Journal of Business - June 2022 by Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business/Senior Times

June 2022 Volume 21 | Issue 6

$2 million building to house Hanford history, anchor STEM tourism By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Inside

Focus Magazine: Agriculture + Viticulture in the Columbia Basin

Manufacturing

Crane repair company expands Tri-City footprint Page A23

Real Estate & Construction

New data offers homebuyers details about wildfire risk Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “If the expectations are clear and the team is aligned, we can all work together to reach a common goal.” - Lance Stephens of Framatome

Page A27

A new building in north Richland will bring the region’s atomic history under one roof and, officials hope, welcome tourists drawn by the community’s accomplishments in science, technology, engineering and math. The Port of Benton secured a permit to build a $2 million home for the Hanford History Project, currently housed at Washington State University Tri-Cities. It is the first of several buildings that will celebrate science and history at 3251 Port of Benton Blvd. in north Richland. Future phases will add museum-like spaces and a potential new home for the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and display material related to the USS Triton nuclear submarine as well as the new LIGO Hanford Exploratory Center. Port officials intended to build the complex as a single development but chose to develop in phases while they wait for grant funding, said Miles Thomas, the port’s economic development director. Last year, it refinanced its debt, freeing up about $4 million to support its vision of a STEM center to welcome visitors and support the history project. The center will make it easy for tourists to learn more about Hanford and the other science initiatives in the Tri-Cities, said Kim Shugart, senior vice president for Visit Tri-Cities, which regards STEM as a competitive advantage when it comes to attracting visitors. “There are very few communities that have such a diversity of STEM assets,” she said. While the port seeks additional financing for the full project, the Hanford History Project needs space for its growing collection of equipment and documents associated with the nuclear site. The building will give the project’s archivist, curator and other staff private offices as well as space to evaluate materials. Thomas said that means more material will be available for public exhibits. For example, if the Reach Museum in Richland wanted to mount an exhibit of what the HanuHANFORD HISTORY, Page A8

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Jose Ramirez of Ramgar Homes wants to raise the quality of homes in east Pasco. His first models sold for nearly $400,000, which the city of Pasco calls a “game changer.”

East Pasco real estate takes off as new home prices approach $400K By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A pair of homebuilders is drawing attention to east Pasco not as a center for warehouses and food processors, but as a hot spot for new homes with above-average price tags. The two builders – Ramgar Homes and Empire Bros Construction – are building homes with prices approaching $400,000 near East A Street and Heritage Boulevard, bordering the Tierra Vida community to the west. Broetje Family Trust created Tierra Vida as a community-focused mix of single- and multifamily units catering to workers at its orchards. The area has been a destination for moderate housing since at least 1990, when the Pasco Processing Center brought food-

processing jobs to Pasco. The $400,000 price tags are a game changer for the area, said Mike Gonzalez, Pasco’s economic development director, who said the latest wave of commercial development – Amazon Inc., Darigold, Reser’s Fine Foods, Local Bounti – are changing the narrative that east Pasco is an undesirable place to build and to live. “I think smart developers know that proximity-wise, there’s going to be housing needs,” he said. The builders see opportunity in an overlooked area. “Pasco is no longer going to be the lowincome homes that it used to be,” said Hilario Zaragoza, owner of Empire Bros, which has 19 lots in development. “It’s getting to where people desire to be in east Pasco.” uEAST PASCO, Page A10

Wanted: new owner for old-fashioned Kennewick store By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Basin Department Store, Kennewick’s source of work and safety equipment for nearly seven decades, is for sale. Stuart Logg has worked for the family business started by his father, Don, for 60 of its 69 years and says he’s ready to enjoy a relaxed retirement. The asking price of $1.95 million includes the building, parking lot and business, including its inventory of boots, Carhartt gear and apparel, at 111 W. First Ave. in downtown Kennewick. Logg’s earliest memories are of packaging socks at age 4. His father, Don, bought

them in bulk. Young Stuart ran a simple metal device that moistened adhesive labels used to bind loose socks into pairs. Once the socks were bundled, he’d slap on a price tag: 79 cents. Logg was born and raised in Kennewick and attended Kamiakin High School as a member of the Class of 1974. He didn’t graduate, falling a credit shy of a diploma. It made no difference. He said he seldom went to school anyway.

Professional home Basin Department Store would be his on- and off-again professional home for six decades. uBASIN DEPT. STORE, Page A4

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

SBA pivots to recovery after pumping $11B into Washington businesses By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The U.S. Small Business Administration is refocusing its work after an all-hands-on-deck campaign delivered billions in pandemic relief to American businesses, including $11 billion in Washington state. It is a “staggering” figure, said Mike Fong, the newly appointed director for Region X, covering Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska. In Washington, SBA awarded 180,000 grants and loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Restaurant Revitalization Fund and other programs designed to support businesses through pandemicrelated lockdowns. By comparison, the SBA typically issues about 3,500 loans a year in the entire region. Fong, who grew up in Spokane where his family owned a Chinese restaurant, took office in January and is devoting his first months on the job to touring the region. The tour brought him to Pasco on May 18, when he attended a Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce luncheon event with Joel Nania, SBA’s Spokane office manager. He said SBA’s message is that it is pivoting to support small businesses through the recovery, acknowledging that many businesses did not survive. “How do we capitalize on what we learned?” he asked during his visit. The

uBUSINESS BRIEFS L&I: Washington workers are due overtime pay

The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries reminds employers that most workers are entitled to overtime pay, starting after they work 40 hours in a seven-day workweek. Overtime is a protected right that workers cannot waive. Most hourly, piece rate and commissioned employees, as well as some

biggest lesson concerned technology. The web portal businesses used to apply for EIDL loans was cumbersome and crashed. Offering assistance and Mike Fong streamlining the system helped. Looking ahead, that means helping small businesses embrace the technology that can help them focus on their business and not management tasks. SBA rose to prominence through its significant role in distributing federal support dollars. It wants to use that awareness of its mission to reach a broader audience, with a focus on businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. “The SBA is still here. We want to assist small businesses as they shift to recovery,” Fong said. Equity is a priority for the Biden-Harris administration, which sees opportunity to expand small business ownership through federal spending. The government spent $600 billion on goods and services in its 2020 fiscal year. Its goal is to increase the share of federal procurement dollars going to small and disadvantaged businesses by half, to 15% of the total, by the 2025 federal fiscal year. “We want to make sure tools are available to communities that don’t always have that,” Fong said. “SBA programs offer access to capital as well as connec-

tions to advisors who can help entrepreneurs focus on the best practices necessary to soar, including using technology to manage their businesses.” Joel Nania Services are free, or, as he noted, prepaid through taxes. The federal government spends about $25 billion annually in Region X, a figure that covers everything from defense to energy initiatives such as the Hanford nuclear reservation site and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Of that, about $8 billion involves small business. Despite the government’s massive appetite for goods and services, Fong said disparities remain when it comes to who gets federal contracts. • Black-owned businesses receive 1.9% of federal procurement spending and represent 2% of all firms and 8.9% of all Americans. • Hispanic-owned businesses represent 12.8% of all firms and 2.1% of procurement spending • Rural businesses account for 11.4% of the nation’s total and 1.8% of procurement spending. • Women-owned businesses represent 37.7% of the total and 5.7% of procurement spending. • Asian American and Pacific Islanderowned businesses account for 7.7% of the

salaried employees, are due overtime, as are workers working on prevailing wage jobs. Overtime is paid at least 1.5 times the regular hourly rate. In agriculture, dairy workers are eligible for overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. Overtime is being phased in for other agriculture workers. Agriculture workers are eligible for overtime after they work 55 hours a week in 2022, after 48 hours in 2023, and after 40 hours in 2024.

Benton County turns to law students for public defense

Benton County is establishing two so-called “Rule 9” intern positions to aid the Office of Public Defense, which

For more information

To reach the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Region X office, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska: Call: 206-553-5231 Go to: sba.gov/offices/ regional/x.

total and 3.2% of procurement dollars.

• Native American-owned business ac-

count for 0.2% of businesses and 2.9% of spending (the only one with over-representation)

Americans are embracing their inner

entrepreneurs as the pandemic lingers,

with 5.4 million new applications tallied in 2021, a record.

The numbers were particularly strong

for Hispanic entrepreneurs, who continue to create businesses faster than any other group in the past decade.

“We want to be there to support that

entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.

Contact SBA Region X: 206-553-

5231, sba.gov/offices/regional/x.

represents indigent defendants. “Rule 9” interns are second-year law students who are able to carry caseloads, with restrictions. The prosecutor’s office uses interns already. The interns are paid $21 per hour.

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– CORRECTION – • The wrong location was listed for a future Pasco high school on page A38 in the May edition. The new school will be north of Burns Road near Road 60.

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 in guest columns and by advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of staff, other columnists or other advertisers, nor do they imply endorsement by staff, columnists 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.

Recalling Kennewick’s wild and woolly early days, he said his father was an unyielding boss who gave him no quarter. He left on numerous occasions and once spent two years building swimming pools in North Carolina, where he met his first wife and mother of his two daughters. The store would pull him back from his adventures, eventually. “I always knew I was going to do that. It is the only thing I am good at,” he said. When his father died in 1991, his mother, Lorraine, discovered he’d been paying their son only $15,000 a year for a job that went well beyond full time. She doubled his salary. He bought Basin Department Store from his mother in 1993 and has been the sole owner ever since. For decades, he worked seven days a week, all day. In his 60s, he’s eased up and is mindful of health issues. Now 66, he said he and his wife, Sharon, the store’s bookkeeper, are ready to step back, golf, work on vintage English motorcycles and be plain old lazy. Neither of his daughters is interested in taking over. He trained his son-in-law to take over and even offered a good deal, but the younger man opted for a lucrative medical career instead. Logg has no hard feelings. He wants his family to be happy, he said.

Best year ever But that leaves him looking for a buyer who appreciates Basin Department Store’s old-school ways and is interested in keeping it in business near Auburn Street. He declined to disclose revenue, but said it is profitable. He said business thrives when the economy dives. 2021 was its best year as customers sought comfort in its friendly service, raw no-frills 1950s atmosphere. The business has no debt beyond the usual invoices, he said. “It’s a license to print money,” he said. Ideally, he’ll sell to an operator who wants to continue the business and retain the 16 or so employees Logg considers family. He said he’s making it worthwhile for them to stay on until he leaves. He’s willing to remain on if a buyer wants a transition period, a common ar-

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Stuart Logg is selling Basin Department Store, the family-owned business in downtown Kennewick after working there for 60 of the store’s 69 years.

rangement when small businesses change hands. Otherwise, if a buyer surfaced on a Monday, he’d vacate by Friday if that was what they wanted. If no buyer emerges, he’ll sell the real estate, which includes a 12,550-squarefoot building and 22-space parking lot on a 0.56-acre corner lot.

A salty history His father and uncles started the business that became Basin Department Store in 1947. They’d sell whatever merchandise they could find from tents on Bateman Island. Rifles. Electric parts. Anything and everything. Brother Dick started a surplus business in 1952. Don took it – and its $25,000 debt – over two years later. Logg was a child when his uncle died, but he remembers a colorful gambler and a fixture in Kennewick’s barroom culture. Don Logg bought the former U.S. Post Office at First and Auburn streets and renamed the business “Basin Department Store.” It expanded four times since, including taking over the parking lot of what had been a Safeway store. Traces of the post office remain along the front wall. Logg said his father could be a challenging boss, but he was a first-rate retailer. He had worked at a J.C. Penney Co. in West Seattle after World War II, selling hats.

As the story goes, James Cash “J.C.” Penney himself took Don to lunch and told him he was moving him to New York City. Don wasn’t interested in New York or the East Coast. He moved to Eastern Washington instead, leading to the partnership with his brothers.

Working-class store Over the years Basin Department store sold hunting and fishing gear, apparel and work wear. Today, its focus is on workaday wear such as boots, jeans, overalls and safety apparel. It provides the latter to local employers at the Hanford site, construction industry and food processing businesses. “We’ve always been a working-class store. We pride ourselves on that,” he said. Rob Ellsworth of SVN | Retter & Co. is the listing broker. He’s optimistic that a buyer will want to take over. But if not, he speculates the property could be sold as a new outpost for a similar retailer such as Grigg’s or Ranch & Home. Mexican grocery operators are another niche that is taking off, he said. The offstreet parking spots are a rare premium in downtown. The building was built in 1953 and it has had substantial updates in recent years. The property is zoned commercial central business district.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Tri-Cities Airport lands $7.5M in FAA grants

The Tri-Cities Airport, operated by the Port of Pasco, secured grants totaling $7.5 million from the Federal Aviation Administration. The grants are part of a $608 million series of grants under the Airport Improvement Program. The airport secured $7.4 million to build the final phase of its 3,500-foot taxiway project, which provides access to hangars. It also received $70,000 to fund a pavement management study.

HomeStreet Bank sheds rural branches, including Kennewick

Five HomeStreet Bank branches in Eastern Washington, including one in Kennewick, will convert to Bank of Idaho. The parent companies of the two institutions announced an agreement involving HomeStreet branches in Spokane, Kennewick, Dayton, Yakima and Sunnyside. The Kennewick branch is on West Clearwater Avenue. The deal does not include HomeStreet’s commercial lending office near Columbia Center mall. Bank of Idaho will acquire the branches’ lending business as well as employees. HomeStreet said it wanted to focus on “larger metropolitan markets in the western United States.” The deal is expected to close by Aug. 1, subject to regulatory approval.

Vista Field grand opening include food, rockers

The Port of Kennewick holds grand opening festivities for Vista Field at 2:30 p.m. June 16 at the former municipal airfield in Kennewick. The port is preparing to sell the first lots at the mixed-use development site after the grand opening. The celebration will feature an appearance by British rocker John Waite of “Missing You” fame. He will perform three to five songs and was booked as a way to thank the community for its support of the project. The band American Honey also will perform. Four food trucks will be on site – Ann’s Best Creole & Soul Food, Culture Shock Bistro, Taste of Wok and Rollin’ Fresh Ice Cream. Participants also can visit the Snappy

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Camper vintage trailer photo booth and take the J&S Dreamland Express to Kennewick’s new Fire Station 3. The station will be open for tours. The city’s first motorized fire engine, a 1922 American La France Brockway Torpedo, is on display. The gathering will be at 6600 W. Deschutes Ave., Bldg. B. Attendees are asked to register in advance to POK@portofkennewick.org.

Know an impressive woman? Boys & Girls Club wants to know

Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties is looking for six local women to profile in a series of

videos meant to inspire young girls in the community. The club will highlight the woman in its upcoming Women Who Wow series. The Women Helping Women Fund TriCities is funding the initiative. Nominate women who have broken barriers, improved the community and positively impacted lives at greatclubs. org/women-who-wow.

Longtime local CPA dies at age 93

Robert E. Marple, a longtime local CPA, died May 18 at age 93. He practiced as a certified public accountant in the area for nearly 70 years and was still working and meeting with

clients at age 93. Marple came to the Tri-Cities in 1952 after serving active duty in the Korean War. He was one of the first partners in the CPA firm Niemi, Holland & Scott. His Washington state CPA certificate was No. 1,253. The current issued CPA license number in Washington State is 52,070. He opened his sole-proprietor CPA firm, Robert E. Marple CPA, in 1973 and this firm became Marple & Marple CPAs. These firms represented many Tri-City businesses and individuals including a few of the area’s largest businesses. Marple & Marple CPAs was sold to PorterKinney in 2019.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

DATEBOOK

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

JUNE 16

• Virtual PTAC Workshop PTAC/ SBDC Business Roundtable: 9-10 a.m. The roundtable is an open forum to learn from PTAC about government contracting and from business advisors with the Small Business Development Center about how to grow your business. Register at washingtonptac.ecenterdirect. com/events. • Columbia Basin Badger Club, “Dams and Salmon: Beyond the Spreadsheets”: noon via Zoom. Register at columbiabasinbadgers. com. • Vista Field Opening Day Celebration: 2:30 p.m., 6600 W. Deschutes Ave., Bldg. B, Kennewick. RSVP to POK@portofkennewick.org. • Low-Carbon Energy Project Siting Improvement Study: 2-4 p.m. via Zoom. Details at ecology. wa.gov/LowCarbonEnergySiting. • Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Regional Career Signing Day: 4-5:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Details at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events.

JUNE 17

Health fair: 3-6 p.m. Miramar Health Center, 6351 W. Rio Grande Ave, Kennewick. Free immunizations and blood pressure checks, $10 sports physicals, face painting, pony rides, food and prizes.

JUNE 21

• WAAE Summer Conference Fun Night and Auction: 6:30 p.m., Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Proceeds from this Washington Association of Agricultural Educators event help support advisors with teams competing at national FFA conventions. • Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php. • Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx.

JUNE 22

• Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon: “Rebounding From the Great Resignation”: 11:30 a.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd.,

Kennewick. Register at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events. • AARP Tip-Offs to Rip-Offs: 1011 a.m. Spot cons before they spot you. Free. You do not need to be an AARP member. Register online at aarp.org/Tri-CitiesTipOffs. • The League of Women Voters of Benton & Franklin Counties: “Is My Ballot Secure?”: 6 p.m. Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, The Theatre (P104). Auditors will outline the ballot process from the drop box to the counting of ballots and the safeguards in place if any irregularity occurs. Free. Questions? Contact lwv.of.bf@gmail.com or christinegrantham3@gmail.com.

JUNE 23

• Cool Desert Night Cruise: 5:307:30 p.m., Tri-City Raceway, 8280 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. Details at westrichlandchamber.org. Movie night: 9-10:30 p.m. • Port of Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m. Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission. • STCU virtual workshop, “Organize Your Finances”: 1-2 p.m. Register at stcu.org/learn.

JUNE 24

• Cool Desert Night Show & Shine: 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Red Mountain Event Center, 8280 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. Details at westrichlandchamber.org.

JUNE 25

• Hogs & Dogs Show & Shine: 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Tri-City Raceway, 8280 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. Details at westrichlandchamber.org.

JUNE 26

•15th annual Mariachi & More Festival presented by Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: noon-7 p.m., Columbia Park. Go to tchispanicchamber.com.

JUNE 28

• Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php. • Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx. • Port of Kennewick Commission: 2 p.m. Details at portofkennewick.org/commissionmeetings.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

OPINION OUR VIEW Homebuilders shine light on east Pasco By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The big story in east Pasco lately has been, well, big. Amazon, Darigold, Local Bounti, Reser’s. We are pleased to add homebuilding to the list. In the June edition of the TriCities Area Journal of Business, we spoke with homebuilders who saw an opportunity in an area that is often overlooked. Homebuilding is not new in east Pasco as a stroll through the established Tierra Vida community makes clear. The Broetje Family Trust created the community-focused mix of single- and multifamily homes to cater to workers at its orchards. But the new homes offered by Ramgar Homes and Empire Bros Construction with prices approaching $400,000 are unusual. Mike Gonzalez, the city’s economic development director, calls such prices a game changer, signifying a transformation on the city’s east side, long stigmatized for its checkered past, low-income housing and industrial history. The area east of the BNSF Railway tracks snaking north to south through the city is considered east Pasco. As Hilario Zaragoza of Empire Bros put it, the stigma is disappearing. There is much to recommend in

east Pasco, from ag-related jobs at the Pasco Processing Center – plus the many more expected to come in the next year – to its proximity to the Columbia River and easy access to Interstate 182. The area also boasts the Tri-Cities’ only state park, the scenic and history-rich Sacajawea State Park, at the confluence of the Columbia and Snake rivers. As Gonzalez points out, while homebuilders beg for suitable lots elsewhere, land is available in east Pasco. On that note, the city’s voters recently approved taxing most retail sales to build an aquatics center at an unspecified location, possibly the Broadmoor area of Pasco’s west side. We respectfully suggest planners consider the east side as well. We agree with the developers – there’s plenty of potential in the area, which will be even more accessible once the city completes the Lewis Street overpass taking shape in downtown Pasco. And with additional development launches at Osprey Pointe on Port of Pasco property near the Columbia River, there will be even more reason to head east of the tracks. There is much work left to do to provide the services residents need and deserve, but new homebuilding is a good start.

FutureCast data dashboard will help us create the Washington we want It’s hard to prepare for the future if you’re only checking the rearview mirror. That’s why the AWB Institute has launched a new tool called FutureCast to provide employers, policymakers and community leaders with a forward-looking view of how growth is likely to affect Washington state and every community within it. The pandemic has changed the world in many ways, but it hasn’t changed the need to prepare for growth. Washington is projected to gain 1 million new residents by 2030 and 2 million new people by 2040. Where will these people live? How will they get to work? Should communities invest in more apartments or broadband infrastructure? Are there enough schools? FutureCast is a way to spark conversation among taxpayers, employers and policymakers about what the future could look like, and where to focus energy and resources. The FutureCast dashboard builds on the Vitals, a website the AWB Institute created to track Washington’s progress in nearly three dozen categories –everything from population growth to high school graduation rates – down to the county level. FutureCast adds population and employment forecast data to the dashboard, providing a look out the windshield. The FutureCast and Vitals are free and available by visiting AWBInstitute.org. All of the data comes from the state Office of Financial Management, state Employment Security Department or the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In King County, for example, the popu-

lation is projected to grow to 2.45 million people by 2029. That’s an increase of nearly 200,000 people since 2020. In the Tri-City region, BenKris Johnson ton County is Association of projected to gain Washington 20,000 people Business and 16,000 jobs, GUEST COLUMN and Franklin County is likewise projected to add 28,000 people and 6,000-plus jobs. Both the Vitals and the FutureCast dashboards are part of the AWB Institute’s larger efforts to drive innovation and accelerate economic recovery throughout Washington. After the Great Recession, parts of Washington’s economy recovered fully while other areas, particularly in rural parts of the state, were left behind. The AWB Institute’s vision is one of shared prosperity and economic resilience for workers, employers and communities. Washington in the Making is the framework for the vision. One way the institute is working to achieve this vision is through projects like the Washington Workforce Portal, which is connecting young people across the state to internships, and the Remote Work Certificate, a four-week specialized trainuJOHNSON, Page A8

Just-in-time manufacturing is another pandemic casualty Before the Covid-19 pandemic rocked the world, factory workers were humming along assembling products just after components were delivered. It was called “just-in-time” production. It was efficient, predictable and cost effective. Today, companies scramble just to find parts, lock in purchases (and hopefully prices) and work around estimated delivery schedules. It is a different world. For example, three years ago people touring the Boeing 737 plant in Renton saw 737s creeping down long assembly lines where wings, engines and tail were mounted on fuselages. Parts came from around the world and were added at the right time. The fuselages were fabricated in Kansas, transported by rail to Washington while other components arrived by sea, rail and truck. Custom parts were added as the aircraft moved down the factory floor.

