Moody partners with Logos Software
Logos Software, Bellingham based purveyor of Bible software, has entered a venture with the Moody Distance Learning Center to create Bible courseware on CD-ROM. The new offerings, dubbed A.M. for anytime, anywhere, anyone Moody, will be released this fall.
Moody Distance Learning Center is a division of the Chicago-based Moody Bible Institute. The institute was founded in 1886 and the distance education department followed in 1901.
Moody’s distance education program will offer 43 of its existing independent study courses in conjunction with Logos Bible software.
“Many people cannot attend a seminary or a Bible school,” said Bill Blocker, division manager of the Moody Distance Learning Center. “A.M. is practical, available to anyone within reach of technology, is not partial to distance or location, and will not interfere with an individual’s daily responsibilities.”
Logos is designing software that includes a ready digital library of resources. Students will therefore not need to be connected to a network or the Internet. Rather all reference materials they need will be on a single disc, said John Bryant, director of special products at Logos Software.

Airporter offers a downtown Seattle shuttle
Airport shuttle is beginning a daily bus service connecting Bellingham with downtown Seattle. One bus will leave Bellingham at 4 a.m. and arrive downtown by 6:15 a.m. During the rest of the day, travelers from Bellingham can get downtown by riding to SeaTac Airport and transferring to a Gray Line shuttle.
The company is also adding more frequent direct runs between Mount Vernon and Seattle. At the same time the company is increasing the number of trips between points north and Seattle to 25 per day, 12 South and 13 North.
The new services will run during peak summer travel between June 1st and September 6th.
The downtown Seattle service will terminate at the Sheraton Hotel, where passengers will find connections to the Amtrak train station, the cruise ship terminal, and other Seattle landmarks.

StonWest celebrates anniversary
StonWest Granite and Marble celebrates its 11th anniversary this June. To commemorate the occasion, the company is offering discounts and a special happy hour open house on Friday June 25th.
The company began a sales and fabrication service in 1993 to take advantage of a briskly growing market for dimensional stone material. The company’s founders went into business after serving as consultants on several commercial and residential projects in British Columbia.

Mountain View on the move
Mountain View Physical Therapy is moving three doors down from their current location in Ferndale’s Cost Cutter Shopping Center. The move will allow the clinic to add treatment rooms and an expanded gymnasium. In addition the company has hired Kristen Foote as a physical therapy assistant.

Cingular lunches Blackberry service
Cingular Wireless recently introduced Blackberry wireless service in Whatcom County. The Blackberry is a handheld device that integrates cellular telephone, personal and contact information, e-mail and wireless Internet.

Hilltop Restaurant breaks ground
Hilltop Restaurant started construction last month on a brand new building. Once completed this November, the new restaurant will more than double the Hilltop’s current space. With the expanded building the restaurant will add a group meeting room and an expanded dinner menu.

International Absorbents launches new product
Cozy Critter Super Shavin’s is a brand new product launched by International Absorbents last month. The wood shavings are designed for small animal bedding. Last year the market for small animal shavings in the United States was estimated at $220 million. This new product is part of the company’s strategy to become a single source supplier for retail customers looking to consolidate vendors and increase inventory turns.
“The niche carved out for this brand is consistent with our bedding philosophy that our products should be safe, healthy and fun,” said Shawn Dooley, vice-president for sales and marketing. “The brand image created for this product line will give us a unique position in the shavings business, which is generally thought of as a commodity category.”

Brunk introduces new poster
Jon Brunk Photography recently published the Greetings from Northwest Washington poster. Measuring 18 in. by 24 in., the posters are designed to showcase scenes from Whatcom and Skagit Counties, including tulip fields, Mt. Shuksan, and sail. He’s hoping to market these posters to souvenir shops and government tourism agencies.

Regulators approve power rate hike
The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a 3.2 percent increase electricity rates for Puget Sound Energy last month. Board members voted 2-1 in favor of the increase.
The utility sought a rate increase to cover high power supply costs in several Northwest power plants, including a major new facility in Pierce County and that the Encogen plant in Whatcom County, and to resolve a long-running dispute over the costs of the Tenaska Plant in Ferndale.
State regulators found that the utility did not manage fuel-cost risk at the Ferndale plant. Under guidelines for future fuel supply management, the board reduced PSE’s requested increase by almost $10 million.
PSE originally asked for a $64.4 million rate hike last October and subsequently lowered their request to $54.5 million. Ultimately, the board approved a $44 million a year increase.
The utility has also filed a request to increase of electrical rates by 5.7 percent and natural gas rates by 6.3 percent. The utility commission must decide on that application by next March.

