AUGUST 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 8
Community foundation marshals best of the Tri-Cities By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Science & Technology
BlockChyp payment terminals adapt alongside Tri-City businesses Page A11
Nonprofits
As financial disaster looms, Mid-Columbia nonprofits turn to road trips, drawings and more Page A23
Real Estate & Construction
Now Richland is getting luxe waterfront apartments Page B1
NOTEWORTHY “The number of merchants we have and the volume we’ve done has quintupled since Covid started. We’re just astonished.”
-Jeff Payne, BlockChyp, chief technology officer
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When Kennewick’s Trios Health was sold to a for-profit company in 2018, the managers of the Trios Foundation were left in a pickle. The nonprofit had $2.2 million in assets, lots of worthy targets for donations, and no home. Led by Pete Toolson, the board considered its options. Several worthy charities wanted the cash, but not the strings that came with it. In the end, it chose the Three Rivers Community Foundation as the new home. Trios Foundation became the Family Health and Wellness Foundation and its money was deposited into the Three Rivers’ investment fund. Its mission to support eight specific charities with the interest it earns stayed intact. “We felt 3RCF was a good home for the money,” Toolson said. The hospital foundation disbanded after the money was transferred. Three Rivers Community Foundation, or 3RCF, is the foundation’s foundation. It was created in 1999 by civic-minded Tri-Citians who united to create a unique organization to manage a pool of donations to support the Mid-Columbia’s nonprofits in perpetuity and to help would-be philanthropists carry out their wishes. It’s also stepped up to help during the pandemic by launching an emergency response fund to support nonprofits affected by the coronavirus shutdowns. Today, it boasts $6.1 million in assets and helps Tri-Citians — and Tri-City businesses — manage charitable funds, scholarships and pool their resources to support churches, health initiatives, food banks, arts organizations, animal charities and many other nonprofits. While United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties leverages workplace donations to support nonprofits, 3RCF runs on individu3RCF, Page A31
Photo by Melanie Hair The Covid-19 pandemic sent a chill through the Tri-City commercial real estate market in March. Some business has returned but only outdoor dining is allowed in Benton and Franklin counties, leaving traditional indoor dining on hold. Above, diners wait for meals at Ninja Bistro at Columbia Gardens Urban Wine and Artisan Village in Kennewick.
Pandemic puts commercial real estate on pause in the Tri-Cities
By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
John Corbin is not happy. The Tri-City Chuck E. Cheese restaurant, a franchise he’s helmed for 38 years, closed in March when Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to curtail the spread of coronavirus. Just 16 months earlier, he’d moved Chuck E. Cheese to a 14,000-square-foot state-ofthe-art building near Kennewick’s Vista Field, built at a cost of $4 million. Five months later, it’s still closed. Its 50 to 60 employees stayed on at first, courtesy of the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program loan, which covered salaries and other costs. They spent their time cleaning and painting the new building until the money ran out.
He wonders about his ability to reopen if inside dining doesn’t return to Benton County. “I have all my money invested in this and now I’m put out of business by the governor,” he said. The family-friendly restaurant is one of the many Tri-City businesses that remain dark during the pandemic, with futures that increasingly are being called into question. Local brokers agree the pandemic is taking its toll but offer an optimistic view that the commercial “pause” will give way to a solid recovery across all types of nonresidential commercial property — retail, office, industrial and even land sales. “I can’t tell you when we’re going to get back to normal. But once indicators are back, our market is going to take off. That will hap-
uPAUSE, Page A4
Tri-Citians paid half their property taxes in April. October could be another story By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
The property owners of Benton and Franklin counties didn’t miss a beat when it was time to pay property tax bills on some $31.5 billion in real estate in April, when the first of two payment deadlines came due. The county treasurers who collect taxes say collections were normal, despite widespread economic challenges inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the stay-home orders it inspired. But that’s just half the story. Property taxes payments are split, with due dates in the spring and fall for those who don’t pay property tax bills to mortgage companies. The second payment is due in about two months, Oct. 31. With the local economy still battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and stay-home orders that closed many local businesses, at least one local county treasurer is
concerned some won’t be able to meet their obligations. “I’m concerned about October, as are many of the treasurers in the state,” said Benton County Treasurer Ken Spencer. Treasurers collect property taxes, which are distributed to a variety of public entities. The state as well as counties, cities, schools, fire districts, ports and junior taxing districts all rely on property taxes to fund operations. In mid-July, Benton County had collected about 56% of the year’s total tax bill of $255 million. That’s typical for this time of year, Spencer said. But the first deadline came early in the pandemic, before the full economic damage came into focus. Five months later, the local unemployment rate was above 9% and a federal unemployuPROPERTY TAXES, Page A8
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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OPINION Everyone needs to come Nonprofits stand ready to help but they need our help together to combat Covid-19 By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Tri-Citians are a generous lot. Residents generously give money to Senior Life Resources Northwest to ensure seniors eat courtesy Meals on Wheels. They give to the Kennewick Police Department’s Community Cares Fund to help officers help people in trouble. They reach into their wallets to support important capital projects too. The new Union Gospel Mission in Pasco and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties’ new central Kennewick clubhouse are two recent examples. The list goes on. If there’s a need, TriCitians answer the call. Well, there is a need now more than ever. Yes, the Covid-19 pandemic has sidelined the economy since March and pushed the local unemployment rate up. It stood at 9.1 percent in June, the most recent figures available from the state Employment Security Department. The losses our local nonprofits are facing due to Covid-19 are staggering. There are more than 1,700 tax-exempt organizations in the Tri-Cities, including Prosser and Benton City, according to the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS doesn’t say which ones are still active. But the Covid pandemic will thin the ranks further. An influential report released in July predicts 10% to 40% of U.S. nonprofits will merge or go out of business because of steep declines in charitable giving.
As we report in the nonprofit section of this month’s edition of the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, locals won’t be spared the pain. LoAnn Ayers, president and chief executive officer of United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties, shares that she speaks with a dozen or more nonprofits a day. They’re all hurting. In-person events and fundraisers have migrated online. Amid the bad news, Ayers says there is good. Tri-Citians are compelled to help those who are less fortunate. And most Tri-Citians remain employed. They’re not traveling, eating out or shopping as much as usual, with is pushing up disposable income. There are lots of ways to help and they all start with the issues and causes closest to your own heart. Donating to support the mission that most aligns with your values is always important but especially during this time when so many of these organizations’ major fundraisers are being canceled or shifted to formats donors aren’t as familiar or comfortable with. United Way and the Three Rivers Community Foundation both launched Covid-19 funds to help nonprofits help our neighbors. As always, if you’re unsure about a charity, check it out. The Federal Trade Commission recommends researching charities at BBB Wise Giving Alliance (give.org), Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.org), CharityWatch (charitywatch. org) and GuideStar (guidestar.org).
Wearing a mask saves lives and saves jobs. And all across the state, Washington employers are leading by example in the fight to stop the spread of the coronavirus. From Seattle to our small towns, workers are masking up before starting their shifts on manufacturing floors, in restaurant kitchens, construction sites and hardware stores. This simple tool is even more powerful when customers do their part and wear a mask before coming inside. Culturally, we’re adjusting and building new habits. Face masks, gloves and hand sanitizer have joined wallets, phones and car keys among the necessary items to have before leaving our homes. Some masks are plain, and some have the logos of our favorite sports teams or other patterns. Either way, they’ve become part of our daily lives. Initially, face masks were encouraged as a way to protect those around us. But now researchers are looking into the possibility they also provide protection for the person wearing the mask. Recent studies indicate people are 65% less likely to be infected if they wear a mask. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, believes the pandemic could be brought under control in four to eight weeks if “we could get everybody to
wear a mask right now.” Our state needs this team effort to keep people from getting sick and help our economy stay Kris Johnson open and avoid Association of more closures. Washington Masks help Business companies GUEST COLUMN open up and stay open. The economy has a great degree of fragility, and we need to do everything possible to avoid going backward. Wearing masks can not only help keep you and your neighbors healthy, but they also can help you and your neighbors collect a paycheck, not an unemployment check. Washington's economy shut down in March. Lives were saved as we stopped the spread of the coronavirus. But our economy took a major hit when customers stayed home and demand dropped. Many businesses still are recovering, and some are already gone forever from this once in a lifetime event. Since then, our state has reopened slowly and carefully. Employers have made major investments in personal protective equipment, safety training uJOHNSON, Page A10
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UPCOMING September: Young Professionals Leadership Development October: Food • Viticulture
CORRECTIONS • Bill Mich’s name was misspelled on page A37 in the June edition. The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business, a publication of TriComp Inc., is published monthly and delivered at no charge to identifiable businesses in Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Kennewick, Prosser and Benton City. Subscriptions are $27.10 per year, including tax, prepayment required, no refunds. Contents of this publication are the sole property of TriComp Inc. and can not be reproduced in any form without expressed written consent. Opinions expressed 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.
By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The jobless rate fell sharply in June across Washington and in the Tri-Cities as local economies partly reopened under the Safe Start program, according to figures released July 21 by the Washington Employment Security Department. In the Tri-Cities, unemployment fell to 9.1%, down three full points from the 12.3% rate posted in May and four points off the peak of 13.5%. Unemployment in the Tri-Cities hovered around 5% in June of the three prior years, before the Covid-19 crisis led to widespread business closures and layoffs. Benton and Franklin counties entered a PAUSE, From page A1 pen nationwide,” said Rob Ellsworth, senior adviser for SVN Retter & Co., a commercial real estate firm in Kennewick. Ellsworth focuses on leasing and sales of all commercial property types, working chiefly in the Tri-City area. Conditions are ripe for a restart, he said. The Tri-City commercial real estate sector had a strong year in 2019 with solid leasing and sales in all product types, particularly industrial. Vacancy rates were tight, leasing was up, rents were rising, and business owners were looking for land to expand. Capitalization rates, or “cap rates,” were dropping too, a sign of tight inventory and rising de-
modified version of Phase 1 in early July. Phase 1 is the most restrictive phase of the reopening following the March Stay Home, Stay Health order to curtail the spread of coronavirus, which causes the deadly Covid-19. State figures indicate jobs in leisure and hospitality, the hardest hit industry, remain depressed. There were 11,500 people working in the industry in June, 1,100 fewer than a year ago. The professional and business services job sector was off by 900 positions, education and health services by 1,200, and trade, transportation, warehousing and utilities by 1,600. The statewide unemployment rate for June was 9.7%, down from 14.8% in May
and 16.1% in April. The state unemployment rate was around 4.3% in the three prior Junes. Washington’s civilian labor force of nearly 4 million people included 384,109 people actively seeking employment in June. Unemployment ranged from a high of 12.4% in Ferry and Grays Harbor counties to a low of 6.1% in Whitman County. Unemployment was 9.2% in King County, 11.5% in Pierce County, 9.8% in Snohomish County, 10.5% in Whatcom County, 10.1% in Yakima County, 10.2% in Clark County and 9.9% in Spokane County.
mand for space. A cap rate is the rate of return on a real estate investment. In short, 2020 was going to be a good year. Like most, Ellsworth was shocked by the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order in March. “I don’t think anybody expected anything that drastic. In your lifetime, no one has ever experienced anything like this,” he said. Despite the challenges, retailers are staying current on rents, according to brokers and property owners. But that could be changing as the Paycheck Protection Program concludes and money runs out. “I haven’t heard of any business saying
they need out of the lease,” he said. He’s more concerned about the office market. The pandemic forced employers to embrace working from home. He predicts some will embrace it beyond the pandemic and give workers the choice to say home. That could reduce demand for office space. “I think your typical office user will go to a smaller footprint,” he said, explaining that if an employer reduces their office need by 20%-30%, they can cut their 5,000-square-foot office to 4,000. “That could be a hiccup for (building) owners, he said. Office managers will reevaluate their needs, according to a Covid-19 study by Colliers International, a global real estate firm. The July “Office Space in the PostCovid Era” report predicts a sharp but short recession. For the first time in 10 years, tenants leased less space than they gave back in the second quarter, known as “negative absorption” in the industry. “The COVID-driven work-from-home experience has shown that remote work is here to stay,” it said. “Both employees and their managers see the benefits. The office will become more of a destination that will attract workers to what the office does best: gathering, knowledge transfer, onboarding, social interaction and connection to the brand, culture and mission.” Pandemic jitters slowed but didn’t stop investors from buying commercial properties. David Fritch, broker with Kenmore Team, reports deals that were in the works closed, but not on their scheduled dates. “Big transactions in April became big transactions in June,” he said. He closed a building sale with a 1031 exchange, a tax-advantaged maneuver that allows buyers to defer capital gains by investing in comparable real estate. Fritch said 1031 is more important than ever — it keeps money working instead of sitting on the site to wait out the pandemic and economic fallout. In another case, a buyer paused to reconsider tying up cash in real estate, then moved ahead with his plans. He too is an optimist, saying that creative endeavors will come from the crisis. “I don’t see a bleak picture of business in the Tri-Cities,” he said, adding, “I would not want to be in retail.”
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Kennewick hoteliers add Texas property to portfolio
A-1 Hospitality Group, a Kennewickbased hospitality firm, has acquired the management contract for Homewood Suites by Hilton in New Braunfels, Texas, near San Antonio. The 90-suite hotel is the third addition to the A-1 portfolio this year. It previously opened the Courtyard by Marriott in Pasco and the Holiday Inn Express & Suites in The Dalles, Oregon, in April. Mita and Vijay Patel established A-1 Hospitality in 1997. Their son, Taran Patel, serves as managing principal. The company’s portfolio includes eight properties in Washington, Oregon and now Texas.
How do candidates stand on business issues? Check this guide
Want to vote for the candidates who best align with your business philosophy in November? Check out the 2020 Vote for Business Guide compiled by the Local Government Affairs Committee of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. The guide highlights how candidate positions align with local business priorities. Participants include state Legislative candidates from the 8th, 9th and 16th districts and Benton and Franklin county commission candidates. Only contested races are featured. Candidate responses are unedited and presented in alphabetical order. The guide also includes videos. Go to tricityregionalchamber.com/ voteforbusiness.html.
Tri-City restoration company sold
Zion Restoration, a Tri-City property restoration company, has been sold to Kustom US. Kustom US, based in Longwood, Florida, provides restoration services to residential and commercial properties. The Zion team, which specializes in restoring properties after fire and water damage, will continue under the leadership of Sara and Paul Little as Zion Carpet and Restoration, a division of Kustom.
Weigh in now on future of Kennewick waterfront
The public is invited to comment on the future of the Kennewick waterfront as the Port of Kennewick develops a plan for Clover Island and port-owned property along East Columbia Drive. Citizens can comment through Aug. 16 at portofkennewick.org/historicwaterfrontdistrict. The website includes recordings from recent presentations, as well as a survey, mapping exercise and idea wall. The Kennewick Historic Waterfront District Master Plan will guide planning for the next 15 to 20 years.
Permanent manager of DOE Richland offices named
Brian Vance has been named the permanent manager of the two U.S. Department of Energy offices that supervise Brian Vance cleanup of the Hanford site, a move to cement coordination at the site that is preparing to initiate landmark tank waste treatment. Since February 2019, Vance has been serving on a limited appointment
as the manager for both the Richland Operations Office and Office of River Protection. In that post, he has aligned operations as Hanford gears up to begin treating tank waste through the DirectFeed Low-Activity Waste approach and concentrates cleanup work on the site’s central plateau.
Drive-thru Covid-19 testing hours change
The Benton-Franklin Health District’s free Covid-19 testing stations have changed their hours. Free drive-thru testing is available from 7 a.m. to noon Tuesday to Saturday at the Toyota Center in Kennewick and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday at the HAPO Center in Pasco.
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Tests will be done on a first-come, first-served basis with no appointment required. Tests are free but those who have insurance should bring their cards. Participants remain in their vehicles. The testing site is open to anyone who feels they should be tested and is urging anyone who fits into the following guidelines to get tested: • Anyone with any Covid-19 symptoms. • Anyone whose physician recommended they be tested. • Anyone who is a close contact or has a known exposure to Covid-19. Test results take seven to 10 days to complete. Results are reported by phone and by mail.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
DATEBOOK
VISIT TCJOURNAL.BIZ AND CLICK ON EVENT CALENDAR FOR MORE EVENTS
AUG. 18
• Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details at co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php. • Benton County Commsion: 9 a.m. Details at co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx • PNNL: Exploring “NoMan’s Land”: An Examination of Water Between -44°F and -19 0°F: 7-8 p.m. Register: bit.ly/ pnnlaug18nomansland • Columbia Basin ASQ Virtual Meeting, Big data big deal: Why you should care: 6-7 p.m. Register:/bit.ly/asqmeeting18 • Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce workshop double header: 10 a.m. Navigating the L&I website & Creating a My L&I Account, accident prevention program and what is it and how do I make one. Register: bit.ly/ tcrccaug18
AUG. 19
• Columbia Basin ASQ Virtual Meeting - Corrective and Preventive Action Insights: 6-7 p.m. Register: bit.ly/ asqmeeting19
AUG. 25
• 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 Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m. Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission • Kennewick City Council, 6:30 p.m. Go2kennewick.com/ CouncilMeetingbroadcasts
AUG. 26
• Congressional Update Luncheon: Noon-1 p.m. Register at tricityregionalchamber.com/events • Richland City Planning Commission, 6 p.m. ci.richland. wa.us
AUG. 27
• Port of Pasco Commission: 10:30 a.m. Details at portofpasco. org/about-us/port-commission • Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, “Virtual Ask the Experts: Positivity During a Pandemic with Peggy Vasquez:” 10:30-11:30 a.m. Go to: tricityregionalchamber.com.
SEPT. 1
• Downtown Business Zoom Hangout: 5 p.m. Details at historickennewick.org/calendar • Richland City Council, 6 p.m. Details at ci.richland.wa.us
SEPT. 2
• Richland City Arts Commission, 6 p.m. Details at ci.richland.wa.us • Kennewick City Council, 6:30 p.m. Go2kennewick.com/ CouncilMeetingbroadcasts
SEPT. 4-6
• Tumbleweed Music Festival: Go to: tumbleweedfest.com
SEPT. 8
• Richland Utility Advisory Committee, 3 p.m. Details at ci.richland.wa.gov • Richland Library Board, 5:30 p.m. Details at ci.richland.wa.gov
SEPT. 9
• Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce, “Ask the Experts”: 3:30-5 p.m. Details at tricityregionalchamber.com
• Richland Planning Commission, 6 p.m. Details at ci.richland.wa.gov
SEPT. 12-20
• Parade of Homes: Tour eight homes virtually or in person by appointment. No tickets required. Go to hbatc.com for details.
SEPT. 18
• Drive-Thru Sausage Fest: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Details at facebook. com/CKSausageFest • Chaplaincy’s Heart of Healing: 5:30-9 p.m. Details at chaplaincyhealthcare.org/event/ heart-of-healing-2020
SEPT. 25
• Washington Policy Center annual dinner (virtual): 5-8:40 p.m. Trey Gowdy, a former congressman and prosecutor, is keynote speaker. Details at washingtonpolicy.org/about/page/ virtual-annual-dinner-faq
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Pasco tank hauler has a new owner – its insurance agent By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
A Pasco company specializing in hauling chemicals, de-icers, pesticides and more has a new ownership group led by the insurance agent who covered its business for decades. Chad Messerly and his partners, Brian May and Morgan Haynes, bought Harms Pacific Transport Inc. in a deal that closed July 1. The sellers were the transportation company’s longtime owners, Gary Marquard and Steve Dilley, who both retired. Messerly and his wife moved to Richland from Montana to manage the company he’d admired in his 21 years as its insurance agent. Messerly and May, a trucking industry veteran, and Haynes,
uBUSINESS BRIEFS Newhouse to give Covid-19 update from Congress
U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, will give a congressional update to the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce during a free virtual lunch at noon Aug. 26. The event will be conducted via Zoom. Following his presentation, he will take pre-submitted questions from the audience. Submit questions to elisabeth.holt@ tricityregionalchamber.com. Go to tricityregionalchamber.com for registration information.
an accountant, don’t intend to change Harms Pacific, but are looking for growth opportunities. “We do want to do some expansion,” Messerly said. Harms, established in 1926, employs nearly 50 and operates a fleet of tank haulers, as well as a tank farm and rail spur on 3220 Glade North Road, north of Pasco. It accepts rail shipments of liquid products such as petroleum products, chemicals and airplane de-icer. It transfers them from rail cars its own tank farm and from tanks to its own tankers and to customers’ as well. It is licensed to operate in seven western states and parts of Canada. It also operates washing facilities for both rail cars and tankers. Simplot and Alaska Air are two of its
best-known customers. Messerly is a longtime insurance agent who spied an opportunity to join the industry he covered when Marquard and Dilley decided to retire. He joined Stieg & Associates in August 1999 and focused on providing insurance services to Northwest trucking companies from its office in Billings, Montana. Harms Pacific was a longtime customer. Stieg & Associates specializes in transportation companies, affiliating more with its customers than the insurance industry. “We felt we could help our clients out more if we understood what they did, how they did it,” Messerly said. When Marquard and Dilley informed Stieg & Associates they were looking to
retire and would miss seeing their insurance agent, he jumped at the opportunity. Messerly asked the pair if they’d be interested in selling the business to him and his partners. They asked how he would run it and were happy with the answer: We’d run it as it is. They began the lengthy process of brokering a deal, which took several years before it closed. “If anyone thinks it’s going to happen in a hurry...,” he said. The land deal included 25 acres sold in two parcels for about $2.48 million, according to Franklin County property records. Terms of the asset sale were not disclosed.
$10,000. Recipients did not have to be approved for a loan to receive the money. EIDL loan applications still will be processed even though the advance is no longer available. The loan portion of the program continues to have funds available at a 3.75% interest rate for small businesses and 2.75% for nonprofits, a 30-year maturity and an automatic deferment of one year before monthly payments begin. Every eligible small business and
nonprofit is encouraged to apply to get the resources they need. Go to sba.gov/ funding-programs/disaster-assistance.
To qualify, lawmakers have to vote in accordance with the NFIB position 90% of the time or more. Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, along with Reps. Matt Boehnke, RKennewick, Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, Skyler Rude, R-Walla Walla, and Joe Schmick, R-Colfax, voted the NFIB position 100% of the time. Sen. Jim Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, and Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, along with Rep. Bill Jenkin, R-Prosser, voted the NFIB position 90% of the time.
EIDL program provided $20 billion in aid
The U.S. Small Business Administration reports the full $20 billion in emergency funding allocated to it by Congress through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Advance program has been distributed. Loans were provided to small businesses, nonprofits and agricultural businesses. The EIDL Advance provided $1,000 per employee, up to a maximum of
Nine Mid-Columbia lawmakers were among 44 Washington legislators named “Guardians of Small Business” by the National Federation of Small Business. The honor is based on how lawmakers voted on 11 issues affecting business.
50 GUNNERS is a networking group of local, trusted industry leaders who provide outstanding services and quality products. Find out more at 50gunners.com
Broadband grants available from public works board
The Washington State Public Works Board is accepting applications for broadband infrastructure construction grants and loans through Sept. 9. More than $9.1 million is available for low-interest loans and $8.6 million is available in grants. Cities, towns, counties, public port districts, special purpose districts, quasi-municipal corporations, tribes, nonprofit organizations, cooperative associations, limited liability corporations organized for the purpose of expanding broadband access, and incorporated businesses or partnerships are eligible to apply. Applicants must contact local Internet Service Providers at least six weeks prior to submission. For information, visit bit.ly/WashingtonBroadbandGrants.
9 lawmakers named ‘Guardians of Small Business’ by NFIB
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
PROPERTY TAXES, From page A1 ment benefit worth $600 a week was set to expire. Spencer said he’s worried about residential property owners who have lost their income and as well as commercial landlords. “I have several landlords who say, ‘Ken, I’m not collecting any rent,’” he said. Franklin County too reported normal property tax collections in April. The county collected 57% of 2020’s $91.6 million property tax bill by mid-July. Treasurer Josie Koelzer said that’s similar to collection rates in recent years. Koelzer does not share Spencer’s concerns about the coming due date. Franklin County isn’t hard hit by the loss of tourism, one of the industries most af-
fected by Covid-19, she said. Agriculture is an essential business and has continued. Major retailers remained open and busy. “We shop at Walmart and online and all the ag businesses stayed open,” she said. “I think we’re going to be right on target in October.” While some counties in western Washington extended the April tax deadline, Benton and Franklin counties held fast, saying too many jurisdictions depended on the revenue to pay bills and cover debt payments on the various bonds that pay for infrastructure, new schools, fire stations and other projects. Spencer said delaying collections could have forced government agencies into missing payments on bond debt. Benton
County doesn’t want to jeopardize its AA+ bond rating, which translates in lower interest costs on its debt. “We worked hard to get that AA+ rating,” he said. Both counties gave distressed property owners options to spread property tax payments over multiple months. They couldn’t waive interest penalties, which are set in law, but were able to waive county-imposed late payment charges. In Franklin County, 44 people committed to making payments on contracts covering 58 tax parcels and $235,089. They have paid 65 percent of the collective balance to date, Koelzer said. With uncertainty surrounding tax payments in October, the four cities of the Tri-
Cities are watching their budgets with care. Richland projects a 5% reduction in property taxes this year, although it has not yet seen evidence of it, reported spokeswoman Hollie Logan. The city’s 2020 budget is nearly $307 million. The city of West Richland ended 2019 with a strong ending fund balance and $2.2 million in its general fund reserves, said Jessica Platt, the city’s finance director. The city has received 54% of its anticipated property tax revenue, consistent with the amount collected by the county treasurer. “At this point, we don’t anticipate significant delinquency with property tax revenues,” she said. But if there are shortfalls, its reserves are available to fill the gap. West Richland expects to benefit from a sales tax boost courtesy of the stay-home order, which limited in-person visits to stores and closed many businesses in March. West Richlanders who normally shop in a neighboring jurisdiction went online. The sales taxes they pay are coming home instead of going to the neighbors. “It’s been a benefit for West Richland,” she said. The city of Pasco said it anticipates a $3 million negative revenue impact in 2020 and 2021, out of a total budget of $450 million. Kennewick reports it “constantly” updates revenue projections for its $357 million biennial budget. In a nod to the pandemic, it has frozen some discretionary spending and isn’t filling non-public safety positions. It has a $2.9 million rainy day fund which it can tap if necessary.