Success of “just-in-time” production hinged on timely deliveries. The benefit was companies didn’t have to keep large inventoDon C. Brunell ries which are Business analyst cumbersome and GUEST COLUMN costly. Covid-19 blew a big hole in that supply chain concept and manufacturers are still scrambling to find parts where and when they can. They’re back to building inventory and it is adding to the costs of production and to product prices. Shortages are driving prices even higher. The inflation rate was 8.3% in April. “America’s supply chain, once the

focus of highly specialized professionals in logistics, shipping, trucking and ports management, is now a common story on the nightly news where we’re told of shortages,” said Mike Ennis of the Association of Washington Business (AWB). It drives up prices at every level. Components shortages hit small manufacturers hard. Rankin Equipment, a fifth-generation family business in Union Gap, not only distributes farm implements, but its manufacturing subsidiary, Northstar Attachments, makes them. It is a custom manufacturer of specialized equipment designed primarily for tractors and loaders. Its equipment is used in fields, orchards, horse arenas and on hop farms. Dave Rankin, owner, said the cost of steel used in frames and supports has increased by three to five times in the last two years. Competition is fierce. Some hard-to-get parts are hydraulic

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pumps with operating equipment Northstar manufactures. Shipping costs have skyrocketed as well. Costs for a container from Italy have jumped three-fold to as much $25,000. Manufacturers depend on trucks. The price of fuel for heavy-duty trucks increased by than $2 per gallon since January and in many areas, diesel has surged past $6, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In California the average price is $6.46. Many truckers are adding fuel surcharges to stay solvent. On top of costs, manufacturers such as Rankin face a shortage of skilled workers. For example, many welders are approaching retirement with fewer replacements entering the workforce. The American Welding Society predicts a deficit of 400,000 welders by 2024. Bringing inflation under control,

uBRUNELL, Page A30

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 HANFORD HISTORY, From page A1

ford site looked like in the 1960s, curators don’t have enough space to work in their current quarters but could in the future. The Hanford History Project collects stories as well as documents and equipment related to the Manhattan Project and Hanford’s subsequent mission to produce pluCourtesy Port of Benton tonium for the nation’s nuclear arsenal, and now, The Port of Benton is developing a $2 million building to clean up the legacy of to house the Hanford History Project, the first in a radioactive and toxic malarger complex that will cater to STEM tourism in the Tri-Cities. terials.

Michael Mays, its director, was traveling and unavailable to comment, but Thomas estimates paper documents represent 25% of the collection. That is growing as the U.S. Department of Energy transfers materials to the archives to support a formal timeline of the Hanford site. Thomas said the physical items offer an eye-opening glimpse of the work that happened on the top-secret Hanford site. Telephone booths, meteorologic and lab equipment and models have all found their way into the project’s archives, with some exceptions. “No hot materials,” he said. The collection even includes Cold Warera materials awaiting declassification. The city approved the permit for the 7,810-square-foot building in May. Booth & Sons Construction Inc. broke

ground in early June. Thomas said the initial building is practical in design but echoes the modern design lines of Fire Station 75, the new fire station at Battelle Boulevard and Port of Benton Boulevard. The location celebrates the Tri-Cities’ non-Hanford science stars too. The USS Triton Sail Park and the new LIGO Hanford Exploratory Center (LExC) are within an easy distance. Triton Sail Park, an immediate neighbor, is the final resting spot for the conning tower of the nuclear-powered submarine, which in the early 1960s became the first to circumnavigate the globe almost entirely underwater. The STEM center will house Triton-related archives and equipment to better tell its story. Triton reactors, descendants of technology developed at the Hanford site, were decommissioned and deposited at Hanford’s Central Plateau. The center also will include a kiosk to steer visitors to LExC, which is to the northwest. When it opens, LExC will tell the story of the science behind the gravity-wave detecting work at twin Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatories at Hanford and in Louisiana. The work netted the three principals the 2017 Nobel Prize for Physics – a duplicate of which is displayed at the center. Tourism officials believe that taken together, Triton, B Reactor, LExC and the others, are a potent draw for science-minded tourists. Visitors spent nearly $490 million in Benton and Franklin counties in 2021 and paid nearly $55 million in local and state sales taxes. Tourism numbers are on track to exceed the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. Visit Tri-Cities, which takes an expansive view of STEM that includes local geology and agriculture as well as the hard sciences, offers family-friendly itineraries and notes they’re suited to residents as well as tourists. “I’ll bet there are people who live here who don’t know what’s in their backyard,” Shugart said. Go to: tricities.wsu.edu/hanfordhistory and visittri-cities.com. JOHNSON, From page A7 ing course that equips rural residents with the skills they need to compete for remote, online jobs. And another way is by equipping us all with tools like FutureCast and the Vitals. Information can help employers make data-driven decisions for their businesses. For elected officials, the tools can help guide and support policy proposals. After everything we’ve experienced the last three years, it’s clear that we can’t always know exactly what’s coming next. But we know Washington is going to grow, and that growth brings change to our communities. FutureCast lets us look ahead and begin planning now. Go to: awbinstitute.org/vitals. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

EAST PASCO, From page A1

The demand exists Empire builds smaller homes starting at $358,000. He said his homes are all speculative, “nothing fancy,” and they sell before they’re finished. The most recent sold for $360,000 in May. Ramgar, a new company led by Jose Ramirez, is shooting for a slightly higher price point by attending to quality touches and starting prices of nearly $390,000. It is building 14 homes on a three-acre site it bought from the city of Pasco and subdivided. The first three are complete and sold within days at prices between $389,000 and $399,000, said Kimberly Rose of the Kenmore Team, the real estate firm that represents Ramgar. Ramirez said his agents were reluctant to test the $400,000 waters at first, but he persisted. Rose acknowledged that brokers don’t like to be the first. In the Tri-Cities, new development has focused on the west side, skipping over the east, she noted. She’s pleased with how well the project was received and said once dirt started moving, she fielded daily questions. “This is a niche market that hasn’t been touched. Our area has been focused on growth going toward the west side.” The city’s Gonzalez said the small developments are at the vanguard of a transformation coming to east Pasco. Land isn’t as scarce there as elsewhere because of the stigma associated with the area. He predicts that will disappear as developers see success. The Columbia River and

Sacajawea State Park are both nearby, as is Interstate 182, ticking some of the boxes homebuyers seek. “I’m really excited,” he said. “East Pasco is going to become a very coveted location. It’s going to be a place that people want to live.” Dave Retter, president of Retter and Co. | Sotheby’s International, isn’t surprised to see development start. His company is not involved with either project but it will represent a separate builder, JMS Development, when it builds homes and businesses at nearby Osprey Pointe in coming years. The entire region is bereft of lowerpriced homes, with only 41 listed for $375,000 or below in the entire region in early June, according to Retter’s database. That is a problem. “Not everyone wants a million-dollar home or can afford one,” Retter said. “We have to find a way to build affordable.”

‘Game-changing project’ Rangar’s 14-home subdivision near East A Street, dubbed East Franklin, is the first project for the firm and for its owner, Ramirez. A native of Vancouver, Washington, he transferred to the Tri-Cities during the Great Recession while working in the mortgage and finance industry. His finance background inspired his interest in real estate. He moved to Pasco and loved the low cost of living. He puzzled over the area’s reputation, which residents loved. He scouted for a site to launch his homebuilding vision, thinking he would build one home at a time, or perhaps two, and began the process three years ago. He planned to build $275,000 homes in

$230,000 neighborhoods – above-average quality but not outrageously above-average. “I’m going to build a game-changing project in an area where you don’t see our product,” he said. He landed on the vacant, three-acre property and purchased it before news of Amazon’s plans were made public. The ecommerce giant is building a pair of massive warehouses less than a mile away that will employ more than 1,000. The three-acre site posed a challenge. Instead of building a single home, he was faced with building 14, and the roads, utilities and other infrastructure work to support that. He enlisted his brother-in-law, Juan Ochoa, who owns Skills Development, as a partner and project manager to help with the daunting task. Lauriano Garcia, land developer, rounds out the team. The Covid-19 pandemic halted their work for a year, but Ramgar secured approval for a subdivision along with financing through Key Bank. Ramirez made real estate his full-time career, tapping into his 401(k) to support himself and his family until it begins paying off. Over the course of the pandemic, building supply costs soared and the $275,000 price target faded. By the time the team was ready to build the first three homes, with models named La Niña, La Pinta and La Santa Maria, materials and home values had jumped. Lumber costs rose to $57,000 per home, from $17,000. “We had to absorb that,” he said. Fortunately, from a seller’s point of view, home values rose too. The median price in the

Tri-Cities rose to $441,000. In east Pasco, it was $325,000 in May, according to the Tri-City Association of Realtors. The seven east Pasco homes sold in May spent just two days on the market on average. Although East Franklin was priced above its neighbors, 30 potential buyers lined up for the first three homes, many with families already living in the surrounding neighborhoods. Ramgar’s next project will be at West Court Street and 42nd, where he recently purchased a 2.5-acre site and will remodel an existing home and build eight more. It will not develop the three-acre site bordering the current project. While Ramgar paid $179,000 for its property, the neighbors told Ramirez they wanted $1 million. “I’m not paying $1 million,” he said. Zaragoza, of Empire Bros., was drawn to east Pasco for similar reasons. He founded the company in 2018 after a decade in the homebuilding industry. East Pasco is coming into its own, he said. “People seek it out. It’s a desirable area, not like before,” he said. Ron Almberg, president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors and a broker for Keller Williams Tri-Cities, said only a few builders focus on the lower end of the housing market. Outside of east Pasco, new homes can start at $413,000. “Good luck finding any new construction that’s under $400,000,” he said. That said, he believes Pasco’s east side could soar. “That whole area is going to change and it’s going to become a lot more desirable to live over there,” he said.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

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Richland pharmacy redefines customer service By Laura Kostad

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Doctor’s Pharmacy has been making steady inroads within the Tri-City community through its customer service-focused business model since opening last year. The pharmacy, at 65 Columbia Point Drive in the strip mall adjacent to Winco, joins only a handful of other privatelyowned pharmacies in the area. Over the years, privately-owned pharmacies have given way to chains tucked inside grocery, drug and discount stores, as well as mail-order pharmacies. The cost of doing business has trended upward while customer service has declined as costs are spread over fewer staff. Doctor’s Pharmacy founder, Vijay Reddy, has worked for 27 years as a pharmacist on the East Coast and has observed the increasingly negative issues associated with picking up prescriptions: long wait times, miscommunication, medications out of stock, unprocessed medical pre-authorizations, prescriptions not coming through, impersonal interactions with pharmacy staff. So he set about devising how to fix the problems. The key? To set the bar higher on customer service. “I’ve done retail all of my career before this,” said Tabitha Jaques, a Doctor’s Pharmacy technician who has worked in the field the past 18 years. “The industry has totally lost touch with the customer base and with the patient care side. It’s become a numbers game, which is miserable when you’re a care person.” Fellow pharmacy tech Elia Vargas agreed: “I previously worked at a big chain and burned out. You really lose that customer connection because it’s so monstrous what they want you to do. … The main thing for me was customer ser-

Photo by Laura Kostad Doctor’s Pharmacy team members were hand-picked for their passion and enthusiasm for serving patients. The Richland pharmacy offers an array of services free of charge to customers, including delivery and medication sync dispensers that combine all routine medications into one box with individual dose packets grouped by the date and time to take.

vice, which to me should be 110%. That’s what I began with – you know all the customers by name and their kids and aunts and uncles – but it gets to the point (in a conventional pharmacy) where you don’t even notice your own mom walk by.” Business Development Officer Ashraf “Ush” Afzal explained the pharmacy’s goal simply: “We are trying to establish ourselves as the brand for customer care and customer service.”

Hassle-free experience Doctor’s Pharmacy touts a “hassle-free pharmacy experience” and a return to the hometown pharmacy atmosphere where employees treat customers like family. It opened in January 2021. “The customer has choices … if you

don’t take care of them, they will go elsewhere,” Reddy said. The Richland storefront features an open concept where customers can easily see and interact with all seven employees. The pharmacy’s lead tech is dedicated to processing insurance pre-authorizations. That’s why Dr. Earl Fox of Greater

Columbia Bariatric Surgeons sends his patients there. “I never send prescriptions for these medications to anywhere but Doctor’s, if I can help it, because a lot of times other places don’t bother to fill out the paperwork correctly or at all,” which can be the difference between a patient being able to get their prescription or not, Fox said. Customers have the option of having their prescriptions, including freezerstored medications, hand-delivered free of charge by a pharmacy employee to any location: home, work, soccer practice, etc. They have traveled as far as Moses Lake, but more commonly deliver between Prosser and Burbank. Another free service is “med syncing.” They help synchronize all of a customer’s prescriptions so they only have to order once per month. Doctor’s also offers a free pill packing service in which those medications are repackaged in one box in single serving packs on a reel. Each pack is printed with the date and time to take the medicine. “They’re willing to give the patients a real break on the price,” Fox said. Customer Debbie Campeau recalled receiving her late husband’s medications at no charge during a time when they could not afford them and was able to pay the balance back at her own pace. When her husband died, “They not only sent me flowers. They came to my

uDOCTOR’S PHARMACY, Page A14

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Bob Gamache, wine pioneer, dies at 72

Robert “Bob” Gamache died May 22 in Richland after a fall the day earlier. Gamache, 72, was a longtime vintner and winemaker who developed his farm at Basin City into a vineyard in partnership with his brother, Roger. The brothers were among the earliest wine grape growers in the area. Gamache Vintners Winery operated facilities at the Prosser Wine Village. The family sold the vineyard in 2015 and operated the tasting room until the pandemic. A Yakima native, he graduated from Marquette High School in 1968 and served in the Army. Services were held in May at Christ the King Catholic Church.

Horse Heaven Round-Up tickets on sale now

Tickets for the Horse Heaven RoundUp are on sale now. The Kennewick rodeo, held during the Benton Franklin Fair, which runs Aug. 23-27, is one of the top ranked events in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. The PRCA sanctions more than 820 rodeos a year. The 2022 event will feature $260,000 in payouts to contestants. All seats are reserved. Attendees also must secure admission to the fair. Rodeo tickets are $10 to $20 and are available Kennewick Ranch & Home or the fair office in Pasco, 812 W. Washington St. Online tickets are available at bentonfranklinfair.com and include processing fees.

The Arc seeks volunteer summer camp counselors

The Arc of Tri-Cities is seeking youth counselors, ages 15 and up, for its Partners N’ Pals Summer Camp. The camp is for children with special needs and typically developing children ages 6-21. The camp runs 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday to Friday, June 22-Aug. 19. The Arc also is looking for youth counselors, ages 15 and up, for Partners N’ Pals Jr. Camp, which is for children with special needs and typically developing children ages 3-6. The camp runs 9-11:30 a.m. Monday to Thursday, July 11-28. For more information on either camp, go to arcoftricities.com, call 509-7831131, ext. 151, or email pnp@arcoftricities.com.

Astria Health offers robotic surgery in Sunnyside

Robotic surgery is now offered at Astria Sunnyside Hospital. Astria Health began offering robotic procedures on June 6 after acquiring a da Vinci Xi robot for its surgical suite. Robotic surgery offers surgeons highdefinition 3D vision, a magnified view and computer assistance, including instruments. The program is led by Dr. Ernesto Dizon Jr., a general and thoracic surgeon

who began seeing patients at Astria in November 2021. His team includes Drs. Manuel Ybanez, Miguel Brizuela and Robert Wells. Robotic procedures lead to less blood loss and faster recovery times, Astria said. Robotic surgery is used for hernia repair, colon resection, appendectomy, splenectomy, lung resection, tubal ligation and hysterectomy, among other procedures.

Mid-Columbia Libraries seeks input on survey

Mid-Columbia Libraries has launched an online survey for residents in three counties to help improve library services and, possibly, develop new services. The 18-question survey is available

in English and Spanish, on the library district’s social channels and website: midcolumbialibraries.org. The survey is open to any resident 18 and over living in a city served by MCL, which covers Benton, Franklin and parts of Adams counties. Those living in some select census-designated and unincorporated communities, as well as visitors to any of the 12 branch locations, also may participate. All participants who complete the survey are entered to win an Apple iPad mini and can pick up a free book bag from their local branch, while supplies last. The survey asks respondents to rate the importance of quality-of-life influencers such as cultural diversity, educational opportunities, career programs, so-

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cial connections and access to resources. It also explores associated demographic characteristics such as income, ethnicity and age. MCL aims to efficiently use its limited resources to address the most common wants and needs of those it serves, be it leisure, education, community integration, or any other service that one might seek from their hometown library. MCL will study the results, and, working with its community partners, use the insights to ensure the library district continues providing the best value to taxpayers and its communities. To prepare for the survey, MCL held nine focus groups and town halls, some only in Spanish, with residents and organizations from the Tri-Cities, Prosser, Connell and Othello.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

DOCTOR’S PHARMACY, From page A11 home to make sure I was OK and came to our funeral,” she said. All employees are encouraged to take as much time as necessary to help their patients, no matter how long it takes, and are equipped with a work phone and individual number for customers, even Reddy. “If you don’t feel special at my pharmacy at any time, call me,” he said.

What’s next? Having gained so much positive traction over the past year and a half, what’s next? Though Reddy and his executive team are investigating ways to expand Doctor’s service area and help those living in the smaller towns outside Tri-Cities, for now they are more focused on their first location. “I want to help the community and start offering seminars on pharmacyrelated topics, such as how to reduce the

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Franklin FSA seeks farmers, ranchers for committee

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is seeking Franklin County farmers and ranchers for an upcoming county committee election. The Franklin County FSA office will accept nominations through Aug. 1. FSA encourages all interested agricultural producers, including women and minority growers, to seek nomination.

number of medications you take, and also continue participating in things such as drug takeback days,” Reddy said. Since opening, Doctor’s Pharmacy has partnered with four municipalities to help facilitate drug takeback programs and also hosts a drug disposal bin year-round. “They’re really good. I just can’t say enough. This is the place to go,” Campeau said. Search Doctor’s Pharmacy: 65 Columbia Point Drive, Richland; 509-341-0000; doctorspharmacy.us. Hours: 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; Closed Sunday. Steven Hemingway and Tabitha Jaques pose with “Dr. Fill,” Doctor’s Pharmacy’s machine which repackages multiple medications into rolls of perforated single-serving packets printed with the patient’s name and time of day to take.

Eligible candidates must participate or cooperate in any Farm Service Agency program or activity and be of legal voting age. This year’s election takes place in Local Administrative Area 2, which encompasses the southwest irrigated portion of the county and includes the communities of Mesa, Eltopia and Pasco. Elected county committee members receive an hourly wage and travel reimbursement for their attendance and representation at county committee meet-

Photo by Laura Kostad

ings and serve three-year terms. Call 509-416-5722 for more information.

AWB president keynotes regional chamber luncheon

Kris Johnson, president and CEO of the Association of Washington Business, will discuss recovering from the Great Resignation at the June 22 Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Johnson will discuss workforce trends and the issues that drove employees to resign during the Covid-19 crisis, as well as best practices for retaining workers. He will take questions at the end of his presentation. The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m.1 p.m. at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for guests. Go to tricityregionalchamber.com.

Only Tacos opens at Columbia Gardens

Food truck vendor Only Tacos recently opened at Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in Kennewick. The newest mobile eatery’s hours are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays. Co-owners and chefs Jesus Rodriguez and Manuel “Curly” Montijo serve popular recipes from various regions in Mexico. The Food Truck Plaza is at 325 E. Columbia Gardens Way off East Columbia Drive in Kennewick. Only Tacos joins five other mobile eateries with leased spaces at the plaza, including Ann’s Best Creole and Soul Food, Bobablastic Tri-Cities, Culture Shock Bistro, Swampy’s BBQ and Taste of Wok. Each vendor sets its days and hours of operation. Go to: ColumbiaGardensVendors.org.

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Entrepreneurs make leap from Cinnabon, pretzels to brunch Bougie Brunch aims to offer a Tri-CityPalm Springs vibe By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

For almost two decades, Chris and Lore’K Garofola have been hard-working franchise owners of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels and Cinnabon. The couple own four Auntie Anne’s – two in the Tri-Cities and two more in Southern California. They own two Cinnabons, with one in the Tri-Cities and the other in Southern California. But now, the couple are diving into the full-service restaurant here in the Tri-Cities with Bougie Brunch. “We’re trying to open this in late June,” Lore’K said. The restaurant at 3320 W. Kennewick Ave. will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day of the week.

California inspiration The Garofolas spend half of their year living in the Tri-Cities and the other half in Palm Springs, California. One of the things Lore’K fell in love with in Palm Springs was the local brunch scene – places such as Cheeky’s, Grand Central or Wilma and Frieda. “In places like these, you’re either fancy, or you think you’re fancy,” Lore’K said. “People love to eat brunch in Palm Springs. I love to eat brunch in Palm Springs. It’s a whole way of life down there.” She said she came up with the concept for Bougie Brunch in March. Bougie (pronounced boo-gee) comes from the French “bourgeois,” as in someone aspiring to be a higher class. Lore’K is taking some of the better ideas she’s seen and experienced as a customer and spinning them into the new restaurant. “We originally thought about a franchise,” Lore’K said. “But rules are strict. Some want you to open three of them in one year, or you have to have a lot of cash.” So the Garofolas opted to do things themselves. “We decided to completely start up something using our own concept,” she said. “Our travels over the years had us looking at different things. We thought,

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‘We know franchises. We know the business. Let’s take our expertise and open a restaurant.’ ” That was something they didn’t plan on doing at the outset.

