Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business - October 2020

October 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 10

Herald building tenants raise fortunes of downtown area

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Inside

Focus magazine: Construction + Real Estate in the Tri-Cities

Viticulture

Candy Mountain is state's newest wine grape region Page A11

Real Estate & Construction

ER doc opens urgent care clinic at Columbia Point Page B1

NOTEWORTHY “I feel blessed to have made it this far, to have opened a store in the middle of Covid.”

-Deane Duncan, owner, Hotoveli Boutique Page A24

The former Tri-City Herald building, the largest and newest privately-owned office building in downtown Kennewick, has new tenants.

Vivid Learning Systems, owned by private equity-backed Health & Safety Institute, leased space at 333 W. Canal Drive, a decision that promises to bring more professionals to downtown Kennewick and bolster the fortunes of businesses in the city’s historic heart.

In a separate deal, a third-party distributor for Amazon leased 13,000 square feet of warehouse space attached to the office building.

The Herald building is owned by D9 Contracting, a family-owned drywall business that bought the property from McClatchy, the Herald’s parent company, in 2019.

Vivid provides online safety education programs for employers. It spun out of the U.S. Department of Energy in the late 1990s with a focus on the Hanford site and has been owned

by HSI since 2018. HSI in turn is majorityowned by Waud Capital Partners, a $3 billion private equity firm.

Vivid leased the space to consolidate the 80-100 local employees who had been crowded in three locations, said Duane Tumlinson, vice president of sales operations.

Tumlinson said Vivid wasn’t focused on a particular city, but the Herald building had the space and amenities it needed and was movein ready.

Vivid’s impact won’t be felt until the Covid-19 pandemic is past. Most employees are working from home, though members of its accounting and information technology team have moved into second-floor space that includes a break room and west-facing balcony.

Tumlinson expects to take over more of the second floor, including the former newsroom, when the pandemic lifts and workers come back to the office. It is unclear how many people that will be. He noted that like many uTENANTS, Page A4

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Michele Gerber of the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition has long pushed for residential treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders. The Trios Women’s and Children’s Hospital will become Two Rivers Rehabilitation Center under a plan set in motion two years ago and now coming to fruition.

Old Kennewick hospital eyed for mental health, addiction center

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities — Washington’s only metro without a detox and drug rehabilitation facility — could see a 1950s-era hospital in the heart of Kennewick renovated to meet the growing need for local services.

The former Kennewick General Hospital, currently used a birthing center by Trios Health, will become the Two Rivers Rehabilitation Center under a plan set in motion more

than two years ago and now gaining momentum.

The Kennewick Public Hospital District board will review a feasibility study at its next meeting, which will be held by Zoom on Oct. 29.

The two-part study sets the stage for the hospital district to reacquire a property it once owned and transform it into a 76-bed detoxification and residential treatment facility offering drug treatment and mental health services. uKGH, Page A3

A McDonald’s, a Taco Bell and 3 Arby’s get overhauls. Coincidence?

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

At least five fast-food restaurants in the TriCities are being remodeled — from plumbing upgrades to major overhauls that entail tearing out playgrounds and walls, remodeling bathrooms and kitchens and putting up the latest in electronic gadgetry.

The remodels closed a McDonald’s in Kennewick’s Southridge area, a Taco Bell in north Richland and will affect three Arby’s sandwich shops, including two in Kennewick and a third in Richland.

It’s not unusual for fast-food restaurants to undergo makeovers. But five at once begs a question: Are owners taking on big projects when the pandemic has closed their dining rooms? Or is it a coincidence?

It is a coincidence, said Joel Bouchey, regional director and public policy coordinator for the Inland Northwest chapter of Associated General Contractors.

Buildings age. Brand standards change and

technology moves on. Updates are inevitable and take plenty of time to plan.

National brands such as McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Arby’s and their franchisees invest heavily in keeping up with the times and technology.

Adams Tri-Cities Enterprises, which operates 10 local McDonald’s as a franchisee of the Illinois burger giant, is no different.

It’s on a years-long campaign to modernize, replace and even move to more prominent locations.

The latest is a 1998-built McDonald’s at 2700 S. Quillan St., near the Kennewick Walmart store.

The 3,300-square-foot building is getting a $285,000 makeover, according to a permit issued by the city.

The update will bring the parking lot and bathrooms into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, replace the drivethru and add new exterior finishes and sig-

uFAST FOOD, Page A22

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 KGH, From page A1 The study is a joint venture with Benton and Franklin counties, in partnership with the nonprofit Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition. The district’s board will vote to accept the study, which has not been released. It will be shared with its county partners and the public at that time.

“If we can pull this off, it will be a fantastic purpose for the hospital district,” said Gary Long, president of the hospital district board.

Coming full circle Reacquiring the former KGH would bring the public hospital district back to its roots.

It owned and operated the hospital on Auburn Street for generations before it built Trios Southridge Hospital in western Kennewick. Most functions shifted to Southridge, but Trios Family Birthing Center remained at Auburn Street.

In 2017, saddled with more than $200 million in debt, the district sought relief from creditors by filing under Chapter 9 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, the chapter that allows insolvent municipalities to reorganize.

The district emerged from bankruptcy the following year after a predecessor of LifePoint Health, a for-profit health care system, bought the district’s assets, including both hospitals. Trios and its new parent, LifePoint, want to move the birthing center to Southridge.

If they succeed, it will leave a 100,000-square-foot hospital vacant in downtown Kennewick.

That opens the door to the hospital district to buy it back. The old hospital would serve its reorganized mission to fill gaps in local health care services.

“This is our major effort right now,” Long said. The Covid-19 pandemic has only worsened the crisis in opioid addiction and mental health.

“The need has grown exponentially,” he said. The center would provide a 60-bed residential treatment center and a 16-bed detox center, with some beds held in secured areas for inmates brought in by law enforcement.

Aligning the stars Lee Kerr, superintendent of the hospital district, said it has an unofficial agreement to buy back the old hospital from LifePoint on “favorable” terms. The property is valued at $5.4 million for tax purposes, but the sale price would reportedly be for a much lower sum.

Trios declined to elaborate on its plans for its birthing center and the old KGH building. It released a statement affirming its commitment to quality care and referred questions to the hospital district.

However, the organization filed a certificate of need application with the Washington Department of Health, seeking approval to consolidate its acute care beds at Southridge. A decision is expected in January, said Gordon MacCracken, a DOH spokesman.

It could take two years to move the birthing center. To advocates for a recovery center, a hospital with no occupants is an answer to their dreams.

“It’s a hospital. It’s got everything you could possibly need,” Kerr said.

Recovery coalition efforts The Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition, known as the 509 Recovery Coalition, has scouted the community for a spot.

The nonprofit advocacy group is led

by Michele Gerber and counts the sheriffs of Benton and Franklin counties as board members, along with Dr. Amy Person, public health officer for the bicounty health district.

The coalition spent two years pleading the case for a local recovery center to city councils, county commissioners, Rotarians, Kiwanians, the Columbia Basin Badgers and many more.

Gerber focuses on two key points: Substance abuse disorder is an illness, not a moral failing, and treating people at home is a good financial move for the Tri-Cities that will pay dividends in improved services and reduced crime.

The two county commissions shared half the cost of the $50,000 feasibility study, paying $12,500 apiece. The hospital district supported the rest.

She is encouraged by the feedback.

“I haven’t had one person in an audience say, ‘You’re wrong. These people caused their own problems and don’t deserve help.’ No one says that,” said Gerber, whose son died after becoming addicted to painkillers following an accident as a young adult.

How it would work Accepting a feasibility study is the first in a long series of steps, said Long, of the hospital district board.

Next, the state must approve Trios’ request to consolidate beds at Southridge.

Trios and its parent have not shared their plans publicly. Building a new birthing center near the emergency room is the

one idea that is reportedly being discussed.

The public hospital district and Trios also must agree to a building sale.

Kerr said the health district will use money the Tri-Cities Cancer Center paid to buy out two of its former owners to fund the down payment on the old hospital. It received $325,000 from the cancer center, as did Lourdes, which is also owned by LifePoint.

Lourdes has reportedly committed its share to the project but did not confirm it directly.

Readying the facility The recovery center needs a license from the state health department. An inspector toured the old hospital building in July 2019 and told supporters what would be needed to secure a license.

MacCracken, of the state health department, said no formal plans were submitted at the time. There have been follow-up discussions with an architect who worked on the feasibility study.

The district believes the state views the plan with a favorable eye.

The feasibility study shows the hospital will require $6 million in renovations to qualify as a residential recovery center, Kerr said.

The state capital projects budget is one potential source of funds. The hospital district also would seek donations and grants and launch a capital campaign.

If the hospital district buys the hospital, it will not run it. It would function as a landlord, much the way shopping mall owners supply facilities and operating standards but do not run actual stores.

Kerr said the hospital could be home to local, regional and national organizations.

Amenities would include an emergency assessment area for patients who arrive on their own, are brought in by loved ones or even by police.

“If you build it, they will come,” he said, citing the popular line from the movie “Field of Dreams.”

Service providers would be paid by Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance and

private pay.

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Good for business?

The recovery center would not compete with existing services. Supporters are particularly sensitive to the Lourdes Counseling Center in Richland, known as “Carondelet.”

Gerber said the new center will not compete for patients. There are enough to go around, she said.

Without sufficient treatment and recovery services, Tri-Citians must leave the area to get help.

That is bad for patients and bad for the local economy, Gerber said.

It is bad for patients who may have to wait to get into treatment, causing them to miss the “window of opportunity” when they are most willing to seek help, such as after an overdose or arrest. Distant programs isolate patients from their support networks as well.

Treating issues reduces the load on local law enforcement, jails and emergency rooms. Delaying it does not.

“If you treat, maybe they won’t be back,” she said.

It is bad for businesses as well. Not only do employers have to send employees out of town, the money follows them.

Treatment is big business. Gerber cited, with permission, the experience of a friend who works for Battelle whose daughter has been treated multiple times in the span of two years, at a cost of about $300,000.

“These are incredible amounts of money leaving our community,” she said. A proper residential center would attract doctors and counselors to an area that has a shortage of both, to the benefit of all Tri-Citians.

“All of us would have more services,” she said.

Stay in the loop Details about joining the hospital district’s Oct. 29 board meeting will be posted at kenkphd.com/meetings Follow the Benton Franklin Recovery Coalition at 509recovery.org.

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employers, Vivid expects some to continue to work from home in the future.

Vivid was not looking to be a catalyst for downtown, but it embraces its new neighborhood.

“I think downtown Kennewick could be the coolest downtown in the area,” he said.

When workers do return, they will be welcomed by downtown’s mix of restaurants, shops, professional services, salons and tattoo parlors.

The city and a key downtown business association are thrilled.

More workers in downtown means more customers and energy, said Evelyn Lusignan, the city’s spokeswoman.

“This great location is a key component to advancing and sustaining that vibrancy by having workers in the heart of our historic downtown,” she said.

The Herald building consists of two parts. The 49,000-square-foot Class A office opened in 2004, attached to an older 60,000-square-foot warehouse and press room.

For a time, the building was filled with 175 or more newspaper employees. But the headcount sank as challenging newspaper economics forced McClatchy into successive rounds of layoffs that left large areas of the building unoccupied.

The warehouse, once crammed with a printing press, stacks of giant newsprint rolls and other equipment, emptied when the press shut down and was dismantled and sold for parts.

The trucking firm, operating in a part of the space, receives several semitrucks

filled with Amazon packages a day and distributes them via a fleet of about 15 trucks to a large swath of the Mid-Columbia.

McClatchy sold the property to D9 Contractors in October 2019 for about $4 million.

“We are thrilled to see the Herald building continue to play a professional role in downtown.”

-Stephanie Button, executive director, Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership

D9 moved its own corporate offices and operations into the building while marketing the rest to tenants. Mike Detrick Sr. of D9 said the family is pleased with the leasing activity to date and looks forward to Vivid expanding its footprint in the future.

It spent more than $9 million to build it in 2004.

The Herald remained in its namesake building for 10 months after the sale. In August, it moved a new, smaller office on 24th Avenue in Kennewick’s Southridge area.

The Historic Downtown Kennewick Partnership misses the Herald, an iconic downtown business. It was a terrific part-

ner for downtown, said Stephanie Button, executive director.

“We miss the proximity of having the paper nearby,” she said. Reporters and photographers often reported on what they saw happening in their neighborhood.

“They were such a great neighbor.”

But the Detricks and Vivid are welcome neighbors.

“We are thrilled to see the Herald building continue to play a professional role in downtown,” she said. HDKP promotes the downtown area through improvement efforts, public events and recruitment drives.

That includes helping D9 woo more tenants.

The interior layout includes a mix of private offices, conference rooms and large open office spaces, once home to the Herald’s first-floor advertising department and second-floor newsroom.

The first and second floors wrap around wide, open hallways with curving blue carpeting, designed as a nod to the area’s three rivers. A long, elevated dormer with transom windows down the middle draws light to the middle of the building.

Button called it fantastic office space and a great way for professional organizations to get a foothold in downtown.

Scott Sautell of SVN Retter & Company Commercial Real Estate is the leasing agent for the building. Office space is available for $15 a square foot and warehouse space for $7 a square foot on a triple net basis, meaning tenants pay taxes, insurance and other occupancy costs.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 uBUSINESS BRIEFS New Covid-19 testing site opens in Pasco

A new clinic offering drive- and walk-thru Covid-19 testing has opened at 3110 W. Argent Road in Pasco.

The site is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Thursday to Monday and can test up to 500 people per day. Anyone who may have been exposed to coronavirus, who has symptoms or who would just like to check their status can get tested. Results are available within two to three days.

The test site is staffed by the Pasco Fire Department and local health care and EMS workers from Columbia Safety. The staff is multilingual in Spanish, Somali and American Sign Language.

Help is available.

Testing is free to participants and offered regardless of insurance or immigration status. Register for a spot at wacovid19.org/tricitiestesting.

The service is offered by Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health, Benton-Franklin Health District, Health Commons Project, Washington State Department of Health and the University of Washington.

Monitor state’s economic ‘recovery’ at a glance

The Washington state Department of Commerce has launched an Economic Recovery Dashboard to share key measures of the economy.

The dashboard draws data from public and private organizations to examine the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the state’s economy. It covers topics such as employment levels, taxable retail sales, consumer behavior and more.

Go to commerce.wa.gov/datadashboard.

New signal pattern on Keene aims to curb wrecks

The traffic signal at Keene and Kennedy roads in West Richland has been altered to cut down on the number of collisions involving inattentive drivers.

City crews altered the signal Oct. 5 to allow left turns from Keene Road only on a protected green arrow.

The change will increase travel time through the intersection but is considered necessary to reduce the number of wrecks caused by drivers turning left from Keene into the path of oncoming traffic, the city said.

DOE awards $389M Hanford tank waste lab contract Hanford Laboratory Management and Integration LLC in Richland has secured a five-year, $389 million contract to provide laboratory services in support of tank waste management at the Hanford site.

The Richland contractor consists of Navarro Research and Engineering Inc. of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and Advanced Technologies and Laboratories International of Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The 222-S Laboratory’s primary mission is to provide analytical support for the storage and treatment of tank waste.

The 222-S complex is in the site’s 200 West Area.

The new contract replaces laboratory contracts held by Wastren Advantage Inc. and Washington River Protection Solutions LLC, set to expire on Sept.

20 and Sept. 30, 2021, respectively.

Both have early exit clauses.

Go to emcbc.doe.gov/SEB/222S_ Lab/rfppage.php for contract documents.

AWB campaigns to shape economic recovery

The Association of Washington Business Institute has launched “Wash-

ington in the Making,” an initiative to help shape the post-pandemic economic recovery.

The website lays out a strategy and includes a dashboard to measure 34 of Washington’s economic vital signs, such unemployment rates, median household income, cost of housing and more. The site provides data on all 39 counties and is continually updated.

“We need good data to drive smart decisions and to know when we’re making progress,” said Kris Johnson, president of AWB, in a press release.

Go to awbinstitute.org.

DOE extends key tank farm contract at Hanford Washington River Protection Solu-

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tions will continue as the Hanford Tank operations contractor following a contract extension by the U.S. Department Energy’s Office of River Protection.

The new contract expires Sept. 30, 2021.

“Our record of safety and progress speaks for itself,” said John Eschenberg, WRPS president and chief executive officer, in a press release. “We are positioned to make year 13 our best yet.”

WRPS employs 2,300, plus more than 500 subcontractors. It is responsible for managing waste in Hanford’s underground tanks while preparing to deliver it to the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant at the Hanford site for vitrification in the future.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

DATEBOOK

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

OCT. 20

• Senior Times Expo: Drive-thru only event: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Southridge Sports & Events Complex, 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick.

Details: tricitiesbusinessnews.com/ expo-drive-thru.

• Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details: co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php.

• Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details: co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx.

• Mid-Columbia Libraries, online lecture, “Jennifer Pharr Davis the Trail Blazer”: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Details: midcolumbialibraries.org/events.

OCT. 21

• Benton REA’s 83rd annual membership meeting: 6:30-7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Register: bentonrea. org.

• Port of Benton Commission: 8:30 a.m. Details: portofbenton.com/ about-the-port/commission.

OCT. 22

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

• Farm Hall: 4 p.m. virtual event.

Panel discussion of agricultural policy. Hosted by Washington Policy Center. Register: bit.ly/FarmHall.

• Digital Dissensus: Discovering Truth in an Era of Misinformation: 4-5:15 p.m., Zoom. Digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, director of blended and networked learning at WSU Vancouver, will lead the session. Register: tricities.wsu.edu/ community-classroom.

• Mid-Columbia Library Virtual Author Visit: Dashka Slater: 4 p.m.

Details: midcolumbialibraries.org/ events.

