AWB Member Spotlight

AWB members honored by Thurston County Economic Development Council

Times are tough, but some businesses are thriving despite the bad economy.

The Thurston County Economic Development Council honored two such businesses – The Rants Group and Harbor Wholesale Grocery – with its 2011 Business Recognition Awards on March 30.

“The awards showcase the importance of private sector businesses and the contributions they make to our local economy,” said Renée Sunde, the council’s marketing and business development director.

Based in Olympia, The Rants Group, an AWB member since 1978, is a family-owned commercial real estate company. Started by Ron Rants in 1973, with his son Patrick now at the helm, the company has been able to retain most of its staff during the current downturn in the real estate market.

Sunde also gives The Rants Group high marks for its contribution to the community.

“The Rants Group donates 25 percent of its net income to charitable efforts,” said Sunde. “Not only does it give back to the community, but it also works with a lot of local non-profits, giving them its expertise when they need help, and this is done just to be of service to the community.”

“The main thing is we’ve become part of the community,” said Ron Rants. “We know the community. We love the community. We invest in the community. It’s our norm.”

Tumwater-based Harbor Wholesale Grocery, an AWB member since 2007, is a fourth generation family business started in 1923 that now distributes food products to drug stores, convenience stores and restaurants in six states. In two months, it will move into a new 200,000 square foot headquarters and distribution center in Lacey.

“One of the things that is especially impressive about Harbor Wholesale Grocery is that in the market we’ve been experiencing, it is one of the few companies in Thurston County that’s going through a major expansion and re-investment,” said Sunde.

“We’re strongly invested in our community,” said Mike Erickson, the company’s chairman. “We have a strong customer base, and we’re happy to be in Thurston County.”

CalPortland earns gold for green barging efforts

Want to reduce traffic congestion? Get on the boat.

This is exactly what CalPortland’s DuPont plant does with stunning results. This aggregate mining operation, located beside the Puget Sound, ships 80 percent of its material by barge. Each barge carries the equivalent of 150 to 200 truck-and-trailer loads of material, reducing the number of vehicles on the road.

Recognizing this achievement, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) honored CalPortland’s DuPont plant with a Gold Award on Jan. 6. This is NSSGA’s highest honor for superior performance in environmental stewardship.

“CalPortland makes environmental leadership as well as energy efficiency vital elements of our core culture,” said Allen Hamblen, CalPortland’s CEO. “This award acknowledges the contributions that are continually being made by every CalPortland employee.”

CalPortland, an AWB member since 1986, is the primary source of construction aggregates for the Puget Sound region. Ninety‐eight percent of the material from the DuPont mine is used locally, from Olympia to Everett.

Established in 1992, NSSGA’s awards provide national recognition for NSSGA producer aggregate producers actively contributing to the maintenance of the environment in and around their operations. Award winners meet and exceed technical, environmental and regulatory requirements.

“Despite the continuing economic challenges this year, the responses from our member companies represent exemplary efforts of their employees on behalf of the aggregates industry,” said Joy Wilson  , president and CEO of the NSSGA.  “We are so pleased to be able to recognize these operations whose achievements in the fields of safety, environment, and community relations remind us of the important role the aggregates industry plays in ensuring a greater quality of life in America.”

Seventeen AWB members listed in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For

Who’s the best?

That’s the question Fortune magazine ponders each year when it compiles its 100 Best Companies to Work For. The list spotlights employers who are innovative in both what they do and how they treat their employees. And no less than 17 AWB members made the cut this year.

Near the top of the list, at the same No. 4 it held in 2010’s rankings, was Internet giant Google, an AWB member since 2010. Among the reasons Google scored high: “Last year, with revenue up more than percent, Google sweetened this already rich pot of perks by giving every employee a 10 percent pay hike. Googlers can also award one another $175 peer spot bonuses – last year more than two-thirds of them did so.”

