Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business -- November 2018 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business/Senior Times

November 2018

Volume 17 • Issue 11

Nonprofit to build group homes for disabled adults BY ARIELLE DREHER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Retail

Bath & Body Works coming to Vintner Square in Richland Page 11

Labor & Employment

Local unemployment rates lowest in 28 years Page 21

Real Estate & Construction

Construction underway on Columbia Park Golf Links’ new clubhouse Page 35

he Said It “It took a long time for this business to get here, so I figure it doesn’t have to happen overnight to get out of here.” - John Gravenslund, owner of True Value Washington Furniture and Hardware

Page 14

A nonprofit’s new Kennewick development aims to offer more housing options for developmentally disabled adults in the Tri-City area. The 1.7-acre dirt and asphalt lot with a community garden in the corner is the future home of Carmina’s Place, a cluster of five community group homes for adults living with disabilities that Modern Living Services plans to build over the next several years. It’s a couple of blocks away from Kamiakin High School at 526 N. Edison St. The nonprofit has been working to provide independent homes for adults living with disabilities in the community for almost a decade. Carmina’s Place is named after the daughter of one of Modern Living Services’ founders, Elena Brown. The Browns were deeply involved and transformational in forming the nonprofit, and their daughter, Carmina, had a developmental disability. In December 2015, Doug Brown killed himself and his wife and daughter in a murder-suicide. Their deaths shook the community, but, through this new project, their influence lives on through the nonprofit. The Browns had bought the Edison Street property and intended to build an adult family home there. The Brown family’s heirs have donated the property to Modern Living Services to continue that legacy. Housing for adults with disabilities is hard to come by in the Tri-City area, according to the nonprofit. Modern Living Services opened Kennewick Perry Suites in 2014 with a federal Housing and Urban Development program to help pay for it. That HUD program no longer exists, forcing the nonprofit’s leaders to look elsewhere for financing Carmina’s Place. Perry Suites has 14 independent living apartments in its community, with a garden and grounds area for residents to walk around. Carmina’s Place will have outdoor spaces, too. Each adult family home will have a live-in caregiver. Residents will have their own bedrooms but will share communal living spaces. The home and caregiver will be licensed through the state Department of Social and Health Services. uCARMINA’S, Page 4

Karina Diaz of Pasco tags clothing at the Goodwill store in Pasco. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia CEO Ken Gosney and Jolene Greenough, territory program manager, are pictured at left. The Pasco store on Court Street will become the second largest Goodwill retail shop in the area when the new store at 345 S. Columbia Center Blvd. opens next year.

Goodwill to build new $3.1M shop, warehouse in Kennewick BY KRISTINA LORD

editor@tcjournal.biz

A new place for bargain shoppers will swing open its doors in Kennewick next year. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, which oversees nine retail stores in seven cities, including five in the Tri-Cities, plans to build a $3.1 million retail store and warehouse with 20,205 square feet of space on Columbia Center Boulevard. Construction begins this month with completion expected by August and the store opening by Sept. 1. “We feel Columbia Center Boulevard

will be a really good location for traffic and sales,” said CEO Ken Gosney of Goodwill Industries of the Columbia. About half of the new building will house the retail space at 345 S. Columbia Center Blvd., between the Flower Farm and Fred’s Appliance. Goodwill bought the 2.5 acres earlier this year. G2 Construction of Kennewick is the general contractor. Archibald & Co. Architects of Richland is the architect. The warehouse will have 79 parking spaces, house the agency’s product processing area and include an attached donation drive-thru. uGOODWILL, Page 16

Tyson announces $36M expansion during statewide manufacturing tour BY LAURA KOSTAD

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

As an Association of Washington Business bus rolled into the parking lot of Tyson Fresh Meats bright and early on a recent morning in Wallula, many of the cattle slaughterhouse and beef processing plant’s 1,400 workers were arriving for work. Even more people will be joining them at their job site next year when a $36 million addition is completed at their Walla Walla County plant at 13983 Dodd Road, just east of Burbank. The project will add 32,000 square feet to the ground floor and 16,000 square feet to the upper level and require the hiring of 45 or more workers to staff a new production line. The growing Tyson plant was one stop on AWB’s seven-day 1,500-mile cross-state tour

of 45 Washington manufacturers to generate support for the industry. “Manufacturing is vital to Washington’s economy and provides a proven pathway to the middle class,” said AWB President Kris Johnson. Washington state boasts 7,326 manufacturing firms that account for 12.4 percent of the state’s total economic output, representing more than $58 billion per year, according to Gov. Jay Inslee’s proclamation designating October as Careers in Manufacturing Month. Tyson’s expansion is doing its part, as it will support a new contract with the maker of the “fresh never frozen patty,” who wishes to remain unnamed. It is one of the largest contracts that Tyson’s Wallula plant has ever agreed to, said Brad Anderson, operation manager III. uTYSON, Page 19

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

New $6.1 million memory care home coming to Southridge retain that ability on some level. They’re able to do the art of daily living. We give them choices about what they want to do, A $6.1 million facility offering a what they want to wear for the day and to Montessori-based approach to memory brush their own teeth,” she said. loss care will open next fall in Kennewick. Flint said Windsong staff are trained Called Windsong at Southridge, the to think about what the residents would 36,202-square-foot building will feature be doing if they didn’t have the disease. 56 private studio apartments, each with “If we can act as a catalyst for them to their own private bathroom and shower. still actively participate in their lives and It will be on four acres at 4000 24th we seek out that opportunity and try to Ave., off Highway 395 near Home Depot. recreate them. We come to where they The facility, which will have two are now,” she said. wings, will feature a full commercial She said traditional methods of care in kitchen with a full-time chef, two interior which family and memory care facilities courtyards, four television rooms, two do everything for seniors doesn’t help activity kitchens and them. two Montessori “By doing that, we Montessori-based rooms for activities. further disable them. The Montessori We take away their dementia care approach is typicalability,” she said. focuses on muscle ly used with chilFlint said the dren. The method memory, the five Windsong communivalues the developsenses and building ties aren’t hospitalment of the whole like environments on existing skills, person — physical, (where patients are social, emotional sick and need to be interests and and cognitive. taken care of), prisonabilities. Montessori classlike (where they are rooms often include viewed as dangerous multi-age groupings to themselves and to foster peer learning, uninterrupted others) or hotel-like (where their every blocks of work time and guided choice of whim is catered to). work activity. “Nobody lives their lives that way. We Montessori-based dementia care strive for a home environment where you focuses on muscle memory, the five are basically tied to the greater world and senses and building on existing skills, you participate in your lives. You can interests and abilities. participate in how your day is defined Stacey Flint, Windsong’s regional and that’s what we’re shooting for,” she marketing director and Montessori train- said. er, said Windsong’s approach works with Windsong residents prepare their food seniors to tap into their history and using real knives and use ovens to cook, senses by offering a hands-on learning Flint said. environment. She’s said it’s all about “We don’t plan to the lowest common finding opportunities. denominator. Safety is a thing but we’re “For example, most people cook for not going to take away your awareness themselves their whole lives. They still and dignity,” she said. BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

Windsong’s newest building, Windsong at Northridge, in Greeley, Colorado, will look most similar to the Windsong at Southridge building in Kennewick. The $6.1 million memory care facility will be on four acres at 4000 24th Ave. It will open next fall. (Courtesy Lenity Architecture)

Flint said Windsong staff look at “Montessori” as a verb and ask, “How are we going to Montessori that?” An expert in the method, Cameron Camp, a research scientist in gerontology and dementia intervention, serves as Windsong’s mentor and helps to train its staff. He’ll visit the Tri-Cities and speak at a public event about the method before the facility opens. “We want the whole industry to be better,” Flint said. The Kennewick operation will be managed by Salem, Oregon-based Aidan Health Services. There will be seven full-time administrative staff members, as well as a fulltime registered nurse and one specialized care staff member for every seven to eight residents.

When the facility is full, it’s expected to employ 50 people. “We always say our staff has their regular job and a job on top of that, which is the whole Montessori piece. It’s kind of the flair,” she said. Kennewick Memory Care LLC, an Oregon limited liability company, bought the four-acre Southridge property for $1.1 million on Oct. 9, according to Benton County Assessor’s Office records. The project will be Vista Pointe Development’s fourth. Windsong also operates facilities in Salem, Oregon, and in Fort Collins and Greeley, both in northern Colorado. Oregon-based Lenity Architecture is the architect. Bouten Construction of Richland is the general contractor.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

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UPCOMING December Focuses: • Entrepreneurship • Year in Review January Focuses: • Health • Legal & Taxes

CORRECTIONS Jacob Gonzalez is a senior planner for the city of Pasco. Incorrect information appeared on page 62 in October. 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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Modern Living Services President Ray Geimer, from left, Vice President Andrea Mallonee and Flavien Sawadogo of MMEC Architecture stand at 526 N. Edison St. in Kennewick, the future home of Carmina’s Place. Modern Living Services is building the family home for adults with disabilities with pro bono assistance from community partners.

CARMINA’S, From page 1 “The need is enormous and the supply is not there. There are literally hundreds of candidates in this area who would be looking for a place that have no option,” said Ray Geimer, board president at Modern Living Services. DSHS reports 757 adults registered with the Developmental Disabilities Administration, or DDA, in Benton County and 287 adults registered in Franklin County. Despite having more than 1,000 registered adults in the area, there are only three community residential offerings in the two counties. Andrea Mallonee, vice president of the Modern Living Services Board, was one of the original founders of the nonprofit with Elena Brown and a few others. Mallonee said in the beginning it was about networking with other groups assisting adults with

disabilities with housing. “Modern Living Services today is not where we started, and it’s exciting to see,” she said. “I’m excited that (Ray) has taken the torch. It’s awesome.” So far, Carmina’s Place has been built with predominantly pro bono work. Local firms, MMEC Architecture and Knutzen Engineering, drew up the plans and permit applications for the first six-room group home. “This just looked like a really good cause to go after,” said Flavien Sawadogo, an architect at MMEC. “You don’t decide to be born with a developmental disability, it just happens. And we live in this community… it’s our home. It’s the people we run into every day, so just wanted to be able to get engaged and to give back was the right thing to do.” After a year of the permitting process

with the city of Kennewick, construction is almost set to begin on the 4,300-squarefoot home. The city cleared the engineering and design plans, but the construction permit is pending and will be approved once a general contractor comes on board. Geimer said he hopes to find a general contractor willing to help with some of the construction, ideally pro bono, too. “The more we can spread the money, the more we can get done with what we have,” Geimer said. So far, Modern Living Services has raised about half of the necessary amount to build the project but the total cost to complete it is $450,000. The plan, Geimer said, is to finance the home completely so residents are only paying $400 to $500 a month for rent. This rate is significantly lower than other group home rates, he said. Adults with Social Security or disability income will be able to pay rent and still have some leftover. “What we’re going to do is raise all of the capital, so there will be no financing costs,” Geimer said. “By doing that, that’s what will allow us to keep the rents down in an affordable range.” After the first home is built, Modern Living Services plans to build more group homes on the Brown family’s land. The property, according to design plans, could hold five homes. Each home will have to be licensed through DSHS, and Modern Living Services leaders have yet to decide whether the caregiver will be a contracted worker or an employee of Modern Living Services. Currently, all Modern Living Services staff are volunteer, and most of them have their own day jobs. For Mallonee and Geimer, the work is deeply personal. Both have children with disabilities. Geimer points out that while the shift to community-based care for adults with developmental disabilities is important, government funding for such projects has dwindled. “The options for state and federal-funded facilities are getting lesser and lesser all the time, and it’s becoming more and more the mission of nonprofits to try to bridge that gap,” he said. Without independent housing, adults with developmental disabilities are living at home, often with aging parents. Or if they are lucky enough to find housing, it might not be close to their family. Mallonee said her daughter lives in Grandview, the closest housing they could find for her. She is on a lengthy wait list for disability housing in the area. Mallonee and Geimer estimate that list has more than 100 people on it. Modern Living Services is one of a handful of organizations in the Tri-City area working together to serve the DDA adult community, but as the region’s population grows, the need for housing for disabled adults also increases. Or as Mallonee puts it: “It’s hard enough to get housing for an average person. Try getting something that’s special and unique for somebody with disabilities that needs extra services added to it and (to be) affordable.” For more information, call 509-4911338 or visit modernlivingservices.org.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Plans for Red Mountain wine processing facility underway

Aquilini Winery has submitted preliminary plans to build a 170,000-square-foot wine processing facility in Benton County. The proposed plant would be south of Antinori Road and Highway 224 on Red Mountain, between West Richland and Benton City. The company submitted preliminary plans to the Benton County Planning Department on Oct. 2. Aquilini Vineyards of Vancouver, B.C., owns 1,500 acres of vineyards in the state, planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, according to its job announcement for a grape sales manager posted in March. Aquilini bought 670 acres for $8.2 million in a 2013 auction from the Kennewick Irrigation District. Benton County planning officials said Aquilini Winery has not yet applied for conditional land use approval. It has applied for an environmental assessment. The Red Mountain American Viticultural Area, or AVA, a status achieved in 2001, already is home to about 54 vineyards covering more than 2,300 acres, making it one of the most densely planted AVAs, with 57 percent of the AVA currently planted. Grapes from the AVA fetch about three times the state average, according to the Red Mountain AVA Alliance website.

Spokane credit union buys Richland property for next Tri-City branch

A Spokane-based credit poised to open its first branch in Kennewick later this month has bought property for a branch office in the Richland Queensgate area with plans to open in January. STCU will renovate the building at 2590 Queensgate Drive, across from Panera Bread, that was once home to Yakima-based Solarity Credit Union, which opened there in 2017, and AmericanWest Bank. Public building records show STCU paid $2 million for the property. The Queensgate Financial Center, led by Branch Manager Sabrina Barrera, will offer a full array of financial services. A ribbon-cutting is planned at 3 p.m. Jan. 7. STCU plans to open its Southridge Financial and Home Loan Center with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. Nov. 26. It’s the first Tri-City location for the credit union, a nonprofit financial cooperative with roots in education. The Southridge Financial and Home Loan Center, 4704 W. Hildebrand Blvd. in Kennewick, will offer a full slate of services for consumers and businesses, including checking, savings and investment accounts; home, auto and personal loans; and credit cards. It will house STCU Home Loans offices, a drivethrough and 24-hour ATMs. STCU plans to open a Pasco branch in 2019. Earlier this year, STCU bought land along Keene Road in Richland. Plans for

that property aren’t finalized. STCU membership is open to anyone in Washington. A small group of educators started the Spokane-based credit union in 1934, with a shoebox for members’ cash. It has grown to more than 180,000 members, including 2,400 already living in the TriCities. The Southridge location is No. 23 for the credit union.

Gesa Stadium to receive $2 million in upgrades

Pasco’s Gesa Stadium will receive $2 million in improvements and upgrades. The Pasco City Council recently approved the allocation of 2019 lodging tax proceeds as recommended by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. The action paves the way for the financing of $2 million. The cost of the improvements will be repaid with lodging tax proceeds of $160,000 annually over an estimated 20 years. Lodging taxes are collected by local hotels on a per-night basis and re-distributed in the city it was collected to promote tourism. The 23-year-old Gesa Stadium is owned by the city and hosts more than 100,000 guests per year for Tri-City Dust Devils baseball, Pasco’s Grand Old 4th of July Celebration, WIAA 3A and 4A State Baseball Championships and other events throughout the year. “We look forward to working with the city of Pasco to identify improvements to Gesa Stadium that will allow the ballpark to continue to have a positive economic impact on the local economy and enhance

the quality of life for all of us in the TriCities,” said Dust Devils President Brent Miles in a news release.

Kennewick named as best place in state to buy home

Kennewick is the best city to buy a home in all of Washington. That’s according to a report by HomeArea.com, an online neighborhood and real estate resource for consumers and researchers. Kennewick is listed as the top city in the state where it’s better to buy than rent. Kennewick’s median monthly mortgage costs are $1,326. Its median monthly rent, including utilities, is $782, according to HomeArea.com. Spokane Valley ranked No. 2, Vancouver No. 3., Yakima No. 4 and Spokane No. 5. Pasco ranked No. 13. Pasco’s median monthly mortgage costs are $1,270. Its median monthly rent, including utilities, is $749, according to HomeArea.com. HomeArea.com reviewed Census Bureau data of cities with populations of 60,000 or more with sufficient data to estimate the price-to-rent ratio. That’s why Richland isn’t included in the ranking; its population is 55,320, according to state data. Richland’s median monthly mortgage costs are $1,467. Its median monthly rent, including utilities, is $881, according to HomeArea.com. The price-to-rent ratio is the median home value divided by the median annual rent.

Memory Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

IN LOVING

MIKE D. HAUGEN

Loving husband, father and friend

May 30, 1952 - Oct. 26, 2018 Mike D. Haugen, a longtime Richland resident, died Oct. 26, 2018, at The Chaplaincy Hospice House in Kennewick. He was 66. Born on May 30, 1952, in Anchorage, Alaska, Mike celebrated his birthday on Memorial Day weekend each year. He grew up in a military family and moved often during his childhood. The light of Mike’s life was his family. He and his wife Debbie would have celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary on Dec. 3, 2018. Nothing brought Mike greater joy than spending time with his family. He was the proud and loving father of Michael and Megan Haugen. He loved to attend their sporting events. Mike enjoyed old movies, especially the “Back to the Future” series, which he watched hundreds of times. He loved golfing (including video golfing) with friends, sharing a meal at Sterling’s and anything with peanut butter (frozen Reese’s cups were his favorite treat around the office, where his candy bowl was always filled). As a young man, he and a buddy coauthored two books about city nightlife, “Portland after Dark” and “Seattle P.M.” A quick-witted jokester, Mike had a funny anecdote for every occasion.

Though he earned an associate degree in journalism from Walla Walla Community College, he liked to quip that more money was to be made on the advertising side of the business and went on to spend 36 years in sales. He began his career as a telephone salesman before climbing the corporate ladder to branch manager at Time Life Libraries in Dallas, Texas, where he oversaw 75 employees. He returned to the Northwest to handle sales at Portland’s This Week Magazine and then Advo, a national direct mail company. He landed in the Tri-Cities in 1997 to work as an account executive at the TriCity Herald. He then transitioned to television advertising at the local ABC affiliate, KVEW TV. He joined the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business and Senior Times in 2005 and would have celebrated his 14th year with the Kennewick media company in January 2019. During his tenure, he was the top salesperson each year. Mike was a master at business networking, thanks to his ready smile, warm personality, genuine care for people and penchant for puns. He helped grow the region’s annual SmartMap Manufacturing Expo, which

started in 2003 and ran through 2013. The expo later spawned the annual Careers in Manufacturing event for local high school students, and Mike served on its board. He was a longtime member of the city of Richland’s Tourism Committee and also served on the Mid-Columbia Symphony Board of Directors. He was a member of the Tri-Cities Commerce Club and Tri-Cities Business Development Group. Mike is preceded in death by his parents Gust and Vesta Haugen. He is survived by his wife Debbie; son and daughter-in-law Michael and Katy Haugen of Pasco; daughter Megan Haugen of Richland; sister and brotherin-law, Linda and Clinton Schultz of Spokane; sister and brother-in-law Susan and Johnny Velasquez of Peoria, Arizona; and brother and sister-in-law Pat and Tina Haugen of Portland. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mike’s memory may be made to The Chaplaincy Hospice House at chaplaincyhealthcare. org/donate-now. The family is grateful to all who generously donated to Mike’s GoFundMe account to offset medical and memorial expenses. A memorial service was held Nov. 2 at Sunset Gardens Event Center in Richland.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

DATEBOOK

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

NOV. 17

• Tri-Cities Holiday Parade & Tree Lighting: 9 a.m. – noon, Columbia Center mall, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. • Festival of Trees, benefiting United Way: 6 – 10 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets: unitedway-bfco.com.

NOV. 19

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

NOV. 20

• 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.

NOV. 23

• Taste and Tour Walter Clore Wine & Culinary

Center: noon – 1 p.m., Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center, 2140 Wine Country Road, Prosser. Tickets: theclorecenter.org.

NOV. 27

• Meet the Buyer “Doing Business with the Bureau of Reclamation”: 10 – 11:30 a.m., Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. RSVP: tricityregionalchamber.com.

NOV. 30

• Lighted Boat Parade: 6 – 9 p.m., Columbia River, between Clover Island in Kennewick and Howard Amon Park in Richland. Visit: lightedboatparade. com.

DEC. 1

NOV. 28

• Tri-City Regional Chamber Monthly Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. RSVP: tricityregionalchamber.com.

• Hometown Holiday: 10 a.m. – noon, Historic Downtown Kennewick, Benton and Kennewick Avenues. Visit: go2kennewick.com/santa. • Lighted Boat Parade: 6 – 9 p.m., Columbia River, between Clover Island in Kennewick and Howard Amon Park in Richland. Visit: lightedboatparade. com.

NOV. 29

DEC. 4

• Community Presentation “Functional Medicine in the Cancer Clinic”: 12:30, Tri-Cities Cancer Center, 7350 W. Deschutes Ave., Kennewick. RSVP: tccancer.org.

• Prosser Chamber Membership Luncheon: noon – 1 p.m., Jeremy’s 1896 Public House, 1232 Wine Country Road, Prosser. RSVP: 509-7863177.

DEC. 5

• West Richland Chamber Membership Luncheon: 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. Tickets: 509-967-0521. • National Active & Retired Federal Employees luncheon: 11:30 a.m., Red Lion, 1101 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. Visit: narfe1192.org.

DEC. 6

• Evening of Miracles Fundraising Dinner, benefiting Columbia Industries: 6 p.m., Canyon Lakes Clubhouse, 3700 W. Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick. RSVP: columbiaindustries.com.

DEC. 7

• Historic Downtown Kennewick Networking Breakfast: 8 – 9 a.m., Clover Island Inn, 435 N. Clover Island Drive, Kennewick. RSVP: 509-582-7221.

• West Richland Chamber Bucks Ball: 6 – 9 p.m., Uptown Theater, 1300 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Tickets: 509-967-0521.

DEC. 10

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

DEC. 13

• Procurement Power Hour “Construction Contracting”: 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., Tri-Cities Business & Visitor Center, 7130 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. RSVP: tricityregionalchamber.com.

DEC. 14

• Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber’s Awesome 80s Prom: 6:30 – 9 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Tickets: 509542-0933.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

uBUSINESS BRIEFS ‘Move Over’ Law now includes utility workers

Washington state law already requires drivers to move over a lane or slow down for emergency vehicles stopped on the shoulder of the highway. Motorists must do the same for utility vehicles, including line trucks from power utilities, or face a $1,000 fine, according to Franklin PUD. Utility workers often have to work on powerlines along roadways in inclement weather conditions, at night or in emergency situations to restore power, which adds to the dangers associated with this work, the PUD said. “Our linemen need to be able to concentrate on their work and not have to be

concerned about vehicles speeding by the work area. Our goal every day is safety for our workers to ensure they go home to their families every night,” said Stephen Frost, utility safety coordinator for Benton PUD, Franklin PUD, Benton REA and Richland Energy Services. “This law supports the importance of drivers to move over or slow down when approaching any vehicle at the side of the road.” The law requires drivers to vacate the lane closest to stationary emergency vehicles, such as police or tow trucks, if they are traveling in the same direction and it is safe to do so. If not, drivers are required to slow down within 200 feet before and after a stopped emergency vehicle that has its flashing lights activated. A driver who violates these emergency zone driving restrictions is guilty of reck-

less endangerment of emergency zone workers and can be fined $1,000, receive a jail sentence and/or lose driving privileges.

