Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., moved next door to Trillium Corp. at 4370 Cordata Parkway last month, said Jon Syre, member of Foxglove LLC, which owns the building.
The Pasadena, Calif.-based engineering company has more than 60 major offices in 15 countries, according to its Web site. The site also states the company’s annual revenues total $6 billion.
According to its Web site, the company offers services in scientific and specialty consulting, as well as all aspects of engineering and construction, and operations and maintenance for the following markets:
• Aerospace and defense
• Automotive and industrial
• Buildings
• Chemicals and basic resources
• Consumer products
• Forest products
• Infrastructure
• Oil and gas
• Pharmaceuticals and biotechnol-
ogy
• Refining
• Technology
Representatives from Jacobs Engineering could not be reached for comment.
Financial-planning company scores new digs in Fairhaven
Asset Advisors LLC, a financial planning company, is set to sign a 10-year lease at 12th Street Village in Fairhaven, said owner Dick Donahue. The business will likely be moving into the 2,000-square-foot space by Jan. 1.
The company, which has three full-time employees and a student intern, currently has a 3,000-square-foot office at 12 Bellwether Way, No. 110. While the Fairhaven space may be smaller, the expenses are much less than its current building, said Donahue, who has been working in Bellingham since 1966.
“We are paying a high rate of rent for things like our file rooms and things like that. There are facilities (at 12th Street Village) that are considerably cheaper in the basement of the building that still give us access to a lot of that information,” he said.
He said the move to up-and-coming Fairhaven also made an impact on his decision.
“Looking at all the changes that are taking place in Fairhaven, and the growth that is happening down there (was an influence),” he said. “The location of the building at that intersection is a very visible location.”
Asset Advisors will likely move into the third floor of one of the three commercial buildings at the village.
Irongate manufacturing company is breaking its mold
Lemac Manufacturing Co. Inc. is expanding its space at 4163 Irongate Road.
Co-owner David Bussell said his thermoplastic, small parts manufacturing company has grown over the past 17 years and needs more room. His 4,000 square-foot-space will increase to 6,500 square feet.
“We’re on top of ourselves here,” Bussell said.
The company uses a vacuum-forming process to make thermoplastic molds of items such as building panels, boat dashboards and hatches and point-of-purchase displays.
Bussell said the company will add a new product in the winter and will likely add two or three new employees.
He started the business 17 years ago with his wife, Laurel McIntosh.
For more information, call 756-1720.
Fool’s Onion to replace Manninos in Fairhaven
Kristine Kager and Lance Bailey, owners of Fool’s Onion Catering, are in the process of buying Manninos restaurant at 1007 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven. The deal is set to close at the end of October, Bailey said.
The husband and wife team will transform the space into a new restaurant called Fool’s Onion Global Kitchen and Catering, serving international cuisine using local, seasonal ingredients, Bailey said. The menu will likely feature some dishes from the catering company at first, and the menu will change seasonally, Kager said.
They’d also like to offer special-occasion dinners, such as “market dinners” made with farmers’ market produce on Wednesdays and Thanksgiving dinner, she said. The restaurant will have a full bar.
The couple has owned and operated Fool’s Onion Catering since 2002, and also own Crossroads Grocery and Video in Maple Falls. Both Kager and Bailey graduated from Western Washington University and met at the Calumet, where Bailey worked as head chef for a year.
The couple hopes to have a soft opening by Dec. 1 in conjunction with Fairhaven’s Gallery Walk.
For more information, e-mail Kager and Bailey at info@foolsonion.com.
New design firm opens in Sycamore Square
Visual Studios, a branding and communication design firm, opened in the Sycamore Square building in Fairhaven recently. The company provides graphic, Web site design, and branding services for businesses of all sizes.
“We strive to provide all of the design and marketing solutions that a client needs under one roof” said Nate Marohn, the company’s owner and lead designer.
See www.visualstudiosonline.com for more information.
