland GlamourEyes, 1350 N.Louisiana St. Antonia Housekeeping, 100 N. Irving Place Legacy Drywall Inc., 1351 E. Third Ave. #H Ace Appliances, 915 W. Canal Drive Koko’s Bartini, 4309 W. 27th Place Valencias Handyman, 815 S. Taylor Road, #D4 Marc Weber Construction LLC, 2849 S. Hartford Place Living Stone Homes LLC, 506 W. 48th Ave Sage Design Consulting, 2711 S. Huntington Court Reve Exteriors LLC dba Dabella, 8318 W. Gage Blvd.

Solarity Credit Union, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Hanging H Company LLC, 1912 S. Burlington Blvd., Burlington Children’s Attic LLC, 3013 W. Kennewick Ave. The Grounds Guys of Kennewick, 23105 S. Verbena St. Sound Options, 3518 Sixth Ave., Tacoma Schole Sisters, 5023 W. 12th Ave. Hoopes Well Drilling LLC, 520 Berkshire St., Richland Precision Configurations & Solutions, 9202 W. Gage Blvd.

Zhang Juan Spa, 7201 W. Clearwater Ave. Home Appliance Liquidator LLC, 3517 W. Clearwater Ave. Salem Snowdy Development LLC, 8019 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Ty Remodel Co., 3803 W 48th Ave Speck Three Inc., 2910 W. Clearwater Ave. Ogden Allen Tax Service LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

TK University LLC, 3504 W. 34th Ave. Oscars Lawn Care Services LLC, 1512 N. 13th Ave., Pasco Anasazi Builders LLC, 4235 Galway Lane, Pasco K&A Distribution LLC, 8932 W. Quinault Ave. Shawna Taylor, 24915 S Carman Road, Cheney NP4NP, 1519 W. 33rd Place Osaka Sushi & Teriyaki, 4101 W. 27th Place NS Construction, 9816 Chelan Court, Pasco Heatherstone, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Colossus Construction, 5809 Westport Lane,

Pasco Streakless Shine Auto Detailing LLC, 4929 W. Canal Dr. Edgardo’s General Construction LLC, 3006 N. Road 97, Pasco Terril Investments LLC, 5104 W. Brinkley Rd. Stallion Realty & Development LLC, 2302 W. 50th Ave. TWG Property Group, 5601 W. Clearwater Ave. G2 Home Inspections, 7203 W. 13th Ave., Kennewick Affordable Handyman Services LLC, 606 Madrona Ave. Spotted Fox Inc., 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd Bre Transportation LLC, 1625 W. A St., Pasco K11 Oil Spa LLC, 4012 W. Clearwater Ave. Evolution Nutrition Meal Prep, 8804 W. Sixth Ave. Leadpink, 10505 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick Recovery Ace Inc., 1806 S. Rainier Pl. Anthony’s Art Running, 405 S. Dawes St. VM General Landscaping & Lawn Care LLC, 1743 S. Cascade St. Potentials Ag LLC, 5908 W. 20th Ave. Khurshed Sharifov, 1408 N. Louisiana St., Kennewick Cederbloom’s LLC, 1436 Kimball Ave., Richland Advanced Home Solutions LLC, 126 Orchard Court, Richland Norma’s Healthcare Non-Medical LLC, 1507 N. Montana Court Mendonca LLC, 8180 W. Fourth Ave. King of the Road Transports LLC, 4184 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Dentures 4 U Lab, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave..

Catherine Groff, 902 N. Keller St. New Vision Floor Covering & Remodels LLC, 715 W. Brown St., Pasco Dh Companies LLC, 3710 Canyon Lakes Drive Fengyun Zhu, 8903 W. Gage Blvd.

Dust Bunny, 4931 W. 24th Pl. EJ Construction LLC, 611 S. Douglas Ave, Pasco A&M Premier Construction LLC, 200802 E. Game Farm Road Blue Viking, 4707 W. Seventh Ave. Nicholas Thai, 2550 Duportail St., Richland Transient Coffee Company, 408 N. Georgia St. Uberxtc, 218 E. Fifth Ave. Roadrunners Insulation LLC, 1519 W. Irving St., Pasco Meraki, 520 N. Edison St. Heathco, 2539 S. Underwood St.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

PUBLIC RECORD uBUSINESS LICENSES My Daycare, 2510 W. Seventh Ave. Just Train Smarter LLC, 725 N. Center Parkway Jocelyn Reyes, 1906 W. 37th Ave. 85 Decibels LLC, 2302 W. 50th Ave. AR General Construction LLC, 932 W. Brown St., Pasco Dance Images West, 6515 W. Clearwater Ave. H&R Enterprise, 4102 S. Kent St. Shellback Brewing, 6400 W. 13th Ct. Iris G Beauty, 8905 W. Gage Blvd.

