General
New business fee on table
The Vancouver City Council could vote next month on another proposal to raise money from the business community for new capacity transportation. The new plan would charge most businesses $50 annual as a base, and a surcharge of $70 per employee. Very small businesses making less than $12,000 in gross revenue a year would not pay anything. The plan would repeal the current business license fee, and generate about $4 million annually. About $1 million would replace the licensing fee in the general fund, while $3 million would go to roads.
Coffee foundation represented at international conference
The Café Femenino Foundation will again be participating in the 18th annual conference of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) being held in Charlotte, NC, this week.
The focus of this year’s conference is on the growing role of women in international trade. Julie Olson, executive director of the Café Femenino Foundation, said in a statement that the foundation is gaining recognition for the unusual and successful partnership between the foundation and the women coffee growers.
Olson and Gay Smith, one of the owners of Vancouver-based Organic Products Trading Company, have been invited to address the Global Summit of Women in Cairo, Egypt on June 10-12. The president of the Summit, Irene Natividad, invited the two based on what she termed the cross-border "best practices model" of the coffee project founded by Smith and her husband, and the grants and opportunities for women through the work of the foundation. The summit attracts business and government leaders from around the world.
Local restaurants raise funds at Chefs Bowl
More than 50 hospitality employees, students and restaurateurs from Southwest Washington will serve up strikes at the 2006 Chefs Bowl for Kids on April 20 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Allen’s Crosley Lanes, 2400 E. Evergreen in Vancouver.
The inaugural event, organized by the Southwest Chapter of the Washington Restaurant Association, will help raise money to start up ProStart programs in local school districts. ProStart is a two-year program that prepares high school students for careers in the hospitality industry.
Employees from Red Robin, McMenamin’s, Smokey’s, Burgerville, KFC, Papa Murphys, The Holland Inc., McDonalds and Shoes4Work will bowl. A silent auction, raffle, food and beverage stations will round out the non-bowling activities for guests.
Tickets are $20 per person. Call Thelma Mosebar at 360-701-3359 or email thelma@WRAhome.com to purchase tickets or buy them at the door.
Sponsors include The Sterenberg Group, Red Robin, Nicholson & Associates Insurance, Heartland Payment Systems and Micros.
Real Estate & Development
Legacy Salmon Creek opens new medical office complex
Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital officially celebrated the opening of its medical office complex with an open house earlier this month. Doctors’ offices, physician practices and clinical specialty areas are located in the two new medical office buildings totaling 175,000 square feet. Connected with pedestrian sky bridges to the main hospital and parking garage, the medical office buildings offer patients access to a range of services, including advanced technology to target tumors, outpatient diagnostic imaging with the area’s only permanent PET/CT scanner and digital mammography.
NAI NBS will manage Stonemill Business Park
NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson has been tapped to manage a 120,272-square-foot business park in Vancouver. Stonemill Business Park is located at 204 and 312 S.E. Stonemill Drive and will be managed by Tracey Gedlich, property manager for NAI NBS.
Owned by StanCorp Real Estate, a subsidiary of StanCorp Financial Group Inc. Stonemill Business Park is comprised of two Class "A" flex office buildings. Tenants include the Department of Labor and Industries, Pacific NW Renal Services, Discover Mortgage and Prudential NW Properties. NAI Norris, Beggs & Simpson is also providing the leasing services.
NAI NBS’ asset/property management division currently manages a portfolio consisting of 6 million square feet of office, industrial and retail properties. The portfolio is valued at over $580 million.
Language Fusion LLC relocates to academy
Language Fusion LLC has moved to Vancouver’s historic downtown Academy building at 400 East Evergreen Blvd. The company provides translation, interpretation and localization services in more than 150 languages for businesses and government agencies around the world.
Olga Lafayette, president of Language Fusion said that the new larger office will allow the company to expand its operations and bring more people on board.
Glowgolf opens at Westfield Vancouver mall
Glowgolf, an operator of indoor, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf courses, opened its first Washington location in the Westfield Vancouver mall on the lower level near Meier and Frank. The 10,000-square-foot space features one 36-hole glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course, plus an area for birthday parties and group events.
Glowgolf is based in Wichita, Kan., and operates shopping mall locations in Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska and Tennessee. Glowgolf joins Romy, Braganza Pearl Teas, CJ Banks and Torrid as new additions to Westfield Vancouver, and Curly’s Carmel Corn is expected to open this month.