Horizon announces it will use larger planes for select flights
Horizon Air announced it will bring larger aircraft to Bellingham for its most popular Bellingham flights beginning in March.
Select flights currently operated with 37-seat Q200 turboprops will be replaced with 74-seat Q400 turboprops.
Beginning on March 18, the current schedule of eight flights with Q200s will be replaced with three flights operated with Q400s and four with Q200s. The larger aircraft will boost the overall number of seats on the route by 25 percent.
More than 6,700 passengers a month fly out of Bellingham International Airport aboard Horizon Air to SeaTac International Airport in Seattle.
For more information, visit www.horizonair.com.
Birch Bay gets a new real estate company
Outstanding Properties Inc., a company specializing in real estate sales, property management and property maintenance, recently opened for business in Birch Bay at 8126 Birch Bay Drive, Ste. 101.
The company, which employs six staff members and seven agents, was opened by owners Scott Malis and Colleen Sullivan, and serves all of Whatcom County. Primarily, the business is involved with residential properties, said real estate assistant Linda White.
A grand opening and open house for the company is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. For more information, see www.outstandingpropertiesinc.com or call (360) 371-8501.
New pita restaurant unfolding on Cordata Parkway
Avenue Pita & Espresso, offering pita sandwiches and espresso, is set to open at 4184 Cordata Parkway in the new Department of Licensing building by Dec. 4, owner Josephine Garcia said.
The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will be geared toward businesses and people on the go, she said, but will also offer seating for 25. Garcia said she expects to accept a lot of fax orders from local businesses.
For more information, call 820-8074.
Mobile maintenance company gets rolling in Whatcom County
A new mobile handyman business, David McAnany Maintenance, recently opened in Whatcom County, said owner David McAnany.
The business, which serves customers throughout the county, does pressure washing of buildings, decks and sidewalks, as well as general apartment maintenance and home repairs. McAnany also offers bathroom, kitchen and deck remodeling services.
McAnany, who arrived in Whatcom County last winter from Jacksonville, Fla., with his wife, Ellen, has a background in housing construction in Florida, he said.
“We fell in love with this area,” he said.
For more information, e-mail him at sundrop824@comcast.net, or call McAnany at (360) 410-0919.
Electrolysis Plus moves into Morse Square Condominiums
Electrolysis Plus, currently located at 929 N. State St., is moving to 1015 Railroad Ave., Suite 101, in the Morse Square Condominiums.
Owner Candice Esola is buying the 480-square-foot space and plans to move in by Dec. 1. She said she liked the commercial condo’s small size, which she said is perfect for her type of business.
Her services include permanent hair removal (electrolysis) and permanent makeup application. She has 13 years of experience in the industry.
For more information, call 756-9330.
On Rice owner looking to take over Coppa location
Ken Tipasathien, co-owner of On Rice Thai Cuisine on Samish Way and On Rice Thai Cuisine & Spirits on Rimland Drive, is in the process of buying Fairhaven’s Coppa Mediterranean Bistro, he said. His new restaurant will be called On Rice Thai Bistro.
The deal is set to close at the end of November, and he’d like the restaurant to open by the beginning of 2007, he said.
On Rice Thai Bistro will be similar to his other On Rice restaurants, but will be “higher class” and feature live piano music.
Tipasathien has applied for a liquor license to sell spirits, beer and wine at the 1224 Harris Ave. location.
Fahri Ugurlu, owner of Coppa, closed the restaurant on Oct. 27 for a few weeks to upgrade its kitchen. Regarding the sale of the restaurant to Tipasathien, he would not comment except by saying, “Stay tuned for future plans.”
Rocket Donuts to blast off from Samish Way launchpad
Owners of the recently opened Rocket Donuts on Holly Street purchased the Pik-Me-Up Espresso stand in October, located at 218 N. Samish Way.
Owner Jim Swift said he and his wife, Lucky, will open Rocket Donuts and Coffee at the drive-through stand in a few months. The stand will offer a selection of doughnuts baked at the Holly Street location, which opened last Saturday, as well as Moka Joe and Vivace espresso.
