Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business -- February 2019 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business/Senior Times

February 2019

Volume 18 • Issue 2

Construction begins on Kennewick’s new $3.4M ice plant BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Diversity

Tri-City leaders offer tips to foster inclusivity Page 11

Real Estate & Construction

Gesa Credit Union to open branch on Road 100 in Pasco Page 21

Manufacturing

Manufacturing jobs on the rise in Benton, Franklin counties Page 39

he Said It “I have four kids, and there’s not much to do in the winter, so I wanted to bring something like that to the Tri-Cities.” - Will McKay, co-owner, Launch Trampoline Park

Page 9

Mother Nature recently shared her wintry mix with the Tri-Cities, but the Three Rivers campus wants to be able to create its own ice year-round. Construction of a new $3.4 million ice plant is underway at the Kennewick campus, which is home to the Toyota Center, Toyota Arena and Three Rivers Convention Center. The Toyota Center is home to the Tri-City Americans hockey team, while the arena is used by amateur hockey teams, public skating, Zamboni school and a figure skating club. The center and arena have ice-making equipment, but Corey Pearson, executive director of VenuWorks, said business is being held hostage by the 30-year-old ice system. “There was a new chiller put in about 20 years ago, but the system is outdated, so we’re replacing all that equipment,” Pearson said. “During a (Tri-City Americans) game last year, a couple of shiny lines showed up on the ice. You lose a hockey game or two (because equipment is down), and it hurts. With new equipment, we’ll be able to save that sheet of ice and operate no matter what happens.” VenuWorks is contracted by the city of Kennewick and the Kennewick Public Facilities District to manage the facilities on the Three Rivers campus. VenuWorks hired KDA of Yakima to design the 30-by-70-foot building. Kennewick-based O’Brien Construction Co. is the general contractor. Pearson is the project lead. Oregon-based Apcco will provide and install refrigeration equipment. Construction began in December and was ahead of schedule until the cold snap at the beginning of February slowed down work. “The masonry walls were three quarters up but they had to stop when it got cold,” Pearson said. “It’s scheduled to be done in June.” Once completed, the building will house a system that will create and maintain ice in the arena and center. There also will be room to add a compressor, which would cost an additional $100,000 but would allow for operation of a third rink. uICE, Page 37

Hundreds of apartments are planned for this large expanse in the Badger Mountain South area of Richland, a project valued at $43.7 million. The complex will include 276 units for low-income tenants at 2555 Bella Coola Lane, south of the Country Mercantile.

Low-income apartments moving ahead at Badger Mountain South BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Building permits and financing are in place for the first apartments at Badger Mountain South in Richland. The complex will include 276 units for low-income tenants at 2555 Bella Coola Lane, south of the Country Mercantile on Ava Way, near Trowbridge Boulevard. The city of Richland has issued grading and building permits to Nor Am Investments, which is listed as the owner of the project. The general contractor is Inland Construction, a Spokane-based company, which also built the Badger Mountain Ranch apartments near the Westcliffe neighborhood in south Richland. The apartment complex will be called Copper Mountain and is valued at $43.7 million. It is described as a multi-family housing facility, with all 276 units desig-

nated for tenants with incomes up to 60 percent of the area’s median income, as published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, guidelines. HUD lists the annual median income for a family in the Richland-Kennewick area at $72,800, which means families would have to earn $43,680 or less annually to qualify for housing in the new complex. Twenty percent of the units, or 55 in all, will be set aside for people with disabilities. To qualify for a home at Copper Mountain, tenants would need their income verified in advance. “Affordable housing is extremely important to every community in this region and across the nation,” said Kerwin Jensen, community development director for the city of Richland. “The more we have, the better it is for all residents.” uAPARTMENTS, Page 37

Tidying up craze sweeping the nation leaves Tri-Cities in the dust BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The life-changing magic of clearing personal clutter hasn’t hit the Tri-Cities in quite the same way its effect has been felt nationally. Cities across the nation are citing overwhelming donations at thrift store and reseller sites, thanks to people inspired by the popular Netflix show, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.” The reality series, inspired by Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” encourages people to critically survey their clothing and personal belongings, thank them for their service, and then only retain the items which spark

joy in their lives. “We have seen a slight increase in clothing and books — those two items in particular are increasing here,” said Greta Dority, store manager for Repeat Boutique at 22 W. Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick, where store proceeds benefit Chaplaincy Health Care. “Since the beginning of the year, after the holidays, there’s always kind of that ‘clean out attitude’ anyway,” Dority said. “But compared to last year, there’s been an increase. We’ve also had more ‘new with tags’ stuff.” While Dority has seen a small uptick in donations, the region’s largest thrift stores and donation sites cannot confirm the same effect. uTIDYING, Page 4

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

82-unit townhome project in Pasco targets first-time buyers BY ARIELLE DREHER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Road 68’s development boom will continue this year with an 82-townhome development project at the end of Chapel Hill Boulevard, nestled against Interstate 182 off one of Pasco’s busiest roads. Envision Northwest LLC, a Kirklandbased developer, has begun construction on 41 duplex buildings on both sides of a single road, which ends in a cul-de-sac on one of the last developable spots in west Pasco. The townhomes are duplex units that share one wall and come in three floor plans: a 1,289-square-foot rambler, and two-story plans at 1,616 and 1,793 square feet. The units will have three or four bedrooms and represent a chance at lowerthan-market price homeownership in a competitive real estate market. The units will be priced between $234,900 and $265,900, said Julie Lynch, the broker on the project. That’s below the going price of a family home in the Tri-Cities. As of December 2018, the Tri-Cities Association of Realtors said the average sold price for a home in the area is $294,900. Lynch said this is one of several reasons she thinks the Chapel Hill development will be in high demand. “They are very affordable housing in today’s market,” she said. “You don’t see that very often with new construction being that low of a price.” Each unit has its own garage, backyard and landscaping included. Lynch said there are currently less than 100 listings in the Tri-Cities currently below $250,000 for similar housing options, with most of those consisting of manufactured homes or older homes that would require significant work. The target market for the new townhomes are first-time homebuyers or retirees, she said.

Construction is underway on eight units in the new Envision Northwest LLC development off Chapel Hill Boulevard in Pasco. (Courtesy Julie Lynch)

“There’s not a lot out there for firsttime buyers that can’t afford homes that are (listed) at $300,000 or more, and that’s kind of what our base is in the Tri-Cities,” she said. “So I think we are going to have a huge market for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we sell out of our development before the year-end.” Austin Roupe, CEO of Envision Northwest LLC, which is developing the project, said the pricing and design choices on the Chapel Hill Boulevard project were intentional. “Long story short, it was a great opportunity to bring homeownership back to the first-time homebuyer in the Tri-Cities,” Roupe said, noting how much the market has changed in the state and the region in the last decade. Although based on the west side of the state, Envision Northwest is not new to developments in the Tri-Cities. The developer built homes along Chapel Hill Boulevard for about a decade, finishing work in 2015. Roupe said that when the company began to work in the Tri-Cities in 2006, single-family homes were selling for under $100,000. Today, plots of land

alone for single-family homes are selling between $70,000 to $90,000, he said. The Tri-Cities — and Pasco in particular — are running out of room to house residents who continue to move to the area. While the housing market does appear to be cooling, Roupe said

the economic indicators across the region are still strong. “Wages are growing; unemployment is down, and people continue to move into the area, so we think that being priced where we’re at that first-time homebuyer, that we’ll still have high demand for prices well under $300,000 for homes,” he said. The new townhome project also is an opportunity for local investors to get involved. Lynch, noting the low real estate inventory in the area, said the Envision project is a good opportunity for investors to come in and buy units, while potentially making good profits on rent. “Trying to find an apartment in the Tri-Cities — or trying to find an apartment, period, is really difficult but even at a good price point — and I think that based off the market, we can rent them for anywhere between $1,400 and $1,900 a month, depending on floor size,” Lynch said. uDEVELOPMENT, Page 4

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

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

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TIDYING, From page 1 Goodwill Industries of the Columbia operates five thrift stores in the Tri-Cities, and collects donations at multiple sites, either at manned trailers or within its stores. The nonprofit tracks donations by counting the single donor, not the number or weight of items donated. Goodwill officials say they’ve seen a 5 percent to 7 percent increase in donations for January 2019 compared to 2018, but saw a similar increase year-over-year between January 2017 and January 2018. They said they can’t directly attribute the higher number of donations to what’s being called the “Marie Kondo effect.” “We haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary,” said Trevor Janin, logistics manager for Goodwill Industries of the Columbia. “We appreciate all of our donors, but we’re not being overwhelmed. People can keep donating.” That’s not the case in bigger metro areas. A San Francisco TV news station reported some thrift stores in the Bay Area have had to limit the volume of donations they will accept after being inundated with personal cast-offs. Other sites in the Tri-Cities like St. Vincent Center, Atomic City Thrift and New Beginnings say they haven’t noticed any change in the number of donations. Though St. Vincent Centers recently moved to 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick, near Get Air Trampoline Park, and workers say some customers or donors have had a difficult time finding them. Resale bookstores like Bookworm and Adventures Underground report a slight bump in the number of people bringing in

Thrift store and resale industries haven’t seen the same aggressive decluttering efforts resulting in the Tri-Cities widespread hand-me-down donations elsewhere in the nation. (Courtesy Goodwill)

books to resell, but couldn’t directly attribute this to those using the KonMari method, the name for the process that encourages people to tidy up based on categories, not location, with books being the second priority category, after clothing. This has resulted in some outcry from book lovers who think this might discourage reading, but Kondo has emphasized only discarding items which have outlived their purpose. Adventures Underground has had some book donations recently where the reseller declined to accept store credit, preferring to simply donate without the chance to buy something else. News stories suggesting a treasure trove of quality cast-offs at thrift stores have

been widely shared online, with many hoping to benefit from those who have aggressively cleared their personal clutter. “I appreciate everything she does and we’ve been trying to figure out ways to utilize her techniques in the store,” said Dority, though she hadn’t yet found a way to put this into action. The manager of New Beginnings at 1016 Lee Blvd. in Richland said he’s recently seen an increase in new customers, but couldn’t directly attribute it to those looking to seize the potential opportunities seen from new inventory. Dority isn’t sure either. “I’ve seen an increase in younger people coming in,” she said. “I don’t know if they’re binge watching the show or what.”

Chad Utecht

Advertising Account Manager 509-737-8778 ext. 1 chad@tcjournal.biz

DEVELOPMENT, From page 3 Currently, eight townhomes are 40 percent completed and under construction, including at least two of each floor plan. Lynch said these properties went on the market Jan. 1. Roupe said potential buyers interested in a different lot on the property have the opportunity to request that as well. The model home should be done later this month, Roupe said, and construction could be done by the end of the year if demand is there. “If demand is there, we’ll supply it,” he said.

UPCOMING March Focuses: • Hospitality • B2B April Focuses: • Environment • Transportation

CORRECTIONS • Chad Bagley’s name was listed incorrectly on page 34 in the January issue. • The address for the Pasco RDO Equipment Co. store at 1707 E. James St. was listed incorrectly on page 23 in the January issue. 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.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Lawsuit against Hanford contractor alleges fraud

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against Mission Support Alliance, Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Services Inc. and Frank Armijo, alleging they defrauded the federal government. The Justice Department alleges false claims and kickbacks in connection with a multi-billion dollar contract with the Department of Energy to support cleanup at the Hanford site near Richland. Lockheed Martin and MSA have denied the allegations. The federal government’s complaint alleges the defendants knowingly made or caused false statements to the DOE about the profit included in the billing rates for LMSI under the subcontract it was awarded by its affiliate, MSA. The complaint also alleges the defendants’ claims for these inflated rates violated the False Claims Act. In addition, the complaint alleges LMC made payments of more than $1 million to Armijo and other MSA executives for favorable treatment from MSA related to the award of the LMSI subcontract at the inflated rates. The complaint further alleges these payments violated the AntiKickback Act. “Fraud, corruption, and self-dealing at Hanford will simply not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Harrington for the Eastern District of Washington in a statement. “The critical mission of cleaning up the Hanford site in a safe, timely,

environmentally responsible, and costeffective manner is too important to the public and the residents of this region.” MSA is a Delaware limited liability corporation that, during the time alleged in the lawsuit, was owned by Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology LLC, Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., and Centerra Group (formerly G4S Government Solutions, and, prior to that, Wackenhut Services Inc.). Both Lockheed Martin Integrated Technology and LMSI were whollyowned subsidiaries of LMC. Armijo is a vice president of LMC and also served as a president of MSA during the time period in question. The multi-billion dollar MSA contract with DOE required MSA to provide a number of site-wide services to DOE and to other contractors involved in the clean up of the Hanford site. The allegations in the complaint relate to the management and technology solution services MSA agreed to provide at Hanford. In January 2010, MSA awarded its affiliate, LMSI, a $232 million subcontract to perform that work through June 2016.

List of closing Shopko stores includes Kennewick

The Kennewick, Prosser and Walla Walla Shopko stores are scheduled to close May 5. The department store announced plans to close 38 stores nationwide but the local stores weren’t on the list when the news was announced last month. Shopko filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Jan. 16.

The new closure list includes 11 Washington stores, up from the previously released four. Nationwide, 251 stores will be shuttered. Those scheduled for closure in the state include: Yakima and Pullman, closing in April; Spokane and Lacey, closing in March; and Union Gap, Wenatchee and Quincy, closing in May. The Prosser and Quincy stores are Shopko Hometown shops, which are smaller than the traditional big box stores, ranging in size from 15,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet. “This decision is a difficult, but necessary one,” said CEO Russ Steinhorst in a Jan. 16 statement. “In a challenging retail environment, we have had to make some very tough choices, but we are confident that by operating a smaller and more focused store footprint, we will be able to build a stronger Shopko that will better serve our customers, vendors, employees and other stakeholders through this process.” Shopko also is relocating more than 20 of its optical centers to freestanding locations and conducting an auction for its pharmacy business. Throughout this process, all Shopko optical centers and pharmacies remain open. The company, which employs more than 18,000 people, said the court filing will allow it to pay wages, salaries, benefits and to pay vendors and suppliers. Shopko has obtained up to $480 million debtor-in-possession financing to help fund and protect its operations during the Chapter 11 process, according to a compa-

ny news release. Shopko opened its first store in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1962. It operates more than 360 store in 26 states.

Transit launches new general demand service

Ben Franklin Transit has launched a new general demand service. The new service will provide customers in Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland areas with pre-scheduled pickups at designated stops in each city. Finley’s general demand service launched Jan. 2. Customers will be picked up within a scheduled window of time from one of the designated stops and taken to one of several connection points to access the bus system. Return trips work the same way, with scheduled pickups from one of the designated connection points and drop-offs at a general demand stop. All trips require advance scheduling. Cost is $1 or $3 each way, plus any applicable bus fare when transferring to a bus route. Tri-City Taxi, which closed abruptly Oct. 30, forced the discontinuation of the transit’s taxi feeder, night and Sunday taxi service. The new general demand service will continue on an interim basis while Ben Franklin Transit conducts a search for a third-party contractor to provide one or more of the services in the long term. For more information about the new service, visit www.bft.org/NewPlaces or call 509-735-5100.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

DATEBOOK

VISIT TCJOURNAL.BIZ AND CLICK ON EVENT CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS

FEB. 19

• Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber Networking Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: 509-542-0933. • Community Lecture Series “Modern Day Alchemy: Building the Future Atom by Atom”: 7 p.m., Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, Richland.

FEB. 20

• Making Your Business Credit Worthy: 4:30 p.m., Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: midcolumbiatricities.score. org.

FEB. 21

• Community Lecture Series “Four-Color Reality: How Comic Books and the Real World Shape Each Other”: 7 p.m., MidColumbia Libraries, 1620 S. Union St., Kennewick.

FEB. 23

• Heart for the Arts, benfiting the Academy of Children’s Theatre: 5:30 – 9 p.m., the Academy for Children’s Theatre, 213 Wellsian Way, Richland. Tickets: 509-943-6027. • Three Rivers Craft Brew & Bacon Festival: 6 – 10 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: threeriversconventioncenter. com.

FEB. 26

• 23rd annual Entrepreneurial Awards: noon – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. Contact: 509-375-3060. • Washington Policy Center’s Agriculture Policy Dinner: 5:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave, Pasco. Tickets: washingtonpolicy.org.

FEB. 27

MARCH 5

FEB. 28

MARCH 6

• Tri-City Regional Chamber MyTri2030 Luncheon: noon – 1:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: 509-736-0510.

• Prosser Chamber Member Luncheon: noon – 1 p.m., Jeremy’s 1896 Public House, 1232 Wine Country Road, Prosser. RSVP: 509-786-3177.

• Kennewick Man & Woman of the Year Banquet: 6:15 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: 509491-1291.

• West Richland Chamber Monthly Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. RSVP: 509967-0521.

MARCH 2

MARCH 8

• Equipping Entrepreneurs Day: 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Register: midcolumbiatricities.score. org. • Stride’s Annual Masquerade Gala: 6 – 9 p.m., Benton County Fairgrounds, 1500 S. Oak St., Kennewick. Tickets: stridestc.org.

• Honky Tonk Hoedown, benefiting Rascal Rodeo: 5:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Tickets: rascalrodeo.org.

MARCH 11

• Pasco Chamber Membership Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, RSVP: 509547-9755.

MARCH 12

• Solutions at Sunrise: 7:15 – 8:15 a.m., CG Public House, 9221 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Tickets: washingtonpolicy.org.

MARCH 13

• Ask the Experts: 3:30 – 5 p.m., Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: tricityregionalchamber.com.

MARCH 14

• Procurement Power Hour: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., TriCities Business & Visitor Center, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Register: 509-736-0510.

MARCH 19

• Cancer Crushing Breakfast, benefiting TriCities Cancer Center: 7:30 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. RSVP: 509-737-3373.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Speck Motors buys second Tri-City dealership

Desert Buick GMC has been renamed to include Speck brand BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The owners of C. Speck Motors Inc. have bought another established car dealership in the region, bringing their total number of dealerships to five. The sale of Desert Buick GMC at 2910 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick resulted in an immediate rebranding to Speck Buick GMC. It’s now the second Speck dealership in the Tri-Cities. The company owns Speck Hyundai in Pasco, as well as dealerships in Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser. Katy Moore said Ken Hays, the previous owner of Desert Buick GMC, was retiring after 27 years in the business, and knew she was an interested party in buying his dealership. “We made a deal on franchises and land, and I applied to GM to be the dealer,” Moore said. She added that the deal could have been finalized before the end of the year, but both parties decided it was better to wait until early January to close on the sale. She declined to disclose the purchase price. The dealership is at 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., near the intersection of West Clearwater Avenue, Highway 395 and Vista Way, across from the Highlands Shopping Center.

C. Speck Motors represents multiple brands by a slew of automakers, including Chevrolet, Nissan, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Buick and Hyundai. Moore took over the company when she bought her father out in 2000, and then started the Hyundai franchise in 2002 with her husband, J.P. Moore. They added Hall Chevrolet Buick in Prosser in 2008. The Moores also bought and sold a dealership in Walla Walla along the way, before making two recent purchases, including Mid-Valley Chrysler Jeep Dodge in fall 2018, and now Desert Buick GMC in early 2019. After two acquisitions in just four months, Katy Moore said there aren’t any immediate plans to expand again. “We’re going to settle in with these two transactions and really concentrate and focus on our systems. We’re not going to purchase anything for a while,” she said. The company has taken on about 25 additional employees with the purchase of the Kennewick dealership, totaling about 150 across all five locations. Moore said she’s working through “getting these facilities to where we want them to be. GM has some facility requirements and we’re still processing how we’re going to represent GMC Buick in this marketplace.” As for the Moore’s other recent pur-

A Kennewick car dealership is under new ownership after it was purchased by the family who owns Speck dealerships across the Tri-Cities and the lower Yakima Valley.

chase in Grandview, plans are underway to build a new facility and move the dealership from its original site at 63 E. Allen Road, with its current high visibility alongside the eastbound lanes of Interstate 82. Moore described the new construction as being “state of the art” and including the millennium branding for an FCA facility. It will be 20,000 square feet and is targeted for completion this fall at 501 Stover Road in Grandview. A sale of land in Pasco as a potential new site for Speck Hyundai has not been finalized. The Moores have considered relocating their dealership to 6.7 acres near Sandifur Parkway and Midland Lane, between McCurley Integrity Subaru and Camping World, on land currently owned

by the city of Pasco. Originally expected to close before the end of 2018, Pasco’s Deputy City Manager Stan Strebel said, “at the buyer’s request, the closing date was extended to be on or before Feb. 28, 2019.” Moore said, “We are still doing our due diligence. No one has signed on the dotted line.” Moore said there are still items up in the air before the $1.5 million purchase may be completed. When the potential land sale was made public, the Moores talked about the possibility of also adding the luxury Hyundai Genesis line to their offerings. If the property sale is finalized, it would benefit Pasco’s economic development program.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Elevate! networking event connects Tri-City women

Professional women in the Tri-Cities are invited to network with each other at a quarterly networking event called Elevate! from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. April 25 at Goose Ridge Winery and Tasting Room, 16304 Dallas Road, Richland. Elevate! connects area women who are professionals with five or more years in their field to build business associations, friends, advocates and network with the larger community to elevate each other. The no-host event is being organized by Shelley Kennedy, a financial advisor at Edward Jones, Melanie Hair, publisher of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, and Shasta Meyers, branch office adminis-

trator for Edward Jones. Light appetizers will be provided. To RSVP, call 509-946-7626.