Deadlines approaching for state solar incentive program

Deadlines have been set for a popular Washington renewable-energy incentive program that is nearing the maximum funding level and is expected to meet the incentive limit by June. Customers installing residential scale solar projects have until Feb. 14 to apply for the state incentive program, according to a joint news release from Benton PUD and Franklin PUD. After that date, customers will be put on a wait list and applications will only be processed if money is available.

This is due to the program nearing the state funding limit of $110 million, not each utility’s specific funding limit. Last month, about $95 million had been reserved either through application reviews already underway, existing contracts or project certification or recertification. However, there is a strong possibility funds will be exhausted before the February deadline, the PUDs said. Smaller projects, with capacities up to 12 kW (residential scale) or greater than 12 kW (commercial scale) must be installed and pass a final electrical inspection by Jan. 31 and then apply for incentive payments by Feb. 14.

SBA’s loan volume more than $905M in Washington, Idaho

The U.S. Small Business Administration district office serving Washington and northern Idaho recently announced fiscal year 2018 lending numbers showing that it guaranteed more than $905 million to small businesses that otherwise would not have had access to capital. Nationally, SBA loan volume reached more than $30 billion. There were about 1,600 7(a) loans made in the SBA district and 60,353 nationally. The total dollar amount of 7(a) loans in the SBA district was $797.7 million and $25.37 billion nationally. The 7(a) guarantees loans to small businesses up to $5 million on reasonable terms and conditions and are commonly used for acquiring land, buying equipment or working capital. The SBA’s 504 loan program totaled 136 loans in the district for $107.7 million. Nationally, 5,874 loans equaled more than $4.75 billion. The 504 loan program helps small businesses acquire fixed assets to promote economic development with long-term fixed rate financing. In fiscal year 2018, there was significant growth in SBA’s smaller loans, including a record volume of dollars lent in the microloan and Community Advantage Programs. Specifically, in the Washingtonnorthern Idaho district, 60 loans were approved for more than $802,000 in the microloan program and 13 loans for more than $2 million in SBA’s Community Advantage program. The SBA said it is working to provide more access to financing in rural communities across Washington and northern Idaho. Currently, the SBA offers fee relief on 7(a) loans up to $150,000 in rural counties as defined by the U.S. Census. For more information about SBA’s loan programs and other services, visit sba.gov.

Mid-Columbia duck race raises more than $182K

The annual Mid-Columbia Rotary Duck Race sold more than 36,000 tickets and raised $182,125 for Tri-City Rotary clubs. The Oct. 6 race at Columbia Park was the 30th annual event that Tri-City Rotary clubs have put on. This year’s grand prize, a 2018 Toyota RAV4, went to Brad Bell, and was provided by Toyota of Tri-Cities, the event’s premier sponsor. In addition, 47 other prizes were awarded that were donated by Mid-Columbia businesses.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

CBC puts fundraising efforts for culinary school on back burner BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Fundraising efforts for Columbia Basin College’s culinary school have been put on hold, but that doesn’t mean plans for a facility in Kennewick’s new riverside wine village aren’t moving forward. “The original plan was to start with fundraising, build the building, and while that was going on, build the program and get the approvals,” said CBC President Rebekah Woods. “And the reason is, once you get approval from the state board, within a year you have to enroll students. So that’s why the thought was to get the fundraising first so we have a facility to start this in.” But Pasco-based CBC has decided to change its plans after receiving feedback from 88 people, including restaurant owners, chefs, wine industry professionals and community leaders. “They had some concerns, and they were valid concerns. If you look at culinary colleges across the country, they’re struggling with enrollments,” Woods said. In late 2015, Le Cordon Bleu announced it would close all 16 of its culinary schools in the United States. The school famous for teaching Julia Child in Paris is a private institution and more expensive than a community college program. The culinary field’s other challenge is attracting workers who are more interested in careers offering a better work-life balance. “The culinary field when you get into it, it’s long hours. It’s evenings. It’s weekends. It’s not a clean 9-to-5 walk away kind of job. And the newer generations, they’re very focused on work-life balance and having time with their families, having time to be involved in their communities— and they should. We all want this. But you see it more so in the newer generations. And a lot of the jobs, especially if you’re going into a line cook position, those are

Fundraising efforts for Columbia Basin College’s 20,000-square-foot culinary center in downtown Kennewick have been put on hold so CBC officials can make sure the facility is financially viable and offers quality curriculum. (Courtesy CBC)

lower paying jobs as well,” Woods said. Tri-City area hospitality officials told CBC that instead of hiring students trained at culinary schools, they were finding folks with a passion for food and training workers themselves, Woods said. CBC first announced plans to build a $10 million to $13 million culinary center in November 2016 with the support of the Port of Kennewick and city. The culinary school would join the Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village development in downtown Kennewick, with plans calling for a 20,000-square-foot, two-story building that would give students experience in preparing meals and the community an opportunity to enjoy a realworld dining experience. CBC has a reputation of successful programs, and Woods said it wants to make sure the culinary facility falls into that category. The college would need to get approval from the state board to offer a new program and to do that, Woods said the program needs to show there’s a demand and jobs available for graduates.

“At a minimum, we have to show a career pathway. Maybe entry level would be lower paying, but we need to show there’s a pathway available for them,” Woods said. “We also have to show — if there’s a similar program in a community near you, and Walla Walla has a culinary program — you have to show how you can work together and complement each other. There’s going to be competition — that’s unavoidable.” A subset of the 88 hospitality industry leaders met Oct. 13 to talk about what CBC’s specific program needs would look like. Woods said the school is committed to getting down the path that leads to opening a culinary center, and the next step is to hire

a consultant or director to help build a curriculum. Woods said one idea is to do a soft launch to show proof of concept, although that plan is not set in stone. “We want to get the program started. We need to find partners and start building momentum for enrollment and getting people excited about it,” she said. “And hopefully down the road there would be the fundraising capacity to build the facility if we go that route.” Woods said the design idea for the culinary center was based on information gathered from a team that visited several culinary programs, including the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, which is part of the Southwestern Oregon Community College. The Oregon program influenced CBC’s plans for its culinary center. “It was one of the schools included in the CBC benchmarking visits a couple of years back,” Woods said. “Their enrollment is growing and their graduates have great success.” The next visionary meeting for the culinary program has not been set, but Woods said the school would like to have some internal talent in place to help build a curriculum and move forward. “Our program would pursue (American Culinary Federation) accreditation. Therefore, the qualifications of the faculty and program director would follow that which is required by the ACF in order to receive accreditation,” Woods said. People interested in getting involved can contact Woods at rwoods@columbiabasin. edu or 509-542-4801.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

RETAIL

Bath & Body Works store to open in Richland next year Retail outlook BY ROBIN WOJTANIK strong for the Construction is underway on the Triholiday season Cities’ second Bath & Body Works for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

store, planned for the Queensgate area of Richland. The company’s corporate office said the store is scheduled to open in early 2019 at 2471 Queensgate Drive, Suite A7. The developer of the Vintner Square property, Bowman Development Co., narrowed the store’s opening date to Feb. 1. The Richland Bath & Body Works shop will be more than a third larger than the one at Columbia Center mall in Kennewick at about 4,250 square feet. It will be in the western corner unit of the building that also houses Starbucks, Jamba Juice, GameStop and Fiesta Mexican Restaurant. Remodeling is already underway for the spot that once was home to a Rue 21 clothing store that closed in June 2017 after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Richland store will include a White Barn shop within the Bath &

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Remodeling is underway for the Tri-Cities’ second Bath & Body Works store. The store at Richland’s Vintner Square off Queensgate Drive will be in the western corner unit of the building that also houses Starbucks, Jamba Juice, GameStop and Fiesta Mexican Restaurant.

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Tri-City retailers are optimistic about the upcoming holiday shopping season. “Our market usually outperforms the national trend due to our strong local economy,” said Barbara Johnson, general manager of Columbia Center mall in Kennewick. “It’s always kind of like looking into a crystal ball. I’m expecting consumer spending locally to be up 4.5 percent over last year, if not better.” Johnson bases that on the National Retail Federation’s prediction of a 4.1 percent increase in consumer spending for the 2018 holiday shopping season compared to last year. The 33rd annual holiday retail survey, conducted by independent research company, Deloitte, pushes that number even higher, with an expected increase of up to 5.6 percent more spending compared to last year.

uSHOPPING, Page 12

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

SHOPPING, From page 11 Columbia Center will welcome back its veteran seasonal retailers like Hickory Farms, See’s Candies, Calendar Club and Go Games. The consistent popularity of See’s Candies has prompted the vendor to sell its chocolates and candies from a storefront this year, instead of a cart. A new seasonal retailer in the Kennewick mall will be Prosser-based Chukar Cherries, which sells foods and gifts using locally-grown cherries and berries. Johnson said the mall has been hoping to bring Chukar Cherries in for the holidays for the past couple years. The retail industry puts thousands of people to work in the Mid-Columbia. As of the end of the third quarter, total employment for the retail industry across Benton and Franklin counties was just under 14,000. This is up over the past year by 5.3 percent. Across the state, nearly 400,000 people work in retail, and an additional 10,900 workers are expected to be hired statewide to fulfill the holiday shopping demand. This is a 21 percent increase over last year’s holiday hiring in Washington. This will include an estimated 500 retail workers hired across Benton and Franklin counties between October and December. Last year’s actual hiring for the same time period was 499 retail workers. The National Retail Federation said 42 million American jobs are supported by the retail industry, which directly employs 29 million people across the nation. The industry group breaks down the impact by

Retail

As the lone regional, indoor shopping center, the Columbia Center mall in Kennewick fills with shoppers each holiday season. The National Retail Federation’s predicts a 4.1 percent increase in consumer spending for the 2018 holiday shopping season compared to last year.

congressional district, reporting that 70,914 jobs are directly supported by retail in the 4th Congressional District, including an impact of $4.3 million in gross domestic product. There are nearly 6,000 retailers in the district covering Benton and Franklin counties, along with Adams, Douglas, Grant, Okanogan and Yakima. “Fueled by strong consumer confidence, our industry has been growing steadily,” said Renée Sunde, president and CEO of the Washington Retail Association. “Retailers are ready to hire a variety of job seekers, from career-oriented applicants to those looking to earn a few extra dollars for the holidays.”

The bulk of hiring will come from general merchandise stores, which include retailers like Target and Walmart. A special web page launched by WorkSource in partnership with the Washington Retail Association can be found at http://bit.ly/WorkSourceWARetail. WorkSource is a statewide partnership of state, local and nonprofits that provides employment and training services to job seekers and employers. The tax distribution for retail shopping was more than $42 million across the TriCities in 2017. Despite growth in online sales, Johnson said consumers still need physical retail stores, which helps contribute to the Tri-Cities’ growth in retail sales. There is also limited competition for Columbia Center, making it a regional shopping hub for shoppers from both southeast Washington and northeast Oregon. Due to the increased number of customers during the holiday shopping season, additional parking will be made available. Demolition of the former Regal movie theater is set to begin before

Thanksgiving and should wrap up quickly as the site is being prepared as a future location for the Mid-Columbia’s first Dick’s Sporting Goods. Johnson said the closure of Toys R Us also may drive more shoppers to the mall in search of unique toys and games. Johnson says Toys R Us still controls the lease on its building at 821 N. Columbia Center Blvd. and will determine the future of the former Kennewick toy store. Most shoppers aren’t expected to wait until Black Friday to begin their holiday shopping. Those who average the highest spending also start their shopping before Thanksgiving, according to the Deloitte 2018 Holiday Survey. This includes 60 percent of those surveyed, with an average holiday expense of $1,685. Those who wait until after Thanksgiving to begin holiday shopping will average $1,315 in spending. Still, most shoppers will do about half of their shopping in the 30-day window between late November and early December, according to the Deloitte survey. Reliance on Black Friday or Cyber Monday is expected to be down slightly from 2017. Deloitte determined the average holiday spending for consumers is likely to increase from $1,226 in 2017 to $1,536 in 2018, with more than three-quarters of consumers planning to spend at least the same, if not more, than they did last year. The researchers also predict online shopping could be up 18 percent to 22 percent over last year’s spending. Gift cards, clothing and toys top the list as the items most likely to be bought during the holiday shopping season. Locally-owned small businesses also hope shoppers support their shops on Small Business Saturday on Nov. 24. The annual event, which is supported by the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, aims to support the diverse range of local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and enhance neighborhoods around the country.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

RETAIL Brief background of your business: Columbia Center is the largest regional shopping center in Eastern Washington and Oregon, with more than 125 stores and restaurants. Columbia Center was built in the Tri-Cities in 1969 and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the shopping center in 2019. Number of employees you oversee: 55 How did you land your current role? Shortly after my husband and I moved to the Tri-Cities, the mall was looking for a marketing director. My background and experience was in marketing, so when I saw the ad, I was very excited about the position, especially because I also love to shop! I applied and successfully became the mall’s marketing director, which I did from 1989-93. The mall’s general manager position came available, I applied for the position, as I saw this as an exciting new career challenge and an opportunity to learn a new side of the business, with leasing, operations and security. At the time, there were only three female mall managers, so I wasn’t sure of my chances, but the DeBartolo Corp., which owned the mall at the time, took a chance on me, which I was very thankful for. How long have you been in it? I will celebrate 30 years with Columbia Center on Jan. 2, 2019. Why should the Tri-Cities care about the retail industry? Retail sales are big business for the Tri-City region. Each of the four cities rely heavily on sales tax collection from retail sales for their general funds. The economic impact and quality of life to our community is also a reason why people should care about a strong and vibrant retail industry. A strong retail economy spurs other retailers, both national and local, and business sectors to come invest in our community for the benefit of all who live here. What is the biggest challenge facing business owners/managers in the retail sector today? Retail is going through some transformational changes right now, much like many other businesses. Consumers like to shop in stores for purchases that matter and are very good about doing their homework upfront to save time. As owners and managers, we need to find innovative ways to connect with our customers. People are still shopping and despite reports to the contrary, shoppers still like to touch, feel, test drive and try on goods and services before they buy. Many retailers are coming up with innovative ways to connect with their customers, whether it is shopping for them and delivering curbside like several of the grocery stores are doing, or having the merchandise in store that day when the customer orders it off the internet and can go in and pick it up immediately. Even Amazon is seeing the benefit of having a place where shoppers can go to check out merchandise before they buy, with opening brick and mortar stores in malls around the country. Facebook is debuting pop-up stores in select Macy’s

Q&A

BARBARA JOHNSON

General Manager, Simon Property Group - Columbia Center mall stores this holiday season to spotlight new or growing brands, giving real exposure to new customers.

be five more things tomorrow that have to be done and you can quickly get the feeling of being overwhelmed.

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? The ability to lead and adapt to change quickly in a fast moving economy. Motivating your team to support change is important as change is very hard for some people to accept.

Who are your role models or mentors? My first mentor was a mall manager in Seattle, Sam Stalin, who helped me early in my career as a mall manager learn the operations side of the business. I knew nothing about heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, fire systems, roofs, and he was always there to help me with whatever questions or issues I had. My background in marketing also helped him, so it was a great partnership and friendship. My dad was also a role model for me growing up. He had a great work ethic that I have tried to emulate throughout my career.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? Find a role model or mentor that you can spend time with and pick their brain about what helped them succeed as a leader in their organization. Don’t be afraid to fail or make the hard decision. We all make that decision that we regret or wish we could have done differently, but hopefully you learn from it and it makes you a better person and leader. Finally, don’t procrastinate! If you don’t get it off you plate today, there will

How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? I always loved retail, but really had no idea that there were people behind the scenes in malls that make things happen until I found the marketing director job here at Columbia Center. I loved making

Barbara Johnson

people happy with all the great events we did and so when the manager’s job came available, I saw that as an opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Every day here is different, new and exciting, which motivates and excites me to go to work every day to see what new opportunity or challenge awaits. What do you consider your leadership style to be? I am a very hands-on person when it comes to leadership. There are always many balls that we juggle as mall managers, and I have a great team that works hard every day to make our shoppers’ experience memorable and a place where people come to both shop and gather with their families. uQ&A, Page 20

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

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Kennewick hardware store changing gears after 100 years BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The owner of a 100-year-old retail mainstay in downtown Kennewick is winding down operations. “Age and time and generations running out; the business is healthy, happy and doing great, but it’s just time for us to change course,” said John Gravenslund, owner and general manager of True Value Washington Furniture and Hardware. After three generations in business, Gravenslund said he’s looking to cut back retail operations, knowing this could mean an eventual end to the store. “The business is strong, it doesn’t owe us anything,” he said. The change includes a reduction of retail hours from six days a week to four, with limited hours expected during the days it will be open. “There isn’t a hard-core plan. I’m kind of winging this,” Gravenslund said. “We will be getting out of furniture, for the most part. The hardware, I’m going to play with for a while, with light days and flex days, probably mornings and no after-

noons.” Gravenslund plans to continue to service longtime commercial accounts, including those with the city of Kennewick and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, but recognizes changing current operations could result in the potential shutdown of the store. “If (customers) dwindle off, or those flex hours don’t work for them, then at some point we’ll probably have a total liquidation and auction. It took a long time for this business to get here, so I figure it doesn’t have to happen overnight to get out of here,” he said. The end of 2018 marks the Gravenslund family’s 100 years with the store at 6 W. Kennewick Ave. According to family records, the business opened in 1896, with Gravenslund’s grandfather, Wilmot Gravenslund, joining in 1919. It eventually grew to the threestory retail space it is today, selling True Value brand tools, home goods and furniture. “We’re definitely a homeowner’s store,” said Gravenslund, noting that his shop is the place to come for three screws or a new bedroom set.

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After 100 years as a family business, Kennewick’s True Value Washington Furniture and Hardware owner and general manager John Gravenslund has decided to pare back the store’s inventory and hours.

Currently open every day but Sunday, Gravenslund noted, “For the family, it’s always been a seven-day-a-week operation.” He recalled the time his grandfather worked long days, without modern conveniences, to grow what was originally called Washington Hardware. The name expanded when the family added furniture to the inventory, and for a time they flipped the furniture and hardware in the title. Gravenslund’s parents came into the operation in the 1950s. “My father had the foresight to take on the True Value brand and develop outside properties to stay diverse and keep the business healthy,” Gravenslund said. This noted another name change to add True Value to the title. Part of the furniture showroom is on the former site of a roller skating rink that closed after World War II. “My mother worked several decades to keep the furniture sales up, and merchandise rolling out the door,” he said. Gravenslund, 58, took over the operation when his father died in the 1980s, and the siblings helped keep the store afloat at that time. “My wife is now in the back office part time taking up the slack, while my daughter had a brief, yet good, taste of retail,” he said. Concluding that, “it’s just time,” Gravenslund didn’t actively pursue a sale

of the business in favor of a reduction in operations. “We’re not under the gun to get out of our lease or sell merchandise to pay debt. We’re in a lucky spot because the previous generations put us there,” he said. He’s also keeping his options open for the Kennewick Avenue property after learning a new high-end mixed-use building is planned just around the corner at 20 N. Auburn St., housing retail and restaurant space below and office and residential space above. “Maybe I’ll be approached, maybe I won’t,” he said. He describes the reaction to his decision to pare back as “odd,” compared to his original expectations. “I figured I’d have bargain hunters asking, ‘Make me a deal on this,’ but, instead, people are just sad. It’s nice that they’re supportive. It’s not the response I thought I would see. People are still coming in and haven’t abandoned us,” he said. In fact, the furniture department recently took one of the largest special orders in store history. True Value Washington Furniture and Hardware once employed as many as 30 people, but with automation and streamlined operations, the store now employs about 10. A few employees will stay on during the reduced hours following the end of the year. uHARDWARE, Page 16

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

RETAIL

Tri-City retailers may rejoice this holiday shopping season BY D. PATRICK JONES

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

It’s November and ’tis the season. Holiday decorations, a parade of ads, the Hallmark channel showing lots of Christmas trees and, of course, the ever-present music reminds us that it is time to shop. For most retailers, as this quarter goes, so go the results for the year. So, a look at retail sector in the TriCity economy seems to be keeping with the season. Benton-Franklin Trends offers a few ways of learning about retail here. The Trends is a project of Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis that highlights local, state and federal data to measure the economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties. One Trends indicator asks how many people work in retail. According to the data, nearly 11 percent of the twocounty work force did, on average, in 2017. Retail’s share was nearly 14,000 people in 2018. Only three sectors employed more: agriculture, government (local, state and federal) and health care. This ranking may not surprise any longtime Tri-City residents. A parallel look at the regional economy delivers the same ranking. Measuring activity by “value added” is the backbone of concepts like gross domestic product, or GDP. The feds now offer this measure for all metro areas in the U.S. Wages and benefits make up the lion’s share of value added, so metro GDP largely captures income to workers, or labor. The Trends data portrays the five largest sectors in the Tri-Cities by this measure. Retail comes in as the fourth largest sector as well. (Note that the composition and ranking of the “top

five” sectors differs a bit between these two measures.) So retail is big business here. But it is in many economies. For example, in the labor force indicator, D. Patrick Jones the Washington Eastern Washington economy proUniversity vides a comparison. For the state, retailing ranks as third largest. In percentage terms, its share is about one point higher. Could the presence of Amazon’s Seattle headquarters have anything to do with that? Another takeaway from the graph of sectors by labor force in the Tri-Cities: the share of retail workers has been remarkably stable over the past 15 years. It doesn’t appear that online retailing has taken too big a bite out of local retailers. Besides retail’s contribution to the Tri-City labor force, another reason to care about the health of this sector lies in its contribution to local government finances. In the absence of an income tax and with property tax capped at 1 percent growth per year on existing property, the sales tax has become ever more important to the fiscal health of Washington counties and city governments. What’s been the recent path of taxable sales in the two counties? Trends indicators lay out the course. On an annual basis, the answer is: fairly strong. In 2017, the total for the two counties was more than $5.4 billion. The most recent three-year average has been more than 6.5 percent growth per year for both two counties. Interestingly, the experience between the two counties diverged over the last

(Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends)

three years, as online readers can observe. In Franklin County, for example, the most three-year average annual growth rate has been nearly 9 percent. In Benton County, the average was about 6 percent. What kind of Christmas cheer will the season bring to regional economy and local governments? The National Retail Federation has predicted a 4.1 percent increase in retail sales this year nationwide. Locally, if the results of the first quarter predict the final quarter well, retailers in the Tri-Cities stand to enjoy a joyful season. The results show

a 10 percent jump over 2017. One quarter does not a year make. But given insights from recent employment and income reports, a mid-single digit increase at the cash registers seems highly likely. D. Patrick Jones is executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

GOODWILL, From page 1 “We live in a very generous and supportive community, so we probably average 35,000 donations a month throughout the territory. One donation is a U-Haul full of stuff. That’s one just donation,” Gosney said. Goodwill also plans to build a donation center at the corner of Keene and Kennedy roads in West Richland in the coming year that’s across the street from Roasters Coffee and next door to the future Tim Bush Car Wash. Gosney said Goodwill recently bought half an acre from Bush for the project. The facility hasn’t been designed yet but will be at most 1,500 square feet, he said. Construction could start in late spring or early summer. He said passersby can expect to see a

donation trailer on the property soon so people become familiar with the location. Gosney oversees a territory that includes stores in Wenatchee, Sunnyside, Walla Walla and Hermiston, in addition to two in Pasco, two in Kennewick and one in Richland. The local Goodwill also runs an online retail store at Shopgoodwill.com, which operates like Ebay by accepting bids on items. “It’s nuts what you can find on there,” Gosney said. The opening of the new store means the eventual closure of the Kennewick Avenue store. “This new store will allow us to become more efficient. Because we currently lease two facilities in Kennewick, we will be vacating the Kennewick Avenue one for sure and potentially the store off Dayton