A vibe-worthy spot Lore’K said she came up with the concept first, “and then we scouted out places. We literally drove everywhere.” At one point the couple considered the empty Old Country Buffet building by Columbia Center mall in Kennewick. But then they found the Chicken Shack building on Kennewick Avenue which closed last fall. “We needed a kitchen, and it looked really good inside there,” she said. It’s next door to KNDU-TV. The building has housed many bars and restaurants over the years. Before it was the Chicken Shack, it had been Barley & Hops, Jackson’s Sports Bar, Wooly Bully’s, and way back in the 1970s, it was Pizza West. Besides the kitchen, what also appealed to the couple was the large patio in the back. “The place has this beautiful, big patio that will be perfect half of the year,” Lore’K said. “There are 25 tables inside, another 25 tables outside.” Umbrellas will be out on the patio, and there are plans to add games, such as cornhole and Connect Four, for the kids. The atmosphere is what Lore’K calls “a vibe.” Music will start out softly as the restaurant opens early in the morning, but by late in the morning and into the afternoon, expect a good beat. Reasonable price points The first menu, although not available to view, is almost complete. “I want it to be a fancy, trendy, happening breakfast and lunch place,” Lore’K said. “We’re going to add things people haven’t heard of to the menu.” She plans on making changes to the menu as time goes on. There will be a children’s menu. To complement meals, there will be a bloody mary bar, mimosas, beer, wine and champagne. Lore’K says that while she expects the food to be high quality, “it’s not going to be expensive. Breakfast is cheaper than any meal. It’s very reasonable. We’re go-

ing to try to do our best to keep things reasonable.” In early June, the restaurant was holding on-site interviews to hire hosts, bussers, a sous chef, servers, bartenders, line cooks, expos and dishwashers. The Garofolas already have a general manager and executive chef. But the rest of it is new ground for the couple. “We’ve been in the Tri-Cities for 18 years with our first Auntie Courtesy Lore’K Garofola Anne’s franchise,” Lore’K Garofola and her husband Chris plan to open Bougie Lore’K said. “We Brunch at 3320 W. Kennewick Ave. in late June. employ 45 people (in our six franBut the brunch life in Palm Springs is like chises). With Bougie Brunch, we’ll need nothing else. That’s why I wanted to bring another 20 to 25 people.” it here.” She said a number of their franchise Search Bougie Brunch: 3320 W. Kennewick employees have asked to come work at the Ave.; 509-221-1162; Bougiebrunch.net; restaurant. “I never thought we would go into a full Facebook page. The restaurant is expected restaurant situation,” Lore’K said. “It’s a to open in late June. Planned hours are whole different world from franchises. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Colonoscopy or end-of-life planning? Many would pick physical exam By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Most people don’t look forward to a colonoscopy. And most would rather not have a conversation about end-of-life care. Home Instead Inc., a national company with offices in Kennewick, has launched a new program called Elderoscopy with these two ideas in mind. Elderoscopy is a critical conversation, complete with “probing” questions, between older adults and their loved ones, examining wants and needs, and setting intentions for topics such as end-of-life plans, finances, relationships and more. It is a conversation every family

should have – no matter how uncomfortable, said Roy Wu, who co-owns the TriCity-based Home Instead franchise with his wife Paula. They provide elder care services to clients in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties. “It’s a fun name. At first people may be like, ‘What?’ but it’s a serious topic. We always encourage people to just start. Just have the conversation,” Wu said. “Just start somewhere and don’t be afraid to ask for help because there are resources.” Research from Home Instead and The Marist College Poll shows that 1 in 6 Americans would rather have a colonoscopy than talk to their loved

ones about end-of-life plans. Nearly one-third of Americans over the age of 70 (29%) would prefer or are undecided when having to choose between a colonoscopy and discussing end-of-life plans. The survey also showed that while 45% of Americans report that they have not talked with their loved ones about how they would like to spend their final years, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the likelihood of having these conversations. Nearly half (48%) of all adults report the pandemic has made them more likely to talk about end-oflife plans. To assist in navigating this process,

Home Instead developed the Elderoscopy program, which offers tools and talking points to begin the conversation. Resources include conversation starters and guides. Home Instead care professionals also are available to facilitate uncomfortable talks.

When should we talk? When is the best time to have this conversation with an aging parent or loved one? There’s no perfect time, but Wu pointed to Home Instead’s 40-70 rule. “If an adult child is within that range of 40ish and has an aging parent who is a generation older – now is the time to have that

uELDEROSCOPY, Page A18

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Tips to consider when selling the family business to children Parents who have built a successful business and have raised capable children might find the proposition of selling the family business to the children compelling. As with so many decisions in life, this proposition comes with pros and cons, but properly structuring the transaction is always vital. At the outset, the parents must take a hard look at the business and the real prospect of a qualified heir apparent to take over the business. The reality is that only 30% of family businesses survive a second generation and as few as 15% survive a third generation (Dwight Drake, Closely Held Enterprises, 314, 2018). If the parents are satisfied that their brood includes the right person to take control of the company and allow it to prosper, then the transition strategy can be developed. The concept of selling the business to children is distinctly different from selling to third parties. Parents are often encouraged to explore favorable sale terms for non-monetary reasons (e.g., keeping business in the family, helping the child or children, as a sort of payback for effort expended by the child to date, etc.). In other words, a parent is often trying to establish a sale that makes the purchase easy for the child while also providing a respectable (albeit sometimes well below “fair market value”) sale price to the parents. Oftentimes, the sale of the business is also used to create the liquidity to fund inheritance to other children that are not involved in the business purchase.

Gift rules apply A business can be gifted, but how does one determine if any part of the business transition is a gift?

Any time a person sells an asset (including the family business) below fair market value to a child, the seller must analyze the application Beau Ruff of gifting rules Cornerstone (and the associWealth Strategies ated gift tax). GUEST COLUMN Gifting applies to the total sale price but could also apply to other parts of the transaction, such as the interest rate charged on an installment sale note (where the parents effectively loan a portion of the purchase price to the child buyer).

Reasonable sale price? The responsible solution is to get the business appraised by a qualified business valuation expert. This allows a competent third party to evaluate business metrics for an unbiased view of value. Once a clear value is established, it can then be used to later drive other components of the business transition strategy. Whether the interest rate charged by the seller parent to the buyer child is a gift is more straightforward. The IRS monthly publishes the Applicable Federal Rate (AFR) which is used to determine if the interest rate charged gets into gift territory. The long-term (over nine years) AFR for May 2022 is 2.66% (compounded annually). Accordingly, this sets the floor for the minimum long-term interest to be charged on the sale of the business to avoid the implication of the gifting rules. Favorable timeline Parents often structure these sales with the minimum amount of down

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payment, carry the loan for a period longer than a typical third-party sale, and charge lower interest on the contract balance. For example, a parent trying to avoid the implication of gifting (but still create favorable terms for the child) might require no down payment, a 10-year installment plan, and 2.66% interest on the declining balance (based on the May 2022 AFR).

Stay vigilant Though parents want to make the transaction simple for the child, parents should remain vigilant to protect their own interest from creditors. If parents structured the transaction as an installment plan, the parents would be wise to maintain a security interest (collateral) in the property sold. The seller can maintain a security interest in the company stock, the accounts receivable, the inventory, the assets, and virtually anything else owned by the company. Why would parents want to do this if they trust the child to make payment? Taking a security interest ensures that the parents have the first right to the asset secured in the event of other creditors making a claim. So, if the business does fail in the hands of the next generation and the company moves into bankruptcy, the parents’ wise decision to demand collateral could ultimately protect some or much of the value of the company from

creditors that might otherwise be entitled to it and preserve the business in the family.

Partial gift A common misunderstanding regards the limits of gifting. The federal gift annual exclusion allows parents to make gifts of up to $16,000 without any reporting requirements, but parents can gift much more than that. For example, under current law, a couple can gift a total of $22.12 million during their lifetimes before being required to pay any gift tax, but that couple would be required to file a federal gift tax return. And, if a couple made a gift that large, it would entirely eliminate their estate tax credit thus pushing all assets remaining to the 40% tax level at death. Accordingly, a gift that large should be heavily scrutinized. More likely, the parents might choose to gift, say $1 million, out of a total business value of $5 million. Then, the child has instant equity in the business and the parents can help to finance the remaining $4 million purchase price. This too would require filing a gift tax return, but no gift tax would be owed. Beau Ruff, a licensed attorney, is the director of planning at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

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6 questions to get the conversation started 1. Where would I live to live out my senior years? 2. What lifestyle do I desire as I grow older? Rocking grandbabies or kayaking rivers? 3. How do I plan to stay healthy as I age? 4. If I find myself single, what will I do? Embrace newfound alone time, or look for love online?

5. How do I see myself getting around if I can no longer drive? 6. How do I want my final years to look for me and my family? Having these discussions earlier can help to prevent lastminute decision-making during a crisis.

Source: Home Instead Inc.

Courtesy Home Instead Lisa Seger, right, a Kennewick Home Instead lead care professional, stands with her client, Bill, a World War II veteran. Home Instead has developed Elderoscopy, an educational program with tools to help start the conversation between aging parents and loved ones about preparing for their later years.

ELDEROSCOPY, From page A16 conversation,” he said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a colonoscopy at age 45, which is a good reminder it’s time for the “elderoscopy” conversation, Wu said. “We can talk about it now so we can have an understanding, so when the time comes, it’s not a time of conflict; it’s a time of memory and being together. It is tough to have the conversation,” Wu said.

Tri-Cities’ aging population The Wus have owned the Kennewick-

based franchise for eight years. They serve about 105 clients monthly. Wu said his business has grown in the past eight years as the Tri-City area population ages. “Now we’ve had two generations who’ve worked out at Hanford, or three or four generations in ag out here. They’re like, ‘We’ve built this house and I’ve always lived here and I don’t know where else to go,’ ” Wu said. Some of those seeking care today Wu refers to as a vertical generation, or those who are still working and may have Hanford Fridays off, or they’ve got grandchildren or college kids and they’re juggling a busy life. Or they may live on the west side and can’t travel to the Tri-Cities as often as they’d like to be with their aging parents. Some seek out Home Instead to arrange for care visits a few times a week. (The company’s minimum plan is 12 hours a week.) A gradual start and early conversations may mean less heartache later as the elderly come to accept and appreciate occasional at-home care that can then be increased later, Wu said. Home Instead can provide a variety of services, from personal care like grooming and bathroom assistance, to transportation to appointments or activities, to companionship, as well as chronic illness care 24/7 – all based in the clients’ home. “We see these conversations between loved ones happening every day, and rarely does someone say they wish they put it off longer,” Paula Wu said. “To support local families, we have resources available to ensure a smooth transition of care – regardless of whether it is needed now or in a few years.” Home Instead has 15 other regional offices in the state and 1,200 global offices. Go to Home Instead’s Elderoscopy website to get the conversation started: homeinstead.com/elderoscopy. Go to honorexpert.com to speak with a social worker or gerontologist for questions related to care options. The service is free.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 uBUSINESS BRIEFS State welcomes its 20th wine-grape growing region

Washington wine country can add another special grape-growing region to its list. Rocky Reach will be the state’s 20th American Viticultural Area (AVA). Located between Chelan and Wenatchee, Rocky Reach straddles the Columbia River and is wholly contained within the larger Columbia Valley. The AVA covers 32,333 total acres, though the Columbia River and Rocky Reach Reservoir make up about a quarter of the area. There are currently eight commercial vineyards covering

117 acres. To qualify as an AVA with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a wine grape-growing region must have distinguishing features. The area’s defining characteristics are its geology, soils, topography and climate.

Inslee appoints Ruff to Benton-Franklin Superior Court

Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed Diana Ruff to the Benton-Franklin Superior Court. She will replace Judge Alex Ekstrom, who later this month will begin his term as a federal magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Washington.

1304 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco, WA (509) 545-8420 • skoneirrigation.com

Since August 2021, Ruff has worked as a court commissioner for Superior Court, where she presides over family law, probate, guardianship and juvenile dockets. Before joining the court, Ruff worked as an administrative law judge with the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings. She also has served as a judge pro tem in Franklin County District Court and Pasco Municipal Court. Prior to her judicial career, Ruff was a Benton County Deputy prosecutor for more than five years. She began her career handling personal injury cases at Allen Brecke Law Offices in Kennewick. Ruff has volunteered in various leadership positions with the Benton Franklin Bar Association and is a youth

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soccer coach volunteer. She served on the Benton County Park Board for over 10 years, including a term as its chairperson. She also has been a commissioner on the Parks and Recreation commissions for the cities of Kennewick and Richland. “Diana is an extremely talented attorney. She is smart, driven, and dedicated to serving her community,” Inslee said in a statement. “And her breadth of experience is impressive. She has done civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and as a judicial officer she’s presided over administrative proceedings and now Superior Court dockets. She will be a great addition to the bench.” Ruff earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree from Gonzaga University.

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Crane repair company expands Tri-City footprint ponents, including booms, frames, cabs and aerial lifts. for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business “Pretty much anything mechanical, A 51-year-old crane repair company we fix,” Davis said. recently opened its second location in The company also can fabricate indithe Tri-Cities. vidual pieces or entire components and WHECO Corp. started out as a parts employs a range of welders and autosupplier in Dayton and then expanded motive technicians at its facilities in the to six facilities across the U.S. over the Northwest, including Richland, Pasco, decades, along with Seattle and Portland, a rebuild center in as well as locations the Marshall Islands in Southern Califor“We start around in the central Pacific nia and South CaroOcean. lina. $40 an hour and The Pasco site Customers inat 525 S. Oregon clude contractors, we have a $6,000 Ave. marks a return crane rental compato the city after the signing bonus, yet I nies, distributors, incompany relocated surance companies can go three weeks and manufacturers. to Kingsgate Way in Richland a handIt’s a long way without getting one from ful of years ago. BeWHECO’s fore the move, the roots of selling parts application.” company had been to farmers. - Ryan Davis, president of repairing and restor“Parts of things WHECO Corp. like bailers, tracing cranes and other heavy equipment for tors and stuff like about 30 years in that. And then it Pasco. Its corporate morphed,” Davis headquarters are in Richland. said. “We needed to install the parts, “We started off as a refurbishment started installing the parts, and then that company for cranes basically. People market grew.” who have cranes, instead of buying new, WHECO’s CEO had a job repairing a could take that crane and have it rebuilt crane in the Tri-Cities and transitioned completely to make it like brand new or out of Dayton to serve a larger market. better than brand new,” said Ryan Davis, “Then, we said, ‘Heck, we like cranes,’ president of WHECO. so we just continued developing that.” The company supports government WHECO’s customers WHECO repairs a wide range of com- contracts overseas, which is how it beBy Robin Wojtanik

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Courtesy WHECO Corp. WHECO Corp. recently opened in Pasco, adding a second Tri-City location to its list of nationwide and international facilities for machinery repair. Its corporate headquarters are in Richland.

came established in the Marshall Islands. Despite the large footprint, WHECO employs about 80 people worldwide, with about a quarter of those across its Tri-City facilities.

Davis estimates about 70% of its customer base is local, but the rest travel to the nearest sites since there are few crane uWHECO, Page A24

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WHECO, From page A23 repair facilities in the U.S. When it comes to the Northwest, “We’re pretty much about it,” so customers all over the West either bring equipment directly to WHECO or receive assistance through a mobile repair service. “We can dispatch anywhere in the U.S.,” Davis said. “Some jobs just aren’t big enough to justify a $30,000 trucking bill.” “We’re probably best known for our structural abilities to fabricate and acquire the proper metal for the jobs,” Davis said. “Cranes are made of high tension, and you have to use metal from Germany or Japan, and we have the ability to do that.” Structural repairs could include those with a broken boom or other heavily damaged equipment to which the company says it “puts the repair option back on the table by providing engineering solutions,” including the ability to reverse-engineer if there is an obsolete or unavailable part – offering customers the capability of fixing an individual piece or an entire assembly. As an essential business during the window of early Covid-19 restrictions, WHECO was allowed to continue operating.

Finding qualified workers Davis said the biggest effect Covid-19 had was on the company’s ability to recruit. “We have a really good retention rate. We’ve got guys who have been with the company for 25+ years, and most techni-

Courtesy WHECO Corp. WHECO Corp.’s Richland Division Manager Tanner Castleberry, left, and machinist John Strait work on a component. WHECO repairs a wide range of components, including booms, frames, cabs and aerial lifts.

cians have been with company seven to 10 years. Pre-Covid, it was pretty easy to get people with five to seven years of experience, but what we’ re finding today is that they’re just not out there anymore. We debate this all the time. I don’t know where they went.” To alleviate the struggle, WHECO began working more closely with trade schools and started to develop its own training programs to increase skills for the potential workforce, hoping to let people know the good-paying jobs are

out there. “We start around $40 an hour and we have a $6,000 signing bonus, yet I can go three weeks without getting one application,” Davis said. The company also began partnering with the military to provide placement for those completing service, in hopes it will pay dividends.

Courtesy WHECO Corp. Richland Shop Foreman Paul Morrison mans a crane at WHECO Corp. The company recently opened a second location in the Tri-Cities.

Supply chain woes WHECO is still working through supply chain issues that affect customers

waiting for repairs using specific parts. “We’ve always been known as a structural repair company that can source metal anywhere. Well, not anymore,” Davis said. “You could get the most random material within two to three weeks. Now, in some cases it’s a year out. We have a ton of machines waiting for parts for nine to 10 months because most manufacturing is done overseas.” Davis noticed countries that instituted full lockdowns for Covid-19 are still feeling the effects, including material sourced from Italy and Switzerland – not to mention Russia-Ukraine war. “The world’s largest metal factory is in Ukraine. The whole place got blown up by the Russians,” Davis said. “We’re just really fighting the supply chain issue right now. Trucking was never an issue pre-Covid and now there’s just no trucks available.” Despite WHECO’s focus on some of the largest machinery out there, the company hasn’t forgotten its roots in farming. “I have people come to the front door all the time with a chainsaw going, ‘I can't get it running,’ ” Davis said. “Of course, most of the time we’ll just check it out for free and give it back to them, but we’ll take on any task.” Search WHECO: 2989 Kingsgate Way, Richland; 525 S. Oregon Ave., Pasco; 509-371-1703; wheco.com; @whecocorp.

Send us your business news info@tcjournal.biz

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Tri-City manufacturing sector has a distinct flavor 50%

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ery seven jobs. At the bottom is the greater Wenatchee area, where manufacturing holds 4.3% of the workforce. And the slice of BenD. Patrick Jones ton and Franklin Eastern counties’ labor Washington market? About University 6.7%. GUEST COLUMN Why should we care? Usually, manufacturing wages are among the highest in any local economy. And manufacturing usually brings positive spillover effects to other sectors of the economy. Unlike other metro areas around Washington, local manufacturing doesn’t offer much of a wage premium. In fact, the most recent annual manufacturing wage was about equal to the all-sector annual wage in Benton County and about 4% higher than the all-sector average in Franklin County. Contrast these 2020 results to Grant County, with a 16% premium, or Yakima County, with its manufacturing workers enjoying a 23% premium to the general workforce. A major difference, of course, to the neighboring counties can be found in the presence of two highly paid sectors which do not loom large in Grant and Yakima: waste management as well as scientific and professional services. As I’ve written in other columns, local manufacturing is largely an agriculture processing affair. In the third quarter of last year, nearly half (46%) of all manufacturing firms fell into food and beverage category. Measured by employment, agricultural processing

Non-White Population - Share of Total Population

Manufacturing in the two counties didn’t shine during the pandemic. According to recent work the Institute undertook for the Port of Kennewick, the most positive employment changes during the “shutdown quarter,” Q2 of 2020, were found in the following sectors: finance and insurance, transportation and warehousing, information, wholesale trade and retail. Yet, manufacturing didn’t lose too much luster. Ranked by employment losses in that quarter, the most unfortunate sectors in the greater Tri-Cities were: hospitality, arts and entertainment, retail, construction and agriculture. Manufacturing’s fate ranked in the middle, showing only a modest loss of jobs. This is not to say that manufacturing has reclaimed its pre-pandemic numbers, at least by the end of last September. Total headcount in this sector in the two counties was still about 500 lower than in the same quarter of 2019. Then again, in the third quarter of last year, overall employment was still about 1,500 below its level in 2019. Thankfully, by the fourth quarter of 2021, total employment in the metro area exceeded its 2019 levels. We won’t know for another few months whether manufacturing made a similar comeback. According to the most recent full year of detailed data, 2020, manufacturing is the ninth-largest sector in the two counties, as measured by employment. Compared to other Eastern Washington metro areas, this is a relatively low ranking. At the top is Walla Walla, with manufacturing claiming one out of ev-

Benton & Franklin Counties - Hispanic (may be of any race) Benton & Franklin Counties - African-American, Asian-American and Native-American Benton & Franklin Counties - Two or More Races Washington State - Hispanic (may be of any race) Washington State - African-American, Asian-American and Native-American Washington State - Two or More Races United States - Hispanic (may be of any race) United States - African-American, Asian-American and Native-American United States - Two or More Races

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends

swings an even bigger bat, taking up about three quarters of all manufacturing employment. Furthermore, manufacturing here heavily depends on the Latino/a workforce. The most recent Census data, from the second quarter of last year, reveal that 43% of all manufacturing jobs in the two counties were filled by these workers. No other sector, not even

agricultural production, shows such a preponderance of Latinos/as. (At the other end of the range, Hispanics make up only 10% of the “white collar” sector of scientific, technical and professional firms.) As Benton-Franklin Trends data reveals, the overall share of the population in the two counties that identifies uJONES, Page A26

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MANUFACTURING JONES, From page A25 as Latino/a is about a third. This is the dark blue segment of the graph. With a good portion of the Latino/a population not of working age, the role then played by this population in manufacturing is pronounced. Further, despite their outsized presence in the sector, the Latino/a factory worker here earns only 73% of the average factory worker, again according to Census data from the second quarter of last year. There are several sectors in the greater Tri-Cities where pay of Hispanics is nearly at a par with the average. These are transportation and warehousing (97%), hospitality (94%) and retail (76%). And Hispanic construction wages are at 82% of overall wages. The departure from average in manufacturing likely reflects the types of occupations filled by Latinos/as. Where might manufacturing in the greater Tri-Cities go from here? By all indicators, into deepening agricultural processing. Whether the Tri-Cities can diversify its manufacturing base remains a big question. It is undoubtedly easier to build upon a local economy’s strengths, a maxim in economic development strategies. Yet, could more tech-based manufacturing unfold? The intellectual capital is certainly here. And there is already a presence, albeit small, of some firms that fit the description, such as chemical and electronics manufacturing. If these can expand, or if food processing can become even more efficient, allowing higher wages to be paid, then the entire economy will benefit.