Horse Heaven Customs LLC, 3919 W. Hood Ct. Pilgrim & Company, 2913 W. John Day Ave. Audio King & Tinting 2 LLC, 4215 W. Clearwater Ave. Hary Cleaner, 1905 N. 11th Ave., Pasco Cheryl’s Caregiving, 4203 W. Kennewick Ave. #12 Marwa Jaber Interpreter, 3707 W. 21st Ave. Bad Boy Transportation, 337 S. Johnson St. Forget Me Knot Photography, 2014 W. Sixth Ave. Hair By B, 117 N. Ely St. Mineer’s Home Maintenance, 2511 N. Fifth Ave. #E, Pasco Honey Plants, 1716 W. Eighth Place Nuketown Beard Co., 2105 N. Steptoe St. Jon C. Consulting, 533 W. 26th Place Marlie Buriak, 104 Vista Way Lisa Janell Decker, 104 S. Williams St. Ram Ski Transports Corp., 633 S. Everett St. Yizel’s Cleaning Services, 332 W. Bonneville St., Pasco Leeann M. Holt Attorney at Law, 1020 N. Center Pkwy Valencia Counseling Services, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. #D272 Crooked Spike Outfitters, 5000 W. 19th Ave. Brink S Bees, 1203 W. 16th Place Bobbis Cleaning Service, 1710 W. Second Ave. Deez Cleaning, 111 W. Second Ave. Ade Safety, 4213 W. 21st Ave. Coordinated Benefits LLC, 6917 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Jan’s Cleaning, 3 N. Kellogg St. Tw Clark Construction LLC, 1117 N. Evergreen Rd. #1, Spokane Valley Hotels A1 LLC, 21505 Cottonwood Drive Kennewick Hilton Garden Inn, 701 N. Young St. JD Hendler Associates LLC, 3331 W. Canyon Lakes Drive

Floors-R-Us, 1000 W. Fifth Ave., #B202 Julia Cruzen PLLC, 201 N. Edison St. American Towers LLC, 410 E. Kennewick Ave. ATC Sequoia LLC, 1305 W. Fourth Ave. Kimberly Waters, 9 W. Kennewick Ave. Inca Mexican Restaurant LLC, 201 N. Edison St. Prater Electric Inc., 28806 S. 816 PR SE Ultimate Home Designs LLC, 1400 S. Grant St. Pro Carpet Installers, 518 S. Anderson St. Leyte F. Martinez, 809 S. Ivy St. Kenneth Patrick Schmidt, 222 E. Bruneau Ave. #B One Stop Construction Inc., 408 Douglass Ave., Richland Alpha Retirement Plan Consultants LLC, 8511 W. Clearwater Ave. Amy Manor-Downs LMT, 8797 W. Gage Blvd.

American Towers LLC, 2312 S. Ely St. Tight Line Ventures LLC, 8804 W. Victoria Ave. Vintage 62 Photo Booth, 3300 S. Tweedt St. Paradigm Innovative Health PLLC, 7403 W. Arrowhead Ave. Jnr Flooring, 14910 S. 1977 PR SE HME Properties LLC, 4112 W. Kennewick Ave. Isaac’s Carpet Service, 4302 W. Hood Ave. Amazon.Com Services Inc., 7011 W. Canal Drive Ds Concrete Construction LLC, 6729 Bitterroot Ave., Pasco RDO Equipment Co., 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Valhalla’s Workbench, 504 W. Kennewick Ave. Boiada Brazilian Grill LLC, 8418 W. Gage Blvd.

Greater Columbia Behavioral Health LLC, 101 N. Edison St. 3HM LLC, 8511 W. Clearwater Ave. Sun Meadows Community LLC, 3324 W. 19th Ave. Columbia Ridge Pools & Landscapes LLC, 4021 W. Sylvester St., Pasco Laws of Motion LLC dba Defensive Driving School, 4303 W. 27th Ave. Ci Construction & Consulting LLC, 209609 E. Schuster Road Santos Bros Farm LLC, 143504 S. Finley Road DGJ< Transport LLC, 424 S. Rainier St. Dynamic Building Solutions LLC, 4910 Sahara Drive, Pasco Desert Vista Houses LLC, 8382 W. Gage Blvd.

Desert Sage Practical Defense, 210 W. 21st Ave. Phoenix Counseling Services LLC, 5219 W.

