Annual Awards Banquet Supported by Sponsors

This year’s business awards banquet, scheduled March 14 at Resort Semiahmoo in Blaine, is presented by Business Pulse and seven sponsors. Besides title sponsor KeyBank (see related story), they include:

 

Cascade Radio Group

Cascade Radio Group, a collection of five uniquely-formatted radio stations, reaches nearly 204,000 listeners from King County to the lower British Columbia mainland.

KGMI News Plus AM 790 is Whatcom and Skagit County’s community radio station for news, weather and sports. Core programs include Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

KISM 92.9 FM Classic Rock features artists like the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, The Eagles and U2.

KAFE, 104.3, Soft Rock showcases the music of Elton John, The Backstreet Boys, Fleetwood Mac and others.

KPUG, 1170 AM Sports Talk, provides coverage of the Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, Sonics and University of Washington, plus daily sports talk with ESPN’s Dan Patrick and FOX Sports Net’s Jim Rome.

KBAI, “The Bay,” 930 AM plays adult standards from the last 50 years.

In January, Cascade Transit Advertising was added to the Cascade Radio Group, providing local businesses and non-profit organizations with bus board advertising throughout Whatcom County.

Larson Gross p.l.l.c.

Larson Gross pllc was founded in 1950 by certified public accountant Ted Larson, who opened an office in Bellingham’s Clover Building. The firm became Larson & Gross, CPA’s in 1967 with the addition of Dennis Gross as a partner. The name was changed to Larson Gross p.l.l.c.

It has grown into a professional-services firm that is the largest locally owned one in the regina. Larson Gross offers a full range of consulting and tax services, including comprehensive consulting, estate planning, technology planning, tax preparation, financial reporting, international taxation and audits. Larson Gross clients range from individuals and small businesses to large corporations.

The firm’s Bellingham office has been located in the former Sears building at 1616 Cornwall Ave. since 1994. Larson Gross added a Lynden office in 1980 and a Blaine branch in 1999.

For more information, visit www.larsongross.com or call 734-4280.

Port of Bellingham

Like many ports in Washington State, the Port of Bellingham’s activities go far beyond ocean shipping. In fact, it’s the most diversified port district in the state, meeting the economic and transportation needs of Whatcom County.

The Port’s primary activities include management and operation of the area’s cargo and passenger marine terminals, two full-service commercial fishing and pleasure boating marinas and the Bellingham International Airport. In addition, the Port of Bellingham is a major landlord of industrial parks, the Bellwether development and a variety of other business properties.

The Port of Bellingham is a leader in environmental stewardship with a comprehensive environmental program and a growing number of community waterfront parks. It works closely with private enterprise and local, state and federal agencies to help retain local businesses and recruit new businesses. The Port of Bellingham also administers three federally designated foreign trade zones to promote manufacturing, warehousing and trade in the region.

For more information, call 676-2500 or visit www.portofbellingham.com.

Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy and its predecessor companies have served Whatcom County since 1891. PSE today is Washington’s largest utility, with 1.2 million natural-gas and electricity customers throughout the Puget Sound region. More than 80,000 Whatcom County households and businesses receive electric service from the utility.

PSE’s aim is simple: to be the best energy-delivery company in America. The utility continually strives to enhance service and reduce costs. One example is PSE’s nationally recognized Tree Watch program, which selectively removes trees jeopardizing electric safety and reliability. The program has reduced tree-related power outages by 56 percent.

Another example of PSE innovation is Personal Energy Management, which earned PSE two national awards last year. The program’s innovative technology empowers customers to monitor and control both the amount and the timing of their energy use — and thereby reduce their bills.

PSE is the only U.S. utility providing such service on a wide-scale basis. The utility hopes to make the service available in Whatcom County later this year.

Resort Semiahmoo

Resort Semiahmoo is the ideal location for meetings, celebrations and private retreats.

Nestled on a 1,100-acre wildlife preserve along the Puget Sound coastline, Resort Semiahmoo offers an endless stretch of beach, sweeping views of the San Juan Islands and acres of wooded trails. The resort includes a luxurious inn, meeting facilities, three award-winning restaurants, fitness center and spa, indoor/outdoor-heated pool, indoor/outdoor tennis courts, two 18-hole championship golf courses, marina and real estate sales.

The AAA Four-Diamond waterside inn has recently been renovated and features 186 rooms and 12 suites, many with balconies or fireplaces.

While staying at Resort Semiahmoo, guests can enjoy hiking, biking, rollerblading and even kayaking and sailing. Guests can also enjoy free wildlife and historic walking tours or bonfires on the beach with s’mores and free concert and theatre performances all year long.

For more information, call 318-2000 or (800) 770-7992 or visit
www.semiahmoo.com.

Towner Press

Few businesses can claim the distinction of operating for more that 100 years, and only one can be first. That honor goes to Towner Press, the oldest continuously operating print shop in Washington state.

Founded in 1895, Towner Press has operated under the same principles since its beginning: provide top-quality work with outstanding customer service at competitive prices.

At Towner, the goal is to make printing easy for you. Towner will pick up your project and deliver proofs or will welcome you into the shop to review paper samples, meet with a printing consultant or brainstorm with the graphics department. Towner’s knowledgeable, friendly staff will do whatever it takes.

Towner takes pride in producing top-quality work whether printing a single-color business card or a full-color brochure. Towner also completes such specialty finishes as embossing, foil stamping and raised printing in-house. It offers a complete bindery that can cut, fold and stitch everything from eight-page newsletters to 104-page books. And now, Towner also offers quick-turnaround, short-run, full-color digital prints from its new Xerox Doc 12.

There’s so much to see that owners Don and Pat George and the entire Towner Press team invite you to stop by 109 W. Chestnut in downtown Bellingham any time for a tour. Or give them a call at 733-8870 the next time you have a printing project.