Retail Street as well, but that’s up in air right now,” he said. “Leases can be very expensive when you’re not building equity.” He said projections indicate his territory will have about $20 million in overall revenue in 2019. That includes revenue from the stores and some state program contracts. About 9 percent of the local territory’s revenue goes toward administrative costs, Gosney said. “We run pretty lean at the administrative level,” he said, explaining that 91 cents for every dollar in revenue funds Goodwill’s mission, which is well under the international agency’s goal of 14 percent. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia typically ranks second or third in monthly performance among the 162 Goodwill territories nationwide, a ranking that’s based

on a variety of indicators, ranging from expense-to-donation ratios and donations per household, Gosney said. The new Kennewick store and warehouse will provide jobs to 30 to 35 people. “All the profits from the store support the mission of changing lives through the power of work,” Gosney said, adding, “We put millions of dollars a year into our mission.” And though Goodwill is most well known for its second-hand deals, its employment services are “a huge part of our mission,” Gosney said. “We’re unlike other nonprofits. We have two very different sides to our agencies: the retail side, which comes with all the bills and stresses of any business, and the employment side,” Gosney said. “One is focused on being profitable and efficient, and the other side is focused on how do we take profits from our retail side to support the mission side.” Goodwill’s goal is to help people overcome poverty, unemployment and barriers to a better life. That’s the focus at the Employment Connection Center at 3521 W. Court St. in Pasco, next door to the store. The nonprofit placed 571 people in jobs and assisted 3,439 people from January to September this year. Gosney said the agency is on track to place 750 in jobs and assist about 5,000 by year’s end. In 2017, Goodwill Industries of the Columbia helped place 552 people in jobs. “People shopping and donating is impacting thousands of lives,” Gosney said. People come to the employment center, which has a computer lab and jobs board, to get help with their resume, brush up on interviewing skills and get help with job placements from employment specialists. The services are free and open to anyone. “We’ve specialized in helping people with barriers to employment, from those who just got out of prison to those recovering from drug addictions or disabilities,” Gosney said. “But also it could be a CEO who just got laid off. These are all free services and all supported by funds we make from the stores.” The local Goodwill territory employs 275 full-time workers, offering a competitive benefits package, and has about 100 people with disabilities in job training programs, Gosney said. The training program’s goal is to provide participants with the skills they need to land a job they’re interested in. “Their disabilities range from really severe to not so severe, but the goal is not to have them always with us, even though that may be the case, but what is going to be the best option for them,” Gosney said. HARDWARE, From page 14 Until the end of December, the store will maintain its current schedule: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. Future hours for 2019 have not been decided, as Gravenslund admits the future is “wishy-washy,” but he’s just focused on changing the current setup. “I’m closing in on 60, and I don’t want to be here when I’m 70, so it’s now or never,” he said. True Value Washington Furniture and Hardware: 6 W. Kennewick Ave., 509-5822141.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Retail

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for holiday bazaars The holiday shopping season is underway. Several area groups and churches are offering bazaars around the Tri-Cities to help shoppers cross items off their gift lists:

Affinity at Southridge Holiday Bazaar: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Affinity at Southridge, 5207 W. Hildebrand Blvd., Kennewick. Bazaar with a Purpose: noon to 5 p.m., 417 W. First Ave., Kennewick. Baked goods, holiday items, sweet treats and more. Free admission.

Saturday, Nov. 17

Sunday, Nov. 18

BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

Make a Difference Christmas Bazaar: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Calvary Chapel, 10611 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Seventy unique vendors, lunch options and more. Free admission. Marcus Whitman Winter Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Marcus Whitman Elementary, 1704 Gray St., Richland. More than 50 vendors offering handmade items, speciality gifts, baked goods and more. A silent auction and food trucks. Free admission. Jason Lee Elementary Craft Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Jason Lee Elementary, 1750 McMurray Ave., Richland. Craft and food vendors. Nonperishable food items will be collected at the door. Lewis and Clark Elementary Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lewis and Clark Elementary, 415 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Vendors, samples, giveaways, coupons and more. Princess Christmas Market: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Princess Theatre, 1228 Meade Ave., Prosser. One-of-a-kind, handmade gifts. Free admission.

West Richland Chamber Holiday Bazaar: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. Locally-made items. Free admission.

Saturday, Nov. 24

Christmas Bazaar: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Crossview Community Church, 540 N. Colorado St., Kennewick. Crafts and decor items. Hosted by Crossview Community Church Women’s Ministry. 37th annual Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Columbia Valley Grange, 6300 W. Court St., Pasco. Handcrafted items.

Saturday, Dec. 1

Bazaar with a Purpose: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Best Western Plus Kennewick Inn, 4001 W. 27th Ave., Kennewick. Baked goods, holiday items, sweet treats and more. Free admission. American Legion Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., American Legion Auxiliary Unit 34, 1029 W. Sylvester

St., Pasco. More than 20 vendors selling art, crafts, decor and baked goods. Raffle drawings and pictures with Santa. Free admission. Alliance Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Richland Alliance Church, 1400 Sanford Ave., Richland. Craft items, silent auction, baked potato bar, baked goods, etc. Free admission. Proceeds raise money for Alliance Church youth to attend youth camps. Alternative Gift Fair: noon to 4 p.m., Community Unitarian Universalist Church, 2819 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. Give the gift of a donation to a local or international charity. Many nonprofits to choose from and all gifts are tax deductible. Free admission. Pasco Winter Fest: 2 to 6 p.m., Volunteer Park, 1125 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco. Music, food, gift vendors, beer garden, photos with Santa and more.

Synergy Dance Association Holiday Arts and Crafts Show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Synergy Dance Project, 4000 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Gift vendors, coffee and a bake sale. Free admission. Benton City Winterfest: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Kiona-Benton City High School, 1205 Horne Drive, Benton City. Local vendors, baked goods, raffle prizes, pictures with Santa and more. Connell Winterfest: 9 a.m., Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St. Handmade gifts, baked goods and more. Confections Selection & Gift Emporium: 9:30 a.m. to noon, Grace United Reformed Church, 2500 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. Holiday baked goods available by the pound. Handcrafted gifts, jewelry, decor, etc. All proceeds go to You Medical. Visit graceurc. org/confectionselection.

Sunday, Dec. 2

Sunday, Dec. 9

Saturday, Dec. 8

To be included on this list, email ads@tcjournal.biz with details about the bazaar, including time, date, place, cost and contact information.

West Richland Chamber Holiday Bazaar: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. Locally-made items. Free admission. Hawthorne Court Holiday Bazaar: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Hawthorne Court, 524 N. Ely St., Kennewick. A variety of vendors selling crafts, jewelry, baked goods, etc. Free admission.

West Richland Chamber Holiday Bazaar: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sandberg Event Center, 331 S. 41st Ave., West Richland. Locally-made items. Free admission.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

RETAIL

CHUKAR CHERRIES 320 WINE COUNTRY ROAD• PROSSER

The Port of Benton completed a 12,000-square-foot expansion for one of its longtime tenants, Chukar Cherries, on Oct. 1. Located on port-owned land at the corner of Wine Country Road and Nunn Road in Prosser, just northwest of Chukar Cherries’ existing shop, the new $1.6 million building will house all confection production, sorting, packaging and business activities. Chukar Cherries has been producing sweet treats using locally-sourced cherries and other fruits since 1988 and is known nationally for its confections. It has

a booth at Pike Place Market in Seattle, in addition to its Prosser headquarters and tasting room. It’ll also open a shop for the holiday season at Columbia Center mall in Kennewick. The new facility increases Chukar Cherries’ total production space by 50 percent and is projected to create five to 10 new full-time jobs, as well as additional seasonal (October to December) positions. The new building features a high bay and modern exterior design elements. It was built using pre-engineered metal.

Jason Archibald of Richland-based Archibald & Co. Architects was the designer. Banlin Construction of Kennewick was the general contractor.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018 TYSON, From page 1 The facility will be responsible for providing products to all the customer’s West Coast locations, including Hawaii and Canada. Tyson is planning to begin distribution from the new plant by June 1. The lower level of the expansion will house a new, state-of-the-art hamburger patty production line and the upper level will provide additional office space. It will mirror the company’s Amarillo, Texas, plant. Apollo Mechanical Contractors of Kennewick is the general contractor. Meier Architecture and Engineering of Kennewick is handling civil and electrical design. The Wallula facility is one of six similar plants Tyson operates across the U.S., this one serving the West Coast and the company’s Asian export markets. Jorge Guzman, an operations manager at Tyson, said 38 percent of the facility’s primarily Northwest-sourced products are exported, with 10 percent going back to the Midwest and eastern U.S. and the remainder distributed throughout the West Coast region. The Wallula plant originally opened in 1966 as a family-owned operation before being bought by Columbia Foods in 1971, then by IBP in 1976. Tyson acquired the plant in 2001. The AWB team spent a day in the TriCity area and also visited Douglas Fruits in Pasco, Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, Washington State University Wine Science Center in Richland and Chukar Cherries in Prosser.

Tyson Fresh Meats employees sign Association of Washington Business’ custom wrapped bus as an act of solidarity with other manufacturing workers across the state. Despite growth in other areas, manufacturing employment has been on the decline for the past decade in Washington.

Highlighting the industry is important because manufacturing jobs continue to decline across the state, according to AWB. There’s been a 21.5 percent decline in employment within the sector during the past 20 years. The peak for manufacturing jobs in Washington was 20 years ago with 363,700 jobs and those numbers have been declining ever since. In June 2018, the state recorded 287,700 manufacturing jobs, but this still falls short of the post-recession peak of 292,800 in 2015. Manufacturing job totals were last above 300,000 in December 2000, despite the addition of about 1.4 million residents to the state since then, the AWB said. This is an issue for the most exportdependent state in the nation, but especially

for its rural economies, Johnson said. “There is a strong, robust manufacturing sector in the Tri-Cities economy and community,” Johnson said. “We make a lot of things that a lot of people don’t necessarily make the connection or don’t necessarily realize are made in Washington state.” He added, “I think not many people wake up and realize that 8,500 men and women wake up every day and go to manufacturing jobs (in the Tri-Cities).” According to Tyson officials, some 90 percent of its workers live in the TriCities, with the remaining commuting from Walla Walla, Hermiston, Benton City and Sunnyside. Johnson said the manufacturing sector offers good family wage jobs that provide entry-level workers a clear career pathway,

enabling employees to own homes and live in the communities in which they work. The industry has provided a successful career for David Tobias, human resources manager at Tyson’s Wallula plant. He’s worked there for 35 years. He started out on the production floor, rising through the ranks as he put himself through night school to eventually head the human resources department for the facility. Though a statewide shrinking work force continues to be a hurdle for manufacturers, Johnson said he and his team observed many of the companies they visited on this year’s tour offer facility tours, internship programs and more to inspire the workers of tomorrow. The Wallula plants runs a program called Tyson University, which operates in cooperation with Walla Walla Community College since 2001, Tobias said. Workers can earn their high school equivalency certificate and take courses to improve their English and computer literacy skills. The program is facilitated by two full-time instructors from the college who are on site daily. Tobias said the company hopes to continue to expand these programs and provide more opportunities in the future. Before the AWB bus rolled out of Wallula, officials encouraged Tyson employees to add their signatures to the bus’s custom wrap as an act of solidarity with other manufacturing workers across the state. Washingtonians working in manufacturing earn $5.1 million in wages, according to the governor’s office.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Long awaited flights from Tri-Cities to L.A. begin this spring BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The Tri-Cities finally has its nonstop flight to Los Angeles, beginning March 31. The Tri-Cities Airport and United Airlines announced the new nonstop service between the Tri-Cities and Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 15. Hundreds of travelers from the Tri-City region already travel to the Los Angeles basin every day. “This is a huge win for the Tri-Cities community,” said Buck Taft, director of the airport. “The L.A. basin is our largest unserved market, and we’ve worked for years to gain this service. We’re grateful to our partners for helping us bring this flight

to our community, and look forward to providing quick, easy access to Los Angeles.” A late-afternoon departure from the TriCities will allow travelers to connect directly to 32 destinations on United, including five in Hawaii, five in Asia and Australia, and four cities in Mexico. “With this new flight, United connects passengers in the Tri-Cities with dozens of destinations in Asia, the Pacific, Hawaii and all across California,” said Janet Lamkin, United’s California president. “And we are excited to connect the TriCities with the world through our Los Angeles gateway and to bring more Southern Californians to Washington’s wine country.”

Tickets for United Airlines’ daily nonstop flights are available now. Using a 76-seat Embraer 175 aircraft, the flight will offer a first-class cabin and an economy cabin. This new service is the result of longterm regional collaboration. Through an alliance that included the Port of Pasco; Tri-City Development Council; Franklin County; Visit Tri-Cities; Benton County; the cities of Pasco, Kennewick, and Richland; Port of Kennewick; Port of Benton; Battelle; JUB Engineers; Bechtel; Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce; Washington River Protection Solutions and TiLite, the airport sought and won a federal Small Community Air Service Development grant.

The local and national support enabled the airport to incentivize United Airlines to begin the service. “New service to LAX is great news for the Tri-Cities,” said Carl Adrian, president and CEO of TRIDEC. “The local business community has been wanting direct flights to the Los Angeles basin for years so United’s announcement will make a lot of people very happy. TRIDEC has been supporting the Tri-Cities Airport for at least five years in promoting daily flights to Los Angeles so it is a great win for all of us.” Adrian said he isn’t sure efforts to get the nonstop flight would have been successful without the Small Communities Air Service grant the airport received and the broad base of community support to provide matching funding. Q&A, From page 13 How do you measure success in your workplace? My company has professional goals each year to meet our overall corporate goals. Beyond financial, leasing and sales goals, I also set personal goals for success each year and long term. Columbia Center offers the best mix of retail and dining options in the region, plus many special events to appeal to families. With each vacancy we have, and we don’t have many, we take the opportunity to enhance our asset by bringing new and exciting retailers that customers have asked for like HomeGoods, Ulta and DSW Shoes. Of course there are still a few left on the list, like Trader Joe’s and Nordstrom, but we never stop trying to bring new and exciting retail to the Tri-Cities, which is a personal success for me. How do you balance work/family life? Early in my career, I worked harder, not smarter. After years of experience, I now work smarter, which then allows me more time to spend with my husband, family and friends. How do you spend your free time? I love to spend time with family and friends, and I also love to travel. I have two beautiful grandchildren who I love to spend time with. I love my grandma days. My husband and I are also big sports fans. We love to catch a Seattle Mariners or Seahawks game, and we also love to support Oregon State and Washington State University. Best time management strategy? Don’t procrastinate. I learned early on to stay on top of things to keep ahead of the game! Most-used app? Besides my work email, I am a selfproclaimed Facebook and Words with Friends junkie! Best tip to relieve stress? I love to play golf and take walks to relieve stress. It allows me to refocus on what is important and whacking the little white ball is a great stress reliever for me!

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT Local unemployment rate hits lowest point in 28 years BY JENNIFER L. DREY

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

It’s a good time to be a job seeker in the Tri-Cities. The unemployment rate for Benton and Franklin counties hit a record low in September, dropping to 4.1 percent and marking its lowest point in the 28 years kept on record by the state’s Employment Security Department. The figure was down from 4.6 percent in August and from 4.7 percent one year earlier. “If you are a job seeker, are looking for work and are willing to work, there is a job out there for you,” said Ajsa Suljic, regional labor economist for the state Employment Security Department. The decrease in unemployment seen between August and September is common for this time of year due to seasonal factors in agriculture and the start of a new school year, which puts educationalservices employees back into the labor force after their summer break, Suljic said. This year, however, the rate was further improved by the fact that many job seekers who were unemployed during the summer found there were jobs to be had in September. Keeping in line with state and national

Rosa Reyna, an employment specialist at Goodwill Industries of the Columbia, shows off the job board in the Employment Connection Center in Pasco during a recent open house. The local nonprofit has placed 571 people in jobs and assisted 3,439 people from January to September.

trends of increased job availability, total non-farm employment in Benton and Franklin counties increased by 2,500 jobs from September 2017 to September 2018, demonstrating 2.2 percent growth. Many industries contributed to the local job growth, with some of the biggest gains one being seen in service industries,

construction, and leisure and hospitality, Suljic said. Specifically, service industries, which encompass a variety of sectors such as trade, transportation and government work, increased the most over the year, adding 1,800 new jobs. The construction industry followed

state and national building trends, adding 700 new jobs over the 12-month period and demonstrating 7.8 percent growth. The leisure and hospitality industry, which includes food services, posted its thirdplus year of growth, bringing 600 new jobs over the year, as the area continued to add hotels and meeting spaces. “Across the board, everything is really hot right now,” said Dustin Ghoreishi, who runs the Kennewick office of Aerotek, a national recruiting company that supports a variety of business sectors including engineering, construction and construction management, industrial and professional services. The decreasing unemployment rate is leading to a shortage of applicants in some of those areas, most notably engineering and construction management, plus everything that goes along with construction management all the way down to the electricians, Ghoreishi said. “The war for talent in about every different division we support is real,” he said. That means more opportunities for candidates to seek out jobs that offer the qualities that are most important to them in their work environment. uUNEMPLOYMENT, Page 26

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Labor & Employment

Report shows income inequality widespread across state, U.S. BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The top 1 percent of earners take home 19.7 percent of all the income in Washington. That top 1 percent also make 24.2 times more than the bottom 99 percent in the state. That’s according to a recent Economic Policy Institute report on income inequality. The institute, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C.-based think tank, reports that income inequality has risen in every state since the 1970s, and, in most states, it has grown in the post-

Great Recession era. “There has been vast and widespread growth in income inequality in every corner of the country,” the study said. The institute said that from 2009-15, the incomes of the top 1 percent grew faster than the incomes of the bottom 99 percent in 43 states and the District of Columbia. The top 1 percent captured half or more of all income growth in nine states. In 2015, a family in the top 1 percent nationally received, on average, 26.3 times as much income as a family in the bottom 99 percent. How does Washington compare with the rest of the country?

Washington ranks No. 10 of the 50 states in income inequality, based on the ratio of top 1 percent to bottom 99 percent income. The minimum annual income to be included in the top 1 percent is $421,926. The average annual income of the top 1 percent is more than $1.3 million. The average annual income of the bottom 99 percent is $50,107. In Washington state, the average annual income of the bottom 99 percent is $57,100. In Benton County, the average income of the top 1 percent is $666,395 and the average income of the bottom 99 percent is $53,285.

In Franklin County, the average income of the top 1 percent is $653,273 and the average income of the bottom 99 percent is $47,838. The study reports that the SeattleTacoma-Bellevue metro area is the most unequal metro area in Washington, with the top 1 percent making 24.7 times more than the bottom 99 percent. The average annual income of the top 1 percent comes in at more than $1.7 million; and the average income of the bottom 99 percent at $69,383. San Juan County is the most unequal county in the state, the report said.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS

Hermiston seeks applicants to operate food pod program

Kennewick center opens for Exchange enrollment help

Kennewick is among the cities where six new in-person assistant sites have been created for the Washington Health Benefit Exchange open enrollment through Dec. 15. Those who want help enrolling for health and dental insurance coverage through Washington Healthplanfinder may go to one of 10 locations for personal assistance. Those who would like assistance locally can go to the Kennewick enrollment office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at The Advisor Benefits Group, 5101 W. Clearwater Ave., Ste. 100, or call 509-582-3074 or email kevin@advisorbenefits.com. In addition to the Kennewick site, enrollment offices are in Federal Way, Spokane, Yakima, Bellingham, Olympia, Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver and Wenatchee. For more information, call 855-9234633 or go to wahealthplanfinder.org.

The city of Hermiston is seeking applicants to operate a mobile vending food pod pilot program for one to two years on city-owned downtown property. The program would operate on two city-owned lots. The operator will be able to use the land for free during the pilot period and can keep profits from space rentals. The operator will be expected to recruit and retain at least five mobile food vendors; provide and maintain sanitary facilities such as portable toilets and handwashing stations; ensure all vendors vacate the property at least once a week; keep the area clean; and allow the city to inspect bookkeeping records and sub-agreements. City council will analyze the program and discuss a system that will work financially long-term and that does not require the use of subsidized public land permanently. The pilot project is intended to last between 12 and 24 months. Proposals are due Dec. 3. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2Sxk65i.

Labor & Employment

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Employers preparing for state’s new paid family, medical leave program BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

In January, employers will begin collecting premiums for the state’s paid family and medical leave insurance program passed into law last year. Although benefits won’t take effect until Jan. 1, 2020, this statewide benefits program will allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of guaranteed paid time off — 18 weeks in limited special circumstances —and receive partial wage replacement. The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted an Ask The Experts panel on the issue Nov. 13 to allow attendees to ask questions of George Cicotte, attorney with the Cicotte Law Firm, Silvia Lugo, communications and outreach consultant with the state Employment Security Department, or ESD, and Jerry Marvel, programs director for the Columbia Basin Society for Human Resource Management. Although programs may vary by state, Washington is the fifth state to get a similar paid family leave program, and the first state to create an insurance program of this kind without a prior state short-term disability program in place, said Clare DeLong, communications manager for the paid family leave program for the ESD. “All eyes are on Washington right now,” said DeLong. “It’s a considerably high rate of wage replacement and it’s portable between jobs, meaning the leave will follow you if you leave your job.”