• Energy Northwest Public Power Forum: 12:30-5 p.m. Details: bit.ly/PublicPowerForum.

• Mid-Columbia Chapter Public Relations Society of America, Exploring Pandemic PR Response with Jim Hall of Kadlec Regional Medical Center and Brian Terrett of Legacy Health: noon-1 p.m. webinar.

Details: bit.ly/PRSAPandemic.

OCT. 26-28

• Tri-City Diversity Summit via Zoom: Third annual event organized by Tri-Cities Regional Chamber of Commerce. Register: tricityregionalchamber.com/tri-cities-

diversity-summit.html.

OCT. 27

• Meet the Buyer, Doing Business with state Department of Enterprise Services: 10-11:30 a.m. Details: http://bit.ly/PTAC1027.

• Franklin County Commission: 9 a.m. Details: co.franklin.wa.us/ commissioners/meeting.php.

• Benton County Commission: 9 a.m. Details: co.benton.wa.us/ agenda.aspx.

• Port of Kennewick Commission: 2 p.m. Details: portofkennewick.org/commissionmeetings.

OCT. 28

• Cancer Crushing Cuisine – Small Bytes: 6-7 p.m. Details: tccancer.org.

OCT. 29

• Dismantling Racism: The Game of Change: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. via Zoom. Speakers are Thabiti Lewis, professor of English and a member of the WSU Vancouver leadership team, and Dr. Marie Theard, director of neuroanesthesia at Oregon Health and Science

University. Register: tricities.wsu.edu/ community-classroom.

NOV. 3

• Election Day: Don’t forget to vote. In-person voter registration still open. Ballot drop box locations close at 8 p.m.

NOV. 4

• Chaplaincy Health Care Lighting the Path Fundraising Breakfast: 8-9 a.m. Details: chaplaincyhealthcare.org.

NOV. 7

• Virtual Veterans Day Parade: 9:30 a.m. parade; 11 a.m. dedication of Vietnam memorial monument, 11:30 a.m. drive-thru chili feed to benefit the Combat Veterans International, both at Flat Top Park in West Richland. Watch parade at westrichlandchamber.org/veteransday-parade.

NOV. 19

• Badger Club, “Analysis and Implications of the 2020 Election”: Noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. Register: cbbc.clubexpress.com.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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OPINION Horse Heaven wind farm project offers few benefits for Tri-City economy The Horse Heaven Hills wind farm project planned by Scout Clean Energy (TriCities Area Journal of Markus Stauffer Business, May 2020) would GUEST COLUMN stretch along 24 miles of ridgeline from south of the Tri-Cities at Jump-Off Joe Butte to near Benton City.

As many as 212 wind turbines would be placed in several rows, each turbine 500 feet tall. We oppose such large-scale projects that alter our skyline and our outdoor quality of life.

The Tri-City region is a hub for electric power generation for Washington state.

Over 40% of clean, renewable electricity in the state comes from the dams of the Columbia Basin and another 8% is produced by the Columbia Generating Station, the nuclear power plant in Richland.

Overall, 76% of all electricity in Washington comes from hydropower, highest in the nation. We don’t need additional unreliable and expensive wind power.

Wind is intermittent and electricity is only generated about a third of the time.

The Benton County PUD issued a position paper in July that it will no longer connect wind power to its grid; the

unpredictable electricity generation forces the PUD to have equivalent backup power generation which is costly.

Rich Gerlitz Scout Clean Energy is GUEST COLUMN a broker of electricity. It connects investors and willing landowners with contractors to build wind farms all over the West.

They are based in Colorado and are not a local “brick-and-mortar” company caring about our community.

They sell “renewable, green” electricity to the highest bidder. Some of electricity generated here could potentially go as far as Los Angeles via the “Pacific DC Intertie,” supplying 3 million homes there, at a rate double or triple our electricity rate, a windfall for Scout Clean Energy but not much a benefit for the local community.

Electricity is an extremely competitive commodity: When a new technology comes along, prices will drop, and the wind farms could become obsolete.

This happened in the 1980s when the oil crisis sparked a rush of thousands of wind turbines being built with tax incentives at locations such as the San Gorgonio Pass in California near Palm Springs, only to be abandoned a decade uWIND FARM Page A8

Offering forum for civil discourse defines group’s mission It was Dec. 13, 2007, when then Kennewick police Chief Marc Harden and his wife, Deana, invited Tri-City HerJack Briggs ald editorial page editor GUEST COLUMN Matt Taylor and his wife, Bonnie, to dinner to talk about the formation of a group in the Tri-Cities to discuss matters political, social, and on occasion, just plain fun.

All had experienced such a group in Florida where Tiger Bay Clubs were in major cities.

They wrote letters to some 16 people of diverse backgrounds suggesting

the formation of what they named a Coyote Club — a community forum for civil discourse — open to everyone.

Kirk Williamson The format was decided GUEST COLUMN as 60- or 90-minute luncheon, though occasionally dinner, meetings, half devoted to speakers on matters of civic and political importance to the area, and the other half to questions from the audience who were encouraged to “badger” — respectfully — the speakers. Members were to be encouraged to be “tenacious when uBADGER CLUB, Page A10

The remaking of Washington has begun When will the pandemic end?

It’s the question we’re all asking, but aside from adhering to official guidance around social distancing, hand-washing and wearing masks, it’s one that we’re powerless to influence.

What will the world look like once the virus is behind us? What will Washington’s economy look like?

We may not have the answers for these questions, but these are questions we can and should do something about.

The AWB Institute, the nonprofit workforce and economic development arm of the Association of Washington Business, launched an initiative to build an economic vision for the state that will enable us to build back better than we were before.

It’s called “Washington in the Making” and its goal is to create a foundation for lasting prosperity for all people and all communities throughout the state.

A new website, washingtoninthemaking.org, lays out the strategy. It features a data dashboard measuring Washington’s vital signs — 34 indicators for all 39 counties ranging from the unemployment rate and median household income to percentage of income spent on rent and the percent of households without internet.

This continually updated look at Washington’s economic health provides a wealth of data that can be used at the state and community level to track recovery efforts, help shape policy and move the state forward.

The indicators, developed in partnership with Eastern Washington Univer-

Kris Johnson Association of Washington Business

GUEST COLUMN

sity, are built around five main categories, or pillars, that provide a roadmap to shared prosperity across Washington.

They are: Talent: Ensuring Washington employees are talented and

prepared.

Business environment: Advancing policies that support competitiveness.

Infrastructure and connectivity: Effective infrastructure that supports a remote workforce and mobility for goods and people.

Entrepreneurship and innovation: Fueling a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Place and community: Supporting job recovery and growth in urban and rural communities to ensure Washingtonians can live where they want to live.

If we succeed at the things measured within these five categories, we will enable more workers to live in more small communities while working remotely for businesses all over the state. Right now, we are working with partners in Wenatchee, including WSU Extension, to pilot a Remote Worker project.

We will connect students — and workers who want new skills — with internships, apprenticeships and other

uJOHNSON, Page A8

 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Stop using ‘free’ to describe products, services To the editor: The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business should discontinue use of the word “free” when referring to products and services being offered at no direct cost to the recipient. Whether an article promotes free meals, free Covid tests, or, in this case free business advice (“7,271 Washington businesses got free pandemic advice,” September 2020 issue), those products and services are not due to an unlimited supply of manna raining down from heaven. There are costs associated with each offering and those costs are borne by someone else. It requires time, talent, taxes, earnings, effort or resources, and someone else has paid the price to make something available to others without receiving payment in return.

I am not suggesting that such pro-

grams are wasteful, wrong or unimportant, but the term “free” is inaccurate, and it also subtly implies that such help is insignificant, easy, or of minimal value. Maybe we could adopt a new acronym similar to the phrase, By One, Get One (BOGO), as used by the sales and marketing folks. Let’s try, Donated

by Someone Who Cares for You (DONSOCY), Provided by Others (PROBO), or maybe No Payment by Recipient (NOPAYR).

Don’t minimize the kindness and generosity of the good folks providing the products or services mentioned in the Journal. Just be sure that the word “free” is eliminated from the offer.

Bradford J. Sewart, Richland

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

WIND FARM, From page A7 later when cheap oil and gas from fracking sent the investors packing.

This could happen again: cheap solar panels, small modular reactors, or another new technology could change the economics of wind energy.

The life span of wind turbines is 15 to 25 years. Where will Scout Clean Energy be when hundreds of obsolete wind towers on our skyline need to be removed?

Turbine blades made from composite material are hard to recycle and usually end up in landfills and hundreds of concrete pads and miles of supply roads are expensive to remove.

All this would happen in clear view from the Tri-Cities.

Electricity is not the only big business

in our region: Tourism is major source of revenue and jobs.

“Visitor spending in 2019 was $560.2 million, creating 6,370 jobs in Benton and Franklin counties, $54.5 million in local and state tax receipts were collected; $19.3 million in tax receipts were retained locally,” according to Visit Tri-Cities.

Our mild climate together with beautiful views of vineyards and orchards attracts visitors and travelers.

People come here to play golf, walk and bike our beautiful paths along the Columbia River, enjoy a glass of good wine on an outdoor patio and learn about our Hanford history.

Cruise ships dock in Richland and boutique hotels attract a well-heeled clientele. This year alone we saw the

opening of several new hotels in the TriCities.

These visitors don’t come here to look at a ridgeline resembling giant industrial operations. Each wind turbine is truly gigantic. At 500 feet, they are much taller than the ones at Jump Off Joe Butte which are 350 feet or less. Think Seattle Space Needle where the observation deck is at 520 feet.

Anyone who wants to see the impact of these wind farms on the landscape should have a look at the Columbia Gorge area where the once-serene Maryhill museum and the peaceful Stonehenge World War I memorial now have giant blades churning close by, a surreal setting that would amaze even Salvador Dali.

Another large industry in our area is

the real estate, worth over $400 million per year.

The Tri-Cities is growing at a rapid rate, in part because of the mild climate, the relatively cheap housing and the beautiful setting along our rivers.

It attracts people to raise their young families or to retire here, away from the urban bustle of Seattle and Portland.

Many of these new developments, such as the Southridge area in Kennewick and Badger South in Richland, have beautiful views of western sunsets and the Horse Heaven Hills.

They and other homes with a view, from Rancho Reata to Badger Canyon, all the way to Horn Rapids, could see their skyline change drastically. It is easy to imagine that this industrial-scale wind farm on the horizon could encourage buyers to look elsewhere and have an effect on property values.

Our area with the Hanford site was called the “most polluted place on earth” by a national news outlet in the 1990s.

We have come a long way since then in cleaning up the Hanford mess and now have a quality environment and thriving communities based on our river parks and clean open spaces.

This attracts quality growth companies that pay high wages.

We don’t want to go back and pollute our environment and our hills with industrial-scale wind farms because nobody else wants them on the west side (NIMBY — Not In My Backyard).

We can do better! Please contact your Benton County commissioners who have to approve this project. Go to save-ourridges.org for more details. Markus Stauffer, a retired Hanford scientist, has lived in the Tri-Cities for 25 years. Rich Gerlitz, who recently retired from the financial services industry, has lived in Prosser/Tr-Cities for 45 years.

JOHNSON, From page A7 work experiences.

We will provide access to broadband in every corner of the state, bringing economic vitality to rural Washington.

And we will support employers, enabling them to grow Washington businesses, expand our workforce and build new business opportunities.

The work on Washington in the Making started before the pandemic hit. Now that we are in the middle of a pandemic, Washington in the Making is perfectly timed to help meet the challenge that faces us, and to fuel the recovery we know is coming.

How do we know recovery is coming?

Because Washington is a resilient, resourceful state made up of entrepreneurs and innovators. We are a Maker State, and we are going to use this opportunity make a Washington that works better — for everyone.

Go to washingtoninthemaking.org Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.

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BADGER CLUB, From page A7 seeking information but retaining a sense of humor and civility.” Fittingly, the name was changed to Columbia Basin Badger Club. Anyone could attend.

Only members could ask questions.

The first forum was June 27, 2008.

Speakers were two candidates running for state superintendent of public education.

Since then, there have been discussions on everything from death with dignity to lack of irrigation water storage; from drugs, gangs, crime rates and moving the Benton County seat to privacy; prison reform and political comedy; from addiction and homelessness to the Middle East situation; to a

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was a past Tri-City Herald reporter.

The club had about 160 members from all Tri-City communities, governed by a board of about 14 members.

Before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, Badger forums were attended by 80 to 100 people.

There were two notable exceptions in the pre-Covid era: first when retired Gen. James Mattis addressed an audience of nearly 160, and last January when Ang Dorjee Sherpa drew well over a hundred for the group’s annual meeting with pictures and stories of guiding climbers on Mt. Everest.

For the time being, Badger forums will be all virtual using our Zoom

license.

The good news is that we can present speakers from afar. People like former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, chief executive officer of the Association of Washington Business Kris Johnson, and state Commerce Director Lisa Brown.

Next month, we’re honored that political commentator Peter Wehner, a Richland native whose work appears in The Atlantic, will help us decipher the outcome of the Nov. 3 election. The meeting is at noon Nov. 19.

What’s next for the Badger Club?

We will continue to present outstanding virtual forums for the foreseeable future. Once we can meet in person at

the Holiday Inn Express adjacent to the HAPO Center in Pasco, we’ll be able to present “hybrid” forums with speakers and audience from anywhere in the world able to interact in real time with guests in the meeting hall. We hope you’ll join us as we continue to provide a forum for “civil civic discourse on important topics of the day.”

You’ll find registration information on our website: columbiabasinbadgers. com. Jack Briggs is the retired publisher of the Tri-City Herald. He has served as the Badger Club’s historian. Kirk Williamson is the Badger Club’s current president.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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VITICULTURE Candy Mountain becomes state’s newest wine grape region

By Eric Degerman

Special to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The sweet news about the establishment of the Candy Mountain American Viticultural Area gives the Washington state wine industry its 16th AVA. Candy Mountain, a portion of which is in the Richland city limits, recently became the tiniest AVA in the state at 815 acres. Its famous neighbor, Red Mountain, had been the smallest at 4,140 acres, and is known to produce muscular, age-worthy red wines.

Marty Clubb, winemaker/co-owner of acclaimed L’Ecole N° 41 in the Walla Walla Valley, said, “Candy Mountain is a warm, south-facing site with mostly blown sand soil, thus excellent drainage. In many ways, it is very similar to Red Mountain.

The reds made from Candy Mountain fruit are big and structured, with great balance and aging capacity.”

The successful petition was written by Kevin Pogue, a geology professor at Whitman College in Walla Walla. The Sept. 25 announcement marked the second AVA approved in September for the Evergreen State, following the Sept. 2 establishment of the Royal Slope in the Columbia Basin.

Starting Oct. 26, wineries may begin to list “Candy Mountain” as the AVA on bottles if at least 85% percent of the fruit was grown within that designated region.

The namesake Candy Mountain Vineyard, a 50-acre planting, recently was acquired by Oregon Potato Co., which is owned by Frank Tiegs and has headquarters in Pasco. Tiegs also is a part owner in Badger Mountain Vineyard/Powers

Winery in nearby Kennewick.

“We have several other vineyards in the area, so this site was a nice addition to the orchard and vineyard holdings,” said Matt Upmeyer, senior director of commercial operations for Oregon Potato Co., in an email. “Candy Mountain Vineyard has the oldest vines in the AVA and our customers love the quality of the fruit grown at the vineyard. We look forward to seeing the AVA make a name for itself as one of Washington’s premium grape growing locations.”

Candy Mountain Vineyard was established in 1998. Customers for the fruit, previously managed by Premiere Vineyards, include Long Shadows Vintners, another famous winery in the Walla Walla Valley.

“Long Shadows Vintners is going to be picky about who they work with — and the same for us,” Clubb said.

Clubb’s first vineyard-designated wine featuring Candy Mountain Vineyard was in 2010.

“But we were working with that fruit long before that,” he said. “It’s been a staple for our Columbia Valley lineup, and it’s a very consistent and very reliable site.”

More vines have recently been established along the southwest portion of Candy Mountain by Northwest Vineyard Management, which is overseen by decorated viticulturist Marshall Edwards and owned by Dick and Wendy Show, who were inducted in the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame in 2018.

The Kitzke family planted Candy Ridge Vineyards on its estate soon after arriving

Courtesy Washington State Wine Commission/Google Earth image The Candy Mountain American Viticultural Area boundary includes Interstate 82 and Interstate 182 near Richland.

in 2000, and the focus has been on red Bordeaux varieties, with Cabernet Franc as a standout. At this point, Kitzke Cellars is the only winery in the AVA, with Seth Kitzke making the wines for his parents, Paul and Vickie, as well as the Upsidedown Wine brand he owns with his wife, Audrey.

“It’s been a long wait the last few years,” Seth Kitzke said via email. “Everything at Kitzke is Candy Mountain except a small lot of Nebbiolo we produce. We will be able to label our 2018 Bordeauxs

with the appellation this spring, which will be nice.”

L’Ecole long has viewed Candy Mountain fruit as a bargain, but Clubb quipped, “That will probably change as its reputation grows.”

More than 11 months passed between the close of public commenting on the Candy Mountain petition and its establishment as an AVA. Based on that timeline, it could be late spring/early summer of 2021 before the pending White Bluffs AVA is uCANDY MOUNTAIN, Page A14

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Viticulture

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Viticulture

Q&A

THOMAS HENICK-KLING

WSU Viticulture & Enology Program Director, WSU Viticulture & Enology Programs

Number of employees you oversee: 11 faculty, 4 staff Brief background of your organization: The WSU Viticulture & Enology (V&E) Program provides educational opportunities for those interested in grape growing and winemaking.

We offer undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees as well as online certificate programs to educate the next generation of wine industry professionals.