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LANCE STEPHENS Richland site manager VP North American fuel manufacturing Framatome Number of employees you oversee: 550 Brief background of your business: Framatome is a global leader in the nuclear energy industry. Our Richland site is the most flexible fuel manufacturing facility in the world, building all types of fuel and fuel-related products for light water reactors as well as small modular and eventually for advanced reactors. How did you land your current role? I have spent my entire career working at the Richland site – spanning more than 30 years. I have worked a variety of positions, from engineering to research and development, operations and supply chain, that have prepared me for this position. How long have you been in it? Just over a year Why should the Tri-Cities care about the manufacturing industry? Manufacturing is a key element to our local economy, providing essential goods and services that support the global supply chain. More importantly are

the manufacturing careers we provide to our local workforce. These are good paying jobs that can evolve into a longlasting and rewarding career. Many of our jobs, while quite technical, do not require a four-year college degree, and they complement all demographics. In some cases, a technical certification is needed, while in others a high school diploma is all that is required. The soft skills needed to succeed in manufacturing, such as safety, work ethic and continuous learning, also are very transferable to a variety of industries. What is Framatome doing about finding and training its nextgeneration workforce? I often say that our facility is a macroeconomy – utilizing a large variety of skill sets from technician to engineers, from business to crafts, from leadership to supply chain. And a person with the right mindset and ambitions can make their own career. Framatome is engaging in local education entities – high schools and universities. We also started Careers in Manufacturing – an effort to bring visibility to the industry. While a four-year college

degree opens doors for a career, so does a career in manufacturing. I am very encouraged by the Tri-Cities’ realization and strong advocacy of growth and potential in this area. Our future is incredibly bright, and we need to work together to attract the workforce needed for this future. What is the biggest challenge facing the manufacturing industry today? I think one of the biggest challenges is bringing awareness to the manufacturing jobs in our area and amplifying the opportunities they provide for a long, stable career. Bringing more visibility to these hands-on, technical positions is vital in keeping workers in our area and replacing many who will be retiring. What would you like Tri-Citians to know about your company that they likely don’t know? I don’t think a lot of people know that we are a commercial nuclear fuel manu-

Lance Stephens

facturer in the Tri-Cities. We are not affiliated with the Hanford cleanup project or Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. We are responsible for producing 5% of the electricity generated in the U.S., and we are recognized globally for our high-quality fuel expertise and commitment to safety. What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? The ability to listen to all levels of the organization – the best ideas come from those doing the work. A new process or piece of equipment can be designed on uSTEPHENS, Page A28

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TARGET ZERO

celebrates responsibly this summer You can MAKE A DIFFERENCE in our community this new year by committing to ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD. In WA it is our goal to have ZERO people in your household be involved in a serious or fatal crash.

CELEBRATE RESPONSIBLY, whether you are hosting, driving or riding.

• Before celebrating plan a safe and sober ride home. • Don’t let someone get behind the wheel if they have been using alcohol, cannabis or other drugs. • If you are hosting, make sure to remind your guests to have a sober ride home or offer space for them to stay. • Offer to be a designated driver. • If you see an impaired driver, call 911. • Always wear you seat belt, it is your best defense against impaired drivers. • Provide a safe environment for youth to thrive substance free Most adults in WA do not drive under the influence, yet over 50% of all WA fatal crashes are due to driving under the influence.

THANK YOU for keeping

our community safe this year and every year by celebrating responsibly. Remember WA State’s goal is TARGET ZERO. Thank you for not serving to minors. #planahead #targetzero #teentargetzero #safegraduation

MANUFACTURING uBUSINESS BRIEF Carbitex founder appointed to manufacturing council

Junus Khan, founder of Carbitex Inc. in Kennewick, has been appointed to Washington’s new Manufacturing Council. The 21-member council includes industry representatives as well as Kris Johnson of the Association of Washington Business and Chris Reykdal,

STEPHENS, From page A27 paper, but only after some operating experience and feedback from those doing the work can it be implemented into our processes. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your industry/ field? Shift the general perception of nuclear energy, and bring excitement and passion to the field of manufacturing. Safe, reliable nuclear energy has to be part of the energy mix for a sustainable, clean energy future. Our company has a bright future, but we need to hire and retain our workforce to support our contracts and to contribute to the clean energy future of our industry – whether it be small modular reactors, advanced reactors or other types of fuel-related products/designs.

Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction. The council will advise and consult the state Department of Commerce and other agencies and will prepare a biennial report on the state of manufacturing and research and development in Washington. The council held its first meeting in June. Carbitex manufactures flexible composites used in athletic footwear and other applications.

How do you measure success in your workplace? I think a big part of the success is that people enjoy showing up to work each day – all working together to achieve a common goal of delivering high-quality solutions on-time for our customers. What do you consider your leadership style to be? Lead by example and optimism. A colleague once said, “Lance could have fun in a brown paper bag.” I actually liked that characterization – we might as well have fun at whatever we are doing. How do you balance work and family life? Be open to realizing when you are too engrossed in your work. My wife does a great job of helping me see when the line is crossed.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? Try to lead by example. Your title is less important than how you interact with and support your team.

What do you like to do when you are not at work? Travel, read and spend time with my family. I love the conversation and laughter around a table of cards and good food.

Who are your role models or mentors and why? I would say two personalities resonate with me: those who bring passion to their work and people who continue to persevere. We all face adversity at some time in our careers – I’m always fascinated by those who can pick up the pieces, adjust and excel in these situations.

What’s your best time management strategy? Make sure you enter a week knowing what “the big rocks” are – the big items that you must achieve in the week to make it a success.

How do you keep your employees (or team members) motivated? Paint the long-term vision, but then interact with your team daily. Never underestimate the power of a specific and deeply felt “thank you” for a job well done. How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? Less by choice than by circumstance. During a large reorganization within the company, I was put into a manufacturing management role, and, as they say, found my passion. The satisfaction of producing an important product and getting better at it each year is what ignites me.

Best tip to relieve stress? Exercise and renew with family – to remind myself of the big picture! Favorite book? I am a big audiobook fan because it allows me to get reading done when I otherwise wouldn’t. Recent titles I have thoroughly enjoyed include, “Drive” by Daniel Pink, and “Switch” by Dan and Chip Heath. I am always fascinated by human behavior. Do you have a personal mantra, phrase or quote you like to use? A couple of key words I use all the time are “clarity” and “alignment.” If the expectations are clear and the team is aligned, we can all work together to reach a common goal.

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Area manufacturing jobs rebound but not to pre-pandemic levels By Robin Wojtanik

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The state predicts the number of manufacturing jobs will drop in the next decade, yet industry groups intend to do everything they can to not only buck that trend but double the number of both manufacturing positions and manufacturing companies in Washington. “If the Legislature does nothing, we will have fewer manufacturing jobs,” said Dave Mastin, vice president of government affairs for the Association of Washington Businesses, a statewide business association that also serves as a manufacturing and technology association. “There are things that the Legislature could do to enhance economic vitality and manufacturing in the state of Washington and in every region, including Benton and Franklin counties.” Those jobs are vital as manufacturing is often viewed as a linchpin of the economy. The jobs often pay well and don’t require a college education. Manufacturing roles include about 300,000 workers across the state. The AWB said the average manufacturing job pays $81,000 in Washington, while the Employment Security Department (ESD) lists an average salary for a manufacturing position of $61,000 in Benton County and $45,000 in Franklin County, where food manufacturing is a large employer and puts the industry

Courtesy Pasco Machine The number of employees in manufacturing roles increased about 0.3% year over year. While this is an upward trend, manufacturing employment has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, estimated at 8,200 jobs in the industry.

in the top three for employment in the county. The ESD estimates about 8,000 people currently work in manufacturing in the Tri-City region, covering durable goods like metal, machinery and computers, and non-durable goods, like food and beverages, which make up the lion’s share of manufacturing roles in the area. One in 10 people employed in Franklin County work in a manufacturing role, with about half that in neighboring

Benton County. Typical roles include packaging and filling machine operators and tenders, along with machinists, metal fabricators and production workers.

Upward trend The number of employees in manufacturing roles increased about 0.3% year over year. While this is an upward trend, manufacturing employment has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels estimated at 8,200 jobs in the industry.

But it has increased from the low point during the pandemic, March 2021, when the industry was hit hard, with 7,600 people working in the sector locally. Manufacturing has been on a steady upswing ever since. Statewide, a “hiring blitz” by Boeing is credited with pulling up the entire manufacturing sector, according to the state’s economist with the ESD who spoke to The Seattle Times, and said Washington makes up 3.3% of the nation’s growth in manufacturing, while accounting for just 2.3% of the total population. Predictions made last July for manufacturing jobs in Benton and Franklin counties correlate with the state’s expectation that manufacturing roles will decrease in the long term.

Regulatory certainty Mastin points to House Bill 1170, which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support last year, and was sponsored by 8th Legislative District Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick. Known as the Washington BEST (Building Economic Strength Through) Manufacturing Act, it has a goal of doubling the state’s manufacturing employment base, doubling the number of small businesses, and doubling the number of women and minority-owned manufacturing businesses in the next 10 years.

uJOB OUTLOOK, Page A30

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JOB OUTLOOK, From page A29 Mastin said one of the keys to accomplishing these goals is to “increase the regulatory certainty,” making it easier for entrepreneurs to establish a new business. The AWB has large businesses as part of its membership, including local corporations like Lamb Weston and Lampson International, but the majority are small companies with 10 or fewer employees. “When you compare us to other states, Washington is probably at the bottom end when it comes to regulatory certainty, which is the flexibility in allowing economic development to occur,” Mastin said. “So our big message to the Legislature is, ‘The business com-

munity is here. We’re ready to step up, and we’re ready to be part of the solution that expands manufacturing rather than contracts it.’ ” An important message as the most recent report from the National Association of Manufacturers found the industry output $65 billion in Washington in 2019, accounting for nearly 11% of the total output in the state. The most recent NAM data from 2017 lists 6,500 manufacturing firms in the state. The NAM reports an even higher average salary for manufacturing jobs in Washington, citing typical compensation around $95,000 for these roles in 2019. The figures include the highpaying positions often found in the aerospace sector on the west side of the state.

MANUFACTURING Specialized training Most manufacturing roles, including many in the Tri-City region, require some form of post-high school training, whether an apprenticeship, credential or certificate. That’s where Mastin finds the workforce is lagging. “Across the board we are really challenged in filling those mid-level skilled jobs. It’s the electricians, it’s the plumbers, and other construction sectors. If you’re going to add manufacturing jobs, which whether you double or not, if you’re going to add them, you need the workforce. And right now, we don’t have that workforce, he said.” NAM’s most recent survey of its members found that “companies cite

difficulties in finding sufficient workers to meet their needs, despite experiencing wage growth for production and nonsupervisory workers in manufacturing that has been at a 40-year high.” The survey also points to an “elevated” rate of 800,000 job openings for 10 straight months. Programs at Kennewick’s Tri-Tech Skills Center, available to local high school students, include courses in welding, drone manufacturing and construction trades. Students also may seek degrees in welding technology and manufacturing technology at Columbia Basin College, along with partnerships in apprenticeships, including in aerospace. The BEST Manufacturing Act includes recommendations for specific actions to develop a manufacturing workforce pipeline, including “identification of dislocated workers, careerconnected learning opportunities, and a survey of financial aid that can be leveraged to fund training for the manufacturing workforce pipeline.” “We’re asking the Legislature to raise their eyes a little bit, not just focus on the next two or four years, but look out 10 years to where we want to be,” Mastin said. While less often found in Eastern Washington versus the Interstate 5 corridor on the west side, the manufacturing sector frequently overlaps with information and communication technology, another one of Washington’s largest sectors, the AWB finds. “The distinction between tech and manufacturing as separate sectors is becoming less defined,” the AWB said. BRUNELL, From page A7 avoiding worker shortages and returning predictability for manufacturers, large and small, require immediate attention of our elected officials. For example, stabilizing gas and diesel prices are things they need to address now. “Many industry observers are questioning the old “just-in-time concept of buying parts right when they’re needed and keeping inventories low,” Rankin told Washington Business Magazine, published by the Association of Washington Business. “But now with all of these lead times extended out, in many cases you have go ahead and commit and get it locked in, get it bought, so the price won’t go up, and so you can get the merchandise.” Will we return to the just-in-time production system? Not in the foreseeable future. However, lots must be done to keep our “Made in America” products competitive. Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com.

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Eligible seniors can receive free farmers market vouchers By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Seniors can enjoy more fresh veggies and fruits from area farmers markets this year when they sign up for Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels’ voucher program. Low-income seniors can apply to receive free vouchers to use at local certified farmers markets through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Thanks to increased funding support from state of Washington, each eligible senior can receive up to $80 in vouch-

ers, double the amount provided in past years. “We are absolutely thrilled that the state was able to increase the voucher benefit this year,” said Kristi Thien, nutrition services director for MidColumbia Meals on Wheels, in a news release. “We feel that this boost shows a real commitment to the well-being of Washington’s senior community. With ever-rising grocery prices, this increase is incredibly well timed. The voucher program helps our seniors access fresh,

diverse, healthy food while supporting our important local agricultural community.” Eligibility requirements include: • Must be 60 years old or older, or a Native American 55 or older. • One-person household: Receive a monthly income of $25,142 annually, or $2,096 monthly. • Two-person household: Receive a monthly $33,874 annually, or $2,823 monthly. For larger households, add $728 for each additional person.

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• Be a Washington resident. To ensure equity, seniors who are unable to access the markets themselves can appoint a trusted friend or family member to act as a proxy to shop on their behalf. For a voucher application, seniors can call the Meals on Wheels office at 509735-1911 or email admin@seniorliferesources.org. Applications also are available online at seniorliferesources.org.

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BUSINESS PROFILE

New franchise owners want to bake joy into their Bundt cakes By Laura Kostad

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Tri-Citians need a little more cake. That’s what Julie Zirker believes. She’s the co-owner of the first Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise in the Tri-Cities. It’s opening at 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 200, in Richland at the end of June. “We need a little more joy and a little more cake. They’re interchangeable,” she said. Zirker and her sister-in-law, Julie Dawes’ bakery will make nothing but Bundt cakes, pun completely intended. It may sound like a limited business plan, but the brand’s been in business for 25 years, with more than 410 locations nationwide and a trademark on their frosting pattern. “They make one thing and they make it really well,” Dawes said. Nothing Bundt Cakes sells 10 different flavors of Bundt cake baked fresh daily: strawberries and cream, snickerdoodle, red velvet, chocolate chip, white chocolate raspberry, lemon, confetti, carrot, classic vanilla, as well as rotating featured flavors throughout the year such as key lime, which is a new flavor that will be debuting by the time the Richland location opens. A glutenfree option also is available. Cakes come in four sizes: 10-inch, 8-inch, cupcake-size Bundtlets, and bitesize Bundtinis by the dozen. Cakes can also be double-tiered for weddings and other special events. Each features a thick real

Photo by Laura Kostad Sisters-in-law Julie Dawes and Julie Zirker teamed up to open a Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise at 110 Gage Blvd., Suite 200 in Richland. The bakery makes nothing but Bundt cakes, though an array of decorations and small gifts also will be available for sale.

cream cheese frosting petal or drizzle design. Though the cake mixes come from the corporate headquarters in Addison, Texas, Nothing Bundt Cakes prides itself on using fresh eggs and butter sourced more locally. A wide selection of Bundts will be available in the bakery daily, no preorder required, but handcrafted cake decorations themed around holidays and celebrations throughout the year also can be specially

ordered for any occasion. On the spectrum spanning grocery store cakes and high-end customized works of art, Dawes said Nothing Bundt Cakes offers a niche in between. “You can come in and get a (premade) cake ... It’s custom and it’s good quality and delicious and it’s on demand.” The store also sells party items such as candles, cards, balloons and more, along with small gift items – “to make us one-stop

shopping,” Dawes said. The selection is handpicked by Zirker and Dawes. “The bakeries have a very nostalgic feel to them; it feels like your grandma could work there,” Dawes said. Despite being a franchise, she said each one should feel like a one-of-a-kind special place. The duo foresees employing 15 to 20 and said people have already been emailing and stopping by to place orders. They’re also excited because their kids are in their teens so the whole family will have more of an opportunity to be involved and learn useful skills through everyday business operations. “We are both lifelong Tri-Citians … and this is our way to bring joy and happiness to our Tri-City community,” Zirker said.

In the joy business Nothing Bundt Cakes began in Las Vegas with two home bakers, Dena Tripp and Debbie Shwetz, in 1997. “I first tried (Nothing Bundt Cakes) in Spokane,” Dawes said. “And then every time we went to Spokane, we just had to get their cake and I was like, ‘Wait, why aren’t we doing this?’ ” A former florist, Dawes quipped, “I’ve just always been in the joy business.” Zirker was a stay-at-home mom, then worked in medical billing for the past five years. “One thing Julie and I share is that entreuBUNDT CAKES, Page A34

BUSINESS PROFILE

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Kettle corn company pops into Richland storefront By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Jeramy Schultz was trained to be a fighter during his five years in the Marine Corps. Ever since, the Richland High School graduate has used those skills to battle the day-to-day skirmishes that a small businessman needs to overcome to be successful. For Schultz, who has been in the kettle corn business for 18 years, that has meant sleeping in his car at times, surviving a pandemic, and now trying to get ready to open his first brick-andmortar shop. The new store at 624 George Washington Way in Richland is near the new location for Graze – A Place to Eat. Schultz plans $250,000 in tenant improvements in the 960-square-foot suite in the Park Place strip mall, according to building permits approved May 4 by the city. “We’re looking at an August opening, maybe sometime in mid-August,” Schultz said. And with that opening will come a new marketing rebranding. He’ll change the name from KC Brand Kettle Corn to Popcorn Northwest. “It’s a gourmet style of product,” he said. “We’ll have three or four consistent products every day. Then we’ll swap out two or three different products

every week. We want to keep it fresh. It’s going to be fun. Popcorn lovers are going to love it.” The caramel apples and the fresh-squeezed Jeramy Schultz lemonade his company is also known for also will be produced in the store.

Getting started Schultz has been in the kettle corn business since 2004, when he and a partner first bought the company from a previous owner. It didn’t start out well. “There is a difference between being a manager and an owner,” Schultz said. “As an owner, the bottom line is that financially it falls on you. I understood the buck stops here. If there were problems, I could only blame me. “In 2004, we were losing money,” he continued. “Picture somebody holding their hands out, and pouring water on them, and you’re trying to catch all of the water. Can’t do it.” At that point, Schultz realized he might be in over his head. But he fought back by reading every business book he could find. “I decided to go back to college,” he said. In 2006, he bought his partner out.

Courtesy KC Brand Kettle Corn Jeramy Schultz plans to change his business’ name from KC Brand Kettle Corn to Popcorn Northwest when he moves his kettle corn operation to 624 George Washington Way in Richland this summer.

Eventually, things turned in the right direction. And for the next 13 years, you could find KC Brand Kettle Corn all over the Tri-Cities and the Northwest. He has a stand inside the Toyota Center that sells kettle corn, cotton candy and fresh-squeezed lemonade. In 2018, Schultz bought a Subway sandwich franchise and opened it in Benton City. And he kept traveling all over the Northwest to sell his kettle corn at fairs and festivals. “Last year at the Whidbey Island Fair, I realized I’d been around a long time when I was selling kettle corn to

children of the children I used to sell to,” he said.

Pandemic delays The new store had been planned since 2019. But Schultz was so busy with day-today operations that it had been put off. And then the pandemic happened. “Before the pandemic, there were eight people doing kettle corn in the Tri-Cities,” Schultz said. “Pretty much all got shut down. I was shut down for a year-and-a-half, and I got five months of PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) uKETTLE CORN, Page A35

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 Nothing Bundt Cakes come in with several flavors and are made with local eggs, butter and cream cheese. They come in four sizes, including double-stacked for weddings and cupcake size. A gluten-free option also is available.

BUNDT CAKES, From page A32

Courtesy Nothing Bundt Cakes

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preneurial spirit. Owning my own business is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I wanted the right relationship and the right franchise … the stars kind of aligned and here we are,” she said. The pair embarked on the path to becoming business owners in spring 2020. They said Nothing Bundt Cakes corporate was excited to hear from someone in Tri-Cities as it had been eyeing the rapidly growing and diversifying community. The sisters-in-law pulled back a bit though as the Covid-19 pandemic intensified. “Nothing Bundt Cakes ends up being a company that does a lot of deliveries … a lot of their bakeries never even shut down, so the next year … we felt comfortable moving forward,” she said. The pair said finding the right space was tricky and took a few months. They finally found the perfect one in the 2,900-square-foot suite formerly occupied by Mezzo Thai, which reopened as Soi 705 at The Parkway in Richland in early October 2021. Dawes and Zirker said the high visibility location isn’t taking much to be retrofitted. “We’re all about bringing joy and eating cake,” Dawes said.

