Published January 2005

Business Briefs

5 Star Auto Detail gets
new owners, new name
The former 5 Star Auto Detail in Marysville recently was purchased by Barbara and Doug Smith, owners of Smith Services NW Inc., a Snohomish County air compressor company.

“While the name has changed to All Star Auto Detail, we stand by the former owner’s impeccable expectations of customer care,” said Barbara Smith, whose family has long been active in the local auto racing community.

In December, the detail shop, located at 14524 Smokey Point Blvd., Suite 1, held a grand opening to mark the new ownership.

Nanogen, Epoch shareholders
agree to merger
Shareholders of Bothell-based Epoch Biosciences and Nanogen Inc. voted overwhelmingly in December to combine the two makers of molecular testing products. The deal could be worth nearly $100 million.

Under the agreement, Epoch shareholders will receive almost a half-share of Nanogen for each Epoch share they own.

When Nanogen first announced its intent to acquire Epoch in September, the stock deal was valued at $58 million. Since then, both companies have seen their stock rise appreciably.

Company officials agreed that combining day-to-day operations should be a relatively smooth process. Epoch and Nanogen serve similar customers and have collaborated in the past.

A few jobs in Epoch’s administration and sales operations will be eliminated, but the company’s research and development and manufacturing departments in Bothell are expected to remain intact under Nanogen. In the end, Nanogen will have about 210 employees in the San Diego and Bothell offices.

Brooks Sports to be bought by Russell
Brooks Sports Inc., based in Bothell, is being acquired by sportswear company Russell Corp. for $115 million in cash, the companies announced in December.

Privately held Brooks, which employs about 165 people, makes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories aimed at runners.

Russell, the Atlanta-based maker of Russell Athletic, Jerzees and Spalding brands, said the acquisition is expected to be completed by early January, subject to regulatory approval and other conditions.

Shoreline CC receives donation
of Microvision technology
Honda of Bellevue and Kirkland and American Honda Motor Co. recently donated two Nomad systems to the automotive training program at Shoreline Community College.

The Nomad systems, state-of-the-art computer systems manufactured by Bothell-based Microvision at a total value of approximately $10,000, will be used by students in the Honda PACT program as part of their training curriculum.

“It’s so important that students are trained on the equipment that they will eventually utilize when they start working,” said Don Schultz, dean of the business, automotive and manufacturing division. “Without this donation we would not be able to give them the training.”

The Nomad Expert Technician System is the world’s first wearable, wireless computer with a head-worn, see-through display that provides automotive technicians with hands-free access to Web-based information. This information includes vehicle history and repair information.

The college’s Professional Automotive Training Center, completed in 1992, is the result of an innovative partnership between local dealers in education and industry, and became a national prototype for work-force training. It was the country’s first college complex designed as a modern automobile dealership.

Seattle Genetics
begins trials on cancer drug
Seattle Genetics Inc. of Bothell has begun the first clinical trials of SGN-40, an experimental cancer drug, on patients with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the company said in December. The drug already is being tested for another form of cancer.

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma includes a diverse group of cancers that develop in the body’s lymphatic system. Together, they make up the sixth most common cancer in the nation, with approximately 19,000 people a year dying from the disease.

Three Mukilteo companies
win Better Workplace Awards
Three Mukilteo companies have been honored by the Association of Washington Business for being worker friendly.

Pacific Seafood Co., University Mechanical Contractors and Protech Services Inc. were among 17 companies around the state presented with Better Workplace Awards for being innovators in worker safety, job training and advancement, and benefit and compensation programs.

Pacific Seafood actually won the award in two categories: continuous commitment to a better workplace, and job training and advancement.

Its excellent health-care benefits and bonus program were lauded in the continuous commitment category. A program that keeps employees from paying up-front expenses on routine health needs was cited as the reason for the advancement award. The company won in the category of under 25 employees.

University Mechanical Contractors won the job training and advancement award for companies with 100 to 250 workers. It was honored for a comprehensive program that helps create a skilled work force that benefits the employer and the worker.

Pro-Tech Services won in the advancement category for paying the full premium for health, dental, prescription and vision coverage for workers and their families.

The awards are presented each year to companies “that go the extra mile to provide a family-friendly work environment that promotes safety and enables employees to achieve their best.”

Neuvant Aerospace being sold
Neuvant Aerospace Inc. of Everett, a manufacturer of airplane parts, is being sold to an undisclosed buyer from outside the Puget Sound area.