We support the Washington wine industry through our comprehensive research program focused on quality and sustainability.

Our extension services work with various industry associations and directly with industry members to answer questions and to translate the latest research and extend it to the wine and grape industry through seminars, publications and other educational tools.

How did you land your current role?

How long have you been in it?

I was hired as director of the WSU V&E Program in 2009. At that time, I was director of the Australian National Wine & Grape Industry Centre at Charles Sturt University, Australia. Prior to this, I worked for Cornell University and the New York wine industry for 20 years as assistant, then associate and full professor at Cornell University, building the research and education program there.

Why should the Tri-Cities care about the Washington wine industry?

Washington is the second largest producer of grapes/wine and largest juice grape producer in the U.S. We are growing premium wine grapes and making award-winning wines at a lower price point than our competitors nationally and internationally. This industry has an economic impact of over $8 billion annually.

Eastern Washington is home to many of the state’s vineyards and wineries which translates into jobs, business revenue, tax dollars and tourism for this area!

In addition, the WSU V&E Program

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is quickly emerging as one of the top educational and research programs in the nation.

Our faculty are world-renowned, and our facilities are cutting edge.

In fact, the state-of-the-art Wine Science Center on the WSU Tri-Cities campus is a leading wine research and educational facility in the world!

What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?

Honesty.

What is the biggest challenge facing business owners/managers today?

Currently, disruption of winemaking due to Covid-19. In the long term, we need to develop technologies to adapt to climate change.

If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your industry?

Make the achievements of WSU V&E Program and the Washington wine industry better known. We have a great collaborative relationship in research and education, an amazing record of innovation and consistently produce high-quality, distinctive wine.

What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

Listen and be honest. Be an example.

How do you keep your employees motivated?

Support them, listen and acknowledge their contributions.

How did you decide to pursue the career that you are working in today?

I had been interested in wine flavors for a long time. After completing my B.S. in geography and biology, I was encouraged by friends to pursue my interest and study wine.

What do you consider your leadership style to be?

Supporting my colleagues.

How do you measure success in your workplace?

Growth of the wine research and edu-

cation programs. Having major impacts on how the industry grows grapes and makes wine. Seeing our graduates succeeding in the industry.

How do you balance work and family life?

Keep physically active, read.

What’s your best time management strategy?

Keep a calendar.

Thomas Henick-Kling

Best tip to relieve stress?

Running and yoga.

What do you like to do when you are not at work?

Running, yoga, painting, traveling.

What’s your favorite website? Favorite book?

NPR, NW geography and history.

Do you have a personal mantra, phrase or quote you like to use?

Be honest.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Grant helps support WSU Wine Science Center teaching lab

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A gift from the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation is delivering muchneeded space and equipment for handson student learning at Washington State University’s Wine Science Center in north Richland.

Named for the late Washington farmer and entrepreneur Paul Lauzier, the foundation, which supports a range of causes including community development, education, health, and agriculture, chose to support the new Life Sciences Teaching Laboratory, under development at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center on the WSU Tri-Cities

campus.

The foundation’s $100,330 gift helps build out the lab and provides money to buy scientific instruments and fixtures.

The center lacks a dedicated laboratory teaching space, which means undergraduate labs must be taught in research spaces, limiting class sizes, new lab courses and hands-on student projects.

The teaching lab expands capacity, adding space and technology for future graduates to practice analytical techniques in chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and plant physiology.

“The Life Sciences Teaching Lab is one of the most important places at the Wine Science Center,” said Thomas

Viticulture and enology students engage in research at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center. A grant from the Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation will expand capacity for undergraduate research through the center’s planned Life Sciences Teaching Lab. Courtesy WSU Tri-Cities

Henick-Kling, professor and director of WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program.

“It’s a future home for discovery for our undergraduates that will also increase

efficiency and reduce our expenses, by allowing laboratory teaching to happen in its own specially designed space.”

Fundraising is still underway to complete the lab.

The Paul Lauzier Charitable Foundation has donated more than $1.5 million for learning and discovery at WSU. To get involved, contact Carolyn Wika, development officer with WSU College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Science, at C.Wika@wsu.Edu or 509-335-0505.

CANDY MOUNTAIN, From page A11

established.

Pogue, who wrote the petition for buzz-worthy The Rocks District of MiltonFreewater in the Walla Walla Valley, also has spearheaded petitions for White Bluffs and two other proposed AVAs in Washington that are pending — Rocky Reach and Wanapum Village. Public commenting recently closed on the White Bluffs petition and another proposed AVA called The Burn of Columbia Valley near the Horse Heaven Hills and the riverside community of Roosevelt.

Goose Gap, a region that’s nearly adjacent to Candy Mountain, has a petition by Northwest geologist/vintner Alan Busacca that was accepted as perfected on March 6, 2018. However, a public commenting period is pending. The former Washington State University professor is credited with AVAs for the Royal Slope, Lewis-Clark Valley (2016), Lake Chelan (2009) and Wahluke Slope (2007). His work also was cited in the establishment of the Rattlesnake Hills AVA in 2005.

As part of the final rule, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) expanded the Yakima Valley AVA by 72 acres east toward the Columbia River, an aspect that might help explain why the Royal Slope petition was established ahead of Candy Mountain.

The expansion of the Yakima Valley AVA — the first to be established in Northwest in 1983 — means wineries with bottlings that feature Candy Mountain grapes can use the new AVA, the Yakima Valley AVA or the massive Columbia Valley AVA on the label.

The Candy Mountain AVA also includes a young hiking trail that outdoors enthusiasts in the Tri-Cities hope will someday include a path linking the Red Mountain and Candy Mountain AVAs. Eric Degerman is the president and chief executive officer of Great Northwest Wine. He is a journalist with more than 30 years of daily newspaper experience and has been writing about wine since 1998.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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Want to save your piece of paradise? These legal strategies can help Think of a unique piece of property.

Maybe it’s a plot of land you own that is situated perfectly to be added to the Badger Mountain trail system.

Maybe it’s a charming house or commercial building in downtown Kennewick. Maybe it’s a vineyard in the heart of Red Mountain.

If your ultimate goal is to protect that piece of property and preserve it in its current condition, there are several planning strategies to consider that might yield some compelling tax deductions.

Start with the ultimate goal: protecting the piece of property in its current condition.

These strategies are premised on that singular goal. They are not to better use the property or make the property more productive. And, they are not intended to maximize your return on the investment.

Focusing on one of the above examples, let’s say that you own a home next to a vineyard on Red Mountain.

Your goal is for the vineyard to remain a vineyard for as long as possible. What can you do?

In no particular order, and not to the exclusion of other options, here are some strategies to consider:

Donate land to charity that shares your values If the goal is to preserve the vineyard, then you (the donor) can seek out a charitable entity (corporation or trust) that has the stated purpose of preserving vineyard or farm property in its current condition

as a vineyard or farm.

Once found, do a little due diligence to feel comfortable that the charity is going to do the thing Beau Ruff that you want: Cornerstone preserve the Wealth Strategies vineyard.

GUEST COLUMN Once comfortable with the potential recipient of the property, you get an appraisal for the value of the property to be donated and donate it to the charity. You might then be able to use the donation as a charitable deduction on your tax return based on the value of the property as appraised.

The appraisal must generally meet the relevant requirements of Treasury Regulation 1.170A-17(a).

As a reminder, the donor gets two benefits: nonrecognition of the gain — meaning that if you instead sold it, you may have to pay capital gains on the sale; and a potential deduction for the fair market value of the property contributed to the charity — assuming the charity qualifies as a 501(c)(3).

Gift a conservation easement Instead of gifting the entirety of the property to a charity, you could gift a piece of the property to a charity. A “bundle of sticks” is the metaphor to help

understand property rights.

A person can give away one stick (or a few sticks) from the bundle and still maintain meaningful ownership. In this case, you will give an easement to place a conservation restriction on the entire property.

The easement would typically be given to a charity (again a 501(c)(3)), with the express purpose of maintaining the character or purpose of the property right that you are donating.

In essence, you are giving away the right to change the character of the property.

Such a gift has value, too. You are donating a right, the value of which is generally the difference between the value of the property if the owner could make changes, and the value of the property if the owner can’t make changes.

Using the example above, we return to the vineyard.

The owner could donate a conservation easement and the value of the easement then might be the difference between the highest and best use of the property (perhaps commercial property for wineries or gift shops, etc.) and the value of the existing vineyard.

The difference is the value of the gift and the corresponding deduction for tax purposes. The same kind of appraisal as above would be required.

Retain restriction on sale or gift of property An owner can also retain an interest in

land conveyed.

If the owner wanted to sell the vineyard but also have assurance that the character of the property remains unchanged, the owner could choose to convey the land by deed, but retain an enforceable right that the property never be used for any other purpose other than a vineyard.

This kind of conveyance likely would reduce the sale price of the property, and it would not result in any tax deduction, but it could be effective in preserving the character of the vineyard.

Place property into trust A fourth option is to place the property into a trust.

A trust is a vehicle that adds controls to the use and/or distribution of property.

Here, the trust would be established to preserve the character of the property in perpetuity.

Well, not exactly into perpetuity.

Washington only allows trusts to last for 150 years.

Here, the owner again would not be entitled to any income tax deduction.

But, there is the possibility that the owner could use this trust as an effective estate tax mitigation technique. Beau Ruff, a licensed attorney, is the director of planning at Cornerstone Wealth Strategies, a full-service independent investment management and financial planning firm in Kennewick.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

uBUSINESS BRIEFS Charter offers internet, Wi-Fi for school households

Charter Communications Inc. is renewing its free internet program for new customers with K-12 and college students, as well as educators to facilitate remote learning during the Covid-19 crisis.

New customers can call 844-3101198.

A self-installation kit will be provided.

Tri-City Diversity Summit heads to Zoom

The 2020 Tri-City Diversity summit will offer a keynote address and discussion sessions held via Zoom Oct. 26-28.

Skot Welch, a diversity and inclusion strategist, will give the keynote.

Listening sessions, led by local leaders, will tackle racial equity and recognition, citizen-law enforcement relations, child well-being and education equity, economic inequity and opportunity, and leadership.

Organizers also will present the TriCities Champion of Diversity Awards to an individual and an organization.

Email info@tricityregionalchamber. com for registration information.

Washington sets 2021 minimum wage, salary

The minimum wage in Washington will be $13.69 an hour beginning on Jan. 1, a 19-cent boost, the Washington

State Department of Labor & Industries calculates.

The minimum annual salary for overtime exempt workers rises to $42,712.80, or 150% of the hourly minimum, for those working at businesses with 50 or few workers, and $49,831.60, or 175% of the hourly minimum, for those working for larger firms.

The new minimum salaries were mandated under modifications to the Minimum Wage Act that took effect on July 1.

Baker Boyer invites public to hear economic update

Baker Boyer is inviting the community to virtually attend its biannual economic update, normally an inviteonly event.

The hourlong presentation begins at noon Oct. 15 via Microsoft Teams Live and will cover current and future pandemic policy, implications of the Nov. 3 election and Covid-19 and a long-term investment outlook. There will be time for questions.

Go to bakerboyer.com/economicupdate to register and for login details.

Spay/neuter group gets boost from Toyota

Pet Overpopulation Prevention, or POPP, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing pet overpopulation by spaying and neutering animals, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to buy surgical instruments for its new Pasco clinic.

POPP bought a former dental office and is converting it into a low-cost, highvolume spay and neuter clinic. It is using the GoFundMe platform to raise nearly $84,000 to buy instruments.

Toyota of Tri-Cities is lending a hand by promoting the campaign and linking to it through the auto dealership’s Facebook page. Toyota is inviting customers to contribute as well by having the donation added to their service bill.

Follow Toyota on Facebook @ToyotaofTriCities. Supporters can donate directly to POPP at popptricities.org or via gofundme.com/f/pet-overpopulation-prevention-spay-amp-neuter-clinic.

WPC holds virtual farm forum on Oct. 22

The Washington Policy Center will hold a virtual Farm Hall at 4 p.m.

Oct. 22 to discuss the state of agriculture in Washington and the top issues confronting the industry in the coming year.

The event is organized by WPC’s Initiative on Agriculture and will cover farm labor, predator management, the 2021 Legislature, carbon taxes and more.

Go to bit.ly/FarmHall to register.

Benton County voting center now open near mall

Benton County’s temporary voting center has opened in a former Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurant at 2610 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Richland.

The county leased the space to provide more room to assist voters and to process ballots during the 2020 general election season. The new location replaces the Canal Drive Annex in Kennewick and is open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Voters can get help registering and changing their address. After Oct. 14, they also can request replacement ballots, get voters’ pamphlets and use accessible units for voters who have disabilities.

Washington voters can also use VoteWA.org.

The deadline to register online to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Oct. 26.

The deadline to register in person is Nov. 3, Election Day. Ballots must be postmarked by Election day to count or can be dropped in special collection boxes throughout the county.

The voter center in the Benton County Courthouse in Prosser is closed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

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FOOD Meals on Wheels returns to serving up curbside hot lunches

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

Kristi Thien and the staff and volunteers at Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels paced nervously in the parking lot.

Would anyone come for hot meals, the first since the pandemic began?

Senior Life Resources Northwest, which runs Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels, was about to pass out hot meals to seniors in a drive-thru format. The nonprofit has delivered frozen meals but no fresh ones since Covid-19 forced it to alter how it provides meals to seniors 60 and over.

“We’re getting hot meals out the door again,” said Brian Kinner, food services manager, clearly pleased.

Kinner walked staff and volunteers through the safety measures to keep them and guests safe from contagion. Masks for everyone, at all times. Gloves for volunteers, changed as need be. Sanitizing clipboards and pens between guests.

An outbreak tied to Meals on Wheels would be a disaster. Thien and Kinner weren’t taking chances.

“We want to be showing how good we are with PPE,” he said.

The drive-thru hot meal event on Sept.

23 marked a return to providing ready-toeat meals to seniors at its Fowler Street quarters in Richland.

It was supposed to begin a week earlier but was called off because of hazardous smoke. Meals had been prepared and staff stood by in case anyone didn’t get the message about the cancelation, but no one came.

Sept. 23 was different.

The sky was clear and the mood happy.

Hot boxes full of turkey dinners and cold boxes full of fruit and milk and bags of frozen meals were at the ready. Kinner and his team of blue-shirted volunteers gathered nervously, waiting to see if anyone would come at the 11 a.m. start time.

Thien was optimistic.

Meals on Wheels resumed hot meal distributions in Walla Walla in late sum-

mer. It got an earlier start than the Tri-Cities since it has lower Covid-19 infection rates. Demand was strong and vehicles lined up around the block in Walla Walla.

“I would love to have that problem here,” said Thien, nutrition services director.

Thien said that after months of hunkering down and distributing frozen meals by the week, Meals on Wheels was ready to test the waters. By September, Tri-Citians were out and about.

If the hot meal program succeeds, Senior Life Resources Northwest will consider adding more home visits and expanded services.

“We have a lot of people who are sick to death of frozen meals,” she said.

But would they come to Fowler Street, north of Columbia Center?

Yes. The team served 47 meals Sept. 23 and 63 meals Sept. 30.

At the advertised start time, Carol Charvet drove in, navigated her way past orange cones and greeted Meals on Wheels staffers by name. A Meals on Wheels volunteer herself, Charvet was picking up a hot meal and pack of three frozen ones not for herself but for her husband.

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Brian Kinner, food services manager at Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels, prepares volunteers on Sept. 23 to pass out hot and frozen meals in Richland for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic started.

Charvet doesn’t eat meat, but he does.

The turkey dinner and three frozen meals will spare her from preparing his, she said before driving off as another visitor pulled in.

One after another, clients rolled into the parking lot. They checked in, exchanged friendly messages and updates and were uMEALS ON WHEELS, Page A20

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Food

MEALS ON WHEELS, From page A19 asked if they needed a week’s worth of frozen meals or just half.

They then drove on to the next station, where Zulema Zavala and Patty Williams waited with bags ready.

“It’s so satisfying to see people go with hot meals,” said Zavala, a site manager and cook who also distributes in Pasco.

Williams, assistant site manager for Prosser, said she was happy to drive into Richland, calling the drive-thru “really fun” and a chance to reconnect with those who rely on Meals on Wheels.

Williams said she has a heart for seniors and has missed her people since sites closed.

“I love old people. I’m one of them,” she said.

In this pandemic year, Senior Life Resources is counting its blessings, Thien said.

It canceled its most important fundraising breakfast last spring. Thien feared a devastating loss of revenue.

But sponsors kept their commitment and donations came in from the public and through the federal coronavirus relief bill via the state.

“This community is just incredible,” she said. “I think we earned as much as we would have with the breakfast.”

Thanks to that generosity, Mid-Columbia Meals on Wheels has no waiting list and no income requirements. Those who rely on it are welcome to make donations, but they are not required.

Covid-19 brought new demand for its services from people fearing food short-

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Senior Life Resources Northwest, which runs MidColumbia Meals on Wheels, offers hot meals for pickup between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Wednesdays at 1834 Fowler St., Richland.

Participants must remain in their cars and wear masks. Newcomers will have to fill out a short questionnaire.

Go to seniorliferesources. org/services/meals-onwheels for information, including upcoming menus. ages and grocery store visits Fear has abated and clients report their freezers are full. The hoarding slowed as people saw their fears of shortages didn’t come to pass, Thien said.

Meals on Wheels dishes up about 20,000 meals a month and is preparing to add a new commercial freezer at its complex. It wants to store enough meals to supply demand for four to six weeks, breathing room if it is forced to shut down for any reason.

If 2020 has been heartwarming, 2021 could pose a new financial challenge.

Thine said Senior Life Resources will need to raise $600,000. It’s a heavy lift and she worries compassion fatigue and long-term unemployment will dampen support.