New fashion shop to open at Columbia Center

A popular fashion retailer plans to open later this year at Columbia Center mall in Kennewick. Forever 21 will open a 12,000-squarefoot shop this spring or summer next to Victoria’s Secret, mall officials announced Jan. 16. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the women’s, men’s and kids’ clothing and accessory store is known for offering the latest fashion trends at affordable prices. Founded in 1984, Forever 21 operates more than 815 stores in 57 countries. The announcement comes on the heels

of the abrupt closure of Old Country Buffet, on mall property at 2321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. The buffet restaurant’s kitchen equipment, ranging from double ovens to refrigerators, to a steel griddle to a double fryer, were listed online for auction Jan. 15 at AuctionNation.com. A second Old Country Buffet restaurant a mile away at 6821 W. Canal Drive remains open. The mall will lose a longtime anchor tenant when Sears closes in late March. But a new tenant will be open to shoppers later this year. Dick’s Sporting Goods is building a $7.5 million store where the former Regal Cinemas used to be. The 45,138-squarefoot store is under construction and scheduled to open this fall.

The mall’s other anchor stores — JCPenney and Macy’s (formerly The Bon Marché) — have been at the mall since it opened 50 years ago. The jewelry retailer, Zales, also was an original store, according to mall officials. The mall celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. “We have reached an exciting milestone for the mall, while simultaneously seeing continued expansion,” said Barbara Johnson, Columbia Center’s general manager, in a news release. Mall officials invite the public to send pictures of their memories at the mall over the years by using tagging @ColumbiaCtrMall using the hashtag “#ColumbiaCenter50,” or by bringing photos directly to the mall management office outside the mall between JCPenney and Men’s Macy’s. The mall will collect the photos and display them during a celebration in October.

Lourdes Health opens new rheumatology clinic

Lourdes Health has opened a Rheumatology Clinic inside Lourdes Medical Center at 520 N. Fourth Ave. in Pasco. Dr. Sudeep Thapa, who most recently completed a fellowship at Wayne State University and is board certified in rheumatology, joined the clinic. He completed his residency at Henry Ford Hospital and medical school at Wayne State University. He is fluent in English, Hindi and Nepali. “This is a specialty that patients in our community have historically had to wait months for an appointment. With Dr. Thapa’s new clinic, people are now able to get the help they need much sooner,” said Melda Velasquez, director of Medical and Surgical Specialties, in a release. The clinic is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 509-416-8890 or visit lourdesrheumatology.com.

State, U.S. employment on the rise in December

Employment for nonfarm jobs in Washington rose by 11,400 in December, with 9,800 of those being in the public sector, reported the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Year over year, the state gained 101,900 jobs from 2017-18. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged from November to December with 4.3 percent. It was lower than 4.7 percent in December the year prior. Construction gained the most jobs from November to December with 2,400 positions followed by transportation, warehousing and utilities with 2,100 and manufacturing with 1,800. Annually, the increases were seen the most in construction with 14,500 positions, followed closely by education and health services with 14,200 jobs and professional and business services with 12,100. The national seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in December, which was down slightly from 4.1 percent the same month in 2017.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Second trampoline park planned for Kennewick

Three local investors team up for $2M indoor family fun center BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A trio of entrepreneurs is investing $2 million in a large indoor family fun center planned near Columbia Center mall in Kennewick. Developers hope to make an announcement soon about the location for Washington state’s first Launch Trampoline Park and hope to open it by the end of summer 2019. Franchisee and co-owner Will McKay is excited to bring a new entertainment option to town. “The Tri-Cities is a growing place. Not only do we have people who live here looking for new entertainment options, but we have so many sports activities and tournaments where people come to town and say, ‘What else are we going to do here?’ ” Launch Trampoline Park was cofounded by a former New England Patriots football player Ty Law, who’s expected to attend the grand opening, along with Walla Walla native and NFL veteran Drew Bledsoe. The site will be owned and operated by three longtime friends, including Will McKay, owner of W. McKay Construction, Jourdan Nicholls, a Kennewick podiatrist, and Jeff Morgan, a dentist and owner of Grandridge Dental. The idea was dreamed up by McKay after visiting FLIPnOUT Xtreme in Las Vegas, an amusement park which offered more than just trampolines. “We jumped for a while, then went and played laser tag. I have four kids, and there’s not much to do in the winter, so I wanted to bring something like that to the Tri-Cities,” McKay said. “And with my current business, I could do this a lot cheaper than a lot of other people.” He recruited friends he’s known since high school as fellow investors, and started researching potential franchises. “Launch was in the top five trampoline park franchises on six or seven blogs I looked at,” McKay said. Entrepreneur magazine’s recent 40th annual ranking of the top 500 franchises lists Rhode Island-based Launch at No. 248. Within weeks, McKay was on the East Coast for a “discovery day” to see how a park of this style is set up and operating. The team is investing about a halfmillion dollars alone in the trampoline equipment, which will be connected to form one giant jumping surface with angled trampoline walls. In addition, there will be a laser tag arena, virtual reality, dodgeball court, climbing wall, bowling alley, indoor playground, ninja course, foam pit, arcade games and potentially a zip line that runs the length of the facility, which is expected to be about 30,000 square feet. Initial admission is likely to include at least trampoline and laser tag use,

with additional offerings at an added cost. McKay said that in some locations, guests visit Launch exclusively to bowl and not to access any other varied entertainment options. With a current trampoline park already near the mall in Kennewick, McKay isn’t worried about saturating the market. He believes his business won’t be in direct competition with places like Chuck E. Cheese, which he helped build, or iPlay Experience, an indoor playground also opening near the mall. McKay said his business model is more focused on attracting the older elementary kids, up to adults. “It’s no secret that indoor trampoline parks have become a significant contender in the family-entertainment industry, but we’re more than just a trampoline park,” said Launch cofounder Rob Arnold. “Technology is changing at an astonishing pace, and with family entertainment you need to be right on top of things and evolve quickly in order to stay relevant and fun and cool.” Launch will serve food, including make-your-own pizzas described by McKay as “killer,” which may be ordered inside the Krave restaurant, as well as make-your-own ice cream sun-

A large indoor family fun center called Launch Trampoline Park is planned in Kennewick that will include more than jumping, including laser tag, a ninja course and a bowling alley. (Courtesy Will McKay)

daes. The location will have the ability to hold birthday parties, team-building activities and other private events. It has not been decided if alcohol will be served in any portion of the entertainment center. According to a news release, there are 20 Launch Trampoline Parks open throughout 13 states, with more than 30 additional parks in various stages of development throughout the U.S. Admission costs and expected operating hours have not yet been determined, but McKay said Launch’s prices will “be competitive” with the region. Family

bundles may be offered for multiple attractions. McKay expects to hire at least four to five people in management, but didn’t yet have an overall expectation of the total number of employees, which will eventually be determined in line with hours of operation. Once a lease is signed for the location, McKay expected construction could get underway within six weeks to meet the targeted opening date of late summer. W. McKay Construction will be the general contractor for the project. For more information visit, launchtrampolinepark.com

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

SENIOR TIMES EXPO April 16, 2019 • 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Southridge Sports & Events Complex 2901 Southridge Boulevard, Kennewick

Booth space is limited. Call 509-737-8778 for more information.

Richland to consider 8 percent electric rate increase

The Richland City Council will consider an 8 percent electric rate increase at its March 5 meeting. If approved, the rates will be effective June 1, with the first bill customers will receive in June. The proposed rate increase is because of a projected 8 percent revenue deficit primarily due to higher wholesale power costs, according to the city of Richland. Wholesale power is Richland Energy Services’ most significant operating expense making up more than 60 percent of expenses, and the Bonneville Power Administration, RES’ wholesale power provider, is implementing a wholesale power increase effective Oct. 1. The average residential customer’s bill will increase about $8.40 per month, or from $105.20 to $113.60. Commercial, industrial and irrigation rates also will increase. Upcoming meetings about the increase are March 5, when the city council holds a public hearing and first reading for the ordinance followed by the second reading, March 19. The dates are subject to change but check updated council agendas at ci.richland.wa.us/agendas.

AARP offers free tax help throughout the Tri-Cities

Calling all Vendors Here’s an opportunity to meet and talk with hundreds of seniors from around the Mid-Columbia. As an exhibitor, this one-day event on April 16 is designed to showcase your products and services to active and retired seniors and their families.

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The AARP Foundation is providing free in-person tax assistance and preparation through April 15 through its Tax-Aide Program. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers are trained and IRS-certified each year to ensure they know about and understand the latest changes to the U.S. Tax Code. Assistance is being offered in the following locations: • Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays, through April 15. • Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Drive, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 11. No clients accepted after 11 a.m. • Mid-Columbia Libraries, Kennewick branch, 1620 Union St. from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Thursdays through April 15. • Pasco Police Community Center, 215 W. Sylvester St., from 9 a.m. to noon. Mondays through April. 15. Mid-Columbia Libraries, Pasco branch, 1320 W. Hopkins St., from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through April 10. • Mid-Columbia Libraries, Keewaydin Park branch, 405 S. Dayton St., from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays through April 13. • Burbank Library, 875 Lake Road, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays on Feb. 9 and 23, March 9 and 23, and April 6. For more information, including which documents to bring to the tax site, call 888-227-7669 or visit aarpfoundation.org/taxhelp.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

DIVERSITY

Tri-City leaders offer tips to foster workplace LGBTQIA+ inclusivity

PFLAG’s Benton-Franklin chapter offers several training sessions every month for employers BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Janie Romine remembers the time she was counseled by administrators against openly talking about her gay son with her colleagues. It taught her a valuable lesson: the workplace is not inclusive and supportive by default. “That was a glaring example of discrimination of just me as a straight woman that loves her children and holds an affirming view,” she said. “When I next interviewed, I knew I didn’t want to go forward again if I couldn’t openly support the queer community.” Now she wears her rainbow lanyard proudly at a local Hilton hotel, which she said is a LGBTQIA+-friendly employer. LGBTQIA+ is an umbrella term to describe anyone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, intersex, non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer and even questioning. Romine is a parent, first and foremost, but she’s also a vocal advocate for equip-

ping local employers with the communication tools and skills they need to create a safe and inclusive workplace for LGBTQIA+ employees, their families and the community. As the president of Benton and Franklin chapter of PFLAG (which stands for Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays), she volunteers her time holding panel discussions, workshops and roleplaying activities on workplace inclusivity. The group holds about three or four training sessions a month. “We are mental health professionals, registered clinicians and leaders sharing our journey,” Romine said. “I’m the proud mom of two gay children.” She said she encourages employers to be upfront about their policies on inclusion during the hiring process so coworkers know what is and isn’t allowed and to promote a safe space for the queer community with respectful, allied coworkers. “It’s just a conversation you have to have upfront, and you need the courage to

Katie Banks, professor of political science at Washington State University TriCities, and Zachary Harper, president of the Associated Students of WSU TriCities, raise the pride flag at the Richland campus in October. The branch campus’ Office of Student Affairs partnered with the Associated Students group for the pride flag-raising ceremony to kick off a series of events in recognition of “Outober,” an event which aims to raise awareness of issues related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer and other underrepresented communities. (Courtesy WSU Tri-Cities)

have that conversation. Their workplace is going to be much stronger,” Romine said. “Nobody should have to live their life in fear of losing their employment,” she added.

The Washington state Law Against Discrimination sets forth strict protections against discrimination based on gender expression, actual or perceived gender identity, and sexual orientation. uLGBTQIA, Page 14

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Diversity

Tri-City area women not (yet) holding up half of the business sky BY D. Patrick Jones

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

“Women hold up half the sky,” Chairman Mao Zedong famously uttered, when discussing the role of women in the Chinese revolution. Since then, the phrase has become a rallying point for many women. Do they hold up half of the economic sky in the greater Tri-Cities? Some data are available to answer that question. But let’s start with some national trends. Over the past four decades, it is undeniable that women have made economic progress. Yet, one important measure has plateaued over the past two decades. After climbing from 38 percent in 1970 to 46 percent in 1995, the participation rate of women in the work force has stayed the same since then, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. The rate is the share of women employed or looking for employment out of all adult women. On the other hand, the wage differential between women and men has continued to narrow, according to the BLS. In 1980, median earnings for women amounted to 60 percent to that of men; in 2017, it had climbed to 80 percent and has continued to move up over the past few years. The gap, even if it is closing, is the subject of much research into causes, such as the choice of occupations. Consider high-paying occupations: 60 percent of all working pharmacists in the U.S. are women; yet only 11 percent of all civil engineers are female. Now con-

sider less well-compensated jobs: women make up 82 percent of all social workers and 71 percent of social service agency managers. Even within higher paying occupations, women often earn less than men. Take the latest nationwide figures for accountants from the BLS: Female accountants and auditors earn 75 percent of the salaries claimed by their male counterparts. Leadership and senior roles undoubtedly play a role here. This raises the question of the status of women within firms. BLS data don’t cover this question. However, Catalyst, a nonprofit that has worked decades to promote the role of women in the workplace, recently tabulated some information from the S&P 500 companies. Currently, 21 percent of executive level positions in these companies are filled by women, while slightly less than 5 percent of the CEO suites have a female in them. What about the Tri-Cities? Let’s start with the labor force. The state Employment Security Department, or ESD, tracks overall participation rate by gender. In 2017, more than 61 percent of Franklin County women were in the labor force versus 56 percent in Benton County. Female participation in Benton County has actually dropped by 4 percentage points since 2001, while Franklin County’s has increased by 5 percentage points. The statewide average was 59 percent, hardly different from U.S. averages. For both counties, the female rates are a good dozen percentage points lower

than those of men. Where in the local work force are women predominant? ESD doesn’t track participation rates by industry. But it does calculate shares of D. Patrick Jones those employed Eastern Washington by gender. The University four sectors with a majority female work force are: finance, education, health care and social assistance and the hospitality industries Their ratios are in line with Washington averages, with the exception of finance, where the TriCities shows a higher penetration of women. Local sectors with the lowest representation of women are construction, manufacturing, utilities and wholesale. These employment ratios here largely match those statewide. Unfortunately, not much can be reported on earnings by gender in the two counties. We do know from Benton Franklin Trends data that in 2017, average annual earnings were nearly $50,000. If local wage patterns mirror national ones, then Tri-City females earned about $40,000 that year. Similarly, we can’t report any databased conclusions about women in business leadership roles in the Tri-Cities. If local trends don’t deviate much from

national ones, it would be surprising if any of the largest private sector firms here have a female in the corner office. Small firms, however, are likely a different matter. These firms are nearly all owner-operated. The U.S. Census publishes a survey every five years on firm ownership by gender (and race/ethnicity). The most recent survey, in 2012, provides a detailed snapshot of gender roles in owner-operated companies in the Tri-Cities. About 37 percent of all registered businesses were female-owned in that year. However, many of these businesses had no employees. Of those that did employ someone other than the owner, about 16 percent were female-owned. The same survey tracks businesses jointly owned by a man and a woman, without and with employees. For 2012, those shares were 18 percent and 25 percent, respectively. This implies that of all the owner-operated firms in the TriCities, about one half had a woman in an executive role. For firms with employees, the share was more than 40 percent. Overall, however, it’s hard to conclude that women are holding up half of the business sky in the Tri-Cities. But their influence will continue to grow, if nothing else, because of their outperformance in education. D. Patrick Jones is executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis.

Diversity Company/business/agency: U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science – Pacific Northwest Site Office/ Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (DOE-SC/PNNL) Tell us about your team: PNSO is a small staff of 30-plus people. I work with a team of five scientists and engineers. Brief background about your department: DOE-SC is the lead federal agency supporting fundamental scientific research for energy and is the nation’s largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences. The SC portfolio has two principal thrusts: direct support of scientific research and direct support of the development, construction and operation of unique, open-access scientific user facilities. PNSO is responsible for oversight of the PNNL M&O contract, which is currently managed and operated by Battelle. My everyday job entails reviewing research proposals for mission relevance and risk mitigation. Another function of my job is to partner with research organizations to better understand the laboratory’s strategic direction and the necessary capabilities to accomplish research outcomes. How did you land your current role? Six years into my DOE career, where our team oversaw the deactivation of some of Hanford’s old nuclear processing laboratories and facilities – I really wanted to gain a new set of work experiences. I asked for an opportunity to detail with the group that manages oversight of PNNL’s work. The rest is history! I fell in love with the work environment and the experience of getting to see real progress on huge, complex and hard-to-answer scientific questions. How long have you been in it? I’ve been with DOE for 24 years; and in this specific site office for 18 years. What does “diversity” mean to you? Diversity is the intentional cohesion of differences. I pine for a day where humans master the art of utilizing the strength of our differences for common purposes and where every person appreciates and respects their own as well as others’ place in the world.

Q&A

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

KIMBERLY L. HARPER Physical Scientist, U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science Columbia Basin College’s 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award winner Why should the Tri-Cities care about workplace diversity? Workplace diversity, when effectively implemented, produces “Grade A” work environments, staff and products – which usually translates to a “Grade A” bottom line. If you think about it in terms of problem solving – each person’s upbringing, life experiences and failures shape the way she/he approaches a problem set. If, instead of rejecting people’s different approaches to problem-solving, we took time to absorb and learn from them – we’d realize the strength of having multiple perspectives. What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? The desire to help people expand to their fullest potential, even if that means pointing them to opportunities outside the span of your control. “Great leaders don’t create followers. Great leaders create more leaders.” – Tim Peters What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today? The ever-changing work force – which is characterized by multi-generational attitudes and approaches to problem-solving requires leaders to become bi- and sometimes trilingual (in terms of communication and problem-solving styles). I’m appreciative of these differences every time I mentor middle and high schoolers through interactive problem-solving exercises. The young mind, uninhibited by the established way of doing things and free from the fear of what can go wrong, is a very powerful motivator! What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position? Never lose your willingness to listen to your people, early and often. Good, bad or indifferent – use their willingness to share as a personal thermometer to gauge the

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temperature in your work environment. And when you’ve received their input, communicate your genuine appreciation, then use it to make informed decisions. Lastly, never lose your willingness to continue learning. “The smartest person in the world doesn’t know everything.” – My husband’s grandmother. There’s nothing like the leadership of someone who knows where they’re going and can effectively utilize their team’s input. It gives everyone ownership and rallies the team to come on the journey. One of the best leadership quotes I’ve ever read comes from Gen. Colin Powell: “When we are debating an issue, loyalty means giving me your honest opinion, whether you think I’ll like it or not. Disagreement, at this state, stimulates me. But once a decision is made, the debate ends. From that point on, loyalty means executing the decision as if it were your own.” Who are your role models or mentors and why? My role models and mentors are

Kimberly L. Harper

numerous because I try to learn from everyone that I have a relationship with. However, I consider my parents to be my greatest influencers because they know me best and always give it to me straight. And no matter what, I can always count on love being at the foundation of whatever they’re conveying. How do you keep your team members motivated? We motivate one another through mutual respect for one another’s abilities, candid dialogue, willingness to promote one another’s ideas, refocus when necessary, and – most importantly – we can admit when we get it wrong. We start with the premise that no one person has all of the answers. Our work environment depends on integration and collaboration. uQ&A, Page 16

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

LGBTQIA, From page 11 This includes discrimination in places such as restaurants, hotels and public schools, housing, employments, and credit and insurance transactions. Currently no statutory federal laws protect LGBTIA+ individuals against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination in the workplace. Some examples that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission views as unlawful sex discrimination include failing to hire an applicant because of their given or chosen gender, firing an employee for gender transition, denying an employee equal access to restrooms, denying employee promotion because of sexual orientation, or failing to use preferred pronouns. Katie Banks, a professor of political

DIVERSITY

science, communication and leadership at WSU Tri-Cities, said she encourages local employers to express their pronouns in support. Last year, Banks gave a talk on “The ABCs of LGBTQIA+ in the Workplace” at the Tri-Cities Diversity Summit, organized by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, in October. She also serves as an organizer for the WSU TriCities’ annual Social Justice Institute and chairs the WSU President’s Commission for Gender Identity/Expression and Sexual Orientation. “If you want to show you’re an ally business and that you’re inclusive, ask people what pronouns they prefer to use and state your preferred pronouns yourself,” Banks said. “Most people don’t come out during the interview process.”