Employees are eligible to take up to 12 weeks after the birth, adoption or fostering of a child, if they experience a serious injury or illness, or need to care for a sick or injured relative. There are also benefits for military families who need to prepare for a family member’s pre- and post-deployment, as well as time for child care issues related to a deployment. If workers experience multiple events in a given year, they may be eligible to receive up to 16 weeks, or up to 18 weeks, if the employee experiences a serious health condition with a pregnancy that results in incapacity. The wage replacement is generally up to 90 percent of an employee’s weekly wage, with a minimum of $100 per week and a maximum of $1,000 per week. Workers who earn less than the state average would get 90 percent of their income. An employee must work 820 hours before becoming eligible for the benefits. The program will be funded by a total premium of 0.4 percent shared by employees and employers. The employer is responsible for about 37 percent of that premium. Employers will be responsible for remitting all premiums collected for paid family and medical leave to the state. Employers also are required to report hours and wages. For example, the total premium paid for an employee that earns $2,500 in a single pay period will be $10. The employee would have $6.33 deducted from his or her paycheck to cover both

family and medical leave. The employer would be responsible for $3.67. Cicotte, an employee benefits attorney, expects to see those rates increase substantially the following year, when benefits kick in. “There’s a pretty broad consensus that rates will increase,” Cicotte said. “The assumption is that they came up with an arbitrary and artificially low rate on purpose to pass the law, and it will be adjusted in the future. It can go up starting in 2020.” Bob Battles, government affairs director and general counsel with the Association of Washington Business, said it was a long and excruciating process of negotiation between labor unions, employers and lawmakers — but ultimately everyone came to a consensus and the law passed with bipartisan support. “Businesses came together with other parties and I think this is a good compromise,” Battles said. “We tried to get everybody what they wanted.” Although small businesses with fewer than 50 employees are not exempt from the program, they are exempt from having to pay their portion of the premiums. If they choose to do so, however, they’ll be eligible to receive small business assistance grants to offset wage-related costs associated with employees going on leave. “They can receive up to $3,000 if a temporary worker has to be hired, or up to $1,000 to offset costs of overtime pay or employee training, they can receive up to

10 grants in a year,” DeLong said. Employers who wish to offer an employer-funded paid family and medical leave program must apply for a voluntary plan, but benefits offered under the voluntary plan must meet or exceed the benefits of the state plan. Marvel said what’s needed is education for employees on these new benefits they’re entitled to, but most questions are coming from employers themselves. “They have questions on how to use their payroll system to remit payment to (Employment Security Department) and how to accurately report wages and hours worked,” Marvel said. “It’s separate from unemployment or tax reporting requirements.” DeLong said the ESD recently launched an employer toolkit to help employers implement the benefits program and meet the reporting requirements. It includes sample employee communications, a premium calculator and reporting requirements. “We want to make sure they’re prepared,” DeLong said. “With this we hope to alleviate any anxieties regarding calculations and reporting requirements.” Employers will need to report employee wages, hours worked and additional information beginning Jan. 1, for reporting in April — and every quarter thereafter. For more information on paid family and medical leave, visit paidleave.wa. gov/employers.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Labor & Employment

Second chance hiring may expand talent pool for Tri-City employers BY JERRY GOODSTEIN

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Washington became the 11th state to adopt the Fair Chance Act on June 2, extending “ban the box” job seeker protections to cover the state’s public and private employers. The bill delays criminal background checks until an applicant meets the basic criteria for the job and prohibits employers from automatically or categorically excluding individuals with a criminal record from consideration before determining they are otherwise qualified for the position. At the same time, with low unemployment rates (4.1 percent in KennewickPasco-Richland) and job creation on the rise, businesses are struggling to fill open positions. A recent report from Washington State University, Business in the Northwest 2018: Insights from the Carson College of Business, revealed 72 percent of Northwest business leaders feel their company is in a position to create more jobs, but 60 percent are struggling to find qualified undergraduates from area universities when hiring. Industries with hard-to-fill positions, such as construction, retail and shipping/logistics, get hit the hardest. There is a clear movement in the region toward “fair chance policies,” with neighboring states Oregon and California passing similar legislation in 2016 and 2018, respectively, and growing support in Montana and Idaho. Unlike some states, Washington didn’t

require employers to postpone background checks until conditional job offers were made. The Fair Chance Act now has the potential to influence hiring decisions. Importantly, it could open up a creative and responsible way to meet employer hiring needs in this tight labor market while also taking a step toward reducing crime in our communities. Perhaps it is time for Tri-City-area employers to consider second-chance hiring and screening in qualified individuals with criminal records as strategies for identifying employees for these hard-to-fill positions. Finding employees for seasonal agricultural work in the Tri-City area is particularly challenging in this low unemployment economy. Individuals with criminal records may represent an underutilized source of employees. Since 2010, Washington has introduced “farm to prison” programs in a number of correctional facilities. These programs provide inmates with opportunities to learn agriculture-related skills while planting, growing and harvesting produce on prison farms for consumption in the state prisons. The Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, for example, has a 250-acre farm run by Correctional Industries, a part of the Washington State Department of Corrections. There are a number of important barriers to second-chance hiring. Given the stigma associated with having a criminal record, employers are concerned about protecting their reputation. There are practical challenges employers confront as

well, given second-chance candidates, particularly if they have been incarcerated for long periods of time, may not have the education or skills employers are looking for, Jerry Goodstein or have paroleWashington State University related commitments that make it difficult to maintain regular work hours. But there are also good reasons to consider giving individuals with criminal records a second chance. In my research, I’ve found that employers who have hired these individuals praise their willingness to take on tough jobs and work hard, often as a way to express their gratitude for being given a second chance and to demonstrate their value to the organization. These employers highlight the importance of giving individuals with criminal records a second chance, helping them rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society. Some organizations also see secondchance hiring as a form of corporate social responsibility and a way to contribute to their local communities. They are right. Numerous studies show that stable employment for individuals with criminal records reduces the likelihood that they will commit additional crimes and potentially be re-arrested, which ultimately contributes to safer and stronger communities.

Many of the employers I’ve studied and learned about are strategic in their second-chance hiring efforts. They often partner with local and national re-entry organizations to reduce the risk and uncertainty of individuals with criminal records. These organizations work directly with individuals with criminal records, particularly those recently released from incarceration, to provide them with essential services, e.g. housing assistance, and critical skills training for employment. Partnering with re-employment organizations, such as Pioneer Human Services in Washington or the Department of Corrections office in the Tri-City area, can help address risks or concerns and put TriCity employers in a better place to make a good hire. With an open mind and some creativity, hiring individuals with criminal records could represent a unique business and social opportunity. From meeting the growing demand for hard-to-fill positions, to giving these individuals a chance to rebuild their lives and positively contribute to their communities, screening in this often-overlooked source of candidates is not only good for Tri-City employers, it’s good for society and for Washington. Jerry Goodstein is a professor at Washington State University’s Carson College of Business, teaching strategic management, organizational design, leadership and business ethics.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

Washington L&I considers salary revision for exempt employees BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries could soon be proposing new wage requirements for salaried executive, administrative and professional employees. The wage requirements would be tied to the state’s minimum wage, which is set to go up $1.50 every year through 2020 with the passage of Initiative 1433. The current proposal would increase exempt salaries between one-and-a-half to three times that of hourly, minimum wage workers. In 2019, that could mean that salaried, overtime-exempt employees could earn annual wages between $37,440 to $74,880. In 2020, that number could be as high as $84,240 a year. L&I released its first pre-draft proposed rule revisions Oct. 5. Public comments on the revisions were accepted until Oct. 28. They held listening sessions in Richland, Everett, Tumwater and Spokane. Another preliminary draft will be released in the next few weeks, which the public can comment on. The formal draft rules will be released around the end of this year or early next year. The process could take up to six months and will provide opportunities for public input, including public hearings. Minimum salary requirements for salaried executive, administrative and professional employees currently sit at $250 a week in Washington, or $13,000 a year — and it hasn’t changed since 1976. In comparison, hourly full-time workers on minimum wage earn up to $24,960 and are eligible for overtime pay. “That’s much less than you would get on minimum wage,” said Tim Church, public affairs manager for the state Department of Labor and Industries. “In general, the business community has expressed concern, if it was raised, it could have significant impact on small business,”

Steve Simmons, owner of CG Public House in Kennewick, said the proposed Labor and Industries rules for salaried employees could negatively affect service businesses like his restaurant, especially if tied to the minimum wage.

Church said. “We’re hearing from people who are employees and who represent employees. They’re saying it’s time to change; the requirements are entirely out of date.” The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce sent out information about the hearing that happened in Richland, as well as encouraged members to provide public comment on the state’s L&I website. “The hearing was interesting,” said Stephanie Swanberg, government and regional affairs manager at the regional chamber. “There were probably 40 people that attended. I stood up and asked what companies could be negatively affected and everyone in the room raised their hand, except two people, and they were there representing unions.” Swanberg said the sentiment in the room was the same across the board — it’s “unsustainable” and “obtrusive” and businesses and nonprofits would be forced to make changes that will impact their employees, and in the case of nonprofits, the funding for their programs. “We don’t have a lot of salaried employ-

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ees, and the ones we have are truly exempt, but the problem I have with the proposed rule, and I know the rules are badly outdated, but the methodology concerns me. They plan to use minimum wage with a multiplier of one-and-a-half to three, anything more than one-and-a-half would cause real harm to many service businesses like mine,” said Steve Simmons, owner of CG Public House restaurant in Kennewick. “In 2020, the minimum wage will go up to $13.50 — that in itself is enough of an impact without our salaried employees getting a salary increase that may or may not be justified.” Bob Battles, general counsel and government affairs director for the Association of Washington Business, said his organization opposes attaching salary thresholds to the state’s minimum wage. He also said salaried executive, administrative and professional employees also fear the unintended consequences of these revisions — like being forced to go back to hourly pay. “If you think about small businesses and retail, managerial positions are not making that amount,” Battles said. “We’ve heard

testimony from nonprofits saying they would have to eliminate certain positions because they can’t pay overtime. Employees take pride in having a salaried position and they worry they’re going to have to go back to hourly.” “We oppose the draft and we have submitted written responses,” Battles said. “They are creating a situation where small businesses can’t afford to survive. Small businesses are going to have to make decisions, pay (employees) more to do more work, or you can’t work overtime and your salary is still reduced. These will be the unintended consequences.” Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor is also re-examining the federal rules surrounding the overtime exemptions. The federal government tried to pass similar rules under the Obama administration, but those revisions were blocked from going into effect due to a federal court injunction and were found unlawful after two lawsuits brought by a coalition of 21 states and business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The current federal requirement is that employees can’t be considered salaried employees — and exempt from receiving overtime pay — if they make less than $23,660 annually, or $455 weekly. Battles said AWB believes state rules should try and mirror federal rules as closely as possible. Therefore, he hopes L&I waits to see what the federal government ultimately decides. “We would not oppose a rule that aligns with the federal government,” he added. The draft proposal also includes revisions to the definition of executive, administrative and professional positions and changes to the duties test — which deems an employee capable of performing the tasks associated with the position. For more information on the draft rule revisions proposed visit https://lni.us. engagementhq.com/learn-about-eapexemptions.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

UNEMPLOYMENT, From page 21 “Pay is very important, but in a candidate-driven market, it’s not everything,” Ghoreishi said, adding that upward mobility, career progression, even options such as working from home, are all possibilities worth exploring in this market. Goodwill Industries of the Columbia has also witnessed an influx of job availability in recent months. The jobs board at Goodwill of the Columbia Industries’ Employment Connection Center in Pasco boasted more than 88 jobs in early November. The center placed 65 people in jobs in September. “The fight for employees is pretty brutal, as there are more openings than people applying,” said CEO Ken Gosney of Goodwill Industries of the Columbia.

People come to the employment center, which has a computer lab and jobs board, to get help with their résumé, brush up on interviewing skills and get help with job placements from employment specialists. The services are free and open to anyone. The nonprofit’s employment center is on track to place 750 people in jobs and assist about 5,000 by year’s end. “We focus on jobs that are going to be career jobs,” Gosney said. “All walks of life come through there.” Of course, not all industries added jobs over the year, and even when times are good, finding employment may require adding skills or seeking out new certifications. In the area of manufacturing, for example, the number of available jobs in Benton and Franklin counties actually decreased

Labor & Employment by about 200 jobs over the year. While fluctuations are normal in that industry, automation also is changing the nature of some manufacturing jobs and may require workers to look into transferring their skills or doing some re-training to stay employed in the industry, Suljic said. Outlets in the local community already are prepared to help with that, she added. One such resource, WorkSource Columbia Basin, offers no-cost services to job seekers of all professional backgrounds who want help with connections to new opportunities. The company is made up of eight partner organizations and includes a team of employment specialists who work with job seekers to determine their skills, as well as their needs, in an effort to link them with proper training, when necessary, and employment. WorkSource also hosts a

variety of events based on local industry needs. In recent months, WorkSource has consistently seen job openings in government, retail, food processing and agriculture, according to Crystal Bright, operations manager at WorkSource. Health care also remains in high demand in the area. “There’s definitely more jobs available than job seekers at this time,” Bright said. Typically, the number of people looking for work coming through the doors of WorkSource will increase toward late November as harvests end and seasonal workers look to fill the winter gap. One area where they may find jobs to take them through those months is in retail, which typically picks up extra employees for the holiday season. The level of hiring for those positions is expected to be strong this year, although with the addition of so many retail trade facilities to the area, not all retail hiring in the coming months will be limited to seasonal positions, Suljic said. And with the local work force down to about 5,300 people, retailers are doing everything they can to attract workers, she added. Many retailers are looking to youth and first-time workers who they hope will be attracted to the extra money and perks, such as store discounts, that come along with retail employment. In any industry, qualified applicants who have “soft skills” such as punctuality and good grooming should find that employment comes fairly easily right now. “If you show enthusiasm about work and you show value in everything that you do, you’re going to be the star of the hiring spectrum,” Suljic said.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Initiative to fill jobs with veterans surpasses its 3,000th hire since 2016

YesVets, a statewide initiative to recognize businesses that hire veterans, recently marked the hiring of the 3,000th individual through the program. The program launched by the Washington Legislature in 2016 now has 700 business participants. The program was recognized in 2017 with the Public Relations Society of America Puget Sound Totem Award for Community Relations. Businesses that would like to participate in the program can go to esd.wa.gov/ yesvets.

Columbia Industries’ fundraiser dinner is Dec. 6

Columbia Industries is planning a fundraiser dinner called Evening of Miracles. Guests may enjoy a salmon and prime rib dinner, bid on silent auction items, browse an art gallery featuring pieces created by people with disabilities and hear how Columbia Industries’ programs are changing lives. The event is at 6 p.m. Dec. 6 at Canyon Lakes Clubhouse in Kennewick. The suggested donation amount is $100 per guest. To RSVP, call 509-582-4142, ext. 117, or visit https://columbiaindustries.com/ evening-miracles.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

LABOR & EMPLOYMENT

Empowering employees helps business owners succeed BY DANIELLE KANE

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Congratulations, business owner. You have successfully found and hired a team of smart and capable employees to help accomplish the organization’s goals. The team is working well – until one day, your top manager needs an unexpected couple of days off during a busy time when you and your other employees are counting on him. As a business owner, you can give him the days he needs to handle his personal situation, or you can deny that time off, somewhat justifiably, because the timing is bad. The choices are clear, but are the results? Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific knows this is just one of many challenges business owners face when managing employees and trying to create a fair, comfortable company culture. But what’s critical to realize is this: the success of your business largely depends on the success of your employees. And for those employees to be successful, it is up to you and the structure you put in place to make them feel empowered and respected. Happy employees are productive employees and productive employees produce a higher quality of work. Maybe you already understand that. However, it can be difficult to determine the steps to take to create this happy and industrious work force we’re talking about. The BBB recommends: • Clearly outlining expectations. If an employee is working without clear boundaries or direction, it is easy to lose motivation. As a business owner, it’s important you spell out policies and procedures and provide guidance on daily duties. • Giving praise. A compliment can go a long way at work by showing your employees they are valued and the work they are doing is appreciated. • Keeping them involved. Giving employees a chance to have a say in workplace matters shows you know how to be equitable and listen to the opinions of others. When employees consistently feel decisions are made without them, and the outcome directly affects them, a sense of unfairness may start to simmer. Instead, create a culture of inclusion where employees work with you to contribute to goals. • Being flexible. Life has unavoidable bumps in the road and your employees will inevitably experience them. Being flexible during these times shows your employees you understand and that you care. Be open to discussing changes in work schedules and time

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off when life’s speedbumps get in the way. Another major part of fostering a successful company culture is being able to handle internal conflicts. While Danielle Kane encouraging Better Business communication Bureau and participation within your work force are both highly important, issues will still arise. As a business owner, knowing how to resolve these conflicts will set the bar for how the business operates during times of struggle. In a workplace, primary sources of conflict can include unclear job roles, inadequate training, lack of equal opportunities, personality clashes, unrealistic expectations or workloads and, of course, any kind of harassment. While conflict may not always be avoidable, there are actionable solutions to reinstate tranquility: • Identify the origin. Finding out more about the cause of the conflict between employees can help you find a solution. Use questions such as, “When did you first feel upset?” or “How did this incident begin?” • Don’t escalate. When small conflicts turn into disruptive shouting matches, be mindful of how you react

to outbursts. When employees threaten to leave the company or take something to court, it is best not to respond back with more anger and threats. Instead, go back to step one. • Be a mediator. Invite both parties to provide their ideal solutions to the conflict. After listening, invite both to hear the other’s perspective and find middle ground. All of these tactics serve the business as a whole by enabling you to cultivate a loyal work force. If you are able to earn trust and build loyalty, your team will reflect that by working hard and sticking with the organization through tough times. So, what will you do about your manager who needs that time off? We can see from these tips that being understanding and flexible in giving this employee the time away he needs will generate a sense of fairness in the long run. Use the opportunity to foster team growth. In doing so, you lead by example, show other employees they are a valuable part of the team, too, and empower them to not only help, but excel. For more information on business development, go to trust-bbb.org/ torchtalk. Danielle Kane is the Tri-City marketplace manager for the Better Business Bureau Northwest and Pacific.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Grant funds WSU Tri-Cities class on teaching K-12 computer science

Future teachers will better learn how to teach computer science in the K-12 classroom, thanks to a new course at Washington State University Tri-Cities. A grant from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and matching funds from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory allowed the creation of a class that gives teacher candidates and current teachers a deeper focus on computational thinking, fundamentals of computers and basics of introductory programming. “Computer science is a crucial component of a student’s education, which is why it is important to offer a program that will support the preparation for our schools’ teachers in this area,” said Jonah Firestone, education professor at WSU Tri-Cities. Scratch, a program to develop basic computer code in a visual form, is being used in the class. Students also are learning how to write lesson plans for the material and how to break down these technical subjects into language that a young student can understand and retain. The course also will be included in a series of courses for a proposed computer science education endorsement at WSU Tri-Cities.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Lowe’s to close 51 underperforming stores

Lowe’s has announced the closure of 20 underperforming stores across the U.S. and 31 in Canada. But don’t fear Tri-Citians, it looks like the Kennewick and Pasco stores are safe for now. Washington state’s 35 Lowe’s stores are not included on the Nov. 5 closure list. Lowe’s expects to close the 51 stores by the end of the company’s 2018 fiscal year, which is Feb. 1, 2019. To facilitate an orderly wind-down, the company said it intends to conduct store closing sales for most of the locations except for select stores in the U.S., which will close immediately.

Most associates at the closing stores will be extended opportunities to move to a similar role at a nearby Lowe’s store. Most of the affected stores are located within 10 miles of another Lowe’s store, according to the company. The company’s fiscal year 2017 sales totaled $68.6 billion and its related businesses operate or service more than 2,390 home improvement and hardware stores and employ more than 310,000 people. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based company was founded in 1946.

Cheese Louise closes after owner’s death

The Richland Parkway’s Cheese Louise restaurant has permanently closed after the death of its owner, Tamara Krieger, 54. A sign posted on the door of the restau-

rant announcing the closure thanked “this wonderful community for making this place special for the last 10 years.” The cheese-and-wine shop that also served meals was owned by Krieger and her husband Bill. They opened the Richland store in October 2009 at 619 The Parkway. They also had operated a similar shop in Walla Walla.

Dental Health Services fined after missing deadline

A company once the largest dental insurer in the Washington Health Benefit Exchange faces a $200,000 fine for failing to substantially improve its process for identifying and responding to member grievances and consumer complaints. Dental Health Services’ fine was issued by state Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and came after a $300,000 fine in 2017, with $200,000 suspended if the company met a compliance plan. Dental Health Services stopped selling dental plans in 2018 and 2019 as part of the 2017 deal.

Corps Industry Day draws more than 130 businesses

More than 130 business owners attended the Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District’s “Industry Day” in early October. The Corps’ contracts total between $90 million and $130 million for construction projects, architect-engineering studies and supplies and services needed to operate its facilities. The event provided information to those interested in learning about how to do business with the Corps, contract opportunities, compete for contracts as well as network with other businesses doing business with the Corps.

Fair sponsors downtown Kennewick art project

The Benton Franklin Fair is the sponsor of the newest traffic box art project in downtown Kennewick. The project is the second in a planned series of traffic box mural installations. The fair and rodeo-themed display at the intersection of 10th Avenue and Washington Street, across from the Red Apple market, is the work of Kody Flannery of Monarch Tattoo. The fair worked with the Downtown Kennewick Historic Partnership on the project as part of the fair’s 70th anniversary celebration. Traffic box wraps are a popular way for communities to turn unsightly but necessary utility boxes into works of public art. The Kennewick Arts Commission is in the process of reviewing artists’ submissions to wrap an additional nine boxes in the year ahead, mostly with historic Kennewick themes. The Benton Franklin Fair earned the 2014 Visual Arts Award from the commission for a mural at the fairgrounds painted by students from area alternative schools.

