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

March 2022 Volume 21 | Issue 3

Public market readies for its Kennewick debut By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Hospitality

Women take helm at the Richland waterfront Page A17

Business Profile

Dagupan Grill survived the pandemic thanks to its Filipino fans Page A37

Real Estate & Construction

Tri-City developers pivot to garage condos and flex space Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “A CEO’s job isn’t to determine when they want to retire. It’s to determine when the next in line is ready.” - Jeff Petersen of Petersen Hastings

Page A13

There have been plenty of efforts to bring a public market to the Tri-Cities. But after years of talk, an all-private effort with 70 vendors, including Ice Harbor Brewery and Columbia Industries’ Opportunity Kitchen, is about to open in Kennewick. The Public Market @ Columbia River Warehouse is set to debut its first phase in May in the former Welch’s-J. Lieb Foods campus straddling Bruneau Avenue, said Kelsey Bitton, project and property manager. The market is an ambitious and timely remaking of a property that once anchored Kennewick’s industrial downtown. The former juice plant has operated under several names, including Welch’s, and was put on the market in 2019 after the most recent manufacturer, J. Lieb Foods Inc., was purchased by Refresco Beverages USA. Columbia River Warehouse LLC, led by Corey Bitton of Pasco, closed the $2.7 million purchase in 2021. Kelsey Bitton said the initial plan was to lease it to a larger business but turned to the market concept to generate cash flow after larger plans collapsed when financing dried up. “Obviously, from a business standpoint, the owner needed to lease it out,” she said. And downtown Kennewick seemed like a natural place to start, despite long-standing efforts to create a market on the Pasco side of the Columbia River. The old J. Lieb-Welch’s property was not designed as a public market, but it does not need a lot of work to convert. And it has the critical elements a public facility needs – fire sprinklers and ample power to support vendors, as well as restaurants and small producers. “We don’t really have anything like that in the Tri-Cities. We don’t have that many buildings in the Tri-Cities with that downtown, industrial warehouse feel. That’s very in right now.” uPUBLIC MARKET, Page A30

Courtesy Columbia Industries Vincent Laraiso prepares sandwiches at Opportunity Kitchen, a training program run by Columbia Industries. He graduated in February.

Columbia Industries sells records division, goes deep on service mission By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Columbia Industries, a Kennewick nonprofit that funds its mission to serve people with special needs by operating a series of for-profit businesses, has sold its records business as it shifts to deepen its impact. Memphis, Tennessee-based Vital Records Control (VRC) purchased the records side of CI Information Management in a deal finalized on March 1. Terms were not disclosed, and the sale did not include the shredding business. “It was a good time to get out,” said Marie Lathim, chief administrative and human resources officer. Lathim, together with interim CEO Eric Van Winkle, said the records business increasingly turned to high-tech electronics and was housed in a facility with triple security – as secure as any Hanford site, they joked.

VRC, a multimillion-dollar firm operating in more than 70 markets, approached it as part of its own expansion into the Pacific Northwest. VRC, which registered in Washington in late 2021, introduced itself to former CI Information Management customers in the Tri-Cities in early March. Records will continue to be stored locally, it said. Columbia Industries said it is investing proceeds from the sale into the programs that support Tri-Citians with special needs. The decision to sell didn’t affect its other businesses. The move comes as Columbia Industries shifts to a “go deeper” strategy to build out its programs serving a wide range of TriCitians. In recent years, it has purchased a series of for-profit businesses to support its nonprofit mission. For now, it is done buying businesses uCOLUMBIA INDUSTRIES, Page A4

Frost Me Sweet plans national deliveries, milkshake drive-thru By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Richland’s Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery is casting off the lingering effects of the pandemic by adding a new bakery, as well as a drive-thru cake-shake business on Wellsian Way. The new location will provide muchneeded workspace for Frost Me Sweet’s bakers while allowing owners Megan and Jason Savely to make a business out of the cake-based milkshakes their staff enjoy behind the scenes at their bistro restaurant at The Parkway.

The Savelys signed a 10-year lease for the former Folded Pizza Pie restaurant, 421 Wellsian Way, to house the expansion. Frost Me Sweet will move its bakery, which is near its bistro in The Parkway, in April. Frost Me Sweet Cake & Shake will begin selling over-the-top cake-based milkshakes in mid-May. The Cake & Shake business is secondary to the building’s real purpose: It will enable Frost Me Sweet to ship its products anywhere in the nation. With the new kitchen, it can secure a uCAKE & SHAKE, Page A33

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Chaplaincy names new chief executive officer By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

After a nationwide search, Chaplaincy Health Care hired a former Tri-Citian as its CEO. Laurel “Laurie” Jackson started with the Richland nonprofit on Feb. 21. She most recently worked at the St. Charles Health System in Bend, Oregon, where she was the administrator of postacute and community care. Jackson spent her childhood in the Tri-Cities and attended Jason Lee Elementary School in Richland before her family moved to Yakima. She replaces Gary Castillo who departed last spring. Bob Rosselli, a board member who stepped in as interim CEO, left Chaplaincy in July, and Tom Corley,

a retired hospital executive, oversaw the nonprofit in his wake. Prior to her work with St. Charles, Jackson was the senior director of Laurel “Laurie” Compass Care Jackson at Memorial Hospital in Yakima, where she oversaw all post-acute programs, including hospice, palliative care, home health and the bioethics committee. During her career, she has been a certified grief recovery specialist, critical incident stress manager and an ordained

Presbyterian minister. She has served on the board for the Washington State Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Oregon Hospice and Palliative Care Association. “It is my pleasure and privilege to welcome Laurie Jackson to Chaplaincy Health Care as our new CEO,” John Serle, Chaplaincy’s board chairman, said in a news release. “This is the result of a national search and a thorough review of some of the most qualified hospice executives, and of prayerful discernment by many individuals involved in the recruitment effort. I look forward to working with Laurie as we continue living out God’s call to ease suffering of body, mind and spirit during life’s most challenging moments.”

Tri-CU eliminates NSF fees, reduces overdraft fees By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The growing number of major banks eliminating or reducing overdraft and nonsufficient fund (NSF) fees prompted the Tri-Cities’ smallest credit union to follow suit. Kennewick-based Tri-CU Credit Union recently announced it would eliminate its $28 NSF returned item fee and reduce its overdraft/courtesy pay fee from $28 to $10. Tri-CU said it cut the fees for multiple reasons: • Increased automation of transactions (including the increase in electronic transactions, as opposed to paper checks) has reduced handling and processing costs. • Recent studies indicate that NSF fees hurt members who are less educated and already struggling financially. • The credit union had already waived all NSF fees for several months during

the initial Covid-19 lockdown, with an acceptably minor impact on the financial bottom line. “Generally, we consider ‘big Doug Wadsworth banks’ to be the enemy, always pushing for more profit, at the expense of their customers. While I feel this is still true in most ways, I think they also got something right here, which is a little embarrassing. As a local, not-for-profit institution, we are always striving to help our members who need it most … so we took the plunge. Hopefully, others will follow our example, even though we are the smallest credit union in the TriCities,” said Doug Wadsworth, president of Tri-CU, in a news release. Wells Fargo, Bank of America and

Capital One were the latest big banks to overhaul their overdraft fees and policies. U.S. Citi Retail Bank announced plans in late February to eliminate overdraft fees, returned item fees and overdraft protection fees by this summer. Tri-CU said it ended internal automatic overdraft transfers fees more than a year ago. Tri-CU, which has about 6,000 members, serves anyone who lives, works or worships in Benton or Franklin counties. Tri-CU is led by a volunteer board of directors, elected by the membership, and includes: Tony Edwards (president of Allen Electric), Camelia Uhling (former CEO of Monad Credit Union), Judy Kirk (retired banking professional), David Strote (Hanford regulatory management) and Jose Juarez (account management professional and former employee).

Kennewick prevails in Futurewise urban expansion challenge By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The city of Kennewick has prevailed in its legal battle with Futurewise over the future of its efforts to expand its inventory of land available for, among other things, industrial development. Benton County approved the city’s new urban growth boundary, but Futurewise, a Seattle environmental nonprofit, succeeded in getting it overruled when it challenged it to the Growth Management Hearings Board. The city appealed the board’s decision to the Washington Appeals Court, Division Three. In an unpublished opinion filed March 8, the three-judge appeals court said the Hearings Board erred when it applied a “show your work” requirement when it ruled Benton County violated the Growth Management Act when it approved the expansion. “Even if (Benton) County had failed to show its work – and we have concluded that no duty to show its work was triggered – that would not, in itself, equate to promoting sprawl. The (Growth Management Hearings) Board’s conclusion that the county failed to comply with (the Growth Management Act) is not supported by its (own) findings,” the court wrote in a decision signed by Judges A.C.J. Siddoway, J. Lawrence-Berrey and J. Staab. A spokesperson for Futurewise said it was disappointed by the decision but appreciated the deep review by the appellate court. No decision has been made about a possible appeal. Futurewise has 30 days from the March 8 ruling to seek review by the Washington State Supreme Court.

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and will focus on deepening its work, which includes job placement, training, help with housing and more. “You’re not going to see us start a pharmacy,” Van Winkle said. Best known for serving people with intellectual and physical disabilities, Columbia Industries also serves people with financial, housing, employment and other needs. Its clients include veterans, homeless people, victims of domestic violence and more. People who need help regularly arrive at its offices at 500 S. Dayton St., near Kennewick High School. It expects to have a key relationship with Benton County’s future recovery center when the neighboring Kennewick General Hospital is converted. As part of its “go deeper” mission, Columbia Industries is stepping up efforts to tell its story and to put clients and their successes in the limelight. To that end, it is leasing a 12-by-12 booth at the new indoor market opening at the former Welch’s-J. Lieb Foods plant at 10 E. Bruneau St. around Mother’s Day, which is May 8. Its stall at the Public Market Columbia River Warehouse will show off Opportu-

uBUSINESS BRIEFS School districts ask voters to reconsider levies in April

The Kennewick, Finley and Prosser school districts are asking voters to take a second look at key property tax measures that fund their budgets. The districts all saw voters reject operational levies in the Feb. 6 election. The current levies expire at the end of this year. If they are not renewed, districts face the loss of 10% or more of their budgets.

nity Kitchen, a training and catering program run by Columbia Industries at the Richland Federal Building cafeteria. Visitors will be able to purEric Van Winkle chase food and if they’re inclined, hear the story of Opportunity Kitchen. In time, the market stall could lead to a standalone business, said Lathim and Van Winkle. Opportunity Kitchen is one of the many ways Columbia Industries serves clients and it owes its existence to the agency’s “earned revenue” strategy. About a decade ago, it began exploring ways to supplement its budget, currently $13 million, with earned income. That led it to hire former CEO Brian McDermott, who led it through a series of surprising purchases – four Round Table Pizza restaurants, Paradise Bottled Water and a FedEx business in the ClarkstonLewiston area on the Washington-Idaho border. The customer-facing businesses joined the existing document business, which offered both shredding and record keeping. Today, shredding remains a major revenue

source. Lathim and Van Winkle said the water and pizza businesses struggled during the Covid-19 pandemic while the FedEx one Marie Lathim thrived. It received Covid-19 relief funds and managed to retain all its employees, in part by stepping up its pizza delivery business. All are recovering. All profits go to Columbia Industries and its programs. Van Winkle is a 20-year board member with a taste for economic development who agreed to step in when McDermott left in December. The search for a permanent CEO is being conducted in-house until it finds a candidate who understands the unique hybrid business model blending for-profit operations with a broad nonprofit mission. Columbia Industries employs 240 through its various activities and provides employment services to 200 more. Its community center serves nearly 80 and the Opportunity Kitchen course serves 2530 students at a time.

The levies will be on the April 26 ballot, which will be mailed to registered voters in early April. In Benton County, turnout for the February election was about 30%. Kennewick voters rejected the operations levy by a vote of 51% to 49%. A separate tech levy passed. Finley voters rejected their district’s operations levy by a vote of 50.74% to 49.26%. Prosser voters said no by a margin of 54% to 46%. Voters can register and update their addresses through 8 p.m. April 26. All

elections in Washington are conducted by mail. Ballots must be postmarked or returned by Election Day. Go to: votewa.gov.

MAY Environment | Transportation

/tcajob /tcajob /company/tcajob 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.

Benton County has a new ordinance prohibiting fireworks when the threat of fire is high, as determined by the state Department of Natural Resources or other agency. State law regulates fireworks, but gives local government room to determine when and where they may be sold and discharged and to even ban them outright. The Tri-Cities has a patchwork of rules, with Kennewick outright banning them and most of its neighbors allowing them. The county commission asked for information about regulating fireworks during unusually hot, dry summers in 2021. The new law goes into effect in one year, March 8, 2023, and bans the use of all fireworks between June 28 and July 5, 2023, if there is an extreme threat of fire.

Chamber luncheon tackles future of retail

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René Sunde, president and CEO of the Washington Retail Association, will speak about the future of retail in a post-pandemic economy at the Tri-City Regional Chamber’s March 23 luncheon. The in-person event begins at 11:30 a.m. March 23 at the Holiday Inn Richland on the River. The program will be available on Zoom as well. Tickets are $30 for members, $40 for guests and $10 for virtual participants. The event is sponsored by Veolia. Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Team with Tri-City ties advances to finals

A team with Tri-City ties has advanced to the finals round of a contest aimed at connecting workers to family-wage jobs through a training model that can be replicated across the country. It also puts the local team closer to a chance to win up to $2 million. The Dignified Work team, a partnership between two Washington-based organizations – Career Path Service and WholeStory – advanced as finalists in the XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling competition, designed to incentivize teams to develop and demonstrate the effectiveness of rapid training and reskilling solutions for those most vulnerable to employment loss in the United States. The team was selected as one of ten teams out of 118 applicants from around the world and competed in the semifinalist round throughout 2021, training and placing job seekers with growing construction companies in Hampton Roads region of Virginia. During the final round of the 30-month contest, the team will work with leading employers to support thousands of underresourced job seekers across the Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho) to quickly gain essential skills to launch careers in construction, medical administration or human and social services. The team is made up of Career Path Services, a workforce development and human services nonprofit with offices in Kennewick; and WholeStory, a technology platform that provides insight into diverse life experiences to power better hiring, based in the Tri-Cities.

Target raises starting hourly wage for some to $24

Target Corp. is raising its starting wage to as much as $24 an hour, up from $15 an hour, and expanding access to health care, retirement and other benefits. The Minneapolis-based retail giant operates stores in Kennewick and Richland. “We want all team members to be better off for working at Target, and years of investments in our culture of care, meaningful pay, expanded health benefits and opportunities for growth have been essential for helping our team members build rewarding careers,” it said in a press release. Target said the enhancements represent a $300 million investment in its team.

Profits soaring for FDIC-insured banks

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reports the 4,839 commercial banks and savings institutions it insures reported net income of $63.9 billion in the fourth quarter of 2021, a 7.4% increase over the prior year. The FDIC credited the increase to economic growth and improved credit income, leading to improved interest income. The banking industry reported net income of $279.1 billion for the full year, nearly 90% more than the pandemic-affected performance in 2020.

Mark your calendars for Speedfest 2022

The West Richland Chamber of Commerce and Red Mountain Event Center will host Speedfest 2022, combining the best of Cool Desert Nights and Hogs & Dogs, from June 23-25 at the former TriCity Raceway property in West Richland. The Cool Desert Nights Cruise is June 23. Hogs & Dogs is June 25. IBEW 112 Local Union Electrical Workers is the lead sponsor for Speedfest.

Arts apprenticeships accepting applications

The Center for Washington Cultural Traditions is accepting applications for its Heritage Arts Apprenticeship Program through May 2.

The program provides financial support to individuals working to preserve cultural traditions by teaching or studying visual arts, occupational arts, traditional languages, storytelling, dance, culinary traditions and music. Go to: waculture.org/apprenticeshipprogram.

Inslee appoints longtime attorney to bench

Gov. Jay Inslee appointed longtime TriCity attorney Norma Rodriguez to succeed Judge Cameron Mitchell on the Benton Franklin Superior Court Bench. Mitchell left on March 11. Rodriguez earned her bachelor’s and law degrees from Gonzaga University. She has operated her own law practice

in Kennewick since 1994. In 2015, she established Rodriguez Interano Hanson and Rodgers PLLC, a general practice firm focused on criminal defense, personal injury and Labor & Industries disputes. Rodriguez is also active in the legal community, serving on the board of Benton-Franklin Legal Aid and as a member of the Youth and Justice Forum Committee “Norma is an immensely talented and experienced attorney,” Inslee said. “She is well known in the Tri-Cities legal community, and she is so highly regarded by her peers, so well respected, that she will have what it takes to command her courtroom from day one.” Mitchell served 18 years on the sevenmember local bench. He won his last term in 2020. The governor’s office announced his resignation on Jan. 3.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

DATEBOOK

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

MARCH 15

• Washington Policy Center’s On The Go virtual lunchtime series: Noon-1 p.m. Details at washingtonpolicy.org/events. • PNNL lecture, “Crafts Workers Support Scientific Mission Through Maintenance and Fabrication”: 5 p.m. via Zoom. Details at pnnl.gov/events. • City of Pasco Sylvester Street Safety Improvements Project Open House: 6-8 p.m., Pasco Police Department Community Room next to City Hall, 215 W. Sylvester St. Details at bit.ly/SylvesterSafety. • 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.

MARCH 17

• 22nd annual Cancer Crushing Fundraising Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Fairchild Cinemas in Kennewick, Richland and Pasco. Reservations are required. Call 509-737-3373. • Building Bridges networking event: 5:30-7:30 p.m., The Mayfield Gathering Place, 331 41st Ave., West Richland. Joint event with Benton City, West Richland, Pasco and Tri-Cities Hispanic chambers of

commerce. RSVP at 509-967-0521.

MARCH 18

• Washington Policy Center’s Policy Perspectives session: Noon-12:30 p.m. Get analysis and commentary on top issues affecting government locally and nationally Details at washingtonpolicy.org/ events. • Coffee with Karl: 9-10 a.m., webinar with president and CEO of TRIDEC Karl Dye and guest. Facebook.com/tcdevcouncil.

MARCH 19

• Children’s Developmental Center “Winter Fete” fundraiser: 5:30-11:30 p.m., Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. Tickets at childrensdevelopmentalcenter.org/ winefete.

MARCH 22

• Friends of Scouting Leadership Breakfast: 7:30 a.m., Pasco Red Lion, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Register at BlueMountainScouts.org/breakfast or 509-735-7306. • 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.

MARCH 23

• Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Monthly Membership Luncheon, “Retail’s Future in a post-pandemic Economy”: 11:30-1 p.m., Holiday Inn Richland on the River, 802 George Washington Way, Richland. Register at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events.

MARCH 24

• Port of Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m. Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission.

MARCH 25

• Historic Downtown Kennewick Network Banquet: 6-8 p.m., Zintel Creek Golf Course, 314 N. Underwood St., Kennewick. Details at historickennewick.org/calendar. • Virtual PTAC Workshop, “Laying the Groundwork: Basics of Government Contracting”: 10-11 a.m. Class is for small business owners who new to government procurement. Register at washingtonptac.ecenterdirect.com/ events. • Coffee with Karl: 9-10 a.m.,

webinar with president and CEO of TRIDEC Karl Dye and guest. Facebook.com/tcdevcouncil.

MARCH 29

• 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.

MARCH 31

• Ask the Experts: “Conquering Employee Burnout”: 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Details at web. tricityregionalchamber.com/events.

APRIL 1

• Historic Downtown Kennewick Network Zoom Breakfast: 8-9 a.m. Details at historickennewick.org/ network-breakfasts. • Coffee with Karl: 9-10 a.m., webinar with president and CEO of TRIDEC Karl Dye and guest. Facebook.com/tcdevcouncil. • Tri-Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce annual dinner: 6:30 p.m. social hour, 7-9 p.m. program/dinner, Red Lion Hotel, 2525 N. 20th Ave., Pasco. Hawaiian luau theme event. Cost is $60 a person. Go to: tchispanicchamber.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

OPINION OUR VIEW

And so ends year two of the pandemic. What’s next? By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

How fortuitous that our annual focus on the hospitality industry coincides with the end of our state’s mask mandate. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee lifted the mandate on March 12, in tandem with Oregon and California. Masks are no longer mandatory in most indoor settings, including schools, so the time seems right to get out and explore the Tri-Cities’ many and varied restaurants. We feature several in this month’s issue: Anthony’s at Columbia Point, Budd’s Broiler, Frost Me Sweet, Boiada Brazilian Grill, Dagupan Grill, Popular Donuts, Uncle Sam’s Saloon and the ones opening at the Summer’s Hub food truck pavilion later this spring. The anticipated May opening of The Public Market @ Columbia River Warehouse in downtown Kennewick also means more options, including fare from Columbia Industries’ Opportunity Kitchen. This month also notably marks the end of the second year of the pandemic. All signs (and low Covid-19 case rates) point to brighter times ahead, nicely coinciding with the arrival of spring. That said, not all businesses have weathered the trying times, and they continue to rely on our community’s support. The average Washington restaurant

has racked up more than $160,000 in debt during the pandemic, writes Anthony Anton, president and chief executive officer of the Washington Hospitality Association, in his column on page A18. It’s been a rough couple of years for many, from bleak bottom lines to job losses, from shaky mental health to the loss of loved ones. The picture is brightening, but the sailing is not smooth. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, staffing shortages, inflation, rising fuel prices and supply chain slowdowns mean business leaders laugh when asked to predict the future. Despite the challenges, business experts, employees and students were generally optimistic in the fifth annual business survey, conducted by Washington State University’s Carson College of Business. Dean Chip Hunter offers his take on the results and tips on adapting to changing expectations, particularly those from Gen Z, on page A23. These are turbulent and changing times, so we ask the community to practice patience and kindness with one another as we move into the third year of this pandemic. And as we like to chirp, please continue to support (and read) local.

