Archive for May, 2011

This state WARN notice comes out of Keyport (near Poulsbo):

Company: BAE Systems (Keyport) will lay off 90 employees,
effective June 30, 2011
Date of Notification: May 10, 2011

Here’s a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification  from the state Employment Security Department about a Seattle bus company cutting its workforce:

Company: Petermann Northwest LLC (Seattle) will lay off 109 employees,
effective June 22, 2011
Date of Notification: May 27, 2011

Below is an announcement from Wild Blueberries, which is now under new ownership:

Laura Lee and Doug Bosman recently acquired Wild Blueberries, a Fairhaven retail store offering clothes, toys and every-day essentials for children from birth to 7 years old.

Laura Lee Bosman said they brought an entirely new inventory of products and a new staff to Wild Blueberries, located at 1106 Harris Ave.

“We’re creating a clean, fresh, kid-friendly environment where parents can feel comfortable while shopping with their young children,” she said. “This also will be a great place to find presents for them because we have free gift wrapping and high-quality clothing lines, including Tea, Quicksilver and Zutano.”

The Bosmans also own Along Comes A Baby, which they launched in Bellingham’s Bakerview Square in 2007 and focuses on babies up to 2 years old. “We wanted to offer our great products to older children,” Laura Lee Bosman said.

Katie Matteson, a longtime employee at Along Comes A Baby, has been promoted to manager of Wild Blueberries. The Fairhaven store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 360-756-5100.

It’s always a challenge for me to get back in work mode after a three-day weekend, but I made it through the pile of e-mails and have found a few local business items that took place that I’ll get on this blog later today.

First off is a Washington state bank closure that took place after I left the office on Friday, May 27. It was First Heritage Bank, which had branches in Snohomish, Everett, Monroe, Arlington and Woodinville. It was the 44th bank closure in 2011, and the estimated cost to the FDIC is estimated at $34.9 million. Below is a press release from Washington’s Department of Financial Institutions with the details:

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It appears government regulators are taking this Friday off, with no bank closures so far today. It’s been fairly quiet on the local business new front as people prepare for Ski to Sea fun and Memorial Day.

Have a good time this weekend; BizBlog will be back at it on Tuesday, May 31.

Below is a list of companies that registered to do business in Bellingham between May 13 and May 24. Most of these are new businesses, but some are companies that have moved or changed ownership. It’s listed by business name and physical address:

Kim A Kleppe, 845 S Hills Drive, Bellingham
The Pilates Loft, Rachel J Maddalena, 1229 Cornwall Ave #207, Bellingham
Coastal Building Services, 2181 Main St., Ferndale
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Here’s a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification send out by the state Employment Security Department on Friday afternoon:

Company: Insight Schools, Inc. (Bellevue) will lay off 168 employees,
effective July 18, 2011
Date of Notification: May 26, 2011

U.S. raspberry growers and importers are about to vote on whether to start an industry-funded program for processed raspberries.

Producers of raspberries for processing as well as importers of processed raspberries will be eligible to vote on the program. It would see them pay up to one cent per pound of raspberries to a National Processed Raspberry Council to be established as part of the plan.

The program was proposed by the Washington Red Raspberry Commission. Participants, who to be eligible must have produced or imported 20,000 pounds of raspberries in 2010, will vote on the proposal between Wednesday, June 8 and Friday, June 24.

Of the approximately 130 raspberry growers eligible to vote on this referendum, more than 80 farm in Whatcom County.

Whatcom County raspberry grower Adam Enfield said in a press release that the aim of the program will be to increase raspberry demand by educating consumers about the health and taste attributes of raspberries.
Promotion activity will target both consumers and the trade, Enfield said. Efforts will be focused on product line extension and new product ideas.

More information about the upcoming referendum is available on the WRRC website at this (link).

Bellingham’s Heath Tecna won the Manufacturer of the Year award in the large company category. The award was given out by Seattle Business magazine. Here’s a (link) to an article about the award. The company makes aircraft interiors for a variety of airlines.

What’s really striking about the company is it has more than doubled its workforce in the past year, and now has more than 600 employees.

Arun Raha, Executive Director of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council, released his preliminary June forecast. The entire text with graphs can be found clicking this (link).

Below is the key text about what is expected to happen with the state economy:

Continue reading →