Bundt history lesson Bundt cakes exploded into popularity in 1966 when a Bundt cake called the “Tunnel of Fudge” took second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Pillsbury was subsequently overwhelmed with more than 200,000 requests for Bundt pans, according to the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Minnesota-based Nordic Ware was poised to capitalize on the demand.

The American-made cookware company, founded in 1946 in Minneapolis, began manufacturing Scandinavian cooking tools. In the company’s early years, friends Rose Joshua and Fannie Schanfield of the Minneapolis Jewish-American Hadassah Society approached co-founder Dave Dalquist to see if he would recreate a lightweight modern version of a traditional German cast iron kugelhopf cake form. A cast aluminum version was born and trademarked as a “Bundt.” The pan’s unique shape features curves emanating from a hollow center point. Following a small production run in 1950 and poor sales, Nordic Ware considered discontinuing the pan. However, after the 1966 Pillsbury Bakeoff, Nordic Ware amped up production to 30,000 Bundt pans per day, according to a story by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. The company claims its Bundt pans can be found in 75 million homes around the world. Some of its originals earned spots in the Smithsonian collection. There’s even a National Bundt Day on Nov. 15. A soft opening for the new bakery is planned for the end of June, with a grand opening to follow a few weeks later. A precise date is dependent on construction completion. The grand opening celebration will be a three-day-long event featuring a ribbon cutting with the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, Bundt cake giveaways, and a donation to a charity yet to be determined at press time. “We’re going to give away and share a lot of cake,” Zirker said. Search Nothing Bundt Cakes: 110 Gage Blvd, Suite 200, Richland; 509-392-7196; nothingbundtcakes.com; Facebook, Instagram. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; closed Sundays.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 KETTLE CORN, From page A33 pay.” He tried to take online orders. But people would order one bag when a single batch creates 10 bags. “It became an uncomfortable situation,” he admitted. Schultz had started collecting equipment a few years ago for a possible move into a shop. That included an electric popcorn machine with a caramelizer in it. Despite the pandemic, Schultz applied for a bank loan in February 2021, with the idea that the building would be ready to go in the fall 2021. “Dealing with a bank in the pandemic took a year to approve the loan,” he said. “Prices of such things as lumber started going up. The supply chain caused a backlog of 12 weeks just to order equipment.” Finally, Schultz is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. He likes the new Park Place location, with G-Way traffic coming by all day long. The tough part is the store gets just one devoted parking space. “But the building owner has been more than gracious to us, though,” Schultz said. “He’s been great.” KC Brand Kettle Corn also has been known for its fundraising program, in which clubs or teams buy bags of kettle corn from the company at $3 a bag, then they sell them for $6.

Reach thousands of businesses across the Mid-Columbia Compelling businessfocused content provides the perfect avenue for marketing messages. Contact: Tiffany Lundstrom tiffany@tcjournal.biz cell: 509-947-1712 Chad Utecht chad@tcjournal.biz cell: 509-440-3929

“The pandemic kind of killed the fundraising,” Schultz said. “I’m trying to get back into it.”

The product and the store Making kettle corn is different than making popcorn. Kettle corn is made in a large kettle where most of the ingredients are added in, along with the kernels, before it is popped at a really high temperature. In the kettle, corn kernels, oil, sugar, salt and flavoring are all mixed in. Then the kettle is heated to 400 degrees. The ingredients must be stirred the entire time to keep it all from burning. As the kettle reaches temperature, the sugar and any other flavors start to melt. As the kernels start to pop, the sugar and other flavors glaze over the pop-

corn. Afterwards, salt and a touch more sugar is added. But making the kettle corn is physically tough. “My wrists and my shoulders are bad,” Schultz said. “You’re stirring 10 pounds of product for hours on end.” With the new store, he said, people can now stand on the George Washington Way side of the building and watch employees make the kettle corn. As customers walk in through the front door, they’ll be greeted by a tall wall filled with tins of the various products for sale that week. “I’ll probably hire four or five people for the first year at the store,” he said. “The next year, I’ll probably need to hire another four or five people. I’ll hire

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people as soon as the store gets close to opening.” Schultz said he still plans to keep his trailers to help feed the business. “The first year, we’ll definitely still do events,” he said. “After that, we’ll measure the time, the stress and the numbers to see what we should do. But there are a handful of events between here and Prosser I still want to do.” But opening the store will create better opportunities, he said. “I love the retail, face-to-face aspect of business, meeting and talking with people,” he said. “I love that ‘Oh, wow!’ moment when someone tries our kettle corn for the first time. In this, if it goes the way it’s supposed to, our plan is to have that ‘Oh, wow!’ experience every time a customer comes into the store.”

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NETWORKING uDONATIONS • Spectrum donated $10,000 to Richland’s DrewBoy Creative through the 2021-22 Stand For The Arts Awards, a partnership with Ovation TV that recognizes local arts, cultural and educational organizations and programs. Since the initiative started in 2017, Ovation TV and Spectrum have given out 50 awards totaling $500,000 toward art education. DrewBoy Creative will use the grant to support the general operational health of the organization, as well as an art installation at the Union Gospel Mission.

uNEW HIRES • Leslie Streeter joined Washington State University Tri-Cities as director of marketing and communication on May 9. She Leslie Streeter will oversee the campus’ advertising, marketing, public relations, social media and website with a focus on growing enrollment. Streeter comes to WSU Tri-Cities with a background in consumer and nonprofit marketing strategy and brand management. Streeter is a WSU alumna with bachelor’s degrees in communication and business administration/marketing. She is also a graduate of Leadership Tri-Cities Class XVIII, and serves as the organization’s board secretary. Streeter is a Tri-City native and lives in Richland. • Cindy Lovato-Farmer, a specialist in employment law with two decades of experience in legal and leadership positions at national laboraCindy tories, has been Lovato-Farmer named general

To submit a promotion, new hire, award or donation, go to: tcjournal.biz/ customer-service/ submit-news.

counsel at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland. She joins the U.S. Department of Energy laboratory after serving as senior managing general law and litigation counsel at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prior to her time at Sandia, Lovato-Farmer led the Employment Law and Litigation Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory, also in New Mexico. Lovato-Farmer earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, and a juris doctorate from the University of New Mexico School of Law in Albuquerque. • SVN | Retter & Company has hired Ashley Moala as a commercial real estate broker. She was raised in rural

Eastern Oregon and is an Oregon State University graduate. She transitioned to real estate in 2018 after honing her skills in contracts, case Karli Page management and client advocacy as a litigation and estate planning paralegal. • Miramar Health Center in Pasco hired dietitian Karli Page. She earned her bachelor’s in dietetics from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. • Focal Point Marketing, a marketing and advertising agency specializ-

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ing in creative solutions, hired Abreena Sheppick as a social media specialist. Sheppick researches, plans, writes, publishes and manages Abreena Sheppick social platforms for Focal Point’s social media accounts. Sheppick earned a bachelor’s in business applied management from Columbia Basin College. Her talents also extend beyond social platforms to behind the lens, where she’s established herself as an award-winning photographer.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

uAWARDS & HONORS

• The Washington Public Ports Association has announced Rep. Matt Boehnke, R-Kennewick, as the winner of the 2022 Cross Award. Each Rep. Matt Boehnke year, the association recognizes legislators who provide “extraordinary leadership and unparalleled vision” in its efforts to advance the importance and future of public ports for the residents they serve. At the request of the Washington Trucking Association and other partners, Boehnke launched the Legislative Supply Chain Caucus this year which resulted in funding dedicated to improving the truck driver shortage, as well as educating other legislators on how vital effective supply chains are to the economy. In 2021, he championed passage of legislation that established a goal to double manufacturing jobs in Washington over 10 years and advance funding to accelerate regional economic clusters. Boehnke is a ranking minority member on the House Community & Economic Development Committee and sits on both the House Appropriations Committee and House Environment & Energy Committee. He represents Washington’s 8th legislative district, including the ports of Kennewick and Benton. • Leslie Kjarmo, a registered nurse and critical care nurse in the Lourdes Health Intensive Care Unit, earned The

DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Lourdes. Kjarmo was nominated by a patient’s family member who was impressed with the meaningful care she provided for the patient’s mother. Kjarmo has been part of Lourdes Health for more than 30 years. The award is an international program started in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, whose family experienced first-hand the difference his nurses made in his care through clinical excellence and compassionate care. The family created the award to express gratitude to nurses and to enable other patients, families and staff to thank and honor their special nurses. • The city of Richland’s Duportail Bridge project received statewide accolades. The project earned the “Best in State – Silver Award – for its Complexity” from the American Council of Engineering Companies, Washington State Chapter. The Washington State Chapter of the American Public Works Association named the bridge as its “Transportation Project of the Year” in the $25 million to $75 million category. These honors complement the city’s recent “Complete Streets Award” recognizing the transportation design improvements made throughout the city’s main arterials. • Nine awards were presented to businesses and individuals during the Regional Chamber’s Annual Meeting & Awards Luncheon on May 25 at the Three Rivers Convention Center. The premier sponsor of the event was Numerica Credit Union. The awards were distributed as follows: Chamber S.T.A.R. Award: Chris Rivard, Christopher E. Rivard P.S. The award is presented to a volunteer who goes

NETWORKING above and beyond for the chamber. The acronym stands for service, time, attitude, reliability. Community Impact Awards: Columbia Basin College and Washington State University Tri-Cities. The awards are presented to nonprofits that provided the chamber with the most financial support over the previous year. Corporate Impact Awards: Battelle and Washington River Protection Solutions. These awards are presented to the for-profit organizations that provided the chamber with the most financial support over the previous year. Business on a Roll Award, 1-10 Employees: Express Employment Professionals. Business on a Roll Award, 11-50 Employees: Sculpt Wellness. Business on a Roll Award, 51+ Employees: North Wind Solutions. The Business on a Roll awards recognize regional chamber members that achieved significant success over the previous year. Criteria includes revenue, sales, employee growth award and community involvement. Most Valuable Covid-19 Response Award: Benton-Franklin Health District. The award celebrates an organization that stood out during the Covid-19 pandemic. • Three local Tri City-area Banner Bank employees have been selected to receive Banner’s Best award, which represents the highest level of recognition within the company. The following employees received the award for surpassing their individual professional goals last year, as well as providing exceptional customer

service to the bank’s clients and their fellow colleagues: Ruben Garcia, mortgage loan officer; Shaun Gordon, senior vice president, senior commercial relationship manager; and Winifer Schimp, mortgage disclosure specialist. • Tracy Gowan, a registered nurse, has been recognized as the Lourdes Health’s 2022 Mercy Award winner. The award recognizes Tracy Gowan one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. Lourdes noted that Gowan is a genuine, compassionate individual with a big heart and a gentle soul. He inspires others by his positive attitude and the love he has for his job and patients. He often works late, covers others’ shifts as needed, demonstrates professionalism, respect and compassion to all individuals. He is also committed to serving the people and organizations of his community. He has served as a volunteer at Kennewick Nazarene Church for many years. The award is an annual recognition program established in 2002 to honor the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, LifePoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a LifePoint employee can receive. Gowan will be considered for LifePoint’s companywide Mercy Award in August. • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Melanie Johnston has been named one of the Top Women in Communications, crisis navigator category, by Ragan Communications. Throughout the turmoil and uncertainty related to Covid-19, Johnston, a senior communications professional served as voice of PNNL’s Covid response team. Ragan is a global leader in delivering communications news, training, and intelligence for over 50 years. Its annual awards celebrate communications professionals who are making an impact in their daily jobs and career, advancing their profession and positively affecting their organization. • The Association of Washington Cities (AWC) recently announced that the city of Pasco was awarded a Municipal Excellence Award. Pasco is one of five cities honored for putting creative ideas to use for its community. Chosen from 22 applications, Pasco was honored for increasing housing access and opportunities. This project is the city’s effort to address the growing housing crisis by using a variety of local, regional, and state resources and guidance to identify practical housing policy solutions. This year’s award marks the third for the city in four years, including the Pasco police and fire departments’ “Hotspotters” program in 2019 and the city’s effort to recognize historic African American properties and history in east Pasco in 2020.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

NETWORKING uAWARDS & HONORS • The United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties recognized Bechtel National Inc., Amentum and Bechtel Principal Vice President Rick Holmes for their commitment and positive impact on the Tri-Cities community during its Breakfast of Champions event on May 26. Rick Holmes was named Volunteer of the Year for 2021. This award recognizes the “dedication and engagement of an individual for extraordinary support” of United Way’s mission. Holmes was the board chair during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-21. He serves as past board chair in 2022. Holmes received the honor for making a difference in the community and providing mentorship and strategic advice during the pandemic. Holmes is general manager of the Waste Treatment Completion Co., a limited liability company owned by Bechtel and Amentum performing work at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford site. Bechtel National Inc. received the 2021 Live United Award for its outstanding leadership through a high level of employee participation in special events, employee campaign, corporate gift or sponsorship and volunteer engagement. Amentum received the 2021 Corporate Leadership Award for its “extraordinary focus on community service and corporate social responsibility.” The team has a high level of involvement by employees in the annual United Way campaign at the Hanford vit plant. • Michelle Clary, founder/CEO with Piton Wealth of the Thrivent Advisor

Network in Kennewick, has received the 2021 Voice in Philanthropy Award from Thrivent Charitable Impact & Investing in Minneapolis. Michelle Clary She is one of 89 financial advisors nationwide to be recognized. Clary is being honored for her exemplary service in helping clients put their values and charitable goals into action. Selection for the award is based on total outright and deferred charitable gifts made by Clary’s clients through Thrivent Charitable in 2021. Additionally, she is a member of Thrivent Charitable’s VIP-Hall of Honor, which is awarded when their clients’ cumulative charitable gifts to Thrivent Charitable exceed $5 million. Her lifetime designated gifts now total nearly $28 million. All these gifts will benefit a variety of local, national and global charities according to her clients’ wishes. • The Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club recently presented the John Goldsberry Award in honor of longtime Rotarian, community benefactor and Tri-Citian of the Year, John Goldsberry. The award recognizes outstanding members of the Kennewick and Pasco police departments. It is not an officer of the year award. Recipients are honored for a body of work demonstrating commitment to the highest standards of modern policing and to the Rotary ideas of “service above self.” Police chiefs for each jurisdiction approve the nomination. Sgt. Travis Park of the Pasco Field

Operations Division received the award representing the Pasco Police Department. On several occasions Park used his personal funds to assist Sgt. Travis Park needy community members. He always looks for solutions to help, according to Rotary. Detective Elizabeth (Liz) Grant represents the Kennewick Police Department this year. She sets aside her investigations when appropriate to help fellow officers. Grant’s empathy when interviewing victims is role model for all. She treats everyone with respect regardless of the situation.

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Service above self is her daily standard, according to Rotary. Each recipient receives a plaque and $500. Additionally, each recipient directs Detective Elizabeth $500 toward the (Liz) Grant charity of choice. A permanent plaque carrying the names of annual recipients is displayed at each police headquarters. Joe Lusignan, retired Benton County Sheriff Deputy and Pasco-Kennewick Rotary president elect, presented the awards.  To submit a promotion, new hire, award or donation, go to: tcjournal.biz/ customer-service/submit-news.

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A special thank you to all the teams that participated, the donors of the great raffle prizes, the volunteers who worked the event and the staff at Canyon Lakes Golf Course!

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Water system supplier bets big on Tri-City growth

Page B3

Urban renewal trend is coming to old Grigg’s building

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June 2022 Volume 21 | Issue 6 | B1

New data offers homebuyers details about wildfire risk By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

Most homes listed for sale in Benton County are at “major risk” for wildfires. That’s according to a new metric on Realtor.com that allows homebuyers to assess a home’s wildfire risk, along with nearby home values, noise levels from traffic or airports, and the usual amenities like whether the property has a pool, or enough bedrooms for the kids and an office. The New York-based First Street Foundation’s wildfire model provides the analysis of the risk individual properties face from damaging wildfires today, and up to 30 years in the future – the life of a typical home mortgage. In Benton County, 95% of all homes (56,698 out of 59,468 homes) are at major risk of being impacted by wildfire over the next 30 years, according to the foundation’s data. About 89% of Franklin County homes (20,465 out of 23,098 homes) are at moderate risk. Matthew Eby, founder and executive director of the nonprofit foundation, said the risk information “will prove critical in ensuring everyone has the insights they need to understand their personal risk to avoid

Courtesy Realtor.com A map on Realtor.com shows the wildfire risk for homes listed for sale on June 9.

and protect against the devastating impact of a wildfire.” According to a recent Realtor.com survey, seven out of 10 recent homebuyers considered the risk of natural disasters

when deciding where to live, according to Sara Brinton, lead product manager at Realtor.com. “Wildfire risk information empowers consumers to protect their homes against

the increasing threat of wildfire damage,” she said in a news release. Vicki Monteagudo, designated broker with Century 21 Tri-Cities in Richland, said she’s a proponent for putting all the cards on the table when it comes to buying homes. She said potential homebuyers aren’t asking about wildfire risk when looking at Tri-City properties. “We hear it more in Kittitas County. I think most people associate wildfires with large trees,” she said. She also said to put the risk data into perspective. “What we’re looking at in the Tri-Cities lights up for just a 1% risk,” she said. Lonnie Click, fire chief with Benton Fire District 1, wasn’t convinced the data was completely accurate. As he clicked through the maps and property listings on Realtor. com, he questioned why some places in his fire district were listed at a higher risk than their neighbors. “That doesn’t make any sense. Do they have a pool or what?” he said. “It’s very broad computer modeling, which is not real life.” uWILDFIRE RISK, Page B6

Brokers push innovative new school over the finish line By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A school catering to children with social and emotional issues will open in Pasco this summer thanks in part to the efforts of its real estate brokers. Candy Mountain Academy, which will serve children who can’t be treated in their home school district, is set to open Aug. 15 with 12 students at 120 S. Fifth Ave. in Pasco. Brokers Todd Sternfeld and Kenny Teasdale of NAI Tri-Cities arranged the $642,000 property sale.

Charles “Chuck” Fleming, director of Candy Mountain Academy, said the brokers are playing a far larger role. They formed a company, bought the property and are investing in a major makeover of the two buildings, which collectively offer 8,100 square feet. One will contain offices and the other eight classrooms. The modest building just west of the Pasco Farmers Market will get a total makeover and a Californiastyle layout with a gated courtyard. Candy Mountain Academy is an initiative of Educational Service District 123, the Pasco-based administrative support

organization that serves 23 public school districts in the Mid-Columbia which collectively enroll about 70,000 students. The academy will serve district-referred students who need additional support before they return to their regular classrooms. It will only serve students referred by their districts. Fleming advised parents who are interested to contact their districts about local services and referrals. Services vary by school district and there may be some that parents haven’t used yet. The goal is always to serve children in

the least-restrictive environment, which is usually their home school. But for those who need extra social and emotional support, Candy Mountain Academy will be an added option. Teasdale said he and his partner, Sternfeld, were moved to act when they couldn’t find a commercial space that fit its needs. It had a tentative deal to use another location that would have worked but not as well. “Where they were going would have been a short-term fix,” he said. The NAI Tri-Cities brokers offered to uCANDY MTN. ACADEMY, Page B2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Candy Mountain Academy, a new initiative serving school children with severe behavioral and emotional issues, will open Aug. 15 at 120 S. Fifth Ave. in Pasco. Brokers Todd Sternfeld and Kenny Teasdale of NAI Tri-Cities bought the building and are renovating it for their client, which is part of Educational District 123, based in Pasco.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick public market opens at old juice plant

Columbia River Warehouse Public Market in the heart of downtown Kennewick has opened. The public market held its grand opening June 9-11 at the former Lieb Foods, aka Welch’s, juice plant, at 10 E.

Bruneau Ave. The market also will be the future home for Ice Harbor Brewery, which is relocating from its North Benton Street quarters, and will offer event space. The market stalls have been leased to 80 vendors offering a wide range of goods, services, food and other products. Follow its progress on Facebook @ Publicmarketcrw.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION CANDY MTN. ACADEMY, From page B1 Education as a lab school to train special education teachers. create a custom-built school and lease it Fleming was part of the team that to ESD 123, which they noted has offices brought the model to Olympic Academy in Pasco and good credit. in Chehalis for ESD 113. While it is or“We locked arms and are moving forganized under the ESD program, it is a ward on it,” he said. unique offering, following the belief that Fleming was awed that his agents “just like reading and math skills, social/ would create the right building for Candy emotional skills can be taught.” Mountain Academy. Fleming expects to open with three “Our real estate agents are amazing,” teachers and a dozen paraprofessionhe said. als serving students in the first through Candy Mountain Academy will be eighth grades. It will expand into high an academics-driven program focused school grades as its students mature. on helping children and returning them The program is funded by fees paid by to their home districts. Ideally, its stu- ESD’s member school districts. The acaddents will graduate from their home high emy is not a residential program and disschools with their peers, said Fleming. tricts are responsible for transporting stu“We just want to provide early inter- dents to central Pasco. In a nod to smaller vention so they can go to high school,” districts that are too remote, the school he said. has a regional coordinator to help districts The model is based on Centennial serve children at home when possible. School in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. Teasdale, the real estate agent, said the Its founders, Nancy and Michael project has been through the city’s speGeorge, created the program and train cial-use permit process and the owners staff to address issues related to emotional are negotiating with a contractor. disturbances and autism. Centennial is af“It is a feel-good project. It’s as good filiated with Lehigh University College of as it gets,” he said.