Legislature missed unique opportunity for real tax relief Despite a mountain of money and bipartisan proposals to ease the state’s tax burden, legislators this year sidestepped their chance to provide Washington families and employers with meaningful, broad-based tax relief. Budget-writers in Olympia had a record budget surplus, providing the perfect opportunity to help ease the burden on employers and taxpayers across the state. In mid-February, state officials released the latest economic forecast and it showed revenue up again, this time to the tune of $2.8 billion. That was on top of multiple previous forecasts showing strong growth. Between the surging state treasury and a $2.1 billion drop in the cost of continuing services, lawmakers had a roughly $14 billion surplus to work with as they entered the final days of the legislative session, not counting billions in one-time federal relief funds and state reserves. All of this meant there was never a better time for budget-writers to be champions for the economy and to provide needed tax relief and support for Washington employers and employees as they face dramatic increases in the cost of gas and rising inflation throughout the economy. We’ve seen lawmakers in other states – both Democrats and Republicans – when presented with big budget surpluses, adopt a variety of tax cuts, so it’s especially disappointing that our lawmakers in Washington were so intensely focused on spending and couldn’t find a way to give back some of the surplus to allow employ-

ers to reinvest in their businesses and create jobs. The website Stateline reported that in Illinois, Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker wanted to freeze Kris Johnson the gas tax for Association of a year, suspend Washington grocery taxes Business for a year and GUEST COLUMN give property owners a refund up to $300. Lawmakers in New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Mississippi, Connecticut, New Mexico and Iowa, to name a few others, were also debating various forms of tax cuts. Here in Washington, lawmakers introduced tax relief bills this year. The proposals include Senate Bill 5957, which would have cut the business and occupation (B&O) tax for manufacturers roughly in half. Given unanimous passage last year of a bill calling on the state to double the manufacturing sector in Washington in 10 years, it would have been an especially timely move. “Now is the year to do it,” said the bill’s sponsor Sen. Mark Mullet, DIssaquah. Other tax relief proposals include Senate Bill 5932, would have reduced the state’s sales tax by a full 1%, and Senate uJOHNSON, Page A8

A St. Patrick’s toast and a challenge from clean, green Ireland When St. Patrick’s Day rolls around on March 17, the Irish will have lots to celebrate. Ireland is still clean and green. And now, it is spending $15 million to bring visitors back. Irish tourism officials are targeting the 35 million people living in the U.S. with Irish heritage. They are key to restoring Ireland’s $3 billion in precoronavirus yearly tourism revenue. Ireland is an island nation roughly one-third the size of Washington with 5 million people. It is no longer an agrarian country. Today’s Ireland attracts tourists, high tech companies and manufacturers from around the world. One of the keys to its economic growth is its low corporate tax rate of 12.5%, which is nine points lower than the 2017 tax cuts signed by President Donald Trump. Not only are lower taxes driving the Irish economy, but it is rated as the

world’s ninth most “economically free” economy based on an index created jointly by the Wall Street Journal and Heritage Foundation. Don C. Brunell Tourists Business analyst were flocking GUEST COLUMN to Ireland when the pandemic struck. In 2018, it welcomed nearly 10 million visitors. Irish Central reporter Mairead Geary wrote: “Ireland feels like a dear old friend.” Ireland prides itself on attractiveness. Good music, folklore and a friendly people are augmented by “Tidy Towns” with freshly painted buildings and no roadside litter. Just as in most urban areas, the Irish

have their share of street garbage in the inner cities and discarded needles from drug users; however, the Irish have some creative solutions worth considering. Business leaders have been integral to anti-litter cause. The Irish Business Against Litter sponsors annual competition between cities and towns. The group measures Ireland against other European Union nations. In 2017, it found that 88% of Irish communities were as clean as the European average and 10 of the 40 were among the “cleanest.” SuperValu, Ireland’s largest supermarket chain, sponsors the annual “Tidy Towns” competition. The winners receive cash and have their names engraved on trophies that are as coveted as hockey’s Stanley Cup. “Tidy Towns” was suspended for 2020. It restarted in 2021, with Super-

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Valu awarding about $284,000 to the winners. In Waterford where the famous Irish crystal is made, business and city leaders decided to sponsor “street art” competition. Rather than having old downtown buildings tagged with graffiti, they encouraged some of the world’s best spray-paint artists to come to Waterford Walls International Street Art Festival each August. Americans could learn from the Irish. Not only is Ireland a country which has lower taxes and is high on the economic freedom list, but it has fresh ideas to control litter, turn unwanted graffiti into attractive murals on dreary old buildings and revitalize country villages, towns and cities. According to Litter in America’s uBRUNELL, Page A8

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

JOHNSON, From page A7 Bill 5769, which would have eliminated the B&O tax for manufacturing, repealed the capital gains tax and offered significant property tax relief. While it’s true that the last two years have been good times for the state treasury and for some businesses, that’s by no means a universal experience. Some employers — especially small businesses — have experienced severe hardship. While some are recovering, they haven’t recovered. One of the few bright spots of the last two years is how well the state budget has fared during this time. This means that lawmakers had a unique opportunity to use a portion of the state’s surplus to help those who have been hardest hit and to

make smart investments that would have positioned the economy to really take off. Going into this year’s legislative session, Washington was on a three-year taxing streak that saw lawmakers raise 22 different taxes that will generate $40 billion over 10 years. It’s hard to imagine a better opportunity ahead than we had this legislative session to give something back to taxpayers and to be champions for the economy. Lawmakers had a chance to be champions for the economy. The opportunity was right in front of them, but unfortunately, they let it pass. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Kennewick selects new police chief

Kennewick has its first new police chief in decades. Former assistant Chief Chris Guerrero, a longtime member of the Kennewick Police Department, succeeded Chief Ken Hohenberg, effective March 1. Hohenberg, 66, retired from the city after more than 40 years in uniform, including nearly two decades as its chief. His successor joined the police department in 1996, serving first as a patrol officer and then rising in the ranks to field training officer, defensive tactics instructor, SWAT team

member, detective, patrol sergeant and more. He was promoted to commander in 2015. As division commander, he supervised investigations and patrol divisions and served as the Tri-City Regional SWAT Team commander and incident commander. He earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Spokane Community College and a bachelor’s in criminal justice and criminology from Washington State University. In 2016, he completed the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He was promoted again to assistant chief in July 2021, when Hohenberg announced his intent to retire in February 2022. A month later, he completed the Police Executive Research Forum, Senior Management Institute for Police Training in Orlando, Florida. The city has been preparing for the transition ever since. “The extensive strategic and transition planning efforts within the Kennewick Police Department have prepared us well for the future,” said Marie Mosley, city manager. “Assistant Chief Guerrero will continue the exceptional leadership needed to serve our organization and community at the highest level upon Chief Hohenberg’s retirement.” The new chief is also an active member of the Pasco-Kennewick Rotary Club and a United Way board member. BRUNELL, From page A7 fact sheet, litter cleanup costs us as estimated $11.5 billion each year and business pays about 80% of expenses. Annually, Americans collectively toss 250 million tons of wrappers, bottles, cans, cigarette butts, needles and bags of garbage. The Irish learned that not only do visitors want good entertainment and welcoming people, but they want uncluttered communities, shores, and country side as well. Families who migrate to Ireland to work for software, pharmaceutical, medical technology and financial services – the new Irish economy – not only want good jobs, safe streets and quality schools, but places to live which are clean and tidy. People in America share that goal. This St. Patrick’s Day, we may want to look to Ireland for innovative ways to make our country cleaner, greener and more prosperous. Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer and columnist. He recently 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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Ex-husband of state senator sued over bankruptcy debt By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A Tri-City executive is being sued in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by a creditor seeking more than $1 million for an outstanding loan balance, interest and legal fees. The case against Fraser S. Hawley, a developer and business leader who was married to state Sen. Sharon Brown, RKennewick, is set to go to trial May 9 in Yakima before Judge Whitman Holt. Hawley is being sued by MS Properties LLC and owner Michael Shemali, which is asking the court to determine if Hawley’s debt could be erased under U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Hawley filed to liquidate his assets under Chapter 7 in 2020, after he and Brown, who lived in Benton County, secured a divorce in Walla Walla Superior Court. The bankruptcy was discharged in March 2021. Shemali, along with Columbia Bank and J.P. Morgan Chase, were his top unsecured creditors. According to the complaint, Hawley and partner Thomas Arnold borrowed $500,000 from MS Properties in 2016. Later that year, Hawley told MS Properties he needed additional money and together with Arnold and Sorvevi Investment secured an additional $250,000 loan.

The suit does not identify the purpose of the loans. Hawley is the lone defendant. The plaintiff began making demands for repayment in July 2017. The outstanding balance, including interest and legal fees, stood at $1.09 million in January 2021, when the case reached federal court. The suit centers on allegations Hawley concealed assets that could have repaid the debt by getting divorced and transferring assets to his wife, which he disputes in response to the original complaint. According to the suit, Hawley was married to Brown when the notes were signed, and the couple had significant and

valuable assets. The suit claims the couple entered a “sham divorce” in which Hawley transferred assets to Brown and beyond the reach of the bankruptcy. The initial divorce decree was entered March 30, 2018. Hawley’s response notes the couple divorced in Walla Walla County in part because Brown is prominent in the TriCities by virtue of her position as a state senator representing the 8th Legislative District. Prior to that, she served on the Kennewick City Council. She is a nonpracticing attorney and member of the Washington State Bar, according to the bar directory. The suit alleges Hawley deliberately used the divorce to place assets out of reach of his creditors. Hawley countered that no assets were transferred. According to Hawley, the couple spelled out their separate and joint interests in a 2005 postnuptial agreement. The suit alleges Hawley and Brown continued to live together and share assets, including a home and funds. Hawley responded that the couple attempted to reconcile on several occasions and lived together at one point. The reconciliation failed and he lives with his son. In response to the suit, Hawley maintained there was no attempt to deceive and asks for the case to be dismissed and to be reimbursed for legal fees. MS Properties has requested a jury trial. It is represented by Lukins & Annis PC, a Spokane legal firm. Hawley is represented by Davidson Backman Medeiros PLLC, also of Spokane.

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Badger Club tackles public records at April meeting

The Columbia Basin Badger Club will discuss public records at its April meeting. Mike Fancher of the Washington Coalition for Open Government and former 16th District Rep. Terry Nealey will discuss the pros and cons of open public records in a session titled, “Public Record Abuses vs. Transparency.” The webinar is from noon to 1:30 p.m. April 21. Cost is $5 for nonmembers and free for members. Go to: cbbc.clubexpress.com.

Let’s Talk About Hanford session set for March 30

For the next edition of Let’s Talk About Hanford, learn about several Hanford cleanup facilities – the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LERF), Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF), and the 242-A Evaporator. The discussion, facilitated by the state Department of Ecology, is at 5:30 p.m. March 30 via Zoom or Facebook. State Nuclear Waste Program experts, including LERF/ETF Environmental Engineer and Permit Lead Amena Mayenna, and 242-A Evaporator Environmental Permit Lead Andrew Pomiak, are scheduled to speak. Get details on how to watch at bit.ly/ MarchHanfordtalk.

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Business community sighs with relief as Legislature wraps for 2022 By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-City business community is breathing easier as the 2022 Legislature concluded its work without passing bills some feared would add complexity and cost to operating in Washington. The regular session ended March 10 in a flurry of activity, including an agreement on a $64.1 billion supplemental budget. But it’s what didn’t happen that stands out. Lawmakers didn’t repair the unpopular payroll tax to support long-term care, but they kicked implementation off to 2023. An unpopular unemployment insurance rate hike was avoided too. Local leaders were relieved when an effort to bring back ergonomics regulations – repealed by voters in 2003 – failed. The proposal did make it to a second reading in the Senate and is expected to return in the future. But the reprieve at a time of economic uncertainty was welcome.

uBUSINESS BRIEF WPC announces keynote speakers for annual dinners

U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will give the keynote speeches at the annual dinners organized by the Washington Policy Center in Spokane and Bellevue, respectively. Gabbard, a former candidate for the democratic presidential nomination, will speak at the Sept. 16 event in Spokane. Pompeo will headline the Oct. 14 Bellevue event. Gabbard, who represents Hawaii, is a combat veteran who served in the Middle East and Africa. The Spokane event begins at 6 p.m.

“Thank heavens to Betsy,” said Stephanie Barnard, government and regulations director for the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. Lawmakers also dropped a bill that would have enabled private citizens to sue employers on the state’s behalf for potential violations of state laws pertaining to wages, safety, discrimination and more. The “qui tam” bill was nicknamed the “bounty hunter bill” by opponents. Local leaders cheered when lawmakers scrapped a 6 cents-a-gallon tax to help fund Move Ahead WA, the $17 billion transportation package. The proposal irked officials in Oregon and Alaska who threatened to retaliate. “The good news for business is the original version was going to start a trade war with neighbors,” said Jason Mercier, the Kennewick-based policy director for the Washington Policy Center, a nonprofit think tank. Instead, the transportation package will draw from the state public works account and the general fund. Border communities Sept. 16, at the Davenport Grand Hotel. Tickets are $250, with $500 VIP tickets also available. Go to: washingtonpolicy.org/events/ detail/2022-annual-dinner-in-spokane. As Secretary of State during the administration of former President Donald Trump, Pompeo worked on issues ranging from Chinese actions threatening jobs in the U.S. to peace in the Middle East. The Bellevue event begins at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. Tickets are $350 and $1,000 for VIP access. Go to: washingtonpolicy.org/events/ detail/2022-annual-dinner-in-bellevue. The Washington Policy Council is an independent, nonprofit think tank that promotes free-market solutions to public policy questions.

such as the Tri-Cities would have been in the crosshairs of trade disputes with neighboring Oregon. The package is good for Washington infrastructure, but Mercier and Barnard both lament that it doesn’t include many projects in Eastern Washington or the Tri-Cities. The Democrat-led initiative squeezed out Republican districts, both said. But they’re cheered that it includes money for multimodal improvements that will ease access to ports – a win for the Tri-Cities – and $3 billion for preservation and maintenance of highways and other infrastructure. Barnard said business and government leaders from the region testified during transportation package hearings, asking to have a voice in discussions, only to see even modest requests left out. “We voted on our six top priorities, spoke with one voice. It wasn’t loud enough,” she said. Lawmakers didn’t fix the WA Cares Fund, the long-term care insurance program. Employers were supposed to begin collecting payroll taxes from all workers this year, but Gov. Jay Inslee signed a temporary delay to iron out questions of portability and equity. The issues weren’t resolved, but tax collections are now delayed until 2023. Barnard said WA Cares affects employees and not businesses, but it generated significant questions from employers who weren’t sure if they should collect the tax or not. Mercier was particularly pleased to see

the Legislature drop House Bill 1076, the so-called bounty hunter bill. The proposed law would have allowed third parties to sue on behalf of state agencies if they believed employers were violating the state’s employee protection rules pertaining to wages, discrimination and more. Mercier said it could have led to open season on employers and reduced employers’ willingness to hire independent contractors. Barnard trumpeted several other wins, including tax preferences for data centers and two bills to facilitate apprenticeships. Mercier and Barnard both lamented that lawmakers didn’t offer significant tax breaks, despite being flush with higherthan-expected revenue. “There is no broad-based tax relief in the business community which is surprising considering how much revenue there is. If not now, they will never do it,” said Mercier, who has written extensively on the subject. Homebuilders eyeing single-family home zones were disappointed when the 2022 Legislature dropped Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Middle Housing” proposal to allow duplexes and townhomes in these zones. The proposal, supported by Washington Realtors, was part of the governor’s larger strategy to tackle homelessness and affordability by reducing the state’s housing deficit, estimated at 225,000 units. Inslee said he planned to bring it back in 2023 during a Feb. 22 visit to the Tri-Cities.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Reasons to reconsider the Roth IRA In the old days, the decision to fund a retirement account with pre-tax dollars (traditional IRA) or fund it with after-tax dollars (Roth IRA) often hinged on when a person predicted his income would be highest and thus the tax savings greatest. So, if a person thought his or her income was high now and would go down in retirement, then he might choose a traditional pre-tax retirement investment to save on taxes now. If a person thought income would be higher in retirement, then he may choose an after-tax retirement account to pay tax now but avoid it later when tax rates could be higher. Of course, either option offers an opportunity for tax savings. But the calculus has shifted in recent years and for me, the Roth is the clear winner in either scenario. To continue with the “old days” analysis for a moment, let’s say you are a high wage earner. As such, you see value in reducing your taxable income by contributing to a traditional IRA or 401(k) assuming that you will make less money after you retire. For the most financially successful individuals, this is often not the case as the earnings continue to accumulate and the now 65-year-old has amassed a fortune. Sometimes, the later reflection on the decision to make pre-tax contributions results in a statement like this: “I wish I had paid taxes when I was younger and at a lower tax bracket than I am now.” So, I propose that even the predictions of

tax savings aren’t well suited to the highest earning folks. Three additional realities now push the decision to consider paying Beau Ruff more tax now via Cornerstone contributions to Wealth Strategies Roth retirement GUEST COLUMN accounts: the estate tax, the income taxation of retirement accounts to heirs and the SECURE Act (Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act) of 2019.

Estate tax impact The Washington state estate tax is imposed on estates over $2.193 million. Keep in mind, the “estate” is made up of all your assets including life insurance proceeds (life insurance is generally not subject to income tax but is subject to estate tax). Because of the fact that many people carry hefty life insurance policies and the fact that Washington has not increased its estate tax exemption to keep pace with inflation, more Washingtonians are being subjected to the estate tax. A pre-tax asset (like a traditional IRA) artificially increases the size of the estate and thus it can increase the estate tax exposure.

uRUFF, Page A15

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Petersen Hastings shifts to a new generation of leadership By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Jeff Petersen retires on March 31 after more than 20 years as CEO of Petersen Hastings, the Tri-Cities wealth management firm established by his late father, Jim Petersen, in 1962. Scott Sarber a longtime member of the team and partner, steps up to the role of president and CEO. While Petersen said he intends to travel with his wife and continue his work on everything from cancer awareness to promoting bicycling, he has his next gig lined up: Tennis instructor at CBRC Heath & Wellness in Richland. It is a full circle for Petersen, who was the club’s first-ever head tennis pro in the mid-1980s. He joined what was then Benefits Northwest on Dec. 1, 1986, just one month after he had accompanied his father on a client call to Yakima. “The client kept saying over and over how my dad had helped them,” he said. “When you see somebody light up in gratitude for something that your father has been doing, it is contagious.” He brought a finance degree from Central Washington University and most of an accounting degree when he joined the firm as its sixth employee, a number that included his father and his father’s partner, Roger Hastings. He learned the ropes while attending night school, a harried experience that

left him with an appreciation for others who hustle to get ahead. His initial expectations were modest: Learn the job, bring home a paycheck to Jeff Petersen support his family and new mortgage, avoid making mistakes. “Not getting fired,” was a top goal. Taking over when his father retired wasn’t part of the plan or even something he could imagine in the early days, when the company was housed at the “flashcube” building at West Clearwater Avenue and Columbia Center Boulevard. His bosses were swamped while young Petersen felt uncomfortably idle. He craved more duties. “They were meeting with clients all the time, talking to clients all the time. A lot of activity in the office was to support the clients. You want to get into the mix but there’s a learning curve,” he recalled, joking that work soon flowed his way. “Be careful what you wish for!” Jim Petersen and Roger Hastings formed a partnership in the 1970s following a chance encounter on a tennis court at Columbia Basin College. Jim administered retirement plans and found himself being held accountable for investments he didn’t control. He wanted to take on the investment side and found a partner

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in Hastings, who worked in brokerage. Together, they launched an investment business that would eventually overtake Benefits Scott Sarber Northwest and lead to the 1998 rebrand to Petersen Hastings and the move to its current Quinault Place quarters. Jeff likes to say the company’s success rests in its secret sauce, Carol Harris, his father’s assistant since 1962. Hers was the first voice clients heard. Her interest in their lives and personal touch kept them coming back. She retired after 50 years and remains among its biggest cheerleaders. The friendly, caring approach remains baked into its business model, Petersen said. The firm serves clients across the Northwest, with many concentrated in Eastern Washington. Its job is simple, he said. Earn people’s trust by doing the right thing and avoiding mistakes. And no client is too big or small to overlook. “Whatever your net assets, your needs are complex because tax law changes, life changes, investment products change,” he said. Jeff said the two years since the Covid-19 pandemic began have been a blur of

Zoom meetings with clients asking if they have enough money to retire, or as he puts it, wondering if they can afford to stop doing what they’re not enjoying doing. “We’ve retired a lot of people,” he said. His own choice to retire is less about Petersen and more about Sarber and the crew he’s developed over the years. “A CEO’s job isn’t to determine when they want to retire. It’s to determine when the next in line is ready. In this case, I was very fortunate. I wanted to let the team take over,” Jeff said. Stepping out created an opportunity for his team members to advance. It allowed the firm to keep talented workers who might have been tempted to leave for other opportunities. Sarber joined the firm in the mid1990s, coming from another Eastern Washington brokerage he’d joined fresh out of college. He had been shaken by an experience with a manager who, after learning his wife had booked an expensive vacation, made a few swift calls to clients and covered the cost by selling stocks on commissions. It was not an approach he enjoyed. He met Jeff through his father-in-law, who was a client. He soon found himself joining a firm that charges clients a flat fee rather than commissions. Jeff remembers being impressed by the newcomer, calling Sarber one of five or fewer people he instantly knew he needuPETERSEN, Page A15

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 RUFF, From page A12 A Roth account, on the other hand, has already been taxed and thus reduces the amount of the estate subject to the estate tax and can even reduce the marginal tax bracket for the estate. And, as Washington has the highest estate tax rates in the country, avoiding those higher brackets can be important. As a reminder, the estate tax starts at 10% of assets above $2.193 million and can go as high as 20%. The problems are compounded for those where the IRA causes the estate to rise above the threshold for federally taxable estates and can incur taxes as high as 40%. Note that an heir of an IRA may be able to claim an income tax deduction on their individual income tax return for estate taxes paid.

“Step-up” challenges Not all assets are equally valuable to your heirs. At present, all assets in your estate are entitled to a “step-up” in tax basis at death, except for retirement accounts. Having a high tax basis is a good thing – it reduces the income tax attributable to the asset for your heirs. For Roth retirement accounts, the lack of step-up in tax basis is irrelevant – distributions to heirs from Roth are tax free. But, for the traditional IRA, it can be a significant and complex consideration for how best to distribute assets of your estate fairly to your heirs because those that receive more of the traditional IRA will pay more (maybe much more) in income

PETERSEN, From page A13 ed to hire even if there wasn’t a position open. Sarber began as an account representative and remembered the mentor relationship that gave him his start in the firm. “Jeff didn’t hand me a phone book and say, ‘Make calls.’ He led me to clients. He got me networked in,” he said. As Jeff steps back into “ambassador” mode, he leaves a firm with seven partner/owners, 22 full-time employees, one part-timer, locations in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla and a little more than $1 billion under management. His son, Matthew Petersen, represents the next generation of the family, serving as senior wealth advisor and chief compliance officer. Sarber praised his former boss’s record of managing through stock market tumult, tax reform and a partnership that extended its reach. “We’re constantly growing. Part of that legacy of Jim and then Jeff Petersen is deep client relationships,” he said. “People stay with us. Our retention ration is 99% plus.” In 2021, the firm added a digital platform to extend its reach to digital-savvy investors who are just beginning to accumulate assets. GrowWealth Digital Strategies is separate from Petersen Hastings and offers access to traditional investment tools with professional management for a small fee. Go to: Growwealthds.com.

tax than those that receive other assets.

Eroding benefits In 2019, Congress passed the SECURE Act which eroded the benefits available to those who inherited a traditional IRA. With limited exception, it curtailed the time under which the funds in a traditional IRA had to be withdrawn by the beneficiary. A byproduct of the quicker withdrawal rate is the reality of larger yearly distributions – which then mean higher marginal tax bracket exposure. In general, all assets in a traditional IRA must be withdrawn within 10 years. Before the SECURE Act, a beneficiary might be able to spread the withdrawals (and the related income tax) out for many decades.

By shortening the timeframe to 10 years, the SECURE Act increased the likelihood that the beneficiary will pay a higher marginal tax rate on the distributions. Here again, this penalty does not apply to Roth accounts.

