Published October 2002

Business Briefs

Arlington yacht plant gets
new name, product line
Meridian Yachts may be the new name on the signs outside the former US Marine/Bayliner facility in Arlington, but the company’s ownership has remained the same.

In August, the facility’s owner, Brunswick Corp., launched its new Meridian Yachts subsidiary. When that happened, the Arlington plant phased out production of Bayliner yachts and began manufacturing the Meridian line. Arlington also became the company headquarters for Meridian.

The change has not affected the number of people working at the facility, the company said. The production plant employs about 550, while another 500 nonmanufacturing staff members work in the corporate offices there.

Marysville Towne Center sold
The Marysville Towne Center has been sold to a New York real estate firm for nearly $13 million.

Colliers International’s Seattle office has confirmed that Kimco Realty of New York purchased the center from P.O’B. Apollo. The sale shouldn’t mean any immediate changes for the mall at the corner of Fourth Street and State Avenue in south Marysville.

Since being remodeled in 1995, the 227,000-square-foot mall has attracted anchor tenants including J.C. Penney and Staples. Other large tenants include Albertsons, Rite Aid and Gottschalks.

Mail Station has new owners
The Mail Station in Monroe is under new ownership. Local residents George and Victoria Bornkamp took over the 17-year-old business recently, making their daughter, Kati Gonzales, manager at the store.

The Bornkamps plan to add new services, including mailing and copying services, designing and printing resumes and business cards, and other printing jobs.

Virgin Atlantic Airways to use Matsushita’s software
Under a contract with ARINC and in collaboration with Tenzing Communications Inc., Bothell-based Matsushita Avionics Systems Corp. is providing its seatback short-message service (SMS) text software to Virgin Atlantic Airways.

Matsushita’s suite of software applications, which provides passengers with in-flight communication through in-seat e-mail, mobile-phone text messaging and seat-to-seat messaging, runs on existing seatback displays and uses existing air-to-ground communications equipment, so airlines do not need to purchase additional hardware to offer the product. Initially, the software is set up to support send-only messaging from the air; reply functionality will be added at a later date, Matsushita said.

Virgin Atlantic is initially launching SMS/text e-mail on one of its 747-400s, followed by installation on its A340-600s, and subsequently rolling out to the rest of its fleet, according to Matsushita.

Diversified earns additional certification for aerospace work
Diversified, a nonprofit contract manufacturer certified in wire and cable, precision mechanical assembly, and adhesives and bonding, recently received AS9100A International Certification for the aerospace industry.

The certification, which came from DET NORSKE VERITAS, an internationally accredited registrar, comes on the heels of the ISO9001:2000 certification that the Mukilteo-based company received in January.

Compass celebrates
100 years of service, new facility
In September, Compass Health marked its 100-year anniversary with a reunion of former orphans, clients and staff, and the dedication of the new Luther Children’s Crisis Facility, a short-term residential treatment facility for children in mental health crisis.

Beginning as an orphanage in 1902 in Parkland, Wash., the facility in 1922 moved to its current site in Everett. In 1953, the children’s home became a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed children. Today, Compass has 24 service locations in Snohomish County to serve the emotional health needs of children, families and adults.

Those needs will be further served by the new crisis facility, which has received support from the community in the form of cash and in-kind donations, Compass said, including $20,000 donations from EverTrust Bank and the Northwest Children’s Fund, a $5,000 gift card from the Fred Meyer Corp. and several thousand dollars from local church congregations.

Grants available for emergency food, shelter programs
Nonprofit and government agencies in Snohomish County can apply for grants for programs that provide emergency food, shelter, utility and rent/mortgage assistance through the National Emergency Food and Shelter Board Program.

Letters of intent to apply are due by noon on Oct. 18. The deadline for submitting completed applications is noon on Nov. 1.

Funds for these grants, which are appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas across the nation, are awarded yearly.

An Application Orientation session is set for 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at United Way of Snohomish County, 917 134th St., Suite B-1. For more information or an application, call Barbara Davis at 425-921-3448, or send e-mail to barbarad@uwsc.org.

New businesses and locations
n Buchanan Financial Consulting has opened at 13300 Bothell-Everett Highway in Mill Creek. The company offers investment and retirement planning, asset allocation, debt management and other financial consulting services on a fee-only basis. No commissions or referral fees are collected “to help ensure advice given to clients is unbiased,” the company said. For more information, call 425-338-4649, send e-mail to bfc@marlonbuchanan.com or visit the company’s Web site, www.marlonbuchanan.com.

n Donny Minteer of Everett has opened Woody’s, an open-style market, at 621-B Front St., diagonal from the ferry landing in the old Manhattan Restaurant building, in Mukilteo. Offering everything from beverages, fish tackle and beach toys to fresh produce, seafood, homemade chowder and hot dogs, the market is open from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 5 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

n Baldy’s Burger & Brew restaurant has opened at 18411 Highway 99 in Lynnwood.

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