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uBUSINESS BRIEFS Monteith Insurance now part of AAA Washington
The AAA Washington Insurance Agency has acquired Monteith Insurance Agency of Kennewick in a move to expand its services to the Tri-Cities. “We are very excited to be able to acquire a proven and reliable agency like Monteith Insurance,” said Pat McCormick, vice president of insurance for AAA Washington. Mark Monteith founded the firm nearly 23 years ago, making a name for itself by creating a list of policies customized to serve specific local industries, including agriculture. All of the Monteith insurance agents
will continue to work for the AAA Washington Insurance Agency — Tri-Cities, 8518 W Gage Blvd #1, Kennewick. Mark Monteith will continue as location manager. The AAA Washington Insurance Agency offers all personal lines of insurance (home, auto, life) plus long-term care planning, annuities and business insurance. Clients need not be AAA members to use its services.
Downtown Kennewick group announces 2019 awards The Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership recently announced the 2019 Volunteer, Business, and Downtowner of the Year awards. The honorees were announced during
an Aug. 11 breakfast Zoom event. The winners are: Volunteer of the Year: Jason Bergan of Bergan’s Timeless Treasures. Business of the Year: Red Mountain Kitchen, jointly owned by Courtney Bauer, Alanna Lindblom and Chris Bauer. Downtowner of the Year: Jay Freeman of Edward Jones. Bergan was selected for his leadership in the first Deck the Downtown campaign where he helped organize downtown businesses to participate in a drawing to raise money for more holiday decorations for the downtown area. He helped raise more than $4,000. Bergan also helps his neighbors with graffiti abatement. Freeman, who is serving his second term on the HDKP Board of Directors
and is also board president, was honored for being a driving force behind several committees, especially the Economic Vitality Committee. Red Mountain Kitchen was honored for making downtown Kennewick a better place to be by creating a space where food, love, and community can come together.
Online shopping is state’s top Covid-19 scam
Online shopping scams tied to the Covid-19 pandemic broke the $105 million mark on Aug. 11 and are now Washington’s No. 1 scam, according to SocialCatfish.com, which tracks online scams. Nearly 25,000 online scams have been reported nationally and 722 in Washington, making it the top way fraudsters attempt to steam money from victims. Washington victims filed nearly 3,700 reports with the Federal Trade Commission, representing $2.7 million in losses. Online shopping scams are the most common type of scam nationally, followed by travel and vacation scams, credit card scams, bank/credit union scams and mobile text messages. File complaints at ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1. JOHNSON, From page A3 and rearranging store layouts and factory floors. This work is all the more remarkable considering that hundreds of Washington manufacturers have shifted their operations to make this personal protective equipment to save jobs and help our state reopen safely. Now, Covid-19 cases are trending upward in Washington and around the country. But we've come too far to turn back. This point is being driven home by the Stay Safe Washington Coalition, which has launched a new public awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of using a mask. The message is simple: If we all wear a mask in public places, we can stay safe and stay open. This broad coalition represents contractors, ethnic businesses, bankers, grocers, Realtors, the retail, hospitality and food industries, AWB and more. We're proud to be part of this team effort to protect public health and help keep our struggling economy open. And we're asking all Washingtonians to continue to do their part. Frequent hand washing, physical distancing and face masks are some of the best tools we’ve got right now as we fight this virus and attempt to rebuild our battered economy. It might not seem like much, but a simple piece of fabric can help save a job, protect a life and —hopefully soon — defeat this virus. For more information, go to StaySafeWA.com. Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY BlockChyp payment terminals adapt alongside Tri-City businesses By Laura Kostad
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
A Kennewick tech startup is transforming the way businesses process their payment transactions, even as coronavirus shutdowns and restrictions threatened its business model. “It’s interesting because we’re focused on brick-and-mortar transactions, so when Covid hit, we thought we were dead,” said Jeff Payne, BlockChyp’s chief technology officer. BlockChyp designs payment terminals using blockchain technology to guarantee secure transactions at the register. The BlockChyp team sprang into action and designed a couple of contactless payment features to help their merchants adapt to their “new business as usual” model. The results were surprising. “The number of merchants we have and the volume we’ve done has quintupled since Covid started. We’re just astonished,” Payne said. BlockChyp is now used by more than 200 businesses across the country, processing $1 million per week in transactions. “The reason that’s happened is because we’re in industry verticals that are just not — by dumb luck — that susceptible to Covid, like grocery, hardware, wine and liquor and telecommunications,” Payne said. “It did freeze capital markets though,” he continued. “A lot of investor deals completely died because of Covid. But once we got a few months into Covid and it was clear we were surviving it, investments picked back up and we managed to do OK.”
Tri-City customers Two Tri-City businesses began using BlockChyp technology before the pandemic hit, Knutzen’s Meats of Pasco and Statewide Publishing of Kennewick. BlockChyp’s first client, an independently-owned, Salinas, California, pet supply store called Pet Fun, went live April 1, 2019. “We just started scaling up from there,” Payne said. Knutzen’s Meats began using BlockChyp’s technology in late fall 2019. The longtime, family-owned meat shop and meat processor’s intersection with BlockChyp was serendipitous. “(Our) old office was right across from Knutzen’s Engineering,” Payne said. “Paul (Knutzen) walked in one day and said his family was having a hell of a time with their payment processor.” “Last year around boat race weekend, our mag strip reader went out,” said Caleb Knutzen, son of owners Steve and LeAnn Knutzen, who has followed in his father’s footsteps as a meat cutter and processor and helps to run the family business. “We called the bank, and it took 10 days to get new readers.” The Knutzens received Bluetooth readers to plug into their tablets, but that didn’t fix the problem — the readers didn’t work as advertised. “It took minutes to run transactions because we were having to type
all of the card numbers in by hand,” Caleb said. Making matters worse, Caleb had ordered new gift cards shortly before their mag strip reader went out, but the cards weren’t compatible with their new pointof-sale, or POS system. In desperation, the Knutzens moved on to two more POS companies, dropping hundreds of dollars with each change, but still the hardware wasn’t meeting their business needs, and Caleb struggled to get help from customer support. “Whenever you call, you’re always on hold, then you’re transferred to Tennessee or wherever because no one knows how to fix your problem,” Caleb said. “Everyone promises you the world and doesn’t deliver, they just want to get you in and start being a part of your profits. “Then Jeff showed up with the terminal that could do everything,” Caleb said, brightening. “I just went down there one day and told them what BlockChyp can do, got gift cards printed, and we installed the terminals and got them up and running. It’s been a really great relationship,” Payne said. This isn’t the norm in the world of POS, where the complicated setup and integration process can be frustrating, especially for small business owners. “Our customers say all the time that nothing works like they say that it’s going to work,” Payne said. “There is a need for a product that works reliably, that’s simple, that’s transparent and not confusing. It’s really just common sense. We’re not doing anything particularly innovative … It is what we say it is and it works. Something that simple is groundbreaking in payments.”
BlockChyp technology So what is it that sets BlockChyp apart from their competitors? For one thing, it puts everything in one place. “Pet Fun was frustrated because it took 30 seconds to process a transaction because they had systems on top of systems, on top of systems, and every link in the chain adds time. Ten to 15 seconds is not unusual,” Payne said. BlockChyp’s terminals take minutes instead of hours to set up, a couple of weeks instead of months to become fully integrated, and they process transactions in 1.5 seconds, which Payne said has been consistent since the beginning. BlockChyp can read debit and credit card strips, chips and tap-and-go technology from Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club, JCB and UnionPay. It also can process EBT/SNAP, offering manual card entry support and real-time balance checks. Other value-added features include line item readouts and discounts on the terminal as orders are entered; adding company logos, slide shows and full-motion video on the terminal’s display, without having
Photo by Laura Kostad Caleb Knutzen processes a card transaction using the all-in-one BlockChyp payment terminal at Pasco’s Knutzen’s Meats at 6404 W. Court St. Knutzen’s was the first Tri-City company to adopt Kennewick-based BlockChyp’s blockchain-encrypted payment terminal technology, which enables merchants to process all payment types on one terminal.
to call customer support; the ability to set up custom messages and prompts, which can facilitate loyalty enrollment, coupon redemption, suggestive selling and more; and the ability to conduct surveys and have
customers sign contracts and custom agreements. All is backed by BlockChyp’s triple encryption system, which relies on the impenuBLOCKCHYP, Page A18
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uBUSINESS BRIEFS CBC adds associate’s degree in ag production
Columbia Basin College will offer an associate in applied science degree in agriculture production beginning this fall. Students pursuing this two-year program will earn three certificates including crop and soil, precision agriculture and hydroponics and greenhouse management. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges provided CBC’s agriculture program with $494,767 through the Career Connect Washington Career Launch program, which will provide students hands-on experience with the latest technology sought by today’s employers.
Funding approved for educator tech training
To better prepare the state’s teachers for more remote learning in the 2020-21 school year, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has committed to spending a portion of federal emergency funds on professional development for educators on the use of learning management systems. The state Office of Financial Management (OFM) released $2.5 million in federal funds to OSPI for this purpose. The state’s nine regional educational service districts will provide support and training with no registration cost to help districts with platform selection, provide training for educators and families and launch networks for educators to share best practices. In total, Congress allocated about $195 million to Washington’s local school districts and $21 million to OSPI to address impacts resulting from Covid-19. While all funds have been released to state school districts, OFM has held back the money allocated to OSPI. As OFM considers a release of the remainder of the state’s portion of the funds, OSPI intends to cover the costs of internet for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals and to partner with community-based organizations to help families secure child care, language translation services and other parent and family engagement assistance.
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Faith leads to virtual reality encounters to relieve stress, prevent suicide their work. By February, they had raised $30,000 toward the $160,000 cost of the industrial trailer they hoped to buy. They were ready to make a down payment but decided to hold off. The trailer would be ready in four weeks, not much time to raise the $130,000 balance due at closing. They prayed on the decision and landed on an intermediate solution — a “pop up” retail spot. They would outfit two suites in retail
By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Terry Brown and his wife, Annie Ackerman-Brown, didn’t develop a business plan or research how they could best help young people in mental anguish when they launched BlessedbyKess. Faith led them to create the nonprofit, which uses virtual reality, or VR, technology to help Tri-Citians reduce stress and improve mental health. Faith led them to leave his successful engineering career in July for a nonpaying job running the nonprofit, which honors his late son, Kess. Kess, Terry’s only biological child, died by suicide at 19 in December 2018. Terry raised Kess as a single dad before he married Annie and the couple blended their families. Kess, who graduated from Kennewick’s Southridge High School, was smart, handsome and athletic, his parents said. He was popular with girls and his athleticism attracted college attention during his freshman year in high school But he struggled with depression and mental health issues. Unable to find support at home, his parents sent him to treatment in Portland and then to Sacramento. Both times he seemed to do well but fell into old patterns when he returned home. The Centers for Disease Control reported 48,000 deaths by suicide that year, or one death every 11 minutes. It was the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the second leading cause for people age 10 to 34, the CDC said. As the couple processed his death, they recognized Kess internalized stress until he lost hope. A giver who cared deeply about others, he didn’t know how to take care of himself. They dedicated themselves to finding ways to help young adults decompress and release stress outside traditional therapy. Their prayers for guidance led the Browns to Micah Jackson, a Los Angeles entrepreneur who found the answer to his own stress and anxiety by creating a business around immersive virtual reality. Jackson created interactive suites where guests choose a virtual encounter and relax in high-end massage chairs in suites designed to stimulate all the senses. His business, Esqapes Immersive Relaxation, is a for-profit enterprise. The couple said a different use for the immersive VR suites and the programs Jackson wrote. They would use the same technology but as a nonprofit catering to people who need help relaxing, with a focus on young adults. They planned to create their VR encounter suites in a trailer, which they would take to the community. Brown likens it to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, trailers that drive home anti-drug messages in schools. Ackerman-Brown, who is in sales, began looking for support for the venture they called “CHILL Encounter” through her church and elsewhere. Momentum began building last September, when she received Facebook “friend” requests from seven local Realtors she did not know in real life. She challenged her new friends to donate proceeds from home sales that closed in Septem-
Courtesy BlessedbyKess
BlessedyKess, a new Tri-City nonprofit, formed to help young adults relieve stress by exploring 13 virtual realities, including other worlds, above, in interactive virtual reality suites. Terry Brown and Annie Ackerman-Brown established the CHILL program in honor of their late son, Kess. ber and October to support CHILL. They took her on. The campaign netted nearly $6,000 after 23 Realtors agreed to give $200 from transactions that closed during those months to help get CHILL Encounter off the ground. The success led to a fruitful partnership with the real estate community. The Tri-Cities Association of Realtors, or TCAR, adopted BlessedbyKess as one of its 2020 nonprofit community partners, providing financial and in-person support in the campaign to reduce a suicide epidemic.
“Through its partnership with BlessedbyKess, TCAR hopes to raise awareness of this epidemic and strengthen the mental health of our community,” it said. The couple presented their vision to about 300 Realtors and closing agents at an annual meeting. Soon, they were invited to present to smaller groups as well. Brown said the 30-minute format was a challenge. He had to go from discussing suicide to asking for money in just minutes. But the couple persevered, and additional firms committed to support
Annie Ackerman-Brown and Terry Brown
space leased for just a short while. They shared their idea with James Wade, a local commercial real estate broker. Wade directed them to a small shop at 450 Williams Blvd. in Richland and even paid the first two month’s rent. The couple got the keys on March 1, just 20 days before Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order that sidelined “nonessential” activity to thwart the spread of coronavirus. uKESS, Page A15
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Science & Technology
Will tech-heavy labor force lead to technology economy? The greater Tri-Cities enjoys a strong technology pulse, but the most readily accessible statistics are scant on the evidence. Brenton-Franklin Trends data, for instance, doesn’t carry one “technology” indicator out of the 175 available. This state of our knowledge is largely due to the difficulties in measuring the economic impact of technology. Increasingly, the absence of technology-specific measures is due to how embedded technology has become over a broad array of industries of the U.S. economy. Benton and Franklin counties are no different. With a few notable exceptions, such as the computer hardware and software industries, biotechnology
companies and engineering firms, industry data is not particularly helpful. Occupational numbers, however, can D. Patrick Jones shed some Eastern light. These are Washington widely available University in WashingGUEST COLUMN ton state via a classification developed by labor economists known as Standard Occupational Codes, or
SOC. The data is developed and maintained by the state Employment Security Department, or ESD labor economists. As you might imagine for an economy as diverse and complex as ours, the number of SOC entries runs into the high hundreds at a common level of aggregation (four-digit). For the greater Tri-Cities, the number of entries is nearly 800 at that level. A new data offering, which Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis has contributed to, adopts the occupational approach. The tool is the Vitals from the Institute of the Association of Washington Business, or AWB. (Its current
chairman is a Tri-Citian, retired Pacific Northwest National Laboratory executive Mike Schwenk.) The Vitals consists of 33 indicators for all 39 counties in the state, or in the case of this indicator, all metropolitan statistical areas, or MSAs. In particular, the Vitals’ measure of technology is the number of jobs found in STEM fields. A few definitions of science, technology, engineering and math fields exist; the Vitals adopted one used by the U.S. Department of Labor. This notion of STEM covers about 100 occupations, which the institute has aggregated and then calculated an intensity, or ratio, to allow comparisons among the MSAs of the state. The accompanying map from the Vitals highlights the results for this area. Notably, the Vitals definition excludes health care occupations. What do the Vitals show about the current breadth of Tri-City STEM jobs? As the map reveals, the Tri-Cities can point to about six jobs out of every 100 in 2019 that are attributable to these occupations. This places it highest among Eastern Washington metro areas, but lower than the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue MSA, which boasted a STEM intensity double that of the Tri-Cities, and the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro MSA, an economy that clocked a STEM intensity about 50% higher than here. Furthermore, the Olympia-Tumwater MSA showed a higher STEM ratio approximately 50% higher. What lies behind the STEM, or technology occupations, in the greater Tri-Cities? It should come as no surprise that engineers drive the numbers. In 2019, they amounted to more than 4,300, with half holding specialties in civil and environmental engineering. Rounding out the top five specialties were, in order: nuclear, mechanical and electrical. In total, the number of engineers implies that more than three out of every 100 workers in this labor market holds this occupation. The next largest supplier of STEM occupations comes from computing. That number might surprise, since most of us don’t think of the Tri-Cities as a mini Redmond. In 2019, the number of computer-related jobs reached nearly 2,000. The largest specialty among computer workers was systems analysts, followed by support specialists, then software developers of applications. The third largest contributor to STEM jobs here is thanks to scientists. In 2019, the Tri-Cities could point to nearly 1,800 scientists. That is a remarkable concentration and can undoubtedly be attributed to PNNL. Of those scientists, most were in the physical disciplines, as opposed to life science. Besides physicists and chemists, the science specialties here encompass atmospheric and space, materials, environmental and geology. Add in a few dozen hydrologists and it’s quite a mix. The two other occupational groups holding significant STEM positions uJONES, Page A17
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PNNL scientist receives $1M for research as distinguished fellow By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
A material science pioneer at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is one of three to be named a 2020 distinguished scientist fellow by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science. James “Jim” De Yoreo’s award includes $1 million in DOE funding over three years to pursue new research. De Yoreo is a fellow and co-director of the Northwest Institute for Materials Physics, Chemistry, and Technology, a research collaboration between PNNL and the University of Washington. He is also deputy director for the Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales and a professor of materials science and engineering at UW. The Distinguished Scientist Fellow program is authorized by the America COMPETES Act to develop, sustain, and promote scientific and academic excellence in Office of Science research through collaborations between institutions of higher education and national laboratories. De Yoreo was cited for his research over the past 30 years, which has made an impact in fields as diverse as materials science, geochemistry, and biophysics. He has a particular focus on the science of interfaces. “This award represents a tremendous honor,” he said. “More importantly, it provides me with an opportunity to make significant headway in understanding and KESS, From page A13 The couple cleaned and outfitted the space and waited impatiently for the Covid-delayed shipment of massage chairs, VR gear and other supplies to arrive. They opened May 22, attracting visitors chiefly through word of mouth. They only take appointments online. This lets them manage customer traffic to avoid anyone congregating outside or arriving before they’ve had a chance to sanitize the suites between users. Guests choose from 13 “encounters” developed by Jackson — sunsets on the beach, a Chinese pagoda, forests, Japanese gardens and more. Fans, heaters and
controlling interfacial processes that underlie a vast array of natural phenomena and technological applications, from biofouling to electrical energy storage.” His current research focuses on understanding and manipulating interactions, assembly, and crystallization in nanoparticle, biomolecule and mineral systems. De Yoreo and his team have pioneered self-assembling nanostructures such as these protein-based nanowires. He has led prominent programs spanning the nation’s fundamental science agencies, including DOE, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. De Yoreo’s four U.S. patents and more than 270 publications have been cited over 17,500 times and his work has been recognized with many awards and recognitions. “DOE and PNNL have benefited greatly from Jim’s inspiring leadership in materials science. His unique ability to conduct groundbreaking research while fostering collaboration across disciplines and institutions merits this honor,” said Steven Ashby, PNNL lab director. De Yoreo also is passionate about developing the next generation of scientists, having mentored more than 30 postdoctoral associates and 30 graduate students, as well as early- and mid-career staff. “Jim De Yoreo is a pioneer in fundamental materials science who has been at the forefront of research that has led to many aromatic dispensers mimic the world the guests are visiting. If palm trees are swaying in the virtual world, the visitor feels the breeze on their skin. The immersive experience touches all five senses. “It’s a totally different way to relax both mind and body,” said Brown, who adds that the level of relaxation can be so total it can be disorienting to some. “We’ve had people take off the headsets and say, ‘How do I get back to Richland?’” Guests come in all ages. They include recent high school graduates, university students sent home by the pandemic and professionals looking to shed the worka-
1304 E. Hillsboro St., Pasco, WA (509) 545-8420 • skoneirrigation.com
Courtesy PNNL PNNL materials scientist James De Yoreo has been named a distinguished scientist fellow by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science. He is pictured with an array of self-assembling bioengineered proteins generated through his research in collaboration with the University of Washington. (Background image courtesy of the University of Washington)
innovations, from lasers to thermoelectrics to implantable devices. Additionally, his mentoring of students and early career scientists is an example to all. It is truly fitting that he has been recognized by this new and highly competitive award,” said Louis Terminello, PNNL associate lab director. De Yoreo earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from Colby College and his master’s and doctoral degrees in experimental physics from Cornell University. He held several research positions at both Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratories from 1989 until 2012, when he joined PNNL. He has been on the graduate faculty in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Chemistry at the University of Washington since 2015. Additional honors include being named a Battelle Fellow for his career contributions that dramatically affected the conduct of his field, and receiving the prestigious David Turnbull Award from the Materials Research Society in 2016.
day stress of busy lives. The Browns have been surprised to find CHILL is a popular date night outing for couples as well. Guests pay $25 for the experience, which lasts about 30 minutes and includes preparation exercises to help calm guests before they settle in. Free and low-cost visits are available. Word of mouth is giving way to a formal marketing effort to get the word out to the target audience for CHILL Encounter — young people who like Kess who may not know where to turn for help. They’ve passed out free coupons to high school graduates and invited their
church friends to experience CHILL in person. They’re taking out advertising as well and continue to ask for donations to pursue their dream of placing VR suites in places where young people are likely to find them, including schools. The couple still plan to create a mobile version of CHILL. They are considering an Oregon-built tiny house, which would cost less than the industrial trailer they were originally considering. In the longer term, revenue will support a fixed location, as well as a mobile unit that could travel to schools or other locations. Follow their progress at blessedbykess.org.
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Science & Technology
Working from home is helping to raise the Tri-Cities’ tech profile The pandemic has altered daily life in many ways, some of which may long outlive the current shutdowns. Technological innovations over the past several years have allowed employees to work from home — a shift that was already well underway before the pandemic, but one that has been kicked into hyperdrive since March. Large technology companies and communities outside crowded urban areas (think: the Tri-Cities) stand to benefit greatly. Working from home was a fringe concept introduced to the mainstream seemingly overnight. There’s a good chance that if you hold a desk job, you
have been logging in from home lately. Is this the future of work? It’s the present for millions, and it certainly has its fair share of supporters. Ask your friends on the other side of the mountains where they fall on this matter. Telecommuting sure beats real commuting through Seattle’s clogged transportation arteries. While working from home has kept the wheels turning for many organizations, there are still some questions about its staying power. In the early days of the shutdown, it seemed that employees kept on task and got work done remotely. But with the benefit of hindsight,
it appears the initial spurt of progress may have been attributed to feardriven productivity, which is not sustainable. The mood Anthony Smith has soured a bit HFG Trust recently. Projects can GUEST COLUMN drag on longer than usual. Hiring and training have become difficult propositions. Picture yourself as a new entrant to your field, and now try to imagine how quickly you’d develop without the benefit of looking over the shoulders of your more experienced colleagues. Even though it may not be a perfect substitute for working alongside your colleagues in an office setting, it appears remote work is here to stay. If you take a moment to reflect on what it takes to stay connected and productive in our chosen professions, it’s pretty amazing how much we depend on technological innovations that once existed only in sci-fi flicks. And the investing world has taken notice as the tech-related companies that have brought us these capabilities are clearly standing out as hot stocks. The S&P 500, a broad measure of stock market performance, was up about 1% year-to-date through July 31. Had it not been for the stellar performance of the five largest market cap companies, which all happen to be techrelated (Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook), the market index would have been down nearly 5% yearto-date. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index was up almost 20% through July 31. Technologies available to the masses have certainly made the shutdown less disruptive than it would have been in previous decades. Take Zoom for example. It’s a name that has become synonymous with videoconferencing. And with each passing day, I imagine we’re all becoming a little more comfortable with it as a substitute for in-person meetings. But be advised, there are new rules of
the road to follow. I recently came across an article outlining the seven rules of Zoom meeting etiquette. I was a repeat offender of four rules. (OK, maybe five.) Even as most employees eventually return to their offices, a portion likely will be granted the flexibility to relocate their homes and work remotely full time. The appeal of large cities is at a low right now. In fact, recent surveys have shown that a large proportion of Americans are actively considering relocating to less densely populated areas with higher standards of living. If you’re going to be homebound, a house (with a home office) and a yard sure are nice to have. Enter stage right: The Tri-Cities! Think of your acquaintances who have recently moved here from a big city like Seattle and how happy they are with their decision. I often joke that there is a thriving Seattle expat community here. Now try to think of someone who plans to move to a big city like Seattle. I don’t personally know anyone in this camp. The Tri-City housing market is already very strong, and the urban flight should continue to support it. Statistics from June showed less than a one-month housing supply listed in the Tri-City area. As a result of the tight inventory, many buyers are finding themselves in multiple offer situations that require going above the list price to win the deal. We need more homes to accommodate growth. The reverberations from 2020 are likely to be felt for a long time. Technological innovations that have allowed some businesses to operate during the shutdown also will allow people to relocate to where they truly want to live, not just where the jobs are. The TriCity area stands to gain. It’s a great place to call home — a fact that more and more people are discovering every day. Anthony Smith is a chartered financial analyst and portfolio manager in the Kennewick office of HFG Trust. He is a Tri-City native and University of Washington graduate.
Science & Technology
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
Tri-City school districts offer standalone online schools By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Three Tri-City public school districts won’t be throwing open their actual doors to welcome back students in the fall because of high coronavirus rates in Benton and Franklin counties. But they will be ready to greet them online when school starts Sept. 1. The Kennewick, Richland and Pasco school districts are offering additional options to parents and students who are not comfortable with in-person instruction, if the schools can open later in the school year. The Benton-Franklin Health District recommended July 28 that schools not reopen for in-person instruction in September because of the community’s high disease rates. Each district will offer a standalone online school for students. Students must transfer into these online academies as they would a traditional school.