High-balance traditional IRAs Given the challenges presented by traditional IRAs, many people are finding alternative ways to utilize the funds. Of course, a person can work to convert the traditional IRA over time to a Roth IRA. The necessary result is that the conversion causes the amount converted to be included in taxable income for that year and thus increases the tax burden. That additional tax burden can sometimes be offset with other tax planning

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strategies. Some people, recognizing the tax implications their heirs will encounter when inheriting traditional IRAs, are utilizing those assets for charitable purposes instead. So, instead of giving 10% of the entire estate to a charity, they might instead direct the totality of just the IRA to charity. A contribution like that would effectively eliminate the estate tax associated with the value of the IRA and the charity would not have to pay income tax on the amount withdrawn (a benefit of being a qualified charity). 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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HOSPITALITY

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Women take helm at the Richland waterfront we did, and I think we’ve done very well with it, honestly,” she said. McDonald said business has been steadily improving, as people seem to be excited to dine out again. “We ended up with more guests coming through. People discovered us. Maybe it had to do with some restaurants still weren’t open and there were limited choices,” she said. Bell said finding quality employees hasn’t been a challenge at Anthony’s because the pandemic prompted the hospitality workforce to be pickier about where they wanted to work. “In the Tri-Cities, I feel like we’re a premier place and we’re known in the industry for that, and people want to work here,” she said.

By Kristina Lord

publisher@tcjournal.biz

The women overseeing two popular waterfront restaurants in Richland didn’t intend for their jobs to become their careers. Kassandra Bell of Anthony’s at Columbia Point, earned a degree in psychology (which comes in handy interacting with staff and guests), and Cara McDonald of Budd’s Broiler spent two decades in real estate (making her savvy in sales and marketing). In November 2021, the women were promoted to general managers at their respective restaurants. Both are owned by Seattle-based Anthony’s Restaurants, which has a mission of promoting women to leadership roles. Of Anthony’s 26 restaurants, seven are led by women. Women also make up 48% of Anthony’s “front of house” management, said Amy Burns, company president. The term is used to describe all the work outside the kitchen. Burns, the daughter of founder Budd Gould (namesake of Budd’s), is a driving force behind women in leadership roles in the company. She points to data from the National Restaurant Association that shows more than half of the restaurants in the U.S. have women as full owners or co-owners, with 45% in the role of restaurant managers. That statistic is higher than the percentage of female managers in other industries (38%). “We believe in promoting from within and have done a lot of rebuilding since Covid hit the industry. Both Cara and Kassandra in Richland are strong leaders who were more than ready for these roles,” Burns said. The women stepped into their new positions when their longtime general manager, Mike Tvedt, became an operations manager, overseeing eight Anthony’s restaurants, most in the South Sound. He opened Anthony’s at Columbia Point in 2004 and led it – and Budd’s when it opened in 2015 – for

Photo by Kristina Lord Kassandra Bell, general manager at Anthony’s at Columbia Point, 550 Columbia Point Drive, stands inside the dining area at her Richland restaurant. She has been working at the restaurant for 17 years and was promoted to general manager in November. “I have the prettiest office in the world,” she said.

17 years. Bell and McDonald share many of the same goals in running their restaurants: providing guests with a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere and serving the freshest food. And when they get it right, something magical happens, McDonald said. “There are nights when I’m in here and the restaurant is full, and the staff is completely on point, and it just has this happy glow and buzz and sound about it. As a general manager, it’s just like, ‘We did it, we’ve done it.’ I get chills just even thinking about it,” she said.

Stable staff Bell oversees a staff of 57, most of them full-timers. As the weather warms and Anthony’s patio beckons with its view of the Columbia River, the ranks swell to 80 employees. McDonald’s team numbers about 35, many of them longtime employees.

“They don’t look at this as a job, but as a career choice. They thrive on knowledge and training and guest service and hospitality. In my opinion, they’re the best in the business,” she said. The pandemic shutdowns hit the restaurant industry hard. Budd’s, a happy hour- and dinner-only restaurant, closed, while Anthony’s partially opened to offer to-go orders. “It didn’t make sense as a company to have both of them open,” McDonald said. During the shutdown, McDonald worked to keep her team connected with calls, texts and parking lot tailgate parties. “I guess I’m the restaurant mom,” she said. The strategy worked. About 90% of her employees returned when Budd’s fully reopened. The closure served as a reset of sorts, McDonald said. “It’s always been a company of high standards and five-star service, but it really allowed us to focus on that as a team. And

Rising through the ranks Bell said building relationships with customers is best part of the job: “I really think that’s what makes us different.” “You get the chance to be a part of people’s traditions and memories. People that come here every single Easter with their families, and you get to see their kids grow up and their grandkids grow up.” Instead of pursuing a counseling career after earning a psychology degree in 2014, Bell, 34, opted to double down at the restaurant, as it proved to be a good fit schedulewise for her young family. The Columbia-Burbank High graduate said she grew up at Anthony’s, starting there as a second job in 2005. Her first gig, there T.S. Cattle Co. in Kennewick, was as a busser, hostess and expediter (the person who makes sure everything on the plates is correct before it is served.) She got her first management position at Anthony’s in 2018. “I kind of rose through the ranks, became a lead, which is the person who greets and organizes table seatings,” she said. She continued to work her way up – to banquet serving, lunch serving, dinner serving and supervising a few nights week. Bell said being named Budd’s general uANTHONY’S, Page A25

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HOSPITALITY

Hospitality sector facing significant headwinds As I write this, the state is preparing to roll back Covid-19 mandates: Masks are coming off, spring is in the air, and there’s a sense of a promise to return to (something like) normal. The hospitality industry has been waiting for this moment for two years, and so have the customers we serve. Hospitality businesses are where community happens: We gather with friends to share a meal in restaurants, we explore our state and find new favorite getaways with the help of hotels, and we raise a glass to celebrate at local pubs. All of these businesses are part of the cultural fabric of our communi-

ties. We’ve all been deprived of community in various ways throughout the pandemic, and now we’re ready to return. As exciting as Anthony Anton it is, the industry Washington Hospitality is facing signifiAssociation cant headwinds GUEST COLUMN – and they are often invisible to guests. You might wait 45 minutes for a table at a packed restaurant down-

town on a Friday, then drive by on the following Tuesday and it will be closed permanently. Or your favorite hotel that you’ve been visiting for years might suddenly be up for sale. How could that happen? Surviving a pandemic is a testament to the creativity and grit of every single hospitality business in the state. The average Washington restaurant has more than $160,000 in debt from the pandemic alone. Restaurants have such thin profit margins. This means it would take the average establishment more than three years without taking any income to recover those losses.

Local, state and federal relief programs certainly helped – but not everyone got the help they needed. More than half of the restaurants that applied for the federal Restaurant Relief Fund (RRF) did not get any money before the fund ran out. Our Washington congressional delegation has been trying to add funding to the program, but we don’t know what will happen yet. Thankfully, the 2022 Legislature included $100 million in “bridge” funding in its budget to help struggling restaurants cover their bills until RRF funding comes through. Hotels suffered even more. To date, there has been no targeted federal relief for hotels. That means when hotels sat nearly empty for much of the pandemic, they continued to accrue debt without any assistance. And then there’s the labor shortage. Nearly every industry has experienced a shortage of workers during the pandemic, and hospitality is no exception. This has meant many restaurants have had to cut hours, and hotels may have to reduce room availability – both things that cut further into their bottom line. It’s stark news, but we are hopeful for a strong recovery. The health of the hospitality industry in Washington goes far beyond the importance of saving local businesses. For every dollar spent in hospitality, 96 cents goes directly back into the community to pay workers, purchase goods and pay utilities. This helps support even more local businesses and families. In fact, one of the best ways we can support our state’s recovery from the pandemic is to travel locally, dine out, and support our local hospitality businesses. We’ve made it through the worst of the pandemic, hospitality businesses are still reeling from the last two years, and we have several years before we will likely be back to full health as an industry. But we can all help, and no huge sacrifice is required: Every time you dine at your favorite restaurant, stay at a local Washington hotel, or support your favorite local drinking establishment, you’re helping those businesses recover, and helping the rest of the state, too. Anthony Anton is president and chief executive officer of the Washington Hospitality Association.

NEWS TIPS? We want to hear from you Email tips to info@tcjournal.biz.

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Hospitality industry is on the rebound, but how much is still unknown By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Michael Novakovich, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, is looking forward to May, which is when the tourism agency he leads expects to finalize the economic impact of tourism on the local economy in 2021. After a pandemic-battered showing in 2020, signs of revival will be welcome news to an industry that posted a record $496 million in revenue in 2019. Until the final numbers are out, Novakovich is happy to highlight interim trends, such as a 12% increase in hotel revenue and a 21% increase in Revenue Per Average Room, or RevPAR, a common industry metric. The 2021 figures will show a sharp, if not full, recovery over 2020, when tourism spending fell a whopping 30% to $345 million because of pandemic shutdowns. “2020 was a tough pill to swallow,” said Novakovich. Novakovich credits leisure travelers for the revival. Business travel remains depressed and isn’t expected to return before 2024. Novakovich said he’s grateful for the interest from visitors in the four major “drive” markets, the urban areas within driving distance – Seattle, Spokane, Boise and Portland. Seattle and Portland have long been major sources of wine and related tourism. Aggregated shopping data indicates Spo-

Michael Novakovich

kane is a greater source than local officials believed, opening new opportunities to market the area. “It’s weather, water, wine. There’s so many opportunities in

that,” he said. Surveys of visitors in drive markets and places served by direct flights indicated they travel here for outdoor activities. Dining is a growing area, as is STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – tourism. Visit Tri-Cities has embraced the STEM mission and markets the area’s STEM assets, such as the Manhattan Project National Park to science-minded guests. “Leisure travel was probably our saving grace because of all the wonderful things we offer in the Tri-Cities – like outdoor space,” he said. Sports and tournaments have been a particularly bright spot for the region, with events quickly picking up in spring of 2021 and building in 2022. In June, the National Softball Association will bring 115 teams to town. “June is going to be very exciting,” he said. The meetings business remains a challenge, but there are several events on the books. From April 18-22, TBEX North America 2022 will bring 300 travel blog-

gers that will bring hard-to-buy publicity. Local businesses can support the message and interact with the writers by using the TBEX hashtag: #TBEXTricities! all month. May brings the 92nd Washington FFA Convention, expected to generate $700,000 in spending. The uptick is welcome, but there’s a challenge that’s familiar to all hiring managers: Staffing. Hotel revenue is on the rise, but hoteliers are competing for staff with higher wages, pressuring profits. Staffing will continue to dog the industry, thanks to competition for workers from newcomers such as Amazon Inc. and Darigold Inc., two companies developing massive new facilities in Pasco that will employ thousands. The Amazons, Darigolds and others offer welcome job opportunities, but for the hospitality sector, Novakovich said it means businesses may have to operate with leaner staffs. “It will be a challenging space for a while,” he said. One of the biggest developments in hospitality is the arrival of a Portland company, Fortify Developments, which has bought several properties with the intent to convert them to microapartments. Several projects are underway, taking rooms out of the inventory. Two of Fortify’s conversion projects were slowed when the company was unable to purchase the sites they sit on. The

city of Richland not only refused to sell the land under the Riverfront Hotel (formerly the Shilo Inn), it warned Fortify against operating it as apartments, saying that it would violate the terms of its land lease. The Port of Kennewick refused to sell Fortify the land under the Clover Island Inn but signaled that it is amenable to seeing the property renovated and possibly converted. Novakovich said not all the conversions are welcome. Some of the converting properties have much-needed conference and meeting space. “When we lose the meeting space, that’s our biggest concern. We already have less meeting space than our competitors,” he said. The former Best Western Columbia River Hotel and Conference Center, 1515 George Washington Way, Richland, is a telling example. Recently renovated, its conference space and indoor swimming pool made it a hit with sports teams. Visit Tri-Cities loved having it in its inventory. In the long term, the conversions signal developer confidence in the Tri-Cities, he said, meaning the old hotels will be replaced by new. “We get more inventory. New inventory is a great thing,” he said. For more about Visit Tri-Cities and its suite of tools to help residents and visitors learn about local offerings, go to: visittricities.com.

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$700

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sales in 2019 were about $93 million; a year later, $50 million. In recent work on the TriCities’ economy for the Port of D. Patrick Jones Kennewick, Eastern EWU’s Institute Washington has compiled University quarterly details GUEST COLUMN of the hospitality industry. This designation combines the food and beverage sector with accommodations. Measured by the percentage drop in the second quarter of 2020, hospitality in the two counties fared nearly the worst in the local economy. In those three months, employment dropped 29% from the same quarter in 2019, total wages sank by 30% and sales slid by 39%. The sector where numbers dipped even further was arts, entertainment and recreation. Yet a year later, the landscape for hospitality firms was much greener. Employment in the second quarter of rose 35% over the prior year. This still didn’t bring the sector back to 2019 levels. Total wages paid, however, was a different matter. In the second quarter of 2021, the sector’s wage bill skyrocketed by 63% over the same quarter

Spending Per Capita

As we might suspect from our own travel, tourism took a huge hit in 2020. The Benton-Franklin Trends metric on direct travel and tourism spending makes this painfully clear. Total estimated spending in the two counties plunged from about $496 million to $345 million, or a drop of 30%. What has been affected? According to Tourism Economics, by way of the Washington State Tourism Alliance, retail spending was the largest category by visitors to the greater Tri-Cities, just a bit ahead of food and beverage. Accommodations ranked third, while entertainment and recreation spending landed in fourth place. Since there is no turnstile at the county borders where people declare themselves residents or visitors, readily accessible data from the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR) mixes both resident and visitor spending, with one exception – accommodations, where the bulk of the industry’s revenue stems from visitors. Tourism Economics uses multiple sources of data, including surveys, likely national ones, that are assumed to hold locally. The Trends doesn’t track tourism spending categories separately, except for accommodations. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the spending at hotels and motels in the greater TriCities took a plunge similar to overall estimated tourism spending. Reported

Direct Tourism Spending (millions)

Visitor spending continues its recovery but will still be below 2019 levels

Benton & Franklin Counties - Direct Spending (millions) Benton & Franklin Counties - Direct Spending Per Capita Washington State - Direct Spending per Capita

Courtesy Benton-Franklin Trends

in 2020. That put the level above the same quarter in 2019. Taxable retail sales rose at an even dizzier pace, by 79% over the same quarter 2020. That also put them above 2019 levels. So the quarterly data points to a V-shaped recovery in hospitality in the two counties. At least for the snapshot taken in midyear of 2021. We won’t have access to the third quarter results for another two weeks and the fourth quarter results until mid-summer. It is this writer’s hunch that the

second half of 2021 was not nearly as robust as the second quarter for all industries impacted by tourism. First is mathematics: the drop in the third and fourth quarters of 2020 was not nearly as deep as in the second quarter – so there wasn’t as much ground to reclaim. A second reason is the sensitivity of tourism-related businesses to the strength of the virus. Case counts of Covid-19 in the two counties were much higher in the second half of 2021 than in the first half. For the service portions of tourism – accommodations, food and beverage, as well as entertainment and creation – the high rates likely led to a renewed reluctance to travel and for residents to avail themselves of the offerings of these firms. Is help on the way for the beleaguered hospitality industry in 2022? Absolutely. Will the rebound bring back activities to pre-pandemic levels? The odds point against this. In its national outlook for 2022, the National Restaurant Association predicts that spending will slightly exceed 2019 levels. It reports, however, that 40% of its operators think that it will take a year more than another year to return to “normal.” That may well reflect the employment forecast: average national employment is seen to be half a million, or about 3%, below 2019 levels. Further, as we’ve observed locally, wages have pushed dramatic new highs. And the accommodations industry? The “State of the Hotel Industry Report,” from the American Hotel and Lodging Association, paints an even greater delay. “The travel outlook for 2022 is trending positively, but continuing volatility is expected, with full recovery years away,” it stated. Leisure travel is seen as re-attaining 2019 levels, barring another omicronlike outbreak. Business travel, however, is still expected to be considerably below 2019 levels. Virtual work and meetings have had their impact. uJONES, Page A23

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WSU Study: Workplace culture can hurt, or help, with staffing issues By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A gaming lounge at Columbia Center is closed with a handwritten note in the window: Closed because of staffing issues. It’s one small sign that the Great Resignation is in full force in the Tri-Cities, disproportionately affecting the hospitality and visitor sector. As Michael Novakovich, CEO of Visit Tri-Cities reports, local hotels have struggled to hire staff as tourism revives, leaving them to get by with leaner crews. The Great Resignation is no passing fad. How businesses adapt will guide future success, said Chip Hunter, dean of Washington State University’s Carson College of Business The school completed its 2022 Business in the Northwest report, a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities ahead. The survey of 1,000 Northwest business leaders, employees and Gen Z employees about the state of the economy was conducted in late 2021, before the omicron variant took hold. But Hunter said it offers a telling view into the mindset of business leaders in what seem to be the pandemic’s JONES, From page 22 It is unlikely that the greater TriCities will escape these predicted trajectories. That doesn’t mean, however, that 2022 will not bring revenues close to or exceeding 2019 levels in most industries that support tourism. That’s the benefit of a rapidly growing population. On the other hand, among all Eastern Washington counties, the greater Tri-Cities has suffered the highest Covid-19 case rate, along with Yakima.

waning days. Key takeaways include the new challenge of finding employees. The latest incarnation is the fifth annual report, and after two years of uncertainty, the 2022 version identified the challenges posed on competing for talent, of working from home and the impact that changing work environments is having on the youngest professionals, the Gen-Zers. “We saw a lot of consistency area by area. One of the things that’s interesting is the commonality across the Northwest: optimism, a shared sense of what the challenges are. Even by town and industry, there’s some very powerful common themes,” he said. According to the survey, nearly 70% of business leaders want to create more jobs but aren’t confident there will be enough qualified employees to fill them. Carson said employers will do well to listen to Gen-Z concerns. Four in five said diversity, equity and inclusion is a “must have” in the workplace and they will seek out employers whose values align with their own. In a related finding, the survey identified a tension younger workers feel

about remote working, feeling cut off from opportunities but appreciating the sustainability of working from home. Nearly 70% of younger Chip Hunter workers said they feel they are “behind” coworkers and peers because they haven’t had a traditional in-office or onsite work experience. He likened the tension to university students who ask for in-person classes, then look for the option to attend by

Zoom. The survey found that three in four workers feel safe returning to work in person. That could have implications for industries that don’t lend themselves to remote work, including hotels and restaurants. “If you’re looking for a driver of the Great Resignation, a large share of folks aren’t comfortable coming back to those types of jobs,” he said. Employers can compete for talent by developing value systems that draw in prospective workers. “Don’t miss this boat,” he said. Go to: business.wsu.edu/bnw-2022.

k c a b e r ’ e W indoors!

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As Washington state relaxes Covid-19 protocols, let’s hope that this distinction fades.  D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. BentonFranklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

Tuesday, April 19 9 a.m. − 3 p.m. Free admission Numerica Pavilion at Southridge Sports & Events Complex 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick • Visit booths to learn about products, services and ideas for better senior living. • For more information, call (509) 737-8778 or visit srtimes.com. Brought to you by: Fleur de’ Lis I-IV

Covid policy: Attendees of the Senior Times Expo will be required to adhere to any and all Covid-related requirements, mandates, and/or laws established by the Numerica Pavilion at Southridge Sports & Event Center, and the City of Kennewick, and Benton County, and the State of Washington in effect on the date of the Senior Times Expo, including but not limited to mask wearing, showing proof of vaccination, and/or otherwise. Should attendees refuse to follow these requirements, mandates, and/or laws, they will need to leave the premises immediately and are not eligible for re-entry.

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HOSPITALITY ANTHONY’S, From page A17 manager in April 2021 was a good move as it gave her a chance to manage people she didn’t know. “I grew up in this restaurant,” she said, gesturing to Anthony’s dining room. “They all know me. The regulars all know me. I know the menu like the back of my hand. It was a challenge.” After seven months at Budd’s, she stepped in to oversee Anthony’s, and McDonald stepped up at Budd’s.

Raised in restaurants McDonald, 57, grew up in the Tri-Cities, graduating from Richland High. Her parents owned Fran’s Place on Lee Boulevard. The mom-and-pop restaurant is now a tire store next door to Mandarin House in Richland. Her dad was a line cook, known for his buttermilk pancakes and homemade cinnamon rolls, and her mom was a waitress. She and her sister grew up in the kitchen. In high school, she worked at the A&W restaurant, also on Lee, and got her first serving job at the Shilo Inn, then King’s Table. She even owned her own restaurant for five years, Grill on Gage, across from Costco in Kennewick. She closed it about eight years ago to spend more time with family. “I got my master’s degree at that restaurant,” she laughed. McDonald spent most of her career – 23 years – in residential real estate, primarily in new construction. She interviewed for Budd’s front house manager position in 2017, though she really wanted to be a server. But her personality and skill set always led her to manager roles. Seasonal fare It’s no secret local chefs love to get their hands on the freshest ingredients. And for Anthony’s Restaurants, it’s a core belief. The restaurant group operates its own seafood company, flying fresh fish to Pasco several times a week. “They call us when it gets there. The head chef or sous chefs typically pick it up and bring it back and process it all, cutting and portioning it,” said Bell, explaining the kitchen has a cut shift every day to skin, fillet and process the fish. McDonald and Bell relish their longterm relationships with local farms. Budd’s lamb comes from Martinez Farms outside Pasco. LoveJoy Farms of Eltopia supplies strawberries. Ice cream comes from Country Mercantile in Pasco. Peaches come from Douglas Fruits in Pas-

co and asparagus from Middleton Six Sons Farms in Pasco. “We get a lot of farmers in because they know what we offer is seasonal. We’re serving things at peak freshness, which is what they believe in,” Bell said. The beer comes from Washington breweries, including Kennewick’s Ice Harbor Brewing. All the wine – save the Oregon pinots – is from Washington. “It’s kind of unique for us when people ask, ‘What do you have from Napa Valley?’ and we say, ‘Nothing.’ ‘What do you have from New Zealand?’ ‘Nothing,’ ” Bell said. Bell said a bonus of running a restaurant in the heart of the state’s wine country is that her team gets to know local winery staff and can share personal stories with customers.

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Photo by Kristina Lord

Cult favorites Cara McDonald, general manager at Budd’s Broiler, stands in front of a popular Anthony’s answers calls throughout the painting for selfies in the restaurant’s entryway at 450 Columbia Point Drive. “We year from people wanting to know when just want to become the hometown favorite steakhouse,” she said. certain fish arrive. with optimism. We are projecting growth. “The sturgeon has a cult following,” Bell lowing. “It’s house-ground beef, spicy Italian said. We are really focusing on who we are and People who love crab cakes adore An- sausage and topped with chipotle barbecue being ready for that additional growth. We thony’s version. “We’re also one of the sauce. It’s got a nice spice to it,” McDonald are optimistic about tourism in the Tri-Citonly places that serves crab cakes that are said. “It does have a cult following. People ies,” she said. all crab, no fillers. They have their own cult love our meatloaf. It’s always on the menu. So are Bell and McDonald. “I love that following. People who love crab cakes be- It’s one of our staples.” there is so much family feeling between the Guests also love Budd’s wild-caught come connoisseurs of crab cakes,” she said. Then there’s oyster (the restaurant’s oys- walleye with its sweet potato crust and two restaurants and that we get to stand up ter festival featuring all kinds of varieties mustard butter, pork chops with fresh gin- in the community together,” Bell said. and preparations runs through March) and ger sauce and fruit compote, and crispy Though the general managers’ restaucalamari (“You see it in reviews as the best halibut seasons. rants are a five-minute walk from each oth“In the Tri-Cities, we’re the only restau- in town,” McDonald said.). Lane Hoss, vice president of operations er, it’s usually after work on their commute rant that serves a lot of these things,” Bell for Anthony’s Restaurants, envisions a home that they catch up on the day’s events. said. At Budd’s, the most popular steak is top bright future for the Richland restaurants. “We have a standing drive home meeting,” sirloin, and its meatloaf has a devoted fol- “I think our theme going forward is leading Bell said.