Benton County earmarks $79K for Chaplaincy program The Benton County Board of Commissioners approved giving $79,340 from the public safety sales tax to

Chaplaincy Health Care’s Step Up program. The program assesses at-risk youth at intake for anti-social and criminal behaviors and who are then enrolled in the 11-week session. Adolescents and their families graduate after successfully completing the program. This program works closely with Benton and Franklin Counties’ Juvenile Justice Center to get referrals, but also has a goal to reach youth and families before they enter the criminal justice system to prevent criminal behavior among at-risk youth. The public sales tax money will go toward the program’s 2019-20 operating costs, including staff, training, outreach and supplies. For more information, contact Tom Adams at toma@chaplaincyhealthcare.org.

uHONORS • James and Angie Sessions of Pasco received the 2018 Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption award. The couple was inspired to become foster parents after learning about the foster care system at a local church camp for children in state custody. They became foster parents for four siblings – three young brothers and their baby sister – and were determined to keep the family together. In August 2017, the family grew from two to six when Ajay, Nathan, Kyler and Layla found their forever home with the couple. The nonprofit institute works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families. • The Northwest Dairy Association and Darigold, which has a plant in Sunnyside, received the 2018 Community Impact Award from Seattle Business magazine. The company was honored with a gold award in the sustainability category for its practices on co-op farms as well as across all Darigold operations. • Lamb Weston received a $266,500 incentive check from the city of Richland for an energy efficiency project. Operational and equipment improvements at its Richland plant will save 12 million kilowatt-hours, or enough energy for 833 Richland homes. As part of the Bonneville Power Administration’s Energy Smart Industrial Program, the city of Richland’s Energy Services department provides incentives to help offset the cost of high-efficiency systems and operations and encourage the development of energy-efficiency projects. • The Association of Community Cancer Centers presented the 2018 Innovator Award to the Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick. It was one of seven award recipients and honored for its prevention and early detection programs that involved a multifaceted public awareness campaign on leading causes of cancer deaths, importance of cancer screenings and smoking cessation, and a workplace wellness program. The awards recognize ACCC member programs that have created innovative solutions to challenges commonly faced by cancer programs and practices, as well as the multidisciplinary care team.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Virtual tour helps people understand what it’s like to live with dementia BY JESSICA HOEFER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A man whose mother faced down Alzheimer’s wants to educate others about dementia by giving them a virtual tour through the disease. “We impair your senses to mimic or give your brain the thought of what it might feel like to have dementia,” said Rick Bennett, who owns a business called The Dementia Coach. Bennett’s interest in senior care started when his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. “My sister and I started noticing mom was getting more forgetful. Back in those days, everyone was afraid of the ‘A’ word. It took (doctors) a year to come out and say, ‘Yes, she has Alzheimer’s,’ ” he said. After his mother died, Bennett wanted to use the experience he gained to help seniors with memory loss and cognitive dysfunction. In 2013, he opened Bennett House, an adult day care center in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It didn’t take long for Bennett to realize many caregivers struggle to understand the disease. “They just found out their mom has Alzheimer’s and they don’t know where to start. There’s information overload and it paralyzes them,” he said. “I started coaching people, then I realized there’s a real opportunity to help people.” In 2018, Bennett sold the adult day care center and launched The Dementia Coach. “I sit down with families and we just talk about (the disease). The No. 1 thing I want to get across to them is, ‘Don’t worry, you’re not alone. I’ve got your back.’ To see the stress go out of their faces when I say that—there’s no other feeling,” Bennett said. He also works with senior care facilities to provide training and seminars. Bennett wanted to go beyond the traditional learning models and obtained a licensing agreement to share the Virtual Dementia Tour—a tool developed by P.K. Beville— to help people understand what it’s like to be cognitively impaired. In October, more than 85 staff members were trained at Guardian Angel Homes in Richland. Family members, first responders and the public also were invited to participate. During the tour, people wore gloves to

impair their dexterity since many dementia patients lose the ability to touch and feel. Glasses with a black dot in the center and a yellow tint on the lenses simulated macular degeneration. A headset provided what Bennett called “confusion noise.” “You and I can have a conversation, but in the background you hear a horn or something. The brain knows the background noise has nothing to do with our conversation, but with dementia all sound becomes equal,” he said. “So imagine having a conversation and all the noise is the same volume. What that would do to the brain is drive you nuts. As the brain dies, all your senses begin to die off.” Symptoms of dementia include repetitive behavior, mumbling, humming and negative statements. Observers took notes about participants in the Virtual Dementia Tour to compare their actions and responses with those of real patients. The tour lasts eight minutes, but Bennett said for many people, it feels longer. “The goal of the virtual tour is to give those professional caregivers that ‘ah ha’ moment. The most common response I get after it’s done is, ‘Oh my goodness, I had no idea,’ ” Bennett said. “About 20 percent of professional caregivers come out of the tour and they are physically shaken up.” Tyson Frantz, a partner at Guardian Angel Homes, which has locations in Idaho, Washington and Oregon, said the most powerful moment during the tour was reading the comments made by the person trained to observe him for

symptoms. “You fumble around, wandering and rummaging, chuckling for no apparent reason,” Frantz said. “I was content, but from the outside I was presenting what someone with Alzheimer’s might present. It reinforces that just because someone doesn’t appear to do what they should be doing, it doesn’t mean they’re not functioning upstairs. It’s a good perspective shift.” About 85 percent of patients living at Through a Virtual Dementia Tour, caregivers and family get to experience what it’s like to live with a disease that Guardian Angel impairs the senses while trying to work out simple tasks, Homes’ facilities such as counting change. have Alzheimer’s, dementia or memory loss. Nearly 25 percent of Americans 65 and Association reports that the disease is the older have mild cognitive impairment sixth leading cause of death in the United while about 10 percent have dementia, States, killing more than breast cancer and according to a professor at the University prostate cancer combined. Every 65 of Michigan. seconds, someone in the United States Dementia is an umbrella term that develops Alzheimer’s, which is why Alzheimer’s disease can fall under. educating people about living with the However, people can have more than one disease is so important, Bennett said. type of dementia. The Alzheimer’s uDEMENTIA, Page 30

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Labor & Employment uHONORS • Columbia Basin College’s softball complex was named the 2018 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Field of the Year for the Northwest Athletic Conference division by Turface Athletics. The national award comes after new dugouts and locker rooms were added as well as improvements over the past four years including the addition of restrooms, snack bar, turf bullpens, scoreboard and a fullfield windscreen. • Ann Shively, the Tri-City Dust Devils’ assistant general manager – sponsorships, was named the 2018 Northwest League Woman Executive of the Year. She has worked with the team for six years. • HPM Corporation, operating at Hanford as HPMC Occupational Medical Services, received the NASA Space Flight Awareness Team Award during a ceremony at Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstsville, Alabama. The company with nationwide operations has had contractor operations at Hanford since 2004. • Bryan Castaneda and Tyler Castaneda, sons of Vicky and Leandro Castaneda of Kennewick, received the rank of Eagle Scout. The Kennewick High School students received the Boy Scouts highest honor after earning 21 merit badges and completing community service projects. For their projects, Bryan produced a play for Horse Heaven Hills Middle School and Tyler oversaw a team of volunteers knitting infant caps for Trios Health’s neonatal intensive care unit. The brothers are members of Boy Scout Troop 183 and their leader is Ron Bush. • The Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals awarded i3 Global of Kennewick seven 2018 MarCom Awards. The media services company was given two platinum awards and five gold awards. The awards recognize excellence in marketing and communications nationwide. • Financial-services firm Edward Jones, which has offices in the Tri-Cities, ranked No. 4 on the recently released Best Workplace for Women by Great Place to Work and Fortune. The company is the highest-ranking financial-services firm on the list. The ranking considered more than 540,000 employee surveys from Great Place to Work-certified companies. DEMENTIA, From page 29 Bennett has plans to open a satellite office in Richland or Kennewick to continue training providers and individual caregivers. “I want to have my own place here. What I’m trying to do is get maybe a house with commercial abilities—big enough with office space to hold virtual tours in,” said Bennett, who recently hired someone to add autism tours to his educational offerings. “My new guy has 30 years of experience with autism. His expertise is a new product we’re launching in the spring. It’s first-of-a-kind out here—a virtual autism tour. It’s going to be very much like the Virtual Dementia Tour but geared around autism.” For more information about The Dementia Coach and Virtual Dementia Tour, contact Bennett at 208-651-1808 or rick@thedementiacoach.com.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Community First Bank launches rebrand, new website Effort aims to unify banking, wealth management, trust, home mortgage services BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Community First Bank recently underwent a rebranding to modernize its curb appeal and to unify its different business lines, which now include wealth management, trust services and home mortgages. Formed in 1997, Community First Bank, headquartered in Kennewick with branches in Richland, Pasco and Connell, is the longest running community bank in the area, according to CEO Eric Pearson. “It’s really about being our clients’ financial partner for life, for our employees, small businesses, being a first class business bank, but also serving families and individuals. We have great consumer products,” said Jim Arneson, president of Community First Bank. “With the rebrand, we’re tying that all together.” “That means we are able to take care of our client from first checking account to retirement, or if a business owner needs a 401(k) plan or help with estate planning or trust services,” Pearson said. “Serving multiple generations, we’re the longest lasting bank in the area. We want to be here 100 years because we really can take care of their needs under one roof.” In 2016, Community First acquired

HFG Trust and subsequently brought wealth management and trust services to its portfolio of services. The acquisition was the precursor to the rebrand, Pearson said. “The merger had been a long time coming. We changed Haberling Financial Group to HFG Trust, changed the look and feel, and went through the process of setting them up as a new future of offering trust services,” Pearson said. “It’s really one big family now. We subsequently expanded our mortgage business, so we wanted all of these businesses to look and feel as part of the same family.” Pearson said it was important to promote the long-term history of the bank within the community as one of the longest standing locally-owned financial institutions, so although they deliberated, they ultimately decided against changing the name. But the logo received a freshening up. “It’s a more modern, stylized ‘C,’ appropriate for what we’re doing and where we are,” Arneson said, adding that the bank also updated the look of its electronic and mobile products. Community First Bank is updating existing signage on the exterior of its buildings as well as adding new signs and painting. All of its communications and marketing material — from website,

Thank You!

We would like to thank the exhibitors and hundreds of seniors, family members and caregivers who attended the Fall Senior Times Expo held October 16. SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you to the following vendors for donating rafﬂe items: Bingo Boulevard, Brookdale Meadow Springs, Total Quality Air, Tender Care Village, Spa Reju and Help-U-Move.

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Eric Pearson, left, CEO of Community First bank, and Jim Arneson, president of Community First Bank, show off the bank’s new logo.

brochures, business cards and letterhead — will change too. “We’re making the client experience as great as it can be,” Arneson said. “It’ll be crisp and new and fresh. Online, you’ll see a more modern experience. We’re shortening the path for users to do things, like transfer funds. We’re trying

to do the work so our clients don’t have to.” The new website launched Nov. 5, the same day as a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. A mobile app will be phased in.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Famous trophy helps to raise money for autism foundation BY ANNIE FOWLER

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The most iconic trophy in sports made an appearance in the Tri-Cities last month, helping to raise $15,000 for the Responding to Autism Center in Kennewick. The Stanley Cup, the guest of former NHL goalie Olie Kolzig, made an appearance Oct. 23 at the Carson Kolzig Foundation in Kennewick and at a dinner at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland. “That was going to be my plan all along,” Kolzig said of bringing the cup to the Tri-Cities. “I have been in Florida the past 10 years, but this is home. With my involvement with the foundation, the center and the (Tri-City) Americans, and I have a world of friends here, it was a nobrainer to bring it back here.” The Washington Capitals won the trophy, awarded annually to the NHL champion, last season. Members of the team and staff get a day with the trophy, and Kolzig, a former longtime goalie for the Capitals, and now one of their development coaches, chose to spend his day with the Stanley Cup with Tri-City hockey fans. Along with sharing the cup with fans, it also benefited the Carson Kolzig Foundation, which is named for Kolzig’s autistic son Carson, 17. The foundation was created 14 years ago. Donations at both events, along with the proceeds from the dinner, totaled more than $15,000. The money will benefit the Responding to Autism Center in Kennewick, which is funded in large part

by a continuing grant from the Carson Kolzig Foundation. The Kennewick center has been open for about nine years and works with children as young as 2, and many adults, according to autism specialist Christine Lindgren. “We have early intervention, we have school support, we do autism screenings, we do things for elementary kids and for teenagers to help them prepare for adulthood,” Lindgren said. The center also has been offering a job placement program for the past 18 months. Kasey Merz of Pasco, said her son John, 22, benefited from the program. “He is working part time at the Richland Winco,” Merz said of her son, who has been receiving help at the center for six years. “He wouldn’t have that job right now if it wasn’t for Christine’s support and the other folks who work here. It supports me too as a parent. Someone is shouldering the issues and pressures of helping your child with autism. There is some uniqueness to your struggle with autism, and they totally understand that. They check in on him and advocate for him so he can be a good employee.” Both centers are important to Kolzig, whose son was diagnosed when he was 15 months old. “It was our long-term vision to have a center like this, so that we can provide services for families because we know how hard it is when you first get the diagnosis,” Kolzig said. “That is the first part of the nightmare, and the second part is try to find

the necessary interventions and getting your child looked after and taken care of. “Fortunately, we were able to pair with Christine (Lindgren) and she has taken things far and beyond what we thought. We want to continue to make it better and bigger. Unfortunately, (autism) is not going away. It’s more persistent than it should be. We need facilities like this to help families.” Kolzig, who played for the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 1998, but came up short against Detroit, said winning the trophy as a player is extra special, but winning it as part of the staff is just as rewarding. “There is something about it,” The Stanley Cup, awarded annually to the NHL he said. “But you don’t know champion, is 126 years old. what it is until you lift it over your head. When you win, you are part of a family. It’s extra a new blank band is added to the bottom. special; they put my name on the cup. For The Washington Capitals are the only them to honor me like that was very spe- team on the newest band on the trophy, and cial.” Kolzig’s name is among those handAfter the Capitals won the cup with a engraved. 4-1 series victory over the Vegas Golden “That’s what’s so great about it,” Kolzig Knights in June, the cup was passed around said of the cup. “Every letter is different, to all the players. and the way they squeeze everyone in As team captain Alex Ovechkin was there. This ring will be on there for a while. leaving the ice with the trophy, he spotted I will be long gone before that one comes Kolzig, and handed him the trophy. off in 50 or 60 years.” The two played together for three years Howie Borrow of the Hockey Hall of with the Capitals, and became fast friends Fame, who accompanied the cup to the Triwhen Ovechkin first arrived in Washington. Cities, said the newest ring will be on the The Stanley Cup is the oldest existing cup for 65 years before it reaches the top trophy awarded to a professional sports and is removed. franchise. Teams first became eligible to Borrow said Louise St. Jacques of challenge for the Stanley Cup in 1906. Montreal has been engraving the cup for The one-piece cup is designed with a the past 30 years or so. five-band barrel, which can hold up to 13 “The cup is 126 years old, and she is winning teams per band. Once the bottom only the fourth engraver,” Borrow said. “It band is full, the oldest band is removed and is nerve wracking to make sure everything preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and is done right, and spelled right.”

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

New Columbia Park golf clubhouse to offer riverview dining in spring

Construction underway on city of Kennewick’s $1.1 million building BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Imagine driving down to Columbia Park and playing a few holes of golf. And when you envision golf, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the kind played with a club and small white ball – although it could. It also could mean kicking a ball into a bigger hole, called foot golf, or throwing a disc into a basket, known as disc golf. After the game, you could relax over a meal at a restaurant in the park, either inside or out on a patio, looking at the Columbia River. The vision is part of a plan to promote the park’s golf triplex offerings, soon to be anchored by a new $1.1 million clubhouse. The city of Kennewick is building a 2,600-square-foot clubhouse and restaurant at the 18-hole Columbia Park Golf Links golf course. “CourseCo manages the course, and it may be looking for a subcontractor locally to run the restaurant,” said Terry Walsh,

director of employee and community relations for the city of Kennewick. “It should be open by the spring.” Evelyn Lusignan, public relations and government affairs director for the city of Kennewick, said the new facility is being built on the same footprint as the old clubhouse. “It will include a patio and kitchen that will make it an attractive place to dine and rent,” she said. The clubhouse will feature a riverview patio; indoor and outdoor seating for about 150 people; a kitchen that can produce a broader menu and food services; a retail area for the pro shop; and event rental potential. O’Brien Construction of Kennewick is the general contractor. CKJT Architects of Kennewick is the architect. As long as the winter weather doesn’t affect the timeline, Lusignan and Walsh believe it will open by April. Walsh said CourseCo, which also manages Columbia Point Golf Course in Richland and Sun Willows Golf Course

Construction is underway on a new $1.1 million clubhouse at Columbia Park Golf Links golf course. The city of Kennewick is paying for the 2,600-squarefoot facility that will house a restaurant and pro shop. It’s expected to open in April. (Courtesy city of Kennewick)

in Pasco, will make a presentation late in November to the city on the new clubhouse’s possibilities. “CourseCo has some plans, including possible movie nights on the driving range, like they do at Columbia Point,” Walsh said. “Some of the chefs at the (proposed) culinary school at the wine village in downtown Kennewick might be

able to come to the restaurant to make some dinners.” Walsh said the city had plans years ago to remodel the original clubhouse. “But after inspectors deemed it uninhabitable, that set us down a different path,” she said. “That report came in 2010. That’s when we decided to put in a temporary clubhouse.” uGOLF, Page 36

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

uHONORS • A Tri-City business was among 12 statewide recently honored for its efforts to hire and support military veterans in 2018. Tri-Cities 911 Driving School, a veteran-owned company, employs 22 driving instructors, of which 17 are veterans. During the year, the owner interviewed and hired every single veteran referred by WorkSource. The driving school also provides its disabled veteran employees more flexible schedules and work environments. The owner is active in the veteran community and donates his time at prisons to help veterans who need their driver’s licenses reinstated. The state Employment Security Department created the Hire-A-Vet Award as a way to call attention to

unemployed veterans in Washington and to recognize companies with a good track record of hiring, retaining and celebrating veterans in their work force. • The city of West Richland was ranked as one of Washington’s 20 safest cities in a recent report by Safewise, a professional review and comparison website. The city ranked 12 of 20 cities selected and was recognized for having one of the lowest property crime rates in the state at less than 10 per 1,000 residents. • Second Harvest Inland Northwest received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. It is the eighth year the nonprofit has received the highest star rating from the organization. • Hawthorne Elementary School in Kennewick was named a 2018 School of

Real Estate & Construction Distinction by the Center for Educational Effectiveness, which recognizes schools in the top 5 percent of improvement in English, language arts and math achievement or graduation rate over five years. Hawthorne was the only school in the Tri-Cities to receive the honor.

uNEW HIRES

Jacob Gonzalez

• The city of Pasco hired Jacob Gonzalez as senior planner for the Community and Economic Development Department. He

studied geography and urban design/ regional planning at the University of Washington and participated in research projects and internships for the Port of Seattle and Puget Sound Regional Council, learning about land use and transportation issues. In 2013, he joined the Benton-Franklin Council of Governments, the Tri-City planning organization working on a variety of programs, including travel forecasting, congestion management, public involvement and Federal Title VI efforts. • The Kennewick School District hired Brandon Potts as the new director of capital projects. He has worked for 15 years as a general contractor, overseeing construction of hospitals and higher education buildings. Potts Brandon Potts has a bachelor of science degree in construction management from Purdue University. • Diane Hansen joined Cougar Digital Marketing & Design as a content writer and marketing strategist. She has more than 25 years of experience in the communications field, most recently with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Diane Hansen Hansen has a bachelor’s from Washington State University.

GOLF, From page 35 Lusignan said the old clubhouse had been there since the early 1960s. “(No documentation) but the oral history is that the building was moved from somewhere else, so the building itself was even older,” she said. The course has been using a trailer for its pro shop and clubhouse since the inspectors’ report. The old clubhouse was torn down in January 2017. Money became available the past few years to build the new facility. “This project has been in the city’s current budget and is in the 2019 budget,” Walsh said. “As for revenues, the Kennewick City Council has determined that this is more of a quality-of-life issue.” The course is officially called Columbia Park Golf Links, which offers regular golf with clubs or foot golf, where players kick a ball from the same tee on a hole to try and get it into a bigger hole near the green. And with the popular disc golf course just up the road in the park, Walsh said there is a plan to perhaps rebrand the area the Columbia Park Golf Triplex. “We believe (the whole project is) going to be nice,” she said. “Especially with the river down there.”

Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Firehouse Subs, Sun Markets planning expansion in Tri-Cities BY JEFF MORROW

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Business has been good for the only Firehouse Subs restaurant in the area. The Burbank franchise has done so well that another is planned – along with a Sun Market convenience store and gas station – in the Badger Canyon area in Kennewick. Shawn Sanderson, division manager for Kennewick’s Sun Pacific Energy, owners of the local Firehouse Subs franchise and the Sun Markets, said the new project at 10799 Ridgeline Drive is valued at $1.3 million. “Square footage of everything will be 4,000 square feet,” he said. “If everything stays on schedule, we should be open out there mid- to late March.” Sun Pacific Energy has been around the Tri-Cities since 1956, when Jerry Eerkes founded the company, then called Tri-City Oil Co. In 1981, Craig Eerkes bought the company and added convenience stores, marketing them as Sun Marts. The company also owns Golf Universe in Kennewick. In 2012, Craig Eerkes sold 27 Sun Mart stores to Circle K — 18 of them in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland. Sun Pacific had a non-compete clause in the transaction, forbidding the company from building new stores for five years after the sale to Circle K. “That non-compete expired in 2017,” Sanderson said. “We call the stores Sun Market because that’s as close as we can get to Sun Mart.”

Sun Pacific started building convenience stores/gas stations in western Washington. There are five Sun Markets on the west side. And since the non-compete clause expired, Sun Markets are opening up in the Tri-Cities. “We have two in the Tri-Cities, a little kiosk in Richland and the store in Burbank (at 838 Uhling Road),” Sanderson said. “This (Badger Canyon store) will be the third in the Tri-Cities.” The tie-in with Firehouse Subs happened by accident. “Originally we were going to have a Subway store out there in Burbank,” Sanderson said. “Three months into our construction, we got a call from Firehouse.” The person who owned the Firehouse Subs franchises in the region surrendered them to the company. Firehouse wanted to know if Sun Pacific would be interested in owning them. “So we slammed on the brakes,” Sanderson said. “Chris and Craig (Eerkes) are the owners, and they had already visited Firehouse back east. They said it was a heck of a company. So we asked them if we could turn our store into a Firehouse.” Sanderson said franchise fees are $10,000, plus 10 percent to 12 percent royalties on each sale. The Jacksonville, Florida-based Firehouse Subs, which launched in 1994, has more than 1,100 units in its chain. Of those 1,100 stores, nine are in Washington state — Burbank, Everett, Lacey, Lakewood, Marysville, Mount Vernon, Spokane and two in Vancouver.

The success of Burbank’s Firehouse Subs restaurant at 838 Uhling Road means the opening of more in the Tri-Cities, with the first at 10799 Ridgeline Drive in the Badger Canyon area of Kennewick, expected to open in March.

The Badger Canyon store will be store No. 10, and just the third in Eastern Washington. Local company Feser Construction will be building the new store, Sanderson said. “They’ve done quite a bit of work for us,” he said. “They’re loyal to us and we’re loyal to them.” The Firehouse Subs company was started by two career firefighter brothers who also happened to be entrepreneurs. But they also remember where they come from. A portion of each purchase at all United States’ Firehouse Subs locations in 2018

goes to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to be used to provide lifesaving equipment to first responders. The relationship has been a good fit and resounding success, said Sanderson. “Everybody likes (the Burbank Firehouse Subs store),” he said. “People drive up to a half hour to get our sandwiches. On a scale of 1 to 10, honestly it’s been a 10. It’s far exceeded our expectations. Everybody in town is extremely excited.” uFIREHOUSE, Page 41

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITY UNION GOSPEL MISSION 221 S. FOURTH AVE.• PASCO

The Tri-City Union Gospel Mission’s new, nearly 40,000-square-foot men’s facility in downtown Pasco is due to open before the end of the year. As the Columbia Basin’s only homeless shelter, the mission serves as a safety net for some of the most vulnerable people in the community,

providing alcohol recovery programs, case management, vocational training and education, and transitional housing. The new men’s facility, adjacent to the Thunderbird Motel, consists of a single-story building with brick veneer, housing sleeping quarters to accommodate up to 162 men.

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Four 28-man rescue dorms, five five-man rooms, five two-man rooms and 15 one-man rooms comprise the sleeping quarters, with enough bathroom and shower facilities to support visitor needs at full capacity. A commercial kitchen and dining room, chapel with seating for up to 200, medical office and exam room, commercial laundry facility, case management offices, classrooms and a computer lab round out the facilities. The new shelter replaces the aging, crowded men’s facility on North Second Avenue. The total cost of the project, including land, was about $9.2 million. Siefken and Sons Construction of Richland was the general contractor. Archibald & Co. Architects of Richland was the architect. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Nov. 16. For more information about Tri-City Union Gospel Mission’s services, visit tcugm.org or call 509-547-2112 ext. 0.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

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Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

New $3.4M union hall under construction in Kennewick IBEW Local 112’s new 14,000-square-foot building will feature auditorium for community rental

the space of the existing 5,000-squarefoot building with 14,000 square feet. The cost of the project is being covered An expansion plan approved nearly by the local union’s building account, 20 years ago is underway for the local which has steadily been funded over the chapter of the International Brotherhood years, mostly through union dues. of Electrical Workers. Swayze said there’s a need to expand IBEW Local 112 is building a new due to the growing membership of the $3.4 million union hall that includes an union, which covers eight counties in auditorium on vacant land at 114 N. southeast Washington and eight counEdison St. in ties in northeast Kennewick, just Oregon, for a total “We’ve been south of West of more than 800 Clearwater Avenue saving to build members. and east of to grow something like this like“Forweusthink Marineland Plaza. we “We’ve been savsince the 1990s.” should, or we think ing to build somewe can, we need this thing like this since - Travis Swayze, new facility,” he the 1990s,” said business manager and said. Travis Swayze, busiThe site will financial secretary ness manager and include about 9,000 for IBEW Local 112 financial secretary square feet of office for Local 112. space, including A motion to classroom labs, and approve the project was made in 2001 a 5,000-square-foot auditorium, which and work began this fall. will be available for rent to the commuThe current union hall has been at nity as a means of offsetting the build2637 W. Albany Ave. near West ing cost. First established in 1947, Local 112 Kennewick Avenue and Vista Way since partners with the National Electrical 1967. The new building will nearly triple Contractors Association, or NECA, to

BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

FIREHOUSE, From page 37 And Tri-Citians can expect to see more Firehouse Subs restaurants. “We actually agreed with Firehouse to run more,” Sanderson said. “In this area, we plan development of at least three more stores in the next three years. The third store by contract has to be completed by 2020.” Sanderson said Sun Pacific is looking for properties in Pasco and in Richland’s Queensgate area. “We have properties that we currently own,” he said. “We’re looking for hightraffic areas, next to malls or big centers like Walmarts. So we’re looking for space out near Columbia Center, Road 68, near Panera. And since we also sell gasoline, we need to be close to freeway traffic.” Sanderson said the Badger Canyon store will be bigger than the Burbank store. “We have 20 employees at the Burbank store,” he said. “We’ll try to hire about 30 employees at the Badger store. Most would be part time, possibly high school students.” The Badger Canyon store will be next to the big roundabout out on Clearwater, across the street from a large Circle K that — you guessed it — used to be owned by Sun Pacific Energy. “We owned that store before, so we know how busy it gets out there,” Sanderson said. “We think this new store is going to be a home run.”