Take Steps to Control Your Investment Taxes

In fact, she said 40 percent of LBTQIA+ employees aren’t comfortable being “out” in the workplace. Of those who do come out, 35 percent face discrimination, she said. Romine said she regularly emphasizes the important of pronouns and the importance of using the person’s chosen name in communications. “It’s a wounding thing for someone who is transgendered to be misgendered,” Romine said. During her recent Diversity Summit talk, Banks discussed the importance of inclusion in the workplace. She said that according to research there is a 25 percent increase in individual productivity and a 35 percent increase in team productivity in an inclusive workplace. “You’re better at retaining minority Member SIPC

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Tax Season is finally over. Of course, how much you pay in taxes depends on a variety of factors, many of which you can’t control. But you might give some thought to how you can manage your investment-related taxes. Here are some suggestions to consider: • Contribute to your employer’s retirement plan. If your employer offers a 401(k) or similar plan, such as a

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403(b) or 457(b), contribute as much as you can afford. The more pre-tax dollars you put in to your retirement plan, the lower your taxable income. Your employer also

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3616 W. Court St., Ste. I, Pasco

509-545-8121

may offer a Roth 401(k) option, under which you invest after-tax dollars, so your annual income won’t be lowered and your withdrawals will be tax-free. • Contribute to an IRA. Even if you have a 401(k) or similar plan, you may still be eligible to contribute to an IRA. With a traditional IRA, your contributions may be fully or partially deductible, depending on your income level; with a Roth IRA, contributions are not deductible, but your earnings can grow tax-free, provided you’ve had your account at least five years and you don’t start taking withdrawals until you’re 59½ . • Follow a “buy-and-hold” strategy. You can’t control the price movements of your investments, but if you do achieve gains, you can decide when to take them – and this timing can make a substantial difference in your tax situation. If you sell investments that you’ve owned for one year or less and their value has increased,

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you may need to pay capital gains taxes at your personal income tax rate, which, in 2018, could be as high as 37 percent. But if you hold investments for more than one year before selling them, you’d be assessed the long-term capital gains rate, which is 0, 15 or 20 percent, or a combination of those rates. • Consider municipal bonds. If you’re in one of the higher tax brackets, you may benefit from investing in municipal bonds. The interest on these bonds is typically free of federal taxes, and possibly even state and local taxes. Interest from some types of municipal bonds may be subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). However, because of the new tax laws, the AMT exemption amounts were increased significantly. You might be wondering what these new laws mean to investors. In terms of

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employees and recruiting diverse talent which has been shown to lead to innovation, better understanding of problems and ability to tackle the solution,” Banks said. Banks said gender identity is fluid and the language surrounding it is iterative — workplace training from 10 years ago may be badly outdated today. “There is new language in this field, like ‘enby,’ which is short for non-binary, and is language that is only two or three years old,” Banks said. Non-binary refers to people who don’t neatly fit into the categories of “man” or “woman,” as they may have a gender that blends elements of both, a gender that is different than either male or female, or they don’t identify with any gender, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. To position a business as a partner and ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, both to future employees and customers, Banks said even small tokens of solidarity matter — like putting LGBTQIA+ friendly stickers on a door or shop window. For a LGBTQIA+-friendly workplace, “have inclusive and family-oriented staff events that include different versions of partners or spouses,” Banks said. Jay Chavez, manager at Out and About — the only gay club in the TriCities — and coordinator of Tri-Cities Pride, said local businesses like Free Culture Clothing, HAPO Community Credit Union, Numerica Credit Union, Adventures Underground, Castle Megastore, Tumbleweird, Brother’s Cheesesteaks and Chikibaby Boutique have been supportive of the local LGBTQIA+ community. Banks said having written non-discrimination and non-inclusion policies is important. “It is useful to have your company statement or strategic plan a company’s goals on diversity, inclusion and cultural competency,” Banks said. Both Banks and PFLAG are available for workplace onsite training on LGBTQIA+ inclusion. For more information on PFLAG, search for PFLAG Benton Franklin on Facebook. The group also holds monthly support events the second Tuesday of every month at Fuse in the Richland Parkway.

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your regular investment activities, the effect might not be that significant. The tax brackets for qualified dividends and capital gains – such as those realized when you sell stocks – will remain about the same. This means that most investors will continue to pay 15% to 20% on long-term capital gains and dividends. Consequently, the

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new tax laws shouldn’t really affect you much in terms of your decisions on buying and selling stocks or investing in companies that may pay dividends. Of course, it’s still a good idea to consult with your tax advisor on how the totality of the new laws will affect you. Ultimately, your investment decisions shouldn’t be driven only by tax implications – nonetheless, it doesn’t hurt to take steps to become a tax-smart investor.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

DIVERSITY

Understanding generational differences improves company culture BY DANIELLE KANE

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

We’ve all heard the stereotypes: millennials are entitled. Gen Xers are slackers. Baby Boomers can’t adapt. And Gen Z? So far, the youngest generation to enter the work force has been pigeon-holded as “too obsessed with themselves to produce quality work.” But, when we dig deeper, we find that the labels that define each generation really have no basis in fact. Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific believes capitalizing on this diversity helps business owners work toward an improved company culture. Understanding generational differences is critical to maximizing individual strengths. To do so, it’s important to look at each demographic through the lens of the era they came of age. First, take Baby Boomers — born between 1946 and 1964 — they lived through the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. Today, we perceive them as the generation that’s out of touch. But what are they really known for? Baby Boomers are extremely hardworking. They value employee and employer loyalty because to them this signals security. Then came Gen Xers — born between 1965 and 1980. This cohort became the skeptic bunch, having come of age during the dot-com bust. This generation is stereotyped as the middle child — sandwiched between Baby

Boomers and Millennials, often forgotten. In the work force though, Gen X employees are known for being very efficient to Danielle Kane avoid working Better Business harder than Bureau needed. Millennials now make up the largest demographic in the U.S. work force. Those born between 1980-95, Millennials grew up during an era defined by two very distinct moments: the dawn of the internet and the rise of global terrorism. This group is picked on for being spoiled, having been catered to by their Baby Boomer parents. In reality, Millennials tend to have an innate ability to multitask and adapt to changing times and technology. Finally, Gen Z, also known as iGen, is the current generation growing up and entering the work force. This demographic was born between 1996 and 2015. Gen Z is unique because those born during this time have never known a world without internet. As such, they are extremely digitally savvy and quick thinkers. But, they’ve been labeled the “me generation,” perceived as being self-absorbed. When we think about the times in which each of these demographics grew

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REFRIGERATION & HVAC SERVICES

up, we’re able to see why certain aspects of a job are more important to some than others. For example, Gen Xers place a high value on work-life balance, as well as flexibility. Millennials want a company culture that is diverse and inclusive, with teambuilding incorporated into it. Baby Boomers, many of whom are still in the work force, value commitment and a strong work ethic. And finally, Gen Z employees want to work at a job that serves a purpose and has a clear mission. All of these factors need to be considered by business owners as they hire and grow their teams to work toward a larger business development strategy. It’s why BBB advocates business owners to first define their company culture, and then be intentional in who they hire to their team. What’s interesting is that when it comes down to it, employees of all ages want the same things: a basic paycheck, to feel safe at work, to be part of a team, to be recognized, and, finally, to feel fulfilled in what they do. The difference is what each demographic values or emphasizes beyond these basic needs. Recently, BBB sponsored a seminar with local business networking group LINK Up2Us on this very topic. Featured speaker Donna Davis, founder of Kennewick-based Engaged Consulting, discussed how business owners can bridge the generational gap. Her main piece of

advice: open communication. Davis emphasized the importance of owners and managers taking time to talk to their employees, getting feedback and listening to what they need or what they would like to see changed. For business owners to capitalize on generational differences, it’s critical there is an immediate feedback loop in place where everyone’s voices are frequently heard, not just year-end reviews. As another method, Davis suggested mentoring programs between older and younger employees. This ensures older generations get to share their experience and career wisdom, while younger generations get to help their older coworkers adapt to rapidly changing technology and workplace expectations. Not only is this a win-win for each employee, it’s a major victory for the business owner. Danielle Kane is the Tri-City marketplace manager for the Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Diversity

Washington among best states for female entrepreneurs BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The Evergreen State is among the top 10 best states for female entrepreneurs. That’s according to FitSmallBusiness. com, a digital business publication. Washington ranked No. 4 on the list after Texas (No. 1), Ohio (No. 2) and Minnesota (No. 3). FitSmallBusiness.com said the state is well positioned to be the next Silicon Valley, thanks to big tech businesses like Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Bing. This Northwest tech attraction also has produced some “incredible startups,” according to the report. The state gets high marks for having “no corporate tax rate (only a small Business and Occupation tax

of 1.5 percent of gross receipts) and a higher overall ranking for female economic and well-being rating.” FitSmallBusiness.com ranked each state for its desirability and outlook for female entrepreneurs by reviewing the following overall criteria: general business climate and opportunity (25 percent), the number of female-owned business (25 percent), economic and financial health (25 percent), and safety and well-being for women (25 percent). A recent study by Biz2Credit revealed that women who apply for business loans typically get 45 percent less than their male counterparts, said FitSmallBusiness. com. Stereotypes and dated traditions play into this. Ninety-four percent of venture

capital firms are dominated by male decision-makers, according to Fortune magazine, while lingering concerns about the interruption of a woman raising a family leads some funders and supporters to question the likely success of femaleowned ventures, said FitSmallBusiness. com. But there’s reason to be optimistic. According to the University of New Hampshire, the number of female entrepreneurs is growing steadily in the U.S. Twenty-three percent of entrepreneurs seeking angel investing were female in 2018, up from 19 percent in 2014. Since 1972, female-owned businesses in the U.S. have surged 3,000 percent, said FitSmallBusiness.com.

Q&A, From page 13 How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in? In some ways, I think that maybe it pursued me as much as I pursued it. Figuratively, I’m a firm believer that if you’re gifted and driven to do something, the path sort of lights itself out in front of you. In real life, what happens is your attitude toward successes and especially challenges tells others something about you. You either draw people to you or you repel them. Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I try to treat all people with respect and surround myself with people, places and opportunities to do the things that feed my passions. Throughout my life, I continue to seek out mentors, leaders and acquaintances who love to motivate and share their life lessons. How do you measure success in your workplace? I believe that success in the workplace or anyplace, for that matter, has to start as an individual metric. If I can visualize my input as a piece of a much larger puzzle, my contribution is automatically validated – for me. Success starts in an individual’s own mind. If a person sees themselves as successful, they aren’t easily distracted by negativity or the lure of power and money. In my world, I can find everyday successes as I do my part to help move the needle on scientific discovery, or as I help a young mentee inch closer to figuring out how to reach her goals or get into college. Whenever I listen to or read news about interesting research or national problems that PNNL has positively impacted – that’s a measure of success for me. What is your leadership style? I definitely see myself as a team builder and a servant leader. How do you balance work and family life? By being very clear on my priorities. I believe in keeping the main thing – the main thing! My family always comes first. What do you like to do when you are not at work? Read, have date nights with my hubby, mentor school-age girls and enjoy get-togethers with girlfriends. What’s your best time management strategy? Get the least favorable activities out of the way first. The rest is “gravy.” Best tip to relieve stress? I go to my “happy place” (mentally), think about the temporary nature of whatever my stressor is and process that I have complete control over how I respond to whatever “it” is. Sometimes, I may take a walk or a little drive. Most often, I practice speaking less in the moment!

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

The Tri-Cities Airport new cellphone parking lot, which features 20 stalls, is located east of the terminal near the employee parking lot. (Courtesy Tri-Cities Airport)

Cellphone lot opens, boardings increase at Tri-Cities Airport BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

Hello? Have you landed? Coordinate your next airport pickup from the new cellphone lot at the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco. Airport officials say the new lot will reduce traffic congestion along the curb and provide a safe place for those picking up passengers to wait for incoming flights. The lot allows people to wait for free on airport property until their traveler has landed, collected their bags and come to the curb. The new lot, which features 20 stalls, is east of the airport terminal near the employee parking lot. The cost to build it was less than $6,000 because the lot already existed. The amount included the fence and signs. The lot is designed to reduce congestion at the curb and to keep traffic in front of the airport moving smoothly. The new lot also provides an alternative to driving around the airport property while waiting for travelers. Drivers are not permitted to wait at the airport terminal curb, so the new lot will provide a place to wait until they receive a call from friends or family that they can come to the terminal curb. “The new lot will be convenient for people picking up passengers from the airport,” said Buck Taft, director of Tri-Cities Airport, in a news release. “Drivers won’t clog the curbside loading area, and they won’t have to worry about their time expiring in the short term lot. All they need to do is wait in the cellphone lot until their passenger calls them to be picked up from the curb. It will make everyone’s airport experience easier.” Drivers can wait for free for up to 60 minutes, and cannot leave their cars unattended. No limousines or commercial vehicles are permitted in the lot. More people are traveling through the

airport than ever before. A total of 785,164 passengers passed through the Pasco airport in 2018. That’s 38,000 more people, or a 5 percent increase, compared with the previous year. United Airlines’ addition of a third daily flight to Denver helped spur the growth, as did Delta’s decision to extend its second daily flight to Minneapolis-St. Paul, said airport officials. “I’m proud of our team’s ability to consistently deliver excellent customer service while accommodating a record-setting number of passengers,” said Taft in a news release. “The fact that more people are choosing to fly out of Tri-Cities instead of taking the long drive over the mountains is a sign that convenience and customer service are increasingly important to travelers.” The passenger number could increase this year when the airport begins nonstop service to Los Angeles in March. The Pasco airport currently offers nonstop flights to seven destinations, including San Francisco, Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Airlines count their passengers by tallying the number of enplanements, the number of people who board an aircraft, with the number of deplanements, the number of people arriving. In 2018, the airport saw 395,084 enplanements. United Airlines had the largest yearover-year gain with 60,547 boarding passengers, a 23 percent increase. Delta’s numbers also were up in 2018, with 168,930 boardings, a 6 percent increase. Delta carried 43 percent of the Tri-City market in 2018, Alaska 32 percent, United 15 percent, and Allegiant 10 percent. The busiest month was December, which also saw a 15 percent increase in enplanements over the previous December. The Port of Pasco completed a multimillion airport remodeling project in 2017 that nearly doubled the size of the terminal and expanded the security checkpoint area.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

uBUSINESS BRIEFS New senior housing opens in Prosser

Catholic Charities Housing Services’ $11.7 million senior housing community has opened. Called Saint Anthony Terrace, the 60-unit affordable housing community for those 55 years and older features one- and two-bedroom apartments. Rents range from $307 to $658 per month. Section 8 vouchers are welcomed. The pet-friendly complex includes a fitness room, resource library and computer area, community room, community gardening areas, storage space and three laundry rooms. Each kitchen includes a dishwasher, microwave, stove and refrigerator.

Catholic Charities Housing Services said it developed Saint Anthony Terrace using green building techniques, saving apartment tenants about 50 percent of the energy usage typical of standard construction. Water usage will likewise be reduced through the incorporation of low flow fixtures and xeriscaping. For more information, call 509-7816380.

SARC offers 32-hour volunteer training session

The 32-hour volunteer advocate training for the Support, Advocacy & Resource Center is Feb. 25 to March 9. The nonprofit said it is in “great need of volunteers at this time.” SARC serves Benton and Franklin counties by providing crisis services and

prevention education for community members on human trafficking, sexual assault/abuse and all non-domestic violence crimes, such as child abuse, elder abuse, assault, homicide, robbery, identity theft and fraud. SARC relies on community volunteers to help run its 24-hour hotline, which can be done from volunteers’ homes. The volunteer advocates only respond to calls regarding sexual assault and abuse. Volunteers interested in working with human trafficking clients may take additional training. To be an on-call crisis advocate, volunteers need a cell or home phone number. Those able and willing to meet with clients in person can sign up to be an oncall hospital advocate.

For more information, call Rosanna Herrera at 509-374-5391 or email rherrera @supportadvocacyresourcecenter.com.

Local eateries to appear on upcoming Fieri shows

Want to watch the spotlight shine on Tri-City restaurants with Food Network star Guy Fieri? Tune in to his show “Diners, Driveins and Dives” at 9 p.m. Feb. 22 and midnight Feb. 23. Though the restaurants aren’t named, the program notes say Fieri visits a Pasco “bakery serving up savory goodness, like a killer Cuban and off-the-chain chicken.” Fieri’s visit to a Richland “joint going big with their legit barbecue” airs at 9 p.m. March 8 and midnight March 9. His visit to another Richland eatery to check out “a funky spot serving serious strombolis and an apple-dough dessert” airs at 9 p.m. March 29 and midnight March 30.

Libraries now offering streaming video service

The popular on-demand film streaming service Kanopy is now available for free for all Mid- Columbia Libraries and Richland Public Libraries cardholders. MCL patrons can access Kanopy and sign up to start streaming films instantly by visiting midcolumbialibraries.kanopy. com. Richland library card holders sign up at richlandlib.kanopy.com. Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films, including award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and world cinema with collections from The Great Courses, PBS and many more. No software is required. Films can be streamed from any computer, television, mobile device or platform by downloading the Kanopy app for iOS, Android, AppleTV, Chromecast or Roku. An internet connection is needed.

New college scholarships available to students

New scholarships are available for Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities students who might have struggled to get financial support in the past. The scholarships are created by two $25,000 donations in 2018 and 2019 from STCU to Women Helping Women Fund Tri-Cities to create an endowment for education. The endowment will fund an annual scholarship to at least one deserving student at both CBC and WSU Tri-Cities with the intention of positively changing the lives of women in the community through education. An endowment fund is an investment fund established by a foundation for a nonprofit organization. The capital of the fund is invested and once it reaches maturity, a certain percentage of the interest is available for regular withdrawals to fund designated programming. The key is that each year, only a small portion of the interest of the endowment fund will ever be used, so the remainder is left to grow.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Washington grape growers inject $875,000 into economy at annual convention BY ANDY PERDUE

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

This month, wine grape growers from across the state and throughout the Northwest descended on the Tri-Cities for the Washington Winegrowers Association’s annual convention and trade show Feb. 11-14. About 2,000 members of the wine industry were expected at the Three Rivers Convention Center and Toyota Center to attend seminars, learn about the latest research, see the latest technology and meet with colleagues. The annual event gathers all aspects of the industry, from winemakers to farmers, from educators to manufacturers. The convention began in 1994 at the Pasco Red Lion Hotel, where it stayed until it outgrew the facility and moved to the Yakima Convention Center in 2001, returning to the Tri-Cities in 2006 after the convention center was built. The convention has continued to grow. According to Visit Tri-Cities, the Washington Winegrowers Association provides a local economic impact of $875,000. In addition to drawing participants from both sides of the state, wine industry professionals from Idaho, Oregon, British Columbia and California also attend. The trade show once again sold out this year, with more than 200 vendors showing off barrels, bottles, tractors and irrigation systems. As each year’s convention draws more interest from attendees and vendors in the fast-growing Washington wine industry, limited space at the convention facilities remains a concern. The WWA staff has managed it so far, saying members want to keep their convention in the Tri-Cities because it is centrally located in the heart of Washington wine country. “It’s working for us right now, and it’s a great spot for the industry,” said Katlyn Straub, communications manager for the grape growers. The theme this year was “Intentional

Members of the wine grape industry taste during a seminar at the annual grape growers convention. The Washington Winegrowers Association provides a local economic impact of $875,000, according to Visit Tri-Cities. (Courtesy Washington Winegrowers Association)

From Grape to Glass,” which emphasized the role that grape growers play in the quality of wines. Many growers now are able to custom-farm vineyard blocks for winemakers depending on the style of what the wine is going to be. This evolution in viticulture plays a major factor in wine quality, boosting Washington’s place on the world wine stage. Washington is the second-largest wine-producing state in the country, trailing only California in size, with about 60,000 acres of wine grapes planted and purportedly more than 1,000 wineries crushing fruit each fall. Educational seminars, conducted in English and Spanish, included sessions on winemaking techniques, agricultural tools and advances in technology, winery marketing, product distribution and more. With the creation of the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Washington State University Wine Science Center in Richland and the research conducted on behalf of the industry, there was also presentations on some of the latest research and findings. “It sums up the work Washington growers and winemakers do daily being intentional in the vineyard and the seller and building a thriving business,” Straub said.