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Food truck pavilion targets spring opening

Developer to place his own restaurant at food court’s center

a section of the 178-stall parking lot dedicated to produce vendors for a seasonal farmers market. Corbin expects the site to be open every day of the week and include special events to continually draw customers in, like an Octoberfest, taco truck contests, a wine takeover, paint night, trivia night, and even yoga on summer weekend mornings. “The goal would be every day there’s something happening that brings people to The Hub,” he said. The Hub will be at 6481 W. Skagit Ave. in Kennewick, next door to Chuck E. Cheese, which is managed by Corbin and owned by his parents. He expects to share overflow parking with the pizza arcade, allowing each to use the other’s spaces if needed.

By Robin Wojtanik

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

First stop – Kennewick. Followed by the remainder of the Tri-Cities, every college town, and then the rest of America. Chris Corbin’s dream for his food truck pavilion has no bounds – and why should it? He’s already overcome a huge obstacle by cementing private financing for the $3.5 million development after getting turned down by every bank he asked. He finally broke ground on his passion project in late January and is planning a late spring opening. “Supplies come and go, so you never know, but we are targeting May 19,” Corbin said. When his vision comes to fruition, Summer’s Hub, or “The Hub,” will include a 7,000-square-foot building with a Brady’s Brats & Burgers at the center. It will be the second location for the fast casual restaurant that first opened in Sandy, Oregon. Corbin owns Brady’s, which will offer communal seating for those who patronize its counter service or one of the expected 28 food trucks parked around the building with an overhanging roof for customers to place orders while protected from the elements. “It will have mostly picnic-style bench seating but possibly some tables and chairs

Courtesy Chris Corbin

Chris Corbin, far right, stands with his family, from left, parents John and Kathy and wife Jennifer Corbin, at the site of his $3.5 million development at 6481 W. Skagit Ave. in Kennewick, adjacent to Chuck E. Cheese, where he plans to welcome dozens of food trucks in one location.

as well,” Corbin said. “I want to go for family style, so groups of six can still sit together. This town is a food truck town and some people don’t know it.” Corbin said he elaborated on the original design found at Happy Valley Station near Portland, with help from the Happy Valley owner, who opened her site in 2015. While others have sprung up since, including The Yard Food Park in Salem, Oregon, “they don’t have my vision,” Corbin said. “Those places are fantastic, but it’s a

little cramped at times. There’s not a lot of outdoor seating, the parking lot is teeny, and these things can affect your experience as a consumer. I want you to come back with your family, including your grandma who’s never been to a food truck because there’s no handicapped parking, they’re not safe, and there’s no air conditioning. I wanted to solve all that and then some.” Some of the extras offered at Summer’s Hub, named for Corbin’s daughter, include a stage for concerts, outdoor seating, plus

A gathering place The 3 acres were once owned by the Kennewick Irrigation District and purchased for $500,000. Corbin thinks foot traffic from the nearby playfields, car dealership and retail along West Canal Drive will put business “over the moon.” He expects car clubs and other groups will find this the perfect venue to gather. “There’s so many different groups and every group needs a place, and we’re opening our arms to them. It’s safe, casual and right in the heart of town,” he said. Food trucks will lease their spots, likely to be $1,200 a month for a one-year tenancy with discounts available for those who commit prior to the pavilion’s opening. uTHE HUB, Page A28

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THE HUB, From page 27 The price will include everything except natural gas, which means security, pest control and more. Corbin recognizes the setup isn’t for every owner, as they’ll have to abide by operating rules and must be open about eight hours a day, seven days a week, in the same way a food court is always open at a mall. “People expect when they go (to the mall), Sbarro or Ivar’s will be open.” He believes the structure is necessary for the success of the greater good. “One of the problems with food trucks is, you go to your favorite place, and it’s closed, or it’s gone. I’m going to overcome that,” Corbin said. “I’m only looking for long-term leases. It’s not a place where you just come in for the weekend, and the next

FOOD & WINE

weekend you cater a wedding. It’s not for everybody, but I think people will do so much business, they’ll buy a second food truck just for wedding season.”

KC’s Biscuits and BBQ wants in Charlotte Williams sees all of this as a huge draw and contacted Corbin as soon as she heard about the project, including her name among the 40 on the waiting list. “I’m all over it. I want to be in there in the worst way,” she said. The owner and pit master of KC’s Biscuits and BBQ said she currently pays a similar price as The Hub’s rates for her spot in the parking lot of Bella’s Furniture at 7425 W. Clearwater Ave. She’s just as effusive about the project as Corbin: “I contacted him immediately the moment I heard about it.” Nearing her one-year anniversary of

Courtesy Chris Corbin Summer’s Hub will offer picnic-style communal seating, making it an ideal spot for large groups to meet and sample food from dozens of food trucks, said owner Chris Corbin.

opening in early May, Williams feels the timing is right to change locations and believes her regular customers will follow. “I’m more prepared for a busier spot than

I would have been a year ago. Right now, we’re not on their destination, but with this, people are already on their way to Best Buy, a car dealership or the baseball fields that don’t always have concessions open,” she said. KC’s will remain at its spot outside Bella’s until June and expects to be part of the Summer’s Hub launch. While Williams is familiar with a longterm lease that keeps her in the same location, Corbin recognizes many mobile proprietors have a hard time finding a consistent place to serve customers, and even when they do, there are drawbacks. “People are going to get tons more foot traffic than they would behind a car wash. It’s got better security than the car wash, where your compressor is stolen every other week. There’s often no parking and nowhere for customers to eat,” he said. Williams’ setup would require a special spot for the size of her truck and a pit for smoking meat, but her truck is also one of the tenants expected to offer breakfast hours, keeping The Hub humming throughout the day. Corbin is adding a commercial kitchen in the main building after hearing about a shortage of commissary kitchen space. “For a little extra cost they’ll be able to whip out all their food right there,” he said.

Franchising the vision Corbin expects to franchise his model for The Hub, never losing confidence that it will be successful despite being turned down by multiple banks while seeking financing to launch. “All the banks loved it, but they want a proven business model; they don’t want to loan money to the first person who does it,” he said. He hopes to chart a course for future visionaries to adopt the same model. “Anybody can go into a building and open a salon, but Supercuts has the franchise. I think this idea should be in every town. It’s scalable to a small town, with just eight trucks, or on a larger size with an amphitheater. There’s not a place like this in America. There are other versions, but nothing like this one,” he said. Corbin said he also hopes to franchise Brady’s. “I put my own business on the inside, and I want that to succeed. I’m the landlord and the tenant, too,” he said. There are 20 names on the waiting list for the 45 spots intended for the farmers market, with no leases currently in place for that offering or the truck stalls. People can still reach out to Corbin if interested in being a part of the project being built by MH Construction. Contact: thehubkennewick@gmail.com.

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Q&A

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SHAE FRICHETTE

Frichette Winery Red Mountain Co-Owner, Co-Winemaker

Number of employees you oversee: 5

and production.

Brief background of Frichette Winery: We are a husband and wife-run winery making wines he loves and wine experiences she dreams of. Our expression of flavorful and smooth red wines and “be in the moment” vibes carry through in every sip of wine and in every second of delightfulness in our winery. We have a team of rock stars who are humorous, spectacularly knowledgeable and eager to “wow” every guest. Our vision is simple, to be a destination winery known for stellar hospitality, beautiful views and premium wines. Our mission is to grow wine grapes and make great wine that will “wow” our guests’ palates. While doing this, we also strive to be good stewards of the land and contributors to our community. Our tasting room on Red Mountain is open noon-5 p.m. daily.

Why should the Tri-Cities care about the wine and vineyard industries? The Tri-Cities is blessed to have the perfect conditions to grow lots of ag products, including wine grapes. We compete with several other notable wine regions in the world. The wine industry provides jobs and economic development opportunities and is a beautiful location for leisure. The product, wine, is fabulous for visitors to enjoy as well as locals.

How did you land your current role? How long have you been in it? I transitioned from working in organizational development to entrepreneurship in 2011. We opened Frichette Winery on Red Mountain in 2013. For Frichette, I work in our direct-toconsumer side, business development

You have played a big role in chamber and other civic organizations. What roles have you held? Why is this work important to you? I’ve served on three boards. The Red Mountain AVA Alliance (vice president), Visit Tri-Cities, chair of Board Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. I

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? Trust. What is the biggest challenge facing business owners/managers today? Being pulled in so many directions and keeping up with changes in the market.

also get to volunteer for the Benton City Giving Garden Project, Benton City Revitalization Organization and eMERGE. A community can be great when every citizen who can, will contribute. I’m happy to contribute to my community. What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time? Sit back and observe before jumping in to change things. Create processes for open communication. Extend trust. Who are your role models or mentors? I have lots! My first formal mentor was in the last company I worked for, Eric Lewis. He identified leadership qualities I had that I didn’t realize, and I was able to be a more deliberate leader. In wine, Kasee Venohr took me on informally to show me the ropes of running a tasting room. She was instrumental in my jump-start to leading in the tasting room. Charlie Hoppes has been a

Courtesy Jayden Frichette Shae Frichette

mentor and inspiration since we started in wine. How do you keep your employees motivated? We listen to their interests and ask for feedback on how to create a great team environment, then we act on it. We give them what they need to be great in their roles, tailor recognition to the individual, set expectations and provide just as much positive feedback as reinforcing feedback. We celebrate successes (and always uFRICHETTE, Page A32

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

FOOD & WINE

With a public market, it caters to small businesses that can launch without loans. In the first phase, vendors can choose between three-, six- or 12-month leases on spaces in cage-like booths in the former production area. Future phases will drop the threemonth option. Rents range from 60 cents a square foot to more than $2.60, depending on amenities in the vendor’s space. Kelsey Bitton, project and property manager for The Public Market @ Columbia River Warehouse, has been meeting with interested vendors inside the former Welch’s-J. Lieb Foods plant in downtown Kennewick. The market plans to open in May.

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Most vendors are obligated to be open during the market’s business hours of 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, with extended hours in the summer. Several stalls are reserved for weekendonly vendors such as out-of-town businesses that aren’t based nearby. Samantha Crook, a West Richland entrepreneur who makes customized dresses with pockets, is leasing a double-sided space for her business, Mama On Tap, which she launched in 2020 to make apparel suited for breastfeeding moms. She began making the rounds of local markets in 2021, dragging her inventory from spot to spot. She’s thrilled and a tad nervous to join a new market, where her stall will have a work area as well as retail zone. “It’s going to be a big, exciting thing,” she said. The sprawling juice plant straddles East Bruneau Avenue, sitting between Kennewick’s traditional downtown and the emerging waterfront district. Bitton said the three-acre yard, currently covered with equipment, will be cleared to create parking for up to 350 vehicles. The southern building will serve as a mall-type building housing restaurants, stores, the market and an eventual event center. Warehouses to the north will be repurposed for wineries, florists and businesses that attract customers but need room to make their products. The first phase will open with 80 stalls. Ice Harbor Brewery is relocating its nearby pub and brewery to roughly 15,000 square feet in the west end of the market building, citing the need for space at its Benton Street quarters. Owners Bill Jaquish and Mike Hall began working to outfit the new space several months ago. By late January, the cooler was in the “new” building, where it is taking over the former cafeteria and other production space. The brewery’s Clover Island site isn’t affected. Columbia Industries, the nonprofit serving Tri-Citians with special needs, will operate an outpost of its Opportunity Kitchen in a 12-by-12 stall. The market is the perfect place for Columbia Industries to share its story with the public, said Eric Van Winkle, interim CEO, and Marie Lathim, chief administrative and human resources officer. Other vendors cover a range of public market type businesses, including tarot card readers, plant vendors and others selling produce, clothing, snacks, jewelry and crafts. “Everything you’d find in a public market,” she said. Follow the market on Facebook @PublicMarketCRW.

ws.

PUBLIC MARKET, From page A1

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ur busine

info@tcjournal.biz

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

FOOD & WINE

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CG Public House buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, won’t change the nachos By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The owners of CG Public House are buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, a popular 21-andover sports pub with an Old West vibe near Columbia Center mall. Kyle Simmons, together with his sister, Stef Simmons, and parents, Steve and Shirley Simmons, expect to close on the two-part deal March 28. Terms were not disclosed. The deal includes a contract to purchase the 4,000-square-foot building, 8378 W. Gage Blvd., and a contract to purchase its furnishings, fixtures and goodwill, or blue sky. Uncle Sam’s will close for a day to take inventory, which is why the buyers are pushing for a March 28 closing. It’s a Monday, so if the closure spills into a second day, it should not disrupt business too much, Kyle said. The new owners will retain Uncle Sam’s 19 employees, its name, atmosphere and menu. Kyle said he’s been warned not to mess up a good thing. “Everyone says, ‘Please don’t change the nachos.’ The nachos are a thing,” he said. Uncle Sam’s doesn’t microwave chips and cheese sauce. Instead, it bakes its nachos – corn chips, seasoned ground beef, cheese, olives, onions, tomatoes and jalapeno in four-inch-deep trays – then tops them with salsa and sour cream. That won’t change, Kyle promised. Kyle said he is a longtime fan and guest

Photo by Kristina Lord Uncle Sam’s Saloon, a popular 21-and-over sports pub at 8378 W. Gage Blvd., soon will have new owners.

of Uncle Sam’s and admires what the sellers, Shirley and Danny Gray, created. The couple took over the former Silent Sam’s, a bar and cardroom, nearly 20 years ago and turned it into a sports bar, reportedly the Tri-Cities’ first. It was renamed “Uncle Sam’s Saloon” about a decade ago. It draws a crowd of mature sports fans with its 54 TVs and 60 beers on tap. The saloon is a festive gathering spot for football games and major sporting events. “It’s just a great environment. Their staff is awesome. The food is good, consistent

and with great specials that they’ve been doing for years,” he said. The Grays intend to retire but have worked to ensure the buyers know the business before it changes hands. “We’ve built a great relationship with Shirley and Danny. When I go in, they introduce me to all the regulars. It’s been great,” he said. The last hurdle before closing is to transfer the saloon’s gambling license to support its pull tabs business. Until the sale closes and a new gambling license is in place, the

Grays will operate Uncle Sam’s – pull tabs and all. Kyle said he did not have the resources to attempt the purchase when the Grays first listed it in 2017. But then his sister, Stef, moved to the Tri-Cities last year with her family. A mortgage broker, the former Portlander was looking for an investment. Kyle suggested Uncle Sam’s. The Simmons family discussed it and decided to make an offer. Although Uncle Sam’s will join the CG Public House food service family, it will retain its identity. The Simmons family operates CG Public House, a restaurant on West Clearwater Avenue, and Bite at the Landing in Columbia Park, both in Kennewick. It previously stepped out of the on-site café business, pulling out of operations at the Pendleton Convention Center, Columbia Basin College and on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus. It also holds the food-service contract for the premium seating area, including suites, during Washington State University football games in Pullman. Simmons, a 2012 graduate of WSU’s hospitality program who spends much of the football season living near campus, said the family is confident the purchase of Uncle Sam’s Saloon will be seamless to customers. The new owners will operate in the background. “It’s a pretty turnkey acquisition. I have a full-time job running a restaurant and catering company. Stef is full time in mortgage and my father is trying to retire,” he said.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

FOOD & WINE FRICHETTE, From page A29 look for opportunities to celebrate team members) and jump in to help to keep the team on the right track. How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? Greg and I brainstormed careers that would give us goosebumps, and we landed on wine. We were drinking it at the time so perhaps that had something to do with it too. How do you measure success in your workplace? When we are meeting our goals, continuously improving and growing/ learning we are successful.

What do you like to do when you are not at work? Watch reruns of the show “Girlfriends,” visit wineries, chat with friends and ride bicycles with my family near the river. What’s your best time management strategy? Put the most important things on the calendar. This includes time to plan a presentation and practice it, donut Fridays, preparing for a meeting, etc. Turn the phone off when working on something that you can’t give your best to if you are distracted.

What do you consider your leadership style to be? Collaborative.

Best tip to relieve stress? WINE.

How do you balance work and family life? I don’t do it as well as I’d like, but for now we have themes. Greg and I have breakfast out once a week. We do donut Fridays and Dadmino’s (when dad makes the pizza instead of Domino’s). During the summer, we do Sunday brunch at Lulu. These are all non-negotiables, and we have them on the calendar. For work, we have workfocused projects where we have to say “no” to events and hanging out with friends because we’ve made commitments for work.

What’s your favorite podcast? Most-used apps? Favorite Podcast is “Social Media Marketing” with Michael Stelzner. Most use apps are LinkedIn, Instagram, Clubhouse, Calm and WhatsApp. Do you have a personal mantra, phrase or quote you like to use? You are strong. You are courageous. You are Fierce. You have the ability to create positive change in this world. So lift your chin. Push your shoulders back. And sashay, girl. Sashay!

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FOOD & WINE CAKE & SHAKE, From page A1 special license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Megan said the bakery’s dessert-of-the-month club is limited to local deliveries. Megan, who has been featured on several Food Network programs, gets regular pleas from fans who want to order her goods. She hasn’t been able to accommodate the requests because shipping takes a special license. “This space will let us get that license,” she said. Megan said she’d been looking for larger quarters for the bakery for years. But a construction project to expand the bistro into a neighboring building and then the pandemic made the building search a low priority. “We just battened down the hatches during Covid. Now that we’re through it, we said, ‘Let’s get back to the game plan, to what we were doing three years ago,’ ” she said. The old Folded Pie spot, which closed abruptly about a year ago, offers the perfect mix of commercial kitchen and room for bakers and decorators to operate. “There’s not a whole lot we need to do with it,” she said. Pizza ovens were removed, and baking ones added. It already had dish space

uBUSINESS BRIEF Kennewick’s Brazilian grill to expand to Spokane

After finding success in the Tri-Cities, the owners of Boiada Brazilian Grill are opening a second location in downtown Spokane. Friends and Brazilian-born restaurateurs Josiane Ballin and Hélio Vieira told the Spokane Journal of Business they plan to open the all-you-can-eat Spokane restaurant this spring, after some remodeling that will bring the look of the 7,000-square-foot former Maracas

and the sanitary equipment for a food service business, such as floor drains and a finished concrete floor. “This new space has tons of Megan Savely power. It has the kitchen already in there. We’re just freshening it up. It was a little outdated. We’re cleaning it up,” she said. The old dining room will give way to cake decorators. Cake shakes will be served through the drive-thru but there will be no inside dining. Megan said the Frost Me Sweet crew made cake milkshakes with cake, icing and ice cream for itself for years, but never put them out for sale to customers. The concept is taking off and she’s hopeful the Tri-Cities will embrace the sugary mashup of two birthday party staples. “They’re really, really good,” she said, calling it a “really extreme milkshake.” She hasn’t finalized prices yet, saying they will depend on working out what type of packaging to use. Frost Me Sweet’s cake shakes will be served with ample chunks of cake on top. That means finding the right packaging to accommodate

her vision. Once she nails down packaging, she will have a better feel for sizes and pricing. “Packaging is the biggest hurdle right now,” she said. She anticipates offering large and small versions. The menu will feature two fixed versions, a confetti milkshake (funfetti sprinkles and chocolate confetti cake), and a cheesecake milkshake (featuring New York style or fresh local berries). There will be three weekly features drawing from what she called an unlimited list of ideas. There will always be a vegan and a gluten-free option too, she said, most likely with coconut-based ice creams. She’s giving the cake shake business time to develop an audience. If Tri-Citians embrace the idea, Frost Me Sweet could open an additional sit-down location. Megan and her husband Jason opened the original Frost Me Sweet in 2010 after Megan’s love of baking overtook their home. They leased space on Thayer Drive and later moved to The Parkway, where their bakery became a popular bistro and restaurant. In 2018, the couple purchased the neighboring building and renovated it to accommodate the growing bistro business. The bakery operates in tight quarters a few doors down.

Mexican Restaurant’s esthetic in line with Boiada’s Brazilian flair. Ballin said Boiada, which translates to “herd” or “cattle,” specializes in the churrascaria style of Brazilian grilling, in which meat is cooked rotisserie-style and salted with coarse salt. Ballin told the Spokane Journal of Business she and Vieira plan to replicate their Kennewick restaurant at the Spokane location, including the menu and hours of operation. When the Spokane Boiada opens, it will employ up to 35 people. Ballin and Vieira opened the first Boiada location in Kennewick in Novem-

ber 2019. Ballin claims the fact that the restaurant managed to survive the first couple of years of the Covid-19 pandemic is a testament to its popularity. “Based on the success of this one in

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Courtesy Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery opens Cake & Shake at the former Folded Pizza Pie spot at 421 Wellsian Way in May. The new building supports the Richland eatery’s plan to offer nationwide shipping for its fans.

The Parkway businesses stand out for their mint green décor. For the Wellsian Way location, Megan is embracing a slightly different vibe. She told her designer she wanted a “retro Miami Vice” feel with an emphasis on “beachy.” the Tri-Cities, we’re very confident that it’s going to be successful in Spokane as well,” Ballin said. “We want to bring the same concept and part of our culture to that area.”

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Richland’s Solar Spirits launches cocktail line

Solar Spirits Distillery of Richland has launched Pioneer Cocktails, premixed cocktails in a bottle. Pioneer Cocktails are sold in the Solar Spirits tasting room and each bottle contains the equivalent of about four cocktails. The lineup includes the Martinez, which pairs Old Tom Jim with cherry liquor, Negroni, described as a bitter, herbal cocktail with a touch of sweetness, and Gimlet, which is made with gin, lime and simple syrup. Solar Spirits sells its own branded lines of whiskey, flavored vodkas and gin, all distilled in small batches.

Solar Spirits also serves fresh-made cocktails in its tasting room, 2409 Robertson Drive. Tasting room hours are 3-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays. Call 509-3711622.

Four Feathers launches bulk wine boutique

Four Feathers Wine Services, a Prosser bulk wine producer, has launched Studio, a winery within a winery. The boutique wine program is designed to work with wineries wanting to elevate their custom bulk wines. “The level of quality in our Studio program is well above that of traditional bulk wines,” said Rebecca de Kleine, general manager and director of winemaking. Studio will allow Four Feathers to

FOOD & WINE showcase fruit selected from its 3,500 acres of wine grapes and offer clients custom selected batches. It can designate vineyard blocks for the Studio program and custom farm the grapes to meet standards for higher tier wines. Go to: fourfeathers.com.

Piroshky popup coming to Kennewick

Seattle-based Piroshky Piroshky is bringing its sweet, savory and vegan Russian pastries to Kennewick on March 30 as part of its 30th anniversary tour of the U.S. Area residents can pre-order at piroshkybakery.com. The minimum order is $40 and pickup is 4-6 p.m. March 30, at the Kennewick Elks Lodge, 15 S. Colorado St. March 29 is the deadline to order.

Piroshky Piroshky launched in Pike Place Market in 1992.