Senior Life Resources Northwest received a 100 rating out of 100 from Charity Navigator, which monitors nonprofits.

To donate, go to seniorliferesources. org/donate or mail checks to 1824 Fowler St., Richland, WA 99352.

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Pacific Pasta seeks new home as lease runs out

Pacific Pasta & Grill in Kennewick is looking for new space after losing its lease at 7911 W. Grandridge Blvd.

Mary Sue Hsu, who owns the restaurant with her husband and daughter, said the family likely will take a few months off to recover from a difficult year beset by health issues. They are looking for a smaller spot to house the restaurant.

Its current 120-seat configuration is too big, particularly in a pandemic. Even with occupancy limited to 25% by the state’s Safe Start program, it seldom reached that level, she said The landlord, Gerald & Spring Covington Living Trust, put its 3,425-squarefoot building and 0.56-acre site on the market in March. Pacific Pasta’s lease expires Oct. 31.

It is being marketed for $699,000 as either a restaurant or a potential office or retail space. The taxable value is $727,000. Fixtures, furnishings and equipment are not part of the sale.

Professional Realty Associates is the listing agent, for the owner. The restaurant was built in 2005 and opened as Nothing But Noodles before changing names in 2012.

Food

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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Food, agriculture sectors fortify Tri-City economy Food and agriculture lay claim to many segments of the economy of the greater Tri-Cities.

The area’s fields, orchards, vineyards and animal husbandry operations yield a cornucopia of products. While a good portion of these products is shipped beyond county lines, much is sent to facilities here to process the bounty.

Think of vegetable, especially potato, processors. Think of wineries. Think of dairies.

Of course, food also ends up on the tables of residents in the two counties, either at home or in restaurants. With a rapidly growing population, this is not an insignificant activity. Let’s take up these dimensions of food and agriculture in southeastern Washington in turn.

Benton-Franklin Trends carries many measures of food production at the grower level in its agriculture category.

One is a tally of the number employed.

In 2019, the average number in Benton and Franklin counties was slightly more than 12,700. As Trends data shows, the number of these workers translated into a fourth-place ranking among the largest employing sectors, behind government, health care and retail.

As the Trends chart shows, agriculture’s share is the third segment of the bar from the bottom. Since 2003, agricultural production has typically ranked third largest, with its share of all jobs in the two counties falling in the 10% to 11% range.

Ideally, we would also capture agriculture in the Trends data on gross metro product, or GMP. This is another measure of total activity of an economy, but in dollar terms; it’s the local equivalent of gross domestic product, or GDP. Curiously, however, federal statistics have suppressed the data for this important sector in the two counties, so it is unclear whether production agriculture would be shown in Trends data tracking the five largest sectors by GMP. My guess is that now it would not.

This is largely due to insights from data on total wages paid in production agriculture.

GMP is predominantly composed of wages, salaries and benefits. Labor

market data from Washington’s Employment Security Department put total wages and salaries paid in 2019 at nearly $410 million.

D. Patrick Jones While large, Eastern that payroll Washington amounted to University about 6% of toGUEST COLUMN tal payroll in the two counties, placing it eighth among the 19 sectors of the economy.

A look at only farm-level activity would miss a significant contribution of the food sector to the local economy, however. Transforming raw materials into something of higher value also is known as manufacturing. And manufacturing here, while not found among the largest sectors employed over 8,300 in the two counties in 2019.

More than two-thirds of those workers were engaged in either food or beverage production. That represented about 4.6% of all workers, as the Trends labor force data reveals for 2019.

So aggregating production agricultural and food processing workforces for 2019 yields a share of 14.6%. This would place the total food production sector second largest among all sectors.

Based on total wages and salaries, an aggregated agriculture production/food and beverage processing sector would rank fifth and, therefore, likely among the top five sectors by GMP. Furthermore, from an economic development perspective, it is often useful to consider those sectors that export, at least beyond county lines, as a cut above other sectors. That is, these sectors don’t merely recycle existing dollars in the local economy but pull in new ones.

While the purest form of such externally-oriented sectors is tourism, local agriculture isn’t far behind. With a small population relative to the size of harvests and processed products, nearly all of Benton and Franklin counties’

food leaves the counties. (Of course, the greater Tri-Cities is in a unique and enviable position in that two of its other largest sectors — waste services and scientific services — also receive their revenue from beyond county borders.)

The third leg of the local food economy doesn’t export. But it still employs thousands of workers. That is the local consumption of food, whether at home or away from home.

Of the various businesses that make up the food services sector — caterers, bars, coffeehouses and, of course, restaurants — 8,900 workers were employed in 2019. In grocery stores of the two counties, another 2,200.

Roughly speaking, then, nearly 30,000 of the jobs in the greater TriCities in 2019 were directly connected to food and agriculture. Out of a twocounty labor force of nearly 127,000, that translates into an approximate share of 24%.

This quick survey of food and agriculture in the two counties hasn’t considered the jobs indirectly tied to its activities. Reduce these nearly 30,000 jobs by any proportion, and jobs will be lost in the many sectors that support them, such as health care, non-grocery

retail, construction, finance and government.

How local food and agriculture will look in a post-Covid 19 world seems uncertain to this observer.

To what degree will automation displace labor in both production and processing? Will the export demand (internationally and nationally) for the local food product mix move away or toward the counties’ players?

Unless some major policy disruptions, such as trade wars, appear on the horizon, it is likely that change will be slow. More abrupt adjustments may occur among today’s restaurants.

In this season where over millennia humankind has shown gratitude for a bountiful harvest, let us hope that the pandemic will be kind to all players this vital sector. D. Patrick Jones is the executive director for Eastern Washington University’s Institute for Public Policy & Economic Analysis. Benton-Franklin Trends, the institute’s project, uses local, state and federal data to measure the local economic, educational and civic life of Benton and Franklin counties.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

FAST FOOD, From page A1 nage, a new order counter, menu board and 400 square feet of space.

The contractor, EM Precision, has stripped the building of its siding and play structure.

McDonald’s applied for building permits in April, when the pandemic was in its infancy.

That suggests the project was planned well before coronavirus began its deadly march across the planet, Bouchey said.

“A lot of those are planned two years out. But if it’s still happening next year, then it could be a factor,” he said.

It does seem like there are a lot of remodels happening, but Amanda Wallner, marketing specialist for the city of Richland, said that is not unusual.

The similarly-aged buildings are due for updates and technology is changing the way customers place orders.

“There are a lot of competitive changes to stay relevant in that industry,” she said.

Too, she noted, customers have turned to fast-casual options over sit-down, table service restaurants in the pandemic.

The Richland Taco Bell is even older than the McDonald’s. It opened in 1981 at Washington Plaza, a Safeway-anchored strip mall at McMurray Street and George Washington Way. The restaurant is closed for an $800,000 makeover to bring it up to the modern brand standards, said John Arthur, president of Yakima Restaurants Inc., the Ohio-based company that owns and operates 32 Taco Bell franchises in Ohio and Washington.

Baxter Construction is the contractor for the down-to-the-studs remodel. The updates include electronic menu boards, more space in the kitchen and a new drive-thru, said Arthur, who manages the family’s 10 Washington Taco Bells. His identical twin brother manages the ones in Ohio.

Richland authorized the work in August.

Arthur said the exterior had not been significantly updated in the 30 years since it was built.

Yum! Brands, which owns the Taco Bell brand, laid out new standards for its franchisees.

Arthur said that was the impetus for the remodel but Yakima Restaurants is going well beyond the minimum.

A bump out will add more space in the kitchen as well as storage space to accommodate employees.

The restaurant is in the top 3 for sales, he said. But is also the most affected by the

Food Covid-19 pandemic. Arthur said it’s due to the loss of drive-by traffic since many Hanford site workers began working from home.

He expects Taco Bell to reopen in early to mid-November as a drive-thru. Restaurants can open at 25% capacity under Washington’s Safe Start program, but Arthur won’t reopen the dining room until he feels it is safe for employees.

Arthur confirmed that capital projects take lots of planning. He intends to remodel four Yakima-area Taco Bell locations in the next one to two years.

Three of four local Arby’s sandwich shops will be remodeled starting in November, said Jessica Jourdan, regional manager for RB American, the franchise operator. Arby’s drive-thrus will stay open but the dining rooms, already closed by the pandemic, will remain closed.

Jourdan said the company is waiting for restaurants to be allowed to operate at 50% capacity under Washington’s Safe Start program before it opens to in-person dining. As of mid-October, Benton and Franklin counties were in a modified Phase 1, which allowed 25% capacity.

The city of Kennewick issued permits for the Arby’s at 3506 W. Clearwater Ave., and the one at 1310 N. Columbia Center Blvd. The company hasn’t yet sought approval for its Richland plans. It does not currently plan to update its Pasco restaurant, a newer building constructed in 2005.

The Kennewick projects both are valued at $182,000, including remodeling and plumbing work.

The restaurants will get new facades, fixtures, finishes and plumbing fixtures.

Demolition will be minimal.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Food uBUSINESS BRIEFS McCurley Octoberfest supports food banks

McCurley Integrity Dealerships in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla are supporting area food banks through October by collecting food donations and contributing a share of vehicle sales. The goal is to raise $40,000.

Supporters are invited to bring nonperishable food donations to any McCurley dealership and leave it in the “donor car.” Yoke’s Fresh Markets is offering $5 and $10 “Food-Drive Food-Bags,” which are purchased at the register and left in a donation bin in the store.

The 2019 Octoberfest brought the

18-year total of donated food to nearly 920,000 pounds.

Pandemic slows Lamb Weston earnings, outlook improves

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. shipped 14% less frozen potatoes by volume in its second fiscal quarter, leading to a 12% decline in net sales, the company reported in its quarterly earnings report, released Oct. 7.

Lamb Weston reported $871.5 million in net sales, $117.5 million less than a year ago. Net income fell 23% and its 61 cents per share earnings was 23% below a year ago.

The company previously announced it would pay a dividend of 23 cents

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per share on Dec. 4 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 6.

In an unusual move, the Eagle, Idaho, frozen potato giant provided results for the first four weeks of its second quarter, which ended Sept. 25, to show business is reviving. The glimpse indicates shipments in North America were at 90% of where they were a year ago, while shipments to Europe, China and Australia were close to prior-year levels.

“While still below pre-pandemic levels, demand for our products in the U.S. stabilized during the latter half of our first quarter and into September as quick service restaurants rebounded, and as full-service restaurants were aided by the relaxing of government-imposed restrictions on on-premises dining,” said

A23

Tom Werner, president and chief executive officer, in a release that accompanied the earnings report.

Werner noted rising carry-out and delivery traffic contributed to returning demand.

Retail demand remained strong but below the peaks it observed in the initial stages of the pandemic when shoppers were stocking their pantries.

Lamb Weston is a major Mid-Columbia employer with offices, research and production facilities scattered around the region. It is one of the leading buyers of Washington-grown potatoes.

The company’s shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “LW.” The 52-week range is roughly $40 to $96.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

BUSINESS PROFILE

Boutique returns to Northwest to set up shop in Richland

By Laura Kostad

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Hotoveli Boutique, Richland’s newest fashion hub, has arrived at Queensgate Village, giving area fashionistas another local outlet to find the perfect outift, or pieces to complete their current wardrobe.

Hotoveli offers a fashion house atmosphere with a selection of name brand, high-end items, as well as affordable styles to suit daughters, mothers and grandmothers alike.

“I handpick everything, and I love everything that’s in here,” said owner Deane Duncan.

When selecting items for the shop at 1950 Keene Road, Duncan said she orders what she is personally attracted to and what she senses will suit her clients.

“I love pieces that are on-trend, but you can pull them out of your closet five years from now and they’ll still be ontrend. Timeless pieces with some trendiness,” Duncan said.

Among the clothing, shoes, felt hats, jewelry and other accessories, she offers high-end brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, but also other more affordable labels and popular Bohemian and vintage-inspired brands such as Free People, Johnny Was and others.

“I only have a handful of select designers that I deal with,” Duncan said.

In addition to Hotoveli’s own store

label, other brands stocked include Aratta, Atenti, Bed Stü, Brighton, Caite, Day Dreamer, Dynamic, Fossil, Freebird, French Kande, Gypsy, Hidden, LA Trading, Lack of Color, Lauren Moshi, LoveRiche, Lucky Star Jewels, Miracle Mile, Rachel Allen, Rock Revival, Terani Couture, Thymes, Trunk LTD, Voluspa, Yunis K and Zowee Jewels.

“I just carry a lot of unique things that I don’t think a lot of other stores around here carry,” she said.

The “modern chic boutique” opened in May, after moving back to the Columbia Basin from its Lake Havasu, Arizona, location of three years.

Duncan originally opened the shop in her hometown of Moses Lake almost a decade ago, coming up with the name with the help of her son by blending old Italian family names with fashion buzz words.

She and her husband visited Lake Havasu several years later, loved it and moved there. Duncan decided to bring her shop with her, after a former restaurant suite she was looking at near Bonefish Grill in Richland fell through.

“I loved Lake Havasu. It was so amazing; the people there were really supportive,” Duncan said. “I missed my family though.” Her son lives in Tri-Cities.

When the Duncans moved to Tri-Cities in winter 2019, the 2,300-square-foot space was the biggest on the market.

“We had signed and planned to move

Photo by Laura Kostad Deane Duncan moved her fashion and accessories shop, Hotoveli Boutique, from Lake Havasu, Arizona, at the height of the Covid pandemic and reopened in May at Queensgate Village in Richland. The boutique carries high-end couture pieces as well as more affordable product lines.

(the store) in March to here from Havasu.

I had two semis loaded of just my store, and then Covid went into full swing. I didn’t know if I would even be able to cross state lines,” Duncan said.

“I feel blessed to have made it this far, to have opened a store in the middle of Covid,” she said, adding that her Havasu customers have continued to support her through Hotoveli’s online store at hotovelirocks.com.

Longtime Moses Lake customers also have been making the drive to Tri-Cities to support the boutique, she said.

“So, I’m being positive. I feel like I have an amazing clientele that’s already started spreading the word for me and it’s going to be good, I just need to make it through this,” she said.

Duncan said local business began to take off when a group of girls came in looking for outfits for their senior pictures.

“I’ve been styling a lot of senior portrait shoots and it’s saved me,” she said.

“I have them coming from Hermiston, Sunnyside, Yakima, Moses Lake … The girls that come in, I love helping them. I want them to feel amazing.”

Hotoveli also carries homecoming and prom dresses in the fall and spring.

For Duncan, the store is more than just selling products.

“When these girls come in and I spend a couple hours to get the perfect dress and outfit to make them feel amazing, it’s personal, like I’m their mother almost. Same with homecoming and proms—I would cry. Those are my girls who were in like ninth and tenth grade and they would come for their volleyball banquet night and prom and homecoming and rush at Washington State University and then wedding announcement photos,” she said.

Duncan emphasized that she carries styles and accessories to suit all ages. “I want everyone that comes in to feel like they can find something.” She said that she’s working on expanding her plussize selections, seeking cuts and fabrics flattering to more shapely figures.

Naturally, Duncan has had to reassess the needs of her customer base now that she’s back in the Pacific Northwest. “It’s such different weather (than in Havasu) that I was excited to be able to this year bring in lots more cardigans and sweaters,” she said. “I love fall, I love layers, I love cardigans, I love boots, so I’m exuHOTOVELI, Page A28

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

BUSINESS PROFILE

A25

Pasco wheelchair manufacturer earns key ISO certification

By Sarah McCauley

for Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

They already knew it was true, but now, everyone else will too.

TiLite, a custom wheelchair manufacturing unit of Permobil, has been a fixture in the Pasco community for about 20 years.

It has been creating innovative, titanium wheelchairs while meeting the high standards of the FDA. Now, after months of overhauling its systems, TiLite has earned the International Organization for Standards’ industry-leading ISO certification for medical devices and related services.

ISO certification is proof Permobil and TiLite are dedicated to creating wheelchairs of the highest quality.

TiLite has spent the past 18 months undergoing an extensive process of adapting its operation to earn this certification. Specifically, ISO 13485 designation for “organizations involved in the design, production, installation and servicing of medical devices and related services,” according to the ISO website.

Brad Wolfe, regulatory manager and project leader at TiLite, sees it as further proof of what he already knew, that TiLite has a good manufacturing system that can be repeated, that its products do what it says they will.

“That shows all the other countries and

the FDA ... that we can, time after time, produce a safe product,” he said.

Not just any company can proudly wear the title of an ISO certification.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in 2019 that it plans to update its Quality Systems Regulation, or QSR, for medical devices to meet the standards of ISO 13485 for audit inspections.

Chuck Witkowski, president of Permobil Americas, confirms the dedication Permobil has always had when it comes to carrying out its mission to help people achieve the greatest level of independence they can through its products.

“I think that the certification itself is a great achievement, but really I think that it’s what it stands for that is important,” he said. “And for us that means a focus on quality, whether it’s from the design phase through manufacturing, but I also think it speaks to who we are and who we want to be in terms of quality.”

It makes sense they would want to highlight their commitment to settling for nothing short of perfection. TiLite wheelchairs and other products go beyond assisting people in their everyday lives.

Wheelchairs serve as an extension of a person’s body.

The 230 members of the Permobil team find it immensely rewarding.

“I love it here. It’s one of those jobs and one of those companies where you can really be proud of the products you create,

Courtesy Permobil A lightweight, titanium piece of a TiLite custom wheelchair undergoes its transformation on the production line in Pasco.

and the difference in people’s lives that you make. Definitely not everyone can say that,” said Caleb Gilmour, production manager, who has been working at TiLite for about five years.

Gilmour has lived in the Tri-Cities his whole life, living just across the highway from where he grew up. He has memories of going into a Pasco grocery store when he was younger. That building is now the manufacturing center where he is production manager.