Banlin to build new Kennewick fire station, HQ

Banlin Construction will build Kennewick’s new fire station and headquarters. The city awarded an $11 million contract to build Fire Station 1, which will have 23,183 square feet of fire station space as well as space for administration. Banlin submitted the lowest of four bids.

The city is funding the project with proceeds from a general obligation bond, approved by the council in 2019 to pay for the new Fire Station 3 near Vista Field. The city moved ahead with plans to replace its aging Station 1/administration building near city hall when $2 million in unspent bond funds were left over.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Realtors association announces awards after pandemic hiatus Dietrich Road

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

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Water system supplier bets big on Tri-City growth By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

HD Fowler Co. is betting on Tri-City growth. The Bellevue-based company is expanding its Pasco location with a 17,000-squarefoot office and shop to serve its growing business. HD Fowler provides pipes and other water system parts to area contractors and builders and has seen business soar since it first opened here in 2001. Jed Fowler, president, said the Pasco branch opened with just three people, but growth and development soon followed. Today, it has more than 30 in Pasco, one of 23 locations. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided it needed more room. It bought a 7.27-acre with a “small building” at 1336 Dietrich Road in 2017 and made plans. “We needed a big building,” he said. The $1.7 million building will have a two-story, 7,000-square-foot office with about 9,000 square feet of shop and warehouse space in the back. The old building will be retained for storage.

Cole Architects is the designer. Baker Construction of Spokane is the contractor. The city of Pasco issued permits in March. It broke ground in April. The president said it should be complete by Dec. 5, and furnished after that. Footings were installed by mid-May. It will serve as a distribution center for the various water-related products it sells. HD Fowler also provides value-added services by customizing pipes and pumps for its customers. The added space will let it expand to add products such as hardscape materials for landscapers, upgraded pumps for septic systems and pipe that is fused rather than welded. “It’s a good spread,” he said. HD Fowler provides water system gear to residential and commercial builders but does not serve agriculture. “We sell the products that move clean water in one direction and what we euphemistically call ‘gray water’ in the other,” he said, referring to sewage. HD Fowler employs about 590 people across the company.

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After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Tri-City Association of Realtors has announced its annual industry award winners for 2019-21. The awards are based on criteria set by the National Association of Realtors and include business accomplishments, community service, activity in the local, state and national realtor organizations and adherence to the golden rule in all life situations.

2021 Karina Sawyer Rookie of the Year Award Kathy Powell Citizen of the Year Award

Kris & Dan Houston Larry E. Miller Excellence Award Pat Doherty Affiliate of the Year Award

Barb Keltch Community Service Award

Chris Whalen Realtor Achievement Award Gayle Stack Realtor of the Year Award

2020 Kristine Connelly Rookie of the Year Award

Joel Watson Citizen of the Year Award

Randy Blumer Larry E. Miller Excellence Award Dylan Strait Affiliate of the Year Award

George Dockstader Community Service Award

Kay Lehmann Realtor Achievement Award Dave Shinabarger Realtor of the Year Award Cliff Martin Realtor Everyone Wants to Work with Award

2019 Joshua Shinabarger Rookie of the Year Award Scott Smith Citizen of the Year Award

Flo Sayre Larry E. Miller Excellence Award Elizabeth Rodriguez Affiliate of the Year Award

Leticia Torres Community Service Award

Ron Almberg Realtor Achievement Award Jeff Smart Realtor of the Year Award

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Urban renewal trend is coming to old Grigg’s building By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A makeover is coming for an aging building that once served as offices for Grigg’s Department Store in downtown Pasco. The brick building at 824 W. Lewis St. is currently known chiefly as an outlet for Cricket Wireless. Building owners Brad Page and Charles Sumner announced plans in June for a mixed-use makeover that will install live/work offices, studio apartments, commercial space, a restaurant and even a rooftop deck. Both touted the renovation on social media, as did their designer, Harvey Prickett, president of Wave Design Group. Prickett said he’s eager to test the local appetite for urban renewal – turning old buildings into hip places to live and work with high-tech features and electronic key fobs. “I have been told by more than a few cynics that this will never work in downtown Pasco,” he said. While the project is in its infancy, the team sees it as a bellwether for additional conversions in downtown Pasco, which is rich with aging and underused buildings, Prickett said. “We are trying to establish a footprint in downtown Pasco that will hopefully reverberate through that area – affordable urban renewal. We want to bright-

Courtesy Wave Design Group The original Grigg’s office building, 824 W. Lewis St., is getting a fashionable makeover with office suites, studio apartments, retail and restaurant space and a rooftop deck.

en up that area,” he said. He cited urban renewal success in Seattle, Denver and other cities as an inspiration. No budget has been developed and the backers have not yet met with city officials for a preapplication conference, which is a standard step before builders apply for permits. Prickett said the proposed mixed use is compatible with the current zoning since it retains space for commercial uses. Otherwise, the building will get a significant facelift, with new structural supports, sprinklers, power and water systems and more. “There’s a substantial amount of work that is going to have to occur,” he said.

As a designer, Prickett said he was drawn to the brawny 1953-built building and the chance to create a building that beckons passersby with windows, a restaurant and a sense of place. “It has good bones,” he said. He said the existing windows are well placed to suit the studio apartment plan and ceiling heights are acceptable – not always the case with older buildings, he said. Designers can work around the free span floor joists and trusses. Structural upgrades will be extensive, but not unmanageable. The team hopes to begin construction by spring 2023. It envisions catering to studio tenants seeking moderately

priced places to live in an area that is experiencing rapid job growth. Downtown Pasco is bordered by single-family home neighborhoods, but there are not many studio-oriented buildings. It is meant to provide affordable rentals, not address homelessness. The two-story building has 11,790 square feet. In addition to the Cricket Wireless store, space is leased to commercial tenants, including office users on the upper floor. The first floor will be remade with 550-square-foot studio units, all compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, two flexible office suites, two bathrooms and two commercial retail spaces and room for a restaurant. The second floor will gain 10,550-square-foot studio apartments. A rooftop patio will serve restaurant guests and restaurant tenants. The basement will be available to tenants for temperature-controlled storage. No tenants have been signed, though Prickett said brokers began feeling it out once the development team began talking about it on Facebook and other social media channels. Page and Sumner bought the building in 2019 for $200,000 under the name 824 W. Lewis St. LLC, according to Franklin County property records.

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WILDFIRE RISK, From page B1 His fire district covers 320 square miles of southeast Benton County, including the communities of Finley, south Kennewick, El Rancho Reata and Badger Canyon. “In the Tri-Cities, I don’t how beneficial it is. They need to look at the property they’re buying, what the adjacent property looks like, what kind of fuels there are – has it been taken care of, is there a defensible space, a green belt, around the residence? Is there shrubbery around the house and near the soffit and eaves? That’s what they need to look at,” Click said. He agreed there are “hot areas in the TriCities,” but recommended checking with local fire officials instead of relying on the risk map since they know the area and terrain better. The First Street Foundation’s fire model used information about fuels, weather, historical wildfires and other measures to estimate properties’ risks. Packaged for the average consumer, the new risk projections come as fire season begins to ramp up. Most wildland fires in the Tri-City area are fueled by grass. “In an event that there’s ignition, then based on fire weather for that given day or period, that will determine what the risk is,” Click said. The fire chief is already concerned about July and August fires because of this year’s cool, wet spring. “Every time it rains, we get another dose of Mother Nature’s irrigation, allowing everything to grow,” he said. This means when the hot weather marches in this sum-

mer, everything dries out, creating lots of fuel for fire. Roadside starts — a mechanical failure, tire blowouts, metal hitting the ground — cause sparks and are a significant cause for wildland fires. “We don’t even need lightning,” he said. Human causes closer to home also can trigger a blaze. Embers from backyard fire pits can float onto pine needles, arborvitae or grass clippings. “Then we’re off to the races,” Click said. Steve Lambert, designated broker/owner of Tri-Cities Life Real Estate in Kennewick, said Realtor.com’s new metrics were fascinating to look at but he wasn’t sure potential home sales would be affected by properties labeled at a higher risk. If anything, the additional information might give potential buyers a heads up about higher insurance premiums, he said. The information, like flood risk data, also may prompt buyers to ask more questions and guide a potential offer, Lambert said. He also noted that taking a holistic approach to buying or selling your home is a good idea. “Even if you’re not looking to sell your house, it’s good to know what your house is worth,” Lambert said. He said this can help guide conversations about home insurance coverage and recommends reevaluating your home once a year. The new wildfire data shows Washington has $134.9 billion in single-family home values at risk, ranking 10th in the nation. Statewide, 480,800 properties have at least 0.03% likelihood of being in a wild-

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To learn about your property’s wildfire risk, go to: riskfactor.com. For tips on how to safeguard your property, go to: bces.wa.gov/resources/ fire-safety-information. fire this year (1% over 30 years). This represents about 16% of all properties. Of those, 110,100 properties have at least 0.2% risk (6% over 30 years), or 3.6% of all properties, according to the data. The state of Washington has had 517 recorded historic wildfires larger than 1,000 acres between 1984 and 2020, which has resulted in more than 6.4 million cumulative acres burned across the state over this time period, according to the foundation’s fire modeling. Some 32,700 properties in the state were identified as being within the boundaries of these wildfires, with another 1 million properties within 20 miles. Since 1984, the foundation’s report listed 36 wildfires recorded near Benton County and 15 near Franklin County. To learn about your property’s wildfire risk, go to: riskfactor.com. For tips on how to safeguard your property, go to: bces.wa.gov/resources/firesafety-information.

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uBUSINESS BRIEF Pasco annexing development land at Road 68

Newly annexed land at West Court Street and Road 68 in Pasco will bring much-needed development property to the city after the owners secured approval for a rezone and to annex it into the city. Lamb 5 LLC, which owns two parcels, notified the city of their intent to commence annexation into the city in 2021. Adjoining parcels were added later. In May, the city hearing examiner recommended the city approve rezoning land in the annexation area to allow development of retail business, suburban and low and medium density development. “The annexation will result in much needed commercial and residential development opportunities for the citizens of Pasco,” the city said. The property is being added to the city’s voting district No. 5 and will add nearly $30 million in assessed value to the city’s property tax base. The city is preparing to update the intersection at West Court and Road 68, which has a “significant number of traffic accidents.” The city secured grants for the project and expects to solicit bids this summer, with construction starting in 2023.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 pre-construction loans. This is the second loan application cycle of the 2021-23 state budget. Funds are awarded to projects that pass through the rating threshold based on a competitive ranking process. The process for rating and ranking begins Sept. 12, and awards are expected to be announced Oct. 7. A virtual application workshop for PWB construction and pre-construction loans is from 10 to 11 a.m. June 14. In previous cycles, demand for dollars outpaced available funding. The board expects this cycle to be similarly competitive. Potential applicants are encouraged to attend the workshop. For more information, to complete the online application and to register for the Zoom workshop go to: commerce.wa.gov/ building-infrastructure/pwb-financing.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Public Works Board accepting loan applications The Washington State Public Works Board (PWB) is accepting applications for infrastructure construction and pre-construction loans through midnight Sept. 9. Cities, counties, special purpose districts and quasi-municipal organizations may apply. Infrastructure systems eligible for these very low-interest state loans – between 0.47% and 1.39% for a 20-year construction loan – include streets and roads, bridges, domestic water, stormwater, sanitary sewer, and solid waste and recycling. About $115 million is available for construction loans, and $2.9 million for Paid Advertising

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Teen builds playground for Eagle Scout project

A Richland Scout earned the organization’s highest honor by building a playground at the Hindu Temple of Eastern Washington in West Richland. To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, Advaitha Motkuri had to earn 21 merit badges and show leadership by planning, developing and completing a community service project. Motkuri’s project involved securing donations and help from her community, Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop, family and friends. Her project took 181 hours to complete and provides a safe place for families with small children to play during various events held at the temple on Bombing Range Road.

Motkuri is the daughter of Radha Motkuri of Richland. She is one of the founding members of BSA Girls Troop #0219, chartered by Hill Spring Church and one of a handful of girls to achieve the rank of Eagle in the Blue Mountain Council. Her Scoutmaster is Wendy Cicotte. Motkuri attends Richland High School where she is active in Key Club, DECA, Robotics Club and the string orchestra. She also was one of the finalists in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad and placed in the regional and state science and engineering fair. The rank of Eagle is earned by less than 4% of all youth who join Scouts BSA. In 2021, 49 girls and boys in the Blue Mountain Council earned the Eagle Scout Award, providing over 7,300 service hours in the community.

Wave Design Group 9425 Sandifur Parkway, Pasco

Wave Design Group has moved into newly built offices in west Pasco. The design firm, led by Harvey Prickett, is leasing space in a building it designed for a customer, TriCities Insurance Professionals. The design firm leased 6,335-square-foot on the second floor of the 12,874-square-foot

structure, above the insurance office. The building boasts a modern vibe, glass-walled elevator, warm wood accents, an atrium and firstfloor coffee shop, Rāǎn Coffee. Wave and its subsidiary, Wave Quantum, outgrew their old quarters in Kennewick. JA Torres Construction & Development of Pasco was the contractor.

Thank you for choosing Inline Computer & Communications.

WIRING DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

Electrical Contractor License BRASHEI110BA

Commercial • Industrial • Residential

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Superior Glass!

(509) 586-6000

www.superior-glass.com office@superior-glass.com

#SUPERGL876N7

1900 Fowler St., Suite G • Richland 509-581-5450 • inlinecomputer.com Network Management • Technology Consulting Telecommunications • Data Backup & Recovery

Congratulations Harv on your new office space “Wave Design Group” ~Greg

783-1001 Tri-Cities, WA

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Paid Advertising

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Vista Field

Port of Kennewick | 6600 W. Deschutes Ave. The Port of Kennewick has completed site work for its Vista Field redevelopment and is preparing to begin marketing properties in the mixed-use urban village to developers. The port holds a grand opening at 2:30 p.m. June 16. The former municipal airfield closed at the end of 2013. In 2019, it hired Total Site Services LLC for a $4.9 million project to replace aging runways with infrastructure and roads to support the 103-acre development’s first phase. There will be eight phases in all. The project included an 850-foot linear water feature with fountains, as well as landscaping, streetlights and a set of new names for streets, including Crosswind Boulevard, a new route between West Grandridge Boulevard and West Deschutes Avenue. In the first phase, the port will offer 21 parcels on 20 acres at the heart of the site, which is east of the Columbia Center retail corridor. The parcels are earmarked for

single-family homes, live-work homes and mixed-use buildings. At full buildout, Vista Field is expected to add 750,000 square feet of retail, office, service and entertainment space and 1,000 residential units. The port will pay a 4% sales commission to brokers who bring winning buyers to the project. Amber Hanchette, the port’s real estate director, serves as the sales contact. Go to vistafield.com.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Constructing Your Vision From the Ground Up

Congratulations to the Port of Kennewick. TSS has enjoyed being part of the team bringing your vision of Vista Field to life.

(509) 371-1000 • www.tss8a.com 2780 Salk Ave., Richland Contractor License # TOTALSS923D6

Honored to be a part of the Port of Kennewick Team.

strategic-cm.com

Supporting Construction for 30 years We are proud to provide the civil site engineering for this great project. (509) 582-2200 10 S. Auburn St. • Kennewick

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Paid Advertising

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care 3315 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care has completed a 20,000-square-foot project at 3315 W. Clearwater Ave., near Highway 395. Horse Heaven Hills, owned by Sheila Erickson, occupies 10,000 square feet and Lynx Healthcare leases approximately 6,500 square feet. Construction wrapped up at the end of May. Erickson designed the building under the guidance of architect Bruce Baker. Hummel Construction and Development was the general contractor. The veterinary clinic opened in 2018 and constructed the new building to accommodate growth. Hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. The phone number is 509-581-0647.

Lic#RIGGLPI795MK

Thank you Hummel Construction for the opportunity to be a part of your team.

509-735-3916

6508 W. Deschutes Ave. • Kennewick

WIRING DESIGNED WITH YOU IN MIND

Electrical Contractor License BRASHEI110BA

Commercial • Industrial • Residential

Congratulations Horse Heaven Hill Pet Urgent Care! “We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with you on this project.” Commercial | Industrial | Residential

“Congratulations on your new building Horse Heaven Hill Pet Urgent Care.” ~Greg

783-1001 Tri-Cities, WA

BUILDING OR REMODELING?

Your building could be featured in an upcoming issue.

CALL CHAD UTECHT 509.737.8778, ext. 1

(509) 713-1440 • hummelconstructionllc.com

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

Congratulations and thank you for choosing Superior Glass!

(509) 586-6000

www.superior-glass.com office@superior-glass.com

#SUPERGL876N7

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

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PUBLIC RECORD

uBANKRUPTCIES Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up nonexempt property and debt is discharged. 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 Harley W. Black, 51 N. Edison, #G-104, Kennewick. Veronica Bell, 1531 N. 18th Drive, Pasco. Roberto Delamora Jr. & Laura Soto, 5501 W. Hilldebrand Blvd., #D330, Kennewick. David Roy Weber & Brenda Sue Weber, 2298 Veneto St., Richland. Steven Roll & Breanna Roll, 5302 Hayes Lane, Pasco. Emily Anne Goodwater, 425 N. Columbia Center Blvd., #E-203, Kennewick. Elnora L. Rodriguez, 619 S Washington St., Kennewick. Juan D. Tijerina & Aracely Tijerina, 4007 Vermilion Lane, Pasco. Laura Leticia Valero, 319 Greentree Court, #2, Richland. Terry Lee Brown Jr. & Meira Mattea

Brown, 168602 W. 215 PR SW, Prosser. Tyler Ray Morris, 7810 Quadra Drive, Pasco. Latroy Mangum, 2805 W. Grand Ronde Ave., Kennewick. Erika K. Gowen, 406 W. 37th Ave., Kennewick. Jamarr T. Beecham, 10305 Chapel Hill Blvd., #C3015, Pasco. Rosa Maria Badillo, 2108 E. Adelia St., Pasco. Jose Plascencia Huereca & Maria C. Alvarado, 1081 Suquamish St., Richland. Nieves Jose Deluna, 3101 W. John Day Ave., #C-102, Kennewick. Oliver Magana, 801 N. Tweed, #A108, Kennewick. Marisela Tabullo, 2714 W. Margaret, Pasco. Daniel Chairez, 2618 Spruce St., Pasco. Carlos Y. Toscano Cruz, 8611 Olive Drive, Pasco. Moises Salgado Arroyo, 23202 N. Rattery Road, Prosser. Isaiah Jesse Najera, 2011 Tinkle St., Richland.

CHAPTER 13 John Walter Flatau, 3990 N. Bellevue Road, Eltopia. Romelia Sifuentez, 3425 E. A St., #D104, Pasco.

There’s no better day to give flowers to someone than today! Same-day flower delivery. 509.582.5123 604 W. Kennewick Ave.

Ricky Lee Borts Jr. & Diane Christensen Halo, 4612 Saint Paul Court, Pasco. Brian Russell Helland, PO Box 4075, Benton City.

uTOP PROPERTIES BENTON COUNTY 2014 S. 38th Ave, Richland, 3,105-square-foot home on 2.5 acres. Price: $980,000. Buyer: Paige Goulet & Matthew Jordan. Seller: Steve & Margaret Sanders. 3200 W. 42nd Place, Kennewick, 2,319-square-foot home. Price: $1.3 million. Buyer: George & Kellie Anderson. Seller: Oran D. & Robin D. Denton. 208 Kranichwood Court, Richland, 3,731-square-foot home. Price: $820,000. Buyer: Jae Won Lee. Seller: Jami G. Prigge. 3809 & 3801 Plaza Way, Kennewick, 3.76 acres of commercial land. Price: $1.5 million. Buyer: Alvarez Holdings LLC. Seller: Erwin L & I LLC. 4175 Queen St., West Richland, 3,220-square-foot home. Price: $705,000. Buyer: George & Rebekah Muller. Seller: Matthew J. Bailey & Michele L. Bruce. 7387 W. 22nd Ave., Kennewick, 0.54acre home site. Price: $794,000. Buyer: Todd M. & Denise K. Kinsfather. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 20218 S. Haney Road, Kennewick, 1,915-square-foot home on 2 acres. Price: $720,000. Buyer: Alberto Rangel Reyes & Nunila Munguia. Seller: Robert Shilling. 5602 Kenra Loop, West Richland, 1,927-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: John M. & Jessica Snider. Seller: David R. & Jill D. Williamson. 3904 King Drive, West Richland, 0.41-acre home site, Price: $790,000. Buyer: Matthew James Bailey & Michele Bruce. Seller: Landmark Homes of Washington Inc. 680 Nuvola Vista Court, Richland, 2,637-square-foot home. Price: $800,000. Buyer: Jason R. & Chelsea L. McKinly. Seller: Dale Cap & Danette Ramirez Cap.