For now, the stand is closed while Swift performs a cleanup of the site, which used to be a filling station. He said the city would require such measures if he wanted to build on the site in the future, so he decided to do it now, although he has no immediate plans to build any time soon.
Swift’s doughnut selection includes old standards such as glazed and cake donuts as well as newer types such as apple cider and pumpkin doughnuts.
For more information, call 671-6111.
Art and gift shop to open on Lynden’s Front Street
Local artists will have another venue to display their wares when Three Corners Art and More opens in Delft Square at 444 Front Street, Ste. 201, in Lynden in early November.
Louisa Haveman, owner of the business, said the 2,000-square-foot shop will feature various forms of art and gifts, including photographs shot by her brother, Jim Honcoop. His work has been published in various publications, including National Geographic. In addition to photographic art, she said she hopes to sell other forms of artistic endeavors by local artists, including pottery. People will also be able to bring in pictures, and the store will make collages with the photos, among other things.
“We’ll be opening on a limited basis at first, and adding items as we go,” she said. For more information, call 354-4541.
Women’s consignment store opens on James Street
Joanne Robinson and Cindy Brown opened a new women’s consignment clothing store on James Street, called The Clothes Rack, in October.
The store consigns and sells high-end women’s clothing brands such as Gucci, Prada, Dooney & Bourke, Nordstrom and Diesel, at 1905 James St.
Robinson said they hadn’t planned on opening the store so soon, but customers started showing up one Saturday and they didn’t want to turn them away. They have been busy ever since, she said.
The 1,100-square-foot space has ample parking and is near two other used and consignment stores — Wee Ones Reruns and Passion Fly Clothing Exchange. Brown said she is excited about offering an online program for consigners to check on the status of their items.
Robinson has experience in the antique business and Brown has experience in the consignment clothing business. Robinson said she got the idea to open The Clothes Rack after considering what to do with an enormous chest of clothes she needed to get rid of.
For more information, call 738-7759.
Japanese version of a dollar store to open at Bellis Fair
Daiso, a popular Japanese discount household and lifestyle products chain, recently filed building permits with the city of Bellingham to open a new, 12,000-square-foot store at Bellis Fair mall, said Dennis Curtis, the mall general manager. He said the business hopes to open in early December.
The company offers a selection of products ranging from miscellaneous daily goods to food, cosmetics, and home décor.
In Japan, Daiso is considered a 100-yen shop, or one-coin shop — a concept similar to dollar stores in the U.S. Last year, it opened its first U.S. shop at Alderwood Mall, where everything sells for less than $2.
According to the company’s Web site, as of March 2005, Daiso had more than 2,400 shops in Japan, and was growing by 20 to 30 shops per month overseas. The company currently has three open locations in the U.S., all in Western Washington, according to the site.
“I think they recognized Bellingham as a prosperous market to pursue,” Curtis said. “We’ve developed a relationship with them, and this is the next logical step for them.”
For more information, visit the Daiso Web site at www.daiso-sangyo.co.jp/english.
Ultrasonics moves to two new locations
Ultrasonics International Corp. moved in October to two new locations from its old address at 1414 Meador Ave.
The company’s sales and shipping office is now located at 1305 Fraser Ave. and its manufacturing portion moved to a larger facility in Ferndale, and is now operating under the name Harris Stainless Steel, owner David Mazur said.
The company also recently moved its teaching and ultrasonic-training department to Arizona because many of the company’s clients live in Arizona and California, Mazur said. Ultrasonics International Corp. remains the umbrella company of all three locations.
Angel investors gather for workshops
The Bellingham Angel Group and Angel Forum of Vancouver announced they will sponsor a pair of workshops — one for investors only and one for entrepreneurs and investors — that will take place this fall.