“So the educational sessions are what they’re really focused on — taking a deep dive into asking the ‘why’ behind one decision to make wine or grow grapes or do both and to also think of that larger picture for the further growth and strength of the entire industry.” ••• Barnard Griffin in Richland won a unanimous double gold medal in January at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in Sonoma County, the largest wine judging in the United States. It marked the 13th time in 14 years that the winery’s rosé has won gold or better in this judging. The 2018 vintage of the Rosé of Sangiovese ($14) will be released on Valentine’s Day. Barnard Griffin is experimenting with wine in a can. They will put their Rosé of

Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay in 12-ounce cans. The wines also will be available in standard bottles. ••• Washington wine country’s wine touring season kicks off the year with the Yakima Valley’s annual Red Wine & Chocolate weekend Feb. 15-17. Dozens of wineries from Zillah to Red Mountain will be open and offering their guests various chocolate goodies to accompany their red wines. Premier passes to the event cost $30, and they can be bought at any participating winery. For more information, go to wineyakimavalley.com. ••• The Washington Department of Corrections is looking to team up with grower/winemaker Jeremy Petty of Walla Walla Vineyard Management to train inmates for work in the grape and hop industries. The program ultimately will transition 5.2 acres of grass into for vineyards and hops planted inside the fence at the state penitentiary. It will employ up to 10 inmates at a time. Planting is expected to begin next spring. Ultimately, the goal is to train prisoners to work in the wine and beer industries upon release. Those working in the program will earn minimum wage. There is a similar program at a Colorado penitentiary. 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.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ February 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Gesa to open new Pasco branch, improve Richland headquarters

Road 100 branch to feature 7,000 square feet; $645,000 in improvements planned at headquarters BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Gesa Credit Union will open its 18th branch this summer in Pasco. Construction on the $2 million project already has begun on the two-acre plot of land at 4824 Broadmoor Blvd. Kennewick-based Banlin Construction is the general contractor for the project. “We’re all framed up and we’re working on roofing at this point,” said Richard Waddle, Gesa’s senior vice president of finance and marketing. The new branch will be about 7,000 square feet, with 3,000 square feet allocated for full-service banking and a drive-thru. The remaining 4,000 square feet within the building will consist of two tenant units available for lease. “We’re going to be doing short-term leases on those units because if we need to add more home loan and mortgage officers, we’ll be able to move into that

space,” Waddle said. Dromos Architecture LLC in Wenatchee designed the building, which is similar in style to the Gesa branches in Moses Lake and Yakima. Gesa has begun to hire a management team for the new location. About seven to eight full-time employees will be hired for the branch. The credit union has experienced tremendous growth since opening in 1953, especially in the last 13 years, said Waddle, who joined the team straight out of college in 1996. “I graduated on a Saturday and started at Gesa on a Monday,” he said with a laugh. At that time, Gesa had only a handful of branches. Today the landscape in the Tri-Cities in much different. “And we’ve also grown outside the Tri-Cities. The first place was Wenatchee and Walla Walla. Those were both merger opportunities,” Waddle said. “A lot of our moving to new communities has been through mergers, and we love to do

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An architectural rendering of the Gesa branch at 4824 Broadmoor Blvd. off Road 100 in Pasco. It is expected to open this summer. (Courtesy Gesa)

it that way because you have a built-in membership base—anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000. And typically, within one to two years, we’ve doubled their asset base.” Although the Road 100 location is not a merger, it was a necessity for the west Pasco area, Waddle said. Gesa bought the land before buying the property for its Road 68 branch in anticipation of the residential and commercial growth in the vicinity. “We’ve bought the Road 100 proper-

ty knowing that area would take off, then something opened up on Road 68 and Sandifur (Parkway),” said Waddle, adding that the Road 68 location has been one of the company’s fastest growing branches. “We’re at the point where on a Friday afternoon there’s no parking for our members and the drive-thru lane is backing up.” Adding the Road 100 location should alleviate the swell of business at the Road 68 branch, he explained. uGESA, Page 22

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

GESA, From page 21 Gesa’s headquarters at 51 Gage Blvd. in Richland also are undergoing $645,000 in improvements to accommodate growth, including remodeling and relocating support team staff to better serve customers. “We’re basically tapped out the headquarters,” Waddle said. “We have training rooms on the first floor, and we’ve moved them to a different location and put home loan and commercial staff on the first floor.” Back-office staff, such as human resources, technology and other support staff who aren’t face-to-face with customers will be moved to the second floor. The Richland headquarters also will get new flooring and paint during the transition.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Gesa was founded by General largest in Washington credit union hisElectric, a major contractor for the tory. This past fall, Gesa announced the Hanford site. In merger of Inspirus 1997, the company Credit Union based became a communiin Tukwila. “Over time, we ty-chartered credit Inspirus was union and opens its founded in 1936 want to become a doors to serve anyand ranked as the Pacific Northwest one who lives, works state’s second largor worships in est credit union by credit union.” Washington state. 1960. The company Today, the credit - Richard Waddle, has six locations, union has more than Gesa’s senior vice president $1.3 billion in assets and 80,000 165,000 members, of finance and marketing members. including thousands Gesa has 30,000 of members in westmembers living in ern Washington. Gesa is making its presence known western Washington, and Waddle said even more on the coastal side of the this merger would allow Gesa to better state with a merger that could be the serve customers with the additional

locations Inspirus branches would provide. “If the merger comes to fruition, it will really give us a statewide presence,” Waddle said. “Over time, we want to become a Pacific Northwest credit union.” Regardless of where it is located, Waddle acknowledged Gesa has no immediate plans to change its name. “As long as you take care of your members, you can go with any name,” he said. Gesa is waiting on regulatory approval about the merger with Inspirus, and the credit union hopes to make an announcement on the decision by the end of this year.

MAVERIK GAS STATION 4306 W. CLEARWATER AVE.• KENNEWICK

Maverik has opened its third convenience store and gas station in the Tri-Cities at 4306 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick. The new 4,300-square-foot facility is at the corner of West Clearwater Avenue and Union Street. The company celebrated the grand opening of its first Kennewick location with an open house on Jan. 23. The Wyoming-based Maverik operates more than Congratulations Maverik!

300 locations across 11 western states and employs 3,700 people. Its convenience stores are known for their BonFire brand food, made fresh daily, which includes burritos, sandwiches, pizzas, cookies and several coffee blends, in addition to other drink and snack offerings. The design of the new station was done in-house at Maverik. Cameron Construction of Salt Lake City was the general contractor. Maverik officials are considering more locations in the Tri-Cities in the future, possibly one or two more in Kennewick, one in Richland, and one more in Pasco.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Real Estate & Construction

Report: State’s farmland value dips over previous year BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The average cost-per-acre of Washington farmland dipped slightly this year compared to last year, according to a recent land values report from Farmers National Co. The employee-owned, Omaha-based company is an ag landowner services company managing more than 5,000 farms and ranches in 28 states comprising more than 2 million acres. The average sale price per acre in Washington was $13,000 in January, down from $13,500-per-acre in January 2018. In January 2017, the average sale price per acre is $12,500. The major issues for Northwest growers continue to be immigration and labor, trade and tariffs, and the Farm Bill. Most of 2018 was plagued by shortages of labor for the labor-intensive crops — asparagus, tree fruits, vineyards and livestock operations, according to Farmers National Co. The region is experiencing major reconfigurations of orchards to get higher production from the same acres. Higher density planting, re-grafting and total removal of some varieties is taking place, said Flo Sayre, Farmers National Co. real estate broker based in Pasco, in a news release. Lenders are tightening financing requirements more than in the past and many growers are experiencing a drop in equity as a result, according to Farmers National Co. While there appears to be adequate small properties (less than 20 acres in size) to satisfy the market, larger acreages are scarce and the values to the grower are far less than the sellers and land owners would like for returns, Sayre said. Properties in the Basin have ranged from a high of $18,000-per-acre to other areas that have seen a decline in prices to near the $10,000-per-acre value. For the most part, prices are at a plateau, she said. “Interest rates appear to be holding for at least the next few months. This is a good sign that stability in the market is at hand. While not a lot of farmland is changing hands, there is a lot of interest in where trade issues will head in the future. The land market is leveling off and may decline a bit more over the next year or two,” Sayre said. Farm and ranch land makes up 82 percent of total assets for the industry nationally, according to Farmers National Co. The company reports an uptick in land sales as more families and inheritors want to sell, said Randy Dickhut, senior vice president of real estate operations in a news release. “Within our 28-state service area, we are also seeing more landowners coming to us to market and sell their land as evidenced by our volume of land for sale increasing 21 percent. These landowners are just deciding now is the time to sell and capture today’s price,” he said. Overall, agricultural land values have held up surprisingly well over the past few years despite lower commodity prices and much lower farm incomes

compared to five years ago. There are a number of reasons for this, including the low supply of land for sale, cash rental rates remaining stronger than expected and interest rates that have been historically low, the company said. But there are some important questions looming about the land market that are causing many to figuratively hold their breath in anticipation of what comes next. “Even though the rate of bankruptcies and forced land sales is low, there is the expectation that numbers will increase somewhat in the year ahead as farmers’ cash flows are stressed. There also is an increase of quiet sales to neighbors or investors where the land is never exposed to the market to see what the true price is.

The ultimate question here is how many more properties for sale can the market handle before the volume overwhelms the

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number of buyers and puts downward pressure on land prices,” Dickhut said in a news release.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Real Estate & Construction

Commercial building underway near Columbia Park BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A Richland business owner is constructing a building for new tenants at 1953 Fowler St. in Richland. The project is visible from Highway 240 on the westernmost edge of Columbia Park, just east of Cost Less Carpet and Smart Foodservice.

A small project grew to 10 times its original size when the Ford Group decided to put a 34,000-square-foot building on nearly two acres of open land in Richland. “We just wanted a place to store our boat,” said Greg Ford, owner of the Ford Group and Brashear Electric. “But since we had all that land, we kept going.” Original plans for a 3,000-square -foot office and facility to store a boat

and an RV, eventually became plans for a commercial building at 1953 Fowler St. in Richland that can hold up to seven tenants, depending on size of the space. The project is visible from Highway 240, as it’s tucked at the end of Fowler Street, near the westernmost edge of Columbia Park, just east of Cost Less Carpet and Smart Foodservice. The project is listed as “She Shed” on its building permit, a spin on the popular term “man cave.” There are currently no committed tenants outside of the owner’s office, but Ford said he has had “some serious inquiries,” including one that could occupy about half of the space. Ford described the future building as “fully sprinkled and rated for any type of tenant.” He owns other properties in the region, but this is the first his company is building from scratch. The total value of the building and land are estimated at $3.6 million. The area is zoned for general commercial construction and the building is expected to be finished and ready for occupants by the start of May.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Richland’s curbside recycling rates increase

Starting in February, the rates for Richland’s co-mingling curbside recycling program will be increasing. Residents with the standard 96-gallon blue container will see a 90-cent increase, from $5.70 to $6.60 a month, and businesses or those with a 300-gallon triple size gray container will see an increase of $2.20, from $13.90 to $16.10 a month. Commercial customers can view the recycling rate structure by visiting ci.richland.wa.us/solidwaste or by calling 509-942-7700. Over the years, the costs of processing recycled materials climbed and the resale markets and international exports fell. A cost and market evaluation study was done in 2018, and it found recycling processing costs have increased 185 percent since 2015. The city council voted in favor of an increase in January. Recycling drop boxes in Richland neighborhoods remain available free of charge. For locations, visit ci.richland. wa.us/recycle.

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Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Kennewick commercial construction company changes hands BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

The new owner of a Kennewick construction company is as comfortable working over a profit and loss statement as he is behind the controls of a mini excavator. It’s one of the reasons Alex Linde bought the nine-year-old MH Construction company Jan. 1. Linde, 40, worked for the company’s former owner Mike Holstein for three years as vice president before taking over the company that specializes in commercial general contractor services including construction and project management. “This has always been the plan. We had a succession plan to make that happen,” Linde said. Holstein will continue to work at MH Construction but he is no longer president. “Mike is still going to be with the company and employed. He’s not going anywhere. He’s just not president and not the guy in charge,” Linde said. MH Construction employs 30 people and moved into a new office at 106010 E. Wiser Parkway last June. Linde’s résumé boasts the business acumen to oversee a growing company that does $20 million to $30 million in sales annually. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s in business administration from Western Washington University. Throughout his college days and beyond, he worked in the construction business. “I loved construction but didn’t take that career path because I didn’t know it would be a viable one,” he said. Linde grew up in Ferndale and moved to the Tri-Cities during the Great Recession, following his parents and brother to the area as his family worked on flipping houses in the area’s hot housing market.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Richland kicks off second search for police chief

A second national recruitment effort for a police chief is underway in Richland after the city rejected two finalists. The position was previously held for seven years by Chris Skinner, who accepted a position as police chief in Eugene, Oregon. Jeff Taylor is serving as the interim police chief. Ralph Andersen & Associates again will assist with the national search. The position remains open through March 18, or until a list of qualified candidates has been identified. The process can take up to several weeks depending on the amount of screening and verification required. The annual salary range is $122,699 to $171,787, depending on experience. The recruitment brochure is available for review on the Ralph Andersen & Associates website. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply at ralphandersen.com.

Linde and his wife Mindy of nearly 20 years have five children ranging in age from 11 to 18. Linde landed a job as chief financial officer and clinic administrator for Tri-City Orthopaedic Clinic, which he held for five years. He also previously managed companies in the manufacturing and web technology sectors. Linde met MH Construction’s owner Holstein while working at the orthopaedic clinic. “We built the physical therapy building, surgery center and remodeled the clinic. We spent five years working on various projects and during that time, we got to know each other better,” Linde said. The medical industry had its challenges and Linde said it was “getting harder and harder every day to really enjoy my job because I had nine bosses.” That’s when Holstein lured him away. “He said I can teach you the business and you can buy it from me later,” Linde recalled. Holstein said Linde’s worth ethic impressed him. “He was a go-getter and did what he said he was going to do,” he said. “That’s one of the biggest things in construction.” It was clear Linde would be a good a fit for MH Construction, Holstein said. “If people have that ability to run a business and do it, they’ll usually go and start their own. It’s not like they’re everywhere to take one over. … There was a lot of good, valuable things I saw and the rest I was able to teach him over the couple of

MH Construction’s new owner Alex Linde walks through a construction site outside the company’s new office at 106010 E. Wiser Parkway. Linde bought the 9-year-old company from Mike Holstein on Jan. 1 as part of a succession plan that was three years in the making.

years he’s been working with me,” Holstein said. Holstein, 48, who has been working in the construction industry since 1988, said his plan from the beginning was to sell the company. “I knew that it sure would be nice to scale back a little bit. Running construction — anyone that owns a business, let alone a construction business, knows how taxing and 24/7 it is,” he said. Holstein said he’ll continue to go to work at MH every day to “be there for the customers and relationships I’ve had for so long and be there to help Alex along.” He also plans to be doing some property

management and development work. MH Construction has been the lead on several high-profile Tri-City projects, including the remodel of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, Pasco School District’s new Early Learning Center, all the Bush Car Wash buildings and Richland’s Country Mercantile store. MH Construction also has overseen several public school projects including the entire remodel of Zillah High School and schools in Union Gap and Royal City. It is currently working on the new Audi Tri-Cities dealership and the Academy of Children’s Theatre remodel, both in Richland, among other projects.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Fuse, UW team up for free entrepreneurship sessions

A series of presentations designed to help owners, dreamers and investors navigate the world of startups is offered every Friday at Fuse SPC in Richland. Fuse and the University of Washington’s CoMotion Innovation Lab present experts in entrepreneurship during the free live-streamed events at noon at Fuse, 723 The Parkway, in Richland. The series, called Friday Fundamentals, is open to the public. Upcoming topics are: • Feb. 22: The Studio Model: Building a Startup in Six Months • March 1: How to Negotiate with Investors

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• March 8: How Leaders Build Diverse Teams • March 15: To be determined • March 22: The Startup Studio Model: Building a Startup in Six Months The lunchtime presentations are about 45 minutes, with opportunities for questions. Guests may bring their own lunch. Fuse SPC focuses on innovation, collaboration and community building. Located in Richland’s The Parkway, it offers small business and idea development workshops, co-working space, community leader fireside chats and collaboration events. CoMotion is UW’s collaborative innovation hub dedicated to expanding the economic and societal impact of the UW community and beyond.

For more information, visit fusespc. com or call 509-572-3340.

Results of local vision project MyTri2030 to be revealed Results from a community-driven vision project will be unveiled during the Tri-City Regional Chamber’s Feb. 27 luncheon. The event is from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel and Convention Center, Pasco. The MyTri2030 project’s goals are to create a shared vision for the region and combine it with collaborative action for six so-called “opportunity areas.” “After connecting with more than 4,500 Tri-Citians, the MyTri2030 team noticed two central themes: immense pride in our region’s achievements over

the past decade, and a noticeable fever from community members and leaders to define new goals and opportunities for regional collaboration,” said Paula Linnen, chair of the Regional Chamber’s Regional Affairs Committee. “With a better understanding of our region’s strengths, challenges, and desires, the MyTri2030 team is proud to present a set of six opportunity areas that will serve as a framework for the next phase of our journey. It’s a journey we will continue to inform and implement together.” The cost to attend the luncheon is $25 per person. Attendees are required to register at tricityregionalchamber.com or by calling 509-736-0510 by Feb. 22. For more information about the MyTri2030 project, visit mytri2030.com.

THE CHICKEN SHACK 8921 SANDIFUR PARKWAY• PASCO

Pasco now has a Chicken Shack to call its own. The owners of the West Richland-based restaurant recently opened a second location at 8921 Sandifur Parkway in Pasco. Known for its fresh — never frozen — chicken wings and fingers, The Chicken Shack also serves up Northwest chuck burgers, fries and tots, more than 25 homemade sauces — from barbecue to garlic parmesan — a variety of sides, seven beers on-tap, 15 bottled options and more than 20 Northwest wines. Renee Fulfer handles restaurant operations. The new 2,600-square-foot casual dining restaurant features bench and booth seating, four big-screen TVs, with shiplap and hood lighting adding to the farmhouse vibe. The general contractors on the project are the local owners of the franchise, Tracy and Steve LaMarr of StoneCrest Builders. StoneCrest Builders has expanded its book of business with a division of commercial development, investment and asset management. The Pasco Chicken Shack restaurant design was conceptualized by the owners and their asset manager Jennifer Liikala. The $1 million building project includes an

additional, separate retail space for which StoneCrest is still seeking a tenant. Rent is $21 per square foot on a triple net lease. For more information, call Liikala at 509-371-0794 or Ken Poletski at 509-737-7118.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION uBUSINESS BRIEFS State’s credit unions deliver $5.1 billion economic boost

Washington credit unions drove a positive, $5.1 billion economic impact in the Evergreen State last year, according to a recent report by ECONorthwest, the region’s largest economic consulting firm. The report, “2018 Economic Impacts of Credit Unions in Washington,” was commissioned by the Northwest Credit Union Association. The analysis measures jobs, economic output and income supported by credit unions. Credit unions are nonprofit cooperatives and do not pay stockholders on Wall Street. Instead, they reinvest in their members, typically by offering

lower interest rates on loans and credit cards, better returns on savings, and by charging fewer fees for services. Last year, Washington credit unions delivered over $350 million in benefits to their membership, an average of $82 for each member. ECONorthwest found those benefits generated a ripple effect “buying power” of $787 million when members reinvested the money back into their local communities. In Washington, 58 percent of the population belongs to a credit union, or 4.3 million consumers. ECONorthwest found credit union membership is growing faster than the population; 14 percent since 2016, compared to 3.4 percent population growth. Washington credit unions provide family-wage careers for 11,100 profes-

sionals. Each job supports 1.6 additional jobs in the economy, meaning the total impact of credit union employment supports 29,100 jobs.

uPROMOTIONS • Sergio A. Garcidueñas-Sease of Tamaki Law was named a new partner. GarcidueñasSease joined Tamaki Law in 2013 and is a fellow at the prestigious Washington Sergio GarcidueñasLeadership Sease Institute.