Kennewick School District Kennewick School District’s new Online Learning Academy is intended for families who do not wish to have their children return to school for onsite, in-person learning in the 2020-21 school year. Limited details about the program were available during the first week of August as the district was planning an Aug. 11 webinar about the new program. Registration ended Aug. 14. The district said parents may choose the online academy and then return to in-person school once circumstances change. Information: ksd.org. Pasco School District Pasco’s online school, called Internet Pasco Academy of Learning, or iPAL, is
for grades K-12. The online academy has been offered since January 2013. Early on, iPAL served grades 6-12, but in 2016 it expanded to include grades K-5. More than 500 students in grades K-12 were enrolled in iPAL during the 2019-20 school year. Students can be enrolled full time, part time and/or take classes at their home school or be homeschooled. Students who need specially designed instruction participate on a case-by-case basis. The online school operates with an open enrollment policy throughout the year, so parents can enroll at any point, though those who consider enrolling after the beginning of the school year are encouraged to wait until the quarter or trimester, but this is not a rule. Information: psd1.org/Page/6614.
Richland School District Richland Virtual School is Richland School District’s new, fully online and teacher-directed learning program for students in kindergarten through grade 12. Based on the model for Spokane Public Schools’ Spokane Virtual Learning, the virtual school will offer “learning tailored to a virtual platform with district teachers trained in online instruction” and “a powerful and personalized learning experience.” Families interested in registering for the school must commit to a full year. The deadline to apply was Aug. 11. Information: virtualschool.rsd.edu.
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STEM jobs per 1,000 by MSA
57.38
Estimated period 2019
Richland Pasco Kennewick
0
115 Source: AWB Institute
JONES, From page A14 here are management — especially in engineering and the sciences — and the technicians who work alongside scientists. All told, occupational data from ESD for 2019 indicate about 7,500 workers could be classified as STEM or technology workers. Why does this matter? For one, their presence has helped elevate incomes here. As Trends data shows, median household income in 2018 was nearly $65,000, far above the levels of other Eastern Washington MSAs and higher than the U.S. median. With this large a share of the local
workforce in technology (STEM) fields, the raw material for a technology-led economy is at hand. Now, can we find some entrepreneurs, STEMtrained or not, who want to tap into this large talent pool? 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.
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Science & Technology
Battelle donates $1 million to boost STEM education By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business Photos by Laura Kostad The BlockChyp payment terminal and its handheld counterpart represent a breakthrough in payment terminal technology for merchants. The Kennewickbased company’s design puts an end to needing multiple terminals and machines behind the counter for processing different payment methods, as well as provide next-level security to all transactions.
BLOCKCHYP, From page A11 etrable security of blockchain technology, a digital, decentralized ledger for recording transactions. Even the gift cards BlockChyp issues use blockchain. “Our gift card technology is probably the most unique part of our business,” Payne said. “Blockchain gift cards are different than any other because they have blockchain keys on the magnetic strip — there are no numbers. If the numbers don’t exist, (the gift card) can’t be stolen. There’s no way to commit gift card fraud.” He continued, “If you’re getting a gift card from Knutzen’s, it’s the most secure gift card in the world.”
Weathering a pandemic Knutzen’s has managed to weather Covid-19 restrictions with help from BlockChyp. As Caleb recalls of the early days of the pandemic: “Covid hits. I immediately called Jeff. We shut the front door on Sat-
urday and he was right there and wired a terminal to our side window to help customers.” “I would give (Jeff) six stars out of five … Jeff has not been just the best card processor I could have ever dreamed of, but he saves us thousands of dollars too because his rates are lower,” Caleb said. With a massive upswing in business since the pandemic hit, Caleb said he is working with BlockChyp and Focal Point Marketing of Kennewick to bring a selection of Knutzen’s products to an online store where customers can place orders for pickup. He hopes the online store will be live by mid-August. Merchants interested in BlockChyp can use a free and anonymous processing fee comparison tool on BlockChyp’s website. BlockChyp: 509-590-1945; support@ blockchyp.com; sales@blockchyp.com, 7601 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite 401, Kennewick; Github, YouTube, LinkedIn.
A $1 million Battelle donation aims to improve STEM education to better prepare the next generation of scientists in the greater Tri-City area. The grant will help launch a regional STEM Nexus that will develop and fund experiential learning programs for underrepresented, underserved students in rural communities. A science, technology, engineering and math-based education is critical for the future workforce, officials said during a Zoom meeting July 15, held as part of Battelle’s ongoing observation of its 90th anniversary. The Ohio-based company manages Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the U.S Department of Energy. The state has an unprecedented percentage of jobs requiring postsecondary credentials and, increasingly, STEM proficiency at some level. But only 40% of Washington’s high school students earn such a credential by the age of 26, according to Battelle. The Nexus wants to increase this to 70% by 2030. “Our nation faces a continuing challenge to interest our youth in science, technology, engineering and math careers that are critical to our future,” said Steven Ashby, Battelle senior vice president and PNNL director. “For decades, Battelle and PNNL have provided financial support, community leadership and mentors for
STEM education efforts that have had an enduring impact. This gift will continue this tradition by focusing on the development and expansion of transformative STEM education experiences in the region, especially for historically underrepresented and underserved populations.” Officials outlined a series of steps needed to get there including creating teams of educators, regional community partners and STEM professionals to co-create curriculum and experiences for students, and equipping them with resources, personalized education experiences and role models. “We are proud of our long-standing presence in Richland and the Tri-City area, and even more proud of the global impact that we have on the health and safety of the world. We hope this gift contributes to future, fantastic scientific advances,” said Lou Von Thaer, Battelle’s chief executive officer and president. During its run of managing PNNL, Battelle has logged more than $28 million in philanthropic investments and more than 335,000 in staff volunteer hours, and supported 125 community organizations. Those investments include a $1.5 million contribution to create Delta High School, the Tri-Cities’ first STEM school, and more than $2 million to fund the Reach Museum in Richland. Battelle also helped found the Washington State STEM Education Foundation.
uBUSINESS BRIEF NFIB poll shows optimism dimming in Covid crisis
Small business is less optimistic about business conditions improving, according to a survey released Aug. 11 by the National Federation of Independent Business. The NFIB’s Small Business Economic Trends report (Optimism Index) fell 1.8 points to 98.8 in July, near the survey’s historical average. Overall, four of the 10 Index components improved, five declined, and one was unchanged. The Uncertainty Index increased 7 points to 88. Reports of expected better business conditions in the next six months declined 14 points to a net 25%. “With so many states, like Washington, either pausing or rolling-back business reopenings, it’s not surprising that Main Street is less optimistic about a near-term recovery than it was a month or two ago,” said Patrick Connor, Washington state director for NFIB. “This summer has been challenging for many small business owners who are working hard to keep their doors open and remain in business,” said NFIB’s Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “Small business represents nearly half of the GDP and this month we saw a dip in optimism. There is still plenty of work to be done to get businesses back to pre-crisis numbers.”
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Lamb Weston earnings take a beating from pandemic By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
A global slowdown in demand for french fries took a financial toll on Lamb Weston Holdings Inc., a major MidColumbia employer as well as buyer of Washington-grown potatoes. Lamb Weston, based in Eagle, Idaho, reported 2020 highlights on July 28 for the fiscal year that ended July 20. The Covid-19 pandemic took hold midway through its fiscal year, dampening earnings in the third and fourth quarters.
uBUSINESS BRIEFS Recovery grants fuel crisis loans in Mid-Columbia
The Benton-Franklin Council of Governments received a $1.5 million Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to provide gap financing to small businesses that have been heavily impacted by Covid-19. The money is from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act. The economic development agency steered $8.6 million to Washington state. The Benton-Franklin council will use the grant to capitalize a revolving loan fund.
The company reported $366 million in earnings on nearly $3.8 billion in sales compared to its 2019 year or $2.49 per diluted share. Net sales rose by 1% but net income and earnings per share were both down, by 24% and 22% respectively. “The final months of fiscal 2020 were some of the most challenging in our company,” Tom Werner, president and chief executive officer, said in an earnings announcement. “During this time, we have prioritized the health and safety of our Lamb Weston team, and worked closely
with our customers and suppliers as they manage through this uncertain environment.” Lamb Weston said it ended its year with North American shipments at approximately 85% of 2019 levels, European shipments at 75% and Chinese shipments at 85%. “As states began to reopen, we saw clear evidence of frozen potato demand steadily strengthening across our restaurant and foodservice channels,” Werner said. “In the aggregate, french fry demand
from most of our quick service restaurant customers in North America and our international markets ... rebounded substantially by the end of June,” it said. Lamb Weston offered no financial guidance for its 2021 year, citing the uncertainty around the pace of the economic recovery. Lamb Weston operates frozen potato plants as well as storage facilities throughout the Mid-Columbia and has research facilities in Richland and corporate offices in Kennewick.
The Mid-Columbia also will benefit from an additional $2.2 million awarded to the Innovate Washington Foundation (dba Ignite Northwest) in Spokane. Ignite will support coronavirus-impacted businesses in Benton, Franklin, Spokane, Stevens, Ferry, Pend Oreille, Whitman, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone counties.
The bank said deposits increased $2.32 billion or by 21%, and net loans by $838.6 million or 9% during the second quarter. It originated $962 million in forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program, part of the CARES Act. Columbia Bank has more than 150 branches in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, including one each in Kennewick and Pasco.
Care Center at Southridge in Kennewick. Appointments are available by calling 509-221-6350. Patients require a referral from their primary care provider.
Columbia Bank announces second quarter earnings
Tacoma-based Columbia Banking System Inc., parent to Columbia Bank, reported second quarter earnings of $36.6 million, or 52 cents per diluted share, for the quarter that ended June 30, compared to $51.7 million and 71 cents per diluted share a year prior.
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Trios Therapy Services expands offerings
Trios Therapy Services has expanded to offer occupational, physical and speech therapy. Trios Therapy Services serves all patient from pediatrics through geriatrics. It operates on the second floor of the Trios
Richland seeks volunteers for boards, commissions
The city of Richland is seeking volunteers to serve on various boards and commissions that advise the council and staff. Vacancies are pending on the Americans with Disabilities Act Citizens Review Committee, Economic Development Committee, Library Board, Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, Personnel Committee and Utility Advisory Committee. Apply at ci.richland.wa.us/bccvacancies.
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uBUSINESS BRIEFS Cleanup plan for Yakima Training Center open for comments
Public comment will be accepted through Sept. 16 on a proposed agreement between the Washington Department of Ecology and the Army to clean contamination at the sprawling Yakima Training Center near Selah. Nearly 70 years of activity led to disposal of ordnance and explosives and unneeded or outdated ammunition, leadacid batteries and petroleum-based fuels and solvents. Over the last 25 years, the Army has cleaned up 68 waste sites and areas of concern at the 327,231-acre training cen-
ter that require no further cleanup action under state and federal regulations. There are 21 areas at the training center that either do not meet soil or groundwater cleanup standards or need further investigation. Supporting documents for review and comment are available at bit.ly/YakimaTrainingCenterDocuments. For more information, email janelle.anderson@ ecy.wa.gov or call 425-301-6454. Submit written comments at bit.ly/ArmyYakimaEComments.
Newhouse cosponsors Local Journalism Sustainability Act U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, joined Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, DArizona, to introduce a bipartisan bill to help community journalistic endeavors.
The Local Journalism Sustainability Act would provide tax credits to readers and local businesses to support local journalists and newspapers. It also proposes a refundable credit to local newspapers to employ and “adequately compensate” reporters. Local news publications already faced financial difficulties before the onset of Covid-19. Now, in the wake of the severe economic consequences driven by the pandemic, the industry is facing further challenges. “Local journalists and newspapers are essential to ensuring the public remains informed,” Newhouse said in a press release. “Local news is crucial — particularly within our rural communities in Central Washington — and our local journalists provide in-depth perspectives
that inform their readership regarding local current events.”
Washington Trust reports second quarter financials
Spokane-based Washington Trust Bank Financial Corp. reported it earned $19 million, or $7.54 per diluted share, in the second fiscal quarter, which ended June 30, an increase of 3.2% from the first quarter. Net interest revenue grew by 4.2% to $66.4 million. The bank reports it originated more than 5,000 loans through the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program and delivered more than $1.2 billion to customers. Locally, Washington Trust operates a branch in Kennewick.
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NONPROFITS As financial disaster looms, Mid-Columbia nonprofits turn to road trips, drawings and more By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
The cancellations spread quickly as Washington and the world shut down over Covid-19 in March. Breakfasts and lunches, a duck race and a Gatsby-themed gala disappeared from the Mid-Columbia calendar. In-person events that generate badly needed dollars to feed low-income seniors, support cancer patients and more were suddenly too dangerous to go on. The pain went deep. Senior Life Resources, which runs Meals on Wheels for seniors, canceled the annual breakfast that helps fill its budget. The Tri-Cities Cancer Center moved its 20th annual Cancer Crushing Breakfast online. Mid-Columbia Rotary shelved its annual duck race, a first in its 32-year history. The Mid-Columbia Arts Foundation canceled its Gatsby Gala, a tribute to the Roaring ’20s. Requests for donations followed of course. Three Rivers Community Foundation launched a Covid-19 Emergency Fund. United Way of Benton & Franklin Counties created a Covid-19 Response Fund. Mid-Columbians responded — generously. 3RCF alone raised $150,000, and United Way raised $263,000. But the early generosity can’t mask the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic: Up to 40% of the 1.56 million nonprofits in the U.S. will merge or close, according to an influential report, Monitor Institute by Deloitte, released in July. The Internal Revenue Service identifies 1,756 tax-exempt organizations in the TriCities plus Prosser and Benton City. Many are inactive, but those that are active are at risk, said LoAnn Ayers, president and chief executive officer of United Way, which raises money and resources for nonprofits through workplace giving and other programs.
“It breaks my heart because the need will still be there,” she said. Many inperson events became online ones, but Ayers said participation LoAnn Ayers is low. The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation is one that pivoted, finding a middle path for its second annual Dine Out culinary event. Instead of gathering to sample dishes fashioned from heathy ingredients, participants will hit the road and visit participating restaurants in person on Sept. 12. But five months after Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order and as Benton and Franklin counties linger in the most restrictive phase of the restart, donor fatigue is setting in, Ayers said. She compares 2020 to the summer-long forest fired that choked Northwest skies and inspired countless fundraisers. Donors were eager to help — in the beginning. “It’s the same thing with Covid,” she said. But there’s good news too: Nonprofits sharpened their pencils, downsized and found ways to be more efficient. They’re looking for ways to pick up where closed organizations leave off. A client of one is often a client to others. They’re pooling resources too. A new retirement program that launched in July is a good example. The Columbia Basin Nonprofit Association hired Petersen Hastings to manage its new collective program. The pooled program brings the buying power of a large group to a collection of small organizations. “At United Way, it reduces my cost to provide retirement benefits to employees. That’s good for donors and gives employees better options at lower costs,” she said.
Ayers said TriCities is “blessed” to have a continuing federal workforce at the Hanford site and at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, she said. Unemployment stood at more than 9% in June. Still, Courtesy Tri-Cities Cancer Center most Tri-Citians are working and Joey Bradbury, from left, and Mikey Patterson of Ice Harbor they have more Brewing Co. drop off meals for cancer patients June 6 at the disposable income Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick as part of the cancer because they’re not center’s Dine In fundraiser. Pictured at right is Tony Ingersoll traveling, dining of the cancer center. out or shopping at “When you give somebody a meal, it’s pre-Covid levels. like a hug when you can’t hug,” McLaugh“We’re more fortunate than Spokane or lin said. Tickets are $75 and available Yakima — we had a segment of the community that didn’t lose jobs and have more through cancercrushingdineout.com. The cancer center foundation is leadincome,” she said. ing another effort to help nonprofits raise Elizabeth McLaughlin, executive direcmoney online. tor of the Tri-City Cancer Center FoundaIt wants to legalize online drawings. tion, opted not to cancel a new but popular Washington law doesn’t allow organizaevent, Dine Out. The first-ever event was tions that are licensed to conduct charitable held last year at Walter Clore Wine & Curaffles to run them online. linary Center in Prosser. Participants dined It launched a change.org petition to alon dishes prepared by area restaurants and low nonprofits to migrate raffles online in voted for a favorite. The 2020 version was supposed to be light of the pandemic. “The guidelines for reporting can still be bigger. But the pandemic made it impossible to gather in person. So, it pivoted to met by allowing this safe and convenient way to continue the vital funding that rafthe road trip model. Participants will use an app to direct fles can bring to many organizations that them to the participating restaurants. serve critical purposes in our communities They’ll vote on their favorite through the throughout the state,” it says. Go to bit.ly/TCCancerCenterPetition to app and collect a Cancer Crushing cooklearn more. book at the end. Those interested in making donations Proceeds pay to send a healthy family meal home with cancer center patients can verify the organizations they want to each Friday. It has raised $40,000 for the support at Guidestar and Charity Naviganonprofit cancer center and is on track to tor, online sites that rate nonprofits and post continue through the end of the year. the Form 990s they submit to the IRS.
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Nonprofits uBUSINESS BRIEFS Chaplaincy opens Repeat Boutique in Pasco
Construction + Real Estate in the Tri-Cities
Chaplaincy Health Care opened its new Repeat Boutique thrift store at 5710 N. Road 68, Suite 104, in Pasco’s Sandifur Crossing shopping center on Aug. 4. The 10,000-square-foot location is Repeat Boutique’s largest. The store supports Chaplaincy Hospice Care’s mission to provide compassionate end of life care. It serves an average of 160 hospice patients per day. The Pasco store is open for dropoff donations and shopping in accordance with the current Safe Start retail guidelines from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays. Masks are required to enter. Go to ChaplaincyRepeatBoutique. org or follow the store at facebook.com/ ChaplaincyRepeatBoutique.
Federal aid available to pay up to three months of rent
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ full-color glossy magazine Focus: Construction + Real Estate in the Tri-Cities will provide an overview of the area’s major real estate and construction projects and building trends in the area. This magazine will be inserted into the Journal of Business’ October 2020 issue. Advertising Deadline:
Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020
Space is limited. Call to reserve your ad today!
For more information,
call (509) 737-8778 Chad ext. 1 or Tiffany ext. 2
The Washington State Department of Commerce began distributing $100 million in federal aid to local organizations on Aug. 1 to prevent evictions of renters affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act, will pass through the existing network of homeless services grantees and organizations serving homeless youth. The money will cover up to three months of past due, current or future rent and will be paid to landlords. A survey recently showed 17% of renters in Washington state missed their July rent payment. Since February, state’s employment has declined 12% — over twice that of the worst point in the Great Recession — and use of basic food assistance programs has increased by 15%. Details are posted at commerce. wa.gov/serving-communities/homelessness.
BBB accepting nominations for business awards
The Better Business Bureau serving the Northwest is accepting business nominations for awards to recognize companies with a commitment to integrity and ethical business practices. The BBB Torch Awards for Ethics program was created to honor companies and charities demonstrating trust, performance and integrity. Have a business in mind that demonstrates excellence in the marketplace? Nominate a business, individual or charity by Aug. 24. Self-nominations are accepted. Businesses of all sizes are eligible to apply. To learn more or to nominate or apply for the award, go to trust-bbb.org/torchawards.
Nonprofits
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Private donation boosts Pasco nonprofit to help region’s most vulnerable By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
A $40,000 private donation is helping a Pasco nonprofit and the people it serves stand a little taller.
An unidentified supporter contributed the money to the Knights Community Hospital Equipment Lend Program, better known as KC Help, through the Three Rivers Community Foundation. The donation supports KC Help’s mission to help the most vulnerable TriCitians — people who need wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment that isn’t paid for by insurance or Medicare. It serves about 200 people each month and has exported its model across the Northwest and to Mexico. KC Help spun out of the Tri-Cities Chaplaincy House in the mid-1990s after beginning as a group of volunteers who refitted homes to accommodate ill residents and their medical gear. Jerry Rhoads, founder and chief executive officer, said it branched into durable medical equipment when it spied a gap — insurance and Medicare wouldn’t always pay for the equipment people needed. It tested the idea with a pilot in 1996. “We were overwhelmed,” he recalled. Rhoads, who spent his career as an electrical engineer in the Navy and then Energy Northwest, retired in 2001 to follow a calling to serve others. He leads a team of 40 volunteers who sanitize and repair thousands of donated wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, bathroom equipment and other in-home medical gear. Their efforts have helped thousands of people live more mobile, comfortable lives. KC Help supplies wheelchairs — both motorized and non — crutches, hospital beds, bathroom assist, lifts, walkers and countless other items. One patient still moves Rhoads to tears — a young girl with a blood disorder need-
ed a wheelchair. He recalls how the then 8-year-old smiled “ear to ear” when volunteers presented her with a bright yellow model. The child-sized chair was a tight fit but it’s what the organization had on hand. Rhoads told her to return soon and he would ensure she got a better fit. The relationship continued for several years. The girl lost a leg and then her life a few years later when her illness progressed. Even now Rhoads is visibly moved by her memory. The girl’s beaming image is featured in the banner KC Help uses to highlight its work and honor her memory. “There are 21,000 stories like that,” he said. KC Help does not compete with forprofit companies that sell in-home medical supplies and it does not repair equipment it does not own. Rather it keeps its focus on serving people who need equipment who either have no insurance or whose providers won’t pay for it. Wheelchairs are a classic example. A doctor might prescribe a motorized wheelchair for a patient with a deteriorating condition. But if the patient can walk with the aid of a walker — typically a metal frame that supplies stability and costs far less than a wheelchair — insurance and Medicare may refuse to cover it. “The doctor can send a prescription to us and we can fill it,” he said. It’s also rare for a patient to receive both a motorized wheelchair and a nonmotorized one, although there are many situations where the person using the chair might need to switch between the two, such as hilly locations. KC Help has hundreds of wheelchairs of both varieties at the ready, with more being donated all the time. KC Help reaches clients through local health care organizations. Social workers regularly call on the nonprofit with lists of clients who need medical equipment.
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Jerry Rhoads, founder and chief executive officer of KC Help, explains how the Pasco nonprofit sanitizes donated medical equipment before preparing it for area residents who lack insurance or Medicare coverage for wheelchairs, walkers and other home medical items. KC Help first operated from a rented storage unit. But it needed room to clean, repair and store donated equipment and to meet with clients. The storage unit didn’t get the job done. About five years ago, it bought a small commercial building just north of Pasco City Hall. The state Knights of Columbus chapter supplied $70,000 to help retrofit the building in support of the local chapters that birthed the nonprofit. KC Help took out a $160,000 mortgage, which has a current balance of about $50,000. Rhoads said the $40,000 gift will help reduce debt and support efforts while financial donations are dimmed by the Co-
vid-19 pandemic. He would like to dedicate some to creating an endowment fund to give KC Help a continuing source of revenue. Its annual budget of $83,000 covers both the Pasco operation and a separate one in Wenatchee. The Pasco building was a disjointed structure with multiple additions and a leaking roof. Volunteers cleaned it up and renovated it with a donation station, room to welcome clients, cleaning and maintenance stations and lots of storage. Local contractors stepped in too. Don Pratt, the late homebuilder and Tri-Citian uKC HELP, Page A28
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Nonprofits
The donor-advised fund’s many benefits are worth exploring Donor-advised funds have gained in popularity in recent years. They provide an easy way to facilitate charitable giving; they can increase tax savings; and they can be creatively employed in estate plans to encourage philanthropy for the family and act as a substitute for a private foundation. First, what is a donor-advised fund? It’s as structured as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. It acts, in part, like a holding spot for your money. And you, the advisor, decide when, to what organization and how much to later give to another 501(c)(3) organization. The key points here are several. The gift to the fund is itself a charitable donation where the donor might then be able to claim a charitable deduction. Then, the donor maintains flexibility for the ultimate use and disposition of the funds. Finally, to qualify for distribution from the fund, the recipient must be a qualified charitable organization. Second, the fund can increase tax savings. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the standard deduction has doubled. In effect, this had made it hard for the average person to receive any benefit for charitable deductions. Why? For 2020, the standard deduction for a married couple is $24,800. To achieve a charitable deduction, the taxpayer must itemize deductions
greater than the standard deduction. A donoradvised fund has a potential solution here. Let’s assume that a Beau Ruff person gave Cornerstone $12,000 a Wealth Strategies year to church GUEST COLUMN (qualified public charity). Instead of giving $12,000 in year 1 and year 2 and year 3, the same person could give $36,000 to a donor-advised fund and claim a charitable deduction for the entire $36,000 in year 1. Then, the donor-advisor could distribute $12,000 to the church in each of years 1, 2 and 3. The result is the church receives the same donation, but the donor has now given enough to qualify for a charitable deduction by itemizing beyond the standard deduction. The donor need not use cash but can use appreciated assets like land, stocks, houses or other property. This type of gift is often preferable because the donor then need not recognize any gain on the asset transferred. As an example, if you own property that has gone up in value (like land, rental property, stocks, or the like), you could either sell the property and gift the
money or you can gift the asset itself. If you sell the asset, then you will need to pay capital gains on the difference between the tax basis and the sale price. If instead you gift the asset, you will not need to pay any income taxes and you would still be able to deduct the full fair market value of the asset contributed. This is why it is often preferable to gift appreciated assets to charities like donor-advised fund. Third, the donor-advised fund can add some interesting solutions to your estate plan. Of course, gifts to charities in the estate plan reduce the taxable estate and the applicable estate tax (if any). But, it also can become a mechanism to instill cooperation and charitable intent among your heirs. For example, perhaps you are considering giving 10% of your estate to a charity of your choice at death (call it, State University). Instead of giving to State University, you might instead leave the 10% to the donor-advised fund at your death and name your child or children as the fund advisor or advisors. You might tell your children (while living) that you have always appreciated State University, but the ultimate decision for charitable distributions are up to them. This would allow you to gain a charitable deduction on the estate,
direct that the children work together to engage in philanthropy, and ultimately decide on when, whom, and how much to direct to charitable organizations. One reality is that often a charity of choice changes. That is, the causes or organizations that were important to you 20 years ago may not be the same that are important to you today. Rather than directing a gift to a specific charity, the donor-advised fund allows the determination of the actual charitable recipient to be determined at a later date. This provides flexibility to the plan. What happens while the money is sitting in the fund? It would typically be invested in a diversified portfolio consistent with state prudent investor Rules (discussed in previous articles). This means that the assets can continue to grow even after the donation which can potentially extend the timeframe and amount of giving. In short, the donor-advised fund has many great benefits worth exploring. Talk to your financial professional to see if its right for you. 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.