1455 S. 54th Ave., West Richland, 2,952-square-foot home on 1.38 acres. Price: $840,000. Buyer: Michael J. & Cynthia A. Kohlman. Seller: William R. Dixon. 325 Rockwood Drive, Richland, 0.32acre home site. Price: $845,000. Buyer: Kelly & Erik Hansen. Seller: GIS Construction LLC. 6123 Ironton Drive, West Richland, 3,000-square-foot home on 1.5 acres. Price: $900,000. Buyer: John William Nissen Jr. & Melissa Nissen. Seller: Ryan & Rhonda Pratt. Property off Bermuda PR NE, Richland, 28.57 acres. Price: $753,000. Seller: Siena Hills Development LLC. Buyer: Riverwood Homes Washington LLC. 7365 W. 22nd Ave., Kennewick, 0.61acre home site. Price: $812,000. Buyer: Stephen R. & Cynthia S. Nelson. Seller: P & R Construction LLC. 3811 Plaza Way, Kennewick, 11.77 acres of commercial land. Price: $3.7 million. Buyer: Kevin & Torena O’Rorke, et. al. Seller: Tri-City Partners LLC. 5627 W. Sixth Ave., Kennewick, 2,472-square-foot home on 2 acres. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Luis Gustavo Becerra & Laura Esther Reyes Arana. Seller: Christopher F. Feather. 140 Meadow Hills Drive, Richland, 2,240-square-foot home. Price: $835,000. Buyer: Salley Florence McCallum. Seller: Dennis Kubie & Donnice Gay Scrimsher-Kubie. 4207 Potlatch St., Richland, 0.28-acre home site. Price: $712,000. Buyer: Kurtis Lee & Amy Reser. Seller: Tanninen Custom Homes Inc. 1852 Somers Lane, Richland, 0.28acre home site. Price: $795,000. Buyer: Vincent & Caira Danna. Seller: MWHoldings LLC. 5900 Lanay St., West Richland, 2,691-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Gary & Lynn Wargo. Seller: Jere E. & Mary E. Coon. 3939 Corvina St., Richland, 0.22-acre home site. Price: $760,000. Buyer: Nagarjuna Reddy Gujjula & Haritareddy Gujjula. Seller: Riverwood Homes Washington LLC. 3999 Corvina St., Richland, 0.28-acre

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B13

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 home site. Price: $719,000. Buyer: Sean & Kylee Clausen. Seller: Juanita Cottages LLC. 3925 Barbera St., Richland, 2,463-square-foot home. Price: $755,000. Buyer: Steve James & Wende Christine Fisk. Seller: Riverwood Homes Washington LLC. 10333 W. 18th Place, Kennewick, 2,110-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Brent & Mikaela Wyatt. Seller: Rochelle Linn & Taylor James Vorheis. 42212 E. Ridge Crest Loop, Benton City, 2,528-square-foot home on 2.66 acres. Price: $759,000. Buyer: Nathan Wright & Gabriela Cruz. Seller: TRC Global Mobility Inc. 5262 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick, 2,227-square-foot home. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Victor Krumm. Seller: Alexander & Galena Krumm Trustees. 1712 W. 51st Ave., Kennewick, 2,026-square-foot home. Price: $866,000. Buyer: David D. & Talena R. Dixon. Seller: Craig & Amy Jenne. 34816 S. Hawks Tree PR SE, Kennewick, 3,190-square-foot home and pole building on 5 acres. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Elizabeth A. Schultz. Seller: Michael E. La Beaf. 205 W. Old Inland Empire Highway, Prosser, 1,852-square-foot home on 19 acres. Price: $1.7 million. Buyer: Green Plan Construction LLC. Seller: Terry P. Christensen. 7905 S. 674 PR SE, Benton City, 2,585-square-foot home on 5 acres. Price: $834,000. Buyer: Matthew R. & Melissa K. Turner. Seller: Muzzy Construction LLC. 2452 Falconcrest Loop, Richland, 0.7-acre home site. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Tao Liu & Yuxia Wu. Seller: Bauder Homes LLC. 7220 W. 22nd Place, Kennewick, 0.54-acre home site. Price: $856,000. Buyer: Brent Fraser. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 225804 E. Donelson Road, Kennewick, 2,204-square-foot home. Price: $875,000. Buyer: Joyce Golob. Seller: Gweneth L. Russcher. 603 Big Sky Drive, Richland, 3,232-square-foot home. Price: $1 million. Buyer: Blake Daniel & Cara Lynn Bush. Seller: Aaron & Monica Dewitt. 1146 Country Ridge Drive, Richland, 3,851-square-foot home. Price: $1.1 million. Buyer: Swarnjit Kaur & Gurjeet Singh Sandhu. Seller: Paul & Michelle Inserra. 6401 S. Coulee Vista Drive, Kennewick, 2,704-square-foot home. Price: $825,000. Buyer: Cortes Yovani Sanchez. Seller: Jim & Denise Sweeden. 6721 W. Kennewick Ave., Apt. 9, Kennewick, 9,500-square-foot apartment building. Price: $1.4 million. Buyer: 6721 W. Kennewick Ave. LLC. Seller: Brandon L. & Tara K. Truhler. 4156 Queen St., West Richland, 0.45acre home site. Price: $770,000. Buyer: Alfredo Manzo Guillen & Marie E. Quintero Hill. Seller: Richard & Dama Poletski. 7020 Ithaca St., West Richland, 0.27acre home site. Price: $820,000. Buyer: Andrew Carl Amodeo & Kathryn Moeller. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 3623 W. 49th Ave., Kennewick, 0.43acre home site. Price: $920,000. Buyer: Cora J. & Tyler R. Whitney. Seller: TMT Homes NW LLC. 8378 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick,

3,968-square-foot tavern. Price: $875,000. Buyer: Simmons 3rd Degree Holding LLC. Seller: John Danny & Shirley D. Gray. 2101 Legacy Lane, Richland, 2,390-square-foot home. Price: $710,000. Buyer: Kourtney & David L. Daughters. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 105336 E. Addison Ave., Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $949,000. Buyer: Benji R. & Samantha A. Tapani. Seller: Gretl J. Crawford Interiors Inc. 87118 E. Calico Road, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $744,000. Buyer: Tyler & Danielle Nipper. Seller: New Tradition Homes Inc. 2642 Quarterhorse Way, Richland, 2,355-square-foot home. Price: $1.1 million. Buyer: Mark A. & Patricia A. Jaeger. Seller: Robert & Linda Burk.

11932 S. Steeplechase Drive, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $890,000. Buyer: Alan Richard & Alexis Andrea Grimm. Seller: Tri-City Remodel LLC. 44208 S. Fremont Road, Kennewick, 3,038-square-foot home on 5 acres. Price: $950,000. Buyer: Martha Keane Stone & Aaron Christensen. Seller: Paul H. Dobrovolsky. 73105 E. Grand Bluff Loop, Kennewick, 3,024-square-foot home. Price: $990,000. Buyer: Paul & Marquel Dodson. Seller: Blake D. & Cara L. Bush. 1882 Somers Lane, Richland, 0.31acre home site. Price: $710,000. Buyer: Timothy P. & Jennifer M. Bishop. Seller: Peake Contractors LLC. 1915 Sheridan Place, Richland, 3,216-square-foot home. Price: $1.1

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million. Buyer: Robert Allan & Sharon R. Harris. Seller: Shannon M. Doyle & Matthew L. Croskrey. 4175 Highview St., Richland, 2,988-square-foot home. Price: $759,000. Buyer: Anthony J. & Jamie L. Spino. Seller: Juanita Cottages LLC. 118 Hillview Drive, Richland, 2,659-square-foot home. Price: $707,000. Buyer: Timothy & Debra Baldwin. Seller: Daniel E. & Dorothy B. Simpson Trustees. 3631 Plaza Way, Kennewick, 2,335-square-foot restaurant. Price: $3.1 million. Buyer: Nextgen Property Investments LLC. Seller: Hogback Southridge LLC. 488 Summerview Lane, Richland, 0.24-acre home site. Price: $842,000.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 Buyer: Stacy Lynn & Mark K. Bratlien. Seller: Tri-City Remodel LLC.

50th

FRANKLIN COUNTY

2022 Congratulations to the 2022 Tri-Citian of the Year

Mark Brault for building community through service Thank you to the sponsors and supporters of this year’s event - Legacy Sponsor -

Stevens Center Management - Platinum Sponsor Retter & Company Sotheby’s International Realty - Diamond Sponsor Cadwell Laboratories - Wine Sponsor Goose Ridge Winery - Ruby Sponsors - Sapphire Sponsors Arts Center Task Force Baker Boyer Bank Bechtel Basin Pacific Insurance & Benefits HAPO Community Credit Union Battelle Three Rivers Barbara & Wayne Johnson Convention Center Kadlec Regional Medical Center - Onyx Sponsors Columbia Center Rotary PS Media, Inc. Columbia Valley Richland Rotary Daybreak Rotary Tri-Cities Industry Kiwanis Community First Bank/HFG Tri-City Regional Chamber Kennewick Kiwanis of Commerce Pasco Kiwanis Tri-Cities Sunrise Rotary Port of Kennewick TRIDEC

Special thanks to our Keynote Speakers Scotty & Tiffany Smiley And thank you to Miss Tri-Cities Clover Island Inn Nöel Anderson Jennographics Miss Tri-Cities Outstanding Teen Jennifer Sorn Kaiya Bates John Keller Photography

Brought to you by

13913 Highway 17, Othello, 155 acres, 1,512-square-foot shop building. Price: $3 million. Buyer: Columbia Organic Fruit LLC. Seller: S&D Orchards LLC. 5420 W. Livingston Road, 2,663-square-foot home and shop buildings. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Derek Emil Misch & Frida Viviana Dongo. Seller: Martie Sue Price (Trustee). Property at Three Rivers Drive and Road 68, 2.1 undeveloped acres. Price: $1.4 million. Buyer: Betty Marie Land LLC. Seller: Hogback Three Rivers North LLC. 170 Alta Lane, 3,666-square-foot home. Price: $1.1 million. Buyer: Si & Leann Stephens. Seller: Ronald & Linda Jean Jackson. 7807 River Blvd., Pasco, 2,758-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Jeffrey & Sharon Bartlett. Seller: Philip M. Karuman (etux). 5810 W. Ruby St., Pasco, 3,191-square-foot home. Price: $742,000. Buyer: Timothy H. Sheridan. Seller: Viking Builders LLC. 12521 Jayleen Way, Pasco, 2,630-square-foot home. Price: $805,000. Buyer: Owen & Rohini Curtis (Trustees). Seller: Michael Okoniewski. 414 W. Columbia St., Pasco, 15,912-square-foot Thunderbird Motel. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: City of Pasco. Seller: Woo’s Corporation. 8711 Whipple Drive, Pasco, 0.67 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $890,000. Buyer: Rosanna Herrera (etux-etal). Seller: Muzzy Construction LLC. 1232 S. 10th Ave., Pasco, 4,576-, 4,632- and 2,292-square-foot motel buildings. Price: $820,000. Buyer: Kings City Investments LLC. Seller: Hanlim Corporation. Property off Krug Road, 806 acres of

irrigated farmland, pasture and recreation/hunt land. Price: $4.5 million. Buyer: Acretrader 198 LLC. Seller: Harbine T. Monroe III (etal). 7201 Richardson Road, Pasco, 2,163-square-foot home. Price: $800,000. Buyer: Christina Faye Brown. Seller: Jason R. & Melinda E. Holloway. 10181 & 10315 Burns Road, Pasco, 12.75 acres. Price: $5 million. Buyer: Pasco-Burns LLC. Seller: Big Sky Developers LLC.

uBUILDING PERMITS BENTON COUNTY Western Rock Products, Locust Grove and Edwards roads, $10,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: owner.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Thomas C. Solbrack, 1609 Road 68, Pasco, $96,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: owner. YVO LLC, 905 Eagle Road, Othello, $95,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: owner. Franklin Co Cemetery District 2, 1221 Cemetery Road, Connell, $50,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: SAC Wireless LLC. Pomona Properties, 7566 Columbia River Road, Pasco, $400,000 for grading. Contractor: Rotschy Inc.

KENNEWICK Adalberto Avelar, 317 N. Louisiana Place, $5,300 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Winterfell Charbonneau, 8264 W. Grandridge Blvd., $247,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Tri-Cities Roofing LLC. Pepper Tree LLC, 507 N. Arthur St., Suite A101, $18,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Perfect Circle Construction.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B15

Home is where you park it. Find your dream RV today!

(509) 545-0101 clickitrvtricities.com

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 Wat Lao Thammayanaram, 3002 W. 27th Ave., $325,000 for new commercial. Contractor: MP Construction Inc. 1derful Food Park, 6494 W. Skagit Ave., $750,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. Chilton Properties LLC, 3305 W. 19th Ave., $13,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign and Fabrication. Kennewick School District, 425 S. Tweedt St., $35,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign and Fabrication. Kennewick School District, 201 S. Dawes St., $40,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign and Fabrication. Sergio J. Alvarez, 1509 W. 14th Ave., $10,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Eagle Roofing & Siding LLC. RSC Union LLC, 1703 S. Union St., $23,200 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. P & L Land Company LLC, 3131 W. Hood Ave., #E204, $6,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. Kennewick School District, 1011 W. 10th Ave., $35,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign and Fabrication. Lithia Real Estate Inc., 7171 W. Canal Drive, $100,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. Jubee Properties LLC, 8305 W. Quinault Ave., #110, $280,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: C L Enterprises-GC Inc. Pepper Tree LLC, 507 N. Arthur St., #B101, $15,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Perfect Circle Construction.

Yakima Federal Savings & Loan, 8909 W. Gage Blvd., $6,000 for sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. Kennewick School District, 1229 W. 22nd Place, $35,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. FC4 LLC, 2909 S. Quillan St., $5,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Kennewick School District, 3520 Southridge Blvd., $35,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. Platinum Automotive Services LLC, 8504 W. Clearwater Ave., $536,000 for new commercial, $1.3 million for plumbing. Contractors: Clearspan Steel LLC, Evergreen Plumbing LLC. Community First Bank, 8131 W. Grandridge Blvd., $12,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: MH Construction Inc. Kennewick Center LLC, 135 Vista Way C, $150,000 for plumbing. Contractor: Riggle Plumbing Inc. Pepper Tree LLC, 507 N. Arthur St., #C101, $15,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Perfect Circle Construction.

PASCO Raon LLC, 6605 Burden Blvd., $36,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: W McKay Construction LLC. Silvestre Hueso, 1506 E. Salt Lake St., $338,500 for new commercial. Contractor: Trinity Homes. Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., $27,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Day Wireless Systems.

Newly remodeled event space for people looking to host meetings and banquets. • The dining room can accommodate 130 people. • The newly remodeled 19th Hole Event Center has 130 person capacity. • Heritage room can host up to 25 guests. • Legends room can accommodate 12 people.

509-783-6131 • zintelcreek.com 314 N. Underwood, Kennewick

Patterson Family 2000 Trust, 5238 Outlet Drive, $9,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Lonepeak Properties, 1624 W. Court St., $19,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Brantingham Enterprises, 1417 E. St. Helens St., $1.1 million for new commercial. Contractor: CRF Metal Works LLC. CJM Investments LLC, 720 W. Lewis St., $9,500 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. Hogback Road 68 Taco LLC, 5326 Road 68, $81,000 for tenant improvement. Contractor: to be determined. Kenyon Zero Storage, 5812 Burlington Loop, $25,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Port of Pasco, 2444 E. Dock St., $40,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: MP Construction Inc. Wilco Farmers, 675 Chapel Hill Blvd., $25,000 for sign. Contractor: A-1 Illuminated Sign Co. Elva Martinez, 1515 N. Fourth Ave., $275,000 for new commercial. Contractor: owner. Broadmoor Commercial Center LLC, 5820 & 5710 Road 92, $2.2 million for new commercial. Contractor: Clearspan Steel LLC. Hogback Road 68 Taco LLC, 5326 Road 68, $70,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: to be determined. Project Pearl Pasco, 1202 S. Road 40 East, $480,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Day Wireless systems. Autozone Parts Inc., 3733 N. Capitol Ave., $162,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Flostor Engineering Inc.

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King City LLC, 5515 Industrial Way, $7,100 for commercial addition. Contractor: Roto-Rooter Service. Lakeview Trailer Court, 1505 S. Road 40 East, $500,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: to be determined. Hogback Road 68 Taco LLC, 5326 Road 68, $10,000 for sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. Road 68 Properties, 4605 Road 68, $50,000 for demolition. Contractor: Midland General Contractors Inc.

RICHLAND 650 GWW LLC, 624 George Washington Way, $250,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Design Concepts Construction. Lamb Weston, 2008, 2010, 2012 Saint St., $180,000 for demolition. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Richland School District, 940 Long Ave., $315,000 for new commercial. Contractor: MH Construction. 650 GWW LLC, 620 George Washington Way, $175,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Design Concepts Construction. First Richland LP, 2725 Queensgate Drive, $147,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Associated Construction. Knights of Columbus, 2500 Chester Road, $77,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Leslie & Campbell Inc. Winco #45, 101 Columbia Point Drive, $25,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: DTL Builders Inc. 650 GWW LLC, 614 George Washington Way, $130,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Design

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022

Concepts Construction Co. Port of Benton, 3251 Port of Benton Blvd., $2 million for new commercial. Contractor: Booth & Sons Construction. Richland Real Estate Investors LLC, 44 Goethals Drive, $18,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: MH Construction Inc.

WEST RICHLAND Lazy River Taphouse, 4033 W. Van Giesen St., $15,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: owner. Kyoo Lee & Hyang Ja Seung, 5730 W. Van Giesen St., $13,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: A+ Roofing. Belmont Meadows LLC, 455 Belmont Blvd., Bldg. C, $7.2 million for multifamily homes. Contractor: Belmont

Meadows LLC. Belmont Meadows LLC, 455 Belmont Blvd., Bldg. D, $2.8 million for multifamily homes. Contractor: Belmont Meadows LLC. Belmont Meadows LLC, 455 Belmont Blvd., Bldg. E, $2 million for multifamily homes. Contractor: Belmont Meadows LLC. Owner not listed, Red Mtn RV LLC, 7300 W. Van Giesen St., $80,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner.

uBUSINESS LICENSES KENNEWICK Roksurloks Salon, 7403 W. Arrowhead Ave.

Shop online at brutzmans.com We have over 30,000 items to choose from. 2501 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland (509) 735-0300

Gracie Lousie, 9 W. Kennewick Ave. Margaret Bayuk Tutoring, 7009 W. Eighth Ave. Superior Industrial Refrigeration LLC, 841 Howard Lane, Fruitland, Idaho. Fox Design Group LLC, 33730 Bainbridge Road, Solon, Ohio. Charles Ledford Jr. Construction LLC, 815 W. Locust Ave., Hermiston, Oregon. All Real Time Communications, 7500 S. 15th St., Lincoln, Nebraska. Ultra Quiet Floors, 403 N. Main St., Newberg, Oregon. Lanz Cabinets, 3025 W. Seventh Place, Eugene, Oregon. Redi Services LLC, 225 W. Owen St., Lyman, Wyoming. Apex Plumbing & Mechanical Piping

LLC, 12 S. Third Ave., Yakima. North Sound Refrigeration Inc., 6188 Portal Way, Ferndale. Hernandez Masonry LLC, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Strategic Construction Management Inc., 1030 N. Center Parkway. CP Mechanical LLC, 1505 S. 70th Ave., Yakima. Foy Group Corp., 901 Powell Ave. SW, Renton. K L Powell, 621 N. Gum St., Suite A. J & J Plumbing & Heating LLC, 2613 S. Barker Road, Greenacres. Able Clean-up Technologies Inc., 5308 N. Myrtle St., Spokane. Energized Electric Inc., 4444 N. Freya St., Spokane. Eternal Wellness, 7101 W. Hood Place. Copenhaver Construction Inc., 22393 State Route 2, Creston. James E. John Construction Co. Inc., 1701 SE Columbia River Drive, Vancouver. Clearwater Law Group Inc., P.C., 5205 W. Clearwater Ave. Westcoast Painting LLC, 274 SW 43rd St., Renton. Rickabaugh Pentecost Development, 108 W. Stewart, Puyallup. Supreme Cleaning Services, 2917 W. 19th Ave. Agriculture Development Group Inc., 2621 Ringold Road, Eltopia. Forever Clean, 815 W. Klamath Ave. Sophisticated Hippie, 3201 W. Third Place. Skyview Law PLLC, 8202 W. Quinault Ave. Dougherty Maintenance, 3528 S.

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Cascade St. Padilla Vi LLC, 11200 W. Court St., Pasco. Divine Salon and Spa, 8390 W. Gage Blvd., #101. Shephard Plumbing, 20 S. Fourth Ave., Yakima. Aultman Law PLLC,1080 N. Montana St. Summer’s Hub of Kennewick LLP, 6481 W. Skagit Ave. Elite Choice Concrete, 1519 W. Yakima St., Pasco. Affordable Landscaping, 3829 W. Kennewick Ave. Timeless Homes LLC, 8350 W. Grandridge Blvd. Peak Networks LLC, 7401 W. Hood Place. 2022 Stargazer Deluxe Services, 8180 W. Fourth Ave. Genesis Homes LLC, 100 N. Morain St. Gravity Plumbing, 510 S. Anderson St. Columbia River Investing LLC, 8202 W. Quinault Ave. Nationwide Solar, 6407 NE 117th Ave., Vancouver. Aerotek I Inc., 423 Pacific Ave., Bremerton. Cliffs Handyman Service LLC, 303 1/2 W. Kennewick Ave. Nailcessity By Susie LLC, 710 George Washington Way, Richland. High Peak Design, 23822 S. 1545 PR SW, Prosser. On-Point Plumbing, 4875 Mount Adams View Drive, West Richland. Taqueria Tacatrina LLC, 4611 W. Clearwater Ave. AT’s Home Renovations, 504 S. Olson

St. Mitchell’s Restoration, 6218 W. First Ave. Arias Pro Remodel, 217 N. First Ave., Pasco. DNK Tile Work LLC, 620 S. Douglas Ave., Pasco. Hotstone Spa, 4827 W. Clearwater Ave. Manuel Trujillo Lawn Services, 11807 2001 PR SE. Parra Custom Trim LLC, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Benton Construction, 26005 E. Ruppert Road, Benton City. B&E Construction LLC, 1607 W. 35th Ave. Dela Cruz Management, 3436 S. Conway Place. Concrete Redemption LLC, 1022 W. 15th Place. J.N.J. Flooring LLC, 6124 Leicester Lane, Pasco. Cisneros Party Rentals, 1015 N. Beech Ave., Pasco. Benchmark Oasis PT Partners LLC, 4303 W. 24th Ave. Mo Quality Construction LLC, 3013 S. Underwood St. Vseed Capital, 1030 N. Center Parkway. Macdonald-Miller Facility Solutions LLC, 106010 E. Wiser Parkway. Us Two Black Girls LLC, 8 E. First Ave. Sushiya, 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Gabe Harris Insurance Agency LLC, 8479 W. Clearwater Ave. Bougie Brunch, 3320 W. Kennewick Ave. Matthew Sept Insurance Agency

LLC, 8479 W. Clearwater Ave. CR Trucking, 725 N. Center Parkway. SWBC Mortgage Corp., 30 S. Louisiana St. Outpatient Ultrasound Imaging Clinic, 124 W. Kennewick Ave. Legacy Concrete, 209 S. Fir St. Tri-Fry, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Sunstone Psychological Services PLLC, 401 N. Morain St. Ashleigh Newell Monica Durflinger, 6316 W. Fourth Place. The Friendly Merchant, 1819 W. 28th Ave. 2022 Castaneda Lawn Care, 1001 W. Fourth Ave. Coffeenow, 2504 Manufacturing Lane, Richland. Vargas Pro Construction LLC, 837 S. Wyoming St. HD Lashes, 30 S. Louisiana St. Brady’s Brats and Burgers WA LLC, 6481 W. Skagit Ave. Malo Painting LLC, 31 Proton Lane, Richland. Challenge Tri-Cities, 7609 Pheasant Lane, Pasco. Beaver Bob’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, 4430 W. Clearwater Ave. Johnny Lawn Services, 431 S. Fir St. Guardian Transportation, 615 S. Washington St. Legacy Adult Family Homes LLC, 2621 W. Entiat Ave. Purpleowl Products, 2821 W. Grand Ronde Ave. Katie J LLC, 507 S. Hawaii St. Lulu’s Products, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Howard’s Medical Supply, 846 Stevens Drive, Richland. Muret-Gaston, 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way.