Soroptimists’ breakfast fundraiser is April 14

Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick holds its annual Dream Builders Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 14 at Meadow Springs Country Club in Richland. The breakfast highlights the contributions the nonprofit makes to help local women and girls with career planning, awards and scholarships. The club will give 20 scholarships totaling $35,000 this year. Breakfast is free but attendees are asked to make a tax-deductible donation. Go to: dreambuildersbreakfast.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Kennewick Kiwanis celebrates foundation’s 25th year By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Kiwanis Club of Kennewick will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Kennewick Kiwanis Foundation with an April 7 dinner event at the Red Lion Columbia Center in Kennewick, featuring keynote speaker, Steve Siemens. Siemens is the past president of Kiwanis International and will be speaking on the “Five Stepping Stones That Build Kids.” He was the keynote speaker at the 2019 TriCitian of The Year banquet where he spoke about volunteerism. Go to: kennewickkiwanisfoundation. com. Ticket prices are $75. Send an email to kennewickkiwanisfoundation@gmail. com if interested in attending. The foundation was formed by members of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick in the late 1990s, inspired by the leadership of Red Rutherford and Dick Petersen. They enlisted the support of Directors Craig Liebler, Bob Marple Jr. and Ty Haberling. The board was then expanded to include Bob Kelly, Rene Norman, Tom Moak and Monte Nail. Many of these leaders are past Kennewick Men and Women of the Year, and Tri-Citians of the Year. The foundation also offers scholarships and other services. Fourteen scholarships are available this year. Some may be renewed for multiple academic years and the board recently approved increasing the multi-year scholarships to $2,000 annually. Funding for the scholarships comes from donors. This year, the foundation is awarding scholarships in memory of, or in honor of: • Victor “Red” Rutherford, a past Kennewick Man of the Year, past Tri-Citian of the Year, Kiwanis Hixson Award winner and cofounder of the foundation.

• Donald Anderson, a past Kennewick Man of the Year and Kiwanis Hixson Award winner. • George Jones, a past Kennewick Man of the Year, past Tri-Citian of the Year and Kiwanis Hixson Award winner. • Henry Sauer, deceased father of Kiwanis Club of Kennewick member and past Kennewick Man of the Year Hank Sauer. • Joan Rude, deceased wife of Pete Rude, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick. • Rick Corson, a past Kennewick Man of the Yea, and Kiwanis Hixson Award winner. • Walteen Corson, deceased mother of Rick Corson and member of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick. • Art Carson, a Kiwanis Hixson Award winner and member of the Kiwanis Club of Kennewick. • Bob Woehler, a past Kennewick Man of the Year, a past Lt. Governor of Kiwanis and a Kiwanis Hixson Award winner. • Dean Strawn, a past Kennewick Man of the Year, past Tri-Citian of The Year and a Kiwanis Hixson Award winner. • Leland Haberling, a past lieutenant governor of Kiwanis, a Kiwanis Hixson Award winner and deceased father of club members Ty and Noelia Haberling and grandfather of club member Nick Haberling. • Wayne & Maureen Bell – the current Kiwanis Club of Kennewick, president and secretary, both Kiwanis Hixson Award winners. Maureen is past Kennewick Woman of the Year. Their endowment is in formation. In addition to funding scholarships, the foundation is raising money in partnership with the Kennewick club to establish a new playground at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties.

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TARGET ZERO

Make Your Own Luck! You can MAKE A DIFFERENCE in our community this St. Patrick’s Day 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 your seat belt, it is your best defense against impaired drivers.

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.

#planahead #targetzero

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

BUSINESS PROFILE

Popular Kennewick doughnut shop lives up to its name By Laura Kostad

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A Kennewick business that frequently sells out of its tasty, doughy treats lives up to its name. Popular Donuts at 101 N. Union St. serves up daily a variety of shapes and unique flavors, frequently selling out toward week’s end. “All hours listed are until sold out,” it warns on its Facebook page, and it’s not unusual for the doughnut shop to sell out before noon. The shop serves up a wide assortment of classic glazed, sprinkled, powdered, sugared, raspberry, lemon or Bavarian cream-filled doughnuts in an array of color and flavor glazes, drizzles, themes and shapes. Plus there are maple (bacon optional), buttermilk and chocolate bars, apple fritters, cinnamon rolls, braids and doughnut holes. Less known varieties include French crullers and butterflies, which feature a smearing of creamy peanut butter, chocolate fudge and chopped peanuts sprinkled on top. The doughnut shop also bakes pastries, such as croissants and turnovers, brews drip coffee blends to wash it all down and offers seating for those looking to dine in. Doughnuts cost $1.50 each, or $15 for a dozen. Aside from the diverse menu, what makes Popular Donuts so highly sought after by Tri-Citians?

Photo by Laura Kostad Caitlin Tucker, from left, and her husband Steven Bun, John Peck and his wife Samath Bun are the skilled hands behind the sweet treats at Popular Donuts, 101 N. Union St. in Kennewick where the doughnut shop has been in business since 2005.

“The secret is there is no secret,” said owner John Peck. “We make them fresh in the morning. I’ve been doing this for 40 years.”

Longtime doughnut bakers Owned and operated by Peck, his wife Samath and their children, Steven and Vannara, and their families, Popular Donuts started in Walla Walla in 1999 when

a friend was looking to sell their doughnut shop. John and his family subsequently opened the Kennewick location, tucked into a strip mall in suite 204, in 2005. He got his start making doughnuts in Texas in 1983 at a shop his uncle managed. He and Samath, who immigrated to the

U.S. from Cambodia in 1979, left their home country to escape the Cambodian genocide carried out by the Khmer Rouge (Communist party), which took over Cambodia in 1975 and was responsible for the death of nearly a quarter of Cambodia’s population. John said he would stop by his uncle’s shop regularly for doughnuts and one day his uncle asked him to fill in. John was reluctant. “He pushed me to try and do it, so I did, and it didn’t come out right, but that’s OK. From there on out, I would just go there every weekend and make doughnuts,” he said. In 1985, he and Samath moved to California where he took up work at a Winchell’s Donut House franchise until they saved up enough money and the opportunity came along to buy the Walla Walla shop.

Countless dozens When asked how many doughnuts they make a day, the family looked to one another for several long moments trying to come up with an estimate before John suggested with a smile, “Too many to count.” Each day starts for John, Samath, Steven and his wife Caitlin at 2 a.m., two hours before the shop opens. Some of the specialty varieties like crullers and fritters, they only make on weekends. uPOPULAR DONUTS, Page A38

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BUSINESS PROFILE

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Dagupan Grill survived the pandemic thanks to its Filipino fans By Jeff Morrow

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

There came a time during the pandemic when Jubert and Theresa Javonillo knew they had to save their restaurant, Dagupan Grill, in Kennewick. “At the beginning of the pandemic, it was really scary,” Theresa said. “We had to shut down. It was like a nightmare. So we were really scared in the beginning. So we’ll put it in God’s hands. I do believe in prayer, and we prayed hard.” And then it was time to dig in. “We have this business, so we’ll fight for this,” she said. “My husband had quit his job, and was working full time at the restaurant. We had to use our resources to keep going.” Those resources, of course, were their personal savings. The Javonillo family’s story is similar to others around the Tri-Cities. The pandemic forced shutdowns. Then they tried to live off to-go orders. Then they could open at 25% capacity in the dining room. Then 50%. And now, they’re back at full strength. “I would say we’ve passed the worst of the pandemic,” Theresa said. “But we’re still in the pandemic. Our business has grown. We’ve got more customers coming in knowing who we are.” According to binwise.com, about 60% of restaurants fail within the first year of operation. Dagupan Grill easily made it past that timeline. What the Javonillos have learned is that there is an appreciative Filipino community that adores their food. And more and more, the same is happening with a diverse customer base – both in the Tri-Cities, and according to the owners, all around the Northwest. “There is a large Filipino community here,” says Jubert. “And it supports the restaurant. But we have a wide variety of customers.”

The love story Wendy Culverwell, the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ editor, detailed the couple’s love story in the TriCity Herald, as they opened Dagupan Grill on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Jubert met Theresa in college a few decades back in the Philippines. But the romance didn’t kindle. Theresa married an American in the early 1990s and moved to the Tri-Cities. She currently works full time for Kadlec in technology. Jubert, meanwhile, moved on with his life and became a butler for one of the royal families in Saudi Arabia. He loved working for the family and at times would fly to Spain on the family jet to pick up vegetables. He also would cook for the family. Theresa, after having two children, eventually divorced. But one night, she dreamed of Jubert. She didn’t know why, but her aunt told her she must find out what he was doing. With the help of family, she eventually tracked him down, calling him while he was in Saudi Arabia. At first skeptical, Jubert agreed to

meet Theresa at the Manila International Airport, and they began to date. The couple married in 2005. Theresa became an American citizen in 1997, and she sponsored Jubert, who became a citizen as well in 2012.

Filipino Fare The couple both love to cook. And they would put out a spread of Filipino food for friends and family whenever they had a get-together at their home. “We use the term ‘catering,’ but I’d say it’s more like family favors,” Theresa said. Family and friends, after tasting their food, would then ask them to make food for them at an upcoming party or event. “People would bug me for recipes,” Theresa said. “When I was growing up in the Philippines, when there was a party in the family, my mother would make me go help.” Those family parties became useful when Theresa learned the recipes, and how to cook the dishes. Meanwhile, Jubert worked at the King & I restaurant (now Thai Elephant) for six years, as well as for Trios. And he was the one who wanted to open a restaurant. “He was the one who was dreaming big for us,” Theresa said. “He told me, ‘I’m gonna make us a name.’ ” In 2018, they opened Dagupan Grill on 27th Avenue in Kennewick. The couple spent $200,000 on kitchen gear

to convert an old telephone store into a restaurant. “The recipes are a combined effort,” Theresa said. “Jubert would like one of my recipes and use it.” And Theresa would want to use a recipe that Jubert had. “My husband’s No. 1 goal is he likes to share what he used to learn and what he did Courtesy Dagupan Grill at the palace,” Theresa and Jubert Javonillo credit their Filipino fans for Theresa said. keeping Dagupan Grill in Kennewick going during the Covid-19 Including pandemic. Now, they’re fighting for its future success. Jubert and Theresa, the to provide quality, unique and exemrestaurant has eight employees, and “we plary food preparation and great service have one person on standby if someone to all customers, with the definition and can’t make it to work,” Theresa said. application of the word Dagupan ‘where Dagupan Grill takes its name from a people meet.’ While you dine in with city in the Pangasinan province of the us, please consider yourself an honored Philippines. uDAGUPAN GRILL, Page A39 The intention, mission and vision “is

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Robert Burges Burges Carpet Cleaning Joe Klein McCurley Integrity Auto Dealerships Jose Vasquez Swanky Lawn Care Trevor Lang Fidelis Digial Media Tim Rosenthal Perfection Glass Michael Thorn Cliff Thorn Construction Marcia Spry Aloha Garage Door Company

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 POPULAR DONUTS, From page A36

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Due to how popular the Popular Donut treats are, shop owners recommend customers needing large quantities, custom orders or simply craving particular varieties to call the day before to place an order. Apple fritters, maple bars, butterflies and French crullers are their most popular varieties. Hanford workers, Kennewick police officers and construction workers are their typical 4 a.m. customers. Steven said most people don’t know the shop offers Kennewick police officers and first responders free doughnuts during business hours. The shop experienced a bit of a slump at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with distance learning and remote work keeping most people home but has since seen business ramp back up.

Crowd pleasers Despite being surrounded by doughnuts day in and day out, the family hasn’t tired of the sweet treat – John still eats several a day. His favorites are maple bars and fritters; Samath loves doughnut holes; Steven’s go-to is a classic glaze; and Caitlin enjoys blueberry. Dottie Szendre of Kennewick, a retired schoolteacher, comes in every Sunday after church for her favorites: chocolate French crullers, apple fritters and cream-filled doughnuts. “Those are my three go-tos, and I have not found fritters or crullers as good anywhere. It’s a great place to go and I just

love to support the hometown and family places,” she said. “I go to Mass, then go down Clearwater and stop at Li’l Firehouse Coffee and get a mocha … then go to Popular Donuts. I bring mine home and sit and read the paper … but even the people you meet going in and out have the best smiles – such a great atmosphere.” Szendre said her grandkids love them too.

Possible expansion With their ongoing success, Steven said they are looking into Photo by Laura Kostad the possibility of open- Popular Donuts serves up a wide assortment of classic ing a second shop in glazed, sprinkled, powdered, sugared, raspberry, lemon Pasco or Richland, but or Bavarian cream-filled doughnuts. finding a building with pleaser, John said. a drive-thru window The family expressed their gratitude for has been challenging in the current market. In the meantime, Popular Donuts can the Tri-City community’s support over the be found on occasion as buns at Hot Mess years: “We really appreciate them for makBurgers and Fries and J. Bookwalter’s ing us popular,” Steven said. Nonfiction Food Truck. The most recent collaboration with Hot Search Popular Donuts: 101 N. Union St., Mess was called The Cinn – a chili cheeseSuite 204, Kennewick; 509-783-0843; burger on a cinnamon roll doughnut. The sweet and salty fusion is a crowd Facebook.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 DAGUPAN GRILL, From page A37 guest. Mabuhay, and welcome to Dagupan Grill – Taste of the Philippines!”

The food and the pandemic Filipino food is a combination of influences from Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and American food. And in Eastern Washington, it looks like there are only two restaurants the serve Filipino food: one in Ellensburg, and the other – Dagupan Grill – in Kennewick. The couple just updated their menu for the first time in the four years since they opened. Theresa’s favorites include the barbecue, lumpia, the Bihon rice mixed noodles, and Lechon Kawali (a seasoned pork belly, deep fried).

For those not as adventurous, Dagupan’s orange chicken is a tasty choice. The Javonillos make periodic trips to Seattle to source some of the restaurant ingredient supplies. Jubert says maybe once a month or two from March on, until the roads get bad in the winter. “Then, I’ll get enough to last us through the winter months,” he said. When restaurants closed in March 2020, and only allowed to service to-go orders, Jubert and Theresa were blown away by the public’s generosity. “People would come in for their $57 order, and they’d give Jubert a $50 tip,” said Theresa. “They told us they wanted us to stay open.” Then there was Keith Moon, the

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owner of Tumbleweeds restaurant, who featured Dagupan Grill on his Facebook page to promote local restaurants last summer. “The owner of Tumbleweeds is such a nice guy,” Theresa said. “He’d put the word out and we’d have a lot of customers come in. He told us, ‘You’ll be featured tomorrow...’ ” The restaurant reopened for in-room dining on March 2, 2021. And customers from all over have been coming in – from Bellingham, Sandpoint, LaGrande, The Dalles, Yakima, Hermiston, Sunnyside. Jubert has a brother and sister who drive from Portland just to eat at their restaurant. “They come all the time, and we’ll

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make them extra food that they can put in their freezer,” he said. “They’ll tell us, ‘This is really like home cooking.’ ” And that’s all the Javonillos really ever wanted. The Filipino word ‘mabuhay’ is constantly used at the restaurant. It’s similar to the use of ‘aloha’ in Hawaii. It’s a pleasant greeting and meant as a wish for good times. “Cooking has always been a passion of ours,” Theresa said. “And it makes us happy to see people’s satisfaction eating our food. No matter how tired you are, it’s inspiring.” Search Dagupan Grill: 3911 W. 27th Ave., Suite 109, Kennewick; 509-579-5980; dagupangrill.com; Facebook.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Old Dominion outgrows Pasco Processing Center, eyes site by Darigold

Page B2

Kennewick mansion sells for $3.8 million

Page B4

March 2022 Volume 21 | Issue 3 | B1

Group to launch entertainment center with activities for all ages Trampolines, arcades, laser tag and maze, golf simulators and more planned By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

A group of five families with plans to create a string of all-ages entertainment centers is starting in Kennewick, where it is about to break ground on Quake, The EpiCenter of Family Fun, near Cottonwood Elementary School. Quake is the group of families that will own and operate the business, leasing the space from the developer. Pasco-based 5D Development at Cottonwood LLC, led by the Detrick family, is expected to break ground at East Detrick PR SE and Wiser Parkway in April on the 40,000-square-foot facility, with a target opening date of October, said Paul Knabe, a spokesman for the Quake group. The Quake members have backgrounds in fitness, entertainment and construction, he said, and share a common interest in

Photo by Wendy Culverwell A vacant site near Cottonwood Elementary School is the future home of Quake, The EpiCenter of Family Fun, an all-ages venue offering everything from a toddler play area and virtual reality suites to golf simulators and event facilities. 5D Development at Cottonwood LLC breaks ground in April on the 40,000-square-foot building, which will be leased to the operators, a group of five families. It has a target opening date of October 2022.

creating an upscale entertainment center packed with activities for all ages, from a dedicated toddler area to laser tag, trampolines, arcades and golf simulators. The business incorporated in Washing-

ton in 2019 as Quake Trampoline Parks LLC with members of the Detrick family listed as owners, along with several other partners. The Detricks are prominent real estate developers and investors with sev-

eral high-profile local investments, including the former Tri-City Herald building in downtown Kennewick. All, Knabe said, are parents and wanted to break the franchise-based entertainment mold, which results in venues built around the offerings of a lone manufacturer. Knabe said the diversity of activity will separate it from other entertainment centers. “The Tri-Cities is underserved for family entertainment. It is a win-win for us,” said Knabe, who attended Kennewick High School as a sophomore and junior. He currently lives in Wasilla, Alaska, but intends to move back for the project. Knabe called himself a recreation nerd who makes a study of theme parks and other venues. The group began planning Quake about five years ago. The Kennewick center will be the first in what could be an eventual chain. Unable to find a local building that met its needs, the Quake group turned to 5D, which owns the Cottonwood site and has an office next door. Though it is not centrally located, the location at the Badger uQUAKE, Page B5

Tri-City developers pivot to garage condos and flex space By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Tim Bush, a prominent Tri-Cities developer, is shifting gears again but not too far away from cars. Bush, president of Bush Development, began in the car business and shifted into the car wash business. With the sale of the former Bush Car Washes to Arizona-based Mister Car Wash in 2020, he’s changed his focus to commercial development, with two distinct properties now under construction. Both projects fall under his new business identity, “Fat Cat.” One offers up-

scale garage condominiums in central Richland and the other offers flexible workspaces in central Kennewick. Both are being developed in partnership with Bush’s sons, Blake and TJ. “They’re too young to retire, and I probably am too,” he said. He credits a close friend’s son for the “Fat Cat” name. The boy, then 6, pronounced him and his father “Fat Cats.” When pressed, the boy said he thought it sounded “super cool.” His dad and Bush agreed. His friend used the name for a garage condo in the Boise area. Tim Bush liked the idea and even built one but called it

the War Room. He liked the concept and began eying the Tri-Cities for spots to plant the Fat Cat flag. He found them in Kennewick and Richland. The first is Fat Cat Suites, a $2.5 million project on Okanogan Place off Edison Street in Kennewick. The project has six suites with glass fronts that can be used for storefront businesses or office-warehouse combinations. They are offered in “shell condition,” meaning none of the interior fixtures have been installed. Tenants can configure the 1,820-square-foot space to suit their needs.

Base rent is $2,500, with units available for $399,000. Two have been leased with four still available. The other project is Fat Cat Garages, a $4.9 million project that will offer space for sale or lease in a condominium-style ownership structure. Bush Development broke ground last fall on the 37-unit complex at 300 Wellhouse Loop. The 2.5-acre spot is near Richland’s Harbor Freight Tools and Fred Meyer, with easy access to the bypass highway. uFAT CAT, Page B2

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

Old Dominion outgrows Pasco Processing Center, eyes site by Darigold By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. intends to build an expanded transloading facility on land near Pasco’s future Darigold plant. The Thomasville, North Carolinabased trucking line has a $2.55 million agreement to buy 17 acres from the Port of Pasco, subject to a five-month review period. The price works out to $150,000 an acre for the port’s rapidly filling industrial park, known as PIC395. The port commission approved the deal in early February. If it goes through, Old Dominion FAT CAT, From page B1 It offers a single entrance and two exits for ease of movement. Entry is secure and controlled by mobile phone. The idea is to create a home-awayfrom-home for recreational vehicles, boats, hot rods or general storage, including wine. The minimum length is 42 feet, which can accommodate most trailers, he said. Bush installed a temperature control system and each unit can be adapted to include a bathroom. Eight units are designed as drive-thrus. Prices begin at $189,000. Although the intent is to sell the units, they can be leased monthly for $1,250 and up, depending on size.

will invest in a transloading facility to replace its existing site at the Pasco Processing Center, where it is across-therailroad-tracks neighbors with Reser’s Fine Foods. Old Dominion is expected to sell the old site at 5220 Industrial Way. Old Dominion specializes in transporting partial truck loads, or “lessthan-truckload” in industry parlance. It also offers container drayage, truckload brokerage and supply chain consulting services as its clients are generally tied to industrial production. The port established its newest industrial park in mid-2021 when it bought 55

acres from the Cox Family Land LLC for $4.4 million. The property is served with utilities, though a Cascade Natural Gas line will need to be relocated to accommodate Old Dominion. The purchase will make the trucking company neighbors to Darigold, the Seattle-based dairy cooperative that is building a $500 million state-of-the-art processing plant to the south. Randy Hayden, executive director for the port, said there is interest in the remaining parcels, but nothing that can be discussed in public. With Darigold and now Old Dominion, PIC 395 has two spots left, 25 acres between Old Do-

minion and Reser’s, and 12 acres to the north of Old Dominion. “There seems to be heavy demand out there,” Hayden said. Old Dominion (Nasdaq: ODFL) reported net income of $1 billion on $5.2 billion in revenue in 2021. Its media relations division was not available to discuss how the property purchase will affect its other facilities in the Tri-Cities. In a recent earnings statement, the company credited success to adhering to long-term investment in growth and winning additional market share in 2022.