“This community has supported me my entire life, so it’s just one of the ways I can give back and pay it forward. But I’ve got the best team here. They all mean as much to me as my own family,” he said.

That’s not going to change anytime soon.

“We’ve been part of the community for

quite some time and we intend to be, going forward,” Witkowski said.

TiLite began building bike frames, golf shafts and other athletic equipment with titanium and shifted to performance wheelchairs in the late 1990s. Permobil, a global wheelchair firm based in Sweden, bought it in September 2014. The international company employs 1,600 people in more than 15 countries.

The hard work the TiLite family does each day was featured on actor John Ratzenberger’s show promoting U.S.-made products, “Made in America,” in 2009.

The profile is posted at bit.ly/PermobilMadeInAmerica.

When watching the TiLite team in action, it’s apparent how dedicated to excellence the staff is — and now they have the certification to prove it.

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A26

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 uBUSINESS BRIEFS Washington health plan rates are going down

The 13 health insurers who sell plans on Washington’s Healthplanfinder Exhange will cut rates by an average of 3.2% in 2021.

Mike Kreidler, Washington’s elected insurance commissioner, approved the new rates in September. Plans are certified by the Washington Health Benefit Exchange Board.

Not all 13 offer plans in the MidColumbia.

Insurers approved to operate in Benton and Franklin counties in 2021 are: BridgeSpan Health Co., Coordi-

nated Care Corp., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, Premera Blue Cross (Franklin only), Providence Health Plan, Coordinated Care Corp.

In addition, Asuris Northwest Health intends to sell plans off the exchange in the Mid-Columbia and elsewhere in eastern Washington. Its plan and ad rates are under review.

Go to wahealthplanfinder.org/_content/Homepage.html.

Benton Franklin livestock sale raises $647,000

The annual Benton Franklin Fair Market Stock Sale raised $647,000 for 336 participants in the Aug. 28 event.

The auction is part of the annual Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, which was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organizers raised an additional $52,000 to boost prices. There were 522 participants in 2019, when the sale total topped $1 million.

Lori Lancaster, executive director, said 67% of the 2020 participants benefited from the boost and the program will probably continue in the future.

WSU Tri-Cities offers online community classes

Washington State University Tri-Cities is hosting a series of virtual classes on race, equity and engaged citizenship.

The classes are held on Zoom and are

A27

free to participants: • 4-5:15 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22: Digital Dissensus: Discovering Truth in an Era of Misinformation: Digital literacy expert Mike Caulfield, director of blended and networked learning at WSU Vancouver, will lead the session.

• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29: Dismantling Racism: The Game of Change. Thabiti Lewis, professor of English and a member of the WSU Vancouver leadership team, and Dr. Marie Theard, director of neuroanesthesia at Oregon Health and Science University, will lead the class.

Got to tricities.wsu.edu/communityclassroom for information.

A28

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 HOTOVELI, From page A24 cited.”

Duncan said she works constantly to expand her offerings, bring in new products, and keep it fresh at Hotoveli. “It’s like Christmas every day when the UPS guy comes,” she said.

In a retail world that’s increasingly moving to online transactions, local brick-and-mortar shops like Hotoveli find their niche by delivering a personal touch.

“I get to know (customers) on a personal level and what their style is. I love that, it’s what I love most. I could literally run this store out of my home on Facebook and Instagram, but what’s the fun of that? It’s just about building relationships. I love knowing people on a personal level and it’s genuine,” Duncan said.

Mala Pierce, one of Hotoveli’s Lake Havasu customers, has returned again and again to the boutique, even now that it’s moved.

“Most of the clothes in my closet are Hotoveli,” she said. “(Deane) was so amazing and she has the most beautiful clothes … She pretty much knows her people and will show you what she knows you’ll like.”

“She has great style and class,” she added. “She has an array from somebody who’s a teenager or in their early 20s or 40s and older like me.”

Overall, Pierce said, “(Deane) is wonderful and just great to deal with and she became a personal friend — not just someone I go in and buy from.”

For now, Duncan said it will just be her running the shop’s day-to-day operations, so customers can expect to find her and her keen styling advice when they stop in.

She said she is also looking forward to holding a grand opening once the state’s social distancing restrictions have lifted.

Hotoveli Boutique: 1950 Keene Road, Unit R, Richland. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 509-770-7475, Instagram, Facebook, hotovelirocks.com.

uBUSINESS BRIEF Comment period, public hearing for Hanford modifications

The Washington Department of Ecology has opened a new public comment period on permit modifications to the T Plant and Central Waste Complex after discovering that not all documents were available during an earlier round.

Comments are accepted through Nov. 4.

A public hearing will be at 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 29. To join by audio, call 415-6550001 or 855-929-3239.

Send us your business news info@tcjournal.biz

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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Kadlec, Tri-Cities Cancer Center commit to ‘brand’

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Kadlec Regional Medical Center and the Tri-Cities Cancer Center have committed to maintaining the cancer center as a distinct entity following a tumultuous year that saw Lourdes and Trios withdraw as owner/partners after they were acquired by a for-profit medical company.

Kadlec and the cancer center jointly announced a series of decisions to maintain the cancer center within Kadlec on Sept.

16.

They also announced that Michele Caron has been named interim operational leader.

She succeeds Chuck DeGooyer, who previously announced his intent to retire.

DeGooyer is recuperating from surgery related to an accident several weeks ago and will be recovering at home for several months.

No other details were provided.

The cancer center board hired a third-

uBUSINESS BRIEFS WSU Tri-Cities has 50 loaner laptops

Washington State University TriCities has launched a loaner laptop program with 50 donated machines.

Associated Students of WSU TriCities bought 20 laptops that students can check out free to use throughout their college time.

Cadwell donated 30 reconditioned laptops, with some earmarked to be rented through the student government program.

Laptops are offered through tricities. wsu.edu/current-students/support.

To contribute to the program, contact the director of campus student support services at jordyn.creighton@wsu.edu.

Spectrum launches Black news channel in Tri-Cities

Tri-Cities cable provider Spectrum is making the new Black News Channel available to its Tri-City subscribers.

BNC is available on channel 708 at no added charge to customers who have Silver, Digi Tier 1 or Spectrum Lifestyle TV. BNC launched Feb. 10 to provide national cable news programming that covers the perspective of African American communities.

Richland appoints new council member

Marianne Boring has been appointed the Richland City Council vacancy left by the resignation of Brad Anderson.

The city council interviewed Boring, a longtime planning commissioner, as well as Theresa Richardson and Maria Gutierrez, in September.

The vote was unanimous. Boring was expected to take her seat in early October. Anderson won reelection to the Position 2 seat in 2019, defeating challenger Shir Regev. The term expires in 2023.

party consultant to guide it as it went ahead with Kadlec as its sole member/owner.

Created in 1994, the cancer center was established as a joint venture between Trios Health, which was Kennewick General Hospital at the time, Lourdes Health in Pasco and Kadlec in Richland. The nonprofit cancer center operated as a separate corporation with its own board, but its ownership resided with the three member hospitals.

The cancer center board decided the Tri-Cities Cancer Center “brand” will remain intact under Kadlec ownership and may even be expanded to incorporate more cancer services.

“The cancer center has built a strong reputation in the community, and we hope to build on this strength as we continue to improve cancer services for those we are privileged to serve,” it said.

The cancer center’s radiation oncology service will be integrated with cancer services offered by Kadlec, including its hematology and oncology unit that is colocated at the cancer center’s Kennewick facility.

Many cancer patients receive chemotherapy on one end of the building and radiation treatment on the other.

Details will be announced as they develop but integrating the two systems will lead to better coordination for patients.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation will continue to operate as it has in the past. It will work with Kadlec to boost patient support services, including screenings, classes, research and support groups.

“The board wants to thank the cancer center staff for its professionalism and patience,” said Susan Kreid, a cancer center board member since 2005 as well as Kadlec board member.

“We look forward to what the future holds for the cancer center,” said Dr. Sue Mandell, radiation oncologist and medical director for cancer center. “My colleagues and I are excited to join our partners at Kadlec and take cancer care in the TriCities to an even higher level.”

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

uAPPOINTMENTS • Brian O’Neill, an Earth systems scientist who studies the relationship between future societal development, emissions and climate change impacts, has been named the new director of the Joint Global Change Research Institute, the institute is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland and the University of Maryland in College Park. O’Neill is a professor at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies and serves as director of research at the Korbel School’s Pardee Center for International Futures, also at the University of Denver.

uAWARDS & HONORS • The Kennewick Kiwanis Club’s first Zoom installation on Sept. 15 included the presentation of several awards: President’s Award, Rick McKinnon; Kiwanians of the Year, Megan Farrow & Maureen Bell; George F. Hixon Fellowship, President Rick McKinnon; Finley Satellite Club Volunteer of the Year, Barb Stanley; and Young Professional Satellite Club, John Raschko.

• The Association of Washington Business named Yakima Chief Hops the winner of the association’s 2020 Manufacturing Excellence Award for green manufacturing. The company was recognized for its numerous initiatives aimed at reducing waste and shrinking its environmental footprint, including the in-

stallation of more than 3,700 solar panels at its facilities.

• Joe Walker, Port of Benton’s director of airports, has earned the certified member (C.M.) credential from the American Association of Joe Walker Airport Executives (AAAE).

The designation is the second highest level of achievement available from the AAAE and demonstrates a commitment to the aviation industry. Walker is one of about 2,300 aviation professionals worldwide to hold an active C.M. The designation attests to his proficiency and knowledge of

airport operations and management. The AAAE is the largest professional organization for airport employees.

uGRANTS • Legends Casino Hotel in Toppenish donated $378,988 in grants to assist 69 nonprofits through its Yakama Cares program. The committee for the charitable contribution fund received 336 applications to evaluate for this year’s distribution. The committee bases part of its selection on the areas of need in the community. Grants awarded range from $1,500 to $25,000 per recipient. Local groups receiving grants were: Kiona-Benton City Middle School, $3,000, for fencing in the field area; Columbia Industries, $5,000 for uniforms, shoes, training materials for cooking program for adults with barriers; Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation, $2,400 for breast cancer patients; Second Harvest, $4,000 for food assistance for two local distributions; Martha’s Cupboard, $5,000 for faith-based charitable organization to provide items food stamps, laundry soap, shampoos, etc.; Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue, $2,000 for kennels and medical bills for foster-based dog rescue; Pet Over Population Prevention, $2,000 for surgical equipment to help spay and neuter program; Prevent Homeless Pets, $2,000 for spay and neuter program; Chaplaincy Health Care, $6,500 for care for those who cannot afford it; and Combat Veteran Motorcycle Association, $5,000 to help veterans.

• The Benton Conservation District will design a pair of cold-water rest stops for migrating salmon near the mouth of the Yakima River with a $306,000 grant from the Washington State Salmon Recovery Board.

Yakima River salmon travel thousands of miles to get home but encounter a roadblock in the warm water of the Yakima.

As they wait in the Columbia River for temperatures to drop, fish age rapidly and are vulnerable to sportfishing, according to the conservation district.

The money will pay to enhance two pockets of cooler water upstream from the mouth of the Yakima to serve as “rest stops” for salmon migrating to spawning grounds.

• A $35,000 donation from the Albertsons and Safeway Foundation will be used to support Richland School District’s weekly distribution of free meals to all children in the community.

The district is receiving additional federal funding for the breakfasts and lunches it is making available for all children under the age of 18 while schools are in an online learning format. The contribution will help defray additional costs from those efforts, such as food containers, sacks and thermal packaging.

Nutrition services staff are providing weekly meal packets on Fridays to thousands of families at most RSD schools.

The program started with providing a breakfast and lunch for every school day in a given week and will expand to include weekend meals on Oct. 2.

The donation specifically came from the Nourishing Neighbors Community Relief Initiative and its Help Feed Families During the Crisis fundraiser.

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 uNEW HIRES • Pasco City Manager Dave Zabell has named Pullman’s city administrator to be the next deputy city manager, replacing Stan Adam Lincoln Strebel, who retired last year.

Adam Lincoln also worked as assistant to the city manager for the city of Lakewood. For over a decade, Lincoln has worked at the federal, state and local levels of government.

Lincoln is active within the city management profession and belongs to several municipal management organizations. He earned his master of public administration degree from the University of Washington Evans School of Governance and Public Policy and his bachelor’s from Western Washington University. His first day on the job in Pasco is Oct. 30.

• Gesa Credit Union has hired Ron Fulop as a commercial loan officer serving the Tri-City region. He has over 25 years of experience Ron Fulop in commercial lending and specializes in working capital, real estate, equipment, term and acquisition financing. He works at the 51 Gage Blvd., Richland, branch.

• Good Shepherd Health Care System has hired obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Christopher Bowen, doctor of osteopathic medicine, to its Dr. Christopher medical staff Bowen and Good Shepherd Women’s Center in Hermiston. Bowen was born in Kennewick and spent his childhood in Yakima. He recently completed his residency at Henry Ford Wyandotte in

Wyandotte, Michigan, after graduating from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and is board eligible by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

• Trios Health has hired Dr. Michael Kolczynski as a pain specialist. He will see patients at the Trios Care Center at Southridge fourth-floor Dr. Michael clinic in KenneKolczynski wick. He treats patients for a variety of conditions, including back, neck and shoulder pain; carpal tunnel; complex regional pain syndrome; diabetic neuropathic pain; fibromyalgia; headaches; herniated discs; hip and knee pain; pelvic and abdominal pain; sacroiliac pain; sciatica; shingles (postherpetic neuralgia); spinal stenosis; and work and sports injuries. Most recently, Kolczynski was medical director at Advanced Pain Management in Oconto Falls, Wisconsin.

He completed medical school at Saba University School of Medicine in Netherlands-Antilles and completed his residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pain management at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago.

Kolczynski is double board-certified in pain management and anesthesiology and is a member of the American Board of Anesthesiology, American Medical Association, and Spine Intervention Society. He is originally from Vancouver, Canada, and is fluent in English, Polish and conversational German.

uBOARDS • Wishing Star Foundation has added Julia Thatcher to its board of directors. She is an anchor and reporter for KEPR/KIMA Julia Thatcher Action News in Yakima and Tri-Cities. She first became involved with Wishing Star after volunteering

during the “Send-A-Friend-A-Goat” fundraiser.

• Two College of Education faculty members at Washington State University Tri-Cities have been elected to serve as Association of Science Teacher Education board members. Associate professor Judy Morrison and assistant professor Jonah Firestone both teach and research science education. ASTE focuses on research for science teaching.

Morrison’s service to the ASTE organization has included reviewing proposals, presenting and presiding at annual meetings, serving on and chairing committees, serving as a regional director for two terms and on the ASTE board of directors for three years.

Firestone became a board member

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after having been involved with ASTE since beginning in graduate school.

During his first ASTE conference, he was able to stand-in for an advisor on a panel. Firestone was originally elected to be the director of the Northwest Region of ASTE (NWASTE). There are three positions on the ASTE board that are filled with these regional directors on a rotating basis.

• The Kennewick Kiwanis Club chose board members for 2020-21: President Vickie Bergum; Presidentelect Wayne Bell; Vice President Tom Moak; Secretary Maureen Bell; Treasurer Penny Gardner. Board members are: Gerry Berges, Stan Case, Patti Gunn, Jean Lewis, Any Coffman, Dave Eakin, Pat Johnstone Jones and Babe Nyberg.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 Paid advertising

Cybersecurity for Small Businesses: 5 Tips to Protect Yourself

by Lorrie Asker Cyberattacks have been increasing for years, and theft of digital information has surpassed physical theft as the most commonly reported fraud, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These attacks can cause considerable damage.

In addition to potential direct monetary theft and the expense of system repair, victims can suffer significant business disruption, intellectual property loss, reputational harm and other costs.

Small businesses, which have fewer cybersecurity resources than large corporations, are often tempting targets for hackers. In recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we’d like to provide the following tips to small businesses looking to strengthen their defenses against cyberthreats.

1. Protect your workplace systems from attack

tive information on the go.

Cybercriminals are often able to exploit known vulnerabilities in software programs because users don’t always install updates and security patches promptly. Make sure you’re using the latest versions of your operating system, web browser and software.

Finally, make sure you have a plan for dealing with lost or stolen devices — you may be able to wipe them remotely to keep sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

If you use mobile banking, notify your financial institution immediately when a device is lost or stolen.

You should install a firewall to protect your network from intruders and malicious software. If virus scanning is not incorporated into your firewall, use antivirus software as an additional layer of protection. You’ll want to secure your Wi-Fi network as well: be sure to change the default password on your router and hide your network name (you can set up a guest account with a different password to keep outsiders off your main network).

3. Train your employees in security best practices

2. Be vigilant with mobile devices In today’s tech environment, you also need to look beyond the systems you use in the office. If you or your employees access the company network (or work with confidential data) using smartphones or other devices, make sure these devices are password protected and encrypted, and that the operating system and security apps are always up to date.

Older devices that are out of support and no longer receiving security patches are particularly risky and should not be used to connect to your network. Be cautious about downloading apps, as malicious apps can contain viruses or ask for unnecessary permissions; only download reputable apps from safe sources. Public Wi-Fi connections are another a security risk, so consider using the mobile network instead if you need to perform financial transactions or access sensi-

Humans are often the weak link in even the best-laid cybersecurity plans, so be sure to educate your employees on your company’s security policies and frequently reinforce this training. You should establish guidelines addressing passwords, internet use and the handling of sensitive information, for example, and ensure that all employees are on the alert for phishing and other cyberthreats.

Phishing — when a fraudster poses as a legitimate organization in an attempt to trick someone into handing over personal information — can take place via phone or text message, but email is particularly common, so be sure to emphasize email safety in your training.

