Published February 2001

Business Briefs

Design firm tapped for waterfront plan
An expected $100 million redevelopment of Everett’s waterfront was launched last month when Port of Everett commissioners agreed to pay nearly $450,000 to a Chicago firm and its local partners for design work.

The money will be spent to develop a plan that will include a public amphitheater, commercial shops, restaurants and other public amenities in the north marina area.

The port wouldn’t actually spend the estimated $100 million for redevelopment. That would come from private investors, who also would fund the public amenities.

Albert Meers, Vice President of Maritime Trust Co. of Chicago, said his company was excited about the project because of its large scope.

The area involves some 100 acres roughly bounded by W. Marine View Drive and the waterfront and Lombardi’s Restaurant and the public boat launch.

Business women set February meeting
Lynne Varner, an editorial writer for the Seattle Times, will be the featured speaker at the Greater Port Gardner Bay Business and Professional Women’s meeting Feb. 26 at The Flying Pig, 2929 Colby Ave., in Everett.

Varner, an African American, will discuss “My Own Personal Idaho,” an editorial she co-wrote in the Seattle Times. She also will offer her own reflections on African American History Month.

The dinner, networking session and business meeting are from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The program begins at 7:15 p.m. For more information, call Laurie McCormick at 425-355-3415.

Missouri company buys
Lynnwood Plaza
Lynnwood Plaza, home to World Lighting and 13 other stores, has a new owner, St. Louis-based Bianco Properties.

The center, across from Alderwood Mall, is the first commercial deal in this area for the company, which owns four apartment complexes in the Puget Sound area.

Bianco paid Center Trust Inc., a California investment trust, $10.5 million for the 69,432-square-foot center. Built in 1988, it is fully leased and includes Men’s Wearhouse, Sleep Train and Doug Fox Travel among its tenants.

Monroe company recognized
for pollution prevention
Canyon Creek Cabinet Co. of Monroe received the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s 2000 Evergreen Millennium Award for Pollution Prevention. It was one of only four companies in Washington, Alaska, Oregon and Idaho to receive the award.

Meeting to focus on
state employment law
The Snohomish Chapter of the Northwest Human Resource Association will meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Holiday Inn at 128th Street and I-5. Attorney Vicki Norris will lead a discussion about changes in employment law for Washington state.

For information or reservations, call Mary Ludden at 425-486-9057.

Reid Middleton wins design award
Everett-based Reid Middleton Inc. recently was awarded the 2000 Design Excellence Award by the Seattle chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers.

The engineering and planning company won the honor for its work on the U.S. Navy Ship Model Engineering and Support Facility, Acoustic Research Detachment in Bayview, Idaho, according to a news release.

Everett Pad & Paper up for sale
Everett Pad & Paper is on the selling block, an official at its parent company in Auburn acknowledged last month.

“The gist of the matter is that we are trying to sell the company and preserve jobs,” said Tim Koelker, Vice President of Finance for Auburn-based Convertech, the holding company for the Everett company and an eastern division in Missouri.

While acknowledging “potential changes” are in store, Koelker refused to expand on a report published in the News-Leader of Springfield, Mo. The newspaper reported that jobs for 30 of the 43 employees at Everett Pad’s eastern division facility in Springfield and 20 employees in Everett were terminated Jan. 5.

Investment workshops set
Want to learn more about stock investing? Edward Jones will hold a series of workshops titled “Strategies for Serious Stock Investors” from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Feb. 20 and running through March 13 at Everett Community College.

Cost of the workshop series is $39 per person. For reservations, call Beth Schuster with Edward Jones at 425-355-2008.

Everett center sells
for almost $2.7 million
A Seattle-based limited partnership recently purchased The Midas Center at 716 SE Everett Mall Way for $2.675 million, according to Paul Sleeth of Colliers International. He represented the seller, Broadway Tenants in Common. The 28,100-square-foot complex was built in 1980.

Windermere donates to theater group
Sales associates and staff of Windermere Real Estate’s Snohomish County offices recently teamed up with the Windermere Foundation to donate $2,000 to Pied Piper Presents theater group in Everett.

Everett Office Furniture,
Tacoma store join forces
Everett Office Furniture, at 2920 Hewitt Ave., and Action Business Furniture of Tacoma recently merged their operations, giving them more buying power, said Jim Slonaker, who opened the Everett store a little more than a year ago.

As part of the deal, the two stores will maintain their own names, and Slonaker will become a partner in the business along with Dennis Peters and Byron Richmond of Action Business Furniture.

Puget Sound Center to use
grant money for training
With a $927,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, The Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology plans to train more than 150 people during the next 18 months in south Snohomish and north King counties, according to a news release.

Included in the project is more than $500,000 in training resources available to individuals and small to midsize companies.

For more information, visit the center’s Web site, www.pugetsoundcenter.org; call Executive Director Bill McMeekin at 425-640-1964; or contact Project Manager John Lederer by phone at 425-640-1958 or by e-mail to jlederer@pugetsoundcenter.org.

New businesses, locations
— Kimberly Peterson opened a Farmers Insurance office in the Silver Lake area at 11525 19th Ave. SE, Suite 6. Peterson, who formerly worked at the insurance group’s district office in Lynnwood, can be reached at 425-385-8846.

— Moneytree has moved its Marysville location to 9815 State St.

— The Evergreen Way RadioShack has moved down the block to 7424 Evergreen Way. The store’s phone number remains the same, 425-353-0020.

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