Neuvant filed a layoff notice with the state recently indicating that all of its 207 employees could be at risk. But the company said it is changing owners instead of closing for good, according to the letter sent to the state. The new owner was not disclosed.

“What it did say is they had been sold and that most of the employees would be retained,” said Bob Hughes of the state Employment Security Department.

Neuvant was formed five years ago when Allfab Aerospace Corp. of Everett merged with two other airplane parts manufacturers. Before that, Allfab had been spun off from General Electric.

Once employing more than 400 people at its Everett and Woodinville facilities, Neuvant has specialized in making large wing spars and other machined parts for Boeing Co. jetliners. The company reportedly has struggled financially in recent years.

Port of Everett recognized
for its public outreach
Public outreach efforts involved in three major waterfront redevelopment projects led the Washington Public Ports Association to give its President’s Port of the Year Award to the Port of Everett.

Begun in 1987, the Port of the Year Award recognizes a port association member that has performed economic development that led to favorable public attention on the port community. The association’s Executive Committee judges the winners.

WPPA President Bob Edwards, a Port of Seattle commissioner, made the announcement during the association’s annual meeting in December at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue.

“The Port of Everett’s efforts for public outreach, access and involvement stand as a model for ports across the state,” Edwards said. “As a result, it has led to outstanding leadership in community economic development.”

The port’s public outreach efforts have been a cornerstone of three major projects: the $250 million North Marina public-private partnership, the multimillion dollar Mukilteo Tank Farm site redevelopment to a transportation/mixed-use hub, and the $15 million rail/barge facility critical to the Boeing Co.’s 7E7 effort.

The port also has spent more than $1.4 million on public access improvements since 1988. The projects have included the Union Slough salt marsh access and the Jetty Island Public Dock among others.

Diligenz unveils new version
of its Web site
Mukilteo-based Diligenz Inc., the nation’s fastest-growing provider of commercial code and due-diligence information, unveiled the new version of its Internet-based services in December.

The new version represents the first full overhaul of Diligenz’s online tools for lenders since the company debuted the country’s first due-diligence retrieval Web site in 1999. In the intervening years, however, the company had made smaller improvements to the site, www.diligenz.com.

The Uniform Commercial Code and due-diligence information Diligenz provides is used primarily by lenders and investors when deciding whether to put money into a company. The subsidiary of Lynnwood-based CityBank worked closely with its clients to create a one-stop tool, said Bryan Dawson, Diligenz’ chief executive officer.

Community Transit donates
van to Volunteers of America
After a day of carefully examining agency rules regarding donations, Community Transit donated an eight-passenger 1995 GMC van, retired from vanpool service, to Volunteers of America Western Washington a week after the social service agency had one of its vans stolen.

“As soon as I saw that, I thought, ‘We have some surplus vans. We should give them one of ours,’” Community Transit chief executive Joyce Olson said in December. “Transportation is so important to groups like Volunteers of America, especially at this time of year when they do so much extra work in the community.”

“This donation is a blessing for us,” said Gilbert Saparto, the Volunteers of America retiring president/CEO and Bellringing coordinator. “It brings us back to where we were before the van was stolen. It allows us not only to solve our short-term emergency need for transportation, but also provides a long-term transportation solution for some of our organization’s critical programming.”

Community Transit typically sells surplus vans at auction or gives them to nonprofit community service groups through the agency’s Van GO van grant program. At auction, these vehicles sell for about $1,500 to $5,000. In the past five years, Community Transit has donated 52 vans and mini-buses through the Van GO program. The agency’s next round of Van GO donations will take place next summer.

Nominations sought
for marketing contest
Nominations are being sought for the 2005 Summit Creative Awards competition, which recognizes the efforts of small and midsize marketing firms.

Open to advertising and public relations agencies, multimedia companies and other creative firms with annual billings of less than $20 million, the Creative Summit Awards this year will be given in 18 different categories including a new category devoted specifically to student submissions.

Winners are selected based on strength of concept, quality of execution, and ability to communicate and persuade. Winning entries receive a gold, silver or bronze award, with only one gold winner selected per category.

For more information on the Summit Creative Awards or to obtain an entry kit for the 2005 awards competition, visit the Summit Creative Awards Web site, www.summitawards.com, or call 503-297-9979.

All entries for this year’s competition must be received by Jan. 28.

Coastal Community giving fund
benefits 15 nonprofits in 2004
The Coastal Community Bank Employee Giving Fund awarded 15 grants to Snohomish County nonprofit agencies in 2004.