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
Nonprofits
Q&A Number of employees you oversee: We have about 200 team members at CI. Tell us about your organization and its commercial ventures: Columbia Industries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit company that operates solely for the benefit of our community (the TriCities and surrounding areas). We work with persons who face significant barriers to employment and/or meaningful social involvement as a result of challenges such as disabilities, homelessness, prior incarcerations, substance abuse, inadequate education and so on. Our mission is to support and empower those individuals to help them achieve personal success and community engagement. We do that by offering employment services; specialized job training and vocational skills; direct employment opportunities; centers for life skills and social enrichment; food and housing assistance; and, guided access to a broad assortment of other community resources. CI has a long history of operating commercial businesses to help support its mission services. Some of those ventures have directly employed or involved the clients we serve. Others have been intended to simply generate positive cash flow to help fund our mission programs. In the last three years CI’s board and leadership team made a significant commitment to aggressively add more commercial ventures in order to provide additional, and more sustainable, operating funds to CI. Those funds will not only make up ongoing gaps between the costs of running our programs and money raised from government agencies and public donations but will also allow us to significantly expand our service offerings. In the last year, we added two very significant new mission programs, Opportunity Kitchen and Empowerment Place, that have greatly expanded the number of people we serve and the types of challenges we can address. We are a nonprofit (all of the profits generated by our commercial ventures stay within CI and benefit our mission activities) but we identify far more with the “social enterprise” model than with a traditional nonprofit structure and way of doing business. How did you land your current role? How long have you been in it? I joined CI in December 2017. Ending up here in the Tri-Cities and assuming the CEO duties for CI was the result of a long, focused search on my part and a very thorough and wide-reaching recruiting process by the company, but the actual connection came through a posting on an internet job board.
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BRIAN McDERMOTT
President & chief executive officer Columbia Industries
What should the Tri-Cities know about how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting your clients and your organization? I can honestly say that the pandemic has been one of the greatest and most complex challenges I have encountered in my career. As it has virtually every business, Covid-19 has had a profound impact on how we conduct business at CI and on the services we can deliver to those in need. Demand for our services and community-wide needs for support have gone up significantly at the same time our options for providing services have been reduced. In most mission services, we have experienced an increase in demand. In our employment services for persons with barriers to employment, we have seen our caseload grow threefold; we have able to help some in person when they have “essential” jobs, meet with persons virtually to prepare them for job search, but because of the current restrictions and some individuals opting out, many of the services will have to wait until things open up. With Empowerment Place, our outreach and resource center, we have experienced a significant increase of persons experiencing homelessness and needing food assistance; thankfully, we have been
able to help many with virtual visits. In Opportunity Kitchen, a food service vocational training program, we found ourselves not able to hold fundraisers or dine-in events; however, we have been able to successfully pivot the program to provide emergency meals to families — more than 5,000 provided so far. Our Community Center, a day program to support families needing respite services while offering life skills and social inclusion opportunities to individuals with acute disabilities, has been closed to in-person sessions; however, we have been able to hold regular virtual sessions, leading the clients through many craft, exercise and self-care activities while they are at home. Not everyone has a stable home environment with internet and phone access. We are continuing to develop the technology that will make it easy for persons to access the available services, and also working hard to analyze how in-person services can be done safely and at the appropriate time.
Brian McDermott
Overall, CI has had to adjust to entirely new ways to work and communicate (working from home, Zoom meetings and so on), but we have been fortunate in that most of our activities are considered essential in nature. While business is clearly down due to restrictions on how business can be conducted, the closure or activity reduction of many of our corporate customers and by our very determined desire to protect our customers, team members and clients, we have continued to provide most of our services throughout this very difficult time.
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uMCDERMOTT, Page A29
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Nonprofits
Meals on Wheels continues meal service, vouchers for farmers markets By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels continues to offer weekly frozen meals to all seniors and vouchers for fresh produce at area farmers markets to low-income seniors. The frozen meal service is available for all Benton and Franklin county seniors ages 60 and over. All senior meals are provided on a donation-only basis. Homebound seniors are eligible to receive a weekly delivery of seven frozen meals. Seniors who still drive may pick up their meals at the following locations: • Meals on Wheels Café/administration offices, 1824 Fowler St., Richland: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Kennewick, Pasco, Pasco Parkside, Richland, Benton City and Prosser sites: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays. • Connell Community Center, 211 E. Elm St.: 10 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. “We know that many seniors are worried about access to food during this pandemic. We want to reassure all local seniors that we are here to offer meal assistance if they need us. We’ve been working hard to secure funding for our program, and thanks to amazing community support, we’re able to serve every client, with no waiting list to receive meals, said Kristi Thien, nutrition services director for the program. Since April, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels has produced all its own frozen
meals, building a large inventory to ensure continued service throughout the prolonged Covid-19 crisis. “We wanted to reduce our reliance on outside sources to provide nutritious meals for our clients,” Thien said. “Our seniors deserve the very best we are able to provide.” In addition to traditional meal service, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels also administers the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program, which provides eligible low-income seniors with $40 in vouchers to use at local farmers markets. Seniors who are unable to access the markets can appoint a proxy to shop on their behalf. For an application to receive vouchers, seniors may call the Meals on
Wheels office at 509-735-1911 or email admin@seniorliferesources.org. Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels also has been hosting weekly mini-fundraisers called Midweek Motivators. Each Wednesday, supporters can donate toward the cost of two- or four-serving complete dinners. Past favorites have included lasagna, chicken satay and jambalaya. Details are available at seniorliferesources.org or on the Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels Facebook page. Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels serves more than 20,000 meals each month to seniors throughout Benton and Franklin counties. KC HELP, From page A25 of the Year, teamed with the Tri-City Home Builders Association to replace with leaky roof with a 50-year model that will serve it for decades. That’s one of countless examples of builders who stepped up to help, he said. KC Help briefly shut its Pasco center when the Covid-19 pandemic forced it to rethink how it processes donations and meets with the public. Today, donated equipment is placed in an external container equipped with a commercial grade disinfection system. From there, donations are brought inside for scrubbing and repairs. Masked volunteers greet visitors under a tent in front of the building. While KC Help is a passion project for Rhoads and a core group of volunteers, its leader said the community is responsible for its success. KC Help began as a pilot in 1996 and applied for 501(c)(3) status in 1997. Rhoads organized the nonprofit as a thesis project for his master’s in engineering management at Washington State University TriCities. He helped it become a true nonprofit — relying on donations of equipment and cash. He deliberately avoided charging fees, though beneficiaries are welcome to make donations and it does ask clients to pay for consumable equipment such as wheelchair batteries. Professors challenged the donation model when he presented his theses, saying KC Help had too little income to work. Rhoads had an answer ready: If the community wants this, it will support it. Community support has been fierce and continuous. Donated equipment arrives like clockwork during its Tuesday and Thursday hours. During a tour, owners of a private care home brought in equipment they no longer needed because the user had died. Volunteers greeted the regular visitors by name. “There’s really nothing we can’t do if we come together as a community,” he said. KC Help is preparing to expand its Pasco center. Rhoads wants to make the changes forced by Covid-19 permanent. That means adding more space to welcome clients and to sanitize and store donated equipment. The concept is preliminary. But Rhoads is optimistic. “This community created this,” he said.
Nonprofits MCDERMOTT, From page A27 What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess? Wow, that’s an extremely hard question because I think true and effective leadership requires a number of positive talents and attributes. But if I had to distill it down to one characteristic, I guess I would identify a hybrid quality I call “responsible vision.” I think every leader must understand very clearly that he or she is completely and fully responsible for the proper and mission-responsive conduct of their organization. With that clear understanding, a leader must then be able to craft an effective vision that fosters buy-in and excitement and serves as a clear road map for the planning and execution of growth strategies. To me, a clear and compelling vision is a necessary, unifying tool — a universal language that everyone can understand and embrace. And, once a leader gets buy-in to a vision, the process of realizing it becomes much easier. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your industry/field? Justin Crume, our director of mission service, offered this gem: he would have everyone in the community walk in the shoes of our clients for an hour, just to truly understand the challenges they face. I think that’s a wonderful idea. But my team and I also see a need for a great deal of innovation in the nonprofit world — everything from diversifying and broadening the sources of funds, to making the government agencies that
oversee and fund our activities more technologically current and responsive to our needs, to reducing both paper processes and many repetitive and unproductive requirements in the compliance arena. I also would mention that funding and service priorities are influenced far too much by swings in political thought. We need to establish, sustain and fund programs on a truly long-term basis, which provides much-needed continuity and security to those receiving assistance. How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today? Well, I have benefited the greatly by the kindness of others and their willingness to give me opportunities to grow and succeed. As a result, I have been fortunate to have had great experiences in business and life that allowed me to develop a pretty strong set of skills and beliefs. When contemplating my next (and possibly last?) leadership opportunity a few years ago, I realized that I had a deep appreciation for what I had been given and a desire to do some true “heart work” (rather than just “money work”) in the latter part of my career. And voila, here I am… How do you measure success in your workplace? While I still use many traditional, timetested financial measurements to evaluate effectiveness, efficiency and progress towards attainment of goals, I am delighted to say that at CI we measure success by the number of people we serve, the degree to which we help them achieve their goals
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 and personal success and by the overall impact we have on the community. It’s wonderful to evaluate our effectiveness in the success of those we support. What do you consider your leadership style to be? Rather than answer that myself, I asked my leadership team to describe my style. They surprised, flattered and delighted me by comparing my leadership approach to that of John Wooden, the influential and longtime men’s basketball coach at UCLA. I shared with them a book by and about Coach Wooden as part of our first strategic planning process together in early 2018. I think what they are saying is that I share Coach Wooden’s belief in thorough preparation, attention to details and fundamentals, establishing clear priorities and sharing a compelling vision. At least I hope that is what they mean. I also try to be as personal as possible in dealing with others and use a lot of humor in my leadership. How do you balance work and family life? I try my best to invest my energy in activities and efforts that I consider very important, high value-added and/or of personal interest. If I do that well, I find I am pretty effective in balancing demands on my time. What do you like to do when you are not at work? One definite perk of moving to the TriCities from LA is that I was able to buy a nice property that contains a one-acre
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wine grape vineyard. I spend quite a bit of time working on growing grapes and trying my best to sell them at harvest time. I also love listening to music and going to concerts (love The Gorge!) and I have two great dogs and a terrific girlfriend with whom I like to spend time. I travel as much as I can as well. What’s your best time management strategy? To me, it’s all about having as few, high impact priorities as possible — no more than three at a time — and putting my efforts there. Best tip to relieve stress? If I do the things that I really value and enjoy, stress kind of takes care of itself. But staying in touch with my children may be my best stress reliever of all. What’s your favorite podcast? “Armchair Expert” by Dax Shepard Most-used website? I use LinkedIn a lot in my business dealings. Favorite book? Just too many good ones to name a favorite but I have loved both “The Lord of the Rings” and the Harry Potter series. Editor’s note: This Q&A has been edited for length. The full Q&A is available online at tcjournal.biz
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uBUSINESS BRIEFS Bank of America reports second quarter financials
Bank of America reported a $3.5 billion profit on $22.3 billion in revenue in the second quarter of 2020, or 37 cents per diluted share. Pretax income declined 58% to $3.8 billion. Its consumer banking division reported net income of $71 million, a drop from the nearly $1.8 billion it recorded in the first quarter. Consumer loans rose 8%. The bank said it completed 334,000 Paycheck Protection Program loans in the first half of the year resulting in $25 billion in funding to small businesses.
In other Covid-19-related moves, the bank said it processed 16 million Economic Impact Payments, provided relief from various fees, processed 1.8 million deferrals across credit card, auto, mortgage and home equity loans, paused foreclosure activities and made no negative credit bureau reports for clients who requested financial relief. Bank of America has 10 Tri-City branches and mortgage offices.
Building material costs rose in June
Construction input prices rose 2.2% in June, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Producer Price Index data. Nonresidential construction input
prices rose by 2.3% for the month. Among the 11 subcategories, six experienced monthly increases. The increase in prices was driven primarily by energy, with the largest increase coming from crude petroleum, which rose 71.9%. Unprocessed energy materials rose 16.8%, while the price of natural gas fell 18.4%. Softwood lumber experienced an 11.0% increase in June. “For many contractors, lack of demand for their services has emerged as the leading source of concern due to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed closely behind by a fear of inflation and a potential increase in materials prices,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “With global supply chains buckling and trade tensions elevated, materials prices are more likely to ratchet higher,
even in the context of a global economy that will shrink markedly this year,” he added. “While the recent rise in energy prices receives much of the attention, the price of softwood lumber is up nearly 19% over the past 12 months and was up 11% in June itself.
State reports decline in new unemployment claims
Washington Employment Security reported 29,438 new unemployment claims the week of July 12, a 27.3% decrease from the prior week. There were 673,444 total claims in all categories, a 4.7% decrease, it said. Initial regular claims applications remain at unprecedented elevated levels and are at 536% above last year’s weekly new claims applications. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation initial claims, as well as continued/ongoing claims, all decreased over the previous week. The state agency paid out more than $493.6 million for 430,737 individual claims — an increase of $4.8 million and 7,193 more individuals compared to the prior week.
Northwest Farm Credit Services pays early patronage dividend
Customer-members of Northwest Farm Credit Services will receive a mid-year payment of their 2020 patronage dividends, the Spokane financial cooperative announced. The early distribution was approved to enhance the well-being of Northwest FCS customer-members and their communities. “Agricultural businesses across the Northwest are facing a difficult year due to significant financial and operational impacts of Covid-19,” said Greg Hirai, board chair. “To provide additional liquidity and added flexibility for Northwest FCS customer-members, our board voted to pay a one-time, mid-year cash patronage payment of $43 million, equating to 0.50% of a customer’s eligible average daily loan balance for the first six months of 2020.” Northwest FCS returns a portion of net earnings each year in the form of cash patronage dividends to stockholders based upon their eligible average daily loan balance. Cash patronage is typically paid in the first quarter of the following year.
Inslee announces new funds to help immigrants, ag workers
Two new funds will help immigrants and agriculture workers during the Covid-19 pandemic, Gov Jay Inslee announced Aug. 11. The Immigrant Relief Fund will provide $40 million to assist residents who are unable to access federal stimulus programs due to their immigration status. The Food Production Paid Leave Program will provide $3 million in financial resources to food production workers who remain home when ill. The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services has issued a request for proposals from nonprofits to administer the immigrant fund.
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3RCF, From page A1 ual donations, bequests and donor-directed funds such as the former Trios foundation. 3RCF is one of 24 community foundations in Washington and 750 nationwide, according to the national Council on Foundations. They range from less than $100,000 in assets to more than $1.7 billion and collectively channeled $5.5 billion to nonprofits in 2017. Its Washington peers include the massive Seattle Foundation, with more than $1.1 billion in assets and a mission to serve the state, and the Blue Mountain Community Foundation, with $34 million and a mission to serve southeastern Washington. By design, community foundations serve specific geographic areas. For 3RCF, that is Benton and Franklin counties. It may be smaller than its neighbors, but it speaks to the maturity of the Tri-Cities and a collective desire to provide long-term financial support to nonprofits of all stripes. “A community foundation signifies the strength of a community,” said Abbey Cameron, who signed on as executive director in December.
Recent grant recipients Recent beneficiaries of 3RCF-managed largesse include the Boys & Girls Clubs of Benton and Franklin Counties, which received a grant of nearly $30,000 to support the percussion band; Domestic Violence Services of Kennewick, which received $5,000 for hotel vouchers; and KC Help, a Pasco nonprofit that received $6,000 to buy batteries for the free motorized wheelchairs it gives to residents who don’t have coverage to pay for them and $40,000 to carry it through the Covid-19 pandemic. (Read more about KC Help on page A25) In 2019, 3RCF distributed more than $520,000 to 43 entities — 33 as board-directed grants, nine to organizations specified by donors and one memorial fund. It also passed out $24,000 in scholarships for Babcock Services Inc. and the Lyle Holt Scholarship Fund. Foundation leadership It also hired Cameron to succeed Carrie Green as executive director. Cameron, who previously led the Walter Clore Wine & Culinary Center in Prosser, joined Rozanne Tucker, the foundation’s longtime associated director. Together with the board, Cameron and Tucker carry out its big goal to bring professional, thoughtful leadership to the growing world of Tri-City gift-giving.
Courtesy Three Rivers Community Foundation The Three Rivers Community Foundation distributed 33 grants to local nonprofits in 2019, part of a year that saw the foundation’s foundation distribute more than $520,000.
3RCF exists to support area nonprofits. But it also supports residents and businesses by providing a way to contribute now and in the future. Abbey Cameron The foundation brings expertise, expert eyes and professional money management to what can be a confusing world. All funds are managed by Community First Bank’s HGF Trust. Supporters can donate to the general endowment and let the 3RCF board select grant recipients each year. That gives the foundation flexibility to respond to changing needs over time. Donors also can create donor-advised funds to steer money to specific charities or activities, with instructions that may outlive them. Donors often arrive with a passion for a particular cause, Cameron said. For Cameron, whose marching orders include raising awareness about community foundations, it starts with a simple message: Philanthropy is for everyone. Would-be philanthropists don’t need fat wallets, only generous hearts. All are welcome in the foundation family. “People hear ‘philanthropy’ and think millions,” she said. “They don’t have to think Rockefeller to start a fund.” Small donations are welcome in the pooled fund. A donor-advised fund can begin with as little as $25,000 to $50,000.
Covid-19 emergency fund 3RCF ventured into new territory in
April when it set up a Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund to aid nonprofits affected by the coronavirus pandemic that sidelined much of the economy and left many without jobs. The fund has raised $150,000 to date, including a $50,000 lead donation from an unnamed fund holder and $20,000 from the Group Health Foundation. Group Health Foundation, with $1.9 billion in assets, announced in 2019 it is setting up an office in Pasco to carry out its mission to promote health equity across the state. Cameron called it a great example of foundations partnering on shared goals. 3RCF has distributed $75,000 from its Covid fund to local nonprofits such as Senior Life Resources, which runs Meals on Wheels, Opportunity Kitchen, the Salvation Army, Columbia Industries, ARC of the Tri-Cities and others. It broke with tradition and is giving serial grants to organizations with recurring expenses for food and personal protection equipment, or PPE. While the Covid Emergency Fund has been a success, nonprofits face an uncertain future because of the pandemic. The Monitor Institute by Deloitte projects a 10% to 40% contraction in the sector, with nonprofits that rely on earned income, government contracts and fees for services as well as arts and culture organizations to be among the hardest hit. “Funders and nonprofits may not be able to control the future, but it’s critical that we all keep working to do what we can to influence its trajectory,” it said in a July report. Cameron said the heart and soul of 3RCF are the grants it passes out each
year, funds from the proceeds from the endowment. It received 36 applications totaling $135,000. Last December, it passed out 28 grants totaling $83,000. Cameron called the ceremony touching. Building bridges between nonprofits is a welcome side benefit to passing out checks.
Scholarship management 3RCF also has a small but growing scholarship management program. It manages five programs on behalf of sponsors such as Babcock Services, a Kennewick firm that provides professional services to the nuclear industry. Phil Gallagher, senior vice president, said Babcock turned to 3RCF in 2007 to run its then-new scholarship for employees’ children. The company felt starting its own foundation was unnecessarily difficult. He contacted Blue Mountain Community Foundation, but since Babcock isn’t in Walla Walla County, he turned to 3RCF. “They were very helpful and worked with us to develop a strategy and implementation plan to get our scholarship program in place,” Gallagher said. Since 2008, it has awarded more than 100 scholarships totaling more than $400,000. Its scholarships have made college degrees a reality for many of the recipients. “I am a huge fan of the 3RCF and the work they do, and believe them to be both a reputable organization and a worthy landing spot for donations,” he said. Three Rivers Community Foundation: 509-735-5559; 3rcf.org; office@3rcf.org; Facebook.
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BUSINESS PROFILE
Contractor assesses buildings so businesses can ‘comeback with confidence’ By Jeff Morrow
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Sooner or later, more Mid-Columbia businesses are going to try to bring their workforce back into their buildings. As a first step toward that goal, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions is offering building confidence reports through its Comeback with Confidence program. Pat Roberts, general manager for MacDonald-Miller’s Eastern Washington office, said many businesses and workers don’t know what to expect when the day comes for people to return to their offices. “I think people are nervous about coming back to work,” he said. “It’s unknown what Covid-19 will continue to be. People are worried about things like, ‘How safe I can be as an individual, and how I can feel safe at work?’” Comeback with Confidence checks a building’s readiness for workers to return, said Nicole Martin, MacDonald-Miller’s marketing manager. “It is a new program, and because MacDonald-Miller has a culture of continuous improvement. It was easy to pivot and provide this service.” MacDonald-Miller sends its team through a building, checking on several indicators. “We want to help businesses get the ventilation system clean. Same with the water system,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure the water is safe. Some buildings haven’t used their water systems in months, so there could be buildup in the
Courtesy MacDonald-Miller Laura Stogin, HVAC technician at MacDonald-Miller, performs routine heating ventilation and air conditioning maintenance. Many of the recommendations MacDonald-Miller makes are performed during the routine maintenance visits.
pipes.” As scientists continue to learn more about Covid-19, it’s important to keep heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems clean and running at an optimal performance. “Some buildings are essentially vacated,” Roberts said. “People have put the service business on hold.” Reports issued after the walk-through include: • Onsite assessment and evaluation of
building equipment systems and indoor air quality. • An outline of cleaning procedures beyond the surface, approved by MacDonald-Miller’s safety team. • Customized improvement recommendations, including touchless solutions for faucets, dispensers, light switches, doors and more. “We might give them some ideas to look at what we can do. Things might be needed to help keep toxins at a mini-
mum,” Roberts said. So what factors indicate a building healthy? “Maintained equipment, the water in the line is healthy and generators are all functional,” Roberts said. The building reports are being offered free to members of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce. The service is also available for those who aren’t chamber members. The cost depends on the size of the building. MacDonald-Miller, which has 10 locations in Washington and Oregon, has been in business since 1965. “Companywide, we have 1,250 employees,” Martin said. Headquartered in the Seattle area, MacDonald-Miller also is a contractor. “We’re a full-service design-build mechanical contractor,” Roberts said. “We can design and build, do plumbing, schedule maintenance and service it.” Designing services include engineering for heating, ventilation and air conditioning; plumbing design; and pre-construction work. The company offers project management, with a Seattle pre-fabrication shop that has 100,000 square feet in which workers can pretty much make anything for a project. MacDonald-Miller has a long list of impressive building projects, including a 321,000-square-foot addition to Seattle Children’s Hospital. uMACDONALD-MILLER, Page A34
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Veteran-owned small business lands third government contract By Laura Kostad
for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Tri-Citians know a lot of the bigger names in the federal government contractor arena thanks to the proximity of the Hanford site. But not all government contracts have to do with Hanford and not all government contractors are big companies. Patriot Rooter & Irrigation LLC is a locally-owned and -operated small business earning its bread and butter through federal contracts unrelated to Hanford site work. Patriot landed its latest — worth $400,000 — in mid-May with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, laboratory in Seattle, where it will maintain the grounds. It’s the third government contract Patriot has landed. Francisca Garrison, chief executive officer for Patriot, said the company found a niche in contract work for the federal government. James G. Espinoza, a longtime Pasco resident who is president of Patriot, started the company in 1999 with his brother Christopher Espinoza as Patriot Rooter Services Inc. Both are proud Marine veterans. The brothers came into the business with backgrounds in municipal public works. They quickly found a niche. Patriot was one of the only companies in town with a colorized sewer camera and locator, which helped them to more accurately identify problems in the residential service lines of customers. When James took the company over in 2014, he added “& Irrigation” to the name. “We decided to focus on general contracting … and when we did that, it really took us to a whole different level,” he said. Garrison, a close family friend, stepped in to help with the transition and became a full partner in 2018. Patriot Rooter & Irrigation LLC provides hardscape design and installation services, landscape design and installation, irrigation design, installation, repair and timer adjustments, and sewerrelated services.
Their groundskeeping services include commercial pesticide/herbicide application, pruning and trimming, mulching and edging, weeding, mowing, planting, thatching and aerating, pest control, general grounds cleanup, fertilization and plant replacement—all with a mind to the conservation of natural resources and sustainability, which translates to value added for their environmentally-focused customers. Janitorial services also are in Patriot’s wheelhouse. “A big believer in green construction, Mr. Espinoza believes in doing the best to keep our environment sustainable for the next generation,” Garrison said. When it comes to clients like NOAA, having knowledge of environmentallyfriendly methods is paramount, James said. That is why Patriot hired an environmental scientist, Lindsey M. Styron, who serves as project supervisor for the company. Patriot employs six who work across Washington, primarily along the USCanadian border, where Patriot holds a General Services Administration, or GSA, contract to maintain all land ports of entry along the Washington border. “One of the things that sets us apart is we’re veteran-owned, woman-owned and a small business,” Garrison said. Patriot is proud to be a pro-veteran hiring company. “As a general contractor, Patriot Rooter has established a list of preferred contractors that are equally committed to customer service,” Garrison said. “Mr. Espinoza directly oversees subcontractors from beginning to end and works hard to negotiate the best prices to pass along to customers.” Patriot landed its first government contract in 2016 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, with help from a counselor at the Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center, or PTAC, at the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce in Kennewick. The company secured its two subsequent federal contracts with help from the PTAC team as well. PTAC helps businesses at no cost to find, bid, win and perform on federal, state and local government contracts. Garrison said the USDA contract “was a perfect one for us to get a feel for
Courtesy Patriot Rooter & Irrigation LLC James G. Espinoza, president of Patriot Rooter & Irrigation LLC, recently landed a contract with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) laboratory in Seattle, where their crew will maintain the grounds per the center’s unique needs.
what it’s like to have a contract and be responsible for a federal contract.” To compete for federal contracts, Garrison said the company had to do a lot of research to gear up the company. “In between though, we had been submitting proposals for different contracts, learning how to write them, submitting them and following all the rules and getting rejected. I think we learned really quickly,” she said. James added, “It’s been a challenge but it’s been very rewarding when you see what you’ve put together has finally been accepted.” James said that “there are organizations out there who will say, ‘Hey, let us put this together for you for like $7,000.’ … But we’re like no, we’re going to do this ourselves and we’ve been pretty successful.” “If we hadn’t had the help from PTAC, we would have never been able to do this. Never,” he said. “They’ve always been available … They’re there to support us,” Garrison added. “There is a lot of opportunity for small businesses,” James said. Though Patriot Rooter & Irrigation has pivoted its business focus to federal contracts, the company still provides general construction services to residential and commercial customers on a project-by-project basis. “We’re not shy to look at what a customer may need and see if we can provide it for them. We’ll let them know if
we can or can’t. Locally we still want to have a foot in the door here in our community,” Garrison said. “From Tri-Cities to the Lower Valley, we’ve done a lot of work,” James said. “We’ve had a nice relationship with the Kennewick and Pasco housing authorities, apartment complexes and restaurants, but I think for us, the government contracting is a good place to be for us.” Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Patriot’s contracts have remained active. “With Covid-19 going on, we are very fortunate because we are considered essential personnel to the work of the Department of Homeland Security,” James said. Though Patriot has been approached about out-of-state contracts along the southern border with Mexico, both James and Garrison agreed that for now they want to focus on serving the needs of Washington and the Northwest region, keeping the company’s growth steady and sustainable. “We love what we do, we really enjoy what we do, and we want to be good for our customers, but also do good for our employees and support them any way we can,” Garrison said. Patriot Rooter & Irrigation LLC: 509-531-7886, espinozajgpri@icloud. com Washington Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC): washingtonptac.org
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 MACDONALD-MILLER, From page A32 ployees throughout Eastern Washington,” Martin said. Other highlights include a 1.3-millionThe company moved its Eastern Washsquare-foot redevelopment project at ington headquarters from Moses Lake to Swedish First Hill; the King 5 building Kennewick in June 2019. across from T-Mobile Park in Seattle; the “But we’ve had a strong presence in Pantages Theater in Tacoma; expansion the market in the last 10 years,” Roberts work at the Washington State Conven- said. tion Center; Suncadia Resort; the Seattle Roberts said that the company is lookAquarium; and the Yakama Nations Leg- ing to rebrand the office as Inland Northends Casino and Hotel in Toppenish. west, with a goal of expanding into eastMacDonald-Miller believes it can add ern Oregon and Idaho. more projects in the eastern part of the MacDonald-Miller: 800-962-5979; state. 106010 E, Wiser Parkway, Suite B, Ken“Right now, we have about 20 em- newick; macmiller.com;
Courtesy MacDonald-Miller
Matt Barnes, HVAC service foreman with MacDonald-Miller, performs a site survey with photo and video content. These site surveys allow the company to customize its Comeback with Confidence recommendations on buildings it is not already familiar with.