• Jaime Lee Carson was promoted to executive director of Somerset Counseling Center LLC in Richland. Somerset is an alcohol and drug treatment agency serving youths and adults. Carson has been in the treatment field for more than 14 years.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

uHONORS • Two Tri-City professionals received Athena Leadership Awards on Jan. 30 during the TriCity Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business conference at the Three Rivers Convention Center. Immigration lawyer Aliya Alisheva Aliya Alisheva received the Athena Young Professional Leadership Award. Terry Walsh, executive director of employee and community relations for the city of Kennewick, received the Athena Leadership Award.

The awards are presented annually to two local women who deserve recognition for professional excellence, community service and Terry Walsh for actively assisting women in their attainment of leadership skills. These women are nominated by their peers, and the winner is selected by the Tri-City Regional Chamber’s Awards and Recognition Committee. • Kim Mayer, a language arts teacher and cheerleading coach at Hanford High School, received the 2019 Crystal Apple Award. The Crystal Apple Award has

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION been awarded to teachers in and around the TriCities for more than 20 years by Educational Service District 123. The award honors educators Kim Mayer who have a positive impact on the lives and futures of students. Mayer has worked in education for 30 years and has been with the Richland School District since 1996. • The Port of Kennewick honored the Latino Heritage Mural Committee as its 2018 Friend of the Port. The port’s board of commissioners commended the mural committee for its

leadership in helping guide and successfully celebrate the 8-foot-tall, 84-footlong, hand-painted Mid-Columbia Latino Heritage Mural. The finished mural is the first of several artworks planned for the Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick. • The “Adam & Jen in the Morning” show on 94.9 FM The Wolf (KIOK-FM) has been nominated for “small market radio personalities of the year” by the Academy of Country Music Award. This is the first nomination for the hosts and they are the only ones nominated from Washington state. The awards ceremony is April 7 in Las Vegas. Their weekday show airs from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

D&D TRI-RIVERS EXCAVATING 253 REATA ROAD• RICHLAND

D&D Tri-Rivers Excavating recently completed a new 20,625-square-foot steel building on five acres at 253 Reata Road in Richland. The family-owned excavation company, which specializes in commercial and residential site grading, underground utility digs, including septic, road building, civil site work and demolition, has been in business since 1979. D&D will be moving into its new home from its

current location at 4602 Kennedy Road, Suite B, in West Richland after paving is completed in March. Total project cost was $1.9 million, including the price of the land. D&D will occupy 9,375 square-feet of the new building with the remaining 11,000 square feet available for lease. The large lease space can be divisible, with rent rates at 65 cents per foot for warehouse space and

$1.15 per foot for office space. The general contractor and designer on the project was Matson Development, owned by Travis and Ben Matson, who also own D&D Tri-Rivers Excavating. For additional leasing information, contact Derrick Stricker of NAI Tri-Cities at 509-430-8533.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION uHONORS • George F. Cicotte of the Cicotte Law Firm of Kennewick was one of 14 employee benefit attorneys to be selected as a fellow for the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel for 2018. Induction as fellow of the ACEBC is a distinction for those who have made George F. Cicotte demonstrably substantive contributions to the field, have focused on employee benefits law for at least 20 years and have a sustained commitment to public awareness and under-

standing of benefits laws. Nominees also are required to have provided exceptionally high-quality professional services to clients, the bar and the public. • Vanessa Meras of Columbia Basin College in Pasco has been selected to travel to NASA’s Ames Research Center this spring to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars, or NCAS, on-site experience. She was selected among 403 comVanessa Meras munity college students from across the U.S. for the program that offers students the opportunity to interact with

NASA engineers and others as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. The program is funded in part by the Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP, which is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in authentic learning experiences to sustain a diverse work force. • Contractor Mission Support Alliance’s Safeguards and Security organization recently hit more than 1.1 million safe work hours without a lost workday injury. The Safeguards and Security team consists of security operations, Hanford Patrol, security analysis and safeguards for the Hanford site. • Prosser High School students Kelby Steinmetz and Christopher Lane recently won first place in the Prosser

Kelby Steinmetz

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Economic Development Association’s Mustang Business Competition. Steinmetz and Land received $500 for their “K & C Recycling” project. A second place award and $200 was given to Wyatt Holmes for “3-D Works” and Gracie Murphy received third place and $200 for “Pasta Angola.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Real Estate & Construction uNEW HIRES • Allison R. Stormo of Richland has joined the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business and Senior Times as creative director. Stormo worked for five years as a communications coordinator for the University of Idaho, College of Education. She also spent 12 years on the TriCity Herald copy desk, winning several awards while serving as news editor for two years, Sunday editor for five years and copy editor for five years. She also worked at newspapers in Idaho and Oregon. Stormo earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. • Jay Almaguer was hired by Numerica Credit Union to the home loan team as senior home loan officer in the Tri-City market. He has more than 20 years experience and specializes in Jay Almaguer helping first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance. • Dora Castaneda joined Community First Bank as the vice president and mortgage consultant. She has more than 18 years experience and has lived in the Tri-Cities for the past 20 years. Dora Castaneda Rachel Jobs joined Community First Bank as vice president and commercial lender in January. She has lived and worked in the Tri-Cities community since 1999 and brings Rachel Jobs more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. • Patricia Baughman was hired at STCU for the newly created position of vice president of organizational strategy and product development. She has 20 years experience, holds a bachelor’s from Indiana University Patricia Baughman and is a certified treasury professional. Stormy Mauri was hired as director of product management. Mauri has 39-plus years of operations and product experience. She earned Stormy Mauri a bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University and also graduated from the Bank Administration Institute.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Kennewick insurance company moves into bigger office Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits’ new building has space for lease BY LAURA KOSTAD

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Customers of the local Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits branch won’t find the business at its old location on Gage Boulevard in Kennewick. The company has moved to a new, bigger location at 6917 W. Grandridge Blvd., Unit 1, along one of the major thoroughfares that will one day lead into the redeveloped Vista Field area. “We were looking to stay in this area,” said Brad Toner, managing partner and owner. “We found an excellent location that will accommodate our growth for several years.” The move came during a growth phase for Moses Lake-headquartered Basin Pacific, which operates 15 independentlyowned locations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. The insurance broker offers comprehensive insurance and benefits options for personal, corporate and agricultural clients, customizing property, casualty, surety and benefits insurance programs to fit their clients’ needs. Basin Pacific merged with Manley Crop Insurance of Prosser in summer 2018, and Toner explained that his team at the Kennewick branch “have plans for addi-

tional growth to support the various needs of Tri-City area residents and our commercial and agricultural businesses.” To accommodate the growth trend, Toner decided it was time to find more space for Basin Pacific to expand over the coming years. “We were actually trying to find a lot to build on,” Toner said, but were introduced to the 9,849-square-foot former Swift Rehabilitation building. “It’s a very quality building … and the more we looked at it, we thought it would fit us very well.” Requiring very little renovation to accommodate the needs of Basin Pacific’s growing team of 14, the new office is about double the size of the Crown Properties space they leased over the past 4.5 years. At this time, Basin Pacific occupies about half of the building — the former corporate office side of Swift Rehabilitation — and is looking to lease the area that once served as the physical therapy center. Describing the available space, Toner said, “It really could be suited for a lot of things; it’s a fairly open space. You could pretty much do whatever you want in there … it could be turned into nice offices.” Toner said the extra space will enable Basin Pacific to expand into the foreseeable future. “Within five years, we could be at the

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The Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits team stand behind the front desk at its new location at 6917 W. Grandridge Blvd., Unit 1, in Kennewick. The Kennewick branch of the Moses Lake-based company originally opened in 2010.

point where we keep expanding out into that. Projections-wise, we’re good for the next two to three years,” he said. For now, he said the best part of the branch’s new location is “just having a permanent home, someplace where we know we’re going to be for a while.” Toner opened the Kennewick branch of Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits in 2010 after becoming acquainted with Gary Trautman in 2009, who opened Basin Insurance in Moses Lake in 1997. Trautman later changed the name to Basin Pacific as the company expanded beyond the Columbia Basin. “From the time I met him, it was just an instant camaraderie. We’ve been great friends ever since,” Toner recalled.

At the time, Toner had been looking for an opportunity to strike off on his own after 25 years of working for and holding management roles at other big names in the local insurance industry — the Northwest Farm Bureau, Country Companies, and Conover Insurance. “We started in 2010 with three of us,” Toner said, recalling that the space Basin Pacific-Kennewick started out in was about the size of the office he alone now occupies at the new location. “We’ve grown really rapidly,” he said. “It’s been good growth; it’s been profitable growth.” uINSURANCE, Page 36

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

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CORWIN FORD DETAIL SHOP 1225 AUTOPLEX WAY• PASCO

Corwin Ford recently completed a $689,000 renovation to its detail shop. The 5,400-square-foot building at 1225

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Autoplex Way in Pasco will be used by the auto dealer to detail vehicles, spray on truck bed liners and take photos of the cars in its inventory.

Renovations to the former Russ Dean Ford Mechanic Shop included the addition of new detail bays, a room dedicated to the installation of sprayon truck bed liners, a break room, new locker rooms for the employees and an office. The exterior of the building also features a stucco exterior. LCR Construction of Richland served as the general contractor on the project. N2K Design of Richland was the architect.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

PNNL awards $64.2M contract for new research building

Project will use local suppliers, contractors; facility will be between 110,000 to 145,000 square feet BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

A $64.2 million contract has been awarded to a Houston-based partnership to design and build a new energy sciences building at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. Construction could start later this year or in early 2020 on the building that will be between 110,000 and 145,000 square feet. It will house labs and workstations for about 175 PNNL and visiting scientists, engineers and research support staff conducting research that leads to improved catalysts, and more efficient energy and transportation technologies, according to a news release from PNNL. The new building is expected to open in 2021. The facility will be designed and constructed by Harvey Cleary Builders and Kirksey Architecture. Harvey Cleary Builders was the general construction contractor for a $75 million biological and computational sciences facility built on the Department of Energy’s PNNL campus in 2008-09. The building, which will be named later, is expected to tap local construction subcontractors and suppliers, PNNL said. The building will be ready for occupancy in mid- or late 2021. In March 2018, Congress approved funding for the building’s design and con-

uGRANT • Framatome received a $49 million, 28-month grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to accelerate the development and commercialization of enhanced accident tolerant fuel. The

struction. The state of Washington also has appropriated $8 million to fund scientific instrumentation that will be housed in the facility. “The energy sciences facility will provide essential capabilities and a collaborative environment that leads to accelerated scientific discovery,” said PNNL Director Steven Ashby in a news release. “Breakthrough research conducted here may lead to reduced vehicle emissions, more efficient fertilizer production, and the ability to turn waste into fuels and products more efficiently and economically.” Ashby said the building will be designed to enhance regional research collaborations, including those with the University of Washington and Washington State University. The process to select a design architect and builder began in May 2018 when a request for proposal was issued for design and construction firms to bid on the project. Finalists were named in late July and proposals were submitted in October. Interviews were conducted in late 2018 as part of the selection process. Work in the energy sciences facility will focus on fundamental research in advanced chemistry, materials science and computing. Researchers will use their findings to develop more energy efficient chemical processes and new materials for use in energy and transportation technologies, among other innovations. funds build on a $10 million, two-year grant that Framatome received from the DOE in 2016, and will contribute to the advancement of laboratory testing and data collection, as well as irradiation test programs.

A $64.2 million contract was awarded in January to design and construct a new energy sciences facility on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus in Richland. Work in the facility will include research that leads to improved catalysts. In this photo, PNNL researchers explore new forms of industrial catalysts used to manufacture raw materials for agriculture and energy production. (Courtesy Andrea Starr of PNNL)

The energy sciences facility is part of an ongoing campus strategy to construct, acquire, modernize and sustain facilities and infrastructure to further enable core research and development capabilities at PNNL. As part of this strategy, PNNL recently constructed: • The systems engineering building, which houses control rooms, testing platforms and laboratories used to address grid modernization, buildings efficiency, renew-

able energy integration and other energy challenges. • A 16,000-square-foot general purpose chemistry laboratory to support a variety of programs and research. • A 26,000-square-foot engineering and analysis building that houses more than 100 PNNL staff initially engaged in energy and national security research. • Discovery Hall, a science and technology collaboration event center that opened in April 2018.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

INSURANCE, From page 33 “I think what really separates us is we have a really service-oriented attitude about things and provide great service to our clients. Instead of looking more at sales, we look more at the service side of things. I think we also have the best young staff in the area. We have a lot of good young agents who are in their 30s and 40s,” Toner said. Other practices that set Basin Pacific apart are its willingness to pool its manpower with other insurance agencies, outside consultants and local attorneys to best assist clients and their unique needs. “We’re a growth-oriented company,” Toner said, and went on to explain how Basin Pacific continues to work proactively to respond to marketplace needs. For example, last year, the Kennewick

office created a new position, whose sole role is to deal with surety and contractor bonds. “We are expanding more and more into the contractor marketplace,” Toner said. Looking to the future, “the next thing we’ll do in the next two to three years is possibly make another agency acquisition,” Toner said. “That would be for the purpose of increasing our personal line book of business … A lot of the independent agents in town, aside from us … (have) a lot of personal lines of insurance, and not as much large commercial like we have … So, I think there are going to be opportunities for that in the future.” Basin Pacific Insurance and Benefits: 509-735-7506; 6917 W. Grandridge Blvd., Unit 1, in Kennewick.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION uNEW HIRES • Tracy Iseminger has joined Cougar Digital Marketing & Design in West Richland as social media manager. She is responsible for managing, tracking and testing social media campaigns, including writing compelling Tracy Iseminger ad copy and determining retargeting demographics. Iseminger has six years experience as a digital communications professional. • Maura Valencia was hired by CliftonLarsonAllen of Kennewick.

• Kara McMurray joined Trios Health as the marketing and volunteer services coordinator. She received her master’s in communication management from the University of Southern California and bachelor’s degrees in journalism and media production as well as English from Washington State University.

uDONATION • The Auction of Washington Wines is giving a $15,000 grant to Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology and Viticulture. The grant will support WWCC’s “Human Capital” fund, allowing students to earn an income while they gain real world experience that is credited toward obtaining their degrees.

NUEVA VISTA II 334 N. UNION STREET• KENNEWICK

The Kennewick Housing Authority’s Nueva Vista II low-income housing project recently wrapped at 334 N. Union St. in Kennewick. The development is adjacent to Nueva Vista I. All 28 units already are leased to qualifying individuals and families who fall at or below 30 percent or 50 percent of the Benton County area median income, which is about $72,800 annually, according to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Half of the units were earmarked for low-income families without homes and 20 percent were set aside for disabled people living on a limited income. Monthly rents range from $408 to $942. The $6.4 million project included the cost of land. The 28 units comprise 25,000 square feet, spread across two wood-frame, two-story buildings, con-

sisting of 10 one-bedroom units, 16 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom units. ZBA Architecture PS of Spokane designed the development. W.C. Construction Inc. of Elgin, Oregon, was the general contractor. For more information, call 509-579-2424.

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REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

A new ice plant at the Three Rivers campus in Kennewick will replace a 30-year-old system, helping improve the quality of ice. Hockey players say poor ice can make it difficult to skate or move the puck. (Courtesy Toyota Center)

ICE, From page 1 “So if we ever need to expand, we can take care of it right there,” Pearson said. The cost to operate the current system runs about $14,000 a month. By upgrading to more efficient equipment, he expected the bill to be significantly reduced. “We’re still waiting on the numbers to come in, but it looks like it will cut the bill in half,” he said. The project, which includes design and construction, is funded by the city of Kennewick’s capital budget. Along with lower maintenance costs, the quality of the ice will improve. Poor equipment leads to warm spots on the surface of the ice, and Pearson said those spots can be harder to scrape and smooth down. Pockets in the ice can cause safety issues for skaters. Amateur hockey player Brian Mashburn said it also can affect the way the puck moves in a game. “During games, there can be puddles in the ice that aren’t freezing. Just like in soccer, water can cause the puck to stop or slow down. It makes for bad game play,” said Mashburn, who’s said he’s excited about the improvements. “The staff works hard to make it the best they can, and we’re thankful for them.” Before the new ice plant project,

Pearson said workers replaced all of the old lighting, upgrading to a fully programmable LED light system in 2018 at a cost of about $400,000. “We can change colors and lights instantly, and dim them from zero to 100. It’s changed the atmosphere,” said Pearson, who believes these types of improvements can make a big difference in attendance. “We feel like attendance has gone up. It’s hard to tell with games, but we’ve had more games sell out or come close than we have in quite a few years,” he said. The next project on the horizon is to replace the video board at the Toyota Center. Right now, the board being used is not for video but for text, and if parts fail or break, they have to send it out to be refurbished. “That’s because they’re not making parts anymore. It’s antiquated,” he said. New video boards have better pixel pitch, which is the density of LED clusters on a display and correlates with resolution. VenuWorks has yet to ask for bids for the new video board. He expects it to cost about $750,000 to $900,000. The Kennewick City Council still will need to approve the expenditure, but Pearson hopes to have it installed this summer after the new ice plant is up and running.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019 APARTMENTS, From page 1 The project sought financing from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. After a public hearing in September, the financing closed in November. “This new development will provide much-needed affordable apartments for working families and seniors in the Tri-Cities, which, like other areas in the state, is facing a shortage of rental housing,” said Karen Miller, chairwoman of the Housing Finance Commission. “We’re pleased to be part of the solution through this financing.” The estimated tax credit equity on the project is valued at $15.7 million, with tax-exempt bonds of $24.5 million and taxable bonds of $7 million. The commission has the owner registered as Copper Mountain Apartments, a limited liability corporation formed in September 2018 and registered at the same Spokane address as Inland Construction. The registered agent on the project is Scott Morris, who is Inland Construction’s general counsel. According to a notice for the public hearing held in Seattle, proceeds of the notes will support a portion of the financing for the acquisition of land and the expected $33.8 million cost of the complex. Representatives from Inland Construction declined to comment on the project or provide a timeline on construction plans. The Housing Finance Commission distributes federal housing tax credits, which allow developers to raise capital by selling the credits to investors. The commission said it has created or preserved affordable homes for more than 334,000 people across the state in the past 32 years, including providing the financing for more than 30 properties across Benton and Franklin counties. This includes 2,840 rental units that were created or preserved, and an additional 427 units through the nonprofit

bond program. Grading already is underway at the site in Badger Mountain South, a growing part within Richland’s boundaries, east of Dallas Road and north of Interstate 82. The city recently revised its road impact fees that are tacked onto home building permits to accommodate additional growth at Badger Mountain South. The traffic impact district, including Badger Mountain South, pays the highest fees in the city to offset the increasing population and number of homes actively under construction from multiple builders and their effect on city roads. “Building and development of residential housing is a very important part of the Tri-Cities community. It provides jobs and drives the economy,” Jensen said. Up until now, all residential properties at the site have been single-family homes. “Badger Mountain South is intended to be high-density, residential, with high numbers of homes and apartments,” Jensen said. “This (Copper Mountain) project complies with the vision of the developer, whether it’s market housing or affordable.” The Country Mercantile is the only commercial development currently in Badger Mountain South, but at least one sign announces future development planned for the area from Kadlec Regional Medical Center. Located on the outskirts of Richland, and near the border of West Richland, Jensen believes Badger Mountain South neighbors looking for more retail options nearby should be encouraged by the apartment project. “From a commercial and retail standpoint, the residential rooftops need to come first before anyone will invest in commercial activity. There’s a threshold that needs to be met before developing retail,” he said.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

MANUFACTURING

Manufacturing jobs on the rise in Benton, Franklin counties

Regional manufacturing jobs to grow 1.84 percent this year BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Manufacturing jobs in Benton and Franklin counties are expected to grow at a faster rate than the state average as food manufacturing rebounds in 2019. Locally, there are more than 8,100 manufacturing jobs, which accounts for about 7 percent of total nonfarm employment in 2018, according to the state Employment Security Department, or ESD. In Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, total nonfarm employment increased by 3,192 jobs (2.8 percent) in 2018 over the previous year. Manufacturing jobs increased by 150, or nearly 2 percent, during the same period. Statewide, manufacturing job estimates show an increase of 3,492 job, or 1.2 percent. Total estimated employment in the state was slightly over 3.4 million in 2018, with 287,225 of those positions qualifying as manufacturing positions. For 2019, regional manufacturing jobs are projected to grow at a rate of 1.84 percent, while the rest of the state will contin-

ue a slow and gradual growth of 0.25 percent, according to the ESD. Pasco boasts the most manufacturing jobs in the two-county area. The most dominant occupational group for manufacturing in the region? Production operations. The largest employing occupation? Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders. Other positions increasing locally over the years are: welders, cutters, solderers and brazers; structural metal fabricators and fitters; machinists; and production workers. Jobs decreasing in the region include: inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers and weighers; and cutting and slicing machine setters, operators and testers. The political climate can take a toll on manufacturing growth, with the biggest impact usually coming from consumer spending confidence, said Ajsa Suljic, the ESD’s regional labor economist. However, she also noted that food manufacturing tends to be affected by political actions. “Manufacturers who export their products tend to feel the impacts at a greater rate than those who (sell) on the national level,”

Jeremiah Johnson, FruitSmart’s dry production supervisor, works the packaging line at the company’s Prosser warehouse. FruitSmart recently added dry production to its Prosser facility. Previously, the building was used solely for dry and frozen product storage.

she said. One of the main reasons for the decrease in manufacturing positions in general is automation. Agriculture and manufacturing are two of the leading sectors in automation adoption and innovation, Suljic said.