The workshops will take place on Nov. 20 at the Morgan Creek Golf Club in Surrey, British Columbia and on Dec. 7 at Fox Hall in the Hampton Airport Inn in Bellingham. They will both be all-day sessions, running from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Bruce MacCormack, chair of the Bellingham Angel Group, said the aim of the two groups is to build a bridge between investors and entrepreneurs in the area.
The Bellingham Angels is a group of private equity investors looking for strong local companies that can generate outstanding investment returns, according to a press release.
For more information about the events, contact Bruce MacCormack at 734-4363 or e-mail him at bruce@cascadiaconsultingservices.com.
Two Fairhaven business owners bid adieu to retail
Joni Randell, owner of Nibiru, which opened in Fairhaven’s Harris Square in May, has decided to sell the business or liquidate it if she doesn’t have a buyer by Dec. 1.
Randell said she has a few potential buyers for the store located at 960 Harris Ave., Suite 101. Randell is moving to Olympia to be a grandmother, she said. The store sells pet, travel and gardening supplies and gifts.
While business was good during the summer, she said, the fall months have been slower. But she thinks the location will get busier in the next year.
“It’s good now, and it’s going to be better,” she said. “In three years, Fairhaven will be quite the town.”
Down the street, at 907 Harris Ave., The Lazy Cricket is closing. Owner Debbi Jones decided to close up shop and is going back to school to major in accounting.
The store, which opened in September 2005, sells home décor, candles and gifts, and will close by the end of the year. Business was slower than anticipated, she said, because of the location.
“Being the last store on the block, a lot of people don’t come down this far,” she said. Jones said she isn’t actively trying to sell the business, but if someone wanted to buy the store she would sell it.
DCS buys Laser Tone
Direct Copier Service (DCS) purchased Laser Tone this month.
Laser Tone, which opened in 1988, offers remanufactured cartridges and service for laser printers and small copiers.
“It just fits in nicely with what we already do,” said Brian Haney, owner of DCS. “We will continue giving Laser Tone customers the high-quality service they have been accustomed to, plus, give them the additional benefits that long-standing DCS customers have been enjoying for years.”
A local mortgage company is heading to Fairhaven.
Amy Wilson, a loan officer with Harbour Pointe Mortgage, said her company has signed a lease with 12th Street Village in Fairhaven that starts in January of next year.
The company, currently at 1111 W. Holly St., has been in that location for more than two years since opening up a branch in Bellingham. It will be moving to Ste. 201 at the Village.
Wilson said the business decided to move to the new location, a 770-square-foot space, because she believes the location is a good fit for her operations.
“I think there will be more foot traffic and more visibility,” she said. “We’re really looking forward to it.”
For more information, contact 752-9700.
Cordata moratorium now in effect
The City of Bellingham issued a Notice of Moratorium on building permits within the Cordata Planned Unit Development (PUD) last month.
In mid-September, the City sent notices to all property owners within the Cordata PUD stating that a moratorium was pending. A determination was made that 3.25 million square feet of construction has occurred within the area. Pursuant to a condition within the zoning of the area, no more building permits that add additional square footage may be issued until an agreement is reached with Trillium Corporation regarding the financing and construction of certain roads that will serve the area, according to a press release from the City of Bellingham.
The original land use approval for Cordata was granted by Whatcom County prior to annexation by the city. The specific condition can be found in its entirety in the Exhibit C to the Guide Meridian zoning table, Area 27, Section A.1(21) at www.cob.org/pcd/planning/Neighborhood-plan-zone.htm.
“Building permits will continue to be accepted and processed, but will not be issued,” planning director Tim Stewart said. “Applicants will have the option of keeping their building permit on hold pending a lifting of the moratorium, or requesting a denial of the permit that could then be appealed to the Hearing Examiner,” he said. The City will lift the moratorium as soon as an agreement is reached regarding the road construction and financing, and negotiations are underway to reach that agreement.
For the latest information on the status of the moratorium, click on
“Cordata Permit Moratorium” under “Top Issues” at www.cob.org.