Phishing emails are often badly written or implausible enough to immediately set off alarm bells (asking you to confirm account details with a bank you don’t use, for example), but many are quite sophisticated and can trick inattentive readers into either clicking on a link that redirects to a fake website, which then harvests the details entered, or opening an attachment that downloads malware such as key loggers or ransomware.

Never open an attachment or click on a link unless you know it’s legitimate. If you do receive an unsolicited email or phone call asking you to

confirm personal information (such as your account number, Social Security number, etc.), do not reply; contact the supposed company via a known phone number instead.

4. Control access carefully Make sure employees have access only to the information and systems they actually need to do their jobs.

Access to sensitive customer data, for example, should be limited, as should administrative privileges on IT systems and the ability to install software. Access to payment systems should also be closely controlled.

Ensure every employee has a separate user account, with strong (and regularly changed) passwords required.

You may trust all your employees fully, and limiting access is not just about containing the damage that could be done by a potentially disgruntled or dishonest employee — it also helps protect you if fraudsters manage to obtain someone’s credentials, either through social engineering or outright theft.

5. Secure your payment systems Payment data is obviously among the most sensitive and highly targeted data, so you’ll want to take extra care to secure your payment systems, including point-of-sale terminals or e-commerce payment systems. Your payment system needs to be isolated from your general office programs, and you shouldn’t use the same computer to process payments (or access online banking) that you use to surf the internet. Work with your payment processor and financial institution to make sure you’re always following the latest recommended security measures for your specific system.

These basic steps are impor-

Lorrie Asker tant, but as you look ahead to 2021, you should also consider creating a comprehensive cybersecurity plan — incorporating components such as regular employee training, a technology inventory and related security best practices as well as incident response steps such as whom to contact and how to retrieve data backups — to help you identify your specific areas of vulnerability and reinforce your defenses. You can create a custom planning guide using the FCC’s Small Biz Cyber Planner tool at www.fcc. gov/cyberplanner. The better prepared you are, the better you’ll be able to protect your business and the more quickly and effectively you’ll be able to respond if you are the victim of a cyberattack.

Lorrie Asker is regional president of Idaho and Eastern Washington for First Interstate Bank.

She can be reached at lorrie.asker@fib.com or 208-947-1130.

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION Construction underway on Circle K near West Richland Yoke’s

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Framatome opens $20 million uranium recovery facility

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October 2020 Volume 19 | Issue 10 | B1

ER doc opens urgent care clinic at Columbia Point

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

The Tri-Cities has a new urgent care clinic for patients with conditions that are not life threatening.

Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon, an emergency room veteran who has worked at both Kadlec Regional Medical Center and Lourdes Health, opened Health First Urgent Care on Aug. 31 at 37 Columbia Point Drive in Richland.

Kahlon and her medical team treat colds and flu, cuts, scrapes and broken bones.

The private, independent clinic also offers PCR Covid-19 testing, which looks for genetic material of the virus, with results returned in 24 to 48 hours.

Covid visits are conducted via video and testing is drive-thru.

For all others, the lobby is limited to one patient.

Kahlon, who studied medicine at Ross University and trained in emergency medicine at Michigan State University, moved to the Tri-Cities with her husband to raise a family about a decade ago.

She worked part time in area ERs when the couple’s children were younger. But as they grew, she looked for a new outlet for her skills.

She and her husband, Janmeet

Bush Car Washes sold to growing Arizona company

By Wendy Culverwell editor@tcjournal.biz

An Arizona firm has bought the seven Bush Car Wash locations developed in the Tri-Cities by Tim Bush in honor of his late brother.

Mister Car Wash, based in Tucson, Arizona, now operates 13 car washes in Washington state.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Bush Car Wash memberships will not be affected by the change, which took effect Sept. 17.

“Bush Car Wash is a family-run business with deep roots in the community and years of experience providing excellent service,” stated Casey Lindsay, vice president of corporate development for Mister Car Wash. “Our motto of ‘Inspiring People to Shine’ aligns nicely with the Bush’s uMISTER CAR WASH, Page B2

Courtesy Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon Dr. Prabhjot “Jyoti” Kahlon, an emergency room physician, opened Health First Urgent Care in late August at 37 Columbia Point Drive, Richland. The clinic treats non-life-threatening conditions.

“Rocky” Sahota, a neck and spine surgeon at Tri-City Orthopaedics, decided on opening an urgent care clinic at the entrance to Richland. The couple paid $1.2 million for a former Sleep Country store near Winco in late 2019.

They converted the 6,200-square-foot retail space into the clinic. Renovations

began in early 2020, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Construction stopped briefly after Gov. Jay Inslee issued the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to contain the spread of coronavirus in March, but resumed since health care is an essential service.

Kahlon said they used the downtime to

alter the plans. They installed pathogenkilling air filters and set up the space to support limited visitors, social distancing and virtual visits. Health First has eight exam rooms and an X-ray lab.

Health First is the latest in a growing number of urgent care clinics in the TriCities. Some are affiliated with area hospitals while others such as Health First are independent, usually owned and operated by physicians.

Kahlon said there was a need for another to support the region’s growing population, which passed 300,000 in 2020, according to the state Office of Financial Management.

“As a physician and a consumer of medical resources in the Tri-Cities, I believe that there is a growing need for accessible health care here. Health First Urgent Care was founded with the vision that we can deliver excellent and convenient health care in a beautiful modern facility where people are friendly, caring and competent,” she said.

Health First is independent and not affiliated with any hospitals. It accepts private pay and bills most insurance plans.

It fills the need for medical care for conditions that are too urgent to wait for an appointment with a primary care prouHEALTH FIRST, Page B2

Restaurant for lease in prominent Richland spot

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

A prominent Tri-City developer is building a fast-food restaurant and office at 2250 Keene Road, near Richland’s newly relocated TacoTime.

Greg Markel of Washington Securities and Investments Corp. said the 4,000-square-foot mixed-use building is a spec, or speculative project, being built on the expectation it will lease when the building is complete.

Markel said there is some interest in the project, but the market is slowed by the pandemic.

The building will have 2,300 square feet for a quick-service restaurant and about 1,700 square feet of finished office space.

Markel said he pressed ahead with the $415,000 project without a firm tenant in mind.

“I’ve got vacant land out there. It doesn’t do any good to have a beautiful location with nothing on it,” he said. Markel

Photo by Wendy Culverwell Site work was underway in early October for a new a fast-food restaurant and office at 2250 Keene Road near the Queensgate Drive intersection and next door to the newly relocated TacoTime.

owns and operates commercial property across the region.

The restaurant space will include a drive-thru, built-in grease trap and rough plumbing for restrooms. It will be left unfinished so a future tenant can customize the interior layout.

Hummel Construction and Development of Kennewick is the contractor.

The half-acre site is assessed at a little

more than $300,000, according to the Benton County Assessor’s Office.

The building should be ready for prospective tenants by the end of 2020.

Markel moved the Richland TacoTime to 2222 Keene Road from central Richland earlier this year because the original was hampered by tight parking and access issues.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

HEALTH FIRST, From page B1 vider but not so urgent that they call for a spendy visit to a hospital emergency room.

People with major trauma such as knife or gun wounds or who are experiencing life-threatening medical conditions should call 911 or head to the nearest emergency room, not an urgent care clinic, she said.

Opening an urgent care clinic married

her training as an emergency room physician with a desire for a more controlled work environment.

Kahlon said she chose the space at Columbia Point because it is easy to reach and is extremely visible from George Washington Way. There were nearly 8,000 urgent care clinics in the U.S. in 2017, according to the Urgent Care Association.

They offer an affordable choice for patients seeking help for non-emergen-

Real Estate & Construction

cies and are widely supported by health insurers because most conditions can be treated more economically outside of an ER. The National Center for Health Statistics, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted the average urgent care clinic visit runs about $150, while an ER visit can easily top $1,000.

In a 2017 survey of emergency rooms, 10% of patients who sought treatment in

an ER were admitted to the hospital.

Health First Urgent Care is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends. Kahlon serves as lead physician. Staff includes physician assistants, nurse practitioners, an X-ray tech and medical assistants as well as a lab technologist.

Call 509-300-1500 or go to healthfirstuc.com for information or to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

Construction underway on Circle K near West Richland Yoke’s

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

3220 Kennedy Ave., West Richland.

MISTER CAR WASH, From page B1 family-oriented approach which will prepare our new team for continued success and give our new Unlimited Wash Club members and customers great service in the Evergreen State.”

In a prepared statement, Tim Bush said he worked with his sons and co-owners, TJ and Blake, to build Bush Car Wash to fulfill the vision of his late brother, Ned Gosnell. Gosnell envisioned a chain of premium car washes in 2007. “(W)e have worked diligently to honor Ned’s family and legacy, and we know

Photo by Chad Utecht

that entrusting Bush Car Wash to Mister Car Wash will continue his vision,” Tim Bush said.

The family developed the seven car washes in quick succession. The newest opened in March at 3220 Kennedy Ave. in West Richland.

The seven Bush Car Washes include one each in Richland, West Richland and Walla Walla and two each in Kennewick and Pasco.

Mister Car Wash operates 336 car washes and 31 express lube locations in 21 states. There will be no disruption as the transition proceeds, Mister Car Wash said.

Construction is underway on a new Circle K convenience store, gas station and car wash in front of Yoke’s Fresh Market in West Richland.

Circle K Stores Inc. recently received permit approval for the $225,000 project at 1501 Bombing Range Road.

Circle K, operating as Land Development Consultants, outlined its vision for the property at 1501 Bombing Range Road at Paradise Way to the city of West Richland last year.

The project includes a 5,187-squarefoot convenience store, 10 covered fuel pumps and a 1,262-square-foot automatic car wash.

It will be the 21st Circle K in the TriCities and the second in West Richland, where the familiar red and white K logo

appears on West Van Giesen Street.

The application does not identify the fuel brand, but Circle K fuel stations typically operate under the Exxon flag.

It will be the second combination convenience store-gas station-car wash at Bombing Range and Paradise. Smitty’s Paradise 76 Gas is directly across the street.

The proposed Circle K would be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, according to its application.

Circle K Stores Inc. bought the 1.8acre property in April for $879,000 from the West Richland Group, a limited liability company associated with Greg Markel, a Kennewick-based real estate investor, developer and manager.

Buffalo Construction Inc. of Louisville, Kentucky, is the general contractor.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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Framatome opens $20 million uranium recovery facility

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Framatome has opened its $20 million uranium recovery facility at its fuel manufacturing site at 2101 Horn Rapids Road in Richland.

The 11,000-square-foot building took three years to construct and houses state-of-the-art processes and technologies to recover uranium from the manufacturing process.

Material is converted into uranium dioxide power and reused in the fuel fabrication process.

Framatome manufactures nuclear fuel and related products in Richland. The site is about 11 years into its 40-year site license, which expires in 2049.

It is one of the largest manufacturers in the Tri-Cities. In a 2019 profile, the company reported it has manufactured more than 2,300 fuel assemblies and more than 100 million uranium fuel pellets in the previous year.

It is not part of the Hanford site despite its work with nuclear power.

The plant opened in 1970 as Jersey Nuclear Co and has been known as Siemens Power Corp., Framatome ANP Richland and Areva NP. It reclaimed the Framatome name in 2018 when Areva sold a part of the company to EDF Group of France.

EDF Group holds a majority stake.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries holds a 19.5% stake and Assystem a 5% stake.

Courtesy Framatome Framatome has opened a $20 million uranium recovery facility in Richland’s Horn Rapids Industrial Park at 2101 Horn Rapids Road.

Inslee targets $106M tax break as Boeing moves 787 production to South Carolina

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

The Boeing Co.’s decision to move all 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina frustrated Gov. Jay Inslee who called for a review of tax breaks currently worth about $106 million per year.

He released a statement Oct. 1 saying he recently asked Boeing’s leadership what the company needed to keep 787 production in Washington state.

“In all our conversations, they never asked for anything. I understand the serious market forces Boeing faces today.

What I don’t understand is why the company can’t commit to restoring production here when the market for this plane improves,” he said.

Boeing enjoys a long list of tax breaks

even after the 2020 Legislature suspended, at Boeing’s request, a Business & Occupation (B&O) tax break that was worth about $91 million a year.

Jay Inslee The Chicagobased aerospace giant sought the repeal to avoid European Union tariffs.

The Legislature did not address several other tax breaks. According to Inslee’s office, Boeing’s current tax treatment includes: • B&O tax credit for pre-production development.

• B&O tax credit for property taxes on land and buildings, leases, manufacturing and engineering and computer hardware and software.

• Sales tax exemption for computers used in development, design and aerospace services.

• Sales tax exemption for construction of new commercial airplane facilities.

Why should the Tri-Cities care? The industry and its 200 key players are concentrated in the Puget Sound area with few if any direct employees here, but it is very important to the state’s economy.

Aerospace generated an estimated $71 billion and employed 83,400 Washington workers in 2018, according to a 2019 economic impact study commissioned by Aerospace Works for Washington, a non-

profit advocacy group tied to the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

Indirectly, the industry supports 223,700 jobs and $20.6 billion in wages and $94.4 billion in business revenue through multiplier effects. Its effect felt statewide.

“This news falls hardest on the more than 1,000 Washington workers who build the 787, and many more who face uncertainty as a result of this decision. The aerospace industry will remain a major employer in our state with about 70,000 workers. The state is committed to maintaining support for those companies and workers,” Inslee said.

“But Boeing’s decision to take the 787 to South Carolina necessitates a review of our partnership and the company’s favorable tax treatment.”

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Tuesday, October 20 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Real Estate & Construction

FREE Drive-thru

Southridge Sports & Events Complex 2901 Southridge Blvd., Kennewick The 2020 Senior Times Fall Expo is a drive-thru-only event this fall because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Get a goody bag filled with vendor products and information in our drive-thru loop.

We’ll be masked and gloved up with your safety in mind.

Limited to first 1,000 people.

For more information, call (509) 737-8778.

Brought to you by:

Real Estate & Construction uREAL ESTATE BRIEFS

Chervenell wins $4M Covid-inspired contract

Chervenell Construction of Kennewick received a $4 million emergency contract to install courtroom technology at the Benton County Justice Center necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project, designed by Meier Architecture & Engineer Inc., facilitates remote hearings.

The Benton County Commission previously hired Meier to design the new system. The commission awarded the contract to Chervenell on Sept. 29.

The project is being paid for with $3 million from the federal coronavirus relief bill, and $560,000 from the Washington State Administration of the Courts award.

Benton County lands grant to improve water system

Benton County received an $870,000 Community Development Block Grant to upgrade the Sundance Improvement Association water system, which serves about 100 customers in the Kennewick area.

The project will cost $881,000.

The award is part of $10.8 million in CDBG awards announced by the state Department of Commerce in early October. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and targets lower income, rural communities.

Sundance water samples tested in in the first quarter of 2019 met federal drinking water standards, according to Department of Health reports to the Environmental Working Group.

Tri-City Radiology sold to Inland Imaging

Tri-City Radiology will become part of Spokane-based Inland Imaging following the sale of its imaging center and professional assets.

Terms were not disclosed.

Formed in 1971, Tri-City Radiology was owned and operated by Drs. James A. Clark II, Gary Dunn, Steven Sunderland and Lon Welch at the time of the sale. Drs. Dunn and Welch will continue with the practice while Drs. Clark and Sunderland will retire.

Inland Imaging has operated in Spokane since 1930 and has more than 100 board-certified radiologists working in imaging centers, medical facilities, hospitals, clinics and private practices in Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana. It has 15 radiologists posted at Richland’s Kadlec Regional Medical Center and clinics.

Regal suspends U.S. cinema operations

Regal Theatres suspended operations at all its U.S. theaters on Oct. 8 citing the “challenging theatrical landscape and

sustained key market closures.”

Regal, a subsidiary of Cineworld Group, operates 549 theaters in 42 states with a collective 7,211 screens, making it one of the largest theater chains in the country. It has 27 locations in Washington. Most are in western Washington.

Regal has had no presence in the TriCities since 2018, when it closed its Columbia Center mall location. The theater was demolished and replaced with the current Dick’s Sporting Goods store.

Les Schwab finds buyer in California investment firm

Les Schwab Tire Centers, the Northwest tire chain with locations in Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, is being sold to Meritage Group, a family-led

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 California investment firm.

The Les Schwab board and shareholders announced the deal to sell the Bend-based chain on Sept. 29.

Terms were not announced, but the descendants of founder Les Schwab emphasized Meritage’s family culture.

“Meritage Group has a history of preserving culture and values while growing its companies with investment over time,” said Jack Cuniff, chief executive officer, in a statement announcing the deal.

Founder Les Schwab was born in Bend, Oregon, in 1917 and established the chain that bears his name. He died in 2007.

The Schwab family announced plans to sell earlier this year.

Port of Benton launches website

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The Port of Benton has launched a website that targets real estate and economic development in the Tri-Cities.

The site, portofbenton.com, helps site selectors and developers identify properties for sale and lease and provides demographic information about the community.

It also provides a place where contractors and other professionals can respond electronically to requests for proposals and bids on port-sponsored projects.

The site was designed by Underground Creative, a Kennewick marketing firm established this year.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Real Estate & Construction

Courtesy Wildhorse Resort & Casino

Quaking Aspen Lanes has opened at Wildhorse Resort & Casino near Pendleton.

Wildhorse Resort debuts $85M expansion and bowling alley

By Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Wildhorse Resort & Casino near Pendleton has opened its new bowling center, food court and arcade, capping an $85 million, yearlong expansion designed to provide more activities for families.

There will be no grand opening ceremony because of pandemic restrictions.

The expansion adds Quaking Aspen Lanes, a 24-lane bowling center and other amenities. The name is a nod to the history of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which owns and operates Wildhorse. “Nixyaawii” is a Cayuse name for the area where the winter encampment was located and translates into groves of quaking aspens

that grew around the springs.