Taxable sales up dramatically in Whatcom County
Taxable retail sales increased in Whatcom County in the last quarter of last year, according to figures released by the State Department of Revenue.
Retail sales increased by 4.2 percent in Whatcom County in 2003. Retail trade, a subset of retail sales designed to exclude contracting and focus exclusively on retail outlets, showed even stronger growth, increasing by 8.4 percent.
Statewide retail sales were up by 2.8 percent of retail trade increased by 6.1 percent. Across the state, the strongest sectors were clothing, furniture, electronics and home improvement.

Here’s How moves
Here’s How Marketing and Research moved into new offices in the Bellingham Towers last month. The company, which specializes in research, design and marketing services for the cultural creative and new age market, needed additional space to meet with clients and facilitate business expansion.

Sumas plant supporters to appeal
Backers of Sumas Energy 2 are appealing a decision by the National Energy Board of Canada to deny them permission to build a power line from their proposed plant to a B.C. Hydro substation in Clayburn, B.C. The line is needed to connect the proposed power plant to the West Coast power grid.
In March, the Canadian energy regulator denied permission to build the line on the grounds that residents of the Fraser Valley would shoulder burdens from the plant without realizing any benefit.
The company contends that the Energy Board erred by not taking into account the board’s own statements about the efficiency and environmental responsibility of the plant’s design. In the Energy Board’s decision, they found the emissions would “…be below the most stringent Canadian requirements, and hence meet both the B.C. and the Canadian Air Quality Objectives and Standards.”
The company is waiting to see if the appeal is accepted by the court. If it is, the matter would likely go back before a National Energy Board panel for additional hearings.

Tennis club wins innovation award
Robin Robertson, owner and manager of the Bellingham Tennis Club, was awarded the cleverness, thoughtfulness and imaginative recycling award from Club Business International.
The club recently received a shipment of T-shirts with a key misspelling. Bellingham Tennis Club had been rendered Billingham Tennis Club by the shirt supplier. Robertson searched the Internet and discovered a town in England called Billingham. She offered the shirts through a classified ad in the Billingham newspaper and was contacted by a representative of that city’s tennis club.
Robertson donated the shirts and is now trying to arrange an exchange program between the two tennis clubs.

Rite Aid buys Ferndale Drug
Ferndale Drug became Rite Aid last month. The independent drugstore, a longtime fixture in the Ferndale retail scene, received an offer from the drugstore chain too good to refuse. It was a sudden offer. Just last month Bill Rollins, store manager, told Business Pulse that he expected his store to hang on even in the face of increased competition from a new Walgreens location.
As of mid May the old signs came down and the building was rebranded as part of the Harrisburg based Rite Aid chain.

Lairmont Manor celebrates anniversary
Lairmont Manor, a mansion and meeting facility in South Bellingham, is celebrating its 90th anniversary with an open house on Saturday, June 26th.
Guests can take tours of the mansion grounds, listen to live music in the great hall, and enjoy refreshments.
The mansion was built in 1914 by Charles Xavier Larrabee, a local banker. The building is a national historic place and currently hosts weddings, receptions, business meetings, and musical performances. At least 2,000 couples have been married at Lairmont Manor.

Business groups back to health initiative
Business interest groups from across the state are banding together to support Initiative 895. The measure is co-sponsored by the National Federation of Independent Business Washington chapter, the Independent Business Association of Washington State, and the Washington Association of Health Underwriters.
Backers of the initiative claim that one of the biggest impediments to health care coverage for small-business owners and employees is a series of government dictated mandates that seek to require insurers to cover certain services. If the initiative passes, insurers would be able to offer stripped down health plans as long as they offer one product that incorporates all mandates.
Studies estimate that 66 percent of the 43 million Americans without health insurance come from families where someone owns or works for a small business. Backers hope that less costly health plans will enable small business people to offer some form of health coverage for themselves and their employees.
Groups are collecting signatures to get the measure on that the November ballot.

FootwoRx expands to Skagit
FootwoRx recently added a second store, this one in Mount Vernon. The company currently operates a retail footwear, clothing and accessories location at Barkley Village. The stores are run by Michael Park, former manager at R.E.I. and Footzone, and Kevin Ryan, a local running coach. They supply both athletic footwear and footwear for podiatric, chiropractic, and physical therapy patients.

Nelson opens inspection business
Brandon Nelson opened Brandon Nelson Home Inspection this spring.
A former writer and public speaker, Nelson decided to pursue home inspection as a career and completed a professional training course at Bellingham Technical College. In addition, he earned his license as a structural pest inspector
He mainly offers inspections for clients who have an agreement to purchase homes. He checks out structural systems as well as electricity, plumbing, heating and cooling. Such inspections give purchasers a chance to find out about any flaws before completing the purchasing.
Nelson hopes his background as a writer will help him provide engaging narrative reports to his clients.