Clearwater Ave. American Welder Service, 504 E. First Ave. 4 Kings Construction LLC, 5132 Truman Lane, Pasco Tri-City Vaperz LLC, 321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Shaklee & White PLLC, 5861 W. Clearwater Ave. Diamond Back Concrete LLC, 3045 S. Fillmore Place Veksel Consulting & Contracting LLC, 615 N. Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee Homeplate LLC, 233 W. 52nd Ave. Lucky Puppy Grooming, 1407 N. Young St. Pixie Dust Cleaning Services, 1418 W. Sixth Ave. Es Pro-Shield Painting & Flooring LLC, 1508 W. 35th Loop Behavioral Health Ombuds Service LLC, 101 N. Edison St. Perfect Landscaping, 1004 N. Beech Ave., Pasco Effleurage, 920 W. Canal Drive Glez Painting, 113 Walnut St., Bingen Purely Kleen Maid Services, 4015 S. Fisher St. No Stress Houses LLC, 8382 W. Gage Blvd.

Brian Spiller, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd.

61

Kaila Mitchell Counseling LLC, 750 Swift Blvd., Richland Katie Osborn, 4303 W. 27th Ave. Gonzalez Handyman Construction, 1154 Cherry Circle, East Wenatchee Jennencosmo, 5453 Ridgeline Drive Ever Lashing Brows, 319 W. Kennewick Ave. A Stroke of Genius, 9202 W. Gage Blvd.

Simplie Landscaping LLC, 2706 Glendive Court, Pasco Parshall Services, 423 E. Third Ave. Lauren Cornwell Personal & Group Training, 616 W. 10th Ave. Root Realty LLC, 3304 W. Metaline Place DNB, 3401 S. Johnson St. Dot Dot Smile Anne Diaz, 8504 W. Fourth Place Jason Michael Tubac, 4224 W. John Day Place Express Heating & Cooling LLC, 3703 W. Kennewick Ave. Gargoram Carpet Cleaning LLC, 5706 W. Hood Ave. Clear Water Wash LLC, 6601 W. Clearwater Ave. Primo’s Lawn Care Services LLC, 909 W. Margaret St., Pasco Vinci Homes LLC, 1802 W. Fourth Ave. Soul Bitten Bites, 8716 W. Clearwater Place

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62

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ April 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • April 2019

PUBLIC RECORD uLIQUOR LICENSES Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Pik-A-Pop #8, 526 W. Columbia Drive, Kennewick. License type: grocery store-beer/ wine. Application type: assumption.

Hilton Garden Inn, 701 N. Young St., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new.

Horn Rapids Golf Course, 2800 Clubhouse Lane, Richland. License type: beer/wine rest.

Application type: assumption.

Shogun Teriyaki & Sushi, 760 Dalton St., Richland. License type: beer/wine rest. with taproom. Application type: assumption.

Pizza Hut, 7605 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick.

License type: beer/wine rest.; off premises.

Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Pizza Hut, 1902 George Washington Way, Richland. License type: beer/wine rest.; off premises. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

CG Public House and Catering, 9221 W. Clearwater Ave., Ste. A, Kennewick. License type: Direct shipment receiver in Washington only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant and lounge; catering; kegs to go. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu.

MV Chrysalis, 458-C Columbia Point Drive, Richland. License type: spirits/wine/beer/restaurant ship/lounge; off premises sale wine.

Application type: assumption.

Naoi Calioini Oga, 100821 E. Brandon Drive, Kennewick. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters; grower. Application type: new.

APPROVED CG Public House and Catering, 9221 W. Clearwater Ave., Ste. A, Kennewick. License type: Direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Wautoma Wines, 3100 Lee Road, Prosser.

License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters.

Application type: added/change off class/in lieu.

Valicoff Family Farm, 500 Merlot Drive, Ste. C, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: change of corporate officer.

Silos, 12125 W. Clearwater Ave., Ste. B, Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new.

Thai Baan Khun Ya, 94 Lee Blvd., Richland.

License type: beer/wine rest. Application type: assumption.

Level Up Arcade Bar, 1022 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new.

Smasne Cellars, 590 Merlot Drive, Ste. A, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters, addl. loc. Application type: new.

DISCONTINUED RA Freeman, 504 Melissa St., Richland. License type: wine distributor.

FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Thompson Hill Cellars, 410 N. Newport Drive, Mesa. License type: beer/wine specialty shop.

Application type: new application.

APPROVED Pizza Hut, 1921 N. Court St., Pasco. License type: beer/wine rest- beer; off premises.

Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Court St. Mini Mart, 3720 W. Court St., Pasco.

License type: 450, grocery store-beer/wine.

Application type: assumption.

Magill’s Restaurant & Catering, 3214 Road 68, Pasco. License type: 350, direct-shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: assumption.

uJUDGMENTS The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes, resulting in a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton and Franklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s office.