Advances in technology allow companies to cut labor costs, increase productivity and output, be more competitive and increase market relevance on the global scale. However, automation doesn’t mean employers aren’t hiring. uMANUFACTURING, Page 40

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

MANUFACTURING, From page 39 “Some of the most advanced automation in manufacturing has been quality control,” said Suljic, explaining that laser, sensor and visual detectors and sizer machines have perfected quality control for many years now. “(But) job automation can and has led to the creation of jobs in other areas, such as research and development, marketing, programming, software development and robotic management. As we look at population growth as the future labor supply, it points to an even greater need for automation for the jobs that are repetitive and don’t require as much human intellectual capital. The work force will need to, as a result of automation, engage more systematically with new machines as part of retooling of

their skills as well as staying relevant in the work force.” Some of the positions more immune to automation — especially in food manufacturing — are managerial, product development, marketing and maintenance, she added. According to the National Manufacturers Association, or NMA, manufacturers contributed $2.33 trillion to the U.S. economy in the first quarter of 2018. For every $1 spent on manufacturing, $1.89 more is added to the economy, NMA reported. There are currently more than 12 million manufacturing workers in the United States, which accounts for 8.6 percent of the entire work force. Even though the industry has fallen in favor of automation for manufactur-

Manufacturing ing positions, Suljic said local manufacturers are having a hard time filling experienced supervisory or managerial roles. “Most of the manufacturing employers are looking for skills, knowledge and abilities in individuals who are willing to work in teams, learn and develop on the job,” Suljic said. “The interest in manufacturing is much different than 20 to 30 years ago. Our work force will need to be trained for the future, which requires more training in science, technology, engineering and math than manual labor.” To help introduce students and get them excited about careers in the field, schools such as the Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick offers welding technology programs and Columbia

Basin College in Pasco offers degrees in manufacturing technology. The NMA reported that the average manufacturing worker in the United States earned $84,832 annually in 2017, including pay and benefits. The average worker in nonfarm industries earned $66,847 annually. Over the next decade, nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs likely will be needed nationally and 2 million are expected to go unfilled due to the skills gap, the NMA said. Suljic said future careers in the field include stationary engineers and boiler operators, quality assurance and project development, branding and marketing and logistics, to name a few. “Most of the time, to get a higher position, experience is needed along with education,” she said. “Individuals interested in manufacturing could plan out their careers of interest and follow the career ladder to their desired position, or have a clear sense of where they want to be 20 or 30 years down in their careers.”

uBOARDS • The following were appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee in January to various boards and commissions: Andrew Klein, of Pasco, to the Building Code Council, with a term ending January 2022. Klein is on the board of the Benton-Franklin Economic Development District; Phillip Lemley, Richland City Council member, to the Building Code Council, with term ending in January 2022; Terry Murphy, of Richland, Medical Quality Insurance Commission, with term ending in June. Murphy is chief of staff and an emergency room physician at Prosser Memorial Health. • Michelle Clary, CEO and Senior Wealth Advisor of Piton Wealth in Kennewick, will join the board of directors of InFaith Com munity Foundation. She is one of 28 Michelle Clary active Thrivent Financial professionals to be named to InFaith’s Hall of Honor for her exemplary service serving clients’ charitable interests. • The following people joined the Kadlec Foundation Board of Trustees in January: Alma Feil, vice president of business development for HAPO Community Credit Union; Kristin Sweezea, regional sales director of south Washington for New Home Star, WA LLC; and Roy Wu, who owns Home Instead Senior Care in Kennewick along with his wife Paula. • Ron Johnson was appointed to the Benton REA Board of Trustees to fill the position left vacant by Mark Platt, who retired in June. He moved to West Richland after retiring from the Kent Fire Department, where he served for 31 years and ended his career with the rank of fire captain.

MANUFACTURING

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Richland company adds new manufacturing plant, robotic automation Plastic Injection Molding expansion allows for improved capacity, speed

Van Dorn molding machine. The plant also can handle secondary operations such as tooling, welding, A north Richland company is poised assembly and packaging. for growth with the addition of a new The $3.1 million expansion project will 28,000-square-foot manufacturing plant allow the company to add a 400-ton plasin the back of its existing building that tic injection machine, which means new includes a 4,000-square-foot mezzanine. capabilities to manufacture bigger plastic Plastic Injection Molding Inc. manu- parts. factures filter body parts for agricultural “We’re limited to building parts that irrigation, special parts for medical diag- are 12-by-12 inches and weigh a little nostic equipment, and snap-on dials for over 20 ounces,” Williams said. optical sporting The company also equipment like will have additional “We want to grow rangefinders at 2695 space for more toolBattelle Blvd. our capabilities ing machines to build The 23-year-old more of its own and be more company also can molds. manufacture whimsiefficient.” Currently, Plastic cal things, like the Injection Molding colored plastic rings - Ken Williams, owner, creates 25 percent of kids reach for while Plastic Injection Molding its own molds inriding on the Gesa house and are at 80 Carousel of Dreams. percent capacity for a (The company donatsingle shift. Williams said he hopes to ed the rings to the Kennewick nonprofit.) have enough equipment for an extended Plastic Injection Molding’s roster of single shift, running from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. clients includes Cadwell Labs, Pacific every day. Northwest National Laboratory, Battelle “We do lose out of most jobs from Memorial Institute, Fluor Hanford and speed of building or getting the job to Leupold & Stevens, among others. Owner Ken Williams said that nearly market. We lose them because they may 30 percent of the company’s jobs are need the parts in two weeks instead of local, with the rest from the Northwest eight,” he said. “We want to grow our capabilities and be more efficient.” region and beyond. The ultimate goal is to make molds “When we started the company, it was just (my wife) Sharon and I,” Williams faster, he said. The computer numerical said. “Now we are 15 people, and we keep control machines would be running in adding equipment and auxiliary machines. parallel, significantly decreasing the time it takes to get plastic parts into production. We’ve outgrown the building we’re in.” The plant also needs a bigger space for Plastic Injection Molding currently has nine injection molding machines and one another reason: robots. in storage — the biggest being a 230-ton “We’ll have more space between BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Ken Williams stands inside his new 28,000-square-foot Plastic Injection Molding manufacturing plant at 2695 Battelle Blvd. in north Richland. The new plant will allow the company to bring new capabilities, including new robotics technology.

machines and add robots to add automation,” Williams said. “Workers will be able to focus on more value-added tasks other than just pulling parts from machines.” He hopes to add one this year and four to five more in 2020. The robots are custom made for injection molding and can pull parts out of the machine without setting them on the conveyor. They also can sort and identify reject parts and perform basic quality control. “That’ll mean we can run machines longer. We’re adding capacity without adding more people, trying to get rid of repetitive tasks and remain competitive,” Williams said. The Williams family founded the company in 1996 with the help of Ken’s grandfather, John Recter, founder of Western Sintering Co. in Richland. Ken’s father was a material scientist who worked on material research for Hanford and later went on to start Kiona Vineyards. “I grew up around and seeing what

manufacturing was,” Williams said. He was working in information technology support for manufacturing companies in Seattle when he took the leap to start his own manufacturing company with the support of his grandfather. “Grandpa Rector was interested in building a plastic company,” Williams said. “He said he had five good years left in him — he was 79 at the time — and the time and money and needed a project, so we formed a corporation and we moved back to Richland, bought 20 acres from the city, and built Plastic Injection Molding from the ground up.” Williams said it wasn’t easy at the beginning. “For a time, we had no sales and lost a ton of money, but we slowly built our customer base and eventually paid off all our debts,” Williams said. Williams said he expects to receive the city’s occupancy permit in the next three months and that’s when they’ll start moving machines over to the new building.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Manufacturing

PNNL collaborates with medical isotope producers BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The ANSTO nuclear medicine facility in Lucas Heights, Australia, will triple Mo-99 production to meet both Australia’s domestic demand and 25 percent to 30 percent of global demand. This medicine is used in more than 45 million procedures worldwide. (Courtesy ANSTO)

Medical isotopes are used daily around the world to visualize and diagnose cancer, heart disease and other serious ailments. However, their production can emit gasses that, while posing no danger to the public, have features that look similar to those produced by a nuclear explosion. The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland is working with production facilities around the world to install monitors that will help understand more about the levels and timing of these emissions. Using that information, governments

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and agencies watching for signatures of nuclear explosions can more easily assess their readings and ensure that emissions from medical isotope production are not misinterpreted. PNNL worked with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation to install a detector system at ANSTO’s medical isotope production facility in Lucas Heights, Australia, in the fall. Previously, the Institute for Radioelements in Fleurus, Belgium, installed a monitor in its effluent stack. Both IRE and ANSTO produce the medical isotope Molybdenum99, or Moly-99, by irradiating uranium in a reactor. Gaseous fission products, like the isotopes of xenon, are released in the process, increasing worldwide background levels of this gas. “These first-of-their kind sensor systems, one in each hemisphere, will help with international measurements for detecting underground nuclear explosions,” said Judah Friese, principal investigator at PNNL, in a news release. “While these are the first companies to install these systems, more installations are planned at locations around the globe to increase confidence in international nuclear explosion monitoring.” The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization notes that four radioxenon isotopes are possible indicators of a nuclear explosion and may provide forensic evidence for analysts. CTBTO PrepCom analysts track airborne radioxenon through the International Monitoring System. PNNL scientists are experts in developing methods of detecting extremely low levels of radioactive isotopes. While the monitors being installed in the stacks are off-the-shelf devices, they’ve been slightly modified to PNNL specifications. “It’s important to understand the levels and timing of xenon released by medical isotope facilities the world over, which is significant but relatively uncharted until now,” Friese said. “Stack release data will support the job of analysts monitoring the globe for nuclear explosions.” PNNL is working with the U.S. Departments of State and Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration to install additional detectors via a project called STAX, or Source Term Analysis of Xenon. There are currently no companies in the United States that produce Moly-99 through the fission of uranium, PNNL said. However, about 40,000 Americans receive doses of Technetium-99m each day, typically to diagnose cancer, heart disease and other serious health conditions. The network of stack monitors will confidentially transmit data to a central database for compilation, analysis, and screening, PNNL said. Eventually, the data created by these stack monitors will be used in a model that predicts xenon levels in the atmosphere. In the event of a suspected nuclear explosion, this knowledge can quickly rule out unrelated sources of xenon.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

uBOARDS • The Tri-City Association of Realtors has named the following board members for 2019: Dave Shinabarger of Smart Realtors, president; John Keltch of Windermere, Group One/Tri-Cities, president elect; Cindy House of Keller Williams TriCities, vice president; Cari McGee of Keller Williams Tri-Cities, secretary/treasurer; Jeff Smart of Smart Realtors, immediate past president.

uCERTIFICATIONS • Cory Briggs of Petersen Hastings in Kennewick has earned the certified financial planner designation. • BlockChyp, a payment technology startup based in Kennewick’s Southridge area, has completed Level 3 EMV certification with North American Bancard’s EPX processing platform, bridging the gap between conventional credit card networks and blockchain technology. Obtaining this certification enables BlockChyp to start processing live transactions for American Express, Discover, Visa and MasterCard immediately.

uELECTIONS • Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, was sworn in as a state representative for the 8th Legislative District. Boehnke will serve as the assistant ranking member of the House Innovation, Technology and Economic Development Committee and will service on the House Transportation and Environment Energy committees. • Rep. Skyler Rude, R-Walla Walla, was sworn in as a state representative for the 16th Legislative District. He will service on the House Appropriations Committee as an assistant ranking Republican as well as serving on the House College and Workforce Development and the House Education committees. • Charles (Chuck) Torelli was selected by the Kennewick City Council to serve in the at-large city council position through the December to replace the position left vacant by Matt Boehnke.

uGRANT • Second Harvest received a $92,000 grant from Tyson Foods to increase capacity of the agency’s Pasco distribution center to source and distribute more healthy food for people in need. The grant will provide Second Harvest with a pallet racking system and forklift to maximize existing warehouse space and streamline costs. The expanded storage capacity will make it possible to secure and distribute 445,000 pounds of additional donated fresh produce and other healthy food — the equivalent of 371,000 meals — in the next 12 months.

Legislative session focused on spending, taxes BY KRIS JOHNSON

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The 66th Legislature convened Jan. 14 and is slated to end April 28. During that time, the top job for lawmakers is to craft the state’s two-year operating budget. The good news is they have record tax collections to work with — more than $50 billion for the 2019-21 budget cycle. To put that into perspective, in 2011-13 the state collected $31.3 billion in tax revenue. This revenue growth was illustrated in a large display last fall at the Association of Washington Business’s annual Policy Summit. The tallest of the revenue lines was over 6-feet tall. That was the projection for 2021-23, when state coffers are expected to take in more than $53 billion. At the other end of the chart, the line showing was just over three-and-a-half feet tall. Based predominantly on the strength of the economy, growing at a rate consistently better than the U.S. average post-recession, the state’s income has surged. Yet lawmakers are pushing for new and higher taxes this year. Gov. Jay Inslee’s budget proposes $3.7 billion in new and additional taxes, bringing the two-year state budget to $54.4 billion — a more than 22 percent increase in spending over the current budget and a near doubling of state spending in just six years. Included in his tax proposal: A 9 percent capital gains tax, the largest of eight proposals since 2013; a 67 percent

increase in business and occupation tax for service-sector businesses; and, higher real estate excise tax, or REET, through a retooling of the current REET structure. Each of these taxes would hit smallbusiness owners especially hard. The capital gains tax would be particularly painful. That’s because many small-business owners have invested all their savings into their business with the hope of one day selling to fund their retirement. That transaction would be subject to the proposed capital gains tax, eating into the life savings of hard-working entrepreneurs. The capital gains tax and others are needed, says the governor, because Washington’s tax system is the most “regressive.” Last July, the Washington Research Council published a report that effectively debunked that myth. All state and local tax structures are regressive, the Research Council noted, but the overall federal-state-local tax burden ends up being progressive when the federal income tax — which is steeply progressive — is considered. That’s true in every state, including Washington. By digging into the details of a 2015 report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, which is generally cited as the source for the claim that Washington’s system is the most regressive, the Research Council found two major errors that change the way Washington’s tax system should be regarded. So while critics like to disparage

Washington’s revenue system as an outdated relic, it’s hard to argue with the results it has produced. Of course, we can always find ways to improve the system and Kris Johnson we absolutely Association of Washington should be lookBusiness ing for ways to make it work better for employers and families. At the same time, we shouldn’t dismiss the parts of the system that are working well and wind up bringing about unintended consequences. The governor’s budget would reduce the amount of state reserves from $3 billion to $2.8 billion. This time of extraordinary tax growth is the time to build reserves, not draw them down. As lawmakers consider the governor’s tax proposals and others, we hope they will consider the incredible growth spurt Washington’s revenue has experienced over the last decade and ask themselves the question: Do we really have a revenue problem? Or do we have a spending problem? Kris Johnson is the president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and designated manufacturing association.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Gas prices in Benton and Franklin counties are among the cheapest in the state, averaging $2.44 per gallon for regular on Feb. 1.

Tri-City gas prices among lowest in state BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The price to fill up the gas tank in the Tri-Cities is cheaper than it’s been in a long time — and among the cheapest in the state. The average price per gallon for regular gas in the Tri-Cities is $2.44, which is nearly 14 percent cheaper than it was a year ago, according to the AAA Gas Prices website. It’s 18 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The price per gallon a year ago was $2.83, or 39 cents cheaper. The statewide average is $2.88 per gallon because most of the gas stations on the west side of the state are charging $3.48 a gallon to $2.88 a gallon,

according to AAA. It’s a typical trend for the east side of the state to boast lower gas prices, said Kelly Just, spokeswoman for AAA Washington. Eastern Washington gets its gas from refineries in the mountain region, while the west side of the state receives it from the coastal regions, Just said. Pump prices in the West Coast region are the highest in the nation, with all the region’s states landing on the nation’s top most expensive list, according to a AAA report released Feb. 11. The nationwide average is $2.28 per gallon.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Read between the leaves: Tea is good brew for you BY MARILOU SHEA

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Did you know that for every cup of coffee consumed daily in the world three cups of tea are consumed? Or that next to water, tea is the most consumed beverage the world over? There are more than 1,500 varieties of tea varying in color and taste. Consumers today are beginning to think of tea with the same devotion as coffee, especially here in the United States, primarily because of its vast assortment, applications and perceived health benefits. Green tea has been the darling of the industry for the last few years, going from health food co-op groupies to mainstream consumers in a nano-second, thanks to being featured on the Dr. Oz show and in brand giants like Arizona, Lipton, Gold Peak, Fuze, Nestea, Teas’ Tea, Peace Tea, and Honest Tea, just to name a few. But there’s more to the tea trends than just the green kind. One nifty one is that we may see a new neighbor joining the local coffee scene in the form of a “tea bar.” Craft tea blending, nitro tea on tap and even tea cocktails will start appearing in some of your favorite hip, urban locales. You could even consider becoming a tea-tender. As I mentioned in last month’s column, Kombucha, or fermented tea, is seeing a comeback from the 1970s the likes of which is segmenting an already wildly segmented industry. Gutconscious consumers are driving the birth of a variety of home-grown Kombuchas at boutique/lifestyle hotels and chef-driven, trendy food spots. The goal is to consume the least-processed beverages while increasing probiotics which in turn pleases the immune system. While 18- to 34-year-olds in particular love their ready-to-drink tea, all tea segments — including traditional, ready-to-drink, food service and specialty — have grown in recent years. According to the U.S. Tea Association, the total U.S. wholesale value of the tea industry has more than quadrupled — from $1.8 billion in 1990 to $10.8 billion in 2014 and the upward trajectory continues to climb. The root of tea is steeped in folklore, economics and politics. According to scholars, the origins of the very first tea cup can be found in the Yunnan province of China in 2737 BC. As legend has it, Chinese emperor Shen Nung, also a reputable herbalist, was sitting beneath a tree while his servant boiled water for him to drink. Several leaves flew from a Camellia sinensis tree into the water, the emperor liked what he tasted and voila!