Cajun restaurant to open in former Stuart’s Coffee House location
A new Cajun and Creole restaurant and bar, called Bayou On Bay, will be opening in the location of the former Stuart’s Coffee House at 1302 Bay Street in January.
Owner Stephen Crosier said he is in the process of installing a kitchen and bar in the space, and plans to strip the floor and paint the walls in the next few months.
The restaurant’s menu will feature items such as gumbo and jambalaya, both with meat and vegetarian options, as well as barbeque, using organic and local produce. Crosier has hired two local chefs — Jonathan James, a former chef at Flats Tapas Bar and Jim Wysocky, a former chef at Phad Thai — to run the kitchen and develop the menu.
He hopes to seat about 70 people at the restaurant, which will have table service as well as a small to-go counter for lunch customers, he said.
“It’s not going to be fancy, it’s going to be good food with a casual feel,” he said.
Crosier is a transplant from Seattle, where he managed tours, restaurants and nightclubs, including the Seattle Underground Tour and Doc Maynard’s nightclub, for 20 years. He moved to Bellingham to be closer to his two daughters, both Western students who will help him out at the new restaurant.
RE Sources officially finds a new home
RE Sources — and its most visible community project, The RE Store — officially closed on the former Wilson’s Furniture building in the Fountain District. The new facility will be called the Sustainable Living Center.
“Closing on the building is a huge milestone for the organization,” said Development Director Bernadette Castner. “Now that we have our new home I think that businesses and corporations will have a solid vision of what they are investing in. Certainly, there will be a variety of ways for businesses and service clubs to support this effort.”
The new building will feature 20,000 square feet of retail space for The RE Store. In addition to the retail space, the facility will have classrooms for volunteer training and community workshops, a library with information on sustainable living and green building, educational exhibits and interactive displays that link human actions and the environment, demonstration gardens, a small water quality lab, and the RE Sources’ education and advocacy offices.
RE Sources started its “Capital Campaign” this past spring with the goal of raising $750,000 in private funds to make a down payment on a future building. A few months after the campaign started, the Wilson’s Furniture building became available. The catch: the property purchase had a closing date of Oct. 31.
However, the building’s seller, Ted DeWitt, offered the group a bridge loan for a portion of the down payment, enabling RE Sources to close on the building before they had reached the end of their original campaign. RE Sources then set up a two-phase plan to purchase the building.
The Phase I goal was to raise $400,000 before closing — an amount the organization exceeded, raising more than $450,000, including a recent leadership gift of $25,000 from the Parberry family and Northwest Recycling. Other business gifts included support from Sanitary Services Company, A-1 Builders/Adaptations, the Community Food Co-op, and Bikram Yoga College of India.
As RE Sources moves into Phase II of its campaign, it will emphasize support from local and regional businesses with a goal of raising an additional $300,000 by April 22, 2007 (Earth Day) to repay the bridge loan and begin development of The Sustainable Living Center.
RE Sources is a non-profit environmental education organization founded in 1982 as Bellingham Community Recycling. For more information, go to the RE Sources Web site at www.re-sources.org.
Another new scooter store to open this month
Urbano Moto, a new scooter store, is opening in the former Northwest Off-Road Specialties Inc. space at 1999 Iowa St.
Owners Alan and Gretchen Taylor will sell Roketa scooters, which are made in China and cost under $2,000, as well as high-fuel-economy cars, including hybrids and those that run on diesel. The store will also sell scooter gear, and Alan said they hope to sell Vespa scooters in the future.
The Taylors were inspired to open Urbano Moto after visiting Spain and Paris, where residents mainly drove small cars and scooters, Alan said. The scooters, he said, are easy to park and reduce congestion, in addition to being less expensive and more fuel-efficient than cars.
The couple has done an extensive remodel of the 52,000-square foot space and will open on Nov. 15. They hope to have a grand opening at the beginning of December.
For more info call 738-0100 or visit www.urbanomotosports.com, which will be working by Nov. 15.