A new 14,000-square-foot building for the local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electricians is underway in Kennewick with a planned completion in summer 2019.

train apprentices who will work in the skilled trade as journeyman electricians. IBEW Local 112 and NECA jointly purchased the 3.5-acre lot on Edison Street with plans to also add a new apprenticeship facility to the site in the next two to three years, moving its current electrical training center from 8340 W. Gage Blvd. in Kennewick. “It’ll hopefully allow us to attract more electricians to become union members,” Swayze said. “Our goal, as a union, is to attract everyone, and get

them under the union label to level the playing field. We feel like we have a wage compensation package that is fair, negotiated and fits the economics of the area. We offer dignity in retirement and give members a different opportunity.” The general contractor on the project is Total Site Services, based in Richland, and the electrical work is being done by Pasco’s Power City Electric. The building is expected to be complete in summer 2019.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

PERFECTION GLASS 1238 COLUMBIA PARK TRAIL•RICHLAND

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Regional Mediterranean restaurants coming soon to the Tri-Cities

Kabob House to open in Vintner Square in Richland, Sandifur Crossing in Pasco BY ROBIN WOJTANIK

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Tri-Cities soon will be welcoming two new Mediterranean restaurants known for their chicken kabobs, gyro sandwiches and shawarma plates. The Kabob House will open in Richland’s Vintner Square at 2762 Duportail St. at the end of November and in Pasco’s Sandifur Crossing at 5802 Road 68 in early spring. The Richland restaurant will be the fourth location for the regional chain which first opened in Yakima in 2009, and then expanded to Ellensburg and Spokane. “Since we started, this was our goal,” said owner Ahmed Baqer. Formerly a banker, Baqer decided, “If I worked for myself, it would be better.” Kabob House’s menu features appetizers, salads, sandwiches or wraps, and entrees that include Greek rice and salad, ranging from $9.99 to $14.99. Baqer opened the original Yakima restaurant in a 600-square-foot space before quickly outgrowing the site and relocating to Rainier Square on West Nob Hill Boulevard. Baqer is working with Hogback Development to open the Richland restaurant, as well as one in Pasco at Road 68 and Sandifur Parkway. Baqer said the Pasco restaurant will debut in early spring, after adding a second Yakima restaurant in between. This will make six locations for Kabob House, with the Tri-Cities and Yakima locations under a partnership with Hogback. Baqer recently moved to the Tri-Cities and set up a corporate office in Richland after signing a 10-year lease and investing about $150,000 into the Queensgate space. He expects to hire up to 25 employees at the Richland site. Kabob House will fill the east side of the building that currently holds Panera Bread and will eventually be home to the second location of Bright Now! Dental,

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which is expected to open in early 2019, around the same time as Bath & Body Works, under construction across the street in the busy Vintner Square development. The first Tri-Cities Bright Now! location opened in Kennewick in late October. Kabob House offers catering services and online ordering at mykabobhouse. net. Hours will be from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

The Kabob House will open in Richland’s Vintner Square at 2762 Duportail St. at the end of November and in Pasco’s Sandifur Crossing at 5802 Road 68 in early spring.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Real Estate & Construction

Place real property in an LLC to reduce liability exposure BY BEAU RUFF

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Generally, in Washington state, income-producing real property should be placed into a Washington limited liability company, or LLC. What is real property? Real property is any property that is of a non-movable nature: land, house, condo, building, etc. It is distinguished from personal property. What does it mean to be income producing? Usually a person wouldn’t place a personal home into an LLC. Though the residence may be valuable, it does not produce income and is not easily segregated from personal use.

The target property for placement in an LLC is real property from which income is derived and not used for personal use. Perhaps Beau Ruff it is a building Cornerstone from which a Wealth Strategies person operates a business. Perhaps it’s a single-family home rental. Perhaps it’s land leased to a car wash. Perhaps it is a vacation rental property. All of these are income producing and all would be good options

for placement in an LLC. What is the benefit of placing income producing property into an LLC? The main reason is to reduce liability exposure. Property owners owe a legal duty to those who come on the property. The level of “duty” owed to a person on your property usually depends on the status of the guest. And, that level of duty affects the potential liability of the property owner. Insurance provides good protection against potential liability. But, insurance has its limits and can’t protect against all possible liability. An entity with limited liability — corporations LLCs and limited partnerships — can provide effective liability protection to protect the personal assets of the entity owner. The assets within the LLC — the property — are still subject to valid creditor claims. But, when corporate formalities are followed, the assets of the owner held outside the LLC are not subject to creditor claims. These claims can be of the “personal injury” variety, like a slip and fall on property, or claims for products or services provided to the LLC such as unpaid rent or machinery lease payments unpaid. Why use an LLC specifically? Of course, there are many choices for entity selection: the C corporation, S corporation, limited partnerships, LLCs, etc. The LLC offers liability protection and also, importantly, pass-through taxation. Contrasted with the C corporation which pays two levels of taxation, corporate tax and dividend when profits are distributed to the owner, the pass-through taxation of an LLC offers significant tax savings for most taxpayers. The S corporation is also eligible for pass-through taxation, but it runs the risk of losing S corporation eligibility based on its limited list of eligible

owners. The fear of losing S corporation eligibility tends to favor an LLC taxed as a partnership where the rules are more favorable for ownership. What happens if I don’t put the asset into an LLC? Maybe nothing. However, the owner runs the risk of facing a liability greater than is covered by any applicable insurance. Side benefit for out-of-state property in an LLC: When a person places real property into an LLC, it changes the ownership type from that of real property to personal property as LLC ownership is akin to stock certificate ownership. So, the owner no longer owns real property, but instead the LLC owns the real property and the owner owns the LLC. Typically, real property in a foreign jurisdiction — another state — is subject to that state’s probate proceedings upon death. However, if the property is in an LLC, it will not be subject to the foreign state’s probate proceedings. Cautionary notes: It is usually best to acquire the property in the name of the LLC. This means that a person should set up the LLC before buying property and then purchase the property in the name of the established LLC. If the property is owned before the LLC is created or if the property is outside the LLC, the owner can execute a simple deed to put the property into the LLC. The caution here is that, if the property is subject to a mortgage or deed of trust or real estate contract, the transfer likely would be a technical violation of the loan agreement which would authorize the lienholder to call the loan. It is therefore wise to check with your lender prior to placing property in the LLC. uPROPERTY, Page 50

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS KENNEWICK CLUBHOUSE 910 W. SEVENTH PLACE• KENNEWICK

Work soon will be completed on the new Kennewick Clubhouse for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties at 910 W. Seventh Place in Kennewick. The facility is set to open to area youth in January 2019. The building north of Park Middle School will be a full-service Boys & Girls clubhouse designed to serve more than 200 at-risk youth per day in east Kennewick. The $4.6 million, 23,000-square-foot building on two acres is made possible largely by private donations from community members, with some additional support from the city of Kennewick, Benton County and the state of Washington. Recreation, education and mentoring will be provided there by trained staff to give hope and opportunity to youth served at the clubhouse, which will consist of a teen center, preschool, game room, art room, learning center, technology center, kitchen and full-size gymnasium. It’ll be affordable for kids too. Membership cost is $20 per year for elementary kids, and it’s free for

middle school and high school students. The project was undertaken by KB&G LLC, a private investment group committed to improving the opportunities of more than 1,000 school-age youth living within the six-block neighborhood surrounding the new branch. The building, which was designed by Coeur

d’Alene-based H2A Architects after the Hagadone Clubhouse in Idaho, will be bought by the Boys & Girls Clubs upon completion. Chervenell Construction Co. of Kennewick is general contractor for the project. For more information, visit greatfuturestc.org. uBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS, Page 46

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

THANK YOU! It has been a pleasure working with the Boys & Girls Clubs on the new Kennewick clubhouse. We build with devotion, honesty and inspiration to provide all clients with the highest level of professionalism and quality in every project.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS, From page 45

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

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Real Estate & Construction

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

GALE-REW CONSTRUCTION 1616 TERMINAL DRIVE• RICHLAND

Remodeler and custom home builder Gale-Rew Construction has a new main office near the intersection of Van Giesen Street and Highway 240 in Richland. Completed in August 2018, the new farmhousestyle office enables Gale-Rew to occupy half of the

building’s 4,100-square-foot space with sister companies Blue Designs and Tri-City Builders Showcase Magazine. The main floor features a warm, inviting and home-like waiting area, two offices, two conference rooms, restrooms, a design center and garage. The second floor houses the staff break area including kitchenette, three offices, a restroom and conference room. In addition to enabling GaleRew to expand its business, the new building provides the opportunity for the company to showcase many of the products used

in the homes it builds. The building was designed by Blue Designs with the help of Tri-City Engineering. As a licensed general contractor, Gale-Rew oversaw construction. The total cost of the new building, including land, was $970,000. Gale-Rew is looking to rent out the other half of the building for $5,000 per month and will finish the space to suit the tenant’s needs. The new building is at 1616 Terminal Drive in Richland, near Columbia Basin Racquet Club. For more information, contact Gale-Rew Construction Inc. at 509-943-5171.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

PROPERTY, From page 44 Also, owners must respect the formalities of entity ownership by keeping separate books and records to effectively show that the entity is separate from the owner himself. For example, owners should never use company assets or funds for personal use. Finally, always remember to sign contracts and other LLC paperwork in the name of the entity and with your title. For example: Beau Ruff, president of Ruff Property LLC. Talk to a qualified business attorney for more information. Attorney Beau Ruff works for Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a fullservice independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

uNEW HIRES

Sheryl Irwin

• Home Loan Center in Kennewick hired Sheryl Irwin as a loan officer. Irwin has more than 20 years experience in the industry.

• The board of directors for the Richland-based Fuse appointed Rocco Luongo as chief executive officer, effective Oct. 1. He will focus on integrating and implementing strategic direction from the board, and boosting membership growth and impact.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Fuse is a coworking space and business accelerator. Fuse’s Jessica Stangeland has stepped down as general manRocco Luongo ager. Luongo is a 20-year veteran of international business and product development. He developed his passion for business problem solving into taking lead roles in start-ups, and then starting, growing and selling his own companies. He continues to operate his management and technical consultancy as a licensed professional engineer offering executive coaching and techni-

cal leadership services. He completed his bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering at the University of New Hampshire, and his master’s work in mechanical and industrial engineering in Heidelberg, Germany. He has multiple patents and is a licensed professional engineer. • Juan Muñoz-Oca was named Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ new executive vice president of winemaking, vineyards and operations. His role will take effect in January after current vice president, Doug Gore, retires. Muñoz-Oca is one of the vice presidents of winemaking overseeing select brands. Bob Bertheau, a vice president of winemaking at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, will take on the role of senior vice president of winemaking in January.

TRI-CU CREDIT UNION 3213 W. 19TH AVE.• KENNEWICK

Tri-CU Credit Union recently completed a new 8,300-square-foot headquarters and branch office at 3213 W. 19th Ave. in Kennewick near Highway 395. It features interactive teller pods, a deposit-taking ATM, drive-thru teller lane, large parking lot, a conference room and employee offices. Members of the nonprofit credit union, founded in 1969, will find an open, modern and boldly colorful lobby offering free Wi-Fi and restrooms. The building’s design is reminiscent of the natural landscape features surrounding the Tri-Cities.

Environmentally-friendly xeriscaping complements this effect, as well as a public art installation from local artist CJ Rench of CJR Design on the corner of 19th Avenue. The sculpture, to be unveiled Dec. 4, is intended to reflect a positive, modern feeling that celebrates local agriculture, wind, community diversity and helping hands. Outside the building’s entrance is a drinking fountain with dog bowl attachment and a bike repair station.

The total cost of the building was about $2.6 million. Tri-CU self-financed the project. Architect was Terence L. Thornhill Architect Inc. of Pasco. General contractor was DGR Grant Construction of Richland. Tri-CU Credit Union held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening celebration Nov. 16 with refreshments, prizes and tours.

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REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Tri-Cities for more than 20 years and enjoys reading and spending time with her three daughters. • Trindera Engineering has hired Ricardo Munoz as an electrical project engineer who will be based in the Spokane office. The electrical and control systems engineering firm also Ricardo Munoz has offices in Kennewick and Coeur d’Alene. • The Tri-Cities Cancer Center hired Samantha Jones and Christopher Alley as radiation therapists.

uNEW HIRES • Brandi Hilmes joined Community First Bank as branch operations manager for the Kennewick branch in October. Hilmes earned her associate degree at Columbia Basin College and brings more Brandi Hilmes than 17 years of banking experience. As a member of Soroptimist International of Three Rivers, she enjoys giving back to the community she calls home. She has lived in the

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an associate of science in radiation therapy from Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Indiana. • Jeff R. Egbert has been appointed interim chief executive officer of Astria Regional Medical Center in Yakima. He has worked in the health care field for 28 years, including work as a CEO Jeff R. Egbert for hospitals in Arizona, New Mexico, Montana and Ohio. He has a master’s in health care administration and a bachelor’s in chemistry/biology.

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Real Estate & Construction

Concerts, comedy return to new Legends event center BY TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS STAFF

The completion of a 1,720-seat event center at Toppenish’s Legends Casino Hotel means comedy and concerts have returned after a six-year hiatus. The event center is a multi-use facility that’s set up each time for shows. (Courtesy Legends Casino Hotel)

Legends Casino Hotel is swinging wide its doors to welcome back comedy and concerts after a six-year hiatus at its new event center. With the completion of the 1,720-seat event center in Toppenish earlier this year, the Legends marketing and events team spent 2018 outfitting the new facility with sound systems, seating and ticketing to accommodate headlining acts. “When we opened the hotel in early 2017, we shared that it was the first significant step in our overall renovation Paid Advertising

Time to Think About Year-End Investments www.edwardjones.com

We’ve still got a couple of months left in 2018, but it’s not too soon to start thinking about some year-end investment moves that might benefit you. Here are a few possibilities (although not all will apply to your situation): • Add to your IRA. For the 2018 tax year, you can put up to $5,500 into your traditional or Roth IRA (assuming you are eligible), or $6,500 if you’re 50 or older. If you haven’t reached this limit, consider adding some money. You have until April 15, 2019, to contribute to your IRA for 2018, but why wait until the last minute? • Increase your 401(k) contributions. You already may be investing in your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan, but you might be able to bump up your contributions for the shelley rest of the year, if it’s allowed. Of course, you should always put in enough to earn your employer’s kennedy matching contribution, if one is offered. 767 Williams Blvd., • Take your RMDs. If you are 70½ or older, you must start taking withdrawals – called required Richland (509) 946-7626 minimum distributions, or RMDs – from your traditional IRA and your 401(k) or similar retirement plan. Generally, you must take these RMDs by December 31 every year. But if you turned 70½ in 2018, you can wait until April 1, 2019, until you take your first RMD. However, you will then have to take a second RMD (the one for age 71) by December 31, 2019. Taking two RMDs in one year could give you an unexpectedly large taxable income for the year, possibly bumping you into a higher tax bracket and affecting the amount of your Social Security benefits subject to taxes. So, if you are considering delaying your first RMD, consult with your tax advisor. • Make changes in response to life events. In 2018, did you experience a major life event, such as a marriage, divorce or addition of a child? Or did you change jobs or retire? Any of these events could lead you to adjust your investment plans, so now may be the time to do so, possibly with the help of a financial professional. • Review your investment mix. At least once a year, it’s a good idea to review your investment mix to ensure it’s still suitable for your goals and risk tolerance. Sometimes, even without your taking any action, your portfolio might change in ways you hadn’t expected. For example, suppose you wanted your portfolio to contain 60% stocks and 40% bonds and other investments. After a period of rising prices, though, the value of your stocks may have increased so much that they now occupy 65% of your portfolio – which means you may be taking on more risk than you had originally intended. Consequently, you may need to rebalance your portfolio to get back to your original 60% to 40% ratios. (Keep in mind that these figures are just for illustration; everyone’s ideal portfolio mix will depend on their individual situations.) These aren’t the only year-end moves you may want to consider, but they can help you close out 2018 on a positive note. Plus, they can serve as a reminder that you need to be vigilant as you keep working toward your financial goals. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor. Member SIPC

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and expansion plan,” said Letisha Peterson, general manager, in a news release. “However, the question everyone wanted answered—including our community—was a timeline for a return of concerts and comedy to Legends. We’re very excited to fulfill one of the most significant pieces of our plan—a return to hosting concerts and comedy shows—just in time for the holidays.” Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster for comedian Bill Engvall on Nov. 30 and country band Wynonna Judd & the Big Noise on Dec. 14. The venue will offer four tiers of pricing. In 2019, the event center will continue to host concerts and comedy shows beginning in February amid the regional conferences hosted through the hotel. Because the casino and hotel are on the Yakama Nation reservation, no alcohol is served. The $90 million Legends campus expansion also included a new six-story, 200-room hotel, enlarging the casino’s gaming floor by more than 50,000 square feet and adding more seats at the buffet. About 7,000 people hop aboard free shuttle buses in the Tri-Cities to travel to Legends Casino each year.

uNEW HIRES • Kennewick native Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle Dey is serving in the Navy aboard the USS John C. Stennis. The 2015 Hanford High graduate Kyle Dey is an electronics technician. • Jessica Fryberger is the new administrative assistant for United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties. She has a bachelor’s degree in Jessica Fryberger English from the University of Mary in North Dakota.

uAWARDS • Visit Tri-Cities presented two awards at its annual meeting on Nov. 1. The Excellence in Service went to Friends of Badger Mountain for its volunteer work that resulted in a public trail to the top of Candy Mountain. The group also presented its newly renamed Kris Watkins Tourism Champion of the Year award to Steve Jensen, state director for the National Softball Association, for his role in creating an annual softball tournament that brings thousands to the region. And has an estimated economic impact of more than $1.3 million.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Longtime Ste. Michelle winemaking executive retires BY ANDY PERDUE

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

One of Washington’s longest tenured and most successful and prolific winemakers will be retiring at the end of this year. Doug Gore, Ste. Michelle Wine Estate’s executive vice president of winemaking, vineyards and operations, has been winemaking for 36 years in Eastern Washington. The California native came north to Washington in 1982, at a time when Washington was seen as a winemaking backwater, rather than the polished, developed industry it is today — in no small part because of Gore’s visionary winemaking. Gore, 66, arrived in Washington in 1982 as the red winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle, working out of the winery’s facility in the Yakima Valley town of Grandview. Ste. Michelle, Washington’s oldest winery, was building a new facility overlooking the Columbia River near Paterson called River Ridge. In those early days, the industry had little focus, having yet to figure out the best grapes to grow, or even how to grow them. As with most agricultural pursuits in the Columbia Basin, nothing happens without irrigation. Back then, grape growers were dumping a lot of water on their vines to ensure growth. Later, Ste. Michelle would run trials and experiments to learn that less water applied at the proper time — called deficit irrigation — would result in better fruit and, as a result, better, more intensely flavored wines. When Gore arrived, all of that was still to come. He became deeply involved in the research, making wines from vines receiving different levels of irrigation. He and researchers from Washington State University concluded that Washington

Doug Gore, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates executive vice president of winemaking, vineyards and operations, has been winemaking for 36 years in Eastern Washington. He retires at the end of the year. (Courtesy Ste. Michelle Wine Estates)

grape growers were able to cut their water usage in half while raising quality, particularly with red wines. “Our grapes got better, and our wines got better,” Gore said. By 1986, Gore had moved full time to the River Ridge facility, what was to become known as Columbia Crest. Within a year, the winery was producing a full lineup of varietal wines at fair prices and garnering fame with critics and consumers alike, constantly bringing in high scores from publications and becoming widely distributed across the country. In fact, Columbia Crest quickly became the ambassador to a burgeoning wine industry, often being consumers’ introduction to Washington wines. Back then, Washington wine was so small, it would have been easy for the entire industry to line up for a selfie. Thanks to no small part because of Gore, Washington wine would emerge as

a global powerhouse, growing to now more than 1,000 wineries and 60,000 acres of vineyards. Along the way, Columbia Crest grew to more than two million cases of wine and became the state’s largest producer. In the meantime, Washington had emerged as the country’s No. 2 wine-producing state, behind only Gore’s home state of California. In 2003, Gore was promoted to executive vice president of the company, stepping aside as Crest’s head winemaker after 20 years at the helm. In 2009, Crest reached the pinnacle of

global winemaking, when Wine Spectator magazine named the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon the No. 1 wine in the world, a first for a Washington wine. In 2002, Ste. Michelle launched 14 Hands, a brand that started as a restaurant-only label that grew into one of America’s fastest-growing brands that now is Washington’s second-largest winery. It was made at Columbia Crest until it got its own dedicated facility in Prosser. In 2013, Gore helped launch Seven Falls, a lineup of wines using grapes from the warm Wahluke Slope region near Mattawa, among Gore’s favorite regions. Since its launch, this brand has grown to more than 100,000 cases. “When I left Napa in the ’80s, I never imagined I would have such a diverse and rewarding career with one company for nearly four decades,” Gore said. In 2017, Gore was given the highest honor, being inducted into the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame in Prosser. Gore, who lives in Cle Elum, will remain with Ste. Michelle through the end of the year. When he leaves, he will be succeeded by Juan Muñoz-Oca, who has been head winemaker of Columbia Crest since 2011. Moving into the role of senior vice president of winemaking for the whole company will be Bob Bertheau, head winemaker of Chateau Ste. Michelle. uGORE, Page 56

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

BUSINESS PROFILE

Award-winning Moses Lake dance studio expands to Pasco BY ELSIE PUIG

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

When Danielle Andre opened Today’s Generation Dance Co. in Pasco, she hoped to continue a legacy of award-winning dance instruction that her mother Lori Baker and co-founders Peggy Earl and Janet Bergeson started 19 years ago in Moses Lake. Andre and her husband moved around the U.S. while he finished his medical degree. This allowed her — a mother of four — the opportunity to teach at numerous studios in Washington, California, Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Michigan. When the family finally settled into Pasco last year, she decided she wanted to build on the legacy of excellence that shaped her as a dancer. The studio opened in October. The dance company at 5220 Outlet Drive is inside the Broadmoor Park Outlet Mall. “I grew up dancing in Moses Lake,” Andre said. “I was living all over the United States, but moved to Pasco last year. I have always wanted to be a part of the company that I grew up with, but distance played a factor. I didn’t want to drive an hour.” “I told them, ‘We don’t have a huge dance presence here in Pasco. I would love to open a location here,’ ” Andre said. “I have always wanted to teach and own my own studio and be a part of the legacy that I grew up with.” She is an award-winning choreographer,

winning numerous first-place awards and state and national championships. Choreography awards include WIAA state championship titles in high kick, military, hip-hop and dance, national championship awards at the USA Dance/Drill Championships in high kick, military and hip-hop. Her mom trained dancers featured on popular reality television shows like “America’s Got Talent,” “Dance Moms” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” where one of her dancers placed among the top three female dancers. She was recently inducted into the Washington State Coaches Hall of Fame by the Washington State Dance & Drill Coaches Association. “We have a highly educated dance staff,” Andre said. “We have instructors who have danced in Times Square, they’ve danced in the Moscow Ballet, they’ve danced for (Washington State University) and other school teams.” The Pasco studio already has 150 families registered. The company is leasing its studio building but has invested more than $92,000 in tenant improvements, including walls, mirrors, textured paint and a stereo sound system. Andre said most of the work was completed by her husband. “We’ve been able to see an awesome turnout, which is great,” Andre said. The facility features two dance studios and 10 dance instructors teaching ballet, jazz, contemporary, power tap, tumbling and hip hop to kids from 2 years old up to 18. There’s also a performing arts preschool for 3- to 5-year-olds.