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Tri-City champion Brad Fisher dies from brain cancer Brad Fisher, a wealth manager, former Kennewick mayor and unflagging advocate for Tri-City control of the Columbia River shoreline, died July 19, a little over a year after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, a type of brain cancer. He was 63. Fisher’s daughter, Chelsea Goff, announced his death on Facebook. Goff said her father intended to retire when he was 70. Instead, doctors told him “to start completing his bucket list items.” Fisher, who worked at RBC Wealth Management in Kennewick, was a TriCity native who graduated from Kamiakin High School and attended Washington State University. He and his wife Jennifer lived in Richland. He served as mayor of Kennewick in from 1988-89. He was best known in recent years for his work to convince Congress to return 34 miles of Columbia River shoreline to Tri-City control. The reconveyance effort targeted 40,000 acres of formerly private land
uBUSINESS BRIEFS Gesa signs title sponsorship deal with WIAA
Richland-based Gesa Credit Union has signed an expanded agreement that reinforces it as the official credit union and title sponsor for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s School State Championships and other programs. The deal makes Gesa the exclusive title sponsor of WIAA initiatives such as the Sportsmanship program, Scholastic Awards program, and the Women in Sport Leadership Conference. Gesa is Washington’s second-largest credit union after BECU and has more
that have been in Army Corps of Engineers ownership since the mid-1940s, when the government bought waterfront land in anticipation of building McNary Brad Fisher Dam and the associated flood control levees that divide the river from much of the Tri-Cities. Fisher teamed with former U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, and Gary Petersen, retired director of federal programs for the Tri-City Development Council, to advocate for a return of the shoreline. Hastings’ successor, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, introduced legislation in 2018 but it was flagged for further review by the Congressional Budget Office. “I called him Mr. Rivershore Transfer,” Petersen said. “He was the one that started the process almost seven years
ago. Why don’t we bring the rivershore back to the community? He was a very community — minded individual.” The argument that the waterfront is a neglected gem that could anchor the Tri-Cities won support from almost every local public agency and a long list of business groups. Newhouse added language to a bill that called on the Department of Defense to account for how it acquired the land, which led to reams of documents showing it paid landowners for their property. Today, the reconveyance effort is led by Petersen’s successor at TRIDEC, David Reeploeg. Reeploeg said there are still details to iron out, but he is working with Newhouse and hopes to include legislation in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. Fisher together with Hastings and Petersen argued that flood concerns are a thing of the past due to the network of dams that control the Columbia and Snake rivers.
With cities and possibly counties in control, the levees that were built too tall in the first place could be lowered and the shoreline maintained for recreation, with some concessions to possible commercial development. Opponents countered that local control would lead to excessive development. The region’s celebrated waterfront green spaces would become a luxury playground reserved for the wealthy who could afford waterfront condos and restaurants, some fear. Local control also would mean taking over the costs now borne by the military department, such as the massive flood control pumps due for replacement. Fisher traced the effort to a brief exchange with U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. In 2014 during the grand opening festivities for the Reach Museum in south Richland. Murray encouraged local collaboration.
than $4 billion in assets and 255,000 members. It also does business as Inspirus Credit Union, which has headquarters in Tukwila. WIAA is the private, nonprofit association that governs interscholastic activities for 408 member high schools and 400 member middle schools.
to shareholders of record as of Aug. 4. Banner said it provided $1.12 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans to 8,655 businesses and provided deferred payments or waived interest on 3,314 loans totaling $1.1 billion. As of June 30, Banner Corp. held $14.4 billion in assets, $10.13 billion in
net loans and $12.02 billion in assets. Separately, Banner Corp. announced it will merge Islanders Bank into Banner Bank, subject to regulatory approval. Islanders operates in the San Juan Islands. The company operates 176 branches, including three in Kennewick and one each in Pasco and Richland.
Banner Bank reports second quarter earnings
Walla Walla-based Banner Corp., parent to Banner Bank and Islander Bank, reported it earned $23.7 million on $145 million in revenue, or 67 cents per diluted share, in its second fiscal quarter, which ended June 30. It paid a 41-cent dividend on Aug. 13
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uRETIREMENTS • Julie Richardson, the city of West Richland’s city clerk, retired in July after 19 years of service. She began her career with the city as an administrative assistant in the police department and was promoted to city clerk in 2006. She plans to spend time with her family and grandchildren. • Charles McElligott of Rabo AgriFinance has retired as Northwest regional managing director, a position he held for a decade.
uAWARDS & HONORS • The Tri-Cities Cancer Center in Kennewick has been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2020 Best Places to Work in Healthcare. The award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the health care industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with the Best Companies Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey. The cancer center will find out its ranking on the Best Places list Oct. 8. • The Tri-Cities was selected as the host destination for TBEX North America 2021, a conference and networking event for travel content creators from throughout North America and beyond. The conference is Aug. 1619, 2021, at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. It’s expected to attract about 600 travel bloggers, online journalists, new media content
creators, travel brands and industry professionals. • Visit Tri-Cities was recognized for earning the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program accreditation with “distinction” at the Destinations International Virtual 2020 annual convention on July 15. DMAP is a recognition of Visit Tri-Cities’ commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination organizations around the world. • Chenoa Meagher of Sage Crest Elementary School in Kennewick was named the 2020 Washington State Regional Chenoa Meagher Teacher of the Year for Educational Service District 123. She was chosen as the 2020 Crystal Apple Award winner from the Kennewick School District and was recognized for excellence alongside educators from other school districts within ESD 123. She’ll now be considered, along with finalists from the state’s eight other ESDs, for 2021 Washington State Teacher of the Year. • Bill Mich, a Lourdes Health pharmacist, was recognized as the hospital’s 2020 Mercy Award winner. He has worked at Lourdes for more than 30 years and goes out of his way to make his work family and co-workers feel
special, including cards on Mother’s Day and for their birthdays. He gives the employees a gift card for National Bill Mich Pharmacy Tech Day. Each Christmas season, he can be spotted riding around town on his motorcycle in his Santa suit. As Santa, he visits kids who are part of Lourdes’ Children’s Day program, an intensive mental health treatment program for children to develop skills for coping with emotional and behavioral problems at school and home, to help them feel the Christmas spirit. • Matthew Riesenweber at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies in Kennewick has been recently recognized as one of Forbes 2020 Next-Gen Matthew Advisors. FeaRiesenweber tured advisors are all under 40 and represent the future of the wealth management industry. • Columbia Riverkeeper’s Hanford Art Contest, held in partnership with Yakama Nation’s Environmental Restoration Waste Management Program, has announced its winners. Artists were
invited to create a piece that reclaims Hanford’s nuclear legacy through art. The winners are Jazmine Cabaluna, first place with “An Impact on All;” Julia Waters, second place with “Confluence of the Spirit;” and David Kitcher, third place with “Nuclear Wasted.” Winners received cash prizes.
uDONATIONS • Benton REA and CoBank donated $20,000 to feed local families. The recipients are the Tri-City Food Bank in West Richland and Benton City ($12,000), Sunrise Outreach Food Banks ($4,000) and Jubilee Ministries Food Bank ($4,000). CoBank provided a $10,000 matching grant. • Lamb Weston donated 20,000 disposable masks for student and employee use at Washington State University Tri-Cities for when in-person learning resumes on campus. The masks will be used by students, faculty and staff to ensure a safe return to operations for in-person learning experiences and services on campus.
uSCHOLARSHIPS • Caitlyn Hickman, a Columbia Basin College student, received a $130 scholarship to cover the cost of the pharmacy technician certification exam fee from Walgreens and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She is one of 35 students selected to receive the award.
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 uNEW HIRES • Matt Backlund joined Kennewick-based Community First Bank as chief lending officer. Over the course of his Matt Backlund career, he has worked in retail banking, private banking and, most recently, in commercial banking, with more than 18 years of experience in the banking industry. • Bill Shibley has joined Kennewick-based Community First Bank and HFG Trust as a senior agricultural Bill Shibley officer. He has 24 years of agricultural lending experience across Eastern Washington, with expertise in row crops, vineyards and wineries, tree fruit, hay and wheat. He is a graduate of Oregon State University where he earned a degree in agricultural and resource economics. He is also board secretary/treasurer for the Washington Wine Industry Foundation and a MyTri2030 agriculture steering committee member. • Petersen Hastings has hired Cameron Ridgeway as an associate wealth advisor. Ridgeway will be part of a team assisting lead advisors in serving our clients’ planning and investment needs through a fiduciary standard of service. He was born and raised in Tri-Cities and graduated from Eastern Washington University in June 2020 with a bachelor’s in finance. He
interned with the Kennewick-based company in 2017 and 2019. • Jesse Buchholz has been hired to be the Richland School District’s director of online learning. He is working with administrators Jesse Buchholz and teachers to launch Richland Virtual School for the 2020-21 school year. The K-12 program will be based on the model used by Spokane Public Schools’ Spokane Virtual Learning. It will provide an online, teacher-directed learning experience for students and families looking for an alternative to traditional in-person instruction. He spent the past seven years at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho, where he taught educational technology, developed a robotics curriculum and conducted professional development for other educators across the region, including Richland teachers. Buchholz was also the university’s chief administrator of Canvas, a learning management system also used in Richland schools. • Jennifer Retana has been named manager of STCU’s Queensgate Financial Center in Richland. Retana brings more than 27 years of banking and lending experience, most recently at US Bank. • New U Women’s Clinic and Aesthetics in Kennewick has hired board certified general surgeon Dr. Mikki Seagren. She has Dr. Mikki Seagren sub-specialty fellowship
Coming soon to 10th Ave. in Kennewick near Bob Olson Parkway.
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SUMMIT STORAGE Groundbreaking December 2020
training in breast surgical oncology and breast reconstruction. She completed her fellowship at the University of California San Francisco. • Lt. Col. Rick Childers is now commander and district engineer of the Walla Walla District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lt. Col. Rick Childers He oversees more than 800 engineers and professionals from various functional backgrounds and is responsible for civil works, interagency programs and the operations of Corps projects and activities for Eastern Washington, all of Idaho and portions of Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming and Utah. Childers hails from Port St. Lucie, Florida, and was commissioned into the Army as an engineer officer following graduation from Georgia Military College in 1999. • Brian Sims has been hired as Good Shepherd Health Care System’s next president and chief executive officer. He starts Brian Sims at the Hermiston health system on Oct. 1, succeeding current president and CEO, Dennis Burke, who announced
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his intent to retire last October after more than 31 years leading Good Shepherd. Sims brings years of executive leadership experience, leaving his recent appointment of CEO for five years with Lucas County Health Center Chariton, Iowa. • Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Adrian Obuch has joined the Astria Health Center in Grandview and Astria Health Center in Zillah. Dr. Adrian Obuch Obuch, with more than 20 years experience, is able to offer a full range of orthopaedic and sports medicine injury care.
uPROMOTIONS • Jan Pieter “JP” van Oosten is the new eastern territory general manager of Rabo AgriFinance, leading the company’s business in the eastern third of the country. He has 12 years of experience with Rabobank in the Netherlands. Nathan Thomsen, former eastern territory general manager, returned home to the West as the managing director of the Northwest region to lead the lending teams in northern Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. In the last four of his 17 years with Rabo AgriFinance, he’s led the growth of the company’s business in the eastern third of the country.
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uBUSINESS BRIEFS Umpqua Bank reports second quarter financials
Portland-based Umpqua Holdings Corp., parent to Umpqua Bank, reported it earned $52.9 million, or 24 cents per common share, in its second quarter earnings report. It previously reported a net loss of $1.9 billion for the first quarter and net income of $111.8 million in the second quarter of 2019. The bank said it generated more than 15,000 Paycheck Protection Program forgivable loans totaling $2 billion through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or CARES Act. The average loan was $134,000. Umpqua reported total consolidated assets of $29.6 billion on June 30, compared to $27.5 billion on March 31 and $28 billion on June 30, 2019. It operates branches throughout the Northwest, including in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland.
Suspicious seeds arrive in Washington mailboxes
Washington and U.S. residents have received mysterious packages containing unidentified seeds, often labeled as something else. The Washington State Department of Agriculture and Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service are asking the public to turn in seeds they receive that may have been shipped into the country illegally. Some people reported ordering the
seeds but they did not know the seeds would be coming from another country. Others had not ordered the seeds at all. Mislabeling packages in order to get seeds and other plant materials into the country is agricultural smuggling. Washington residents should seal any seeds they receive in plastic and send them to: USDA-APHIS-PPQ, Attn: Jason Allen, Seattle Plant Inspection Station, 835 S. 192nd St., Bldg D, Ste 1600, Seatac, WA 98148.
Hermiston rebuilds Funland Playground — again
Hermiston residents have started construction of a new Funland Playground at Butte Park. Groundbreaking ceremonies were held in July at the Oregon park, which is expected to reopen in mid-October. The new playground is designed to engage all ability levels age 5-12 in three zones: wild west, adventure and farming, each with a connection to the region’s rich heritage. The first Funland was an all-wooden playground built by volunteers in the late 1990s. It was destroyed by arson and rebuilt in 2001. That structure lasted until it too burned down in the summer of 2019. The community raised more than $700,000 to add to the insurance reimbursement and rebuild “bigger, better, and stronger.” The new structure will consist of steel and other fire-resistant materials, and other security measures will be installed.
Tri-City mayors dream of returning focus to potholes, parks and police By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Tri-City mayors expressed a collective desire to move beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and return to the workaday world of potholes, parks and police budgets during their annual “State of the Cities” address. The mayors of the four cities delivered their traditional overview of municipal government on July 22. The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce Don Britain puts on the annual event, typically drawing crowds of 400 to 500 to lunch and learn about municipal initiatives and priorities. As with most 2020 gatherings, the in-person lunSaul Martinez cheon gave way to a virtual meetup over Zoom. Kennewick Mayor Don Britain, Pasco Mayor Saul Martinez, Richland Mayor Ryan Lukson and West Richland Mayor Brent Gerry delivered overviews of key economic development wins and losses as well as upcoming projects. Kennewick has new fire stations to build and economic development visions for Vista Field and Southridge, and Pasco will build its long-awaited Lewis Street overpass as soon as BNSF Railway signs off on its plans. Richland is readying the Duportail Bridge for its debut this fall as it pre-
pares to build a pair of new fire stations. And West Richland brings a new well online this fall that will supply drinking water as it braces for a wave of new residential development. For the mayors, reopening business is Priority No. 1. The mayors implored residents to wear masks and do what it takes to reduce the spread of coronavirus that causes the deadly Covid-19. As of Aug. 11, 165 residents of Benton and Franklin counties had lost Ryan Lukson their lives to the disease. The mayors said it’s too soon to predict what the pandemic will mean for the tax revenue that pays for police services, paveBrent Gerry ment maintenance, parks and a myriad of other city functions. But they hinted at distress to come. Richland is looking at a possible 10% decline in property tax revenue, Lukson said. Pasco expects the pandemic to cause a $3 million hit to its budget in 2020 and again in 2021. West Richland hasn’t quantified the hit, but Gerry predicts declines across all the revenue streams that support the general fund, which in turn pays for police, parks and other municipal services. “It will be several months before we know the full impact,” Lukson said.
Tri-City Chamber goes virtual to honor businesses, leaders By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce presented its annual business awards during a rolling virtual program the week of July 27. The awards are normally passed out during the chamber’s annual meeting, but the 2020 program was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, the 2020 honorees were highlighted during its Annual Meeting & Awards Week in a series of live lunchtime Facebook events that are now archived on the chamber’s page, @TriCityRegionalChamber. Numerica Credit Union sponsored the program.
The 2020 honorees are: Community Impact Award: Columbia Basin College. Corporate Impact Award: Washington River Protection Solutions. Tom Powers Ambassador of the Year: Tawni Gama, Conover Insurance. Chamber S.T.A.R.: Khurshed Sharifov, Charles Schwab. Business on a Roll (1-10 employees): Taylored Living Magazine. Business on a Roll (11-50 employees): Horse Heaven Hills Pet Urgent Care. Business on a Roll (51 or more employees): Community First Bank/HFG Trust.
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Latino Americans deserve their place in the Smithsonian If you have ever visited Washington, D.C., or even looked into planning a trip to the nation’s capital, you know there are quite a few sights to see. Washington, D.C., is a hub for both American history and cultural exploration, from the U.S. Capitol building and the Library of Congress, the world’s largest library, to memorials to great presidents and soldiers who fought in past wars. Some of the most notable cultural attractions are the Smithsonian museums, where special artifacts, exhibits, historical memorabilia and more are displayed for people around the world to experience. The National Air and Space Museum has an entire exhibit about the Wright Brothers’ first flight. The National Museum of American History hosts an entire wing dedicated to the First Ladies of the United States. The newest Smithsonian, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, contains important
reminders about our country’s path to overcome past injustices and the awe-inspiring contributions of Black Americans to AmeriDan Newhouse can culture. Congressman These GUEST COLUMN museums aim to capture the history and melting pot culture of the United States by making these relics and exhibits open to the public, free of charge. However, one very important part of our nation’s history is missing: the contributions of Latinos and Hispanic Americans. Since coming to Congress, I have been proud to be an original cosponsor of the National Museum of the American Latino Act, which would finally establish the National Museum of the American Latino within the Smithson-
ian Institution. Growing up in Central Washington, I have experienced firsthand how Latino and Hispanic cultures are deeply integrated in our communities and how their contributions have made us a greater nation. John Smithson, the founding father of the Smithsonian Institution, stated in his will that his estate should go “to the United States of America, to found at Washington… an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” That is exactly what this legislation — and this museum — will do. To showcase a more complete American history, we must recognize Latino contributions to American history, life, art, and culture. America is truly the world’s melting pot, where people of diverse backgrounds and cultures come together as one people united by shared values. Latino Americans, throughout history, have played a significant role in building a stronger United States, and the
Latino community is woven into the fabric of our country. As Americans, we should always strive to learn more about our country’s founding and development. The National Museum of the American Latino will demonstrate that, as Americans, we cherish our unity and diversity, and it will finally highlight and celebrate the many contributions of our Latino neighbors. Editor’s note: H.R. 2420, the National Museum of the American Latino Act, passed in the House and was received in the Senate on July 29, where it was read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, RSunnyside, represents Washington’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House.
Blue bridge gets fresh coat of paint as part $8.8 million project By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
As blue bridge traffic speeds by overhead, workers beneath are cleaning and painting the metal surfaces. It’s been 25 years since the steel archthrough bridge connecting Pasco to Kennewick received a fresh coat. But don’t worry — the paint colors will remain the same — blue and gray. The 66-year-old bridge spanning the Columbia River wasn’t always blue. When it first opened in 1954, it sported green paint. This summer’s bridge work is taking place under the wheels passing above on Highway 395 so the painting project will not affect traffic. The existing steel bridge surface needs to be repainted as it is deteriorated
and peeling, exposing the steel to the elements, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Workers are cleaning and repainting the surface to prolong the life of the Tri-City landmark. The first stage of the $8.8 million project will prevent further deterioration and preserve the steel truss elements supporting the roadway deck and the horizontal section defining the lower part of the truss. This stage is set be completed by fall 2020. The second stage involves painting the remaining steel elements of the bridge, the truss spans. It’s set to start in 2023. Go to bit.ly/wsdotbluebridge to see what it looks like beneath the bridge.
Photo by TCAJOB Workers walk underneath the blue bridge to repaint deteriorating surfaces.
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REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Retailer bankruptcies rewriting the Tri-City shopping map
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Seattle Children’s moving Tri-City clinic to bigger spot next spring
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August 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 8 | B1
Now Richland is getting luxe waterfront apartments By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
First Pasco, now Richland. Tri-City renters with a craving for waterfront living soon will be able to choose between apartments on either side of the Columbia River. Cedar and Sage Homes broke ground on Willow Pointe Apartments, a 126-unit “resort” style apartment complex at 250 Battelle Blvd. in north Richland in late July. It is next to the Willow Pointe townhome development. Willow Pointe is billed as a resort-style development from builders who know resorts. Cedar and Sage, helmed by Dave Gintz, is based in Cle Elum, where it builds homes and multifamily projects at Suncadia resort. The Richland project is one of two apartment complexes being built on the Columbia River. The other is on the Pasco shoreline. Columbia River Walk will offer 288 units at 2120 W. A St., Pasco, near the blue bridge. The first 60-unit building is under construction. Like Columbia River Walk, Willow Pointe is casting itself as a well-placed spot for renters who can afford great locations. Jed Cazier, project manager for Willow Pointe, said preleasing could begin in six
Richland winery restarts expansion delayed by Covid-19 By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
J. Bookwalter Winery in Richland will begin its pandemic-delayed expansion this summer. The family-owned winery and restaurant secured permits for the $4 million project in late June. It initially intended to break ground in February but “hit the brakes” when the Covid-19 crisis took hold earlier this year. John Bookwalter leads the winery his father, Jerry, began in 1982. He said he restarted the expansion in June for practical reasons. New building codes that took effect on July 1 would have forced costly revisions to the building design from MMEC Architecture & Interiors. uBOOKWALTER, Page B4
Courtesy Jed Cazier/San Construction workers pour the foundation for the first phase of Willow Pointe Apartments at 250 Battelle Blvd. in north Richland. Willow Pointe, from Cedar and Sage Homes, is one of two apartment complexes under construction on the Tri-City shoreline this summer. Columbia River Walk in Pasco broke ground earlier this spring.
months with the first units available to renters in about a year. Cazier said the property will boast resort amenities such as a pool, spa and clubhouse. It fronts the riverfront trail
and some units will offer Columbia River views. The north Richland location is the big selling point. “This is about as close to the Hanford
area as you can get,” he said. “If you work out there and you just want to be close to that and to the river, there’s no better place.” Willow Pointe will consist of three, three-story buildings with daylight basement garages. The first building will have 30 units — 12 one-bed/one-bath units and 18 two-bed/two-bath units. Several will meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for renters who are disabled. Builders Capital provided the construction loan for the first building, which has a project value of about $6 million, according to a permit issued by the city of Richland. Cazier said future buildings could have a different mix of unit types and sizes. It is designed with the potential to sell some units as condominiums in the future. The project is being built on a site bought by Tacoma-based Weyerhauser Apartments, which paid $1.6 million for the undeveloped areas of the luxury Willow Point community in 2018. The vacancy rate for Tri-City apartment rentals in the spring was a tight 2.5%, according to a biannual survey by the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Research. The average local monthly rent was $1,022. The state vacancy rate was 4.2 percent and the state’s average rent was a little more than $1,500 a month.