The Buddhist monks introduced tea to Japan. Portuguese and Dutch traders and missionaries brought it to Europe from the Marilou Shea island of Java. Food Truck Although tea is Academy often associated with the Brits, it really wasn’t until a tea-addicted Portuguese princess married a British royal and introduced it at court in 1658 that the Brits finally began their own love affair with the beverage known at the time as “China Drink,” called by the Chinese “tcha,” by other nations “tay,” or “tee.” (hee!). The tea industry is thriving and not surprisingly many nations lay claim to it today — from Nepal to India, from Britain to Malawi and beyond. British companies continue to play a leading role in the world’s tea trade but neither China nor Britain have a monopoly on the industry as they did in the 1800s. Although it’s the biggest consumer of their own tea (ahem), China produces more than 18.5 percent of the world’s tea supply. The most common varietals -and easily accessible in your local retail outlets — are green, oolong, white, flavored and compressed teas. Mulanje, Malawi, is credited with being the tea pioneer in Africa. It was the first to commercially harvest tea in the 1880s and is responsible for tea cultivation expansion to other African countries. Tea-producing countries in Africa include Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa. They produce about 30 percent of world exports amounting to some 514,742 tons of made tea. Recent scientific research indicates that tea drinking may have direct health benefits but “indicates” is the operative word. I spoke with a local food industry expert and she said that many of these trends like probiotics, antioxidants and fermented yumminess have yet to be studied by the scientific community. Those published reports are critical to consumers because they have proven data that supports health claims being made by a host of leaf-reading, cup-toting organizations. So maybe we should take the health benefit claims with a grain of sugar? To help de-mystify the health benefits of tea, there are two key terms to know and understand: antioxidants and flavonoids. In everyday living, we expose ourselves to pollution and at times too much sun. Free radicals arise naturally during the chemical process “in the air” and can be bad for our

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health. While I’m familiar with the term from my favorite skincare brand ambassadors wailing about free radical damage to my skin, they are also apparently the culprits in diseases like heart disease, stroke and cancers. To counteract those nasty free radicals, it’s been suggested that by consistently consuming food and beverages rich in antioxidants that soak up the free radicals helps us get back to a more healthy, natural state of being. Omm. Tea is brimming with an antioxidant called flavonoids. According to the UK Tea & Infusions Association, there is about eight times the amount of “anti-oxidant power” in three cups of tea than there is in one apple. Wow. Every time you brew a

cuppa two for up to one minute, you about get 140 milligrams of flavonoids. To achieve the maximum health benefits from tea, four cups of tea a day is recommended. Some would also say that tea also has a soothing effect which could also qualify as a health benefit, right? It tastes good, it’s supposedly good for you and you may have a teatending job in your future. What’s not to love? 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.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Business Profile

Picture Yourself provides create-it-yourself studio space Family-owned business also offers photography classes BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Jim and Karen Pridemore have opened a new business at 627 The Parkway in Richland that aims to create lasting memories. Picture Yourself is a create-it-yourself studio for photography and videography in which customers can rent studio time by the hour or pay for a monthly membership. The company offers various price packages. With studio time, a customer can hire their own photographer or videographer, using the studio’s many different sets or costumes. The studio comes with 203 backdrops and an infinity wall. In addition, Picture Yourself offers classes for students of all skill levels, including cellphones. The Pridemores are relatively new to the Mid-Columbia. They owned Ashton Photography in Oviedo, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. “We’ve been in the photography business for 25 years,” Jim Pridemore said. Their original business was in publishing, advertising and printing. But Pridemore saw an opportunity with the

way the digital camera market was taking off. The self-taught Pridemore changed direction and opened a one-hour photo studio in Florida, taking pictures of subjects and getting the results back to them in one hour. He made his first sale in 1998. But a melanoma cancer scare changed his philosophy on life. “I wanted to spend more time with our grandkids,” he said. Many of those grandkids live in the Tri-Cities and Tacoma, so a move seemed inevitable. “Karen came three years ago. I arrived one and a half years ago, and our son Tyler came last year after graduating from the University of Central Florida,” Jim said. But retiring and living a leisurely life is not Jim’s style. “I retired for four months,” said Jim, who has been an entrepreneur since he was 19 years old. Jim and Karen have been taking students’ pictures at various Tri-City preschools. Jim introduces himself to preschoolers as Mr. Stinky Feet to get them to relax and smile for their pictures. But he also started looking at the local photography market and realized

Jim Pridemore, Tyler Pridemore and Karen Pridemore stand in front of a wall filled with children’s costumes at Picture Yourself’s studio at 627 The Parkway in Richland. The business’ create-it-yourself studio for photography and videography allows customers to rent studio time by the hour or pay for a monthly membership. Picture Yourself also offers photography classes.

there really wasn’t a place where people could come and have photos taken, whether they were to do it themselves or hire someone. “The portrait market has struggled,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of photographers say they can’t compete with mom with a camera. But I’m trying to lay a foundation. I think the way to handle a soccer mom is to befriend her and help her.” He and his wife taught photography classes in Florida, and they always sold out.

So they’ve brought classes to their studio. The first one sold out last month. Jim said local photographers Allen Johnson and Sonja Yearsley have agreed to teach some classes too. But the Pridemores also have another mission with this studio, and that’s where their son, Tyler, comes in. Tyler is on the autism spectrum and because of that, the Pridemores were long involved with the University of Central Florida’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities program. uPICTURE, Page 48

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Business Profile

Pasco trenching company buys longtime septic tank business C and E Trenching has been digging dirt for 25 years BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Curtis Wray can be pretty self-effacing and humble. When asked what he sees his company, C and E Trenching LLC and himself doing in five years, he said he doesn’t know how to do anything else. His father, Everett Wray, bought the business in 1994 — then called Deano’s Trenching — from Dean and Pam Gilmore. “I think he bought this trenching business to keep me out of trouble,” joked Curtis, now in his 40s. “He probably Curtis Wray didn’t think I could do well in college.” Curtis graduated from Pasco High in 1994, a month after the Wray family took over the company. Since then, Curtis has become the major owner of a business that has grown at a pretty steady rate, including the recent acquisition of another Tri-City company. C and E also built a new 3,300-square-foot office at 3815 N. Glade Road in Pasco last year. C and E offers three major services: industrial contracting, helping companies with a from-the-ground-up project or to make improvements on an existing plant or warehouse; commercial excavation services, such as developing raw land, building a new commercial building, or helping improve a parking lot; and agricultural trenching services, like working on a main irrigation line or system, ponds or stack yards. Back when it started, the small-family operation had a few employees. They’d dig trenches for the agriculture industry around the Columbia Basin. “I was part time up until 2000, then I went to full time,” Curtis said. Today, “we have 30 to 35 employees,”

depending on the time of the year. Digging trenches has been in the family blood for years. “My grandpa was a dairy farmer back in Kansas,” Curtis said. “In his 50s, he decided he wanted to start a backhoe business. Why? That’s not something you do in your 50s. My dad helped him some.” By the early 1990s, Everett moved to Pasco with his family and began managing a dairy farm before buying the trenching company. In 1997, C and E became licensed to install septic systems in Benton and Franklin counties. Last month, C and E completed the purchase of Ray’s Twilight Septic Tank Co., changing the name to Ray’s Twilight Septic Service. “Ray’s was an opportunity that popped up,” Curtis said. “Ray’s started in 1954. We heard in 1998 that he was selling and we offered to purchase the company. But another man bought the company and ran it until now.” This time, C and E bought the small company, which has one employee and a single truck. “But we get calls frequently for septic tank work,” Curtis said. It’s another opportunity for Curtis to

C and E Trenching of Pasco continues to grow, with the recent acquisition of a septic tank company and moving into a larger office on North Glade Road. The company began in 1994 with a focus on digging trenches on farms and has expanded to include industrial contracting and commercial excavation services. (Courtesy C and E Trenching)

work on another business. “I haven’t ever really started a business, but I really like refining them,” he said. It’s about adapting and growing. Do the job and don’t worry so much about success. “The key to our success is we have very slowly grown over the years, slow and steady,” Curtis said. “This area is great to do business in. We started working for the local farmers. As their needs grew, we grew. The majority of our work is government, roughly 60 percent. Agriculture is maybe 20 percent. The rest is commercial.”

The company recently finished work on the first phase of the Vista Field development project in Kennewick. Curtis said most people may not know what his company does for a project, but he and his employees get satisfaction as they drive by a job site knowing they played a role. “It’s great when you take it from raw land and turn it into something,” Curtis said. The work may not involve a lot of housing subdivisions for C and E, but it does involve streets and farmland, especially irrigation and main lines. uTRENCHING, Page 48

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

PICTURE, From page 46 “We realized there is a problem,” Jim said. “What is there for kids once they get out of high school? What happens to a young person? They get stereotyped in jobs like dishwasher, working on typing on a computer in a cubby.” Jim said those young people need jobs that offer good repetitive skills. Tyler was lucky. It took him two interview attempts, but he got a job working at Bush Car Wash. “TJ Bush realized something was going on in the first interview and called him back again and hired him,” Jim said. “We are indebted to TJ Bush and his brothers. They stepped up. But we realize there is a void out there for people Tyler’s age.” To that end, the Pridemores plan on having classes in photography, videography

and graphic arts for young people on the “We’re working hard to define the proautism spectrum. fessional photography component still,” he Eventually, Jim said, they could work at said. the studio with cusThe use of the stutomers. dio can help improve “Our goal is to give their skills, he said. “Our policy is if them a big chunk of “So we’ve added a the sales. It creates you don’t like your professional memberincome for them,” Jim ship to our plan. The photo, we’ll fix it said. “We’re going to pro can come in and apply for a grant. use everything we or take them over have; I can assist Grant writing is startagain.” them or just stay out ing next week, and we of their way, for $89 a hope to have classes - Jim Pridmore, co-owner, month. That includes in position in the next of Picture Yourself two hours of studio 60 days.” time a month that if That’s one goal the they wanted to, they Pridemores have. The other is to help young professional photog- could break that up into four half-hour sessions.” raphers.

In a region of almost 300,000 people, there should be plenty of business to go around. “The vision there is to help grow their business,” Jim said. “Giving them (studio) space helps their credibility. We’re trying to help them with their image. Now, we’re not saints. We’re not giving this away.” The business — which took Jim two years to form, with a plan and trademarked name — has been open for two months. But the family hopes to get plenty of customers — including the group of mothers he recently had in the studio with their toddlers, all playing dress-up and taking group pictures. “Customer experience and service is No. 1,” he said. “Our policy is if you don’t like your photo, we’ll fix it or take them over again.” But the long-term goal is bigger than business. “I really want to focus spending time helping other people,” he said, referring to kids on the autism spectrum and young photographers. Picture Yourself: 627 The Parkway; 509-578-1610; Facebook. TRENCHING, From page 47 “But we really enjoy building ponds,” he said, explaining that ponds are the kind that hold thousands of gallons of irrigation water for farms. “We try to fit in where the customer needs us.” Curtis’ job is to find those customers. “Part of my job is to go out and get bids,” he said. “But three of our guys also do estimates. And we have three guys who are project managers.” He trusts his people to get the job done. “We have been blessed,” he said. “We’re not an overnight sensation. We have a great team. We have profit sharing. It’s the kind of philosophy we take in this business. Give a team a stake in the business by sharing the profits. That’s a huge thing. Because I want partners.” He’s also expecting more partners down the road. “If we hit normal percentages (of revenue), we’ll add a couple more employees this year,” he said. And maybe Curtis didn’t spend much time in college, but he’s found a way to be creative. He writes stories on the company’s website under the title, “Latest Dirt.” They could be about an interaction he had with a person he just met or longtime residents. But whatever it is, it gives his company a more personal feel. “This Basin has been good to our family,” Curtis said. “I still talk to some of the original pioneers, although there are not as many of them anymore.” But in his way, Curtis feels he is providing a valuable service to those pioneers, many of whom are customers. “It is fun to add value to people’s lives,” he said. “We’re not too proud to dig dirt. We have done it and we enjoy it.” That’s why the company proudly states on its website: “Digging dirt since 1994 in Eastern Washington.” C and E Trenching: 3813 N. Glade Road, Pasco; candetrenching.com; 509545-6940; Facebook.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

Local or out-of-town attorney? Go local BY BEAU RUFF

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

When businesses need attorneys to assist on either day-to-day matters (e.g. labor and employment issues) or oncein-a-lifetime matters (e.g. selling the business), the business will need to choose whether to engage and rely upon local counsel or seek the services of an attorney located in a larger metropolitan area. Generally, the business should seek local representation. I will first dispense with (at least some) of the obvious bias. Though I am a local attorney, I am no longer engaged in the active practice of law… for the most part. I am not seeking to represent any local business. Bias may still exist but is somewhat mitigated by this perspective. I was previously an attorney with the Kennewick law firm of Leavy Schultz Davis. At the time, I was an active member of the local bar association and our law firm sought representation on a matter that required an outside attorney’s assistance, we chose to engage a local attorney. In my current capacity, I have the occasion to assist clients in finding competent attorney representation. In the vast majority of cases, I refer to local attorneys. Why do I continue to turn to local counsel when there are arguably more specialized attorneys elsewhere? An attorney located in a larger metropolitan area (“Big City Lawyer”) may have greater expertise in the area of law in which his or her assistance is sought. However, I think the Big City Lawyer often fails in several regards. First, the Big City Lawyer often doesn’t know or get to know the business. Second, the Big City Lawyer charges hourly rates that can easily be double the rates charged by local attorneys (if you can even imagine it to be possible). And, somehow, even though arguably more of an expert on the matter, the time spent — somehow — is greater than the time spent on the same matter by a local attorney. For example, a local attorney may charge $300/ hour to complete project X and do so in four hours. In my experience, I often see the Big City Lawyer touted as the expert complete the same project at $500/hour in seven hours, plus charge for paralegal time at $250 an hour for a complete project costing triple or quadruple the local attorney charge. One would expect the expert to spend less time and with that time saved make up the difference in hourly rates. In my experience, such is not often the case. Undoubtedly, it can be difficult for any person to find the right attorney. Attorneys practice in specialized fields and it can be hard to find the specific skills you seek. And, once found, the consumer must then hope the attorney possesses reasonably good and fair business skills (e.g. reasonably responsive, charging reasonable rates, providing reasonable expectations for scope of work, regular billing and timely

completion). Combined, the search can be difficult, but such is the case with any professional, in town or out. Local attorBeau Ruff neys have more Cornerstone familiarity with Wealth Strategies local counsel (that they may be opposing on the matter), they have more familiarity with the judges (that may be deciding the case), and they have more familiarity with the local court rules. Local attorneys also will not normally need to charge travel fees and costs to perform the work necessary for the project. All of these realities bode well for choosing local. With many areas of the law, some amount of training might be necessary. For example, even though an attorney has practiced in agricultural law and contracts, your business may sell soybeans to China. And, that local attorney has never drafted an international sales contract for the purchase of soybeans. There would likely be industry norms and practices that the client would need to convey to the attorney (i.e. teach the attorney the industry). But, I think it unlikely that the client would be able to find an attorney trained in that same area in Spokane. And, if there was one in Seattle, the search would be incredibly difficult given the more than 13,000 attorneys licensed to practice law in King County, according to the Washington State Bar Association. With the lower fees and ease of access, I would prefer to establish a long-term relationship with the local attorney and share with him or her the industry and grow together. There are times when the Big City Lawyer is helpful. Regrettably, we have a deficit of talent in select areas of the law. For example, if you have a patent idea from your experience in biological engineering, you might have trouble finding a suitable local patent attorney (though there is at least one practicing patent attorney locally). So, in some cases, the legal specialty is woefully underrepresented locally. Such is the exception and not the rule. If you are seeking an attorney, ask people you know — especially attorneys — whom they might recommend. For example, if you know a divorce attorney or criminal attorney, ask who they regard in the field of business law or labor or whatever your needs. Get input from several attorneys, but my advice is to try local first. Attorney Beau Ruff works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a fullservice independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ February 2019

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

PUBLIC RECORD uBANKRUPTCIES 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. Information provided by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Spokane.

CHAPTER 7 Brock Williams, 10 N. McKinley St., Kennewick. Alejandro and Priscilla A. Delgado, 8408 Studebaker Drive, Pasco. Manolo Carrillo, PO Box 2131, Pasco. Maira L. Vasquez, 4108 Larado Drive, Pasco. Jose M. Perez and Fabiola V. Morales, 803 N. 20th, Pasco. Douglas W. Smith and Pamela M. Robinson-Smith, 3324 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Jeremiah Pena, 475 E. 15th Place, Kennewick. Martha Y O. Valencia, 5501 W. Hildebrand Blvd., Kennewick. Barry Bergstrom, 208403 E. Finley Road, Kennewick. Michael J. and Kerry A. Wheeler, 2216 S. Rainier St., Kennewick. Noe and Blanca Ayala, 8721 Taylor Flats Road, Pasco. Jerry L. Myhres, 3320 Kennedy Road, West Richland.

Yvonne Suarez, 1030 N. Center Parkway #318, Kennewick. Javier A. Tovar, Jr., 1600 Longfitt St., Richland. Erika Montez, 1913 Riverview Drive, Pasco. Oscar A. Castro, 320 W. 11th Ave., Kennewick. Ramona Dexter, 1015 Margaret St., Prosser. Paul and Tonya Goulet, 212604 E. Bowles Road, Kennewick. David B. Martin, PO Box 148, Prosser. Amy R. Williams, 1414 Hunt Ave., Richland. Maria D. S. Garcia, 1000 W. Fifth Ave., Kennewick. Tomie L. and Jamie L. Stephens, 1203 N. Union St., Kennewick. Andres and Gloria E. Carr, 5801 Thistledown Drive, Pasco. Eli O. Garcia, PO Box 365, Pasco. David Schick, 4415 Messara Lane, Pasco. Gloria Kaufmann, PO Box 821, Connell. Amy F. Ramirez, 5916 Westport Lane, Pasco. Barnabas Kover, 294 S. 39th Ave., West Richland. Daniel L. and Marisol Smith, 4215 Sedona Drive, Pasco. Rigoberto P. and Sugey P. Salas, 1327 N. 24th Ave., Pasco. Candido T. Carbonell, 1539 W. Pearl St., Pasco. Benjamin D.E. Clark, 3112 W. John Day Ave., Kennewick. Josefina C. Cardenas, 1125 W. Nixon St., Pasco. Andrew M. Clark, 6507 Ruth Drive, Pasco. Nathan and Monica Michel, 8207 Langara Drive, Pasco. Matthew Hernandez and Mia Dickenson, 1512 W. Ella St., Pasco. Katie A. Davis, 4600 W. 14th Ave., Kennewick.

Karla Krause, 14116 E. Third Ave., Kennewick. Antonio Gonzalez, 2112 N. 12th Ave., Pasco. Andrea V. Boehler, 4720 Sirocco Drive, Pasco. Jesse Magana, 1216 W. First, Kennewick. Douglas E. deGraff, 493 Charbonneau Drive, Richland. Leticia Villegas, 2031 W. 45th Ave., Kennewick. Jeremy A. and Raquel M. Valdez, 6105 Turf Paradise Drive, Pasco. Estella Martinez, 2320 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. Amanda P. M. Garcia, 126 S. Tweedt St., Kennewick. William R. Blanchard, 6901 Powder Drive, Pasco. Linda Patheal, 829 Ellen Ave., Prosser. CHAPTER 13 Alex J. and Melissa D. Amaro, 9313 W. Eighth Place, Kennewick. Warren D. and Krysta C. Sherman, 4983 Chukar Drive, West Richland.

uTOP PROPERTIES

Top property values listed start at $500,000 and have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.

