Leslie Helm
Architects on the Leading Edge
Some are trying to give Seattle an exciting, distinctive flavor.
A close-up of one of the three Amazon “biospheres” in downtown Seattle. Image Credit: Alexander Crook. Seattle attracts talented architects, even more so as the region continues to enjoy an unprecedented construction boom. Yet its rare to come across the distinctive new development that is not only visually stunning but also manages to add something…
On Reflection: Amazon’s Cloud Control
Amazon Web Services is gaining market share at an astonishing rate.
The rapidly growing cloud business of Amazon Web Services (AWS) could soon begin to put the same kind of pressure on the legacy IT sector that Amazon.com has already put on the retail sector. KeyBanc Capital Markets estimates AWS is adding $1 billion in incremental revenues every quarter. Analysts expect annual AWS revenue will more…
Executive Q&A with Gus Simonds: Building Resilience
The president and CEO of MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions likes adventure. His background in selling (and sailing) has helped him steer a confident course.
Gus Simonds and his management team took the helm at MacDonald-Miller in 2006. The Great Recession hit two years later. By focusing on services and increasingly complex projects, the mechanical contractor survived, then thrived, doubling business since 2012. The company now has 1,000 employees and boasts $260 million in annual revenue. EARLY YEARS: I grew…
Editors Note: The Case for Paine Field
Its time for the airport in Snohomish County to take some of the pressure off Sea-Tac.
Mukilteo is a divided community when it comes to Paine Field, the airport next door. Aviation enthusiasts who love to see the vintage aircraft buzzing about have bumper stickers that read I airplane noise. Anti-airport activists, by contrast, apparently play a parlor game called Stop That Project! in which guests are asked to come up…
What Does It Take to Become a Best Company to Work For?
Were often asked how businesses make the list.
People like to rave about companies that have pool tables in their lounges, free massages at employees desks and Friday afternoon happy hours at favorite watering holes. But seldom will such perks make us passionate about the companies we work for. What gets us out of bed every morning excited about going to work involves…
The Outsiders Perspective at Bartell Drugs
Brian Unmacht, the first non-Bartell to run Bartell Drugs, knows his mission is to keep the family-owned business relevant in the face of stiff competition.
Brian Unmacht spent six years working at his fathers drugstore company and, after college, 27 years at REI, before becoming only the fourth CEO in Bartell Drugs 126-year history. Now hes intent on using local partnerships to make Bartell a strong competitor to the national drugstore chains. FAMILY: My father had been an executive at…
Editor’s Note: Dont Worry; Be Happy
The tech disruption is unsettling, but it happened before and Seattle survived and thrived!
Seattles geek influx seems to be causing a disturbance in the force. The New York Times Timothy Egan worries that Amazon has become a large foreign presence growing inside us. At risk, old-timers say, is Seattles very identity as a culturally rich, economically diverse city. Such concerns have merit. Heavy hiring by Seattle tech companies…
Editor’s Note: Japan Awaits
Looking to expand to Asian markets? China isnt the only option.
When it comes to exports, most people think first of China. After all, with a population of 1.4 billion, it is the worlds largest economy. But while a handful of corporate giants like Starbucks are minting money there, Chinas unfriendly regulators and rampant intellectual property theft are giving many American companies pause. Enter Japan. Once…
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