The bowling center has room for open and league play, as well as eight boutique lanes that can be reserved for private parties and events.

There is a full bar and several new dining options in addition to the main restaurant. Moe Pho and Brigham Fish ‘n Chips, both based in Pendleton and both owned by members of the tribe, are opening their second locations.

Wildhorse offers a 24-hour casino, hotel, RV park, restaurants, five-screen Cineplex, 18-hole golf course, travel plaza, a family entertainment center and a tribal museum.

It is off Interstate 84 at exit 216, four miles east of Pendleton in Oregon.

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

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Paid Advertising

Hogback Columbia Center 1659 N. Columbia Center Blvd., Kennewick

Hogback Development Co. of Yakima completed a strip mall at Columbia Center in a former parking lot purchased from J.C. Penney in August.

The $2.3 million, single-story project has 7,300 square feet of space. Starbucks and MOD Pizza have leased two of the three spaces.

Chris Waddle of Hogback Development Co. was lead developer. Stephens and Sons Construction Inc. of Yakima was the contractor.

Chad Carper of Kiemle Hagood is the leasing agent for the remaining 2,568-square-foot space. He can be reached at 509-991-2222 or chad. carper@kiemlehagood.com.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Paid Advertising

Real Estate & Construction

263 Jackrabbit Lane 263 Jackrabbit Lane, Richland

Matson Development LLC is completing construction on a pair of steel buildings that will offer a mix of warehouse and office space at 263 Jackrabbit Lane in Richland.

The building features 10,875 square feet of warehouse and office space that can be de-

mised into two to three suites. It will be completed in October.

Hummel Construction & Development, led by James Hummel, is the general contractor.

Contact Derrick Stricker at NAI Tri-Cities, 509-430-8533 for leasing information.

GENERAL CONTRAC TOR Congratulations Matson Development!

“We are honored to have had the opportunity to work with you on this project.”

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James Hummel, Principal Commercial | Industrial | Residential

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Quality products and services

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Commercial & Residential

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LIC# KIONAW1852BE

Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Paid Advertising

Tri-Cities DSHS Aging and Long-Term Support Administration Vista Point, 7113 W. Okanogan Place, Kennewick

Vine Street Partners LLC, based in Arlington, Washington, built a 21,000-square-foot office to serve as home for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services Aging and Long-Term Support office in the Tri-Cities at 7113 W. Okanogan Place.

The new office is part of Vista Point, near the Vista Field redevelopment site. The centrallylocated site is near the Three Rivers Transit Center,

which will facilitate access to DSHS services.

The design emphasizes horizontal lines that contrast with a vertical, sloped entry flooded with natural light. Metal and warm wood accents were selected to harmonize with the area’s rolling hills. The site can accommodate a second building of up to 24,000 square feet.

Pernula Planning + Design of Olympia designed the building. Glenn C. Wells, also of Olympia, was the architect.

Tyler Woolf of Vine Street Partners served as project manager.

Vine Street Group of Olympia was the general contractor.

Proud to be part of the team!

Commercial & Residential

(509) 627-0575 www.ddtririvers.com Lic. #DDTRIDT964MA

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Thank you Vine Street Group Paid Advertising for the opportunity to be a part of your team.

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6508 W. Deschutes Ave. • Kennewick

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(509) 586-1177 • perfectionglass.com

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Real Estate & Construction

Paid Advertising

Benton Fire District 4, Station 430 8031 Keene Road, West Richland

G2 Commercial Construction of Kennewick expects to complete construction of a $4.7 million, five-bay fire station for Benton Fire District 4 by mid-November.

Station 430 is being built at 9031 Keene Road and supports future growth in West Richland.

The 13,520-square-foot woodframed concrete masonry unit building features a bold design and the use of charred cedar, or Shou-

Sugi-Ban. It will be used to store fire engines and other vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire hoses and other gear and will provide living quarters and offices for firefighters.

Tyler Hatcher of G2 Commercial is the project manager. Oscar Torres is the project engineer and Steve Campbell is the superintendent.

ZBA Architects P.S. of Spokane designed the station.

GENERAL CONTRAC TOR Creative Concrete Design, Inc. & Floor Polishing Systems

Benton County Fire Station #430 Thank you for choosing G2 Construction as your General Contractor. We are proud to have been a part of this amazing project and team!

Congratulations on your new building!

Quality you can count on.

Commercial Doors | Loading Docks & Service

Thank you for choosing Continental Door Company!

(509) 921-2260 | continentaldoorco.com

Serving the Tri-Cities area for over 40 years

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Congratulations and thank you Paid Advertising for choosing Apollo!

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Commercial & Residential

Congratulations G2 Construction!

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Real Estate & Construction

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 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 13 David Anders Bjurlin, 1548 N. Edison St., #C202, Kennewick.

CHAPTER 7 Eric Robert Rosalez, 250 Gage Blvd., Apt. 3060, Richland.

Dean Michael Glendenning & Tina Louise Glendenning, 2341 W. 15th Place, Kennewick.

David Allen Gifford, 4440 Rosencrans St., Unit D, West Richland.

Jose & Beatriz Guizar, PO Box 7023, Kennewick.

Denise Jennifer Guzman, 428 N. Sycamore Ave., Pasco.

Ashley Lynn Miller, 915 Sixth St., Prosser.

Jeremy Michael Camphouse & Cheri Ann Price, 2894 Salk Ave., Apt. 105, Richland.

Fraser Stewart Hawley, 512 Canyon Lakes Drive, Kennewick.

Yobana Tobon, 3706 W. Henry St., Pasco.

Rocio Moya Ramirez, PO Box 4326, Pasco.

Loren & Amanda Austin, 365 Cottonwood Drive, Richland.

Loren Austin Welding and Manufacturing LLC, 365 Cottonwood Drive, Richland.

Juan P. Garcia, 1327 N. 24th Ave., Apt. #3B, Pasco.

Patrick Allen Wilson, 6855 W. Clearwater Ave., Ste. A101-149, Kennewick.

Amber Rae Levengood, 5103 Laredo Drive, Pasco.

Noland Jon Teal, 403 N. Hartford St., Kennewick.

Marcia V. Torres, 5703 Saddle Creek Lane, Pasco.

Jessie Jezzeray Gonzales, 4203 W. Kennewick Ave., #50, Kennewick.

uTOP PROPERTIES BENTON COUNTY 2517, 2525 Van Giesen St., Richland, 1,968-square-foot commercial building, 400-square-foot residential home on 7+ acres of commercial/industrial land. Price: $625,000.

Buyer: NC Ventures LLC. Seller: Harlan L. And Beverly K. (Marcum) McMullen.

74303 E. Grand Bluff Loop, Kennewick, 2,130-square-foot Single-family home. Price: $659,900. Buyer: Bradley F. & Deborah D. Luce. Seller: Corey T. & Denean D. Sjoboen.

665 Big Sky Drive, Richland, 3,460-squarefoot single-family home. Price: $670,000.

Buyer: Sergue & Elena Lapryntsev. Seller: Maoyi Huang.

6718 Argos St., West Richland, 2,885-squarefoot single-family home. Price: $559,600.

Buyer: Nicholas A. & Camberly Y. Beaman.

Seller: Alderbrook Investments Inc. FRANKLIN COUNTY Parcel between Highway 395, E. Kartchner Street and North Capitol Avenue, Pasco, 10 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $1.5 million.

Buyer: Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Seller: NZG Specialties Inc. 5 Sunflower Court, Pasco, 3,013-square-foot single-family home. Price: $539,900. Buyer: Christopher & Melinda Major. Seller: Russell E. & Bertha A. Glatt.

12502 Whiskey River Road, Pasco. 0.56 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $579,300.

Buyer: Dallas & Michael Ellsworth. Seller: P&R Construction LLC. 12006, 12002 Harris Road, Pasco.

2,769-square-foot single-family home, 0.35 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $875,000.

Buyer: Frederico Carlos DeVoe (Etux). Seller: Timothy T. & Kathryn Bush (TR).

7724 Byers Road, Pasco, 3,777-square-foot single-family home. Price: $770,000. Buyer: Devin Casper & Kendra Dee Lybbert. Seller: Stephen & Kim Dilley.

9505 W. Richardson Road, Pasco, 2,702-square-foot single-family home. Price: $575,000. Buyer: Craig & Lauren E. Gradin.

Seller: John S. Treadwell.

3013 Bosch Court, Pasco, 2,681-square-foot single-family home. Price: $540,000. Buyer: Patrick J. & Jill M. Forza. Seller: Michael L. & Caroline R. Olsen.

6702 Eagle Crest Drive, Pasco, 2,804-squarefoot single-family home. Price: $850,000. Buyer: Randy P. & Shirley A. Fairfield. Seller: Eugene Dorendorf.

5715 W. Ruby St., Pasco, 3,110-square-foot single-family home on 0.53 acres of undeveloped land. Price: $522,100. Buyer: Heather Marie Smith & Charles David Keller. Seller: Viking Builders Inc. 1515 Steele Court, Pasco. 2,543-square-foot single-family residential home. Price: $550,000.

Buyer: Carol Hayward (etal). Seller: Richard & Rebecca Gail Freitag.

1850 W. Dogwood Road, Pasco.

2,422-square-foot single-family residential home. Price: $570,000. Buyer: Blake J. & Michelle M. Oberding. Seller: Paul C. Herr.

6114, 6110, 6106, 6102, 6018, 5931, 6017, 6101, 6105, 6109, 6113 Rockrose Lane; 5506, 5510 Three Rivers Drive; 5931, 6013, 6014, 6010 Curlew Lane, Pasco. Multiple 0.21-acre parcels of undeveloped land. Price: $1.3 million.

Buyer: Hayden Homes LLC. Seller: Sunbelt Homes LLC (etal).

uBUILDING PERMITS BENTON COUNTY AgReserves, 184301 S. Plymouth Industrial, $3.7 million for new commercial. Contractor: Hanses-Rice Inc. Gene Mercer, 215404 E. Bowles Road, $1.7 million for new commercial. Contractor: Owner.

FRANKLIN COUNTY Ronald Worsham, 202 Pepiot Road, Mesa, $9,500 for commercial addition. Contractor: Bluestream Professional Service.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 1871 Ringold Road, Mesa, $42,000 for commercial remodel.

Contractor: Owner.

Franklin County Cemetery, 1225 Cemetery

Road, Connell, $30,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: North Sky Communications Inc. KENNEWICK OMT LLC, 4407 W. 24th Ave., $40,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Steelhead Communications.

Walmart Stores Inc., 2720 S. Quillan St., $230,000 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Stone Roofing Co. Inc. Smak Properties LLC, 407 N. Conway St., $75,000 for commercial remodel, $75,000 for plumbing, $75,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Zion Restoration Inc., Evergreen Plumbing LLC, Americool Heating & AC. JWP Kennewick LLC, 3506 W. Clearwater Ave., $175,000 for commercial remodel, $7,500 for plumbing. Contractors: Engineered Structures Inc., Columbia River Plumbing and Mechanical LLC. RB American LLC, 1310 N. Columbia Center Blvd., $175,000 for commercial remodel, $7,500 for plumbing. Contractors: Engineered

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B12

3305 W. 19th Ave., Kennewick (509) 735-1117 | ridenowtricities.com

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Structures Inc., Columbia River Plumbing and Mechanical LLC. Kennewick School District, 600 N. Arthur St., $130,000 for new commercial. Contractor: Banlin Construction.

Benton County, 7122 W. Okanogan Place, $800,400 for tenant improvements. Contractor.

Chervenell Construction.

Tri-Cities Food Bank, 420 W. Deschutes Ave., $20,100 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Palmer Roofing Inc. REA Commercial, 3611 S. Zintel Way, $3.5 million for new commercial, $100,000 for plumbing, $200,000 for heat pump/HVAC. Contractors: Owner, Riggle Plumbing Inc., Bruce Mechanical Inc. First Place Properties LLC, 3506 W. Clearwater Ave., $10,000 for sign. Contractor: Eagle Signs LLC. PASCO NG Washington LLC, 510 S. 20th Ave., $18,000 for commercial addition. Contractor:

Cort Party Rental.

RSD Holdings, 1817 W. Cartmell St., two permits for $8,900 for commercial reroof. Contractor: Perfect Circle Construction.

Stephen Knutzen, 6404 W. Court St., $30,000 for commercial addition. Contractor: Hummel Construction and Development.

Sandifur Plaza Retail Center LLC, 5426 Road 68, Suite C, $25,000 for tenant improvements at Carniceria La Cabana. Contractor: Western Equipment Sale.

Franklin County, 1020 S. Seventh Ave., $19,800 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Chervenell Construction.

Glen F. Roundy Jr., 2311 W. Court St., $45,000 for sign. Contractor: Evergreen Fabrication Inc. Teen Challenge International, 2520 W. Pearl St., $50,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Owner.

Crossings at Chapel Hill, 6626 Chapel Hill Blvd., $30,000 for repairs from water damage.

Contractor: Interstate Restoration.

CLC Properties LLC, 4845 Broadmoor Blvd., Ste. B, $38,000 for tenant improvements. Con-

tractor: LCR Construction LLC. The American Bottling Co., 2106 Frontage Road, $10,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Zion Restoration Inc. Hogback Sandifur LLC, 7505 Sandifur Parkway, $7,000 for sign. Contractor: Yesco LLC. PROSSER

tion LLC. 650 GWW LLC, 650 George Washington Way, $46,900 for commercial addition, $31,200 for commercial addition. Contractor: Fowler General Construction.

SMI Group XV LLC, 880 Smartpark St., $103,000 for tenant improvements. Contractor: Paradigm Contracting.

Tom Denchel Ford, 630 Wine Country Road, $85,000 for accessory building. Contractor: Owner.

uBUSINESS LICENSES

RICHLAND

California Surface Works, 555 Birch Court, Colton, California.

Jive Communications Inc., 2570 W. 600 N, Lindon, Utah.

Stone Roofing Co. Inc., 730 N. Coney Ave., Azusa, California.

Window Covering Outlet, 5236 W. Chinden Blvd., Boise, Idaho.

Mint Mobile LLC, 1550 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa, California.

Nextiva Inc., 8125 N. 86th Place, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Lexicom LLC, 14340 SE 242nd Ave., Damascus, Oregon.

Coeo Solutions LLC, 1901 Butterfield Road, Downers Grove, Illinois Elemental Energy, 1339 SE Eighth Ave., Portland.

California All Steel Carports Inc., 85 Santa Fe Ave., Fresno, California.

Vivid Learning Systems Inc., 333 W. Canal Drive.

Kopping Trucking LLC, 1617 W. 38th Place.

Quality Restoration Solutions, LLC 2331 W. A St., Pasco.

Aldrich & Associates Inc., 810 240th St. SE, Bothell.

Sawby Construction, 4411 Rosencrans Road, West Richland.

South Sound Sitework LLC, 15020 Canyon Road, East Puyallup.

Creekside Dental Kennewick, 216 N. Edison St. Kr Construction and Excavation Inc., 56504 N. 31 PR, Benton City.

BCS Construction Services, 22908 E. Kennedy Rd NE, Benton City.

Francois Forgette, Consultant, 7x7, 901 S. Jefferson St. D & L’s Leathercrafts & Boots, 2527 W. Kennewick Ave. Steelhead Communications Inc., 28120 Highway 410 E St., Buckley.

Daniel Miranda, 481 Orchard Road, Pasco.

Three Rivers General Contractors LLC, 4606 W. John Day Ave. Sno Valley Process Solutions Inc., 3302 McDougall Ave., Everett.

The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia, 1229 W. 22nd Place.

Natural Works Carpet Care, 1509 W. 27th Place.

Dream Dinners, 6501 Crosswind Blvd.

Get In Where You Fit In LLC, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Northwest Empire, 205 Whalen Loop Road, Woodland.

Snarky Cancer LLC ,3311 W. Clearwater Ave. Bargreen Ellingson Inc., 6425 W. John Day Ave. Tru-Design Construction LLC, 1406 Fries St., Richland.

Steve’s Install, 6422 Timber Drive, Nine Mile Falls.

Pioneer Landscaping & Fencing Services LLC, 617 S. Elm Ave., Pasco.

Big D’s Powersports Rentals LLC, 200 Second Ave., Burbank.

Solterra Massage Solterra Massage, 5219 W. Clearwater Ave. Van Zaltbommel Educational Design Solutions, 6409 W. Sixth Ave. Grace and Sage LLC, 7603 W. 13th Ave. Gavin Financial Inc., 10121 W. Clearwater Ave. Custom Touch LLC, 30 Michelle Road, Pasco.

Captain’s Cod Co., 2303 30th St., Bellingham.

Marvelous & Meticulous Flooring LLC, 5412 Pimlico Drive, Pasco.

Earth Moving Veterans, 70202 N. Foxhill Drive, Benton City.

Roda’s Laminate & Tile, 8304 Quadra Drive, Pasco.

Silva’s Contractors, 198610 E. 2013 PR SE.

Justin Henning, 2770 Einstein Ave., $60,000 for commercial remodel. Contractor: Banlin Construction.

Washington Securities and Investments Corp., 2250 Keene Road, $415,700 for new commercial. Contractor: Hummel Construction and Development.

Coleman Services V LLC, 2451 Logan St., $980,000 for new commercial, $140,000 for new commercial. Contractor: LCR Construc-

KENNEWICK

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B13

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 House Surgeon LLC, 1209 W. 19th Ave. Advent Remodeling Company LLC, 2101 Steptoe St., Richland.

Western Refining Retail, LLC 104 W. Second Ave., Spokane.

Built Right Inc., 17 Nuclear Lane, Richland.

End Line Fire, 3706 S. Johnson St., Kennewick.

Mad Minis Mx, 1606 S. Roosevelt Place.