BENTON COUNTY 11905 Cottonwood Creek Blvd., Kennewick, 2,842-square-foot, residential home on 1.34 acres. Price: $685,000. Buyer: Julian & Sheri Petersen. Seller: Jillane Raines. 73804 E. Grand Bluff Loop, Kennewick, 3,094-square-foot, residential home on 0.89 acres. Price: $690,000. Buyer: Jillane & Thomas Raines. Seller: Josue & Ashley

Gonzalez. Hanks Road and Griffin Road, Grandview, 2,840; 3,360; 672-square-foot, residential homes; 25,920-square-foot, commercial building on 32.65 acres of agricultural land. Price: $842,400. Buyer: Growth Leasing. Seller: Cipriano & Dominga Esparza. 2610 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, 1,920-square-foot, commercial building. Price: $1,720,000. Buyer: MJR Investments. Seller: SHS LLC & Christensen LLC. 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, 9,340-square-foot, commercial building on 2.98 acres. Price: $2,600,000. Buyer: Moore Properties Three. Seller: Marjorie Hays Trustee. 105507 Tripple Vista Drive, Kennewick, 2,383-square-foot, residential home on 1 acre. Price: $594,000. Buyer: John & Gloria Gonzales. Seller: Michael & Marcy McWain. 77302 E. Reata Road, Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.65 acres. Price: $633,000. Buyer: Tony & Mary Ann Ashton. Seller: Palos Verdes. Wishkah Drive and Chelan Loop, Richland, 8 lots of undeveloped land. Price: $640,500. Buyer: Hayden Homes. Seller: Richland 132. 84605 E. Wallowa Road, Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land on 0.57 acres. Price: $610,900. Buyer: Mary & William Murdock. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction. 8705 W. 11th Ave., Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land. Price: $532,100. Buyer: Jefri & Jessica Colunga. Seller: Lotts Better Built Homes. 3016 Riverbend Drive, Richland, 3,473-square-foot, residential home. Price: $537,500. Buyer: Ryan & Rebecca Johnson. Seller: Kerry & Luanne Anderson.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 52

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;˘ February 2019

PUBLIC RECORD, From page 51 83301 W. Snipes Road, Prosser, 2,536-square-foot, residential home on 56 acres of agricultural land. Price: $1,076,000. Buyer: Wyckoff Farms. Seller: Timothy Freepons. 6927 W. 23rd Ave., Kennewick, 1 lot of undeveloped land. Price: $580,000. Buyer: Tim & Lee Ann Fenske. Seller: Prodigy Homes. 286 Meadow Hills Drive, Richland, 3,068-square-foot, residential home. Price: $610,000. Buyer: Carrie Almquist. Seller: Joyce Ross Brodzinski. 91401 E. Chelsea Road, Kennewick, 2,408-square-foot, residential home on 2.5 acres. Price: $540,000. Buyer: Rodney & Catherine Harkins. Seller: Myles McCartney. 2105 Pullen St., Richland, Multi-unit apartment buildings. Price: $1,500,000. Buyer: 5D Development at Richlander Apartments. Seller: Scott Tri-City Properties. 1413 Meadow Hills Drives, Richland, 2,645-square-foot, residential home. Price: $589,000. Buyer: Gill Hardildar. Seller:

Solferino Homes. Undeveloped Location, 7.4 acres of commercial land. Price: $725,000. Buyer: 5D Development at Cottonwood. Seller: Watson Development Limited. 4978 Smitty Drive, Richland, 1 lot of undeveloped land. Price: $502,400. Buyer: David Osorrio & Laura Marquina. Seller: New Tradition Homes. 73103 E. Arena Road, Richland, 3,154-square-foot, residential home on 1.25 acres. Price: $620,000. Buyer: Mark Boast. Seller: James & Noralu Amarel. 3493 Eastlake Drive, West Richland, 3,380-square-foot, residential home on 0.92 acres. Price: $525,000. Buyer: Matthew & Sara Mesick. Seller: Mark & Elizabeth Edgren. 4002 S. Coulee Vista Drive, Kennewick, 3,036-square-foot, residential home. Price: $639,900. Buyer: Frederick & Judy Daniels. Seller: Mykola Krynytskyy. 30407 S. 944 PRE, Kennewick, 2,421-square-foot, residential home on 4 acres. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Victoria & Steven Halstead. Seller: Frederick & Judy

Daniels. 4291 & 4335 Fallon Drive, West Richland, multi-unit apartment buildings. Price: $605,000. Buyer: Ambience Holdings 2001. Seller: Mark Henderson & Deborah Lee. FRANKLIN COUNTY 4 Buttercup Court, Pasco, 2,890-squarefoot, residential home. Price: $631,000. Buyer: Craig & Kathryn Schoof. Seller: Wesley & Margaret Greydanus. 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco, multi-unit apartment buildings on 12.47 acres. Price: $44,750,000. Buyer: Crossing at Chapel Hill ICG. Seller: The Crossings at Chapel Hill. 351 E. Hawthorne St., Connell, 963-squarefoot commercial building on 4.68 acres. Price: $1,175,000. Buyer: Wile Coyote LLC. Seller: Richard & Carol Mumma. 12429 Ricky Road, Pasco, 2,485-squarefoot, residential home. Price: $525,000. Buyer: David & Wendy Greeno. Seller: Michael Detrick. 9713 Kokanee Drive, Pasco, 1 lot of unde-

veloped land. Price: $517,200. Buyer: Tom & Debra Berg. Seller: New Tradition Homes. 11732 Seahawk Court, Pasco, 3,427-squarefoot, residential home. Price: $768,000. Buyer: Lawrence Mix. Seller: Titan Homes. 2106 Frontage Road, 12,000-square-foot, commercial building. Price: $642,300. Buyer: The American Bottling Company. Seller: CocaCola Bottling Co.

uBUILDING PERMITS

Building permit values have been rounded to the nearest hundred figure.

BENTON CITY PAWAR NW, 505 Ninth St., $40,000 for a sign. Contractor: Nomad Sign Installation. City of Benton City, 1499 12th St., $15,000 for an antenna. Contractor: General Dynamics Info Telecommunications. First United Methodist Church, 906 Ninth St, $7,300 for HVAC. Contractor: Total Energy Management. BENTON COUNTY AT&T, 23401 S. Lincoln Road SW, $15,000 for an antenna. Contractor: General Dynamics Info Telecommunications. Finley School District, 224606 E. Game Farm Road, $120,000 for HVAC. Contractor: Siefken & Sons Construction. AH Properties, 106002 E. Wise Parkway, $647,200 for new commercial construction. Contractor: MH Construction. FRANKLIN COUNTY Crop Productions, 3482 Glade North Road, $473,100 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Stueve Construction. Basin City Blueberries, 2531 Rangeview Road, $21,600 for an accessory building. Contractor: owner. Chase 5, 780 Sohm Road, $12,900 for HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Sagemoor, 7161 W. Sagemoor Road, $10,600 for HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. KENNEWICK Damian Padilla, 550 E. Bruneau Ave., $1,600,000 for new commercial construction, $400,000 for commercial remodel, $178,000 for HVAC and $29,000 for plumbing. Contractors: G2 Commercial Construction, Apollo Sheet Metal and Progressive Design Plumbing. Grandridge Investments, 8101 W. Grandridge Blvd., $780,300 for tenant improvements, 69,000 for HVAC and $52,300 for plumbing. Contractors: Chervenell Construction, Bruce Heating & Air and BNB Mechanical. Columbia Mall Partnerships, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $12,600 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. City of Kennewick, 1915 W. Fourth Place, $12,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Northwest Restoration. Vista Field Industrial, 6416 W. Hood Place, $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. CK WA Corporation, 1010 E. Chemical Drive, $10,000 for HVAC. Contractor: Apollo Sheet Metal. Moreno Espinoza, 4112 W. Kennewick Ave., $6,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Innovation Roofing & Siding. Edward Rose Millennial, 10251 Ridgeline Drive, $160,600 for plumbing. Contractor: Three Rivers Mechanical. City of Kennewick, $3,148,100 for new commercial construction, $2,200,000 for mechanical and $5,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Construction, Apollo Mechanical Contractors and Columbia River Plumbing and Mechanical. Kennewick Association, 7411 W. Canal Drive, $5,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Refrigeration Plus. McDonalds, 2721 W. Kennewick Ave., $25,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: SAC Wireless. Goodwill Industries, 815 N. Kellogg St., $9,200 for HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 53

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 52 James Harvey, 1401 W. Kennewick Ave., $25,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Windsor Properties, 2615 W. Entiat Ave., $6,500 for HVAC. Contractor: Delta Heating & Cooling. TTGNY, 2410 W. Kennewick Ave., $6,800 for HVAC. Contractor: Welch Heating & Air. AAA Storage Depot, 6026 W. Clearwater Ave., $15,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Progressive Design Plumbing. 3 Rivers Properties, 6821 W. Clearwater Ave., $10,500 for commercial remodel. Contractor: H&H Contracting. McDonalds, 1409 N. Kellogg St., $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Superior Communication. McDonalds, 2721 W. Kennewick Ave., $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Superior Communication. McDonalds, 7505 W. Clearwater Ave., $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Superior Communication. Cancado Family Investments, 8836 W. Gage Blvd., $250,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Hummel Construction and Development. DJLS Center, 1360 N. Louisiana St., $10,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. CV Apts, 445 N. Volland St., $41,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. BNSF Railway, 212 W. Railroad Ave., $9,700 for HVAC. Contractor: Welch Heating & A/C. Kevin Bacon Investments, 8131 W. Grandridge Blvd., $8,600 for HVAC. Contractor: Dayco Heating & Air. Washington Securities, 8901 W. Tucannon Ave., $40,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: LCR Construction. A-1 Hospitality Hotel, 7809 W. Quinault Ave., $5,300 for HVAC and $18,500 for tenant improvements. Contractors: Pancho’s Heating & Cooling and owner. Kennewick School District, 3520 Southridge Blvd., $150,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Bagley Landscape Construction. Ratneswar Motel, 2600 S. Quillan Place, $20,000 for commercial remodel. Conractor: Colossus Construction. Columbia Center, 1102 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $20,300 for mechanical. Contractor: DIVCO. Dress Brothers, 845 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $20,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Kennewick Association, 34 Vista Way, $8,500 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. LFIC LLC, 1022 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $10,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Rock Island Partnership, 4008 W. 27th Ave., $7,500 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Jeff Wamboldt, 4825 W. Clearwater Ave., $12,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Kennewick Association, 131 Vista Way, $7,500 for HVAC. Contractor: Refrigeration Plus. PASCO Port of Pasco, 2935 Rickenbacker Drive, $1,794,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: DGR Grant Construction.

Ace Plywood, 312 N. 20th Ave., $6,500 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Pasco Assembly of God, 1800 Road 72, $6,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Elite Construction & Development. Iris Holding, 2735 W. Court St., $47,800 for tenant improvements. Contractor: LCR Construction. Elliott Bay Healthcare, 6825 Burden Blvd., Suite A, $10,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Chervenell Construction. Tim Corwin, 1225 Autoplex Way, $11,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Fire Control Sprinkler System. Bleyhl Farm Services, 6705 Chapel Hill Blvd., $20,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Quail Investments, 2325 W. Lewis St., $213,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Blankenship Construction. Sparrow Investments, 8921 Sandifur Parkway, $15,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Department of Natural Resources, 3501 Road 68, $6,300 for a sign. Contractor: YESCO. Ewers Properties, 1315 E. St. Helens Drive, $52,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Columbia Pumping & Construction. Jose Aguilera Razo, 832 S. Seventh Ave., $7,200 for commercial reroof. Contractor: owner. Permobil Pasco, 2701 W. Court St., $10,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Peniel Constructions. Hogback Sandifur, 5802 Road 68, $10,000 for HVAC. Contractor: Absolute Comfort Tech. Leticia Marin Arroyo, 613 W. Clark St., $281,800 for new commercial construction. Contractor: to be determined. DHIJ Rentals, 2200 W. Shoshone St., $9,200 for tenant improvements and $20,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. DHIJ Rentals, 500 N. 24th Ave., $9,200 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. Tri-Cities Community Health, 515 W. Court St., $52,400 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined. Friendly Temple Church, 316 N. Fourth Ave., $5,200 for HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Pascoboa, 350 W. Lewis St., $138,900 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Bosch II Construction. DAP Properties, 3221 King Ave., $941,400 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Teton West of WA. WA Industrial Properties, 355 N. Commercial Ave., $3,633,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: CRF Metal Works. Jay Brantingham, 2710 Travel Plaza Way, $8,500 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Ag Spray Equipment. Pasco School District, 9507 Burns Road, $200,000 for grading. Contractor: Big D’s Construction. Port of Pasco, 4102 Stearman Ave., $9,200 for HVAC. Contractor: AM Branam Tool. City of Pasco, 525 N. Third Ave., $468,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Booth & Sons Construction. Helena Chemical Co, 1010 E. Kartchner St., $20,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Columbia Pumping.

The Real Innovation Is The Way We Treat You!

Mark Runsvold

Mortgage Loan Originator / Branch Mgr. NMLS MLO # 118101

7015 W. Deschutes, Ste. B Kennewick, WA 99336 509-737-2000 • 800-704-3227 mrunsvold@gmail.com www.innovativemortgage.org NMLS MB 35988

Locally owned and trusted.

Champ 2011, 2735 W. Court St., $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Iris Landholdings, 2715 W. Court St., $10,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. McDonalds Real Estate, 2202 W. Court St., $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Superior Communication. Archland Property, 4810 Road 68, $10,500 for a sign. Contractor: Superior Communication. Hogback Sandifur, 5802 Road 68, $54,200 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined. PROSSER Northwest Farm Supply, 451 Wine Country Road, $20,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Zirkle Fruit Company, 101 Benitz Road, $400,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Mountain States Construction. Prosser Memorial Health, 336 Chardonnay Ave., $511,400 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined.

RICHLAND Brian Keele, 1040 Queensgate Drive, Suite A, $5,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. Battelle Memorial Institute, 900 Battelle Blvd., $350,000 for mechanical. Contractor: Apollo Heating & Air. SMI Group XV, 880 Smartpark St., $2,114,400 for new commercial construction. Contractor: W McKay Construction. Ben Franklin Transit, 1038 Columbia Park Trail, $19,300 for tenant improvements. Contractor: MP Construction. Copper Mountain Apartments, 2555 Bella Coola Lane, $33,805,300 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Inland Washington. JLW Asset Management, 2376 Jericho Road, $582,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Aura Homes. Zenitram Properties, 1125 Aaron Drive, $750,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: MH Construction.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 54

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019

PUBLIC RECORD, From page 53 Kadlec Regional Medical Center, 888 Swift Blvd., $125,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Bouten Construction Co. Xantheas Sotirios, 3280 George Washington Way, $13,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Glacier Property Solutions. Sharledan Properties, 701 The Parkway, $5,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Foodies Brick and Mortar. First Richland LP, 2764 Duportail St., $350,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Hardesty & Associates. 291 Bradley Blvd., Suite 102, $300,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Don Pratt Construction. Port of Benton, 2610 Salk Ave., $15,000 for an antenna. Contractor: SAC Wireless. Richland Baptist Church, 1632 George Washington Way, $10,800 for HVAC. Contractor: DIVCO. Richland Colonial, 1331 Goethals Drive, $28,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Kevin Bergin Roofing.

Columbia Villas, 245 Broadmoor St., $6,500 for HVAC. Contractor: Royal Roofing & Siding. Richland Investments, 1515 George Washington Way, $75,000 for tenant improvements and $7,900 for HVAC. Contractors: RM Construction & Interior Design and Pancho’s Heating & Cooling. Gesa Credit Union, 51 Gage Blvd., $645,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. WA Securities, 1030 Jadwin Ave., $5,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: WA Securities. Three Girls, 132 Keene Road, Suite 201, $20,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Old Dog Construction. Bomber Bob, 1623 Terminal Drive, $100,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. The Sweetest, 710 The Parkway, $350,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Booth & Sons Construction. Ford Group, 1953 Fowler St., $30,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: CRF Metal Works. E13G Properties, 301 Wellsian Way, $35,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Booth &

Sons Construction. Earth Properties, 540 Canyon St., $6,500 for HVAC. Contractor: Integrity Three Heating. Washington Securities, 2290 Keene Road, $14,900 for a fence/brick/retaining wall. Contractor: owner. Dairy Queen, 1313 Jadwin Ave., $5,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Campbell & Company. WEST RICHLAND West Richland Family Dental, 4476 W. Van Giesen St., Suite A, $16,100 for mechanical. Contractor: Bruce Heating & Air.

uBUSINESS LICENSES

Business Licenses can be found online at http://bit.ly/TCPublicRecord

uJUDGMENTS The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes and then get a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton-Franklin

Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Edmundo Villanueva, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 9. Martin Duran, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 9. Arnoldo J. Leos, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 9. Angelica M. C. Jimenez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 9. Jennifer A. Rupe, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 9. J&E Meza Plastering, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 10. Esperanza Orozco, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 10. Botanas Plaza el Chapulin, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 11. Sakul, Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 11. Tres Pueblos Meat Market, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 16. Jose Urvina, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 16. El Dorado Club, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 17. Jason W. Thompson, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 17. Steve E. Syverson, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 17. Superior Clean Services, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 17. Jose P. Conteras, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 23. Ismael C. Rubio, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 30. D&S Concrete, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 30. William B. Ullom, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. TNL General Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. Carefree Meats, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. R&R Trucking, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. The Granite Guy, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. Philip J. Forzaglia Sr., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. Kindra Bistro & Café, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. Adventures in Technology, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. Jesus G. Arteaga, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 30. A-1 Painting, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Jan. 30. Manuel A. Gomez, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed Jan. 30. Alicia Avelar, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed Jan. 30. Concrete Unlimited, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Jan. 31. Jannette M. Rios, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Linda Hernandez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Juliette Baxter, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Leonel Arceo, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Maria S. Rodriguez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Mark A. Cockburn, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31. Sean P. Brummett, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Jan. 31.

uLiquor Licenses

Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Two Broke Chicks, 710 Sixth St., Prosser. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Sun Market #39, 10799 Ridgeline Drive, Kennewick. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: new. Wingstop, 121 Gage Blvd., Richland. License type: beer/wine restaurant. Application type: assumption.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 55

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • February 2019 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 54

FRANKLIN COUNTY

Shooters Sports Bar, 214711 E. SR 397, Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Boiada Brazilian Grill, 8418 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Silos, 12125 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite B, Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; spirits/beer/ wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Big Slice Pizza, 623 Ninth St., Benton City. License type: beer/wine restaurant. Application type: new. Baan-Khun-Ya, 94 Lee Blvd., Richland. License type: beer/wine restaurant. Application type: assumption. Wook’s Craft & Cork, 4033 W. Van Giesen St., Suite E, West Richland. License type: beer/wine tavern; off premises. Application type: assumption. Juliana’s Meat Market, 5413 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: new.

NEW APPLICATIONS

APPROVED Tipsy Chicks & Treasures, 701 Sixth St., Prosser. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new. Foodies Brick & Mortar 2, 701 The Parkway, Suite A, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new. Vista Mart, 2610 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: assumption. Maverik, Inc. #504, 4306 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: new. DISCONTINUED Loyal Order of Moose Richland Lodge #1716, 5828 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine private club.

Magill’s Restaurant & Catering, 3214 Road 68, Pasco. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant; kegs to go; catering. Application type: assumption. Bleyhl Farm Service, 6705 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only; beer/wine specialty shop. Application type: new. Southern Cross Winery, 330 Sunset View Lane, Pasco. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. APPROVED The Chicken Shack Pasco, 8921 Sandifur Parkway, Building A, Pasco. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: new.

uMARIJUANA LICENSES

Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Green Research Network, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Suite G, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 2. Application type: change of location.

27th Place in Kennewick. The bar services 60 flavors of martinis and a rotating menu of food items. Hours: 4 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday and 4 to midnight Friday and Saturday. Contact: 509-820-3655, kokosbartini.com, Facebook. Lourdes Health Rheumatology Clinic has opened inside Lourdes Medical center at 520 N. Fourth Ave. in Pasco. The clinic, led by Dr. Sudeep Thapa, MD, treats arthritis, lupus, scleroderma and other autoimmune diseases. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact: 509-416-8890, lourdesrheumatology.com. Ringolde has opened at 641 S. 37th Ave. in West Richland. The business offers embroidery, screen printing, engraving, print, design and more. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact: 509-940-5567, ringolde.com. RoofMaxx is now serving the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas. The business provides treatment that reverses the aging process of old roof shingles. The all-natural product can extend the life of a roof between 5 to 15 years. Contact: 509-845-0818, 509-537-5433, roofmaxx.com, Facebook. Teal Pallet Boutique & Thrift has opened at 1442 Jadwin Ave. in Richland. The store sells gently used clothing, accessories and household items. Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact: Facebook. MOVED Home Care Solutions has moved to 7401

W. Hood Place, Suite 204 in Kennewick. Contact: 509-627-8575, yourhomecaresolutions.com. Wet Palette Paint Parties has moved to 1001 Wright Ave. in Richland. Contact: 509554-2587, wetpaletteparty.com, Facebook. ADDITIONAL LOCATION Great Harvest Bread Co. has opened a new location at 6705 Chapel Hill Blvd. in Pasco. Hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact: 509-491-1310, greatharvest.com. NAME CHANGE Gaslight Bar & Grill is now The Dugout at 99 Lee Blvd. in Richland. Contact: 509-9439789, Facebook. CLOSED Abercrombie & Fitch inside Columbia Center mall in Kennewick has closed. Michael & Co Hair Salon at 2560 Queensgate Drive in Richland has closed. Old Country Buffet at 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite 873 in Kennewick has closed. The location at 6821 W. Canal Drive in Kennewick remains open. PacSun inside Columbia Center mall in Kennewick has closed. Wetzel’s Pretzels inside Columbia Center mall in Kennewick has closed.

APPROVED Legacy Organics, 237004 E. Legacy PRSE, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: change of corporate officer.

uBUSINESS UPDATES NEW BUSINESSES Koko’s Bartini has opened at 4309 W.

FOR SALE OR LEASE 6725 West Clearwater Avenue, Kennewick

E C I R

Price reduced to $1,495,000. Income producing — two existing main floor tenants. 13,786+- square feet, quality built, professional office in Kennewick. Great opportunity for own/user. Or lease for $9,750 per month triple net. 9,600+square feet of professional office space which includes partially finished basement. Highly visible location, great street front signage and on-site parking. Contact Dirk at 430-8535 for your showing.

DIRK STRICKER 2810 W. Clearwater, Ste. 104, Kennewick, WA www.dirkstricker.com • 509-430-8535

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ February 2019