Proposed mixed-use development on Northwest Ave for sale
Developers of the proposed Admiralty Plaza project at 4034 Northwest Ave., have decided to advertise the property and its permits for sale, said Larry Willman, president of Intergroup Development Corp., the company managing the development process for the Idaho-based owners, Charter Builders and D’LaShaye Development.
The project, which received planned-development and design-review permits in July, includes plans for a 14-story building with retail, office and residential use, an 11-story building with office and residential use and a two-story retail and office building, located on 3.8 acres on Northwest Ave., just south of Bakerview Road.
Willman said a downturn in the Idaho market has forced the developers to shift priorities to other projects.
“They just have so much stuff on their plates,” he said.
He said the developers would ideally like to find a joint-venture partner and continue development of the project, but it is officially for sale.
For more information, call Willman at 671-7866.
Emerald Bay Events relocates to Ferndale
Emerald Bay Events has relocated to its new offices and banquet hall in Ferndale at the former Bingo 262 site.
Emerald Bay will undertake the first phase of their remodeling plans, refashioning the banquet hall, shortly thereafter. Upon completion, the space will hold more than 600 guests for weddings, corporate parties, trade shows, social celebrations and more.
After the first phase of the remodel is completed, Emerald Bay plans to remodel the kitchen, add a warehouse and showroom to provide party rentals and also a five star restaurant.
The restaurant, which will be named “The Empire’s Club,” will feature “exotic foods from all over the world,” according to a press release.
Emerald Bay Events will continue to operate the recently remodeled banquet space, Emerald Bay at the Bellingham Yacht Club. However, the former offices in Bellingham have all been moved to the new site at 5715 Barrett Road in Ferndale.
For more information call 360.224.5569.
Bellis Fair announces holiday tenants
Bellis Fair Mall has announced its temporary holiday tenants that include annual favorites such as See’s Chocolates, Hickory Farm, Macy’s Holiday Lane store, as well as a number of new specialty retailers.
The line-up includes Glass Gallery, which offers hand blown glass figurines, hanging glass and crystal items, miniatures, glass jewelry and more; Holiday Toys and Snow, which sells remote-controlled vehicles; The Sandstone Gallery, which features fired sandstone sculptures by artist Glenn Nordal; and Sheepskin Gifts which sells apparel and accessories made from sheepskin.
Trendy options in footwear are also available this season with Holey Soles, which offers rubber clogs in a variety of vibrant colors, and Rollers Only, which carries shoes with built-in wheels.
For those interested in pampering their loved ones, Nature’s Creation carries 100 percent natural herbal therapy packs.
These tenants are part of the shopping center’s specialty leasing program, which allows merchants to test their product in the mall environment without making a multi-year commitment. Temporary tenants generally gather in carts and kiosks located in the center of the shopping center.
SBDC adds expanded research center
Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics Small Business Development Center (SBDC) has added an expanded Research Center to its many services, according to a press release.
“We are one of the few SBDCs in the country to have a dedicated Research Center and the only one in the state of Washington,” SBDC director Tom Dorr said. “Based on the increasing demand and client feedback for our research services, we have dedicated greater resources and personnel to bolster our research efforts, and ensure we are able to meet the needs and demands of our clients.”
The Research Center works in partnership with SBDC certified business advisors to provide secondary research to help companies plan for the future, adjust to changes in the marketplace or identify business problem areas. Research services include: local/regional/national demographics, analysis of financial statements and comparisons with industry standards, industry trends and outlooks, industry associations, tradeshows and publications, new market channels, review and feedback on business plans and collateral marketing pieces.
Sherri Daymon, SBDC-certified business advisor, has been promoted to manage the Research Center. Three new business research analysts have also been added: Amber Porter, Amelia Cook and Traci Harstad. All three are in their second year of the MBA program at Western and are serving in graduate assistantship positions.
For more information, call the SBDC at 733-4014 or visit www.cbe.wwu.edu/sbdc.
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