Retail
The biggest challenge to Washington trade
In the stark but beautiful coaston the northwestern edge of the NorthAmerican continent where it rains 10 feeta year sits a little port with big ambitions to change traditional trade routes. With only 14,000 residents, Prince Rupert, B.C., sees a 17 percent jump in it spopulation whenever a cruise ship arrives.In the mid-1990s, when big…
Why Sound Transit’s projects are so costly
Sound Transit is on the move. The regional transportation authority, which operates rail and bus services in three central-Puget Sound counties, is completing a light-rail extension from downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill and the University of Washington campus, and has plans underway to extend its reach to Lynnwood to the north and Redmond to the…
Retail: Chairman of the Boarders
Its tough being hip among the skateboard crowd, especially when youre a 35-year-old who hangs out in malls. Zumiez Inc. is the Lynnwood-based chain that sells apparel, equipment and accessories for snowboarders, surfers, skateboarders and BMX/motocross riders through 502 stores across North America and Europemore than double the number of locations the company had as…
On Reflection: Sound investment
Curious about local bands? Download The City of Music mobile app or perk up your ears the next time you pass through Sea-Tac International Airport and youre liable to hear the tunes of celebrated Seattle artists like Macklemore and Blue Scholars. The app and the airport program are among the latest efforts of a 2008…
Spotlight: Core Values
Bellevue-based Pocomaru designs and sells what CEO Heidi Yu calls physical apps for your gadgets. Yu, a native of Chengdu, China, received her MBA from the Albers School of Business and Economics at Seattle University and was a winner of that programs business plan competition in 2010. She launched her company last year to offer…
Everett’s Daily Herald sold
The Everett Daily Herald, which has been owned by the Washington Post Company for 35 years, is being sold to Black Press Ltd. of Surrey, British Columbia. In the Puget Sound region, Black Press operates Sound Publishing, which produces 39 community newspapers and bills itself as “Washington’s largest community news organization.” Black Press/Sound Publishing recently…
The Feeling Is Mutual
When co-op managers from around the country met in Seattle last October, they devoted one convention day to a collective busmans holiday, boarding buses for an organized tour of Seattle-area cooperatives. They strolled the aisles at a local PCC market, surveying shelves of health foods and learning how a neighborhood buying club grew to become…
Feeding Walmart
RICHARD GONZALES HAS ON his shopping list many of the same items as consumers making their weekly trips to the supermarket: apples, cherries, potatoes, onions. The difference is in the quantities being purchased. Consumers are looking to fill a grocery cart. Gonzales is hoping to fill truck trailers and railroad freight cars. And while those…
Spotlight: Hammer Time
The Lewis ice crushing bag is an essential element in any serious bartenders toolkit. Made to withstand the kind of pounding Marshawn Lynch inflicts on people trying to tackle him, the Lewis bag and a sturdy wooden mallet are as important to your Mojito as the rum and the mint. Bartender/consultant Mike McSorley and his…
Before the Deluge
From western wildfires to Superstorm Sandy to the super soaking the Seattle area received in November, weather swept the headlines in 2012. For Washington state residents, perched on fault lines with wilderness at their doorsteps, disaster preparedness is second nature. Earthquake insurance is common and most homeowner policies cover fire. Yet flood insurance remains a…
Always a View
In the early days of the Iraq War, travel writer Rick Steves put a peace flag on his office building in Edmonds. After more than 20 years of writing books about exploring Europes back roads, Steves had established himself as one of the most recognizable brands in the travel media niche of the $1 trillion…
Ice on Fire
When Kevin Klock took over as president and CEO of Talking Rain Beverage Company in 2010 after the sudden departure of three of the companys top executives, the firm was having trouble taking advantage of a major shift in the beverage industry. While health-oriented drinks like Vitamin Water were taking share from traditional sodas like…
On Reflection: Food suppliers court high-end customers
Seattles enthusiastic foodie culture embraces the concept of eating tasty food thats locally produced. Ideally, this approach means finding ingredients from nearby farms and seafood providers, as well as making sure the items are produced organically and sustainably. A growing number of companies are emerging to help out in that regard. Corfini Gourmet and Eat…