T-Mobile Leasing LLC, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. T-Mobile Financial LLC, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

T-Mobile West LLC, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

T- Mobile Financial LLC, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. T- Mobile West LLC, 4311 W. Clearwater Ave. T- Mobile Leasing LLC, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Masala Indian Express, 8524 W. Gage Blvd.

Action Towing, 400 E. Kennewick Ave. Mario’s Construction LLC, 195 Geiger Drive, Pasco.

Dirty Werx LLC, 318 E. First Ave. R Kingdom Praiseware, 2701 S. Zillah Ct. Casa Rosita, 311 S. Columbia Center Blvd.

Golden Eagle Construction, 2204 Road 48, Pasco.

All Pro Roofing Technologies, 1108 S. Kellogg St. 360 Landscaping LLC, 505 S. Olympia St. Double E Truck and Equipment Inc., 65205 E. Solar PR NE, Benton City.

Innovation Cleaning Services, 8918 W. Arrowhead Ave. Cherry Tomato Creations, 505 S. Olympia St. Warrior Pallets LLC, 1615 E. Chemical Drive.

Catone’s Cleanup, 508 Sanford Ave., Richland.

Western Refining Retail LLC, 2707 S. Quillan St. Panefully Clear, 728 S. Elm St. Columbia Coast Outfitters, 1101 E. Fourth Ave. Tapias Transport LLC, 5319 W. Tucannon Ave. Robles, Rachel D., 8927 W. Tucannon Ave. Western Refining Retail LLC, 5208 W. Clearwater Ave. Critterattic.com, 109 S. Wilson Court.

Evergreen Coffee Company North, 2802 W. 10th Ave.

Tek Ranch LLC, 1313 N. Young St. Quicksilver Constructs LLC, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

Bella Day Spa, 3180 W. Clearwater Ave. Try-City Clean LLC, 2014 W. Fourth Ave. Washington State Vocational Institute LLC, 401 N. Morain St. DM Foot and Ankle, 711 S. Auburn St. C S Doggy-do’s, 526 S. Anderson St. Sara’s Cali Tacos & Mariscos, 1548 N. Edison St. Maquis House Cleaning Services, 18 S. Rainier St. Segou Shea, 1100 N. Buchanan St. Supreme Auto Tint, 4023 W. Clearwater Ave. Stacks Mobile Bistro, 815 W. Columbia Drive.

Never Lost LLC, 1209 S. Olympia Place.

USA-Home Inspections, 4104 W. 20th Ave. Ibarra Distribution LLC, 3215 W. 13th Ave. Master Sanitation LLC, 320 N. 10th Ave., Pasco.

Play House Rental LLC, 5501 W. Hildebrand Blvd.

Eric Thoma, 1409 N. Pittsburgh.

LMJ Logistics LLC, 1922 W. Second Ave. The Booty Poppin Place, 10251 Ridgeline Drive.

Dev Transport LLC, 2604 S. Keller St. Stullski LLC, 6725 W. Clearwater Ave. Community Child and Family Counseling, 1409 N. Pittsburgh.

Proscape Professional Landscaping, 3549 W. 11th Place.

Tc Clean LLC, 7213 W. Sixth Place.

Kv Cleaning, 1114 W. 10th Ave. Hopewell Watersports & Rentals, 451 Westcliffe Blvd., Richland.

Raptor Express LLC, 3309 W. Hood Ave. Cellco Partnership, 1321 N. Columbia Center Blvd.

Inland Ocean LLC, 5615 SE Scenic Lane, Vancouver.

Lindsey Southam, 8797 W. Gage Blvd.

Jimmyz, 705 N. Johnson St. Roldan’s Cleaning, 2105 N. Steptoe St. Husted Insurance Services LLC, 5101 W. Clearwater Ave. Swift Focus, 4326 S. Anderson Place.

TCN Transport LLC, 4114 S. Gum St. Rockwell, Sarah Kalena, 504 S. BUCHANAN Place.

Avila Massage, 920 W. Canal Drive.

Interruption Apparel, 25704 S. 1005 PR SE. Big D’s Powersports, 9312 W. 10th Ave. Poutine, Eh!, 3902 W. Clearwater Ave. Tahiti Adventures, 2413 W. 51st Ave. Taqueria El Sazon, 4115 W. Clearwater Ave. Hardwick Engineering, 418 N. Kellogg St. Eclipse Tutoring, 8906 W. Bruneau Ave. Happy Vista, 1004 S. Zillah Court.

RICHLAND Preferred Freezer Services Operating, LLC, 1 Main St., Chatham, NJ. NW Extreme Installers, 8800 SE Sunnyside Road, Clackamas, Oregon Haugen Consulting & Construction LLC, 901 S. Keller St., Kennewick.

Incyte Pathology, P.S., 13103 E. Mansfield Ave., Spokane Valley.

Dynamic Decks Inc., 5013 E. Ballard Road,

B13

Colbert, Washington.

Van Belle Excavating LLC, 609 Lower County Line Road, Prosser.

Fortune Homes, 4120 Acacia Court, Pasco.

Bales Construction Inc., 5620 E. Desmet Ave., Spokane Valley.

Strive Group LLC, 6722 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick.

Hope 4-Kids Transportation, 512 McMurray St. Urban Mechanical LLC, 4511 Artesia Drive, Pasco.

Butter and Chocolate LLC, 212 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick.

Hernandez-Bruno Landscaping LLC, 1753 N. 22nd Ave., Pasco.

Lucky Seven Food Mart, 22 Goethals Drive, Richland.

Roda’s Laminate & Tile, 8304 Quadra Drive.

Silva’s Contractors LLC, 198610 E. 2013 PR SE, Kennewick.

Green Horizon, 1830 Terminal Drive.

Quartz Real Estate Appraisal, 540 Lodi Loop.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B14

JOB OPPORTUNITY Manufacturing Engineer. Pasco, WA. Evaluate manufacturing processes, develop manufacturing process improvements by studying, researching, designing, modifying, and testing manufacturing methods and equipment, and conferring with equipment vendors. Must possess bachelor’s or foreign degree equivalent in manufacturing, mechanical or industrial engineering plus 2 years work experience in the manufacturing industry designing and implementing new layouts driven by time studies, value stream maps, and other lean manufacturing methods and analysis tools. Experience must include 2 years of CAD, CAM, and statistical methods modelling software.

Send resume to Paige English, Permobil, Inc., 2701 West Court Street, Pasco, WA 99301.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020

Source Stocker, 325 Sanford Ave. R.O.M. Servpro, 575 Columbia Point Drive.

Servpro, 7500 W. Yellowstone Ave., Kennewick.

Reyes Tile Design & Home Remodel, 2105 N. Steptoe St., Kennewick.

Daugherty, Brandon D., 2309 Dover St., Richland.

Caldwell Transport Services LLC, 660 George Washington Way. Berman Tech, 3121 W. Hood Ave., Kennewick.

Take Action Physio LLC, 4201 Kennedy Road, West Richland.

Sparkling Bee Cleaning Services, 912 N. Owen Ave., Pasco.

PASCO Interpreters of America, 6603 Yankee Drive.

Sage Court West LLC, 3330 W. Court St., Ste. H. Am Cleaning, 3616 W. Court St. H. Lyndsey Solutions LLC, 1331 W. Sylvester St. B. Johnny Martinez Trucking Inc., 3421 King

Ave. Ursul Construction LLC, 5907 Sidon Lane.

Montana Verde Greenhouse Construction LLC, 3408 W. Pearl St. New Generation of Wood LLC, 4117 W. Sylvester St. Battelle Memorial Institute, 2935 Rickenbacker Drive.

G&G Mufflers, 609 W. Lewis St. B. Cogent Consulting LLC, 6109 Basalt Falls Drive.

PNW Landscaping Construction, 4417 W. Sylvester St. Eagle Eye Drywall & Construction LLC, 4108 Laredo Drive.

Auntie Mel’s, 3812 W. Jay St. HV Homes, 729 W. Margaret St. C&P Construction LLC, 3713 W. Sylvester St. Makeup Artistry by Daniela Elizabeth LLC, 2315 E. Alvina St. Chica Dorada Fashion, 411 W. Clark St. Lisa Hanson LMT, 1620 Road 44.

Moore Tech Consulting, 5113 Pamplona Drive.

Pacwest Machinery LLC, 1249 N. California Ave. Sammy’s Dustless Mobile Blasing LLC, 5817 Jefferson Drive.

Whatcha Waitin Pho, 5511 Robert Wayne Drive.

Mel & Pal Flower Shop, 410 W. Lewis St. Rosie’s Barbershop, 1424 N. 14th Ave. HMTC Training & Consulting, 7203 Courtney Court.

Shoe Love Sidewalk Sale, 516 W. Clark St. ½.

Bigorsmallsigns, 2005 W. Lewis St. B. Joyeria Esmeralda-Sidewalk Sale, 102 N. Fourth Ave. 1.

Eden Way Farms,5509 Santa Fe Lane.

Alis Craft & Fashion, 511 W. Lewis St. A&A Logistics LLC, 3306 Luna Drive.

La Mariposa Properties, 4611 S. Tacoma Place, Kennewick.

Joj Construction LLC, 310 W. Columbia St. Salon Santa Cruz Sidewalk Sale, 117 S. Fifth Ave. Promociones Daisy Sidewalk Sales, 114 S. Fifth Ave.

New York Barber Shop Sidewalk Sales, 524 W. Clark St. Vive Re - Sidewalk Sales, 509 W. Lewis St. Dreams Fashion Clothing - Sidewalk Sales, 518 W. Clark St. Diva Fashion - Sidewalk Sales, 525 W. Lewis St. El Bronco - Sidewalk Sale, 518 W. Lewis St., Ste. 520.

Dunright Construction LLC, 9802 Silverbright Drive.

La Bonita - Sidewalk Sales, 126 N. Fourth Ave. Tita’s Fashion & Nutrition,1512 E. Columbia St. C. Caballero Western Wear Sidewalk Sale, 515 W. Lewis St. Llane’s Boutique LLC Sidewalk Sale, 123 N. Fourth Ave., #115.

Vista Hermosa/Nela, 3525 E. A St. Swing LLC, 3211 Syrah Drive.

Gala Express Sidewalk Sales, 516 W. Clark St. Hieberia Y Novedades Lupita Sidewalk Sales, 506 W. Clark St., #508.

Panaderia Colima Sidewalk Sales, 801 W. Clark St. Sparklingbeeservices, 912 N. Owen Ave. The Crafts of Natalie And Co., 9619 Percheron Drive.

Livix Inc., 5426 Road 68, D. Banner Bank, 3616 W. Court St. 509 Builders LLC, 9595 Snake River Road.

Convergint Technologies LLC, 450 Shattuck Ave. S., Renton.

Be Renewed Skin Care, 6415 Burden Blvd.

Jessica’s Cleaning Services LLC, 1204 Road 36.

Mills & Brown Authentic Collectables LLC, 5019 Lucena Drive.

Western Refining Retail LLC, 1440 N. 20th Ave. L&G Drywall LLC, 631 S. Sycamore Ave. Roda’s Laminate & Tile, 8304 Quadra Drive.

Heidi April PAC-Cp.S., 9915 Sandifur Parkway.

Mario’s Construction LLC, 195 Geiger Drive.

Pro Details, 1909 W. Court St. Jive Communications Inc., 2570 W. 600 N. Lindon, Utah.

Affordable Custom Concrete LLC, 2108 Road 64.

Williams Pro-Clean, 221 Thayer Drive, Richland.

Mid-Columbia Newspaper Publishers, 5011 Valdez Lane.

I Am Tie Dye, 8218 W. Ruby St. Master Sanitation, LLC, 320 N. 10th Ave. Daniele Abbott, 6415 Burden Blvd.

Umadrid Designs, 6016 Camden Drive.

Quality Medical Billing, 4005 W. Park St. CHB Entertainment Inc., 1327 W. Irving St. WEST RICHLAND

A-ONE REFRIGERATION & HEATING, INC. 910 N 20th Avenue | Pasco, WA 99301 (509) 586-7613 | service@aonerefrigeration.com Lic. # AONERHI125M5

Compunet Inc., 505 S. Florence St., Grangeville, Idaho.

Desert Springs LLC, 10605 N. College Circle, Spokane.

V & D Northwest Construction, 7301 W. Oak Ave., Union Gap. Tri-Cities Quality Homes Inc., 615 S. Waldemar Ave., Pasco.

Darby Heating & Air LLC, 10012 W. Maple Drive, Pasco.

Chardan Builders LLC, 10405 W. Willow Way, Pasco.

Vision Painting, 6418 Glacier Peak Drive, Pasco.

D.S.A Painting LLC, 7801 Snoqualmie Drive, Pasco.

Kestrel Home Inspection Services LLC, 5500 Kenra Loop.

Eaglecrest Enterprises Inc., 1608 Seacrest Lane, Coupeville.

Horse Heaven Construction Inc., 34704 S. Hanon Road, Kennewick.

Hot Solar Solutions, 15 Jackie Court, Burbank.

Gutter Girl, 6209 Robert Wayne Drive, Pasco.

Dreamer’s Construction LLC, 1614 W. 35th Ave., Kennewick.

Dynamic Hardscaping LLC, 4508 Palo Verde Court, Pasco.

Pink Lawn Cure LLC, 21 Royal Crest Loop PR. General Handyman Services LLC, 1305 McPherson Ave., Richland.

uPUBLIC RECORD, Page B15

TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020 Holber Floor Coverings LLC, 4950 Chukar Drive.

Mister Car Wash, 3220 Kennedy Road.

Reilee Williams, 3701 Mount Baker Court.

Integrity Landscaping LLC, 208 E. 23rd Ave., Kennewick.

Vang-Emory West Van Giesen LLC, 4237 Ironton Drive.

Dynamic Decks Inc., 5013 E. Ballard Road, Colbert.

Bissell Drywall Inc., 1315 N. Road 48, Pasco.

Gladwell Stump Grinding LLC, 521 Grosscup Blvd.

AEI Electric LLC, 1999 Butler Loop, Richland.

Expansion Home Flooring LLC, 914 S. Cleveland St., Kennewick.

Columbia Building Services LLC, 4814 Seville Drive, Pasco.

Mendoza General Construction LLC, 5310 Raleigh Drive, Pasco.

3 Water Construction, 5220 Westminster Lane, Pasco.

Rosencrans Land LLC, 72609 E. Sundown PR SE, Kennewick.

Buffalo Construction Inc., 12700 Otto Knop Drive, Louisville, Kentucky.

Phoenix Sign Company Inc., 16 Horizon Lane, Aberdeen.

Elite Landscaping & Fencing LLC, 700 W. 42nd 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.

Essential Planning Incorporation, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 4.

R & G Roofing Partners, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 8.

Luis Soto, unpaid Department of Licensing taxes, filed Sept. 23.

Carniceria Los Toreros LLC, unpaid Department of Labor and Industries taxes, filed Sept. 23.

uLIQUOR LICENSES BENTON COUNTY APPLICATIONS MOD Super Fast Pizza, 2803 Queensgate Drive, Richland. License type: beer/wine restaurant; beer/wine off premises. Application type: added/change of class/in lieu.

Holly Jean’s Ice Cream, 626 N. 61st Ave., West Richland. License type: beer/wine gift delivery. Application type: new.

Iconic Brewing, 2470 Henderson Loop, Richland. License type: microbrewery; beer/wine on premises endorsement. Application type: new.

Foodies Too, 701 The Parkway, Suite A, Richland. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only; spirits/beer/wine restaurant and lounge. Application type: new.

Ceili Winery, 5628 W. Clearwater Ave., Unit C27, Kennewick. License type: domestic winery <250,000 liters. Application type: change of location.

Quiktrip Gas & Food, 33 Goethals Drive, Richland. License type: grocery store-beer/wine.

Application type: added/change of trade name.

Power Up Arcade Bar Inc., 1022 N. Columbia Center Blvd. Kennewick. License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: in lieu.

DISCONTINUED El Tequilas Las Casa De Las Micheladas, 109 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: discontinued.

GR Distillery, 63615 E. Jacobs Road NE, Unit B, Benton City. License type: craft distillery.

Application type: discontinued.

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beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new.

APPROVED Perception Salon and Barbering, 4525 N. Road 68, Suite D, Pasco. License type: snack bar. Application: assumption.

Court Street Mini Mart, 3720 W. Court St., Pasco. License type: grocery store-beer/wine.

Application type: assumption.

Sage Brewing Co., 8425 Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite B102, Pasco. License type: microbrewery. Application type: added/change of class/ in lieu.

FRANKLIN COUNTY

DISCONTINUED

APPLICATIONS

Sky Market, 830 W. A St., Pasco. License type: grocery store-beer/wine. Application type: discontinued.

Amor A Mexico Restaurant LLC, 528 W. Clark St., Suite B, Pasco. License type: spirits/

APPROVED Lucky Seven Food Mart, 22 Goethals Drive, Richland. License type: grocery store-beer/ wine. Application type: assumption.

El Tequilas Las Casa De Las Micheladas, 109 W. Kennewick Ave., Kennewick. License type: spirits/beer/wine restaurant lounge. Application type: new.

At Michele’s, 2323 Henderson Loop, Richland.

License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: added/change of class/ in lieu.

Caterpillar Café, 227 Simons St., Richland.

License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: in lieu.

Caterpillar Café, 227 Simons St., Richland.

License type: direct shipment receiver-in WA only. Application type: change of corporate officer.

GR Distillery, 63615 E. Jacobs Road NE, Unit B, Benton City. License type: craft distillery.

Application type: new.

Your local family-owned florist since 1969.

1969.

Treat someone you care about to a spooky Halloween flower arrangement.

509.582.5123 • 604 W. Kennewick Ave.

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TRI-CITIES AREA JOURNAL OF BUSINESS | OCTOBER 2020