Photo store on the move
Photoworld Digital recently moved to Barkley Village from their former location at Meridian Village, where the store was known simply as Photoworld. The new name reflects the increased emphasis on digital services.
Don Downing has operated the store for 26 years and recently decided to purchase a digital processing lab to keep up with changes in the photographic industry. The digital lab is currently the only one in Washington State. It allows processing of photographs from film or digital media. The can be set to make automatic corrections for contrast, tone or sharpness or to allow photographers to make their own digital enhancements.

County directory Web site launched
Whatcom.info was launched by Mindfly last month and had accrued 150 business listings in its first three weeks of operation. Whatcom.info will provide free listings for businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations located in the county. Listings include contact information and a summary written by each registrant. The site is searchable by city and buy organization category.
Mindfly, a local Web hosting and design service, created the site and reported it was averaging 200 hits each day by late April.

Grads return to form copier company
Copiers Northwest recently opened a Bellingham location in discovery Park. The company was formed in 1986 by Greg and Mark Petrie, members of the Western Washington University class of 1981.
The brothers started selling copiers shortly after graduation.
Copiers Northwest has locations in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and now Bellingham with satellite offices in Everett and Bremerton.
The company currently provides copier equipment to all three major professional sports franchises in Seattle.
Jim Fleishman will be sales manager of the Bellingham branch. He brings 18 years experience in the office equipment industry to his new job.

Ferndale plans city is open campaign
To combat perceptions that Ferndale businesses are going a hiatus while bridge repairs are finished, the chamber of commerce has decided to blanket city businesses and newspapers with a Ferndale is open flyer. Main Street Bridge will have to close for two to three weeks while repairs are finished. However, the merchants are fighting to insure people know that the city is still easily accessible and opened for business.
The flyer contains the slogan on one side and a map showing alternate routes in and out of Ferndale on the other.

Farm market opens in Maple Falls
The Mount Baker Foothills Chamber of Commerce opened a farm and craft market in Maple Falls last month. The grand opening was May 23rd to coincide with the Silver Lake bicycle time trials.
“Our goal is to make it work, and to establish a permanent weekend destination all spring and summer every year for local growers, artists and musicians to sell their wares,” said Carole MacDonald, president of the Mt. Baker Foothills Chamber of Commerce. “We’ll provide a great open air space and they’ll have the opportunity to open small, cost effective businesses.”
The market is located across from the Visitor’s Center on Mt. Baker Highway.

Web client wins award
A client of Int’l Graphics and Design won an award for a Web site designed by Int’l. This site, for 18 Karat International of Langley, British Columbia, was awarded in the decorative accent category as part of the Decorative Accessories Manufacturer of the Year awards. It is part of the only international program that recognizes retailers, manufacturers, designers and sales representatives of decorative home accessories.

Robtech Industries opens doors
Robtech Industries recently opened a new office space near Bellingham High School. Although this is the first storefront location, the company has been in operation since 1998, when Robert Brower started the company in his house.
Since then he has managed to operate successfully without placing a single ad. Instead he claims to have relied on networking and a base of repeat customers. Brower has more than 10 years’ experience in the industry, beginning as an embroidery digitizer. He takes custom logos and is able to convert them into a format usable by commercial embroidery machines.

Hytech receives industry honor
Hytech Roofing of Lynden received a centurion award from Carlisle Roof Systems. They’re the first contractor in Washington State to be so honored.
Carlisle gives the award to contractors who install 100 roofs that beat the company’s standard for correct installation. The award also entitles Hytech to take part in the company’s special warranty program.

Lynden gets tax specialist
Capital Tax Recovery is a new business aimed at helping small business owners find overlooked tax deductions.
Since opening, Christine Zenker, owner, has found refunds for 60 percent of her clients. Average refunds come in at between $8,000 and $10,000 dollars.
Zenker said she’s not seeking to replace regular accountants. Instead she hopes to find extra deductions that clients either overlooked or which their preparers overlooked in the last minute rush to beat the IRS tax filing deadline.

Assistants form professional groups
Five local virtual assistants recently banded together to form an organization for virtual assistants. The new organization will support existing assistants and foster growth of the profession in Northwest Washington.
A virtual assistant uses their own office equipment and resources to offer a variety of on-line office and administrative support services. In addition, to publicize their efforts, the group will refer assistants to appropriate clients.
Founding members of the group include: Cindi Pree, Kulshan Group; Alicia Wills, Many Hats Virtual Services; Sommer Cronck, Precision Assistant; Dana Blozis, Virtually Yourz; and Tracie Johnson, e-Assisting.com.