Tri-City Herald getting new office, new owner By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
The Tri-City Herald has new offices and soon will have a new owner after a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of its parent, McClatchy, to its leading creditor, Chatham Asset Management LLC. The staff left its longtime home in downtown Kennewick for new offices at 4253 W. 24th Ave. in Kennewick’s Southridge neighborhood the week of Aug. 10. It considered several locations, including remaining in downtown Kennewick. The Southridge building best fit its needs, said Jerry Hug, general manager for the Tri-City Herald and Northwest director for McClatchy finance/chief financial officer. The move fulfills plans spelled out in October when McClatchy entered a $4 million sale-leaseback deal for its Kennewick campus with D9 Contractors
Inc. of Pasco. McClatchy agreed to lease space in the 102,000-square-foot mixed-use office and industrial building at 333 W. Canal Drive for 10 months. The corner of West Canal Drive and North Cascade was the Herald’s home for generations. McClatchy bought the Herald in 1979 and ran it as a daily newspaper, and more recently, as a digital news site, for the next four decades. But struggling under pension issues, declining advertising and circulation, and debt associated with its 2006 acquisition of the Knight-Ridder newspaper chain, McClatchy filed for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in February in New York. Chatham was the successful bidder in an auction held July 10. The New Jersey hedge fund’s offer included a $263 million credit bid of McClatchy’s first-lien debt and $49
million in cash. The court subsequently approved the sale of most assets, McClatchy announced on Aug. 4. The transaction, expected to close in September, includes the McClatchy name, the Tri-City Herald and 29 other news organizations. Other properties include the Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Kansas City Star and Sacramento Bee and three other Washington newspapers – the News Tribune of Tacoma, the Bellingham Herald and the Olympian. The sale concludes the McClatchy family’s 160-plus year run at the head of what had been one of the largest newspaper chains in the country, which traded under the stock ticker MNI on the New York Stock Exchange. The McClatchy papers will be run as a privately-held company with its own board of directors. uHERALD, Page B4
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
Real Estate & Construction
Pair of leases lets Benton County elections spread out for 2020 cycle By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Benton County Auditor Brenda Chilton is heading into a busy presidential election season with plenty of room to spread out in both Prosser and the Tri-Cities. The auditor’s office signed temporary leases for a fruit warehouse in Prosser and a former restaurant in Richland to carry out election work through the 2020 season, funded with a $250,000 federal grant to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on elections. It will process ballots in the fruit warehouse. The former Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant, near the Richland Wye on North Columbia Center Boulevard, served as voter central for the Aug. 4 primary and will for the Nov. 3 general election. Chilton said the money, awarded through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security, or CARES Act, allowed her to tackle the most pressing challenge of every election — having enough space to process ballots and serve voters. The auditor’s office operates in two small spaces, one at the county courthouse in Prosser and the other at its Canal
Street annex in Kennewick. Both are cramped in the best of times. The general election will require 20 to 30 extra hands just to open all the envelopes. The Canal Street annex regularly sees several hundred visitors in the days leading up to an election, stressing the already small building and parking lot. The Covid-19 pandemic upended the delicate balancing act. The five-month leases for a FruitSmart warehouse in Prosser and the former family restaurant give election staff room to spread out and maintain social distancing. Chilton hopes to extend the leases for two years because she’s uncertain if the pandemic will be over for the 2021 election cycle. She’s asked for funds in her budget request to the county commission. Ballot processing in Prosser won’t directly affect the public. The space has new locks and other security features to preserve the integrity of the ballots. Ballot processing will be livestreamed over the internet to enable monitoring. Chilton said she welcomes in-person monitors as well but advises those who want to watch ballots being opened in person to call her office to confirm when
that is happening. The former restaurant space, 2610 N. Columbia Center Blvd., replaces the Canal Street annex as voter central. Voters needing replacement ballots should plan to go there. In Washington, voters can register in person as late as 8 p.m. on Election Day. The Chuck E. Cheese’s spot has room for the public, voting Photo by TCAJOB booths and a secure drop The Benton County Auditor leased the former Chuck box for those who parE. Cheese restaurant at the Richland Wye to provide ticipate at the last sec- enough space for social distancing during the 2020 ond. election cycle. It also has an ample parking and a new driveprovide a map. up ballot drop box. The Tri-City’s Chuck E. Cheese restauChilton said about half of voters in rant moved to a new location by VisBenton County drop ballots in the 10 ta Field in Kennewick about two years county drop boxes. The rest arrive by U.S. mail. No postage is needed on Washing- ago. The old space has been empty ever since. Chilton said she kept the upgrades ton ballots. A parking lot monitor on Canal Street to a minimum. Visitors will find the old will direct visitors to the new spot and kid-friendly restaurant colors on the wall.
Construction industry showed how to restart business in a pandemic No one enjoys restrictions on their lives or businesses. Just like no one likes to get sick. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged us as individuals and communities in terms of what we find acceptable. And problems arise when the restrictions drag on for months and months, seeming with little public input or participation in the process. But this is not how it needs to be. Early on during the Stay Home, Stay Safe order, construction was largely deemed nonessential. It was baffling to us that Gov. Jay Inslee
made this decision when most other states, including California and Oregon, chose to allow construction. Sometimes our industry has a bad reputation for safety, but that reputation is not backed by the numbers. For the last three years the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has lowered workers compensation rates because on the whole we have kept our work sites safe. The construction industry also has been a key part to our strong economy and tax base in recent years. Contributing more than $24 billion to the state’s gross
domestic product annually, more than $14 billion in annual wages, and $2.7 billion in sales tax revenue, we believed that remaining open would Joel Bouchey help mitigate The Associated the damage the General Contractors pandemic was of America doing not only to our economy, GUEST COLUMN but to the state budget. Last spring, representatives of the Associated General Contractors called to form an advisory committee made up of trade and labor groups as well as state stakeholders to directly address the best way for our industry to move forward safely. Lo and behold, a reasonable agreement was struck and the low risk Phase 1 construction plan was quickly signed off by the governor’s office. Since that time Phase 2 guidelines opened all construction activities throughout the state. It has been no surprise to us that the result was that construction has remained safe. The industry has policed itself. Thousands of construction activities have resumed since the initial order, with only two Labor and Industries citation or investigations continuing from non-compliance statewide through mid-June. Even in high-infection areas such as Benton and Franklin counties, no construction site has been the source of a Covid-19 outbreak. In fact, when an inquiry to the Benton-Franklin Health District was sent, the reply was not only that we weren’t the cause of outbreaks, but we were an
industry that had been leading the way on Covid-19 safety. What went into these plans? Social distancing, face covering, regular sanitation and employee training. There is nothing special about our plans. There is nothing another industry couldn’t replicate. What made the difference was industry participation. When private owners or representatives are able to participate in the process there is less of a feeling that Olympia is picking “winners” and “losers” from the business community. Business owners and employees alike may be unhappy with the current situation, but these agreements can become something they can live with. As we look ahead at the state of our state, we must acknowledge that more businesses must be allowed to open if we are to be able to return to pre-Covid economic levels. We know that not everyone agrees and certainly would encourage those most at risk to continue to practice the safest of behaviors. But with a budget shortfall forecasted in the billions into the next biennium, Olympia must make drastic cuts or allow its revenue stream to get back to work. With no signs for a call for a special legislative session on the horizon, we must encourage the latter. It is why we encourage Gov. Inslee to partner with business groups as he did with us. If we are all given a chance to participate, we believe we can find solutions that allow our public to remain healthy while conducting business. Joel Bouchey is regional coordinator for the Inland Northwest chapter of The Associated General Contractors of America. He is based in Kennewick.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Retailer bankruptcies rewriting the Tri-City shopping map By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
A wave of retail bankruptcies is closing Tri-City stores or putting their futures in question. Here is a look at the chains that have filed for protection from creditors in U.S. Bankruptcy Court this year and what that means for their local stores.
Tuesday Morning Tri-City location: 7411 W. Canal Drive, Kennewick Status: Closing by Aug. 31 Tuesday Morning, a Dallas-based home furnishings retailer, notified local customers it will close its Kennewick store by email on July 23. It filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in May, saying it planned to permanently close 230 of its 687 stores. Bankruptcy documents: dm.epiq11. com/case/tuesdaymorning/info Tailored Brands Parent to Men’s Wearhouse Tri-City location: 7500 W. Quinault Ave., Columbia Square, Kennewick Status: Open with restricted hours and occupancy. Call: 509-735-5341 Tailored Brands filed for protection under Chapter 11 on Aug. 2, two weeks after it said it would close up to 500 stores. The Kennewick store was not in the list of the 100 locations slated to close in the first round, according to court documents. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/TailoredBrands
Ascena Retail Group Parent to Ann Taylor Loft, Lane Bryant, Justice and Catherines Tri-City locations: Ann Taylor Loft, Lane Bryant and Justice stores at Kennewick’s Columbia Center. Catherines is at 6501 W. Grandridge Blvd. Status: Ann Taylor Loft and Justice are open as the mall operates at limited capacity. Lane Bryant is closed. Catherines is closing but a final day has not been set. Call: 509-378-3311. New Jersey-based Ascena filed for Chapter 11 on July 23, saying it planned to close more than half its 2,800 stores. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/ascena/Home-Index J.C. Penney Company Inc. Tri-City location: Columbia Center, Kennewick Status: Open Plano, Texas-based J.C. Penney filed for protection under Chapter 11 on May 15, saying it has entered a restructuring support agreement with lenders who hold approximately 70% of its first lien debt. In June, it hired liquidation firms to shutter 137 stores, which it described as the company’s “first step” in implementing a planned “store optimization strategy.” That signals more closures in the future. The Kennewick store is not on the current store closure list, but J.C. Penney locations in Omak and Sunnyside are. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/jcpenney
Seattle Children’s moving Tri-City clinic to bigger spot next spring By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
Seattle Children’s will move its Tri-City clinic to larger offices in Kennewick next spring. The Seattle nonprofit with a mission to provide care to “anyone who needs it” leased a 13,000-square-foot building at 8232 W. Grandridge Blvd. It will move once its facilities crews renovate the space. The move is driven by growing demand for the wide variety of medical services Seattle Children’s provides to residents of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon at its current Richland clinic, said Diane Simons, director of regional specialty clinics, including the one in the Tri-Cities. It served 5,000 patients last year at its Richland clinic, which opened in 2008. “We’re going up exponentially,” she said. The lease on the new building includes an option to buy. The Tri-City clinic is headed by a nurse manager, medical assistants, support staff and specialists and surgeons who typically fly in for two days at a time to see local patients. The central location offers easy access to the Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco and hotels. The on-site and visiting professionals offer a long list of medical services to
patients who drive to the Tri-Cities from as far away as Wenatchee, Spokane and Oregon. The clinic hosts a cancer survivor program, craniofacial, endocrinology, genetic counseling, neurology, orthopedics, prenatal care for high-risk pregnancies, rehabilitative medicine and more. It is the regional hub for cardiology services. Its screens patients who are scheduled for surgery at the main hospital in Seattle to determine if they are strong enough for surgery. The service can save families the trip across the Cascade Mountains if it turns out the patient is not suited to surgery. Visiting surgeons perform pediatric and other procedures at Kadlec Regional Medical Center and at Lourdes in Pasco. The clinic conducts two flu clinics each year serving patients of all ages who have no health insurance or are from low-income families. The clinics are promoted through the Benton-Franklin Health District. Seattle Children’s will vacate its current space at 900 Stevens Drive once it moves to Kennewick. The Grandridge building used to be home to Trios Health’s sleep center. The Kennewick Public Hospital District sold the building to Sunstar Properties LLC in 2015 for $1.95 million.
Photo by TCAJOB Home furnishings retailer Tuesday Morning will close its Kennewick store at 7411 W. Canal Drive by Aug. 31 after filing for protection from creditors under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in May. The company cited financial pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pier 1 Imports Inc. Tri-City location: 1232 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick Status: Closing, no date set, but likely within next two months. Fort Worth, Texas-based Pier 1 Inc. filed for protection under Chapter 11 on Feb. 17, following a Jan. 6 announcement it planned to close 450 stores nationwide and all of its Canadian locations. However, when a bankruptcy auction failed to lead to a sale of the company, Pier 1 said it would close all remaining stores after conducting liquidation sales. The Kennewick store is holding a going out of business sale. Bankruptcy site: dm.epiq11.com/case/ pier1/info GNC Holdings Inc. Tri-City locations: 2819 W. Kennewick Ave., Columbia Center mall, 2663 Queensgate Drive, Richland, Rite Aid locations. Status: In business The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based parent to GNC Live Well nutrition centers filed for protection under Chapter 11 on June 23. A bankruptcy auction will be held Sept. 8, with a bid deadline of Sept. 4. The company said it planned to use the bankruptcy process to accelerate plans to close 800 to 1,200 corporate-owned stores, some of which were previously announced. No Tri-City stores were on the closure list as of Aug. 3. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/GNC Forever 21 Inc. Tri-City location: Announced for Columbia Center, Kennewick Status: Never opened Los Angeles-based Forever 21 Inc. stirred considerable excitement in January 2019 when Columbia Center said
the fast-fashion retailer would open a 12,000-square-foot store near Victoria’s Secret. The space was readied, but Forever 21 never moved in. Eight months later, on Sept. 29, the company and its affiliates filed for Chapter 11. Bankruptcy documents identify 27 stores slated for closure, including one of its 10 Washington stores, at Tukwila’s Southcenter mall. On Feb. 2, Forever 21 announced it had entered an $81 million deal to sell its assets to a consortium that includes Columbia Center mall owner Simon Property Group. The case is ongoing. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/Forever21/Home-Index
CEC Entertainment Inc. Parent to Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants Tri-City location: 6340 W. Rio Grande Ave., Kennewick Status: Kennewick franchise is closed in Phase 1. Irving, Texas-based CEC Entertainment Inc. and affiliates filed for Chapter 11 on June 25. The company said it expected to maintain operations at the 266 company-operated Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza restaurants. The balance of its 736 locations are operated by franchisees, including the newly relocated one in Kennewick. Franchise owner John Corbin and his family invested $4 million to build the new location near Vista Field. It moved from its Richland Wye location in October 2018. Corbin said the CEC bankruptcy has no effect on his business, though his restaurant is closed because Benton County was still in Phase 1 of the Safe Start pandemic recovery program as of Aug. 6. Call: 509737-0484. Bankruptcy documents: cases.primeclerk.com/cecentertainment/Home-Index
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Real Estate & Construction
New fire station helps set stage for Vista Field redevelopment By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz
Work has begun on a new fire station at Kennewick’s Vista Field, one of two major fire station projects planned in the city. The $7 million project will move Kennewick’s Fire Station 3 to 6941 W. Grandridge Blvd., near the Three Rivers Convention campus and the former Vista municipal airfield. Kennewick also is preparing to build its sixth fire station in the Southridge area in south Kennewick. Utility taxes will pay the debt for the projects. Total Site Services, the contractor, is already familiar with the neighborhood. The Richland-based company recently completed a $5 million project to install utili-
ties and roads at Vista Field for the Port of Kennewick. Its work set the stage for the port to begin planning the first phase of the mixeduse development it envisions at Vista. The new fire station will fit in with the neighborhood. It will replace the existing Fire Station 3 at 7400 W. Quinault Ave., which is functionally obsolete. The city Courtesy city of Kennewick has not determined whether to reuse or sell A new 12,570-square-foot fire station is under construction at Kennewick’s Vista the site, said Evelyn Lusignan, city spokes- Field at 6941 W. Grandridge Blvd. woman. The city is targeting a May 3, 2021, The new station is 12,570 square feet aerial equipment as needed. It incorporates modern decontamination systems as well. completion date. and will house six personnel, including In a nod to area history, the new staTCA Architecture • Planning Inc. of firefighter emergency medical technicians tion incorporates a display bay for a 1922 Seattle designed the project. Alliance and firefighter paramedics. It will boast extra-deep equipment bays American La France Brockway Torpedo Management & Construction Solutions of and house two fire engines and an EMS — Kennewick’s first motorized fire engine, Kennewick is the project manager. Harms unit to start, with room to add reserve and affectionately known as Old No. 1. Engineering of Pasco is the civil engineer. BOOKWALTER, From page B1
Photo by TCAJOB The Tri-City Herald moved from downtown Kennewick to 4253 W. 24th Ave., a new office building above five miles away off Highway 395 in south Kennewick.
HERALD, From page B1 Tony Hunter, former publisher of the Chicago Tribune, has been named the new chief executive officer. He will succeed Craig Forman, who along with the current board and chairman, Kevin McClatchy, will leave the company upon McClatchy’s emergence
from its court-supervised reorganization. The company will retain the McClatchy family name. The new company will take ownership of all 30 newspapers and has agreed to maintain employment at comparable pay and benefits. It will honor lengths of service and collective-bargaining agreements as well.
The addition will consolidate wine production and storage at J. Bookwalter’s 10acre Richland campus while adding room for offices and a tasting room. The new addition will occupy a former vineyard across a small lawn beside the existing 8,000-square-foot building. J. Bookwalter removed the two acres of grapevines this spring. The vineyard provided a charming backdrop to the J. Bookwalter property, but was not a major source of wine grapes. The Bookwalter family planned the expansion for nearly 10 years with the dream of bringing production and storage back from remote sites. The original construction timeline would have put the new production facilities online in time for the 2020 harvest. Now, it expects to open next spring. The 2020 vintage will be produced as it has been for years, at Mercer Estates and Goose Ridge. It also stores case goods, or wine bottles, in Kennewick and Richland. Bookwalter said work will begin as soon as the contractor, Chervenell Construction, can get started. “We need the space,” he said. Four months into the Covid-19 pandemic, the winery and restaurant has rebalanced its operations. While it’s not necessarily profitable, it is generating cash, Bookwalter said. He said the pandemic forced it to refine processes and adapt to a dining world that was changing even before March 15, when Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order compelled it to close its restaurant, Fiction @ J. Bookwalter. Take-out and delivery already were emerging models for Fiction. It had a full menu available by March 16 and built relationships with delivery apps such as Door Dash within weeks. It also is exploring joining TCFoodDudes.com, the local restaurant delivery business launched by the West Richland-based owners of The Chicken Shack “Pickup is here to stay. It needs to be part of every restaurant’s program,” he said. Still, he’s eager to reopen. “Food has done well but I can only do so much.” On a good day, food sales are about half their pre-pandemic levels. Some days it’s more like 10%. Its wine business has shifted as well.
Its already strong to-go wine sales soared after the stay-home order struck, increasing more than 100 percent. That doesn’t fully compensate for widespread restaurant closures, a mainstay of its wholesale business. Its national sales disappeared although local ones have continued. The effect has been like a seesaw, he said. “We’ve fared OK,” he said. “I’m convinced we will be stronger at the end.” J. Bookwalter is one of thousands of Tri-City businesses, including wineries, that received a forgivable loan through the Paycheck Protection Program of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. It received $350,000, according to figures released in July by the U.S. Small Business Administration, which guaranteed loans issued through traditional lenders. The money helped to keep the business and its employees intact as it worked to revise its business. Life returned to something akin to normal the week of July 4, when Benton County together with Franklin County entered a modified version of Phase 1 of Washington’s Safe Start program. Fiction @ J. Bookwalter began serving diners on its outside patio and lawn, with restrictions on capacity and a six-foot distance between dining areas. Surplus tables and chairs are stashed in a pole barn. It brought in a mobile toilet station to serve guests who don’t want to go inside to use the lavatory. For Bookwalter, making guests comfortable is the goal. He said business under the modified Phase 1 was strong after the first week. Diners, eager for a reprieve from the stayhome orders, came back. Most guests are local, but J. Bookwalter has seen a return of Seattle customers. It steers overnight guests to The Lodge, Richland’s wine-oriented hotel at Columbia Point. The average bill, or ticket, has been robust too. “They aren’t going inexpensive.” The existing building will be recast as a restaurant-only facility with a basement kitchen in a future phase of the expansion.
Real Estate & Construction
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Congratulations Kennewick School District! Residential, commercial and industrial painting since 1975
9312 West 10th Avenue • Kennewick
paintmasterservices.com
(509) 783-6700 ADENMI*033BA
6200 W. Brinkley Road • Kennewick
WA LIC #FIRECSS12OR1
Design/Build Since 1974
Congratulations Kennewick School District! We are proud to provide fire protection for this project.
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Congratulations!
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210 N. Perry St., Ste. B • Kennewick, WA (509) 374-5701
Commercial Construction Subcontractor & Supplier • Kalwall Translucent Panels • Composite Metal Wall Panels • Louvers & Sunshades • Window Replacement
www.kilgoretecproducts.com (509) 893-0750
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Columbia River Elementary 9011 Burns Road, Pasco
The Pasco School District completed construction of its 17th elementary school in July. Columbia River Elementary at 9011 Burns Road has 34 classrooms and will serve students from kindergarten to fifth grade. The school has a library, gym, multipurpose room with stage, a commercial kitchen and space for administrators. The playground features accessible structures, a playfield and separate dropoff/pickup loops for school buses and parents. The $24 million building is constructed with a steel frame, masonry veneer and metal siding and a metal roof. Paul Hamada of Chervenell Construction of Kennewick served as project manager. Alliance Management & Construction Solutions of Kennewick served as the owner’s representative. Eliot Black of Design West Architects in Kennewick designed the school.
Congratulations! KNUTZEN IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE PASCO SD & DESIGN WEST TEAM AND SEE THIS PROJECT TO SUCCESS! —PAUL & NATHAN
Civil • Structural
(509) 783-6700 ADENMI*033BA
6200 W. Brinkley Road • Kennewick
(509) 366-9218
5401 Ridgeline Dr., Ste. 160 • Kennewick, WA 99338
We are proud to be a part of this project!
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Post construction and final cleaning.
509.222.0959
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Paid Advertising
WA LIC #FIRECSS12OR1
Design/Build Since 1974
Congratulations Pasco School District! We are proud to provide fire protection for this project.
Call for all of your fire protection needs.
210 N. Perry St., Ste. B • Kennewick, WA (509) 374-5701
GENERAL CONTRAC TOR Creative Concrete Design, Inc. & Floor Polishing Systems Quality you can count on.
Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 40 years
(509) 727-2168
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Since 1975 COMMERCIAL ALUMINUM STOREFRONTS & GLAZING RESIDENTIAL WINDOWS ENTRY DOORS & SHOWER DOORS
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304 E. COLUMBIA DRIVE, KENNEWICK OWNERS - LARRY, GLORIA & TONY WISE
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Ray Reynolds Middle School 9507 Burns Road, Pasco
Ray Reynolds Middle School, named for the late Pasco High School principal and school district administrator, is Pasco’s fourth middle school. The school at 9507 Burns Road will serve students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades when it opens. Construction was expected to wrap up by Aug. 11. The $35 million, 114,299-square-foot building occupies a 33-acre site on the northern edge of Pasco city limits. The building is designed with a two-story classroom wing, with 47 classrooms and accommodations for after-hours use by the public. The steel-framed structure is clad in masonry veneer with metallic wall paneling. Clerestory windows let natural light into the building. Dan Krippaehne of MMEC Architecture & Interiors in Kennewick designed the school. Fowler General Construction of Richland was the contractor, with Jeff Durfee serving as project manager. Doug Carl of Alliance Management & Construction Solutions of Kennewick served as the Pasco School District’s representative.
GENERAL CONTRAC TOR
WA LIC #FIRECSS12OR1
Design/Build Since 1974
Congratulations Pasco School District! We are proud to provide fire protection for this project.
Call for all of your fire protection needs.
210 N. Perry St., Ste. B • Kennewick, WA (509) 374-5701
KNUTZEN IS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE PASCO SD & MMEC TEAM AND SEE THIS PROJECT TO SUCCESS! —PAUL & NATHAN
Civil • Structural
509.222.0959 5401 Ridgeline Dr., Ste. 160 • Kennewick, WA 99338
knutzenengineering.com
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Paid Advertising
Congratulations Pasco School District! Residential, commercial and industrial painting since 1975
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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Richland School District Teaching, Learning & Administration Center 6970 Keene Road, West Richland
The Richland School District is completing construction of its new business office at 6970 Keene Road, West Richland, next to Leona Libby Middle School. The $11.65 million project, called the Teaching, Learning & Administration Center, includes 41,000 square feet, offices for six district departments, three classrooms and board meeting space. The project is expected to wrap up in September. Bouten Construction of Richland is the contractor. Design West Architects of Kennewick designed the new offices. The project is supported by a $99 million bond approved by voters in February 2017. The package, coupled with state funds, also funded the replacements of Badger Mountain and Tapteal elementary, the new West Richland elementary on Belmont Boulevard, a new south Richland elementary, renovations to Richland High school and field updates to Hanford High School.
GENERAL CONTRAC TOR
Congratulations! Commercial & Residential
Congratulations Paid Advertising Richland School District! Thank you Bouten Construction for choosing us to be a part of this project! Contractor ID # COLUMRP919J2
2501 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland (509) 735-0300 • brutzmans.com
(509) 783-6700 ADENMI*033BA
6200 W. Brinkley Road • Kennewick
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
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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 Terrian Brown, 6716 Fenway, Pasco. Brandi and Brock Brown, 526 Douglas Ave., Richland. Alan F. Byrnes, 10251 Ridgeline Drive, Apt. J366, Kennewick. Michael Dallas and Nicole Elisabeth Ellis, 50 Jadwin Ave., Apt L65. Juan Luis Quiroz, 1928 W. Yakima Ave., Pasco. Marlo Dewayne West, 197607 E. Third Ave., Kennewick. Bryan Anthony Buettner, 40708 S. Nine Canyon Road, Kennewick. Kimberly Kay Cziglenyi, 411 S. Buchanan, Kennewick. James Anthony Thompson, 9 N. Waverly Place, Apt. 203, Kennewick. Dion Rowell, 4207 Minorca Lane, Pasco. Tristan Ray and Halie Ellan Mettling, 2211 Boise St., Richland. Gerry Atienza Sustal, 100 W. 52nd Ave., Kennewick.
Scott Allen Squyres, 2913 W. 43rd Court, Kennewick. Anthony Henderson, 71 S. 39th Ave., Unit A105, West Richland. Kathryn Giese, 2101 Steptoe, Apt. E-201, Richland. Rosa Yesenia Cantu, 1541 W. Jay St., Pasco. Rod Stewart and Patricia Ann Hampton, 618 Berkshire St., Richland. Monica Letticia Mendoza, 707 S. Sycamore, Pasco. Lewis and Ashley Bates, 43 Compton Lane, Richland Ann Telles Church, 6843 W. Third Ave., Kennewick. Adrian Mendoza, P.O. Box 2092, Pasco. Dawni B. and Donald E. McConnell, 4800 S. Auburn St., Kennewick. Marla Denise Van Hollebeke, 304 W. 12th Ave., Kennewick. Edilajda Cordic, 24250 N. 23rd Ave., Phoenix, Arizona. Wendy Ellen Davis Smith, 499 Columbia Point Drive. Jason Edwin Hill, 31404 E. Kennedy Road, #10, Benton City. Cheryl Lynn Clifton, 3815 W. Metaline Ave., Kennewick. Natalia Jimenez, 514 Jadwin Ave., Richland. Chapter 11 McCary Meats LLC, 6880 Road 170, Basin City. Chapter 13 Jose Luis Cabrera German, 104102 W. Hanks Road, Prosser. Sharon and Bert Scribner, 37101 N. Sunset Road, Benton City.
