Papa Murphy’s partners with Traeger Pellet Grills
Vancouver-based Papa Murphy’s has partnered with Traeger Pellet Grills an Oregon-based manufacturer of handcrafted wood pellet grills. Through August 28, Papa Murphy’s 79 metro-area locations will be displaying Traeger’s most popular grill, the Lil’ Tex, and consumers will be able to register to win those grills via an in-store sweepstakes. In addition, selected locations across the area will have a second grill on hand for baking pizzas and providing free samples.
Port of Vancouver speeds groundwater cleanup in Fruit Valley
The Port of Vancouver and Department of Ecology are embarking on a program to accelerate a groundwater clean up in Fruit Valley.
The port will install a pump-and-treat system to remove the solvent contamination from previous owners in an aquifer below Fruit Valley industrial and residential lands, where contamination was discovered in the late 1990s.
The port has already spent $13 million, and anticipates it will spend another $21 million to finish the cleanup. The Washington Department of Ecology has given the port a total of $6.3 million to assist with funding the cleanup.
Nautilus Inc. announces second quarter results
Net sales for the three months ended June 30 were $117.1 million for Vancouver-headquartered Nautilus Inc., compared to $137.6 million for the corresponding period last year, down 15 percent. Net income for the quarter was $1.1 million, or $0.04 per share, compared to $1.7 million or $0.05 per share for the second quarter of 2006.
Excluding pro forma adjustments pertaining to a valuation adjustment from access to intellectual property received through a litigation settlement with Icon Health and Fitness, net loss for the second quarter of 2007 was $9.5 million or $0.30 per share, compared to net income of $1.7 million or $0.05 per share in the second quarter of 2006.
Elements Day Spa hosts Kalama entrepreneur’s art
Artist Katie M. Berggren has original artwork on display at Elements Day Spa and Salon, 16096 S.E. 15th St., Suite B in Vancouver, through the end of August.
The show is based on the concept of catch and release: capturing a moment and releasing an emotion.
Berggren was honored as the Women Entrepreneurs Organization of Washington’s entrepreneur of the year in February.
Wine and Food Society of Clark County funds Clark College Foundation
The Wine and Food Society of Clark County is giving $1,000 in scholarships to the Clark College Foundation in their Culinary Institute program. Part of this grant will provide financial assistance to Ian Titterton, renowned chocolatier and baking instructor at Clark College, for a trip he will make to tour the Belizean cacao plantations in South America.
According to the WFSCC Grant Committee, Ian will be able to incorporate his Belizean experience with agronomy, soil differences, climate and tasting in his courses at Clark College. The knowledge gained on the trip will also assist him in teaching his students at Clark’s culinary arts program to pair wine and chocolate.
Remaining funds from the $1,000 scholarship will help pay for students to enroll in Clark’s various culinary programs.
REAL ESTATE & DEVELOPMENT
Keller Williams opens Battle Ground office
Keller Williams Realty has opened its third regional office in Battle Ground, joining offices in downtown Vancouver and Cascade Park. The real estate company came to Southwest Washington in January 2005, and has grown to nearly 270 associates in the region.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
BetterBricks awards accepting nominations
The BetterBricks Awards recognize area architects, engineers, developers, building owners, building operators, service providers, facility managers, emerging leaders or other building professionals for their support, use and design of sustainable, high performance, commercial buildings with a special emphasis on energy efficiency in the Northwest. BetterBricks winners will be awarded in multiple categories, focusing on the people behind the best projects in the Northwest. To nominate someone (including yourself) for a BetterBricks Award, please refer to the website, www.betterbricksawards.com. Questions should go to Therese Lang, therese@coateskokes.com or 503-241-1124.
Extreme sports park opens this summer
An “extreme sports park” will open in Clark County, possibly within a month.
The park is located inside Pacific Community Park, on Northeast 18th Street between 164th and 172nd avenues, and has been under construction since March 2007. The 10,000-square-foot facility is one of several new features being built as part of the community park development project, and will include “vertical/bowl” and “street” elements designed for skateboarders and BMX bicyclists of all skill levels.
Due to interest from the community, the sports park may open before the rest of the 20,000-square-foot park. A community meeting was held with the contractor on July 18 to discuss concerns, as well as a potential grand opening celebration.
County Historical Promotion seat open
The Historical Promotion Grants Advisory Committee has an opening and interested citizens may submit a resume and letter of interest to Kelly Sills, Clark County’s economic development manager, by Aug. 10.