Calling all foreign owned businesses
Western Washington University’s entrepreneurial studies program, in collaboration with the Bellingham/Whatcom Economic Development Council, is in search of businesses owned by Canadian or other international entities to help create a database of foreign-owned companies operating in Whatcom County.
The purpose of this database is to better understand the impact of international businesses on the county, with a primary focus being on Canadian companies, how many local jobs are created and how much local investment is created by foreign companies.
Businesses interested in participating in this project can contribute by providing the following information to the entrepreneurial studies program at canadianwhatcom@yahoo.com:
• Business name and address
• Phone number and contact name
• Fax numbers
• Head office location and phone number
• SIC (Standard Industrial Code)
• Number of employees
• Business activities
• Initial investment
• Date business was established in Whatcom County
The entrepreneurial studies program is a service-learning program that matches student consulting teams with local volunteer enterprises (both for-profit and nonprofit organizations). The program is free to the host organization and allows students an opportunity to apply broad-based business and economic theory to practical everyday situations.
For more information, contact Rafeeka Gafoor, deputy director of the Economic Development Council, at (360) 676-4255 or John Sands, director of the entrepreneurial studies program, at (360) 650-3895.

Korvan sells lines to OXBO
Lynden-based Korvan Industries sold several product lines, manufacturing equipment, and the right to use the Korvan name to OXBO International. Specifically the company sold harvesting machines for wine grapes, raisins, and berries.
The transaction is an outright sale of assets, not a take over. Korvan will retain ownership of harvest lines for citrus, olives, and coffee.
OXBO has signed a multi-year lease for the Lynden facility and plans to retain it as is, along with the employees as well as the management team.
OXBO sought the acquisition in order to enter the grape harvesting market in the western United States. OXBO has manufacturing facilities in New York State and Wisconsin.

Harris Square project under way
Ground was broken on a mixed-use project in the Fairhaven last month. Harris Square will consist of 94 residential units, underground parking and a ground level retail space. It will encompass three five-story buildings.
The project is being developed by local developer and new owner of Win's Drive-In, Troy Muljat and by prominent Canadian developer, Andre Molnar of Vancouver. Grinstad and Wagner is the project designer. Excel Pacific of Bellingham is the lead contractor.

Blaine company wins gold book
Ad-ventures Publishing was named Gold Book Champion by the Association of Directory Publishers. Ad-ventures was formed four years ago by Cindy Sortor, who worked for 20 years at the Yellow Pages. The company publishes 12 directories for markets in Hawaii, Washington State, and Mexico.
The Gold Book is awarded to the directory publisher that is judged to have superior marketing and promotion programs as well as excellent features included as part of the directory. The award is given the association’s annual convention in Austin, TX.

Henifin to work on Skagit project
Henefin Construction of Bellingham began work on a 1.3 mi. stretch of College Way in Mount Vernon last month. The nearly $1.5 million project includes a new traffic signal at Martin Road, a new storm sewer, three water quality swales, new curbs and sidewalks on both sides of the street, and new pavement for College Way. When complete early next month, the company hopes to have made at the road safer for pedestrians, improved that drainage, and created better traffic flow at the busy intersection.

Credit union opens Fountain branch
Whatcom Educational Credit Union held a ribbon cutting ceremony for their fourth Bellingham branch last month. The location is on Meridian Street in the Fountain District.

Unemployment up but a good sign
The employment rate was up slightly in Washington State last month. It increased by two tenths of a percentage point to 6.3 percent. But the slight increase isn’t all bad news.
“At this stage of the recovery a slight increase in the unemployment rate in Washington is not necessarily a bad sign,” said Sylvia P. Mundy, employment security commissioner. “As labor market conditions continue to improve, unemployed workers who have dropped out of the labor force will begin at to look for work. This appears to be what happened in April as both the number of employed and unemployed rose on a seasonally adjusted basis.”
Nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased by nearly 22,000 jobs over the month. Gains were spread across all major sectors, but were particularly strong in seasonally accelerating industries such as construction and food processing. Professional and business services, employment services, leisure, hospitality and restaurants all showed solid employment gains. Manufacturing added jobs for the second month in a row.
Hardware Sales adds home design department
Hardware Sales recently added a kitchen and bath sales department to their sprawling compound. Initially the department will carry about five lines of cabinets. In addition they’re offering a custom design service.

Haggen buys Fairhaven Market
Haggen purchased the popular independent Fairhaven Market last month. Initially, Haggen will leave the store unchanged but will gradually make changes as they settle in to doing business on the South Side.
Fairhaven Market opened in mid-1950s and over the past nine years has been operated by Barry Kramer. Kramer said it was important to him to ensure the store remained a Bellingham store even after selling.
The 27,500 square foot store will be Haggen’s fifth Bellingham location.