Esther and Romulo Munoz, 710 E. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Beatrice A. Linder, 500 Jordan Lane, Richland. Luis Guzman Perez, 531 S. 38th Ave., Apt. H224, West Richland. Nicholas Chad Colborn, 100502 E. Michelle Drive, Kennewick. Deanna Marie Finch, P.O. Box 520, Connell. Ozzie Arthur and Angela Erica Nicole Oliver, 1613 S. Nelson St., Kennewick.
uTOP PROPERTIES FRANKLIN COUNTY 3804 Tusayan Drive, Pasco, 2,254-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $510,000. Buyer: Jesus J. and Mirella P. Alcaraz. Seller: Daniel and Janet O’Leary. 1211 E. St. Helens St., Pasco, 50,290-square-foot distribution warehouse. Price: $2.1 million. Buyer: IEDS Properties LLC. Seller: Burt and Patricia Ewers Trust. 12416 Rock Creek Drive, Pasco, 2,743-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $673,500. Buyer: Jordan Lee and Taylor Leigh Roberts. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 6626 Gallatin Road, Pasco, 2,595-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $567,500. Buyer: Christopher Lee and Brandy Michelle Schrank. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 5802 Road 68, Pasco, 5,994-square-foot commercial building. Price: $2.6 million. Buyer: Henry and Sandra Friedman. Seller: Hogback Sandifur LLC. 502 N. Road 47, Pasco, single-family home plus 90 acres of agriculture land. Price: $750,000. Buyer: Ruth & Belle LLC. Seller:
J&M Field of Dreams LLC. 7209 Richardson Road, Pasco, 2,230-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $508,500. Buyer: Kyle D. and Ashley N. Wright. Seller: Sandhollow Homes LLC. 1603 Steele Court, Pasco, 2,223-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $510,000. Buyer: Katie Eileen and Clayton Thomas Ewen. Seller: Cody Hall. 1550, 3140, 2080, 3542 Blackman Ridge Road, Eltopia, 2,344-acre farmland, seven parcels. Price: $24.98 million. Buyer: Eltopia Farm LLC. Seller: Marvin J. and Marge B. Klinker. 1531 Dayton Drive, Pasco, 225-acre farmland, three parcels. Price: $4.1 million. Buyer: SBK Properties LLC. Seller: Chris A. Foster (ETUX). 12507 Rock Creek Drive, Pasco, 2,653-square-foot home. Price: $607,400. Buyer: Mark Clarke. Seller: Hammerstrom Construction Inc. 3220, 3240 Glade North Road, Pasco, 25-acre agricultural parcels (2). Price: $2.48 million. Buyer: Harms Holding Company LLC. Seller: Mid-Columbia Land Enterprises LLC. BENTON COUNTY 2138 Legacy Lane, Richland, single-family home. Price: $849,900. Buyer: Christopher Joseph O’Neill. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 6420 W. John Day Ave., Kennewick, fiveacre warehouse. Price: $4.66 million. Buyer: Kennewick Warehouse Investor LLC. Seller: ALCO. 1620 Molly Marie Ave., Richland, sin-
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B18
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gle-family home. Price: $587,000. Buyer: David Lyle and Lani Marie Lehrschall. Seller: Habbu Amit Ashok and Hatti Kapita. 460 Piper St., Richland, single-family home. Price: $519,000. Buyer: Karen Madsen. Seller: Viking Builders LLC. 1100 Stallion Place, Richland, single-family home. Price: $929,000. Buyer: Johnny Schreiner and Mung Sun. Seller: Ahuja Dheerah and Gaba Payal. 3222 Wild Canyon Way, Richland, 2,568-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $538,900. Buyer: Linda and Terry Liikala. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Horn Rapids LP. 6711 W. 20th Ave., Kennewick, 2,674-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $500,000. Buyer: Carol Ann Mowery. Seller: Mark R. and Julie V. Weimar. 98515 E. Canyon View Drive, Kennewick, 2,214-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $699,900. Buyer: Maurie and Brenda Smiley. Seller: Maurice L. and Eileen D. Twitchell. 1710 Del Cambre Loop, Richland, 2,303-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $510,000. Buyer: Maurice and Eileen Twitchell. Seller: John E. and Tamara J. Hevlow. 2376 W. 49th Ave., Kennewick, 2,014-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $580,000. Buyer: Ryan C. and Kaycee A. Ferguson. Seller: Kenneth E. and Teresa M. Raymond. 35204 S. Hawks Tree PR SE, Kennewick, 2,541-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $690,000. Buyer: Teresa M. and Kenneth E. Raymond. Seller: Symonchuk Volodymyr and Oksana. 2505 Brodie Lane, Richland, single-family home. Price: $512,800. Buyer: Chad D. and Brittny A. Campfield. Seller: New Tradition Homes Inc. 2661 Katie Road, Kennewick, 2,509-squarefoot, single-family home, Price: $530,000. Buyer: David Leo England. Seller: Rick L and Margaret R. Easter. 1146 Percheron Place, Richland, 2,833-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $947,500. Buyer: Karen K. and Ronald L.
Phillips. Seller: Denise M. Carideo-Harrington, Christopher C. Harrington. 2261 Legacy Lane, Richland, single-family home. Price: $588,600. Buyer: Luke and Heidi Norenberg. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 6004 Glenbrook Loop, West Richland, 2,865-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $615,000. Buyer: John R. and Bonita M. Eschenberg. Seller: Patricia M. and John W. Becker III. 334 Columbia Point Drive, Unit 203, Richland, 3,389-square-foot residential condominium. Price: $799,900. Buyer: Leland B. and Nancy M. Kerr. Seller: Susan E. Jack. 74205 E. Grand Bluff Loop, Kennewick, single-family home. Price: $655,000. Buyer: Michelle M. and Brian G. Sites. Seller: New Creation Homes Inc. 5600 Laurel Drive, West Richland, 3,624-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $599,900. Buyer: Aaron Edward and Kacie Rackleff. Seller: Daniel M. and Ruthann Best 26006 S. 816 PR SE, Kennewick, 5,619-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Darrell Allen Osborn and Kristen Kailani. Seller: Scott and Teresa Musser. 26102 S. 816 PR SE, Kennewick, 3,200-square-foot pole building and 192-square-foot pole building plus lot. Price: $1.2 million. Buyer: Darrell Allen Osborn and Kristen Kailani. Seller: Scott and Teresa Musser. 1630 Salerno Lane, Richland, 3,189-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $799,000. Buyer: Samantha Merkulov and Joseph Cochenour. Seller: Wanda M. Good. 1506 N. Bermuda Road, Kennewick, single-family home. Price: $635,000. Buyer: Joseph Dylan Carnevali. Seller: Dennis Sawby Construction LLC. 5274 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick, single-family home. Price: $702,400. Buyer: Samantha J. and Trux L. French. Seller: Prodigy Homes Inc. 1201 Plateau Drive, Richland, 2,696-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $564,900.
Buyer: Darrell Gordon and Joleen Diane Steward. Seller: Guy A. Girard, Tammy R. Reynolds. 360 Blalock Court, Richland, 2,087-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $725,000. Buyer: Tami J. and Edward F. Shea Jr. Seller: William L. and Victoria McCurley. 2282 Legacy Lane, Richland, single-family home. Price: $507,812. Buyer: James and Emily Wiberg. Seller: Pahlisch Homes at Westcliffe Heights LLC. 3118 S. Young Place, Kennewick, 3,875-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $500,100. Buyer: Marc J. and Hillary R. Sims. Seller: Landmark Homes of Washington Inc. 90678 E. Summit View Drive, Kennewick, 2,042-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $619,900. Buyer: Timothy and Renee Nearing. Seller: Nicholas A. Sawby. 2316 Cottontail Lane, Richland, 1,764-square-foot, single-family home. Price:$630,000. Buyer: Cory and Kaylie Nichole Williams. Seller: Kent A. Nelson and Monaca L. Cresto. 1242 Medley Drive, Richland, single-family home. Price: $605,400. Buyer: Kayci and Nicholas Loftus. Seller: NA. 2619 Falcon Lane, Richland, 2,852-squarefoot, single-family home. Price: $675,000. Buyer: Pamela Jane Reddick. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 77301 E. Timothy Lane, Kennewick, 2,407-square-foot home. Price: $557,000. Buyer: Cory Henning and Jamie Gourley. Seller: Lance and Jillian M. Malmberg. 243 Englewood Drive, Richland, 3,032-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $635,000. Buyer: Shane K. and Megan E. Johnson. Seller: Ryan S. and Amanda R. Renslow. 76402 Timothy Lane, Kennewick, 2,574-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $530,000. Buyer: Angela L. and Ryan A. Roberts. Seller: Jay and Donna Houck. 7067 W. 23rd Ave., Kennewick, description unavailable. Price: $556,800. Buyer: Henry Isaac and Jessica Percifield. Seller: Gretl J. Crawford Homes & Interiors Inc. 82403 E. Summit View Drive, Kennewick, 2,585-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $650,000. Buyer: Michael Jason and Rebecca Lynn Jones. Seller: John P. Schwenker Jr. and Laura M. Newmark. 176219 W. Rivers Edge Drive, Prosser, 2,351-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $730,000. Buyer: John and Shellie Banks. Seller: Ronald A. and Judy R. Hanson. 72404 E. Reata Road, Kennewick, 3,057-square-foot, single-family home, Price: $595,000. Buyer: Dustin J. and Bristi R.
Stordahl. Seller: Jason and Amber Kirby. 1213 Mustang Court, Prosser, 2,798-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $520,000. Buyer: Jose M. Mendoza and Kasey L. Rasmussen. Seller: Brandon J. and Linda H Johnson. 15822 Clear View Loop, Kennewick, 2,219-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $655,000. Buyer: Dennis J. and Tiffany M. Janikowski. Seller: Matthew J. and Kaylon Ann Marquardt. 1277 White Bluffs St., Richland, 2,914-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $800,000. Buyer: Beau and Diana Ruff. Seller: Robert and Tammy I. Hastings. 701 S. 45th Ave., West Richland, 3,129-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $620,000. Buyer: James A. and Penny Eggers. Seller: Sidney K. Porter. 2490 Falconcrest Loop, Richland, description unavailable. Price: $768,000. Buyer: Bradley and Kayla Pratt. Seller: Bauder Homes LLC. 101607 E. Ridgeview Court, Kennewick, 2,269-square-foot, single-family home. Price: $697,500. Buyer: Ryan Risenmay, Allyson Risenmay, Neil Cornia, Sharon Cornia. Seller: David B. and Angela S. Ives Trustees.
uBUILDING PERMITS BENTON COUNTY Brent Hartley Land, 15906 E. Produce PR SE, $3,215,500 for new commercial. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Washington Department of Natural Resources, unlisted site, $30,000 for sign. Contractor: owner. FRANKLIN COUNTY Mid Basin Holdings, 3082 Glade North Road, $1,729,900 for ag building. Contractor: Suberizer Inc. Hollingsworth Hay, 5280 Hollingsworth Road, $520,000 for ag building. Contractor: Rock Steel Structures Oakdell Egg Farms, 1831 E. Sagemoor Road, $1,645,900 for ag building. Contractor: Circle K Enterprises. BENTON CITY Darlene Dahlin, 709 Della Ave., $681,800 for multi-family building. Contractor: Moon Plastering.
uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B19
TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 KENNEWICK Kennewick Christian School, 4004 W. Fourth Ave., $7,200 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Tri-Cities Roofing LLC. Carmen Villarma, 30 S. Louisiana St., $2,370,500 for new commercial, $125,000 for plumbing, $135,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: DWP General Contracting, Silverline Electric/Plumbing/HVAC, Heatguy LLC. Southridge Village, 6750 W. 36th Place, $350,000 for new commercial, $14,000 for plumbing, $24,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Southridge Village LLC, Mix Plumbing, Total Energy Management. Edward Rose Millennial Development, 10251 Ridgeline Drive, $131,400 for new car ports at Badger Canyon Apartments. Contractor: Carports of WA. Pastor Zaragoza, 4215 Clearwater Ave., $20,000 for sign. Contractor: Cascade Sign & Fabrication. Hogback Development, 1659 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $365,000 for commercial remodel, $23,000 for heat pump and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, $42,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Associated Construction, Bruce Mechanical Inc., Apex Plumbing and Mechanical Piping. Kennewick Irrigation District, 6909 Crosswind Blvd., $972,500 for commercial remodel, $200,000 for heat pump and heating, ventilation and air conditioning, $60,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Rockwater Development LLC, T&M Heating & Refrigeration, Gary’s Plumbing of Yakima. Benton County, 5600 W. Canal Drive, $115,000 for commercial remodel of Kennewick annex, $18,000 for plumbing. Contractors: Cliff Thorn Construction, Columbia Basin Plumbing. Masue LLC, 1325 W. Fourth Ave., $ 282,600 for commercial reroof for Grocery Outlet. Contractor: Centimark Roofing. McDonald’s Corporation, 2700 S. Quillan St., $285,000 for commercial remodel, $50,000 for plumbing, $50,000 for heat pump/ heating ventilation and air conditioning, $31,000 for sign. Contractor: EM Precision. Costco Wholesale, 8505 W. Gage Blvd., $300,000 for commercial remodel, $75,000 for plumbing, $30,000 for heat pump/heating ventilation and air conditioning. Contractors: Jackson Dean Construction, Riggle Plumbing Inc., Apollo Inc. Benton County, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, $265,000 for commercial remodel, $75,000 for plumbing, $44,000 for heat pump/heating ventilation and air conditioning. Contractors: Banlin Construction, Riggle Plumbing Inc., Apollo Sheet Metal. PASCO Pasco School District’s Chiawana High School, 8125 W. Argent Road, $250,000 for freezer building. Contractor: to be determined. Kenyon Zero Storage, 5812 Burlington Loop, $800,000 for fire alarm system. Contractor: JF Ahern Co. Yesmar Properties, 8425 Chapel Hill Blvd.,
$56,700 for new commercial. Contractor: MC AL Construction. Reser’s Fine Foods, 5310 Industrial Way, $482,400 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Royal Roofing Inc. Frank Tiegs LLC, 1445 E. Foster Wells Road, $754,000 for accessory building. Contractor: Teton West of WA LLC. Vitruvius Development, 5804 Road 90, $60,900 for tenant improvement. Contractor: Elite Construction and Development. Boom Boom Property, 9425 Sandifur Parkway, $1,750,000 for new commercial. Contractor: JA Torres Construction & Development. City of Pasco, 815 W. Washington St., $696,000 for new commercial. Contractor: To be determined. City of Pasco, Parcel 112 360 024, $64,000 for new commercial. Contractor: To be determined. Columbia Basin College, 2600 N. 20th Ave., $298,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: To be determined. Frank Tiegs LLC (Oregon Potato Company), 1505 E. Foster Wells Road, $459,500 for major alteration/repair. Contractor: Northwest Handling Systems. Pasco School District’s Columbia River Elementary School, 9011 Burns Road, $140,600 for public safety wireless communications system. Contractor: Day Wireless Systems. PROSSER Benton County Courthouse, 620 Market St., $1,100,000 for interior and exterior alterations. Contractor: Benton County. William R. Jenkin, 710 Sixth St., $21,800 for alterations for brewery/taproom. Contractor: Rob McKinney. Prosser School District’s Keene-Riverview Elementary School, 832 Park Ave., $11,740,000 for addition and modernization. Contractor: To be determined. Prosser School District’s Prosser Heights Elementary School, 2008 Miller Ave., $11,400,000 for remodel and modernization. Contractor: To be determined. Zirkle Fruit Co., 101 Benitz Road, $120,000 for converting existing production area into laboratory. Contractor: Mountain States Construction Co. Scott Manley, 424 Wine Country Road, $50,000 for sign. Contractor: Mustang Sign Group. RICHLAND Bookwalter Winery, 1695 Malibu PR, $3,600,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Chervenell Construction. Weyerhauser Apartments, 250 Battelle Blvd., $5,966,000 for multi-family residential. Contractor: Cedar & Sage Homes LLC. CMCS Properties LLC, 2607 Kingsgate Way, $200,000 for tenant improvement. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC. Bryan McLemore, 2689 Allison Way, $106,260 for pole building. Contractor: Quality Structures One Inc.
B1 1100 Jadwin LCC, 1100 Jadwin Ave., $500,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Chervenell Construction Co. Horn Rapids Storage, 2665 Kingsate Way, $16,700,000 for four multi-family buildings, $850,000 for new commercial, $15,500 for accessory building, $810,000 for three garaes. Contractor: LCR Construction LLC.
uBUSINESS LICENSES PASCO Axe Kpr, 8425 Chapel Hill Blvd. Concrete Construction Specialist LLC, 8518 La Salle Drive. Angels Café, 2532 N. Fourth Ave. Renegade Classics of Tri-Cities LLC, 1828 W. Lewis St. Great Basin Ag, 1131 E. Spokane St. Chaplaincy Repeat Boutique, 5710 Road 68 104. Alpha Structural Engineering PLLC, 7207 Courtney Court. Cristal Daycare, 4703 Valencia Drive. Fortify Family Chiropractic LLC, 4525 Road 68 H. Niphaporn Schlachter, 3919 Peppertree Court. Mailo’s Overstock and Liquidation LLC, 4612 Saguaro Drive. Multiservicios Y Mas La Mexicana 2, 810 S. 10th Ave. The Anza House LLC, 8503 W. Clearwater Ave Suite. Daycare Little Angels, 5710 Okanogan Lane. Royal T. Industries, 110 S. Fourth Ave. Roofing Plus, 4008 Joshua Drive. Giant Nickel Classifieds, 9020 Sunset Trail. Pieta Elegante: Photography by Keely, 6207 Basalt Falls Drive. Backcountry Gear and Consulting, 9712 Norfolk Drive. Jeyla’s Daycare, 604 N. Hugo Ave. O&V Farms LLC, 6308 Market Drive. Eternal Vision, 1215 N. Beech Ave. Jessie Arambul Photography, 6209 Bayview Lane. City Business Brokerage LLC, 6208 Buena Court. Apa Solar Sunscreens LLC, 1121 W Ainsworth Ave. Amigo Phone Repair, 6403 Burden Blvd B. Fondita Ilucion LLC, 2125 E Hillsboro St. Pascoboa LLC, 350 W. Lewis St. Globo Gym LLP, 5804 Road 90 Ste F. Victor Prieto, 1212 N. 20th Ave. Studio 70, 6916 W. Argent Road A. Triton Garage Doors LLC, 6508 Enzian Falls Drive. High Desert Custom Coating, 927 S. Lindsay Ave. Miranda Treats Sno Shack, 5025 Road 68. Anasazi Builders LLC, 5019 Flores Lane. Berklee Cold Brew LLC, 5411 W. Livingston Road. Reliable Services LLC of Washington, 21006 King Hezekiah Way. Leos Construction, 4009 Messara Drive.
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Rotschy Inc., 2145 N. Commercial Ave. Tri-Cities Assisted Living, 2000 N. 22nd Ave. Lowlife Garage LLC, 5013 Pinehurst Drive. Pedro Alcaraz, 613 W. Clark St. Magnum Power LLC, 2300 N. Commercial Ave. Marketing by Maci, 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., K104. Talk 4 Less Wireless Communications, 824 W. Lewis St. Shakell Walker – Uber, 5210 Reagan Way. Shakell Walker – Lyft, 5210 Reagan Way. KENNEWICK Dirty Deeds Transportation LLC, 81360 W. Fourth Road, Irrigon, Oregon. West Coast Metal Buildings Inc., 5232 Salem Dallas Highway NW, Salem, Oregon. Quality Canopy Construction Inc., 1051 Innovation Way, Post Falls, Idaho. Jitterbug, 7601 Penn Ave. S., Richfield, Minnesota. JBL Communications, 120 Southpark Drive, Mooresville, North Carolina. T & T Contractors Inc., 2056 NW Aloclek Drive, Suite 304, Hillsboro, Oregon. DWP General Contracting Inc., 7710 NE. Vancouver Mall Drive, Vancouver. JK Monarch LLC, 424 29th St. NE, Suite C, Puyallup. Apex Plumbing & Mechanical Piping, LLC, 501 S. Second Ave., Yakima. France & Co., 920 N Wenatchee Ave., Wenatchee. Associated Construction Inc. 2904 N. Madelia St., Spokane. Liebler & St. Hilaire, P.S., 8131 W. Grandridge Blvd. Advanced Automotive, LLC, 804 N. Road 28, Pasco. Impressions, 5009 W. Clearwater Ave. Safe Defense, 5416 W. First Place. Felidonio Gonzalez, 941 S. Johnson St. Van Belle Excavating, LLC, 609 Lower County Line Road, Prosser. Carports of Washington Inc., 209 Pioneer Way E., South Prairie. D.A.D. Animates, 2307 S. Dawes Court. Ross James Photography, 514 S. Georgia St. Benton-Franklin Humane Society and SPCA, 1736 E. Seventh Ave. Layne Change, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Stephanie’s Piano Studio, 3121 W. Hood Ave. T&M Heating & Refrigeration, 2711 S. Fifth Ave., Union Gap. Heatguy, LLC, 5215 NE. 282nd Ave., Camas. Mane FX, 6855 W. Clearwater Ave. Cheryl’s Hair Design, 2109 W 50th Ave. Intrinsic Designs LLC, 10251 Ridgeline Drive. Sjteas Insurance and Financial Services LLC, 8479 W. Clearwater Ave. Riaz, PLLC, 8378 W. Grandridge Blvd. Maxon Paving & Sealcoat LLC, 1819 Central Ave. S., Kent.
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Dnc Electric Inc., 4304 W Whitman Place, Yakima. Clear Focus Law, 8927 Tucannon Ave., Kennewick. Family First Senior Care, 705 W. Seventh Ave., Spokane Crystaleyed Gemini, 440 N. Volland St. Virtual Reality Construction LLC, 12104 Rock Creek Drive, Pasco. Northwest Fiber LLC, 135 Lake St. S., Kirkland. Underline HDD, 112 NE 71st St., Vancouver. Roofing 101 LLC, 3120 139th Ave. SE, Bellevue. Capstone Structures LLC, 4745 State Route 281 N., Quincy. CH Real Estate Inc., 2181 W. 51st Ave. New Gen Auto Sales, 2635 W. Deschutes Ave. Northwest Metal Works, LLC, 4607 W Seventh Ave. Tjays Mobile Mechanics, 1161 Foxtrot Lane, Richland. Clean Cut Builders LLC, 50 Apollo Blvd., Richland. Ready Go Repair and Beyond LLC, 2110 S. Rainier. H&L Investments, 1105 Stallion Place, Richland. Skin Deep Hali Mua, 9202 W. Gage Blvd. The Studio Salon and Spa LLC, 101 N Union St. Lowell O Quam, 700 N. Georgia St. Jagroop Deol, 10204 W. 17th Place. Riverbank Enterprises, LLC, 2917 W. 19th Ave. Cornerstone Real Estate Services Group Inc 116 Vista Way. Morena Bonita, 5511 S. Washington St. Mark Steven Souza, 5404 W. Eighth Ave. United Framing LLC, 2226 S. Zillah Place. Hunter Specialists LLC, 17112 S. Clodfelter Road. Trailer Park’d Nails, 1504 W. 45th Place. Smokey’s Second Chance Glass, LLC, 5807 W. 15th Ave. Heber Hatchets Axe Throwing, 117 W. Kennewick Ave. Guarin Transport LLC, 601 S. Kent St. Anthos LLC, 3602 S. Benton St. CH Landscaping LLC, 402 E. 10th Ave. Abundant Healthy Living LLC, 1700 W. 24th Place. Loera Medical Group PLLC, W 43rd Ave. Sephora USA Inc., 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Hair by Erikat, 1006 W. 14th Ave.
Jasmine Margaret Esparza, 302 W. Kennewick Ave. Edison Automotive Repair LLC, 555 N. Edison St. J & N Plastering LLC, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Professional Landscaping LLC, 2906 W. Seventh Ave. Carter Family Construction, LLC, 1130 W. Clark Place, Connell. AAA Washington, 8518 W. Gage Blvd. Day-To-Day Home Care LLC, 3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Para Brothers LLC, 1082 Chinook Drive, Richland. Dominternationalfreightllc, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Zag Investments LLC, 2604 W. Bruneau Place. Nacho’s Lawn Care, 23 N. Irby St., Kennewick Skillflux LLC, 5727 W. 12th Ave., Kennewick Olive and Terra Floral, 10219 W. 17th Place. Beus Brothers Farm Market, 421 E Columbia Drive. House of Flowers & Events, 121 Vista Way. Crane Alarm Service, 2005 W. 24th Ave. Pineapple Express Delivery, 506 S. Flordia Place. Aettraction, 4309 W. 27th Place. Taylored Co. Work and Society, 4528 W. 26th Ave. Claudia Menchaca Photography, 246 W 23rd Place. Triple J Landscaping, 410 S. Douglas Ave, Pasco. Our Family Garden, 47305 S. 2066 PRSE. L & L Boutique LLC, 715 S. Volland St. Trash Takers, 190614 E. Game Farm Road. Gateway 7825 LLC, 311 N. Louisiana Place. Triton Garage Doors LLC, 6508 Enzian Falls Drive, Pasco. Chris Palm Agency, 1408 N Louisiana St. The Anza House LLC, 8503 W. Clearwater Ave. Impressions Salon LLC, 5009 W. Clearwater Ave. Blue Bridge General Construction, 2917 W. 19th Ave. The Martinez Agency LLC, 1408 N. Louisiana St. 3 Sisters Cleaning LLC, 115 Adair Road, Burbank Lawngenics, 1031 Wright Ave., Richland. Twisters Espresso LLC, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Canyon Lakes Montessori School, 3502 W. Canyon Lakes Drive.