Danielle Andre teaches a class of ballet dancers at the new Today’s Generation Dance Co. in Pasco. The studio opened in October at the Broadmoor Park Outlet Mall.

Today’s Generation Dance Co. offers a unique class called Firecrackers, specifically designed to introduce young dancers, ages 5 to 8, to the joy of performing. They will perform a big production number at local basketball game halftimes. The classes range from $30 to $90 a month, excluding the cost of dance costumes. Andre said the motto for the company is “Dream, believe, achieve,” which she said embodies the philosophy teachers and staff bring to the studio. “If you can dream it and believe it, you can achieve it,” she said. “One thing that pushed me growing up in a small town is that we became an amaz-

ing small team, but it wasn’t about the dancers that walked in through the door, but it was about the dancers that walked out of those doors,” Andre said. “I’m excited that as a teacher I can make them better dancers.” Today’s Generation Dance Co. will host a spring recital in June. Classes are offered from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings. Preschool is offered on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Today’s Generation Dance Co.: 5220 Outlet Drive, Pasco; 949-294-9916; todaysgenerationdance.com; Facebook .

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

Business Profile

Free home placement service helps seniors find best options BY KRISTINA LORD editor@tcjournal.biz

Understanding the differences between retirement, nursing and adult day homes and assisted living facilities can be challenging. It’s easy for seniors — and their families — to become overwhelmed by all the “providers” vying for their business, said Karen Sousley of Living Well Senior Home Placement. “There is so much information that they need to know, but they do not know where to turn,” she said. Sousley and her business partner Jeanne Spiegelberg of Vancouver, Washington, saw a way to help. They launched Living Well Senior Home Placement two years ago. Advisors from the company meet with seniors and family members in their own home, assess their care needs, housing preferences and financial resources. “We see if they’re eligible for veterans benefits or other significant benefits,” Sousley said Living Well advisors then will help seniors and their families compare the types of communities, locations and prices that meet their needs and then take them for a visit. “If they can’t drive, we take them to the facilities to tour them,” Sousley said. Cost can be an issue and the process of due diligence and research can be confusing and time consuming for fami-

Olive LaBelle, left, and Jo Cooney chat with Karen Sousley, a partner at Living Well Senior Home Placement, in their new apartment at Brookdale Senior Living in Yakima. The two sisters used Sousley’s services this spring to find their new home. (Courtesy Central Washington Senior Times)

lies, Sousley said. Making an informed decision for such an important life choice takes “insider” knowledge that most families do not have, she said. This is Living Well Senior Home Placement’s niche. Sousley said her advisors have a heart for seniors. Sousley has a decade of experience in the field and advisor Sam Miller, the newest addition to the team serving the

Tri-City area, has worked as a case manager for four years. All told, the company employs seven senior advisors who work as independent contractors. “We’re providing a level of care. We’re doing the pre-screening when we sit down with them. We bring people to facilities who are potentially a good fit. We’ve already assessed it. We are simplifying the search from 10 to maybe two or three,” said Miller, who said the process saves seniors “a ton of time.”

The service is free to seniors. Living Well receives a commission from the facilities if the senior chooses to move in. But Sousley said there’s no pressure for the seniors to sign up. They can take nine days or nine weeks to decide what’s best for them. “We get them pointed in the right direction. We might never refer them anywhere but we can show them resources available,” Miller said. Sousley said she doesn’t want her clients to make decisions under duress. The company recently toured more than a dozen facilities in the Tri-Cities and has plans to visit more as it establishes itself in the area. “We’re not going to be placing them in place we don’t feel good about,” Sousley said. The senior living facilities don’t get access to the seniors’ information unless the senior wants to provide either. Sousley said the company has had its eye on the Tri-City market from the beginning. The service is similar in concept to the nationwide placement company, A Place For Mom. The difference between Living Well and A Place for Mom, according to Sousley, is that her company offers boots on the ground and isn’t a call center-based program. “We go to their home. We spend two to three hours at their home,” she said. uLIVING WELL, Page 56

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

uCERTIFICATIONS • Shawn Schwartz, a real state agent with Whalen Real Estate in Kennewick, received the Certified Negotiation Expert designation. She has 14 years of experience selling TriShawn Schwartz City real estate. • The Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau increased the city of Pasco’s Fire Protection Rating. The bureau evaluated Washington communities for their fire protection and suppression capability. Communities

receive protection ratings from 1 — exemplary fire protection capabilities — to 10, which indicates that capabilities, if any, are insufficient for insurance credit. Pasco’s rating increased from 5 to 3, which may lower fire insurance premiums. Forty-eight communities in Washington have a rating of 3, five have a 2 rating and none has a 1 rating. • Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine has received initial accreditation for graduate medical education from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The program welcomed its inaugural class with fall semester 2017, and this next step allows the college to develop and sponsor residency and fellowship training programs.

uDONATIONS • The Junior Achievement of Washington’s Hearts are Wild Gala raised $59,240. Money raised at the September event at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick will help pay for Junior Achievement youth programs in the Mid-Columbia. • Roasters Coffee, a locally-owned and operated company, donated $3,194, all profits from every drink sold Oct. 29 at all Tri-City Roasters locations, to My Friends Place in Kennewick.

uGRANTS • Researchers are delving into making the hard cider filling frosty mugs even better with a $500,000 grant. A group

from Washington State University will be working with orchardists and cider makers to develop the best apples for the beverage. The three-year grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will assist researchers to learn what barriers exist for producing cider apples and meet with cider makers to hear what they look for in selecting cider apples. • Communities In Schools of Washington has been selected as one of 10 recipients nationwide to share a $9.25 million grant from AT&T Aspire program. Over two years, Communities In Schools of Washington’s $750,000 award will provide additional site coordinators at four high schools: Chiawana (Pasco), Todd Beamer (Federal Way), Clover Park (Lakewood) and Renton High School. Site coordinators at these high schools will serve an estimated 360 students at risk of dropping out.

GORE, From page 53 All of these changes come on the heels of the retirement of Ted Baseler, who retired as president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates for 17 years. Gore will be exiting the cellar on a high note, after the 2018 harvest, already being hailed as among the best in memory. He said he feels comfortable leaving now, with great leadership in place in the wineries and some great wine in the barrels. Andy Perdue of Richland is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times. He is the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine and is the editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine, a Washington-based media company. The third-generation Northwest journalist has written or contributed to several books about food and wine and regularly serves as an international wine judge throughout the West Coast. LIVING WELL, From page 55 They also help seniors determine their long-term care plans, which can be difficult conversations for families. For example, one facility might be cheaper because it doesn’t provide certain services, but seniors must decide whether they plan to move again later for additional care. “We try to figure it out from the get go,” Sousley said. Sometimes they connect seniors to financial advisors or Veterans Administration assistance programs to help them create a budget for their assisted living expenses. Miller said understanding all the complicated services offered at the various facilities can be “overwhelming for us in the industry.” Sousley said the company has plans to expand into the Spokane market. “There’s such a need for this. It’s just evolving,” Sousley said. To learn more about Living Well’s services, call 509-969-2380 or visit LivingWellSenior.com.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

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 Patricia J. Lautenslager, 445 N. Volland, Kennewick. Roni L. Gardner, 4707 Atlanta Lane, Pasco. Amanda Santana, 310 Comstock St., Richland. Joseph L. & Deana J. Ahrend, 26 N. Mayfield St., Kennewick. Rene & Veronica Medina, 4308 Clydesdale Lane, Pasco. Douglas C. & Mary S. James, 72403 E. Reata Road, Kennewick. David White, 3623 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. Larry D. & Chrystal A. Jaramillo, 1514 W. Fourth Ave., Kennewick. Holly Torres, 2103 W. Grand Ronde Ave., Kennewick. Rikka Pheasant, 1213 George Washington Way, Richland.

Edisa S. Mesic, 1421 W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Leopoldo Calzadillas, 816 N. Hugo Ave., Pasco. Kelli Cooper, 20806 S. Verbena St., Kennewick. Brooke Follett, 1903 Thompson St., Richland. Daniel W. & Shannon N. Davis, 9703 S. Havana St., Kennewick. Nicole L. Seguin, 1423 Arbor St., Richland. Martin F. Araujo-Orozco, 11525 N. Peaceful PRNW, Prosser. Amber Mohamed, 1903 Luther, Richland. Richard D. & Mary Jo Ann Ring, 303 Greentree Court, Richland. Patrick A. Mendenhall, 5204 Holly Way, West Richland. David A. & Debra A. Ainscow, 6210 Bayview Lane, Pasco. Brandon T. Griswold, 6803 S. Goose Gap Road, Benton City. Juancarlos Acebedoramirez & Norma M. Gaspar, 850 Aaron Drive, Richland. Abelina H. Solis, 1722 S. Dayton Place, Kennewick. Justin D. Stephenson, 23915 S. Dague Road, Kennewick. Shane Koglin, 1930 Mint Loop, Richland. Lacey N. Freeland, 7607 Thetis Drive, Pasco. Mikal K. & Heather L. Rex, 5812 Taft Drive, Pasco. Austin K. & Linda D. Knapp, PO Box 5553, Kennewick.

Susan M. Clinton, 9336 W. Seventh Place, Kennewick. Alexander J. Pickard & Cody J. Faul, 900 W. 42nd Ave., Kennewick. Miriam Strobel, 10251 Ridgeline Drive, Kennewick. Ryan & Amber Latham, 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. Arturo & Eva Gonzalez, 936 N. Elm Ave., Pasco. Ariel L. Robirts, 1845 Leslie Road, Richland. Jose & Maria Landin, PO Box 4897, Pasco. Yesenia N. Montemayor, 10305 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. Isaac & Linda Rodriguez, 4006 S. Newport St., Kennewick. Chiara Cupples, 8912 Grandview Drive, Pasco. James E. Nelson, 1615 Mahan Ave., Richland. Dan F. O’Neill, 440 N. Volland, Kennewick. Sasha D. Willett, 19 E. Third Ave., Kennewick. Jose A. & Andrea L. Lopez, 5212 Bakerloo Lane, Pasco. Christian J. & Juanita C. Bogart, 129208 W. King Tull Road, Prosser. Kendra R. Alder, 502 Franklin St., Richland. Jordan A. Braendlein, 425 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. Harvie L. Downing & Heather N. Trivett, 210 S. Johnson St., Kennewick.

CHAPTER 13 Wendy D. Garcia, 4505 S. Washington, Kennewick. Juan G. P. Lopez & Elisabeth Pulido, 785 Canyon Street, Richland. Bradley W. & Melissa M. Stewart, 31404 E. Kennedy Road, Benton City. Kyle Roberts, 1930 George Washington Way, Richland. Gregory G. Moon, 502 Mercer Court, Prosser. Judith Y. Lopez, 1111 N. Beech Ave., Pasco. Christopher P. & Amber M. Skoglund, 315 S. Quay St., Kennewick. Stephen M. Mork, 8515 Studebaker Drive, Pasco. Jamie Caoile, 4993 Chukar Drive, West Richland. Heather J. Dvorak, 4307 Cochins Lane, Pasco. Richard J. Rodriguez, 905 S. Huntington St., Kennewick. Gloria Martinez, 6420 Comiskey Drive, Pasco. Steven Blush, PO Box 460, Richland.

uTOP PROPERTIES

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

BENTON COUNTY 3321 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick,

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 58

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

PUBLIC RECORD, From page 57 29,288-square-foot, commercial building on 0.63 acres. Price: $3,400,000. Buyer: Elizabeth Brown & Theodore Gitner. Seller: Sunshine Properties. 1741 Milan Lane, Richland, undeveloped land. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Susan Fick. Seller: Pahlisch Homes. 2620 Falcon Lane, Richland, 3,861-square-foot, residential home. Price: $870,000. Buyer: Ralph & Theresa Thomsen. Seller: Douglas & Stephanie Chrisman. 1005 Allenwhite Drive, Richland, 4,038-square-foot, residential home. Price: $630,000. Buyer: Abdelazim Hashim. Seller: Misipati & Ann Bird. 1604 Venice Lane, Richland, 2,430-square-foot, residential home on 0.77 acres. Price: $702,000. Buyer: Kenneth & Danielle French. Seller: Dustin Mahaffey. 6917 Grandridge Blvd., Unit 1, Kennewick, 9,849-square-foot, commercial building on 0.81 acres. Price: $1,095,000. Buyer: Toner Properties. Seller: Bank of the West. 1128 Country Ridge Drive, Richland, 2,907-square-foot, residential home on 0.82 acres. Price: $579,000. Buyer: Jordan & Lauren Neuhaus. Seller: Robert & Lauree Cannon. 2623 Falcon Lane, Richland, 2,570-square-foot, residential home. Price: $699,000. Buyer: Jeffrey & Jeanne Stafford. Seller: AAA Renovation & Construction. 2590 Queensgate Drive, Richland, 0.72 acres of land. Price: $2,000,000. Buyer: Spokane Teachers Credit Union. Seller: Solarity Credit Union. FRANKLIN COUNTY 6501 Sandy Ridge Road, Pasco, 2964-square-foot, residential home. Price: $544,900. Buyer: Stephen & Michelle Johnson. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction. 1506 E. Salt Lake St.; 905 & 815 N. California Ave., Pasco, 5,952-squarefoot, commercial building on 3.95 acres. Price: $500,000. Buyer: Silvestre Hueso. Seller: JPS Investments. 9609 Kokanee Drive, Pasco, 1 lot of

undeveloped land. Price: $544,900. Buyer: Elizabeth & David Bowers. Seller: New Tradition Homes. 1907 W. Jay St., Pasco, multiple apartment buildings. Price: $3,550,000. Buyer: RBJK Ventures. Seller: Brian & Barbara Kimball. 12013 Blackfoot Drive, Pasco, 1 lot of undeveloped land. Price: $553,800. Buyer: John & Diane Stephens. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction. 6608 Pearl St., Pasco, 3,280-square-foot, residential home. Price: $530,000. Buyer: Robert & Carrie Hendrickson. Seller: Neil & Amy Schroeder. 6513 Sandy Ridge Road, Pasco, 2,921-square-foot, residential home. Price: $567,700. Buyer: Luis & Norma Cuevas. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction. Undisclosed location, 27 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $1,450,000. Buyer: Short Term. Seller: Jerry Burgess. 5104 Tigue Court, Pasco, 2,394-squarefoot, residential home. Price: $3,169,200. Buyer: Daniel & Kristi Ostrowsky. Seller: Olin Homes. 1220 Road 52, Pasco, 1,322-square-foot, residential home on 4.78 acres. Price: $500,000. Buyer: J&J Kelly Construction. Seller: Mary K. Lewis. Undisclosed location, 66.87 acres of agricultural land. Price: $650,000. Buyer: Patrick Sullivan. Seller: John F. Sullivan Farms.

uBUILDING PERMITS

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

BENTON COUNTY Growth Leasing, 43001 N. Griffin Road, $78,800 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Alba’s Excavating. Pacificorp, 23401 S. Lincoln Road, $35,500 for an antenna/tower. Contractor: Sioux Falls Tower Specialists. FRANKLIN COUNTY Tidewater Terminal, 671 Tank Farm Road, $581,700 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Watts Construction. Travis Schuh, 3930 Moon Road, $96,100 for commercial construction. Contractor: Pacific Mobile Structures.

KENNEWICK Grandridge Investments, 8109 W. Grandridge Blvd., $6,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Key Bank, 23 W. Kennewick Ave., $68,200 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: MBI Construction Services. Andrew Norveil, 9 W. Kennewick Ave., $10,900 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. A-1 Hospitality Hotels, 2811 W. Second Ave., $18,000 for a sign. Contractor: YESCO. C5 Land Company, 8202 W. Quinault Ave., $26,600 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Heating & Air. City Church Assembly, 4624 W. 10th Ave., $3,100,000 for commercial remodel, $275,000 for a heat pump/HVAC and $135,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Banlin Construction Co., Apollo Mechanical Contractors and BNB Mechanical. Port of Kennewick, 104 Clover Island Drive, $60,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Sunset Construction. LAIC, 6401 W. Clearwater Ave., $9,400 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Washington Securities, 8901 W. Tucannon Ave., $5,500 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Tri-Cities Residential Services, 741 S. Dayton St., $99,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing. CV Apts, 445 N. Volland St., $83,400 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. Grandridge Investments, 8101 W. Grandridge Blvd., $2,190,000 for new commercial construction, $85,000 for a heat pump/HVAC and $25,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Chervenell Construction, Bruce Heating & Air and BNB Mechanical. Kennewick Irrigation District, 314 N. Wilson Place, $279,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: DACO Corporation. Benton County, 1500 S. Oak St., $110,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. TriCity Investors, 3 W. Columbia Drive, $75,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Luna Design and Construction. City of Kennewick, 201 W. Sixth Ave., $7,200 for plumbing. Contractor: Riggle Plumbing. Scott Tri-City Properties, 3131 W. Hood Ave., $5,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: All City Roofing. Warren Clifford, 4000 W. 24th Ave., $6,100,000 for new commercial construction, $530,000 for a heat pump/HVAC and $370,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Bouten Construction Co. and Campbell &

Company. Maverik, 4306 W. Clearwater Ave., $83,300 for a sign. Contractor: YESCO. Ted & Amy Wong, 830 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $115,000 for commercial remodel and $60,000 for a heat pump/ HVAC. Contractors: Foreman Construction and Integrity Three Heating & Air. Ann Steiger, 101 W. Kennewick Ave., $15,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: owner. 39536 Properties, 4702 W. Hildebrand Blvd., $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. 39536 Properties, 4842 W. Hildebrand Blvd., $41,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Loren Sharp, 4235 W. 24th Ave., $355,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: owner. Goodwill, 345 S. Columbia Center Blvd., $2,745,200 for new commercial construction, $327,400 for a heat pump/HVAC and $27,500 for plumbing. Contractors: G2 Commercial Construction, Apollo Sheet Metal and Progressive Design Plumbing. WYO-WASH Corporation, 1408 N. Louisiana St., $222,500 for commercial remodel, $17,200 for a heat pump/HVAC and $17,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Trinity Building/Construction Management, Pancho’s Heating & Cooling and C&M Plumbing. Elysium Properties, 8127 W. Grandridge Blvd., $8,000 for a sign. Contractor: Carlson Sign Co. Leslie Road Development, 12125 W. Clearwater Ave., $25,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Jack Grigsby, 515 N. Neel St., $45,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Grigsby Properties. BluePearlCoffee, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave., $42,000 for tenant improvements, $12,000 for plumbing and $20,000 for mechanical. Contractor: Western Equipment Sales. Southridge Investments, 3703 Plaza Way, $33,900 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. South Side Up, 2611 S. Quillian Place, $126,000 for a sign. Contractor: YESCO. MGSC, 5209 W. Okanogan Place, $30,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: MH Construction. PASCO Miguel Estrada, 404 N. 20th Ave., $28,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Clean Image. Wireless Connections, 2608 W. Sylvester St., $26,500 for miscellaneous expenses. Contractor: Almond Asphalt.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 59

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Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 58 Goodwill, 3521 W. Court St., Suite B, $21,800 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Port of Pasco, 3035 Rickenbacker Drive, $40,000 for a fire alarm system. Contractor: Blue Mountain Fire Protection. Iris Landholdings, 2715 W. Court St., $227,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: LCR Construction. Pasco Housing Authority, 333 W. Court St., $7,700 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Pasco Housing Authority, 253 W. Margaret St., $7,700 for a heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Campbell & Company. Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., $74,400 for fire alarm system. Contractor: Simplex/Grinnell. Bleyhl Farm Services, 6705 Chapel Hill Blvd., $5,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: owner. Quail Investments, 2325 W. Lewis St., $47,700 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Blankenship Commercial Builders. City of Pasco, 505 N. First Ave., $125,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: to be determined. Franklin County Fire District, 2108 Road 84, $6,300 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Delta Heating & Cooling. Franklin County, 305 N. Fourth Ave., $20,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: to be determined. Oregon Street Group, 1304 E. Lewis St., $15,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Teton West of WA. CH Pasco, 1327 N. 24th Ave., $60,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: A Five Construction. Rownad & Associates, 1907 E. James St., $8,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Engineering Product. City of Pasco, 1300-C N. Oregon Ave., $24,500 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Real Property Acquisitions, 4824 Broadmoor Blvd., $2,000,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Banlin Construction. Vitruvius Development Group, 5804 Road 90, $7,000 for a sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Ice Harbor Properties, 4520 Venture Place PR, $425,500 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Premier Excavation. Timothy Rowell, 4005 E. B St., $470,800 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Ral Boy Inc. Carol Wondrack, 2502 N. Fourth Ave., $32,600 for new commercial construction. Contractor: Coeur d’Alene Service. McCurley Subaru, 3302 W. Marie St., $20,000 for an antenna/tower.

Contractor: SAC. Pasco School District, 3901 Road 84, $127,500 for a fire alarm system. Contractor: Fire Control Sprinkler Systems. Pacific One Bank, 3525 W. Court St., $5,600 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Russ Dean, 9420 Sandifur Parkway, $5,600 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Quail Investments, 2325 W. Lewis St., $47,700 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Blankenship Construction. City of Pasco, 505 N. First Ave., $60,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: D&D Tri-Rivers Excavation. PROSSER Grace Fellowship Church, 520 Seventh St., $68,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Shield Construction. Port of Benton, 320 Wine Country Road, Suite B, $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: The Drawing Board.