Bush said the idea is similar to an upscale airplane hangar in offering a comfortable space to gather, chat and work on hobbies. Bush said the idea is to create a space for people who don’t have enough garage space at home. “There’s not a lot of garage space in the Tri-Cities,” he said. “Most residential homes – a few cars and it is full.” Hummel Construction & Development LLC is the general contractor. Developer Tim Bush and his sons, Blake and TJ, have pivoted to commercial projects, upscale garage condominiums in Richland and flexible workspaces in Kennewick.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell

uBUSINESS BRIEF Darigold utilities funded with tax increment financing

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The Port of Pasco is one of the first entities in Washington to use tax increment financing to fund a portion of its share of the cost to extend utilities to Darigold Inc.’s $500 million processing plant in north Pasco. It will cost more than $20 million to construct water, sewer, wastewater, broadband, telephone and natural gas facilities, as well as roads and a dedicated rail spur, to the property, on North Railroad Avenue in the new Reimann Industrial Center. The port is contributing nearly $12 million and is using TIF to provide a revenue stream to repay the estimated $8.2 million in bond debt it will issue to finance the work. The 2021 Washington Legislature authorized tax increment financing, or TIF, which allows local governments, including ports, to use the incremental taxes a project pays to finance the project. The port said Darigold’s massive investment and the 500 direct jobs warrant using TIF. Darigold closed on the $3.3 million purchase of 150 acres at 8201 N. Railroad Ave., Pasco, on Jan. 12. The TIF designation will end after 25 years or when all public improvement costs have been paid.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Trios’ new $22M birth center ready to welcome new babies, moms By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

New babies born at Kennewick’s Trios Health will arrive at Southridge Hospital starting March 29. That’s when Trios Health opens its new birth center there. The current birth center on Auburn Street, located within the original Kennewick General Hospital that opened in 1952, closes its doors permanently the morning of March 29 and all services will be transitioned to the Southridge campus at 7 a.m. that day. Patients in labor should check in at the emergency room entrance on the Southridge campus from March 29 forward. “We are eager to open the doors of our new birth center to expectant mothers and their families,” said John Solheim, Trios Health chief executive officer, said in a news release. “It has been a long time coming to bring all of our hospital services under one roof, and we are incredibly excited for the public to see the new space and for families to be able to welcome their babies at our Trios Birth Center.” A ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tours are set for 4:30 p.m. March 23. The new birth center was made possible by a nearly $22 million investment from LifePoint Health, Trios’ parent company. The 23,376-square-foot birth center addition was built on the second and

File photo Trios Health’s new birth center moves from Auburn Street to the Southridge campus on March 29. The $22 million project includes the 23,376-square-foot birth center addition on the second and third floors of the hospital and about 9,970 square feet of existing space being renovated for the project.

third floors of the hospital, with about 9,970 square feet of existing space also being renovated for the project. The new unit includes two dedicated rooms for Caesarean section deliveries, six labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum rooms, and a 10-bed critical care nursery for babies born after 32 weeks’ gestation. From the space that was renovated, 11 existing beds from the medical/surgical floors were converted to postpartum beds. Originally expected to be completed in late April, the Trios Birth Center is opening about a month earlier than an-

ticipated when construction began. The move to the Southridge campus also necessitated the relocation of the Trios Obstetrics and Women’s Health Clinic, previously located at the Trios Care Center at deBit adjacent to the birth center. The new clinic opened March 1 on the sixth floor of the Trios Care Center at Southridge. Drs. Kyle Curtis, Hala Madi, Shumal Malepati and Adam Smith practice at the clinic. Construction is continuing after the completion of the birth center to expand the third floor of the hospital to relocate those beds to that floor.

Southridge Hospital’s previous licensed bed count will increase from 74 to 111 with the completion of the new unit, but the overall bed count does not change, as 37 of those beds are being relocated from the Auburn campus. Construction was completed by Layton Construction, which will remain on site to complete the medical/surgical expansion. LifePoint added $6 million to the project budget to expand the 12,000-squarefoot third-floor medical floor for surgery. Work is expected to be completed in July.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick mansion sells for $3.8 million

West Richland entrepreneurs have bought a seven-bedroom mansion on six acres in Kennewick. The property, called Naoi Cailini Oga Estate, includes a temperature-controlled indoor pool, hot tub and sauna room, as well as six garages, 13 bathrooms, a theater, workout room and an apartment with a separate entrance. Located at 100821 E. Brandon Drive, the 21,200-square-foot mansion sold for $3.8 million. Kamaljit Singh and Sukhbans Kaur of West Richland bought it from Nancy Thurston, according to Benton County property records. The sale closed Jan. 28. The West Richland entrepreneurs bought the Red Lion Hotel & Conference Center in Pasco in 2018 and own several other hotel properties and businesses. The Naoi Cailini Oga tasting room’s last day in operation was Jan. 30.

Simplot-RDO adding veggie roasting line in May

The J.R. Simplot Co. and partner R.D. Offutt are adding a vegetable roasting line at the existing plant at 1825 N. Commercial Ave. in Pasco. The project, being built by Fisher Construction Group, is adding ovens heated by four natural gas-fired burners

with a combined capacity to process up to 10,000 pounds per hour. The addition joins three existing buildings where Simplot processes frozen vegetables with a combined footprint of nearly 170,000 square feet. The company employs about 250 at the plant. The new line will not increase that, it said in documents submitted under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA. The addition, expected to begin operations in May, will boost daily vehicle traffic to about 2,200, from the existing 1,950.

Walmart unveils Richland remodel

The Walmart Supercenter in Richland completed a $313,367 remodel to expand its online grocery pickup area, expand its beer and wine selection and add coolers at the front of the store for grab-and-go food items. The Bentonville, Arkansas, company said the updates complement steps it has taken during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect associates and customers. The store, 2801 Duportail St., received new signage, paint and flooring throughout the store to improve sight lines and make it easier to navigate the store.

Home-based businesses may be underinsured

The Northwest Insurance Council advises that home-based businesses may not be covered by homeowner or renter

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION policies. In a recent survey by AXIS Insurance Research, 44% of home-based business owners don’t have commercial insurance or are uncertain about what their insurance covers. The insurance industry association advises that business activities may not be covered by homeowner policies. “Whether it’s a ‘side-hustle’ or full-time gig, your investment in your home-based business could be at risk if you suffer a loss that isn’t covered by your homeowners’ or renters’ policy,” said Kenton Brine, president. “Those policies are likely to limit, or even exclude, coverage for the business use of property or possessions.” The council advises consulting with an insurance company or agent to ensure property coverage.

Prosser to launch Whitstran Elementary remodel The Prosser School District will launch the complete remodel of Whitstran Elementary, 102101 W. Foisy Road, beginning this summer. The 15,817-square-foot building will get new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as a 12,000-square-foot addition that will contain classrooms to replace existing portables, according to documents filed in December 2021 under the Washington Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA. The remodel includes a new parking lot, bus loop and a drop-off lane for parents. Architects West designed the

project. The school opened in 1953 and was last renovated in 1986. Voters approved a $69.3 million bond for several school projects, including the Whitstran school, in 2017.

Richland purchasing rundown motel

The city of Richland has reached a $1.2 million agreement to buy the aging Economy Inn at 515 George Washington Way, subject to a 60-day waiting period while it evaluates potential hazards or concerns. The city council approved the purchase and sale agreement at its March 1 meeting. The sellers are MD Sayed Ali and Jasmine Ali. The city called the motel a gateway property that could be redeveloped for future municipal and economic development needs. The seller is represented by Kirt Shaffer of Tippett Co. of Washington LLC. Greg Markel of WSIC listed the property. The proposed sale to a public entity will remove the nearly 1-acre parcel and 1962-built motel from the property tax rolls. It had a 2022 property tax bill of nearly $9,900.

Kinwell Medical opens primary care clinic in Pasco

Kinwell Medical Group, a new physician-owned chain of clinics that launched in 2021, has opened a primary care clinic at 7505 Sandifur Parkway, Suite 103, in Pasco. The Pasco clinic has one family practice physician and one physician assistant based at that location. The staff includes two medical assistants, a patient care coordinator and a practice manager. Patients can have blood drawn for lab work on site as well. It joins locations in Wenatchee and Yakima. Plans are in development to add more clinics in Western Washington this year. Kinwell clinics offer in-person and telehealth visits, online appointment scheduling and reduced wait times. It is an exclusive network provider of Premera Blue Cross. Its physicians are available to anyone with Premera or LifeWise insurance. Patients can access services and make appointments through the Kinwell MyChart app. Go to: kinwellhealth.com.

Grandridge Safe Storage becomes U-Haul dealer

Grandridge Safe Storage, 8122 Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick, has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer, offering rentals of trucks as well as support on rental items, moving supplies and more. Grandridge Safe Storage joins a nationwide network of more than 20,000 small businesses that belong to the UHaul network.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION QUAKE, From page B1 Road exit from Interstate 82 is easy to reach. Knabe said the team is confident Quake will be enough of a draw that guests will drive to it. The model packs a wide variety of activities into one building, with offerings for toddlers to retirees and everyone in between. The plan contains party areas for families, as well as event and gathering spaces for business groups. A liquor license is pending, and Knabe said it expects to accommodate corporate gatherings, including meetings and parties. Knabe said Quake couldn’t answer detailed questions about the business plan behind the project until April, but he fielded questions about the general plan after an inaccurate document filed under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA, led to a misunderstanding about the nature of the project. The first-floor lineup includes Montana-made trampolines with shock absorption systems for safety, two virtual reality arcades, a laser tag arena, a laser maze where guests navigate Mission Impossible-style laser beams, arcade games, a café and pizza kitchen and multiple party rooms. Upstairs, Quake will offer a mezzanine where parents can relax and monitor the downstairs doings, as well as meeting and event space, and golf simulators. Knabe expects to open Quake with at least 25 staff and said the number will go up as the business builds. Other business details, including admission fees, aren’t yet available, he said. But he pledged they will be competitive and linked to the amenities parents choose. The toddler zone, for instance, has its own reduced price, since toddlers can’t use some of the more sophisticated offerings. Utilities will be provided by Benton Public Utility District, Cascade Natural Gas, Badger Water and Ziply/Charter. Wastewater will be treated in an onsite sewage system. The area is part of Benton County’s Interchange Commercial District, which allows recreational facilities with conditions. Go to: theepicenteroffamilyfun.com or follow it on Facebook.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

uBUSINESS BRIEFS KID plans reservoir to tame drought conditions

The Kennewick Irrigation District has submitted a massive reservoir project for review under the Washington State Environmental Protection Act, or SEPA. The irrigation district is working with the Washington state Department of Ecology’s Office of Columbia River to plan a 12,000-acre-foot storage reservoir in the Badger Canyon area. The reservoir would improve water management and drought relief. The proposed KID Central Storage Reservoir in the Badger Canyon area would help improve drought resilience. The 330-acre KID-owned site is

bounded by South Badger Canyon Road, East Badger Road, residential properties and a KID canal. The most aggressive schedule would see construction begin in 2024 and wrap in 2030, though SEPA documents indicate it could take until 2045. Go to: kid.org/resourcelibrary.

DOL waives fees after system goes down

The Washington Department of Licensing reports the licensee portion of its system is back online after going down on Jan. 24 when it was alerted to suspicious activity. To limit the impact on licensees who expired during the outage, the state is automatically waiving all late-filing penalties through April 1.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Before restoring the portal to service, DOL investigated the apparent breach with an outside cybersecurity expert, including Washington Technology Solutions. The licensee portion of the system is operating securely and will be monitored, it said.

The project is funded through a federal Community Development Block Grants, state funds and city funds. The updates were conducted in tandem with the city’s $30 million Lewis Street Overpass project.

Senske Services partners with Rentokil

Pasco dedicates Peanuts Park, Farmers Market

Senske Services has partnered with Rentokil, which is divesting itself of select lawn care operations. Senske, which has an office in Kennewick, is a family-owned provider of lawn, tree, and pest control services throughout the western United States. Rentokil is a global leader in pest control. It sold its lawn care businesses in Washington and Utah. Terms were not disclosed.

Pasco officials dedicated the renovated Peanuts Park and Farmers Market on March 11, celebrating an investment in updating the popular gathering spot. The project replaced 1970s-era concrete features, created new covers for the farmers market area and upgraded infrastructure to support the food trucks which operate there and the many events that call it home.

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Riverside Professional Center 750 George Washington Way, Richland

A trio of Richland dentists has remodeled and updated a business park in central Richland to house their practices. Riverside Professional Center, 750 George Washington Way, is owned and occupied by Drs. Eric Powell, Benjamin Walker and Kristina Brunch. They purchased the property in 2015. The project replaced a failing mansard roof, as well as siding and a deck. Additions include a contemporary shed and hip roof with a modern façade with stucco with new paint, stone veneer and metal panels and new signage, decking, lighting, security systems, landscaping and parking lot. The center boasts views across Howard Amon Park, the fingernail stage and Columbia River. It is just south of the Holiday Inn (formerly the Red Lion) and across George Washington Way from The Parkway. Harvey Prickett of Wave Design Group designed the updates. Hummel Construction & Development LLC was the general contractor.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Congratulations Riverside Professional Center! “We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with you on this project.” Commercial | Industrial | Residential

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REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION uBUSINESS BRIEFS Connell Library is ready for its close-up after remodel

The remodeled Connell Library opened Feb. 10, with a grand opening celebration set for March 19. The library, part of the Mid-Columbia Libraries system, has undergone a lengthy interior remodel that includes new carpet, paint, shelving and light fixtures. The $300,000 project is the latest in a series of remodels throughout the system. The project included $17,000 in new books and materials in the collection. The children’s area features a 3D sabertooth cat, icebergs and fish. Elsewhere, images of popular authors and inspirational quotes line the walls, and a historic

photo mural of the Connell community offers a glimpse of the region’s history. The library is at 18 N. Columbia Ave. Hours are 2-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The Connell library first opened in 1965 and moved to its current location in 1993. It is led by Supervisor Helen Tobin.

Lourdes closes one clinic, bolsters another

Lourdes Health is no longer operating clinics at its 14th Avenue building in Pasco. It recently announced plans to relocate Dr. Wanda Good from its 14th Avenue office to the Lourdes West Pasco clinic on Road 68. Good is a fellowship-trained robotic surgeon focusing on bariatric, general,

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 metabolic, and robotic surgery and will now be part of the team at Lourdes Surgical Specialists at the West Pasco clinic. She is fluent in English and Spanish. “We are excited for this clinic move and hope this will allow Dr. Good’s patients to find her in a more central and convenient location,” said Martha Varnado, clinic manager. This move also adds to the growing list of services at the Lourdes West Pasco clinic, including family medicine, gastroenterology, general surgery, pediatrics, women’s health and diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. “We always want to make things convenient for our patients and hope that they will find ease of access with primary and specialty care in the same building,” Varnado said.

The Lourdes West Pasco clinic is at 7425 Wrigley Drive, and Lourdes Surgical Specialists occupies Suite 204

Permitting delays add to cost of new homes

Permitting delays add roughly $22,000 to the price of a new home in Washington, according to recent analysis by the Building Industry Association of Washington. BIAW also said permit approval delays averaged 6.5 months statewide. Benton County averaged 4.5 months. Franklin County’s average wasn’t included in BIAW’s report. “At a time when housing prices continue to rise, Washington should prioritize timely permit processing so more people can find homes they can afford,” said BIAW President Joseph Irons. Paid Advertising

Honesty and integrity in everything we do.

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Peanuts Park and Pasco Farmers Market Fourth Avenue and Columbia Street, Pasco

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Congratulations City of Pasco, Peanuts Park! It was a pleasure working with you on this project. The city of Pasco formally reopened Peanuts Park and the Pasco Farmers Market on March 11, following a $5.8 million renovation of the popular park and market in downtown Pasco. The project installed new covers in the farmers market area, replaced 1970s-era concrete features and upgraded infrastructure to support food trucks and events. Bathrooms were replaced as well. Funding was provided through a federal

Community Development Block Grant Loan, two appropriations from the Washington Legislature and the city’s general fund. The park updates, coupled with the nearby Lewis Street Overpass project, are designed to strengthen downtown. Work began in March 2021. MacKay Sposito served as construction manager. Booth & Sons Construction was the general contractor.

(509) 438-0077 • boothandsons.com Lic # BOOTHSC994NB

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We are proud to be the concrete contractor for this project!

Congratulations to the City of Pasco for providing another great amenity for the community. We are proud to be part of the team! Delivering infrastructure solutions and building lasting relationships.

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1110 Osprey Pointe Blvd., Suite 105 • Pasco 509.374.4248 • www.mackaysposito.com

Congrats on the renovation! It was a pleasure to be part of this project. -Rick & Jef 509.545.5320 | absolutepowertc.com Wa License # ABSOLPI920KZ

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Fat Cat Suites

5204 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick

GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bush Developments expects to complete construction of Fat Cat Suites, a six-unit flexspace property at 5204 W. Okanogan Place near Kamiakin High School in Kennewick in March. The $2.5 million project is being constructed by Hummel Construction & Development LLC, with Bruce Baker of Baker Architecture serving as the designer. Each unit is 1,820 square feet and can be configured to suit the tenant. The space is offered in shell condition and can be developed to offer office and warehouse space. Two spaces have been spoken for, with White Glove Detailing going into one and Bush taking another. Amber Bush of Keller Williams Tri-Cities is the listing agent. She can be reached at 509-9477913.

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Congratulations Fat Cat Suites! Thank you TTB Investments INC and Hummel Construction & Development for choosing us to be a part of this project!

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Courtesy Central Plateau Cleanup Co. A high school engineering team adjusts its final design during Hanford Engineers Week.

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Courtesy Washington River Protection Solutions Brandon Loveless, a chemical engineer with Washington River Protection Solutions, shows fifth-graders at Richland’s Jason Lee Elementary how to create tools using different materials.

Hanford engineers promote STEM in local schools By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Courtesy Central Plateau Cleanup Co. Mike Rodriguez, an engineer with Central Plateau Cleanup Co., answers questions from a Richland High School team during Hanford Engineers Week.

Courtesy Washington River Protection Solutions Students at Jason Lee Elementary in Richland create tools to remove a “radioactive” pingpong ball from a paper bag and transport it to another paper bag without “contaminating” themselves.

More than 110 volunteers from across the Hanford site spread out across local schools the week of Feb. 22 for the 10th annual Hanford Engineers Week’s “Zoom Into Engineering” program, which encourages students to study science, technology, engineering and math. The engineers led 199 sessions and reached more than 4,300 students at pub-

lic and private schools and at the Pasco Boys & Girls Club. Hanford contractors bolster the program through financial support or through the participation of employees in the scheduled events. They included Atkins, Bechtel, Central Plateau Cleanup Co., Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions and Washington River Protection Solutions.

Courtesy Washington River Protection Solutions Jenny Kadinger, mission analysis engineer for Washington River Protection Solutions, talks with a fourth-grade class at Pasco’s James McGee Elementary about the different engineering disciplines available to them during Hanford Engineers Week.

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uNEW HIRES

• HAPO Community Credit Union has hired Ashley Ward as the credit union’s new SVP/chief information officer. Ward comes to HAPO with more Ashley Ward than 18 years of experience in her field and previously held the title of chief information officer for Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, the prime contractor for the Hanford site, where she was responsible for leading and overseeing HMIS’ technology systems, operations, projects, staff and budgets. Aside from her technical experience, she also has years of leadership experience in her field. She now oversees and manages HAPO’s systems and processes that run the credit union’s enterprise operations, which includes keeping HAPO’s systems and member data secure and safe, a top priority at the credit union. • Trios Health has hired Dr. Hala Madi as an obstetrician/gynecologist. She will see patients at the new Trios Obstetrics and Women’s Health Clinic in Dr. Hala Madi Kennewick. She treats women for a variety of conditions, including routine and

high-risk obstetrics, hormone replacement therapy, general gynecology, menopausal care, contraception and infertility. She attended medical school at the University of Balamand – Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences in Lebanon. After earning her doctorate, she completed internship training in obstetrics and gynecology at Saint George Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon. She then went on to complete a research fellowship in the Department of Gynecology Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, two years of her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at WellSpan York Hospital in York, Pennsylvania, and two years of her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Following residency, she joined Tri-Cities Community Health, where she has practiced as an OB/GYN since November 2019. • Trios Health has hired nurse Karen Jenkins at Trios Urgent Care. She was most recently practicing with Kadlec Regional Medical Center as a surKaren Jenkins geon’s assistant. Her experience dates back more than 25 years and includes stints with Life Care Center in Kennewick, The Washington State Department of Social and Health Sciences, Evangelical Good Samaritan Society, Cheney Care Center, Lourdes Medical Center and Teddy Bear OB/GYN & Arbor Health Care for Women.

NETWORKING She also has practiced as an independent registered nurse first assistant. She is a member of the Association of Perioperative Nurses, American Nurses Association and American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her associate of science in nursing and certificate of practical nursing from Columbia Basin College, her registered nurse first assistant from the National Institute of First Assisting, and her bachelor of science in nursing from Kent State University. She most recently completed her master of science in nursing from Chamberlain University. • A new assistant principal, Rachel Groth, will join Desert Hills Middle School this summer in the Kennewick School District. Groth, who’s currently an assistant principal at Kamiakin High School, will start in her new role at Desert Hills on July 1. She'll replace Assistant Principal Dan Meyer, who is retiring. Groth has been an assistant principal at Kamiakin for four years. Before that, she taught for seven years at Kennewick High School, Kiona-Benton City High School and Grandview Middle School. • A veteran Richland School District educator and administrator will take the reins of the district’s curriculum and instructional efforts at the beginning of the 2022-23 school year. Jennifer Klauss, currently principal of Enterprise Middle School in West Richland, will become executive director of Teaching, Learning & Curriculum beginning in July 2022. She replaces Nicki Blake, who will become principal of Elementary #11 when it opens to its own school community in August 2022. • Smart Law has hired attorney Nicholas Jordan as a full shareholder and welcomed him as a partner. His practice areas include workers’ compensation law, Nicholas Jordan Social Security disability and personal injury. He received his bachelor of arts from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and his J.D. from the University of Oregon in Eugene. His associations include: the Washington State Bar Association, Yakima County Bar Association, Benton & Franklin Bar Association and the Washington State Association for Justice. While Jordan works at both Smart Law offices in Kennewick and Yakima, he makes his home in the Yakima Valley with his wife and family. • Tri-Cities Community Health has hired several new employees. Kristy Needham has been named chief operating officer. She comes to the position with experience in operations within a health care setKristy Needham ting, from private practice pediatrics, hospital-based clinics, specialty clinics and her work over the past six years with TCCH in a community health center. Carlee Nave has been hired as director of human resources. She earned a bachelor’s from Western Washington University and

holds two HR certifications: Professional in Human Resources (PHR) from the HR Certification Institute and Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) from Carlee Nave the Society for HR Management. She also has work experience in big box retail, e-commerce, recruiting and local government. Dr. John Robert Kerr has been hired as a dentist. He graduated from Carroll College in Helena, Montana, with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. He attended Dr. John dental school at Robert Kerr the University of Washington School of Dentistry in Seattle and is welcoming new patients at the TCCH dental clinic in Kennewick. • Prosser Memorial Health has hired Catherine Spomer, a family nurse practitioner, to the team of providers in its Benton City Clinic. She provides care for patients of all Catherine Spomer ages, including children and seniors. Her services include wellness exams, acute illness and injury care, referrals to specialists and more. She graduated from Purdue University with her master’s in nursing degree. She attended Purdue University and Indiana University School of Nursing for her undergraduate studies. She has been working in the medical field for 15 years, starting her career as a registered nurse in Indianapolis. She also worked as a travel nurse, lending her medical expertise in various hospitals throughout Colorado, Idaho and Wisconsin. • Good Shepherd Health Care System has hired Liz Marvin as Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation’s executive director in Hermiston, Oregon. She has served on the foundation board Liz Marvin for the past 17 years. She succeeds Bob Green, who retired as executive director of the foundation in December 2021 after eight years. • Astria Health has hired Shaundra Mendez to provide pediatric speechlanguage services to pediatrics (birth through age 5) at Astria Physical Therapy in Sunnyside. She completed her master’s in communication disorders and sciences from the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon. She joined Astria from IDEA Public Schools in Austin, Texas, where she served as a speech-language pathologist over the last two years. She is fluent in English and Spanish.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

NETWORKING uAWARDS & HONORS

• Sara Nelson, creative director of the Tri-Cities’ Sara Nelson Design Ltd., was listed among graphic designers who were named “People to Watch” in the design industry nationally in Graphic Design USA’s February 2022 issue. Nelson’s team works primarily – though not exclusively – within the wine industry, developing branding, packaging and labeling. Current clients are spread across the United States, Italy, Croatia and China. • Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC, a Realogy company, has announced its 2021 award recipients for various Coldwell Banker affiliated company, office, team and agent categories throughout North America. Amy S. Leicht, Coldwell Banker Tomlinson, Kennewick, ranked No. 6 nationally in the individual sales associate honor category for total units sold. • The Port of Benton has received an unmodified audit opinion from the Washington State Auditor’s Office. The SAO performed both accountability and financial statement audits for fiscal years 2019 and 2020. An unmodified or “clean” opinion means that the financial statements present fairly the financial position and the results of the organizations operations in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. A finding is a deficiency, material weakness, or misstatement discovered during the audit. • Arts Center Task Force (ACTF) was honored at a recent Richland City Council meeting by the city of Richland Arts Commission, receiving the

STAR (Supporting the Arts in Richland) Award for its outstanding contribution and support of the arts in 2021. In 2020, ACTF raised funds and provided grants for struggling visual artists. In 2021, it redoubled its support, helping performing artists through creating performance videos, live streaming of events and videotaping auditions for the Mid-Columbia Symphony’s Young Artists Competition. In October 2021, ACTF remodeled a former broadcasting studio in Richland to provide much-needed space for rehearsals, meetings, displays, volunteers, and storage.

uDONATIONS

From left: Laura Lake, Nick Dahl and Walt Taylor.