LLL Unlimited, 3718 W. 15th Ave., Kennewick. Simply Sweets Co., 2106 W. 21st Ave., Kennewick. Bih Resale, 3523 W. Hood Ave., Kennewick. RH Trucking, 2200 N. Rhode Island Court. Books 2 Balances, 2223 W. 13th Ave., Kennewick. Kingdom Computerz, 2105 W. 20th Ave. Backroads Customs, 1010 S. Underwood St. Queen Designz, 2105 W. 20th Ave. Tekton Dental Designs, 8818 W First Ave. El Tequilas La Casa De Las Micheladas, 109 W. Kennewick Ave. The Health Connection LLC, 723 E Fifth Ave. 3river Speed, 5806 W. 25th Ave. Belle Hannah, 212 W. Kennewick Ave. Dirty Pop, 26702 Country Meadows Lane. Lmariacalligraphy Co., 803 W. 25th Ave. Robin’s Domestic Details, 5074 W. 28th Ave. Essential Balance Massage, 8927 W. Tucannon Ave. RICHLAND Living Color Landscape, 20951 Boones Ferry Road NE, Aurora, Oregon. Pacific Steel Group, 4805 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego, California. J.R. Johnson, LLC, 9425 N Burrage Ave., Portland, Oregon. Rebuild-It Services Group, 6810 S. Cottonwood St., Midvale, Utah. Bergelectric Corp., 3182 Lionshead Ave., Carlsbad, California. Jitterbug, 7601 Penn Ave. S., Richfield, Minnesota. The Gunter Group LLC, 4380 S. Macadam Ave., Portland, Oregon. Airespring Inc., 7800 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, California. Westerner Products of Yuma Inc., 8691 S. Frontage Road, Yuma, Arizona. Junto Technology, 45273 W. Balboa Drive, Maricopa, Arizona. The Autism Help Group, 1950 Keene Road. Jk Monarch LLC, 424 29th St. NE, Suite C., Puyallup. Rehema for Kids, 1333 Columbia Park Trail, Richland. HGS, 1800 E. Seventh Ave., Kennewick. Ann’s Best Creole and Soul Food LLC, 1901 Terminal Drive. Veronica Rios, M.Ed., LMHC, LLC, 925 Stevens Drive, Suite 3-B.
Shannon Spencer, 2342 Camas Ave. O’bunco Engineering International Inc., 1042 W. James St., Suite 201, Kent. Ross James Photography, 514 S. Georgia St., Kennewick. Peake Contractors, LLC, 15821 S. Clear View Loop, Kennewick. Trojan Wall Products Inc., 3530 C St. NE, Auburn. Therapy Options LLC, 386 Tuttle Lane, Burbank. Baxter Construction LLC, 2521 River Road, Yakima. Mw Construction LLC, 3902 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Jess Serven Learning, 2926 Iris St., West Richland. Maria Mireles, 2560 Queensgate Drive. Havana Café, 404 W. Lewis St., Pasco. Aarons Construction Company LLC, 4815 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Northwest Fiber, LLC, 135 Lake St. S, Kirkland. Imer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, 19031 33rd Ave. W., Lynnwood. Roofing 101 LLC, 3120 139th Ave. SE, Bellevue. Grand-E Construction, 1300 Totten Ave. Ba Motors LLC, 502 Wellsian Way. JB’s BBQ, 1622 Heidi Place. Interpath Laboratory Inc., 829 Goethals Drive. Little Woodworks, 312 Pinetree Court. Porters Real BBQ, 1092 George Washington Way. Commission Access Resources, LLC, 1151 Fairview Ave. N, Seattle. H&L Investments, 1105 Stallion Place. Pennies-N-Dimes LLC, 1506 Wilson St. Pop’n Yardy Party, 1760 Bismark St. Larsen Automotive Detailing, 206 Windwood Lane. Sunset Water Systems, 1611 Sunset St. Affordable Landscaping, 1125 Thayer Drive. Good As New LLC, 1710 W. King St., Grandview. Amber Assists, 614 Wright Ave. Tri-Cities Food Dudes, 2381 Robertson Drive. PNW Vets For Vets, 1518 Van Giesen St. Kelly Monteblanco, 4784 Barbera St. Hunter Specialists LLC, 17112 S. Clodfelter Road, Kennewick. Connect, 2454 Horizon View Lane. Bumble Bree’s Boutique, 4155 French St.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 Brian Quigley Inc., 15821 S. Clear View Loop, Kennewick. Delivery Route 2425, 250 Gage Blvd. Day-To-Day Home Care LLC, 3311 W Clearwater Ave. Para Brothers LLC, 1082 Chinook Drive. Nacho’s Lawn Care, 23 N, Irby St., Kennewick. Skillflux LLC., 5727 W. 12th Ave., Kennewick. Tier 1 Therapy LLC, 245 Van Giesen St., Building C. Decarations 3028 Bruce Lee Lane, Kennewick. Modern Pacific Homes LLC, 855 Rand Drive. Dial A Bus, 533 Jordan Lane. Washington State Creations, 2240 Davison Ave. Our Family Garden, 47305 S. 2066 PR SE, Kennewick. Greenwerx, 209 Atkins Ave. Triton Garage Doors LLC, 6508 Enzian Falls Drive, Pasco. Prama Psychology, PLLC, 1201 Jadwin Ave. Rtm Ventures, 1667 Jericho Road. Northwest Framing LLC, 2500 George Washington Way. 3 Sisters Cleaning LLC., 115 Adair Road, Burbank. Koman Holdings, LLC, 350 Hills St. Bart K. Tomerlin, Attorney at Law, 719 Jadwin Ave. Ensley Music Studios, 905 Winslow Ave. Eli’s Precision Painting LLC, 936 Mcpherson Ave. Lawngenics, 1031 Wright Ave. Lashes by Lisa, 118 Keene Road. Veritas Aequitas Firearms, 1117 Country Ridge Drive. Sigxx, 723 The Parkway, Richland. Lashes by Laura, 118 Keene Road. Sage Investment Group, LLC, 723 The Parkway. Sexy & Flirty, 603 Cottonwood Drive. Ridgecrest Management, LLC, 723 The Parkway.
Deseree R Mcewen, 123 Gage Blvd. Realife Photography, 37007 S. Oak St., Kennewick. Olsson Industrial Electric Inc., 1919 Laura St., Springfield, Oregon. Tahoe Fire Glass, 2030 E. St., Outh Lake Tahoe, California. Champion Concrete Pumping Inc., 26769 W Highway 53, Hauser, Idaho. Masby Painting Services, 4517 Moline Lane, Pasco. Visible Service LLC, 1 Verizon Way, Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Signcraft LLC, 1120 Tieton Drive, Yakima. N-Away Continuous Gutters and Construction, 106 Canyon St. Mark Allen Finkelstein, 2537 34th Ave. S., Seattle. Horse Heaven Construction Inc., 34704 S. Hanon Road. Kennewick. New Style Pools, 4320 Ivy Road, Pasco. Get It Cleaned, 4617 W. 10th Ave., Kennewick. Chavez Painting, 316 Armistead Ave. Holt Services Inc., 10621 Todd Road E, Edgewood. Vertical Options LLC, 732 N. Napa St., Spokane. E M Drywall LLC, 203212 E SR 397, Kennewick. Purcell Painting & Coatings, 6456 S 144th St., Tukwila Perfect Touch House Cleaning, 2602 W. First Ave., Kennewick. Pendent Tank Integrity Verification Specialists, 2010 Logston Blvd. Vex Pest Control, 6201 W Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Hairbyaudi, 2560 Queensgate Drive. Construction Services of Washington LLC, 512 Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick. Trek Construction, 5608 Mckinley Court, Pasco. Prieto Landscaping LLC, 3526 E. A St., Pasco. Andrew Production LLC, 2301 Concord St. S.O.N.B Construction, 2555 Bella Coola
Lane. Off the Deep End LLC, 1709 Crab Apple Circle, West Richland. Integrity Plastering & Stone, 206104 E Finley Road, Kennewick. Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2673 Queensgate Drive. Roofing Plus, 4008 Joshua Drive, Pasco. Garrett And Son Welding & Fabrication, 2640 Kingsgate Way. Paul Whitney, 1845 Leslie Road, A154. The Lucas Firm Inc., 1607 Torbett St. Quirk Pottery Studio, 2848 Sawgrass Loop. Consafos Podcast, 2047 Hudson Ave. NC Cleaning Services LLC, 43901 N. River Rd, Benton City. Vikas Puri, Bds, Msd, PLLC, 140 Gage Blvd. Kolektiv.Co, 50 Jadwin Ave. Doctors Pharmacy LLC, 65 Columbia Point Drive. Elevacy Logistics, 4764 Cowlitz Blvd. Galloping Ghost Delivery, 707 Willard Ave. Badger Brothers Construction LLC, 1878 Fowler St. Tri-Cities Pressure Washing LLC, 8303 Camano Drive, Pasco. Yellow Dog Art Studio, 214 Torbett St. Eastern Washington Landstriders, LLC., 626 Hunter St. Clean Cut Builders LLC, 50 Apollo Blvd. Prestige Valuation Services LLC, 7812 Babine Drive, Pasco. Casesandfaces, LLC, 614 Hunter St. Caroline Hayden, 2138 N. Vermont Loop, Kennewick. Teamcme, LLC, 614 Hunter St. Columbia Square Wealth Management, 451 Westcliffe Blvd. Atomic Anesthesia LLC, 2900 Tuscanna Drive. B&S Wilson, 3071 Riverbend Drive. Order of Eastern Star Alma Chapter #100, 423 Nicklaus Court. Welsch Knife Co., 614 Wright Ave. Sad Girl Self Care, 706 Birch Ave.
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Teto Eco Wash, LLC, W. Park Hills Drive. Chevalier Custom Works LLC, 1210 Gage Blvd. Sageland Strategic LLC, 1876 Nova Lane. MNC Fabrication and Service, LLC, 2856 Kingsgate Way. ADT Commercial LLC, 21312 30th Drive SE, Bothell. Trusted Quality In-Home Care, 9315 Chapel Hill Blvd, Pasco. Solgen Power, LLC, 1992 Saint St. Premier Mobile Detailing, 2105 N, Steptoe St., Kennewick. Raymond T. Swenson, 103 Hillview Drive. Niphaporn Schlachter, 3919 Peppertree Court, Pasco. Deltawrx LLC, 21700 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills, California. Hamilton Construction Co., 2213 S. F St., Springfield, Oregon. Truss T Built, LLC, 29955 S. Meridian Road, Hubbard Oregon. O.S. Contractors of Idaho Inc., 1201 W. Mount Deary Creek Road, Deary, Idaho. Windish Construction Co., 1234 NW Troost St., Roseburg, Oregon. CK Utilities, LLC D/B/A Track Utilities LLC Of Delaware, 441 W. Corporate Drive, Meridian, Idaho. Dorma USA Inc., 6319 112th St. E, Puyallup. Joe Rada Construction LLC, 440 Merry Lane, Burbank. Healing Encounters Massage, 719 Jadwin Ave. D.A. Bentley Construction, LLC, 10709 NE Coxley Drive, Vancouver. Chavez Concrete, LLC, 218104 E. 528 PRSE, Kennewick. Ek Construction, 4012 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick. Damien & Kane’s Lawn Care, 5812 Maryhill Lane, Pasco. JN One Construction LLC, 1841 Gap Road, Granger. Cicelo Law Group PLLC, 803 Strange Drive.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020
Boyer Mtn Door & Pool Inc., 4960 Mission Creek Road, Cashmere. Vancouver Painting Inc, 4645 NW Walden St., Camas Oaklynn Construction, 353 Temple Meadow Lane. Pure Clean, 2571 Aileron Lane. Find Your Center LLC, 723 The Parkway. A To Z Landscaping & Maintenance, 803 E. 13th Ave., Kennewick. Cornerstone Home Lending Inc., 723 The Parkway. Excellence In Mind Properties LLC, 2136 Skyview Loop. Skills Construction & Development, 4903 Antigua Drive, Pasco. The Blind Guy of Tri-Cities, 2016 Logston Blvd. Absolute Proactive Protection, LLC, 5910 Mandra Lane, Pasco. Imperial Construction LLC, 6002 Kent Lane. Eminent Roofing Inc., 4821 W. Park St. Michael Cabrera Jr., 615 Hartford St. RJ United States Company LLC, 17812 NE 219th St., Battle Ground. Sexton Construction Services LLC, 1526 Thayer Drive. Creation Home Services LLC, 1716 N. 18th Drive, Pasco. M&M Pools and More LLC, 2341 W. 22nd Ave., Kennewick. Adapting, 319 Wellsian Way, Richland. Radiant Window Services, 1005 Long Ave. Dads Handyman and Wood Works LLC, 141 Main St., Burbank. NW Erectors & Metal Bldgs, 28004 S, 887 PR SE, Kennewick. Sparkle Housekeeping Services, 1325 S. Date St., Kennewick. Bert Day Consulting, 2125 Davison Ave. Tylerdrummer, 6110 Riverhawk Lane, Pasco. Mamita’s Tamales, 608 Williams Blvd., Richland Annasana, 65 Park St., Richland. Thunder and Lightning Media, 2887 Crosswater Loop.
Jak Jak LLC, 1812 Sequoia Ave., Richland. Ays Home Investments & Property Management, 505 Benham St. Hanesthesia LLC, 4510 S. Rainier Court, Kennewick. Iconic Brewing, 2470 Henderson Loop. McClendon Music, 1406 Cowiche Court. Lululuxe, 103 Erica Drive. North Point Cleaning Services, 1114 W 10th Ave., Kennewick. Clean by Dawn, 207 Endress St. Trick Up My Sleeve, 1015 Birch Ave. 4evernorthwest, 327 Delafield Ave. Red Fox Strategies, 824 Meadows Drive S. The Ciao Wagon, 110 N. Fourth Ave. Pasco Cushions, 220 Casey Ave. Aultman Law PLLC, 451 Westcliffe Blvd. Anthony Vedder, 1114 W. 10th Ave, Kennewick. ETBC, LLC, 348 Adair Drive. Interpath Laboratory Inc., 915 Goethals Drive. Michael Gennarelli, 2708 S. Zillah Court, Kennewick. Haily Ann Sechser, 10 Golding Road, Toppenish. Growth Enterprises, LLC, 4506 W. 20th Ave., Kennewick. Transportal, 4214 W. John Day Pl., Kennewick. Aultman Anesthesia, PLLC, 451 Westcliffe Blvd. Vance Irrigation, 1400 Marshall Ave. Soaring Fitness LLC, 4215 W John Day Place, Kennewick. Evergreen Interlock, 1351 Wyman St. Cheeky Peak, 2611 Harris Ave. Northwest Golf Cars, 1701 W. Kennewick Ave, Kennewick. Professional Interpreter Services, 1466 Desert Springs Ave. Atomic Home Health, 6204 Westport Lane, Pasco. Nac International, 3930 E. Jones Bridge Road, Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Sac Wireless LLC, 540 W. Madison St.,
Chicago, Illinois. Factor 8 Cleaning Services, 1710 Verde St., Bakersfield, California. DBT Transportation Services LLC, 2655 Crescent Drive, Lafayette, Colorado. Aviation Management Consulting Group Inc., 9085 E. Mineral Circle, Centennial Colorado. Svartvik Metalworks Ltd., 4126 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland California. Hanford & Associates LLC, 5119 Dove Lane, West Richland. AC Construction I LLC, 8842 W. First Ave., Kennewick. Allstar Glass Company, 11420 E. Montgomery Drive, Spokane Valley. Ground-Up Construction, 9605 S. Lexington St., Kennewick. Watercolors By Kathy, 300 Columbia Point Drive. Desert Clinical Massage, 2568 Queensgate Drive. Mix Plumbing, 4 W. 36th Ave., Kennewick. Railworks Track Systems Inc., 274 Highway 12, Chehalis. Kennewick Man Lawn & Pest, 4005 S. Olympia St., Kennewick. Leo’s Landscaping & Lawn Care Services, 430 S. 22nd Ave., Pasco. Pilot Electric Company LLC, 11050 Harris Road, Pasco. Quality Carpentry & Associates LLC, 2105 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick. Tri-Construction LLC, 3821 W. Havstad St., Pasco. Carolina’s Cleaning, 42 Nuclear Lane, DPN Music Ltd., 48106 N. Whan Road, Benton City. Pontum Health, 113 Cherry St., Seattle. LarsonAllen LLP, 10700 Northrup Way, Bellevue. Seventh Stone United, 2107 Dallas St. Evens Enterprises, 97303 E. Sagebrush Road, Kennewick. A To Z Landscaping & Maintenance, 803 E. 13th Ave., Kennewick.
T-Mobile, 1731 George Washington Way. WF General Contractors LLC, 62 Country Lane, Newport. Landmark Grading & Landscape LLC, 109 N. Washington St., Kennewick. James Taylor, 3400 W. First Place, Kennewick. Anasazi Builders LLC, 5019 Flores Lane, Pasco. Highland Medical Imaging Inc., 4984 Mcewan Drive. Frame Technical Services LLC, 3680 W. Van Giesen St., West Richland. Concrete Construction Specialists LLC, 8518 Lasalle Drive, Pasco. Eye Candy Studio LLC, 481 Clermont Drive. The Biz Talk Magazine, 1529 Columbia Park Trail. Legacy One Realty, 1125 Saddle Way. Jameson Dreamworks LLC, 1900 Stevens Drive. Teahaus, 530 Swift Blvd. Mid-Columbia Parenting, 1005 Long Ave., Richland. Romain Construction, 90 Hodges Court. Grocery Outlet of Richland, 2901 Queensgate Drive. Shannon Jones Real Estate, 326 Greenbrook Place. Bazan Concrete LLC, 1208 E. Fourth Place, Kennewick. Garza Ground Work LLC, 5110 Truman Lane, Pasco. West Falls Services, 303 Gage Blvd. Matson Development LLC, 253 Jackrabbit Lane. Ace Superior Transport LLC, 850 Aaron Drive. Aguilar, Pedro, 300 E. Eighth Place, Kennewick. Tyson’s Painting and Remodeling LLC, 1514 W. 41st Ave., Kennewick. Conde’s Dry Wall LLP, 2115 N. Seventh Ave., Pasco.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020 VM Roofing LLC, 319 N. Wehe Ave., Pasco. Keto Strong LLC, 1631 S. Huntington St., Kennewick. Mendoza’s Lawn Care, 1807 N. 10th Ave., Pasco. New Shine LLC, 607 Jefferson St. Mr. Appliance of Kennewick, 4801 Laurel Drive, West Richland. Inland Mechanical Inc., 3095 Kingsgate Way. Roof Masters Construction, 407 W. Sylvester St., Pasco. Ultra Construction, 2413 Famville Court, Pasco. Pro Excavation, 20904 S. Williams PR SE, Kennewick. Construction, 200802 E. Game Farm Road, Kennewick. Shade Tree Lawn and Garden, 1900 Stevens Drive. Summit Painting & Construction, 5117 W. Dradie St. Gasca Masonry LLC, 4108 Atlanta Lane, Pasco. Halex Properties LLC, 2288 Firerock Ave. Deluxe Details Koininia Comunion Con Dios, 5507 Texada Lane, Pasco. Primerica, 723 The Parkway. Matt Schutt Flying LLC, 814 S. C St., Moses Lake. Morgan Shellfish LLC, 402 John Tye Road, Rosalia. Greenacres Landscaping & Maintenance, 604 W. 11th Ave., Kennewick. Little Chance Construction, 200802 E. Game Farm Road, Kennewick. Hotoveli Boutique, 1950 Keene Road. Simplex Enterprise, 50 Jadwin Ave. Image By Mary, 87 Keene Road. Solvent Financial & Consulting LLC, 220 Piper St. DC Sweets, 1514 Mahan Ave. Whatcha Waitin Pho, 5511 Robert Wayne Drive, Pasco. Hartwig Consulting, 1615 Sagewood St. Del Rio Detailing LLC, 903 Conestoga Way, Grandview. Class A General Contractor LLC, 1408 Brooks Lane, Toppenish. A & J Landscaping LLC, 617 Madrona Ave., Pasco. Affordable Locksmith, 9115 Percheron Drive, Pasco. KG Masonry LLC, 3517 Tierra Vida Lane, Pasco. Apogee Business Enterprises LLC, 1636 Sagewood St. Shaw Atomic Consulting LLC, 6600 NE 52nd Ave., Vancouver. Peter Salinas, 1772 Bolleana Ave. Brock’s Curry, 3103 S. Dennis St., Kennewick. Biviana Razo Caregiving, 1861 Forsell Road, Grandview. Star Group LLC, 2526 W. 33rd Place, Kennewick. Les J Cleaning Service, 3324 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick. Sour Grxphics, 1850 Stevens Drive. EB Teamwork PLLC, 3006 S. Quincy Place, Kennewick. Richland Auto Sales LLC, 502 Wellsian Way. K9-101, 1611 Davison Ave. Lawn Enforcement Landscape Management LLC, 90 Hunters Pond Drive, Eltopia. DV Consulting LLC, 723 The Parkway. Watson Wellness, 1273 Plateau Drive. Amaya Educational Consulting, 1797 Brianna Court, Richland. PNW Attorney Consulting PLLC, 1922 Sky Meadow Ave. Salus Medicare Solutions LLC, 723 The Parkway. Ossine Work, 69 Columbia Point Drive. All Night Reptilia, 2455 George Washington Way. Akinna Trading, 4535 Barbera St. Aquiva Labs LLC, 105 Spengler St. Reborn Bike Company LLC, 1341 George Washington Way. Electric Power Systems, 3305 Arctic Blvd., Ste 201, Anchorage, Alaska. Superior Low Voltage LLC, 6548 Lipscomb
St. SE, Salem, Oregon. Empire Boiler LLC, 1032 N. Government Way, Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. Nicholls Concrete LLC, 1601 Third St., Umatilla, Oregon. Yesco LLC, 416 E. 41st St., Boise, Idaho. Oxi Klean Carpet & Floor Care, 177 Clearwater Ave. NE, Salem, Oregon. B.A.C.H. Land Development, 3418 W. Arch St., Tampa, Florida. Berggren Pool and Spa Services LLC, 130 29th St. NW, East Wenatchee. ASW Consulting, 1446 Spaulding Ave. Columbia Roofing Inc., 5700 W. Melville Road, Pasco. Patriot Auto Glass, 28 Travis Lane. CW Brock Construction, 310 Greentree Court, Apt. 6, Richland. Bearproof Construction, 4506 Finnhorse Lane, Pasco. Sook’s Tailor Shop, 131 Englewood Drive. Bauder Construction Inc., 2472 Falconcrest Loop. A Shine Above Cleaning Service, 1106 W. 1Seventh Place, Kennewick. VJM Multi Care Services, 404 Bradley Blvd. Best Construction, 11 E. 14th Ave., Kennewick. Find more business licenses online at http:/ bit.ly/TCPublicRecord. WEST RICHLAND Treanorhl Inc, 1040 Vermont St., Lawrence, Kansas. J T Coatings Inc., 75 Schultz Road, Pasco. Freshco 2 LLC, 8220 W. Gage Blvd., Kennewick. Custom Carpeting LLC, no address listed. Ethel Godinez, 5 Royal Crest Loop PR. Joyner Construction, 2100 Bellerive Drive, Richland. Baby J’s BBQ & Burgers Mobile, 2243 Stevens Drive. Richland. Msc Distribution LLC, 2200 Meridian Ave. Precision Tile & Home Remodeling, 2105 N Steptoe St., Kennewick. 10420 LLC, PO Box 5361. Hernandez-Bruno Landscaping LLC, 1753 N. 22nd Ave, Pasco. Desert Roads Boutique, 5505 Aloha Drive. Green Horizon, 1830 Terminal Drive, Richland. Kustom Us Inc., 640 E. State Road 434, Longwood, Flordia. Suzanne Schulthies, 1311 Mansfield St., Richland. Erin Casch, 5111 Canter St. Aloha Village Adult Family Home, LLC, 5707 Aloha Court. SB Woodworking, 472 S 38th Ave. Sonshine Services, LLC, 719 Jadwin Ave., Richland Stephen Recker Construction Co., LLC, 6503 S. Coulee Vista Drive, Kennewick. Empire Bros Construction LLC, 204105 E. Schuster Road, Kennewick. Imperial Esscents, 5132 Owl Court. Sunrise Painting, 4136 W. Grand Ronde Ave., Kennewick.
uJUDGMENTS The state can file lawsuits against people or businesses that do not pay taxes and then get a judgment against property that person or business owns. Judgments are filed in Benton-Franklin Superior Court. The following is from the Franklin County Superior Court Clerk’s Office.
Alex B. Najera MD PS, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed July 17. Belen Nuevo Comienso LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed July 17.
uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Total Stop, 813 W. Columbia Drive, Kenne-
wick. License type: grocery store – beer/wine; beer/cider grocery growlers; spirits retailer. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. TC Cider House, 1082 George Washington Way, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in/out; direct shipment receiver-in Washington only; tavern – beer/wine; off premises. Application type: new. GR Distillery, 63615 E. Jacobs Road NE, Unit B, Benton City. License type: craft distillery. Application type: new. Moniker, 702 The Parkway, Ste. C, Richland. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge+; off-premises sale wine; catering. Application type: new. APPROVED Jackalope Bar & Grill, 107 Vista Way, Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu. Prosser Mini Mart, 1232 Meade Ave., Prosser. License type: grocery store – beer/wine; Application type: assumption. FRANKLIN COUNTY NEW APPLICATIONS Perception Salon and Barbering, 4525 Road 68, Ste. D, Pasco. License type: snack bar. Application type: assumption. DISCONTINUED El Jazmin #3, 430 W. Columbia St., Unit A, Pasco. License type: direct shipment receiver-in Washington only. Application type: discontinued.
uMARIJUANA LICENSES BENTON COUNTY APPROVED Greenleaf Environmental, 41305 N. Griffin
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Road, Ste. E, Grandview. License type: marijuana producer tier 2: Application type: change of corporate officer. Highland Nursery, 15505 N. Webber Canyon Road, Ste. A, Benton City. License type: marijuana producer tier 3. Application type: added fees. Sweet Dream Gardens LLC, 234805 E. Straightbank Road, Ste. G, Kennewick. License type: marijuana producer tier 2: Application type: assumption. Sedated Smoke Shop, 309 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in Washington only; beer/ wine specialty shop. Application type: new application.
uBUSINESS UPDATES MOVED Benton Franklin Council of Governments has moved to 587 Stevens Drive, Richland. Contact: 509-943-9185, bfcog.us. Porter’s Real Barbecue has moved its Richland restaurant to 1092 George Washington Way. Contact: 509-942-9590, portersrealbbq.com. ADDITIONAL LOCATION Knights Welding Metal Arts has opened a showroom at 4432 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick. Contact: 509-412-1103, knightswelding.com. STCU has opened its Pasco branch at 5677 Road 68. Contact: 509-326-1954, stcu.org/ locations/pasco-branch. NAME CHANGE The Center for Sharing is now Centros at 3525 E. A St. in Pasco. CLOSED The Kitchen at Barnard Griffin at 878 Tulip Lane in Richland has closed. The Bookworm at 731 N. Columbia Center Blvd. in Kennewick has closed. Bues Brothers Farm Market at 421 E. Columbia Drive in Kennewick has closed.
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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | AUGUST 2020