Commentary
Digging In
OK, team. Decision time. I know Igot elected mayor of Seattle on a promise of not wanting to rock the boat onthe whole tunnel-to-replace-the-viaduct thing, but the voters are starting tocatch on, and since the cost overrun issue seems not to be taking hold, Ifigure we have one shot to kill this once and for…
Seeking a Common Language
When Howard Behar, the former president of Starbucks, was aboy growing up in Seattle, his father, a Bulgarian immigrant, owned a neighborhoodgrocery. If a customer was in financial trouble, his father would tell Howardto throw in some free bananas. It wasnt about being liberal or conservative.It was about people helping people, recalls Behar. Today, he…
A History of Business
Like many American cities, Seattle was built for the purposeof making money. Oh sure, we may prattle on about our gorgeous setting andbeing in touch with our natural surroundings and all the other cliches oftourism promotion. But lets not kid ourselvesthe business of Seattle, and itsreason for existence, was always business. From the first moments…
Wholl Stop the Rain?
Whether falling in a mist or a torrent, the Northwests rainis familiar and dependable. But as rainwater streams off roofs and acrosspavement, it picks up a toxic cocktail of substances such as chemicals toremove moss, crank case drips and lawn pesticides. Polluted stormwater runoffis the leading source of hazardous chemicals entering Washingtons largest bodyof water,…
Enter the Dragon
Despite the prominent place that the Peoples Republic ofChina occupies in the world, its global investments have been comparativelysmall. While there have been a few prominent examples, they are paltry comparedto the size of the Chinese economy. What we have seen so far comes primarily from three sources:Chinese state-owned enterprises implementing government-mandated policies tosecure long-term…
Chinese Protectionism Comes Under Attack
Its open season on China. After years of holding back on criticism of China for fear of losing business, U.S. executives are beginning to complain openly about the Asian giants trade practices, which often heavily favor Chinese companies. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has complained about the lack of intellectual property protection for software in China…
SUCCESSFUL MICROCREDIT GROUP SHUTS ITS DOORS
Unitus, an organization that has helped microcredit organizations flourish across the developing world, is shutting its doors. The organization, which helps provide financing and management consulting to microfinance institutions, said it will let go of its staff of 40 people, including 25 in Seattle, 15 in Bangalore and two in Nairobi. Over its 10 years…
Editor’s Note: From Knowledge Worker to Conceptual Innovator
On his long journey from golf caddy at age 12 to his currentposition as CEO of one of our states leading defense and aerospace companies,Esterline Technologies, Brad Lawrence says his biggest lessons came fromobserving successful people. One important lesson, he told me recently, camefrom watching two executives he used to work for at Rockwell International….
We Happy Few
Mindful of the recent collapse of favored investments insubprime real estate and credit default swaps, and in light of the fact thatthe traditional markets remain turbulent in the wake of escalating implosionsand regulation, we focus this months advice on safer harbors for ourwell-gained billions. 1. The rate at which artistic masterpieces are damaged orstolen has…
Plan Ahead
Companies that provide health insurance to employees willsoon face the financial impact of the sweeping new health care reform laws.While small businesses may benefit from new tax credits and exemptions frompenalties if they dont provide sufficient coverage, many midsize and largebusinesses likely will see health care cost increases. There are still some gray areas in…
Same Ol Song and Dance
About a nanosecond into any heated discussion ofWashingtons business climate, one of the participants will mention,approvingly or derisively, the instantly infamous comment by Alan Mulally, thatI think we suck. Whats been lost in the legend is that Mulally, then head ofBoeing Commercial Airplanes, was referring not only to the states businessclimate generally but also to…
In Times of Uncertainty, Family Businesses Help Anchor the Economy
Our region is great at starting companies–unfortunately, a lot of them end up getting sold off. Wouldn’t it be nice if more of the companies stuck around? John Cook had an interesting blog yesterday on the tendency of entrepreneurs in our region to start companies and then turn around and sell them. And it’s true,…