Quality Hydroseeding, 211510 E. Bowles Road. Apt Canine, 1206 S. Conway St. Gage Park Self Storage, 8420 W. Gage Blvd. Alexis Goodman, 108 1/2 Vista Way. Fresh Print, 1515 W. Seventh Ave. Triple A Locksmith LLC, 3603 W. Sixth Ave. Shop Livin Western LLC, 25440 S. 823 PR SE. Maid By Sue, 8551 W. 12th Ave. Excellity Mobile Detail & Carwash, 805 S. Gum St. Kirk Consulting Enterprises LLC, 4906 S. Dayton St. Only Tacos, 5908 Belmont Drive, Pasco. Brothers Heating & Air, 1940 W. Hopkins St., Pasco. Aura Kittenn LLC, 502 S. Elm St., Noyce Construction LLC, 520 Blue St., Richland. Executive Sanitation Services LLC, 9315 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. Regeneco LLC, 8203 W. Deschutes Place. Ilin Homes, 2451 N. Rhode Island Court. Remnant, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Tailored Living of Richland and Kennewick, 1310 Hains, Richland. Genny Lord, 3821 W. Grand Ronde Ave. A&D Capital Management LLC, 5302 W. 12th Ave. Higgins’ Transportation, 221 S. Fourth, Pasco. Tri-Cities Bike Parts LLC, 2803 S. Everett St.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 MRSW LLC, 4003 S. Anderson St. Enlace LLC, 7511 W. Arrowhead Ave. 2022 Glambition Nails, 1744 S. Everett Place. Casey’s Animal Assistance, 121 N. McKinley St.

RICHLAND Eaglecrest Enterprises Inc., 1608 Seacrest Lane, Coupeville. Bergeson-Boese & Associates Inc., 32986 Roberts Court, Coburg, Oregon. Raymond James Financial, 8797 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. Superior Industrial Refrigeration LLC, 841 Howard Lane, Fruitland, Idaho. All Real Time Communications, 7500 S. 15th St., Lincoln, Nebraska. The Kitchen Place Inc., 111 N. Vista 2-A, Spokane Valley. Hough Construction Inc., 1690 Brittlebush Lane. Hernandez Masonry LLC, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. High Desert Glass LLC, 2114 Benson Court, Prosser. TML International, 6405 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver. Agriculture Development Group Inc., 2621 Ringold Road, Eltopia. Columbia Basin Drywall LLC, 2408 S. Oak St., Kennewick. Zosb LLC, 9572 Naples St. SE, Moses Lake. Tara Shoemaker’s Shears, 1325 Aaron Drive. Razor Blades LLC, 20904 S. Williams PR SE, Kennewick. Hilltop Plumbing LLC, 17505 S. 1987 PR SE, Kennewick. J’s Painting, 1314 Mahan Ave. American Homecare Distributing, 3104 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. Outdoor Elements Northwest LLC, 5989 Pioneer Drive, Cashmere. Kgthreads, 537 Jordan Lane. Emily Nicoara, 1974 Sheridan Place. M & Joel’s Painting LLC, 3441 S. Dennis St., Kennewick. Genuine Homes LLC, 5205 Black Belle Court, Pasco. Nationwide Solar, 6407 NE 117th Ave., Vancouver. Symtree Science LLC, 1321 Hains Ave. Neighborhood Services LLC, 9002 W. Old Inland Empire Highway, Prosser. High Peak Design, 23822 S. 1545 PR SW, Prosser. Mountain Restoration & Protection Inc., 4916 S. Gillis Way Court, Spokane Valley. Lieb’s Fine Homes LLC, 4199 Highview St. S & J Timber Company LLC, 1315 Jonagold Drive. Sunrise Awakenings Counseling PLLC, 709 Tanglewood Drive. Brand New Bargains, 2449 Robertson Drive. Divots Golf Richland, 2450 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Luxury Modern Home Construction LLC, 4108 Kechika Lane, Pasco. David Miller, 612 The Parkway. Abcdino Academy, 1215 Thayer Drive. Leaves Market Gardens, 1010 Wilson St. Embrace Change Counseling PLLC, 750 Swift Blvd. Stone, 1619 Thayer Drive. Doctor’s Pharmacy, 37 Columbia Point Drive. Kaylah’s Kreations, 309 George

Washington Way. J.N.J. Flooring LLC, 6124 Leicester Lane, Pasco. Calebs Sauce Box, 444 Palm Drive. DM Judge Consulting LLC, 247 Scouler Court. Cisneros Party Rentals, 1015 N. Beech Ave., Pasco. Benchmark Oasis PT Partners LLC, 908 George Washington Way. Gary Tubbs, Author LLC, 1519 Butternut Ave. Hope 4 Tomorrow, 9315 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco. B.O.N.D. Solutions LLC, 792 Meadows Drive South. Cheyenne Ryan LLC, 1414 Arbor St. Salus Technology Solutions LLC, 723 The Parkway. Eki LLC, 1323 Alla Vista St. Hannah Bircher, 3067 Bobwhite Way. Spotless LLC, 4422 Vermilion Lane, Pasco. Tri-Fry, 212 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. Hair Shimmers and Sparkles, 1304 Haupt Ave. Tri-Cities Lawn and Irrigation LLC, 625 Birch Ave. Sunshine River Studios, 1012 Wilson St. Chris Sinclair Development, 517 Jordan Lane. Alco Demolition LLC, 1525 Paterson Road, Prosser. Yascara A. Zepeda, 801 N. 22nd Ave., Pasco. Just Be Amazing, 1595 Sacajawea Ave. Sozo & Co. Designs, 621 Smith Ave. Chavey Counseling PLLC, 750 George Washington Way.

Beaver Bob’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, 4430 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Columbia River Brewing, 2201 Copperleaf St. The Hotdog Barber, 1177 Lee Blvd. Doorbell Inc., 89 Gage Blvd. Aqua Agents Pool Inspection, 106 Hills West Way. Switch Ride Shop LLC, 480 Williams Blvd. Dental Insurance Pro, 452 Lakerose Loop. IMD Development Group LLC, 3015 Duportail St. Quality Hydroseeding, 211510 E. Bowles Road, Kennewick. Apt Canine, 1206 S. Conway St., Kennewick. Can Do Kids LLC, 343 Wellsian Way. Nims Safety Specialists LLC, 2835 Sawgrass Loop Resurgent Content LLC, 2260 Copperleaf St. Limitless Heating and Cooling LLC, 5320 Mariner Lane, Pasco. Excellity Mobile Detail & Carwash, 805 S. Gum St., Kennewick. Matt Messinger Insurance Agency LLC, 1446 Spaulding Ave. Up and Atom, 2612 Ficus Drive, West Richland.

PASCO VRM Trailer Repair, 520 N. Venture Road. Mariano Refugio Alonso-Lyft, 4104 Fernwood Lane. Edge Transport Inc., 4210 Road, #105. Adan Sanche-Via, 1534 E Spokane St., #B21. VSG Appliances Contractor LLC, 925

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S. Maitland Ave. Josuby’s Hair Salon and Barber Shop LLC, 808 S. 10th Ave. Just Right Editing, 3514 Cook Lane. Teresa’s Chair, 5511 Arthur Lane. Hammock Holdings LLC, 5602 Austin Drive. King Directional Drilling, 2462 Emmie Lane, Teonia, Idaho. Tienda La Bendicion Guatemala LLC, 411 W. Clark St., Suite A. Peak Physical Therapy Specialists LLC, 3807 W. Court St. Letty Beauty Supplies, 800 W. Lewis St., Suite B. Little Geniuses Childcare LLC, 1615 Road 32. Drifter Media Co. LLC, 3521 Judemein Court. Savvy Jean Cleaning LLC, 3308 Lapis Lane. Ruelas Rico, Lorenzo, 5303 Montague Lane. Tazon Ice Cream, 9005 W. Court St. Artistry At Home-US, 4322 Chilcotin Lane. Bautizos VIP, 123 N. Fourth Ave., #115 Dirt Stars Excavation, 4012 W. Opal St. Lil’Orbits WC, 8033 W. Grandridge Blvd., Suite B., Kennewick. JLB Construction, 2400 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Antojitos Diana LLC, 110 S. Fourth Ave. AAMT, 3504 W. Wernett Road. El Lagunero, 312 N. 20th Ave. ABC Children Care, 5606 Pierre Drive. Gadl LLC, 616 N. Hugo Ave. Makeoverboutique LLC, 1715 W.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 Bonneville St. P&G Transport, 3012 W. Agate St. Tyree Oil Inc., 1303 S. 13th Ave., Suite 101, Kelso. Tri River Paving LLC, 6305 Chapel Hill Blvd., #J102. D-Bat Columbia Basin, 6416 W. Hood Place, Suite 150, Kennewick. Musco Sports Lighting LLC, 100 First Ave. West, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Sculpt Wellness-Pasco, 5224 Outlet Drive. P&H Construction LLC, 3747 N. Deer Lake Road, Loon Lake. Atomic Junk Commission, 1509 Judson Ave., Richland. Eagon Excavating & Construction Services, 160 Depping Road, Walla Walla. Sprayed Out Painting & Construction, 33904 S. Finley Road, Kennewick. Showcase Specialties, 1304 E. Marvin St. Best Choice Pro Painting, 5303 W. Skagit Ave., Kennewick. VZ Precise LLC, 33812 Cantera St., Kennewick. Jacob W. Fox (Etal), 6904 Road 70. Gilberto’s Tile Inc., 1609 W. 25th Place, Kennewick. Little Woodworks, 312 Pinetree Court, Richland. Stangel Livestock LLC, 401 NE Fourth St., Enterprise, Oregon. Allsorts Construction, 41910 N. River Road, Benton City. Brook Spears Real Estate, 389 Canyon Rim Court, Richland. Custom Shades Window Tinting, 3905 W. Pearl St. SR3 Landscaping, 1845 Leslie Road,

Apt. K83, Richland. Nationwide Security Solutions Inc., 607 NE 117th Ave., Suite B, Vancouver. Stunning Cleaning Services, 3004 Wilcox Drive. New Era Designs LLC, 118 S. Fir St., Toppenish. Certified Fresh, 8416 Packard Drive. Luxury Modern Home Construction LLC, 4108 Kechika Lane. Mitchell Lewis & Staver Co., 1417 E. St. Helens St., #1401. Tap Into Magic, 7701 Cassiar Drive. Riverview Retail, 7916 Quadra Drive. Hair By Esmeralda, 6916 W. Argent Road. Cornerstone Pro Roofing LLC, 3858 N. Tupiza Ave., Meridian, Idaho. International Telecom LLC, 417 Second Ave. West, Seattle. Acme Handy Man Services, 97808 E. Kase Blvd., Kennewick. James’ Handyman & Landscaping LLC, 4225 W. John Day Place, Kennewick. AD Quality Construction, 4423 Moline Lane. On-Point Plumbing, 4875 Mount Adams View Drive, West Richland. Beatriz Tlachi, 4307 Atlanta Lane. Trenchman Shoring Services, 4015 E. B St. Royal Mart 103, 4804 Road 68. Help-U-Move Inc., 3416 Swallow Ave., #59. Salon Casa De Belleza, 226 W. Lewis St. Creekstone Homes LLC, 12411 Ricky Road. Wilco Farmers, 6705 Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite B. DNK Tile Work LLC, 620 S. Douglas

Ave. B&E Construction LLC, 1607 W. 35th Ave., Kennewick. Radiant Builders LLC, 26812 S. 875 PR SE, Kennewick. Benton Construction, 26005 E. Ruppert Road, Benton City. Royalty Companies of Indiana Inc., 2099 E. Tipton St., Seymour, Indiana. Xomox Pft Corp., 4444 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, Ohio. Affordable Mobile Boat Repair, 605 S. Washington St., Kennewick. Nextgen Diesel & Refer LLC, 26908 S. Finley Road, Kennewick. Superior Industrial Refrigeration, LLC 841 Howard Lane, Fruitland, Idaho. Crumbl - Pasco, 5025 Road 68, #G-H. Affordable Mobile Auto Detailing, 931 W. Court St. Yascara A. Zepeda Sanchez - Via, 801 N. 22nd Ave., #C3. Floyd Laabs - Via, 1819 W. 28th Ave., Kennewick. MO Quality Construction LLC, 3013 S. Underwood St., Kennewick. American Homecare Distributing, 3104 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite E, Kennewick. Ace Electric Inc., 425 W. 47th Ave., Kennewick. IMG General Construction LLC, 1913 N. 11th Ave. Richard Rearden, 72205 N. Highway 225, Benton City. Domino’s Pizza, 7007 Burden Blvd. Ace Carpentry Solutions, 3910 W. Fifth Place, Kennewick. Vested Solution LLC, 7106 Ladd Road. Nightstar Inn, 1232 S. 10th Ave.

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Alco Demolition LLC, 1525 Paterson Road, Prosser. Tracy Peterson - Via, 3003 Queensgate Drive, Richland. Deidra Collins - Via, 3723 S. Date St., Kennewick. Jose A Espindola - Via, 811 N. Owen Ave. Jason Higgins - Via, 221 S. Fourth Ave.

WEST RICHLAND R & S Drilling, 6144 W. Vista Mesa Drive, West Valley City, Utah. A.L.J. Carpentry Inc., 803 W. 22nd Ave., Kennewick. Tailored Living of Richland and Kennewick, 1310 Hains Ave., Richland. Bark Avenue, 1626 W. Broadway Ave., Moses Lake. Nail N’ Time Construction, 3614 Tallahassee Lane, Pasco. Come Nzibarega, 2894 Salk Ave., Richland. Manuel Trujillo Lawn Services, 11807 2001 PR SE, Kennewick. Bring the Pressure LLC, 2121 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Expansion Contracting LLC, 730 W. A St., Pasco. Beautiful View Landscaping LLC, 2603 E. Adelia St., Pasco. Sweetsnackattack, 641 E. Edison Ave., Sunnyside. Alpine Construction & Consulting Inc., 6614 W. Victoria Ave., Kennewick. Pyro Spectaculars North Inc., 4405 N. Evergreen Road, Spokane Valley. Hooked Up Pasco Inc., 616 S. Road

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40 E., Pasco. JKay Home Maintenance LLC, 736 Frost Lane. Walker Family Homes LLC, 301 S. Grant St., Kennewick. Quality Landscaping LLC, 1402 S. Gum St., Kennewick. Cattleya Jump’s LLC, 1548 N. Edison St., Kennewick. Ramos Remodel, 210 E. First Place, Kennewick. Logan Contracting LLC, 4101 Sturdee Lane, Pasco. Benton Construction, 26005 E. Ruppert Road, Benton City. J.N.J. Flooring LLC, 6124 Leicester Lane, Pasco. Cisneros Party Rentals, 1015 N. Beech Ave., Pasco. Vargas Pro Construction LLC, 837 S. Wyoming St., Kennewick.

Pragmadika Construction LLC, 1227 Covina Court, Richland. Quality Hydroseeding, 211510 E. Bowles Road, Kennewick. Atomic City Electric LLC, 206 Barth Ave., Richland. Better Safety LLC, 100 N. Howard St., Spokane. Matrix Construction General Contractor LLC, 4409 Phoenix Lane, Pasco. Tropical Dew LLC, 131 S. Hugo Ave., Pasco. Coffee Town Espresso, 4298 W. Van Giesen St. Charles Ledford Jr. Construction LLC, 815 W. Locust Ave., Hermiston. Sshi Inc. dba: Dr. Horton Inc., 11241 Slater Ave. NE, Kirkland. Alpha Roofing, 3 W. A St., Pasco. Ms. Professional Flooring LLC, 5714

Rio Grande Lane, Pasco. Brothers Heating & Air, 1940 W. Hopkins St., Pasco. Choose Your Color Painting LLC, 719 N. Huntington St., Kennewick. MZ Granite & Quartz LLP, 2917 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Higgins’ Transportation, 221 S. Fourth Ave., Pasco. Motorsports Butler, 6334 W. Victoria Ave., Kennewick.

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.

Parientes Painting LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed

May 9. Vinicio Marin Gomez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 9. ZH Concrete LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 9. Leonard M. O’Banion, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 9. J & Brothers General Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 9. Ivan’s Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed May 9. Pasco FBO Partners LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed May 17. Master Build Cabinets LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18. J Choo USA Inc., unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed May 18. Car Doctor Auto Repair LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18. 7 Stars Roofing LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 18. Hockey Source LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed May 19. Eastern WA Construction Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 19. Golden Eagle Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 19. I Clean Building Service LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 19. Ultra Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 19. Hugo Garcia, et. al., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 20. Christina M. Franklin, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 24. VM Roofing LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed May 24. Jacbobo Caballero Hernandez, et. al., unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed May 24.

uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW Elk Haven Winery LLC, 34101 N. Demoss Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. Arlene’s Flowers & Gifts LLC, 1177 Lee Blvd., Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only; beer/wine gift delivery. Application type: new. Osaka Sushi & Teriyaki, 4101 W. 27th Place, Kennewick. License type: beer/ wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

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No paywall at

tcjournal.biz

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022 Hooked on Wine, 480 N. Quay St., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only; tavern – beer/wine. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu. Tapteil Vineyard, 65509 N. Demoss Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. Longbranch Saloon, 23006 E. Highway 397, Kennewick. License type: cocktails/wine to-go; growlers curbside delivery; spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge +. Application type: new. Tri-Cities Tap and Barrel, 112 Keene Road, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in/out WA; beer/ wine with taproom. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. Muret-Gaston, 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way, #120, Kennewick. License type: domestic winery <250,000 additional location; snack bar. Application type: new. Branding Iron, 213 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only; spirits/ beer/wine rest lounge +; CATERING. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. Lil’ Moon Diner, 3790 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. License type: curbside/delivery endorsement; beer/ wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: new.

APPROVED Queensgate Food Mart, 999 Queensgate Drive, Richland. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: assumption.

Neighbors BBQ, 1115 Grant Ave., Prosser. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer/wine. Application type: assumption. Sushiya, 731 Columbia Summit Center, #120, Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: assumption. Tucannon Cellars, 40504 N. Demoss Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. Branding Iron, 213 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type; added/change of class/in lieu. Juanitos Prime Meats, 4812 W. Clearwater Ave., Suites A&B, Kennewick. License type: grocery store – beer/wine. Application type: new. Underground Wine Project, 318 Wellhouse Loop, Richland. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: change of corporate officers. El Agave 4 LLC, 1301 Aaron Drive, Richland. License type: cocktails/wine to-go. Application type: new. Uncle Sam’s Saloon, 8378 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. License type: cocktails/wine to-go. Application type: new. Gifting Washington, 723 The Parkway, Suite B004, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiverin/out WA. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu. Lazy River Taphouse, 4033 W. Van Giesen St., Suites H&I, West Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver - in/out WA. Application type: change

of location. Tirriddis Sparkling Wines, 2880 Lee Road, Suite B, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new. Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver - in WA only. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu.

DISCONTINUED Tucannon Cellars, 40504 N. Demoss Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: discontinued El Agave 4 LLC, 1301 Aaron Drive, Richland. License type: cocktails/wine to-go. Application type: new. Uncle Sam’s Saloon, 8378 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. License type: cocktails/wine to-go. Application type: new.

FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW Garibaldi, 2125 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge-; catering. Application type: new.

APPROVED Don Rubios, 1515 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco. License type: curbside/delivery endorsement. Application type: new.

DISCONTINUED Don Rubios, 1515 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco. License type: curbside/delivery endorsement. Application type: new.

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uMARIJUANA LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW Washington State Cannabis Company, 2415 Robertson Drive, Richland. License type: marijuana retailer. Application type: assumption. Cordus LLC, 56005 N. Thomas Road, Suite A, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: change of location.

APPROVED Chief’n Cannabis, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Suite A, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 2. Application type: change of location. Three Rivers Cannabis LLC, 33907 S. Gerards Road, Suite A, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 2. Application type: change of corporate officer.

uBUSINESS UPDATES MOVED Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care has moved to 3315 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Underground Creative has moved to 4206 W. 24th Ave., Suite B101, Kennewick. Wave Design Group has moved to 9425 Sandifur Parkway, Suite 201, Pasco. To submit news about a new business opening, business move or name change, go to: tcjournal. biz/business-listing.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | JUNE 2022