Road, $30,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: CRF Metal Works. 503 Knight, 503 Knight St., Suite B, $20,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Paragon Home Services. Port of Benton, 1857 Terminal Drive, $6,300 for a heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Bruce Heating & Air. WEST RICHLAND Bush Living Trust, 3220 Kennedy Road, $1,400,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: MH Construction. Park West Condominiums, 526 S. 40th Ave., $35,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: B&B Custom Metals. Smitty’s Paradise, 1400 Bombing Range Road, $45,400 for a sign. Contractor: Signs Plus. Church of Jesus Christ, 5885 Holly Way, $88,200 for a fire alarm system. Contractor: Fire Control Sprinkler Systems.

uBUSINESS LICENSES

RICHLAND

KENNEWICK

Academy of Children’s Theatre, 213 Wellsian Way, $425,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: MH Construction. Energy Northwest, 350 Hills St., $230,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Total Site Services. Kadlec Regional Medical Center, 888 Swift Blvd., $70,000 for demolition. Contractor: Bouten Construction. City of Richland, 851 Clermont Drive, $5,000 for new commercial construction. Contractor: City of Richland. Columbia Basin Racquet Club, 1622 Terminal Drive, $10,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: All City Roofing. Government Properties, 2420 Stevens Center Place, $410,800 for commercial reroof. Contractor: J Reynold’s & Co. Circle K Stores, 590 Gage Blvd., $15,000 for demolition. Contractor: TLM Petro Labor Force. First Richland LP, 2762 Duportail St., $70,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: JVI Construction. Ford Group, 1953 Fowler St., $2,407,200 for new commercial construction. Contractor: CRF Metal Works. Grigsby Properties, 597 Stevens Drive, $20,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. Arsen Avetisyan, 76 Wellsian Way, $5,000 for a sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Kadlec Regional Medical Center, 1270 Lee Blvd., $190,000 for demolition. Contractor: Sletten Construction Group. TSR Management Group, 139 Reata

Club 24, 910 S. Columbia Center Blvd. Kimkaregeriatricsp, 17908 106th St. E., Bonney Lake. Maui Wowi Coffee and Smoothies, 6006 Panther Lane, Pasco. Bubbles & Baubles, 2010 S. Jean St. Obsiedian At Home Massage, 2200 W. Shoshone St., Pasco. Dave’s Cleaning Service, 5225 W. Clearwater Ave. L&L Quality Services, 804 S. Beech St. Circa 1990, 1918 W. Second Ave. The Magnetic Mane, 2213 N. Road 52, Pasco. Pro Vac, 5618 Concord Drive, Pasco. Blockchyp, 5453 Ridgeline Drive.

Sunrise Quality Construction, 4210 Bond Lane, Pasco. Shiki Hibachi Sushi, 1408 N. Louisiana St. Ken Olsen Homes, 8501 W. Ninth Ave. Stellar Rides, 6429 W. Victoria Ave. Color Masters Painting WA, 6416 W. 10th Ave. R-2 Construction of Eastern Washington, 18621 S. Hanley Road. Crawford Family Investments, 4808 W. 21st Ave. Left-Brained Yogi, 608 Hill Top View St., West Richland. Expressions Lash Lounge, 7101 W. Hood Place. King David Construction, 303 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Macro Kings, 1738 Davison Ave., Richland. Fast Floor Guys, 19 N. Cascade St. West Columbia Painting, 5408 Dundas Lane, Pasco. Redbird Perspectives, 1239 N. Oklahoma St. Realty Painting, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Janitorial Excellence, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd. Sweet Life Coaching, 581 S. Irving Pl. Bright Now! Dental, 1220 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Sydney Erin Photography, 4524 S. Tacoma Place. TCS General Construction, 930 W. Margaret St., Pasco. Sweet Salt Clothing, 8901 W. Tucannon Ave. RCO Ecommerce, 4300 S. Irby Loop. Ascend Network Corp, 1028 W. Rosewood Ave., Spokane. Sunshine East Massage, 4827 W. Clearwater Ave. Complete Cleaning, 4617 W. Sylvester St., Pasco.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 60

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

PUBLIC RECORD, From page 59 Care Painting, 3703 W. Kennewick Ave. Maid N Heaven, 5004 Malaga Drive, Pasco. Silos, 12125 W. Clearwater Ave. Bark Avenue, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Team Henry Designs, 3823 W. 47th Ave. Prabodhan Healing Arts, 207 N. Dennis St. Rick’s Construction, 121 E. 45th Ave. Blackbox Media, 6303 Rocket Lane, Pasco. Chefsurveys, 1026 W. 10th Ave. Profinish Construction, 503 Nicka Road, Grandview. MBI Construction Services, 2016 Fruitvale Blvd., Yakima. Daco Corporation, 8825 S. 184th St., Kent. Martinez Housekeeping, 1000 W. Fifth

Ave. BR Refrigeration Heating & Air, 1301 Apple Lane, Sunnyside. Ramsay Custom, 656 Cottonwood Drive, Richland. Liberty Tax Service, 4711 W. Clearwater Ave. Our Healing Plate, 2155 Baker Ave., Richland. H&H Contracting, 2916 Bluet Drive, West Richland. 3D Ex Machina, 1710 S. Everett Place. American Home Repair & Remodel, 909 S. Green St. Summit Roofing, 850 Orchardvale Road, Zillah. Santa Rosa Cartunes, 3131 W. Hood Ave. Firestop Company, 3203 NE 65th St., Suite 2, Vancouver. Quick-N-Thorough Cleaning, 2421 N. Road 52, Pasco.

Essential Healing Massage, 7101 W. Hood Place. Sandbox Software, 1905 W. 37th Ave. AV Print House, 1619 S. Dayton Place. Mehr Solutions, 3614 S. Benton St. R Massage, 418 N. Kellogg St. Healing Hands Mobile Massage, 1602 S. Quillan St. Suhey’s Interpreting Service, 5501 W. Hildebrand Blvd. Academy Mortgage Corporation, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd. Wafla, 3180 W. Clearwater Ave. Perfecto Lawn Care, 2605 W. Octave St., Pasco. Aztec Heating & Air Conditioning, 1430 Appleway Road, Grandview. Koshmak Tile, 828 W. Grand Rhonde Ave. Cleaning Instantly, 710 Polson Court, Pasco. Refresco, 10 E. Bruneau Ave.

How to keep your family business from becoming a family feud By Jon Blodgett, Banner Bank

Family-run businesses often have the advantage of a tight-knit, deeply invested management and employee team. That sort of commitment, especially built upon generational heritage, can contribute to an identity and level of service customers value. At the same time, family businesses can face Jon Blodgett unique challenges, often tied to family dynamics and individual relationships within a larger group. As a banker, I’ve worked with outstanding family businesses, where a shared bond is a motivating, unifying factor. Yet sometimes, even in close, well-adjusted families, old sibling rivalries or parent-child dynamics can rise to the fore. Such challenges lead some to say, “Never go into business with family.” That may be fine if you have other options, but what if you and your spouse are both dentists, or you and your sibling are skilled plumbers who inherit the family shop? The ideal is to find a path that makes the most of everyone’s strengths, whether your company is well established or relatively young. As with any enterprise, the success of a family business has a lot to do with planning. It also involves balancing leadership and inclusion. Tips to help your family business thrive: • Make and execute a business plan – Agree to assigned roles and responsibilities, and set clear expectations. This is a chance to consider individuals’ talents and hopes for themselves and the company, and create a strong vision together. Decide what qualifications are needed to be part of the business now and in the future, and determine how profits and losses will be divided. Formalizing agreements when everyone is getting along helps avoid problems and solve issues that may arise. • Set regular, formal meetings – Meet regularly—and not at the dinner table—to review company operations, finances, goals and opportunities. This can help prevent work topics from creeping into family time and may limit personal topics from interfering at work. Paid Advertising

• Keep your financials in order – Maintain high quality accrual and cash-based financial statements and keep a good handle on your debt. Your profit and loss statement (P&L) and balance sheet help you measure profitability and improve performance, and are vital when talking with your banker about opportunities and risks. If you understand your company’s debt, you’ll be better prepared to discuss options for paying it down or planning for increased capacity when it’s time to expand or retool your business. • Develop a succession plan and revisit it often – Healthy organizations create equal opportunities for people to learn and advance. Individual aptitude and interest play a role too. A child who wants to follow in your footsteps in high school may discover new interests in college, or may not fit the qualifications outlined earlier. A knowledgeable banker can help you understand and structure financing if needed to support your exit strategy. • Welcome outside expertise – If you need someone proficient in, say, manufacturing or management, consider hiring outside the family, and be sure to treat the employee objectively and fairly. By the same token, a team of trusted outside experts such as an accountant, attorney and banker can help you tackle tough decisions and prepare for the future. Depending on your situation, you may want to consult a counselor specializing in family businesses, enlist an outside board of directors or work with a family business center. As you navigate the challenges of running a family business, don’t hesitate to contact a banker you trust. Not only can they assist you with cash flow analysis and financial solutions suited to your business, they should provide advice and resources related to organizational structure, succession planning and more. It’s the type of robust service you deserve.

Jon Blodgett is an Assistant Vice President and Commercial Banking Relationship Manager at Banner Bank. Banner partners with individuals and businesses to support their financial goals. Reach Jon at JBlodgett@bannerbank.com or 509-735-0806. Member FDIC

All American Quality Coatings, 7201 W. Ninth Place. Elegant Care Cleaning, 1505 S. Road 40 E., Pasco. BGD, 5711 W. 11th Ave. Solferino Homes, 1950 Keene Road, Building H, Richland. Environmental Solutions, 506 E. Eighth Ave. Eagle Utilities, 3713 W. Nixon St., Pasco. PASCO Vargas & Associates, 900 N. Road 64. Thermotech, 1218 W. 21st Ave., Kennewick. Ivans Construction, 100 Garden Drive. Rivera & Sons, 610 W. Lewis St. RG Express, 5808 Westminster Lane. First Pick Plumbing, 5213 Jackson Ln. Pasco Grocery Outlet, 5710 Road 68. Boss Nails, 5609 Concord Drive. Alterna Integrative Pediatrics, 9521 Sandifur Parkway. TNB Clothing, 5505 Austin Drive. Confluence Anesthesia, 4 Buttercup Court. Aph Electric, 4204 Phoenix Lane. Colossus Construction, 5809 Westport Lane. Mata Design & Build, 1312 N. 41st Place. EL Jazmin, 430 W. Columbia St. Atlas Structures, 559 N. Irving Place, Kennewick. Vargo General Contractor, 2154 Hoxie Ave., Richland. BN Cleaning, 1908 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick. Dollar & More, 917 W. Court St. Century Transport, 5502 Johnson Dr. Travel Mango, 5204 Robert Wayne Dr. Hand H Carpet Cleaning, 6816 Road 76. Dumac Business Systems, 19 Corporate Circle East, Syracuse, New York. Quinde Media, 319 W. Clark St. RX Consulting Services, 3512 El Paso Drive. Harper Road, 1706 Road 68. Rural Delivery Northwest, 5281 W. Sylvester St. J&M Masonry, 4617 W. Sylvester St. Pure Homes, 8008 Langara Drive. F Con3ras Trucking, 725 S. Hugo Ave. Excalibur Pizza, 708 N. 10th Ave., Suite A. Agate Properties, 1725 N. 21st Ave. Plaza Oaxaca, 3315 W. Court St. Harris Excavation, 617 Riverside Drive, West Richland. Care Painting, 3703 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. Twin Hearts Studio, 1560 Linda Ave., Eugene, Oregon. Explore & Learn Preschool, 8610 W. Court St. Profinish Construction, 503 Nicka Road, Grandview. L&L Quality Services, 804 S. Beech St., Kennewick. H&H Contracting, 2916 Bluet Drive, Richland. Handicap Renovations Specialist, 308 First St., Benton City. Mgt of America Consulting, 516 N. Adams St., Tallahassee, Florida. D-1 Roofing, 618 S. 58th Ave., Yakima. Visions of Victory-Sports Action Photography, 8311 Wenatchee Court. Thriftalista, 1316 N. 15th Ave. Relaxing Touch, 2021 Road 64. CJC Productions, 5011 Wrigley Drive. Vast Homes Construction, 806 Cascade Ave., Moxee. Emmanuel Construction, 429 N. Sycamore Ave.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 61

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018 PUBLIC RECORD, From page 60 Wambeke Window Washington, 4808 Road 76. Kimzkreations, 4109 Palmyra Drive. Rick’s Construction, 121 E. 45th Ave., Kennewick. Viveros Barbershop, 1724 W. Clark St. S&K Logistics, 1716 N. Ninth Ave. Diego’s Glass Shop, 8616 Packard Drive. Taqueria 3 Peublos, 1212 N. Fourth Ave. Color Masters Painting WA, 6416 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick. DMA Remodel & Construction, 1402 S. Gum St., Kennewick. Countertops Plus, 16674 W. Riverview Drive, Post Falls, Idaho. Perfect Cents Booking and Consulting, 417 Road 38. Tri-Cities Painting & Cleaning Services, 4310 Vermilion Lane. Osborn Construction & Design, 1451 Highland Road, Grandview. Cleaning Instantly, 710 Polson Court. Merlin’s Beard, 1909 Market Court. Creaciones Maggie, 303 N. 20th Ave. A Star Towing, 2304 W. Lewis St. The Arrow Delivery, 519 S. Wehe Ave. Edward Jones, 6115 Burden Blvd., Suite A. WEST RICHLAND D-Bat Columbia Basin, 6416 W. Hood Place, Kennewick. Gould Enterprises, 5104 S. Desert Dove Loop. Jr’s Concrete, 1114 Astor Way, Pasco. Triple H Construction & Equipment, 189010 E. 36th Ave., Kennewick. ASI Productions, 2451 Montgomery Ave., Richland. Bertin’s Pools and Landscaping, 2950

S. Hartford Place, Kennewick. Alpine Electric Lighting and Maintenance, 257 Basin Drive, Burbank. Tri-Cities Delivered Goods, 1609 McPherson Ave., Richland. Tri-City Sheds, 8415 Packard Drive, Pasco. Omega Sheet Metal HVAC, 1857 Bronco Lane, Richland. Guide to Excellence, 3321 Mount Adams View Drive. Moz8 Consulting, 5978 Kona Drive. Remedy Urgent Mobile Medicine, 5007 Marlin Lane, Pasco. Signs Plus, 766 Marine Drive, Bellingham. TK Construction, 1409 Onyx Ave. Joyful Bows, 7300 W. Van Giesen St. Wells Technical and Safety, 3422 Polo Greens Ave. Snakeworks, 190 S. 58th Ave. Ojeda Staffing, 5790 W. Van Giesen St. Paintmaster Services, 5456 W. Van Giesen St. Vargas Pro-Floors Installation, 8416 Wembley Drive, Pasco. J&D Custom Cabinetry and Millwork, 5333 Seahawk Drive. Wood Iron Construction, 158102 W. McCreadie Road, Grandview. Precision Logistics, 1209 E. Entiat Ave., Kennewick. Pronto Puppy Rescue, 42901 N. River Road, Benton City. Altitude Signal, 701 S. Carson St., Carson City, Nevada. H&H Contracting, 2916 Bluet Drive. Garcia’s Rock, 3520 W. Margaret St., Pasco. Mas Construction, 1312 W. 14th Ave., Kennewick. All Things Vape N Smoke, 4033 W. Van Giesen St. Eaglecrest Enterprises, 1608 Seacrest Lane, Coupeville.

Seeds of Change Life Coaching, 3970 Ironton Drive. Performance General Contracting, 1150 Belmont Blvd. Stick Built, 7031 W. Wernett Road, Pasco. Forge Youth Mentoring, 5520 Oleader Drive.

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.

FBO Partners, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 4. Eagle Roofing & Siding, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 4. Philip J. Forzaglia Sr., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 4. Tres Pueblos Meat Market, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 4. Jose Chavez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 4. TC Transportation and Services, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 4. Fredy A. Diaz-Lorenzo, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 5. Ainsworth Collision Center, unpaid Department of Revenues taxes, filed Oct.5. Amanda M. Madrigal, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 5. Joel R. Adame, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 5. Marlon A. Martinez, unpaid Employment

Security Department taxes, filed Oct.5. Daniel Valle, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct.5. Jamie Gutierrez, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct.5. C.M. Curbing, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 12. D&R&G Roofing Partnership et al, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 12. Pasco American Legion Baseball, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 12. Berenice Medrano-Cervantes, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 12. Lazaro F. Antonio, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 12. Ivans Construction, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 12. Chiloe La Rae Chervenell, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 12. Thomas K. Wilkinson, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 15. Christina Reyes, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. Megan Alvarado, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. Andrea M. Villanueva, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. Melanio C. Maguigad, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. Raven K. Sallee, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. Kevin Caufield, unpaid Employment Security Department taxes, filed Oct. 15. JSC Concrete Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 17.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page 62

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018

PUBLIC RECORD, From page 61 Daily Cleaning, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Oct. 17. C&A Painting, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 19. Isamel C. Rubio, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Oct. 19.

uLiquor Licenses

Information provided by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.

BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Dovetail Joint Restaurant, 1368 Jadwin Ave., Richland. License type: spirits/beer/ wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Koko’s Bartini, 4309 W. 27th Place, Suite

B100, Kennewick. License type: spirits/ beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new. Juliana’s Meat Market, 5413 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: beer/wine grocery store. Application type: new. Maverik, Inc. #504, 4306 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. License type: combination grocery off premises spirits/beer/wine; snack bar. Application type: new. APPROVED HopsNDrops, 2675 Queensgate Drive, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: added/change of trade name. HopsNDrops, 4898 W. Hildebrand Blvd., Suite A, Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: added/change of trade name.

Ste. Michelle International – Retail Shop, 178810 WA-221, Suite A, Paterson. License type: direct shipment receiver in/ out of Washington. Application type: added/change of class. DISCONTINUED Beer Falls Brewing, 1361 Chardonnay Drive, Richland. License type: microbrewery. Kendall Farms, 57705-B Old Inland Empire Highway, Benton City. License type: wine distributor. Nob Hill Market, 424 S. Gum St., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Union Mart, 325 S. Union St., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine specialty shop. Billy’s Bull Pen Tavern, 4128 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. License type: beer/wine tavern.

FRANKLIN COUNTY APPROVED Connell Gas & Food Mart, 457 S. Columbia Ave., Connell. License type: direct shipment receiver in Washington only. Application type: change of corporate officer. CG@TRAC, 6600 Burden Blvd., 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 APPROVED Clemans Mountain Cannabis, 159003 W. Johnson Road, Prosser. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: added fees. Leetcom Laboratories, 225805 E. Walter PRSE, Suite A, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 2. Application type: added fees. Farmers Distributions, 237004 E. Legacy PRSE, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: added/change of class. LLV Green, 7906 N. Canyon View PRNE, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: added fees. FRANKLIN COUNTY APPROVED Green2Go Pasco, 5804 Road 90, Suite I, Pasco. License type: marijuana retailer. Application type: new.

ubusiness UPDATES NEW BUSINESSES GCAM Plasma has opened at 3521 W. Court St., Suite C in Pasco. The business is a plasma donation center. Donors are compensated for their time and plasma. Hours: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. Contact: 509-7921313, gcamplasma.com, Facebook. Mercy’s Pizza Taco has opened at 524 N. Third Ave. in Pasco. The restaurant serves a mix of Mexican and Italian cuisine. Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Contact: 509-380-5502, Facebook. Sake Express has opened at 2576 Queensgate Drive in Richland. The restaurant specializes in sushi rolls and other Japanese style dishes. Hours: 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday. Contact: 509-579-4488. MOVED Free Culture Clothing has moved to 114 W. Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick. Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Contact: 509-579-5858, Facebook, freecultureclothing.com. Hot Tamales has moved to 2521 W. Kennewick Ave. in Kennewick. Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Contact: eathottamales.com, Facebook. CLOSED Cheese Louise at 619 The Parkway in Richland has closed. Payless ShoeSource at 1102 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite D in Kennewick has closed.

Impact investing means aligning your portfolio with your purpose BY MEREDITH FARRIS

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

You want to make a difference in the world in a way that reflects your deeplyheld beliefs. Increasingly, investors are defining long-term value as not only realizing attractive returns, but also generating positive social or environmental impact. To that end, they are looking for ways to align their portfolios with their purpose, using their wealth as a force for change. Impact investing refers to investments made into companies, organizations and funds with the intent of generating a measurable and beneficial social or environmental impact alongside a financial return. In other words, investing with impact seeks to align financial goals that are driven by economic fundamentals with impact goals that are driven by your personal values and mission. Today more than 70 percent of investors are interested in sustainable investing and the shift toward investing with impact is gaining momentum. Investors of all demographics—including millennials, women, ultra high net worth individuals and endowments—express a desire to align their investments with the change they wish to see in the world. There are several myths surrounding impact investing: Myth No. 1: Investing with impact means sacrificing returns. Applying an impact lens to your wealth management decisions does not mean choosing personal values over financial performance. In fact, according to the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing, sustainable funds have often outperformed traditional investments with lower volatility. Past performance is no indication of future results. Myth No. 2: Investing with impact is a niche area. The truth is, sustainably invested assets now account for more than one out of every five dollars under professional management in the U.S., according to the Morgan Stanley Institute for Sustainable Investing. Myth No. 3: Investing with impact products are limited. In reality, assets incorporating environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria more than doubled between 2012 and 2016. In 2016, 1002 different funds, representing $2.6 tril-

lion in assets, incorporated ESG criteria, according to the U.S. SIF Foundation. Every investor has a unique set of financial goals and priorities, and there is no onesize-fits-all Meredith Farris Morgan Stanley approach to investing with impact. There is a full spectrum of approaches to transitioning to investing with impact, including: • Restriction screening managed exposures by intentionally screening out investments based on an investor’s preferences. • ESG integration proactively considers ESG criteria alongside financial analysis during the investment selection process. • Thematic exposure focuses on themes and sectors dedicated to solving sustainability-related challenges, both in the U.S. and abroad. Whether you want to allocate all or part of your portfolio to investing with impact, working with a financial advisor who has experience with impact investing can help you align your performance goals with your personal values, so you can truly do well by doing good. Meredith Farris is a certified financial advisor at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Kennewick branch.

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.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business • November 2018 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Second Harvest seeks donations for turkey drive

Second Harvest is seeking donations for its third annual turkey drive, which will provide 2,600 Thanksgiving meal boxes for area families in need. A donation of $30 will provide a complete holiday meal box including a turkey and all the sides. The first $10,000 in donations will be matched, thanks to the Exponential Ag LLC. To donate, go to 2-harvest.org/ turkey or contact Jean Tucker at 509545-0787.

Zintel Creek Golf Club adds golf simulator for public use

Zintel Creek Golf Club in Kennewick has installed a state-of-the-art golf simulator for public rental. It is the only public golf simulator of this type in the Tri-City area, according to Zintel Creek officials. Golf enthusiasts can enjoy the great outdoors during colder weather while golfing indoors on a virtual golf course. Top courses from around the world come to life with immaculate fairways, crosscut greens, swaying trees, water hazards and even wildlife. Designed to deliver endless entertainment and exceptional golf training, the Full Swing V1 will appeal to anyone that wants to have fun while enjoying drinks and food at the Edge Sports Bar and Grill at Zintel Creek.

“The Full Swing simulator is the closest thing to being out on the course,” said Jordan Spieth, professional golfer, in a news release. The simulator can be rented by the hour. The single player rate is $35 an hour; the two-player rate is $45 an hour; the three-player rate is $55 an hour. Season passes as well as punch cards also are available. Reservations and fee schedules are available online at zintelcreek.com.

Benton Franklin Transit taxi services discontinued

The closure of a Richland-based taxi company providing contracted services to Ben Franklin Transit means night, Sunday and taxi feeder services have been discontinued. A-1 Tri-City Taxi announced its closure Oct. 30 after 38 years in business, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” The closure affects more than 60 staff. The company has been worked with Ben Franklin Transit for 16 years. “Of immediate concern to BFT is our customers who have scheduled reservations and who rely on the services TriCity Taxi has been providing. These services will be discontinued until further notice,” Ben Franklin Transit said in a news release. Ben Franklin Transit said it is working with schools, employers and other community partners to notify customers about the issue. Agency officials said they also are working to find solutions.

Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business â&#x20AC;¢ November 2018