Recipients included the American Red Cross — Snohomish County Chapter, the Arts Council of Snohomish County, the Assistance League of Everett, Campfire of Snohomish County, Boy Scouts — Mt. Baker Council, Housing Hope, the Monroe Arts Council and the Little Red School House.

Also, Providence Hospice & Home Care of Snohomish County, the Rotary Club of Monroe Foundation, the Snohomish County Master Gardener Foundation, Senior Services, the Valley General Hospital Foundation, YMCA of Snohomish County and YWCA of Snohomish County.

The fund, which is held at the Greater Everett Community Foundation, is supported entirely by personal donations contributed by 100 percent of the bank’s employees. Employees have a direct say in the grants that are made from the fund by serving on a grant advisory committee formed by the bank.

Nonprofit agencies can receive a copy of the grant guidelines by contacting the Greater Everett Community Foundation at 425-257-8385 or by going online to www.greatereverettcf.org.

Boeing awards 7E7 lighting,
cabin contracts
The Boeing Co. has awarded lighting and cabin component contracts for the all-new 7E7 jetliner to Goodrich Corp., Matsushita Avionics Systems and Honeywell.

Boeing announced in December that Goodrich’s aerospace lighting division will provide runway taxi lights, wing lights and other illumination equipment for the airplane’s exterior.

This is the seventh 7E7 supplier contract awarded to Goodrich, which operates a jet maintenance center and a landing-gear division in Everett. The company’s lighting division operates from locations in Germany and Tampa, Fla.

Honeywell, which also has three other Dreamliner contracts, will provide signaling lights for the airplane’s navigation and anti-collision lighting systems.

Matsushita, which has headquarters in Bothell, will provide digital controls for the cabin’s passenger address system, interior lighting and the airplane’s emergency evacuation system. The company also will make controls for the 7E7’s high-tech dimmable windows, Boeing said.

Financial details of the contracts were not disclosed.

Boeing expects the first 7E7 flight will take place in 2007. So far, airlines have ordered 112 of the new planes.

Hospitals share legal settlement
Valley General Hospital of Monroe, the Whidbey Island hospital district and Community Health Center of Snohomish County will receive money from a recent legal settlement with a drug benefit provider.

The settlement, announced by Attorney General Christine Gregoire, will provide a total of $695,000 statewide for low-income, disabled or elderly consumers of prescription medications.

Community Health Center will receive $30,000; the Whidbey Island hospital district will receive $10,000; and Valley General will receive $5,000.

Verizon Foundation announces
latest round of grants
The philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications has awarded nearly $75,000 to nonprofit organizations that are working to improve technology and work-force development across the state. Among the Verizon Foundation’s latest round of grants, more than $43,000 went to benefit agencies working in Snohomish County.

Among the organizations receiving money from the Verizon Foundation:

n The YWCA of King and Snohomish Counties, which received $9,925 to provide rural, low-income women and men with employment support services that are otherwise unavailable in eastern Snohomish County.

n The Everett Area Chamber of Commerce, which received $9,500 to design and implement a new Web site.

n Bellingham Technical College Foundation, which received $9,500 to address the shortage of health-care professionals through the development of an online nursing curriculum for Snohomish, Whatcom and Skagit counties.

n The Foundation for Private Enterprise Education, which was awarded $5,000 to partner with the Edmonds Education Association to create a weeklong business leadership program for high school students at Edmonds Community College.

n The Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross, which received $4,000 in support of its annual Real Heroes breakfast.

n Mukilteo Schools Foundation, which received $925 for the purchase of dictionaries for third-graders.

Boards of trustees for EvCC, EdCC
win Best Practice Award
The Association of Community College Trustees recently recognized the boards of trustees at Everett and Edmonds community colleges with the ACCT Community Economic Development 2004 Best Practice Award — Pacific Region for their part in the development of a plan titled “Snohomish County 2010: Blueprint for Workforce Development, Education, and Economic Development.”

The county’s “Blueprint” is a plan to coordinate education, work-force, and economic development for the long-term benefit of Snohomish County. It creates a partnership that includes representatives of the three local community colleges — Everett, Edmonds and Cascadia; the three state universities — University of Washington at Bothell, Central Washington and Western Washington; the county government, the K-12 school districts; the Workforce Development Council; and the Economic Development Council.

Back to the top/January 2005 Main Menu