Rib City Grill Opens in Vancouver
Rib City Grill’s grand opening of its first franchise location in Clark County runs through April 16 at 14415 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd. in the shopping center next to Mountain View Ice Arena. The newly renovated 100-seat restaurant has a wine/beer menu and each table features its four sauces. Rib City Grill is open 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Sunday. Morgan Terrill, owner of the Vancouver Rib City Grill, said the location has approximately 30 employees. Fort Myers-based Rib City Grill has a strong presence in South Florida, as well as locations in Alabama, Colorado and Utah.
Design & Construction
Orchards Highlands park development project starts
Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation began preliminary construction activities on the Orchards Highlands Neighborhood Park development project this month. The construction contract was recently awarded to Lloyd H. Kessler Inc. of Vancouver, and construction is scheduled to be complete by August 2006. This is the second neighborhood park to start construction as part of the Greater Clark Parks District program.
Orchards Highland Neighborhood Park is located at N.E. 112th Avenue and N.E. 93rd Street in the Orchards area, and is currently undeveloped. Once construction is complete, this 8.7-acre park will feature asphalt and crushed gravel multi-use trails, sidewalk and curbing along Northeast 112th Avenue, play area with benches and a trash receptacle, multiple entrances, landscaping and park signage.
City seeks applicants for building-fire codes commission
The City of Vancouver is seeking a licensed architect, residential contractor, mechanical engineer and/or electrical engineer to fill a mid-term vacancy on the Building-Fire Code Commission which will expire in January 2009.
This seven-member volunteer board makes recommendations to Vancouver City Council regarding building and fire codes and proposed code changes. It hears appeals on code enforcement and interpretation, investigates building code, fire, and construction-related problems, and recommends uniform construction and fire-prevention regulations.
The board is "on call" and meets as needed. City residency is not a requirement.
For applications or further information, contact Myk Heidt in the City Manager’s Office by calling 360-696-8181. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m., May 5.
To learn more about City of Vancouver boards and commissions or to apply on-line visit www.cityofvancouver.us/boards.asp.
Innovation & Technology
GWI Software first quarter sales up 27 percent
GWI Software, a provider of IT help desk applications announced that first quarter, new business sales of its flagship product, c.Support, grew 27 percent over the same period last year, in what is often a slower selling period. GWI Software released c.Support v4.5, a new version of its product for Microsoft Windows Servers, in March. Vancouver-based GWI Software serves more than 2,500 clients worldwide, including Panasonic, State of Missouri, Philips Semiconductors, LensCrafters and Telesat Canada.
iriver giving away music players in promotion
iriver, a manufacturer of portable media devices, is giving away digital music devices and promoting artists during an online giveaway all this month.
Participants can listen to downloadable tracks of iriver featured artists and vote on their favorites. One participant will be drawn each week during April to win an iriver T10 player. iriver recently relocated its U.S. headquarters to Vancouver’s Tidewater Cove office complex from Milpitas, Calif.
BGWireless announces expanded coverage area
Battle Ground Wireless high speed wireless Internet service is now available in Allworth Valley and lower Risto Road area. With new technology, they can now reach customers that are not within sight of Yacolt Mountain.
Battle Ground Wireless has been providing high-speed wireless internet service to the Battle Ground area since March 2003 and doesn’t charge a premium for business customers.
In September 2005, after a year long effort, BGW deployed a Motorola Canopy system in a major expansion to their wireless coverage. From the CRESA tower on Yacolt Mountain, BGW can reach customers in LaCenter, Ridgefield, Amboy, Yacolt and surrounding areas.
BG Wireless, Inc. is located at 710 E. Main St. in Battle Ground.
Professional Services
Bullivant Houser Bailey names top leaders
Sacramento-based shareholder M. Taylor Florence will assume the position of chairman of the board of Bullivant Houser Bailey PC, a multi-service West Coast law firm, with an office in Vancouver. David A. Ernst, from the firm’s Portland office, will become the firm’s new president.
As the incoming board chair, Taylor Florence will be responsible for implementing the overall strategic goals of the firm. Florence was previously shareholder-in-charge of the firm’s Sacramento office as well as a member of the firm’s board of directors. He also intends to continue his practice of law.
As the new firm president, David Ernst will oversee the law firm’s operations in its six West Coast offices in Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada. He succeeds Dianne K. Dailey, who recently completed her term as firm president.