Andrewjeski Farms, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 4.

Precision General Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 4.

Gabriel Magana Lopez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 4.

In Tune Shack, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Ilin Construction, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Carniceria Los Toreros, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Faith Leanne Hovde, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Edgar Garcia Gonzalez, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Lonestar Innovations, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 5.

Tri Cities Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Absolute Wireless, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Jose Merced Arreola Guzman, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Mexico Lindo & Que Rico Co., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes , March 6.

Alex B. Najera Md Ps, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Joint Ventures, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Northwest Professionals, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

Jmz Farm Ag, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 6.

German Llamas Hernandez, Department of Licensing, March 7.

Carniceria Los Toreros #2, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

Spurs Coffee, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

Andrewjeski Farms, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

McCary Meats, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

El Dorado Club, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 7.

Cutting Edge Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 7.

David A. Castro, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

Luke Alan Redinger, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

Sakul Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 7.

Team Transportation, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 11.

Daniel J. Holt, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 11.

Ryan Dean Homer, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 11.

Rosie E. Arteaga, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Brian A. Aviles, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Jonathan S. Ard, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Robert R. Hicks, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Travis E. Mueller Jr., unpaid Employment Secu-

rity Department taxes, March 12.

Marco A. Venegas, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Veronica Madrigal, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Jose A. Farias Rodriguez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Jose A. Garza, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Todd T. Sterling Jr., unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Sierrah K. Nageotte, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Randy J. Gilmore, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 12.

Pasco Fbo Partners, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 12.

Rigoberto Garcia, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 13.

Juan Manzo, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, March 13.

D & S Concrete, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 13.

Matthew Dwaine Owens, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

In Tune Shack, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

Josue Ismael Mejia, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

Mccary Meats, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

Rudys Antonio Lopez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 14.

Edgar Garcia Gonzalez, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

Carniceria Los Toreros, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 14.

D & S Concrete, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 18.

Christina Reyes, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Miguel A. Martinez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Lial R. Hahn, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Michael S. Carson, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Adam L. Garrison, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Daniel Sanchez II, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 18.

Mkw Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 18.

Luis Alberto Chavez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 18.

Blue Sky Painting and Gara, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 18.

Pacific King Relocation & Logistics Systems, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 18.

Hill’s & Sons Services, Unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 18.

Maria Rangel, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 18.

Flor Nunez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 19.

Eliseo Hernandez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 22.

Tres Pueblos Meat Market, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 22.

Thomas Keenan Michael, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 27.

Vladimir I. Gadomskiy, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 27.

Gabriel Magana Lopez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 27.

Jose Paulo Contreras, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 27.

P J R Construction Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 28.

uBUSINESS UPDATES NEW BUSINESS Level Up Arcade Bar has opened at 1022 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Suite 210 in Kennewick.

The arcade-themed bar featuring arcade games.

It has 18 tap selections along with a full-service cocktail bar. Hours are from 4 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and from 4 p.m. to 1 or 2 a.m. on weekends. Family day is on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., and during this time alcohol must stay in the bar area.

MOVED Fulcrum Wealth Management Group has moved to 705 Gage Blvd., Suite 101 in Richland.

Contact: 509-987-1744, fulcrumwealth managementgroup.com.

CLOSED The Local inside BlankSpace at 5453 Ridgeline Drive #140 has closed. The location at 8530 W. Gage Blvd. in Kennewick remains open.

The Savvy Mom at 4034 W. Van Giesen in West Richland has closed. The location at 6403 Burden Blvd., Suite B in Pasco remains open.

Sears at 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite 455 in Kennewick has closed.

Tell us about your new building or remodel!

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509.737.8778 • tcjournal.biz

Shop the full line of Haworth FERN chairs in store or online at www.brutzmans.com

Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

T in T Elements, 43001 N. Griffin Road, Unit D, Grandview. License type: marijuana producer tier 2. Application type: change of corporate officer; added fees.

Oscar Daniel Jimenez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 28.

Genaro Castillo, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

Andrez C. Leon, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

Jason F. Deyette, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

Michael R. Dickenson, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

Jaime Gutierrez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

Robert C. Rowett, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, March 28.

D & R & G Roofing Partners, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 29.

VL Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 29.

Eleazar Salinas, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, March 29.

Sylvia A. Martinez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 29.

Heather Abregana, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 29.

Daniel Alvarez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, March 29.

We rock.

uMARIJUANA LICENSES

MARIJUANA APPLICATIONS APPROVED

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We roll.

2501 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Richland, Washington

509-735-0300 www.brutzmans.com

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ April 2019