The county awards up to $120,000 annually to promote historic preservation and programs.
Sills may be contacted at kelly.sills@clark.wa.gov or Board of County Commissioners, Attn: Kelly Sills, Economic Development Manager, P.O. Box 5000, Vancouver, WA 98666-5000.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
State wages rose faster than inflation
Washington employees earned more than 5 percent more in 2006 than they did the year before, according to the state Employment Security Department.
The Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages report shows that annual wages across the state averaged $42,881. By comparison, the inflation rate for 2006 was 3.7 percent.
The top-paying industry in 2006 was information services, which includes publishing, broadcasting, Internet services and telecommunications, with an average income of $91,033.
The bottom-paying industries were accommodation and food services ($15,468) and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting ($22,218).
Clark County posted the fourth-highest annual wage in the state. King County was the top paying county in the state for the second year in a row.
Deb Wallace, lawmakers meet to boost accountability in higher education
Nearly 70 Washington legislators, higher education advocates, business representatives and college administrators met for two days at the University of Washington with the goal of improving accountability in the state’s higher education system. The symposium was hosted by the House Higher Education Committee, which is chaired by local Democratic Rep. Deb Wallace.
Wallace said that meeting the state’s goal of educating more people means setting a solid framework of accountability so students and taxpayers can clearly see the return on their investment.
INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY
Iriver clix launches new Rhapsody version
Reigncom Ltd., maker of the iriver portable multimedia devices, and digital entertainment services company RealNetworks Inc. announced the launch of the clix Rhapsody, a second-generation iriver clix digital entertainment device optimized for the Rhapsody digital music service. The enhanced iriver clix Rhapsody supports a variety of music discovery features that promote an engaging digital music experience. The clix Rhapsody is available now through select online outlets including Amazon.com. Iriver is headquartered in Seoul, Korea, and has an office in Vancouver.
RevQ Inc. releases new debt collection software
RevQ Inc., a software and consulting company providing technology for revenue recovery to the government sector, has released Revenue Results 4.1. The latest version of its debt collection software engineered specifically for courts, taxation and other government entities offers a series of new features and enhancements for effective revenue collections. Revenue Results is designed to automate the many manual and monotonous tasks in the debt collection lifecycle to increase productivity and reduce unnecessary time spent on tracking, management and follow-up. RevQ is part of the Vancouver-based Columbia Ultimate family of companies.
Westfield Vancouver offers online search, holds
Shoppers can now search for items at Westfield Vancouver by Internet or mobile phone – it’s the first shopping center in the area to offer this service. The service is powered by NearbyNow. Consumers can also reserve products online, and – while shopping – send a text message to easily find the nearest store that sells a specific product or advertises a sale. The service also enables the mall’s retailers and brands to launch highly targeted advertising programs at shoppers with a high intent to buy. Visit vancouver.nearbynow.com.
Business.gov website expands with new features
Business.gov continues to expand its offerings of resources and tools to help small businesses comply with federal government regulations.
Responding to feedback from its business community users, Business.gov has developed a tool that helps businesses determine their license and permit requirements. The site, at www.business.gov, also has expanded the content and context of the information contained in its Compliance Guides and developed relationships with other government and non-governmental organizations to provide more in-depth compliance resources.
Business.gov’s new “Permit Me” feature provides a single source for obtaining federal, state and local permits and professional licenses for businesses.
Business.gov has also added “Feature Topics” that focus on common business concerns and that will be continually updated. Featured Topics provide context to the compliance information provided on the site and help business owners understand in plain language the regulatory requirements their businesses face.
Business.gov is managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
BANKING & FINANCE
Bank of Clark County voted ‘best’
Bank of Clark County has been recognized as one of the “Best Companies to Work for in Washington State” by Washington CEO Magazine. Making the list for the sixth time since the bank was founded in 1999, 2007 marks the fifth consecutive year Bank of Clark County has earned a spot on this list. Clark County Bancorporation was also 35th on a list of top community banks ranked by three-year average return on equity and 25th on a national list for multi-year income performance among banks with less than $1 billion in assets, both by US Banker Magazine.
Washington Society of CPAs partners with Paychex
Paychex has been selected as the preferred provider of payroll and retirement services for the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants. With the agreement, Paychex will offer special payroll and 401(k) benefits to 8,900 WSCPA members and their newly-referred clients.