• Staff from the Hanford vitrification plant raised more than $18,000 for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge this year, making the group the top fundraiser in the state of Washington for the second year in a row. Three vit plant employees – Laura Lake, Nick Dahl, and Walt Taylor – took the plunge Feb. 26 in the icy Columbia River to culminate their fundraising efforts, and Heather McMurdo took the plunge in the Yakima River.

They joined the vit plant team members who completed the water balloon virtual plunge last week.

uELECTIONS • During the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2022 Washington Summit, Jared Balcom of Pasco was elected to serve as NPC’s 2022 president Jared Balcom and head the grower-led organization’s Executive Committee. Balcom is the owner of a fourth-generation potato growing and fresh packing company

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Balcom and Moe based in Pasco. He previously served as NPC’s first vice president and vice president of the Trade Affairs Committee. As president, Balcom will host the 2022 NPC summer meeting in Nashville. The Executive Committee officers hold their position for one calendar year.

uRETIREMENT • Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller, a Democrat, has announced his plan to retire at the end of his term this year. He served as prosecutor for 36 years. Republicans Ryan Lukson, Benton County deputy prosecutor, Richland city councilman and former Richland mayor, and Richland attorney Eric Eisinger have announced plans to run for the position.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

PUBLIC RECORD uBANKRUPTCIES Bankruptcies are filed under the following chapter headings: Chapter 7 — Straight Bankruptcy: debtor gives up non-exempt 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

Michael Leonard Cater & Megan Dyan Cater, 6212 Road 68, Apt. 22D, Pasco. Ivan A. Rodriguez Rosales, 625 S. Elm Ave., Pasco. Miguel Angel Soto Ruiz, 5939 Kona Drive, West Richland. Brookeside LLC, 5002 W. Wernett Road, Pasco. Teresa Alvarado Velasco, 2200 W. Shoshone St., Apt. B16, Pasco. Antonio Rocha, 2700 S. Young St., Kennewick. Megan L. Fast, 4620 W. Octave St., Pasco. Beatriz Rolon De Jesus, Box 5801, Pasco. Samuel David Grandstaff Jr., 5403 Kirkwood Lane, West Richland. Claudia Salas Portillo, 2605 W. Octave St., Pasco. Ingrid P. Guillen, 1823 W. Nixon St., Pasco. Samantha Joann Kendall & Kayleigh Lila Kendall, 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., #H305, Pasco. Samuel Hans Rizza, 184 Newhaven Place, Richland. Rafael De Leon & Victoria Ann Hernandez, 2006 S. Tacoma St., Kennewick. CHAPTER 11

Tritan Plumbing Inc., 5306 S. Cascade Place, Kennewick. CHAPTER 13

Krystal L. Oldham-Walton, 2749 S. Cedar St., Kennewick. Dustin Shayne Wells & Paige Leigh Thomsen Wells, 61909 E. Solar PR NE, Benton City. Oliver Rafael Perez Gonzalez &

Marta Gonzalez Sanchez, 17 N. Olympia St., Kennewick. Cecilia Katherine Rodriguez Reisch, 9315 Chapel Hill Blvd., Apt. E5304, Pasco. Charles Alan Kubik, 1327 N. 24th Ave., Apt. 10B, Pasco.

uTOP PROPERTIES BENTON COUNTY

102715 E. Kash Loop, Kennewick, 2,397-square-foot home. Price: $710,000. Buyer: Jeffrey L. & Cheri Sanderson. Seller: Michael Perez & Kathy Rodriguez. 4078 Highview St., Richland, 0.57acre home site. Price: $840,000. Buyer: Michael Perez & Kathy Rodriguez. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 1126 Meade Ave., Prosser, 10,465-square-foot office building. Price: $710,000. Buyer: Cool Partners LLC. Seller: Chapman Building LLC. 244924 E. Hover Road, Kennewick, 2,906-square-foot home on 5 acres. Price: $735,000. Buyer: Justin D. & Jessie J. Houser. Seller: Curtis & Lonetta Docken. 3606 W. 48th Ave., Kennewick, 2,403-square-foot home. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: William Gerard & Chuneho Goodman. Seller: Amir & Zirajeta Colakovic. 83 & 59 S. Louisiana St., Kennewick, 3.7 acres of commercial land. Price: $760,000. Buyer: Gary D. & Nancy K. Wiley. Seller: TDKJ Commercial Property LLC. 5746 W. 40th Ave., Kennewick, 0.46-acre home site. Price: $726,000. Buyer: Jared & Kristina K. Gutierrez. Seller: Lotts Better Built Homes Inc. 1120 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick, 8,429-square-foot restaurant on 1.8 acres. Price: $4.9 million. Buyer: JTN-RL LLC. Seller: RFP Red Lobster LLC. 2709 Meadow Hills Court, Richland, 2,801-square-foot home. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Nicola Rosalind Nylander & John C. Derrick. Seller: Oliver D. Breard Trustee. 1882 Brantingham Road, Richland, 4,750-square-foot home and hobby barn on 4.75 acres. Price: $2.5 million. Buyer: Michael Detrick Jr. & Tanis Detrick. Seller: Jonathan R.

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

Carr. 87625 E. Calico Road, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $870,000. Buyer: Michael Christianson. Seller: JK Monarch LLC. 401 Wellsian Way, Richland, 5,800-square-foot warehouse. Price: $1 million. Buyer: Conte Properties LLC. Seller: T&P Investments LLC. 7233 W. Deschutes Ave., Units A, B, C, Kennewick, 2,000-, 3,268- and 527-square-foot medical offices. Price: $1.3 million. Buyer: Taneja Real Estate LLC. Seller: Invest Group LLC. 2256 Skyview Loop, Richland, 0.29acre home site. Price: $1 million. Buyer: Braghadheeswar Thyagarajan & Monisha Priyadarshini Kumar. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 17439 S. Fairview Loop, Kennewick, 3,446-square-foot home. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Garry D. & Kristi L. Hagins. Seller: Daniel J. Harris. 5209 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick, 2,464-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: Nicholas & Adriana Stoll. Seller: Stephen E. & Vivian S. Petrask. 101301 E. Ridgeview Drive, Kennewick, 3,340-square-foot home. Price: $875,000. Buyer: Taran Vijay Patel. Seller: Tyson B. & Linda H. Pischel. 100821 E. Brandon Drive, Kennewick, 9,950-square-foot home on 6 acres. Price: $3.8 million. Buyer: Singh Kamaljit & Kaur Sukhbans. Seller: Nancy J. Thurston. 1828 Lexi Court, Richland, 2,702-square-foot home. Price: $855,000. Buyer: Christina MF & Jordan D. Brown. Seller: Aaron K. & Jessica L. Magula. 62104 E. 7 PR NE, Benton City, 3,656-square-foot home on 2.5 acres. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Grant & Kristina Nelson. Seller: Tom & Candy Richardson. 1420 Meade Ave., Prosser, apartment complex on 1.7 acres. Price: $2.2 million. Buyer: Meade Plaza LLC. Seller: Steve C. & Sharon E. Hallman. 1933 Jericho Road, Richland, 2,228-square-foot home and pole building on 2.3 acres. Price: $716,000. Buyer: Randy J. & Abbey E. Aust. Seller: Harold H. & Lois D. Galphin. 4601 W. Clearwater Ave.,

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Kennewick, 6,960-square-foot commercial building. Price: $720,000. Buyer: Blevins Property Holdings LLC. Seller: Holt Properties LLC. 74706 E. Country Heights Drive, Kennewick, 2,263-square-foot home on 3.4 acres. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Thomas & Cynthia Guede. Seller: Nathan J. & Sarah C. Machiela. 4711, 4717 & 4721 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick, 4,180-square-foot mini warehouse and 3,328- and 1,060-square foot home on 7 acres. Price: $2.1 million. Buyer: Canal Landing Opportunity LLC. Seller: HN Development Partners LLC. 7395 W. 23rd Ave., Kennewick, 0.3-acre home site. Price: $780,000. Buyer: Joel R. & Jennifer U. Daven. Seller: P & R Construction LLC. Property off North Demoss Road, Benton City, 15-acre home site. Price: $849,000. Buyer: Miles Jackson. Seller: Darl M. & Marilee Axtman. 28414 S. Country Meadow Lane, Kennewick, 3,835-square-foot home on 2.25 acres. Price: $900,000. Buyer: Teresa & Wayne D. Lutomski. Seller: Robert Joseph & Kathryn Rene Jasper. 4468 Potlach St., Richland, 0.37acre home site. Price: $715,000. Buyer: Bryan Beckstrom & Cherokee Carrillo. Seller: Titan Homes LLC. 4700 W. 18th Place, Kennewick, 3,734-square-foot home. Price: $770,000. Buyer: Jeffrey R. & Andrea Johnson. Seller: Gerald & Lou Ann Hug. 2186 Legacy Lane, Richland, 0.5acre home site. Price: $1.1 million. Buyer: Gary & Margaret Voorheis. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 87729 E. Calico Road, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $810,000. Buyer: Shaun & Stephynie Gordon. Seller: JK Monarch LLC. 194002 E. 27th Ave., Kennewick, 4.6-acre home site. Price: $780,000. Buyer: Richard E. & Paulina Valdez. Seller: NGC General Construction LLC. 104520 E. Nicole Drive, Kennewick, 3,226-square-foot home. Price: $722,000. Buyer: Matthew Gerard & Staci Marie Heath. Seller: Matthew D. & Nicole Wiser.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B18

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14959 S. Furlong Lane, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $783,000. Buyer: John & Linda Libertini. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction LLC. 25111 S. Sunset Meadow Loop, Kennewick, 3,135-square-foot home on 3 acres. Price: $1 million. Buyer: Gary A. & Tami Jo Roberts. Seller: Charles & Linda Macrae. 7308 W. 22nd Place, Kennewick, 0.6-acre home site. Price: $859,000. Buyer: Matthew Shtayyeh & Nicole E. Wolf. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 7242 W. 22nd Place, Kennewick, 0.6-acre home site. Price: $872,000. Buyer: Diego Anaya & Yekaterina Peganova. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 86710 E. Calico Road, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $785,000. Buyer: Ryan & Kimberly Wageman. Seller: Pacific Coast Construction Group Inc. 1858 Somers Lane, Richland, 0.3acre home site. Price: $760,000. Buyer: Kyle Kneese. Seller: Inspired Home Design LLC. 976 Cayuse Drive, Richland, 2,167-square-foot home. Price: $725,000. Buyer: Christian Alex & Melinda L. Linde. Seller: Dean J. & Shannon M. Lewis. 8202 W. Quinault Ave., Suite A, Kennewick, 7,588-square-foot commercial building. Price: $1.6 million. Buyer: Columbia River Investing LLC. Seller: C5 Land Company LLC. 3104 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, 4,700-, 2,920-, 440-square-foot offices. Price: $760,000. Buyer: Rose Holdings I LLC. Seller: Castorina II LLC. 2403 W. 50th Ave., Kennewick, 3,917-square-foot home. Price: $740,000. Buyer: Pascuala Hernandez De Baeza. Seller: Aleksandr I. & Nina L. Tyshchuk. 12127 S. Steeplechase Drive, Kennewick, 1-acre home site. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: John F. & Lavina A. Liniger. Seller: Tri-City Remodel LLC. 14702 S. Clear View Loop, Kennewick, 2,855-square-foot home. Price: $801,000. Buyer: Michael & Cathy Davis. Seller: Steven R. & Karen J. Benham.

3407 Nicholas Lane, West Richland, 2,754-square-foot home. Price: $720,000. Buyer: Ryan & Rhonda Pratt. Seller: Dennis Sawby Construction LLC. 7525 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick, 8,135-square-foot commercial building. Price: $900,000. Buyer: Red Brick Management LLC. Seller: Lois B. Pratt, Don Pratt Construction Inc. 70302 S. 2410 PR SE, Kennewick, 1,920-square-foot home, 4,000-square-foot pole building and 1,728-square-foot hobby barn on 5 acres. Price: $735,000. Buyer: Daniel Thomas Brewer & Ursela Nora Jean Gaskill. Seller: Kelly G. & Barbara S. Miller. FRANKLIN COUNTY

2513 Alder Road, Pasco, 1,973-square-foot home, pole building on 20 acres. Price: $1.3 million. Buyer: Mirror Ministries. Seller: Greg & Erika Richardson. 12302 Ramsey Drive, Pasco, 3,023-square-foot home. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Crystal D. & Joseph B. Green. Seller: Vladimir Sinyuk. 1840 & 1834 W. Court St., Pasco, 3,456- and 3,080-square-foot commercial buildings. Price: $1.3 million. Buyer: MGSC LLC. Seller: RR Terminal Inc. 7505 Kohler Road, Pasco, 2,680-square-foot home, shop, pool house. Price: $995,000. Buyer: Peter M. & Brittany Gadd. Seller: Eric John Missett. 3306 Syrah Drive, Pasco, 1,960-square-foot home. Price: $760,000. Buyer: Donald F. & Kimberly A. Roueche. Seller: Debra Eby. 225, 197, 169, 141, 113, 85, 57, 29 & 1 Columbia Bluff Lane, Pasco, nine 1-acre parcels of undeveloped land. Price: $2.5 million. Buyer: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. Seller: Big Sky Developers LLC. 7009, 6915, 6903 Ricky Road, 12815 & 12814 Jules Court, 12817, 12829, 12828, 12816, 12804 Willettas Place, 12600 Whiskey River Road, Pasco, multiple undeveloped parcels under

WHEREVER YOU WORK, WE HAVE A CHAIR FOR YOU

1 acre. Price: $4.6 million. Buyer: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. Seller: Big Sky Developers LLC. 416 N. 20th Ave., Pasco, 4,752-square-foot equipment shed, 3,200-square-foot service repair garage. Price: $975,000. Buyer: Jesus Higareda Diaz. Seller: Curt W. & Jeannie M. Vorheis. 1511 58th Court, Pasco, 2,334-square-foot home. Price: $700,000. Buyer: J. Elias Serrano (et al). Seller: Viking Builders LLC. Property off Fanning Road, Pasco, 61 acres of ag land. Price: $2 million. Buyer: Robert & Bobbie J. Stallings III (et al). Seller: Alan J. McDonald. Property south of West Sagemoor Road, 190 acres of ag land. Price: $4.2 million. Buyer: Wild Trout LLC. Seller: Desert River Farms LLC. Property south of Farrell Road, 251 acres of ag land. Price: $2.4 million. Buyer: DS Schneider LLC. Seller: Diane M. Messinger. 4911 Road 68, 6,324-square-foot commercial building. Price: $1.6 million. Buyer: RBKB LLC. Seller: Quail Investments LLP.

uBUILDING PERMITS BENTON COUNTY

Columbia River Seed, 187405 Plymouth Industrial Road, Plymouth, $844,000 for new commercial. Contractor: W McKay Construction LLC. FRANKLIN COUNTY

Harder Farms Inc., 40313 PascoKahlotus Highway, Kahlotus, $50,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Legacy Telecommunications. KENNEWICK

VC Enterprises LLC, 12125 W. Clearwater Ave., $6,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. YVFWC Healthcare Facilities Development, 6335 W. Rio Grande Ave., $6,350 for sign. Contractor: Yesco LLC. TDKJ Residential Property LLC, 7968 W. 10th Ave., Building C, $1.3 million for new commercial, $125,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: DWP General Contracting, Americool Heating & Air Conditioning. TDKJ Residential Property LLC, 7968 W. 10th Ave., Building D, $2.7 million for new commercial, $250,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: DWP General Contracting, Americool Heating & Air Conditioning. 39536 Properties LLC, 4704 W.

Hildebrand Blvd., $23 million for new commercial. Contractor: To be determined. Summer’s Hub of Kennewick LLP, 6481 W. Skagit Ave., $1.9 million for new commercial, $81,000 for heat pump/HVAC, $74,000 for plumbing. Contractors: MH Construction Inc., Total Energy Management, Riggle Plumbing Inc. Kennewick Holdings LLC, 3810 Plaza Way, $590,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Layton Construction. St. Joseph’s Children’s Center, 901 W. Fourth Ave., C, $74,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Siefken & Sons Construction. Tri-Cities Food Bank, 424 W. Deschutes Ave., $5,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. Tiger Moon, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $39,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. CVKOB LLC, 30 S. Louisiana St., #100, $25,000 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. Cancado Family Investments LLC, 321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Suite G, $20,000 for commercial remodel, $5,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Booth & Sons Construction, M Campbell & Company. West Hood Place LLC, 7401 W. Hood Place, $19,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Foreman Construction. ABS WA-O LLC, 5204 W. Clearwater Ave., $9,000 for sign. Contractor: Sign Corp. Armando & Antonia Ruiz, 2635 W. Deschutes Ave., $20,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. LU112-NECA Elec Training Trust, 8340 W. Gage Blvd., $120,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Kustom US Inc. WW Real Estate LLC, 10379 W. Clearwater Ave., $35,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development. Jerry D. Markee, 4723 W. Clearwater Ave., $13,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Icon Roofing Inc. PRPS LLC, 3911 W. 27th Ave., #105, $8,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. ARS - FRESNO LLC, 22 S. Gum St., $13,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. TTB INVESTMENTS LLC, 5204 W. Okanogan Place, $5,500 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. YVFWC Healthcare Facilities

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B19

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509.582.5123 604 W. Kennewick Ave.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 Development, 6335 W. Rio Grande Ave., $6,000 for sign. Contractor: Yesco LLC. TDKJ Residential Property LLC, 7968 W. 10th Ave., Building B, $2.9 million for new commercial, $260,000 for heat pump/HVAC, $320,000 for plumbing. Contractors: DWP General Contracting, Silverline Electric/ plumbing. James Hutchinson Rentals LLC, 410 E. Kennewick Ave., $25,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Strata Inc. CV the Q LLC, 7901 W. Quinault Ave., $3 million for commercial remodel, $200,000 for plumbing. Contractors: W McKay Construction LLC, Progressive Design Plumbing. Acme Pest & Spray LLC, 11520 W. Clearwater Ave., $18,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: SAC Wireless LLC. Moore Properties Three LLC, 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., $35,000 for demolition. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Benton County, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, $145,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Apollo Inc. Pollo Properties LLC dba Yakima River Series, 202 E. Columbia Drive, $41,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: TAB Enterprises/A Quality. Moore Properties Three LLC, 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., $3 million for new construction, $1.5 million for plumbing. Contractors: LCR Construction LLC, Silverline Electric/ Plumbing. Kennewick Holdings LLC, 3810 Plaza Way, $12.3 million for new commercial, $4.1 million for heat pump, $4.1 million for plumbing. Contractors: Layton Construction,

Apollo Mechanical Construction. MGSC LLC, 2617 W. Kennewick Ave., $215,000 for new commercial. Contractor: MH Construction. Grandridge Investors LLC, 8131 W. Klamath Court, $14,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: S&C Maintenance and Construction. Moore Properties Three LLC, 2910 W. Clearwater Ave., $1.5 million for new construction. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Vista Field Industrial Park LLC, 501 N. Quay St., $5,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: O’Brien Construction. Numerica Credit Union, 3115 W. Kennewick Ave., $46,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Leone & Keeble Inc. Leskovar Land LLC, 3020 W. Clearwater Ave., $5,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. Raylene LLC, 8518 W. Gage Blvd., #1, $26,000 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. JPDP LLC, 810 S. Dayton St., Suite A110, $15,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. R & S Property Management LLC, 5025 W. Clearwater Ave., $11,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Columbia Roofing Inc. Jeffery D. & Yolanda M. Robison, 1110 N. Edison St., $6,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Maestro Construction Services. TTB Investments LLC, 520 W. Columbia Drive, $95,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Moreno & Nelson. TDKJ Residential Property LLC, 7976 W. 10th Ave., $250,000 for heat pump/HVAC, $310,000 for plumbing. Contractor: DWP General Contracting.

TDKJ Residential Property LLC, 7960 W. 10th Ave., $12.8 million, $825,000 for mechanical, $985,000 for plumbing. Contractors: DWP General Contracting, Mullin Enterprises. RBB Real Estate LLC, 3315 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 100, $500,000 for commercial remodel, $25,000 for plumbing, $75,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Hummel Construction & Development, Riggle Plumbing Inc., Total Energy Management. TTB Investments LLC, 5204 W. Okanogan Place, $125,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Hummel Construction & Development. Springview LLC, 6340 W. Rio Grande Ave., $35,000 for sign. Contractor: Musser Landscaping LLC. MGSC LLC, 2617 W. Kennewick Ave., $8,500 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. Pioneer Building Company LLC, 8203 W. Quinault Ave., $298,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: DGR Grant Construction. DJS Heerron Lake LLC, 51 N. Edison St., #C101, $47,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. Upper Columbia Mission Society of Seventh-day Adventists, 7105 W. 10th Ave., $40,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. Benton County, 1709 Ely St., $1.2 million for commercial remodel, $63,000 for heat pump/ HVAC. Contractor: Booth & Sons Construction, Apollo Sheet Metal. LPJ Properties LLC, 8019 W. Quinault Ave., #201, $20,000 for

B19

commercial remodel. Contractor: Fridley’s Construction. Canal Village LLC, 5331 W. Canal Drive, $60,000 for commercial remodel, $15,000 for plumbing. Contractors: New Environment Corp., Evergreen Plumbing LLC. Jeffery D. & Yolanda M. Robison, 1110 N. Edison St., $14,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Maestro Construction. Gary D. & Linda J. Earp, 300 W. Kennewick Ave., $15,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: owner. PASCO

MOD Housing LLC, 2511 Ronan St., $345,670 for duplex, $691,000 for multifamily housing. Contractor: Ambience Anew. Reser’s Fine Foods, 5526 N. Capitol Ave., $65,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Raymond Handling Concepts. Cho’s Family Investments, 7505 Sandifur Parkway, $28,000 for sign. Contractor: A-1 Illuminated Sign Co. Inc. ST Properties LLC, 1865 N. Commerical Ave., $30,500 for commercial addition. Contractor: Norlift Inc. Brantingham Enterprises, 1417 E. St. Helens St., $9,500 for commercial addition. Contractor: CRF Metal Works LLC. Mauro T. Ramirez, 201 N. Idaho Ave., $497,000 for new commercial. Contractor: None listed. GA Marrs Properties, 2080 N. Commercial Ave., $1.3 million for new commercial. Contractor: Columbia River Steel & Co.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B20

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Diesel Tech Equipment, 3310 N. Capitol Ave., $865,000 for new commercial. Contractor: CRF Metal Works LLC. City of Pasco, parcel 119 111 050, $958,000 for new commercial. Contractor: to be determined. Reser’s Fine Foods, 4426 N. Capitol Ave., $350,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: none listed. Crescent Heights Capital LLC, 6405 Chapel Hill Blvd., Buildings H & G, $1.2 million for multifamily housing. Contractor: Booth & Sons Construction. Department of Natural Resources, 7200 Burden Blvd., $25,000 for sign. Contractor: Ramsay Signs. Heidi Moctezuma, 2508 E. Lewis St., $5,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Tri-Cities Quality Homes. PROSSER

Legacy CRE LLC, 1710 Highland Drive, $17,500 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Arrow Roofing & Construction LLC. American West Bank, 1115 Meade Ave., $20,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Arrow Roofing & Construction LLC. Jeffrey Alan Cook, 1215 Bennett Ave., $27,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Safe Roofing & Construction. Prosser Public Hospital District, $32 million for new commercial. Contractor: Graham Construction. Julie Mercer, 171 Sixth St., $8,000 for commercial construction. Contractor: owner. Heartlinks, 612 Fifth St., $25,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Arrow Roofing & Construction.

