Retail
John Oppenheimer, CEO, Columbia Hospitality
As founder and CEO of Seattle-based Columbia Hospitality, John Oppenheimer has built a business that operates 28 hotels and conference centers, employs more than 1,000 people and has a strong reputation for providing exceptional service. FIRST JOB: In Boise, Idaho, where I grew up, they didnt have skycaps. I thought it would be a neat…
Seattle area startups refine the daily-deals model
Whilescrutiny over daily deals has been generating headlines recently, the digitalcoupon craze is here to stay. Even as Groupon finds itself in the midst of an SEC investigation of its profit metrics, other companies are plowing ahead with offerings that tweak the modelsomewhat. Seattle-based ChoozOn aggregatescoupons to help consumers cut through the clutter in their…
Entrepreneurs of the Year: Services
Award Recipient: Robert A. Bessler, President & CEO, Sound Physicians Inc. [Tacoma] As an ER doctor in Auburn, Robert Bessler became frustrated with the system and the challenges to admitting patients. He converted that frustration into opportunity. In 2001, he and a partner invested $1,560 each and launched Sound Physicians from Besslers dining-room table. Sound…
Entrepreneurs of the Year: Retail & Consumer Products
Award Recipients: Dina Alhadeff, Amy Grealish and Lori Liddle (from left); Cofounders, Chasing Fireflies [Seattle] As working moms, Dina Alhadeff, Amy Grealish and Lori Liddle experienced the difficulty of finding the time and resources to create magical experiences and traditions for their childrenso they started a company to make it easier for others like them….
Travel Expenses
Washingtons tourism industry has long lamented how little the state spends promoting its attractions and accommodations when compared to others. We used to say we were 53rd out of 50 states, recalls Jane Kilburn, public affairs director for the Port of Seattle. It was pitiful. So how much lower down in the rankings will Washington…
Trade Routes
Ladies and gentleman, barterin time is here, and its getting more specialized. Bellevue-based BizXchange has long been the big player in the business world, but some new, more specialized websites have popped up to make trading trendy in and around Seattle. Backyard Barter is the brainchild of Ballardite Creagh Miller with the help of Ericka…
Peak Performance
When pushing for the summit of Mount Everest, climbers know that accurate weather information can mean the difference between life and death. Many of these climbers get that vital data from a man they will never meet and someone who has never been to the Himalayas himself. Michael Fagin forecasts the weather conditions on the…
Almond Roca rocks it in China
When most candy companies are ramping up for the Valentines Day and Easter crushes, Brown & Haley is also concentrating on New Years Day. In China. Tacoma-based Brown & Haley, a century-old candy maker with 275 employees and an estimated $50 million in sales, has found unexpected fortune in the worlds fastest-growing marketgreater Chinawhich includes…
Washington state slashes tourism development spending
Washington state, long toutedto the American public as a scenic travel destination, will shortlyeliminate its state-sponsored tourism-development spending. The movecomes amid awave of state budget cutsmany of them to public servicesspendingin an attempt to remedy the $5 billion shortfall in the2011-2013biennium. While the estimated $2 to $4 million in spending saved is asmall piece of…
Get a leg up on MOHAI’s move to South Lake Union
The Museum of History & Industry is looking back nearly a century on Friday for the MOHAI Crawl, a Roaring Twenties-style event involving six, er, speakeasies and a lot of flappers. MOHAI, which celebrates the history of the Pacific Northwest with a particular focus on its economic impact, is moving to South Lake Union next…
The Starbucks of Meat
One day, while consulting for one of the nations oldest organic farms, Bill the Butcher founder and CEO JAmy Owens had an idea. During her 30-year career in retail, consulting with companies ranging from Starbucks to Saks Fifth Avenue, Owens had watched customers turn to neighborhood bakeries, farmers markets and local coffee shops. Owens thought…
Costco reports increase in third-quarter earnings
Bolstered by brisk sales and increased membership fees, Issaquah-based Costco Wholesale Corp. reported earnings of $324 million, or 73 cents per share, for its third quarter. This compares to $306 million, or 68 cents per share, a year ago. Sales for the quarter rose 16 percent, to $20.2 billion, from $17.4 billion the year before….
Expedia expands presence in China
The Bellevue-based online travel giant Expedia has strengthened its presence in China with a $41.2 million investment in Chinas leading online travel agency, eLong. Expedia now owns 56 percent of eLong, enabling seamless integration with eLongs more than portfolio of more than 19,200 hotel prperties in 700 cities in China.