RICHLAND

Tim Bush Trustees, 1131 Aaron Drive, $80,000 for tenant improvements. Martin S. & Jacqueline R. Stout, 490 Wellsian Way, $1 million for new commercial. Contractor: Elite Construction & Development. Temple Corp Church of Jesus Christ LDS, 969 Gage Blvd., $451,00 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Parkway C&A LP. Creekside Apartments, 1650 Mowry Square, $25,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Budget Construction. JLW Asset Management, 2373 Jericho Road, Building A, $50,000 for antenna/tower. Contractor: Northwest Tower of WA. 707 The Parkway LLC, $80,000 in tenant improvements. Contractor: Owner. Illahee Holdings LLC, 69 Jadwin Ave., #64, $24,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Silver Bow Roofing. Horn Rapids Storage, 2701 Kingsgate Way, Building F, $568,000 for new commercial. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Horn Rapids Storage, 2701 Kingsgate Way, Building G, $568,000 for new commercial. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Horn Rapids Storage, 2701 Kingsgate Way, Building H, $742,000 for new commercial. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Richland School District, 1332 Lee Blvd., $10 million for new commercial. Contractor: Chervenell Construction. CV The Franklin LLC, 1515 George Washington Way, $55,000 for tenant

improvements. Contractor: Cliff Thorn Construction. Zenitram Properties, 901 Aaron Drive, $65,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Ellison Earthworks LLC. The Riggers LLC, 1312 Lee Blvd., $472,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Kustom US Inc. Robert Welch, 1229 Columbia Park Trail, $10,000 for commercial reroof, $7,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractor: Welch Heating & A/C LLC. Raekes-Grewe Family Investments, 1950 Keene Road, Building O, $21,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Icon Roofing LLC. 1327 Goethals Drive LLC, 1329 Goethals Drive, $6,500 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Ivan’s Construction LLC. CV the Franklin LLC, 1515 George Washington Way, $3.2 million for tenant improvements. Contractor: Amenity Construction & Renovation. 3 Brittain’s LLC, 2165 Jericho Road, $5,000 for sign. Contractor: Quality Signs. WEST RICHLAND

Belmont Group LLC, 6255 Keene Road, $10,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. West Richland Investments LLC, 1401 Bombing Range Road, $77,000 for sign. Contractor: Yesco LLC. Owner not listed, 465 Snowgrass Ave., $250,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Aho Construction Inc. Heyden Properties LLC, 3205 Kennedy Road, $12,000 for sign. Contractor: Ramsay Signs. BCKM Investments Inc., 4033 W. Van Giesen St., $12,000 for sign. Contractor: Ramsay Signs.

uBUSINESS LICENSES KENNEWICK

JB’s Services, 83A Brown Ave., Unit 16, Hampton, New Hampshire. Leslie K. Smith, Attorney at Law LLC, 719 Jadwin Ave. Suite 40, Richland.

Cascadia Fire Protection LLC, 1040 SW 316th Place Federal Way. Vyanet Operating Group Inc., 410 SW Columbia St., Bend, Oregon. Installed Building Products Portland LLC, 15429 NE Cameron Blvd., Portland, Oregon. Interstate Restoration LLC, 2207 N. McKinzie Lane, Liberty Lake. JK Monarch LLC, 612 Harrison St., Sumner. Aztec Heating & Air Conditioning Inc., 1430 Appleway Road, Grandview. Advanced Foot and Ankle Clinic, PC, 3730 Plaza Way. King Curbing and Landscape, 815 W. Klamath Ave. Trlr 5. Heavens Best, 1900 Canyon Breeze Road, Wenatchee. Gesa Credit Union, 3520 Southridge Blvd. J and Brothers General Construction LLC, 2009 N. Road 34, Pasco. Senske Pest Control Inc., 400 N. Quay St. Dennis L. Bradshaw DDS, PS, 4403 W. Court St., Suite A, Pasco. Samantha Joan Shinker, 2420 W. Court St., Pasco. Drilling & Sawing Services Inc., 1010 W. Bruneau Ave. Luciano Painting Plus LLC, 16104 NE First Circle, Vancouver. Devo Bats, 2717 W. Canal Drive Stans General Construction LLC, 1600 W. Clark St., Pasco. Northwest Turf Solutions Inc., 13305 Road 2 SE, Moses Lake. Tru-Design Construction LLC, 1406 Fries St., Richland. Vargas Pro-Floors Installation LLC, 8416 Wembley Drive, Pasco. Gramma R LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Emily Byers Photography LLC, 2216 W. Fifth Ave. Rogue Builders LLC, 33006 E Red Mountain Road, Benton City. Gonzalez Realty Group LLC, 6855 W. Clearwater Ave. Grafeio LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Hardin Rehab Homes LLC, 1601 S. Washington St.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B21

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 Belle Ame Beauty, 10121 W. Clearwater Ave. Kentake LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Renovera LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Nykommer LLC, 76 Whitten St., Richland. The Blind Guy of Tri-Cities, 2016 Logston Blvd., Richland. MJ Investment LLC, 6830 W. First Ave. Pro Fire, 1100 E. Columbia St., Pasco. Kaihygge LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Lexi Cornella Photography, 1002 S. Highland Drive. Frankie’s Home Inspections LLC, 4605 S. Kent St. Zoomiezps LLC, 4302 W. Hood Ave. Aultman Anesthesia PLLC, 1080 N. Montana St. Pantoja’s Construction LLC, 720 W. Henry St., Pasco. Rethink Beauty Microblading Studio, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. M-A Coloring Inc., 206 N. Buntin St. Zero Gapped LLC, 3511 W. Clearwater Ave. Family Home Projects LLC, 81 S. 42nd Place, West Richland. One Rogue Construction LLC, 2009 Riverview Drive, Pasco. Dirt Stars Excavation, 4012 W. Opal St., Pasco. Pups N Cups, 6416 W. Fourth Place. The Wild Taco 2, 704 S. Ely St. Northwest Esthetics Academy LLC, 3030 W. Clearwater Ave. Professional Tree Care, 1505 S. Road E., Pasco. Startak Fiber LLC, 2746 Kingsgate Way, Richland. Columbia Basin Truck Driving School, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Koval Electric, 4425 Galway Lane, Pasco. Expert Traffic Control LLC, 2746 Kingsgate Way, Richland. Lee Electric Enterprises, 573 E. Sunset Drive, Burbank. Atomic Town Finishes LLC, 543 N. Third Ave., Connell. S.S. Services, 8309 W. 10th Ave. Leyva’s Moon Landscaping LLC, 102 N. Quincy St. Sidibe Digital, 99302 E. Sidibe PR SE. True Built Flooring LLC, 110 W. 21st Ave. Pearl Tea, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. D&D Enterprises of Tri-Cities, 6200 W. Brinkley Road. Solitary Home Flooring LLC, 209613 E. Schuster Road. Proof of Marketing, 4404 S. Irby Loop. Nails by Paigey Hanley, 213 S. Fillmore St. Valentina Urueta, 4224 W. John Day Place. Riverview Retail, 8382 W. Gage Blvd.

Pacific Skincare and Massage, 2411 S. Union St. Haircromancy, 427 S. Buchanan Place. Anytime Fitness Kennewick, 2909 S. Quillan St. Crossfit Boneyard, 10379 W. Clearwater Ave. Anew Addiction, 10 E. Bruneau Ave. Ana Lee Tattoo, 2411 S. Union St. Premium Choice Construction LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Spiti LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Orden LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Willy’s Services, 103604 Manuel Drive. Vennlig LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation, 7350 W. Deschutes Ave. Hdh Enterprises, 2402 W. 41st Ave. Marsalkka LLC, 101 S. Washington St. Rogers Training LLC, 1504 W. 40th Place. Bryce Jungquist, 10251 Ridgeline Drive. M&C Nail & Spa, 2909 S. Quillan St. Beauty Bar by Stephenie, 1350 N. Louisiana St. Precision Power LLC, 1215 S. Cedar St. Desert Winds Resale, 111 S. Jefferson St. Yang Massage LLC, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. TKO Construction General Contractor LLC, 220805 E. Perkins Road. Sprint D2h5, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Jeff Schell Agency, 552 N. Colorado St. Sprint D2h9, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. Suite H. J’s Automotive Repair, 320 S. Washington St. Elhag Africa Halal Food LLC (Eahf), 126 Vista Way. Sustainability Partners, 3319 W. Canyon Lakes Drive. Christopher Charles Medina, 15 S. Cascade St. Spring Green Tri-Cities, 4205 W. Argent Road, Pasco. Sherman Media Group, 1915 S. Fruitland St. Columbia City Styles, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Fred Perrin Consulting LLC, 980 S. 54th Ave., West Richland. Shawntae Westfall, 101 N. Union St. Teto Industry LLC, 1034 W. Park Hills Drive. Credit Guardian LLC, 6052 W. 33rd Ave. Kadlec Clinic Rheumatology, 6710 W. Okanogan Place Kassen Chamberlain, 6855 W. Clearwater Ave. Construction, 1112 Road 70, Pasco. Doctor’s Pharmacy, 1715 W. Kennewick Ave. X-Golf Kennewick, 6116 W. Lattin Road, West Richland. Washington Harvest Group LLC,

HANFORD EDITION

317 N. Hawaii St. D&J Casa LLC, 1612 W. Eighth Place. Triple E Trucking LLC, 7529 W. Willamette Ave. Doctor’s Pharmacy, 7103 W. Grandridge Blvd. Doctor’s Pharmacy, 1350 N. Grant St. Legend Cleaning Services LLC, 914 S. Cleveland St. Taylor L. Harden LLC, 7215 W. Fifth Place. The Runway Esthetics LLC, 5602 W. Clearwater Ave. Doctor’s Pharmacy, 1715 W. Kennewick Ave. J.C. Quality Finish LLC, 1042 W. 14th Ave Pokesmall Shop LLC, 117 S. Young Place. Moses Roark, E. 3614 S. Benton St. Lafemina Consulting, 1406 S. Kellogg St. Jessica P. Giordano, 101 N. Union St. Paradigm Safety, 1502 N. Montana Court. C. Butterworth Staging & Design LLC, 15405 S. Grandview Lane. Tacos Super Uno LLP, 2417 W. Kennewick Ave. Annavigal Legal Consulting LLC, 2523 W. Kennewick Ave. Azimuth Games, 1808 W. Sixth Ave. A Frame Gift & Glass, 2410 W. Kennewick Ave. Beauty by Yessi LLC, 130 Vista Way. Junie Rose Naturals, 1124 W. 16th Place. King of Chaos Coffee Company, 8771 W. 11th Ave. Three Rivers Mobile Dentistry LLC, 10201 W. Clearwater Ave. Offline Repairs, 1506 W. Fourth Place. Axlee LLC, 4804 W. Seventh Ave. Bih Trucking, 1204 S. Keller Place. Break Free Counseling LLC, 1612 W. 21st Place. Ambitious Creations LLC, 725 N. Center Parkway. Salon on 1st, 123 W. First Ave. Bop Corporation, 3908 S. Zillah St. PROSSER

Yakima Interiors Inc., 2920 River Road, Yakima. Northwest Striping & Sealing LLC, 839 N. Corriedale Road, Yakima. Quality First Construction, 711 Woods Road, Sunnyside. Renewal by Andersen of Seattle, 7433 Fifth Ave. South, Seattle. B Cleaning, 8116 Ashen Drive, Pasco. Sirius Therapeutics LLC, 805 W. 13th St., Benton City. Hardin Rehab Homes LLC, 1601 S. Washington St., Kennewick. Pacific Alarm and Fire Inspection Services LLC, 314 N. Montana Court, Kennewick. Ellison Earthworks LLC, 2273

B21

Legacy Lane, Richland. Safe Roofing & Construction LLC, 121 Schlagel Road, Yakima. Family Home Projects LLC, 81 S. 42nd Place, West Richland. ATS Electrical, 325 N. Oregon Ave., Pasco. Campbell Cooling Electrical Plumbing, 2828 W. Irving St., Pasco. Flex Flooring LLC, 1104 Spokane Ave. Liberty Electrical Company LLC, 33503 319 PR NE, Benton City. Mayflower Metals, 139406 W. Johnson Road. CM Excavating Services, 25705 S. 1545 PR SW. Whitstran Steaks & Spirits, 1427 Wine Country Road. Tirriddis Sparkling Wines, 2880 Lee Road. Evergreen Greenhouse Services LLC, 113002 W. Old Inland Empire Highway. Recovery Lane, 705 Seventh St. Garcia’s Market LLC, 804 Sixth St. Red Rover Construction, 1112 Road 70, Pasco. On-Point Plumbing, 4875 Mount Adams View Drive, West Richland. Concrete West Inc., 42095 Granite Drive North, Seven Bays. Smarsh Inc., 812 E Shelby St., Seattle. Waterways, 2118 SE 12th Ave., Suite 101, Battle Ground. Jesse’s Smokken Hot Meatz, 520 S. Fifth St., Sunnyside. Trendz Real Estate Inc., 718 Sixth St., Prosser. Optimum Extracts, 1501 Center St., Tacoma. Shadow Mtn Septic and Plumbing, 61509 N. Highway 225, Benton City. E&R Home Upgrade LLC, 1070 Outlook Road, Outlook. Four Feathers Wine Estates LLC, 101 Max Benitz Road. Unique Cleaning Services, 5031 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Veritiv Operating Company, 20602 66th Ave. South, Kent. Salty Captain’s Custom Woodworks LLC, 131 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. KD’s Remodeling, 210 S. Olson St., Kennewick. WEST RICHLAND

On-point Plumbing, 4875 Mount Adams View Drive. Henry B Hathaway, 6348 Copper Court. Ramsay Signs Inc., 9160 SE 74th Ave., Portland, Oregon. New Style Pools, 4320 Ivy Road, Pasco. Corado Construction, 190 S. 38th Ave. Mammoth Cabinet Installation LLC, 1031 Hoffer Road, Wapato. Craftmark Custom Homes, 3607 Brushy Lake Drive, Missouri City,

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B22

LAST CALL!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

In the April 2022 issue of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, we will take a closer look at Hanford’s profound influence on our community. We will provide updates from regulators and contractors, and the latest on cleanup efforts.

For more information and rates, call 509-737-8778. Tiffany ext. 2 or Chad ext. 1. Deadline is Thursday, March 17, 2022

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022

Texas. Muzzy Construction LLC, 1103 S. Sandlewood PR SE, Kennewick. Osborn Construction & Design LLC, 1451 Highland Road, Grandview. New Look Flooring & More, 904 Sanford Ave., Richland. Shadow Mtn Septic and Plumbing, 61509 N. Highway 225, Benton City. CCB Exteriors & Maintenance LLC, 50 Apollo Blvd., Richland. Liberty Electrical Company LLC, 33503 319 PR NE, Benton City. Mendez Quality Painting LLC, 1920 W. Sixth Ave., Kennewick. C&J Construction LLC, 3020 W. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Powerstroke Siding, 1224 N. Union St., Kennewick. Superior Roadside, 4599 Ironton Court. Indoor Outdoor Painting, 1500 S. Jefferson Place, Kennewick. A Better View LLC, 213 S. Fillmore St., Kennewick. Eminent Roofing Inc., 4821 W. Park St., Pasco. Total Concrete Services LLC, 1600 W. Clark St., Suite B1, Pasco. On-Site Concrete LLC, 7906 Budsage Drive, Pasco. Capitol Custom Construction LLC, 4512 Chelan Drive. Rick Scott’s HVAC/R LLC, 579 N. 61st Ave. Alexis T. Goodman, 4001 Kennedy Road. Lumio Hx Inc., 1550 W. Digital Drive, Lehi, Utah. Rickabaugh Pentecost Development, 108 W. Stewart, Puyallup. Sidibe Digital, 99302 E. Sidibe PR SE, Kennewick. True Built Flooring LLC, 110 W. 21st Ave. Kennewick. Tri-Cities Contractors Brothers, 623 N. Arbutus Ave., Pasco. Spring Green Tri-Cities, 4205 W. Argent Road, Pasco. Red Rover Construction LLC, 1112 Road 70, Pasco. Clover Island General Contracting LLC, 1031 S. Elma St., Kennewick. IMG General Construction LLC, 1913 N. 11th Ave., Pasco.

Double G Concrete LLC, 5514 Chapel Hill Blvd., Pasco.

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.

Alex B. Najera, MD, PS, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Shopify USA Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Washington Insurance Agency, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Oscar’s Lawn Care Services, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. S&L Flooring LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. J Choo USA Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Rivera Investments LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Ramon R. Mendoza, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Andrewjeski Farms LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Jose Damian, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Northwest Commercial Cleaning Services, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 11. Teodolo Ramon Valencia et al, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 11. Eastern Washington Construction Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Estanislao Solorzano et al, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 11. Kiddie Corner Kids Learning, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11.

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Luis E. Perez, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Barajas Auto Body LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Extreme Landscaping LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Five Star Guttering LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 11. Doctor Auto Repair LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 11. All Season Painting and Flooring LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Arnott Enterprises LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Leonard Merit O’Banion, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Panchos Heating & Cooling, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 14. Sunrise Quality Construction LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Washington Insurance Agency, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 14. HDZ Construction Services LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Barajas Auto Body LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Rivera Investments LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 14. Pasco FBO Partners LLC, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Martha Alicia Rodriguez, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Maria Rangel, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. David Perez et al, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 14. Ermenio Cuevas et al, unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Superior Clean Services LLC,

unpaid Department of Revenue taxes, filed Feb. 14. Trucking A&JS LLC et al, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed Feb. 14. Christina M. Franklin, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 18 Ramon R. Mendoza, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 18. Shopify USA Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 18. J Cuevas Painting LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Feb. 28. EJ Construction, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries, filed Feb. 28. J Choo USA Inc., unpaid Department of Labor and Industries, filed Feb. 28. Stucco & Stone Contractors, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries, filed Feb. 28.

uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW

Tucannon Cellars, 40504 N. Demoss Road, Benton City. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters; beer/wine on premises endorsement. Application type: new. Columbian Club, 2500 Chester Road, Richland. License type: private club – spirits/beer/wine; non-club event. Application type: new. Lazy River Taphouse, 4033 W. Van Giesen St., Suite H & I, West Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in/out WA; tavern – beer/wine; off premises. Uncle Sam’s Saloon, 8378 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge; kegs to go. Application type: new. Little Randy’s Old Time Diner, 104 First Ave., Suite 110, Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: new.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B23

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022 APPROVED

Stick and Stone, 3027 Duportail St., Building 1, Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: in lieu. Garcia’s Market, 804 Sixth St., Prosser. License type: grocery store – beer wine. Application type: assumption. Desert Wind Winery, 2258 Wine Country Road, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: in lieu. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 43 Columbia Point Drive, Richland. License type: cocktails/ wine to-go. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu. Klipsun, 8060 Keene Road, Suite A, West Richland. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: change of location. Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 606 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick. License type: cocktails/ wine to-go. Application type: added/ change of class/in lieu. Bombing Range Brewing Company, 2000 Logston Blvd., Suite 126, Richland. License type: microbrewery. Application type: change of corporate officer. DISCONTINUED

Sedated Smoke Shop, 309 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: discontinued. FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW

Tacos Palomino Corp., 1315 E. Lewis St., Suite D & E, Pasco. License type: beer/wine restaurant – beer. Application type: change of location. Fondita Ilucion, 2125 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco. License type: direct shipment-in WA only; spirits/beer/ wine restaurant lounge+; catering. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. Don Rubios, 1515 N. Fourth Ave., Pasco. License type: spirits/ beer/wine restaurant service bar. Application type: new. APPROVED

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar, 5305 Road 68, Pasco. License type: cocktails/wine to-go. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. DISCONTINUED

Fusion Wines, 3217 Sorento Court, Pasco. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: discontinued. KLICKITAT COUNTY NEW

Andrews Family Vineyards, 182 McKinley Springs Road, Prosser. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: new.

uMARIJUANA LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW

Fireweed Farms, 133302 W. Johnson Road, Suite A, Prosser. License type: marijuana producer tier 3; marijuana processor. Application type: new.

uBUSINESS UPDATES NEW

Kinwell Medical Group has opened a primary care clinic at 7505 Sandifur Parkway, Suite 103, Pasco. The primary care clinic has seven suites and offers in-person or teleheath visits, online appointment scheduling and reduced wait times. It is an exclusive network provider of Premera Blue Cross and also accepts patients with LifeWise insurance. Contact: 1-833-411-KINWELL (5469355); kinwellhealth.com; Facebook. Sub Zero Ice Cream has opened at 321 N. Columbia Blvd., Kennewick. The ice cream shop uses cryogenics to freeze made-to-order ice cream

treats. Hours: noon-9 p.m. Contact: 509-396-9402 subzeroicecream.com. Pearl Tea, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd., inside Columbia Center mall, Kennewick. The tea shop sells bubble, milk and brewed teas with various toppings including tapioca, jellies and popping pearls, along with coffee and Red Bull caffeinated drinks. Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Contact: 509-531-4363; Facebook; Instagram. REOPENING

Novel Coffee Co. has reopened inside the Richland Public Library, 955 Northgate Drive. Hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday–Friday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Phone: 509-420-4883;

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www.novelcoffee.co. MOVES & ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS

Veronica’s Fresh Produce has moved to 3423 W. Court St. in Pasco and opened a new location at 1345 Lee Blvd. in Richland. Contact: 509851-2739; Facebook. CLOSURES

Masala Indian Express at 8524 W. Gage Blvd. in Kennewick has closed. Its sister restaurant at 3321 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite 100, remains open. Wet Palette Paint Parties at 1001 Wright Ave. in Richland plans to close its studio on March 31 after eight years in business.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | MARCH 2022