At No. 19, Whole Foods Market, an AWB member since 2009, distinguished itself with its perks including 20 percent discount cards for all products sold in the stores for new hires, and up to 30 percent discounts for employees who meet the goals of the company’s healthy-living challenge. No. 35 was Biotech firm Genentech, an AWB member since 2009, received kudos for rallying thousands of employees for six days of events that raised $200,000 for 110 nonprofits. At No. 44, Intuit, the maker of Quicken and TurboTax, was praised for fostering a culture of innovation with by encouraging workers to take four hours a week of unstructured time for their own projects and hosting "idea jams," where teams present new concepts for prizes.

“We’re excited,” said Allison Green, manager of corporate communications for Intuit, an AWB member since 2007 and a fixture on the 100 Best Places to Work For over the past 10 years. “Our employees are high-fiving each other in the hallways and having a lot of celebration. We really want to continue making Intuit a great place to work 365 days a year.”

AWB members on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list include:

• Google (No. 4)
• Whole Foods Market (No. 24)
• Genentech (No. 35)
• Intuit (No. 44)
• Novo Nordisk (No. 47)
• American Express (No. 49)
• Intel (No. 51)
• Perkins Coie (No. 55)
• Deloitte (No. 63)
• Microsoft (No. 72)
• PricewatershouseCoopers (No. 73)
• Ernst & Young (No. 77)
• KPMG (No. 86)
• CH2M Hill (No. 90)
• The Everett Clinic (No. 91)
• J.M. Smucker Co. (No. 93)
• Starbucks (No. 98)

“We think the feature that has kept this list on the rails is our methodology,” wrote Robert Levering and Milton Moskowitz, who collaborated on the rankings. “We decided early on that the way to find the best companies to work for is not to measure the square footage of the gym or crunch the numbers on who has the best 401(k) matching policy but to ask employees themselves.”

Levering, cofounder of the Great Place to Work Institute, and Moskowitz, a journalist and author, used a special survey developed by the institute to solicit employee opinions. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the institute's Trust Index survey. A random sample of employees from each company answered questions related to management's credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie. One-third of the scoring derives from the company's responses to the institute's Culture Audit, including questions about pay and benefit programs, hiring, communication and diversity.

Northwest Maritime Center goes for LEED Gold

The Northwest Maritime Center has achieved the gold standard for green building construction.

The Port Townsend-based nonprofit, an AWB member since 2010, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for its new headquarters in November. The Northwest Maritime Center is the first building on the Olympic Peninsula to earn this designation.

The building’s site was a bulk oil terminal for more than 80 years. During the construction process, more than 2,400 tons of contaminated soil were removed and properly disposed. Additionally, an old pier that supported oil-filled barges was removed.

The new Northwest Maritime Center headquarters includes a pier designed to minimize shadows over prime eelgrass habitat for fish and shellfish. Heat exchanger plates were installed under the pier to use water temperature to heat and cool the center’s two buildings.

The center itself is a model of energy efficiency. High windows minimize the need for artificial lighting while the facility gets its power from Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program, reducing its energy load on Port Townsend’s power grid. Solar panels will be installed once funding becomes available.

“Even though these energy efficiency measures raised the cost of construction, we knew over time it would pay for itself,” said Dave Robison, project manager of the Northwest Maritime Center. “It was a good investment.”

Great care was also taken to make the new center blend in with Port Townsend’s historic downtown waterfront.

"We ensured the Northwest Maritime Center’s two buildings were compatible with the other historic structures in Port Townsend’s National Landmark Historic District," said Craig Curtis, the project’s lead designer. "The two buildings, constructed of over 60 percent of Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, occupy a prime location at the end of Water Street, at the transition between the old brick buildings of the late 1890s and the adjacent Coast Guard clapboard buildings at the Point Hudson Marina, which were constructed in the 1930s."

Access to the shoreline, the center's second level walkways, as well as the waterfront boardwalk, were deeded to the city in perpetuity. The center also worked with the city to create a low impact development streetscape, including rain gardens to control and treat stormwater. Additionally, the center provides outlets for electric cars and ample bike storage while collaborating with the city to reduce vehicle trips and parking congestion.

“Environmental stewardship is one of our core missions,” said Robison. “If you love the environment, you’ll want to protect it.”

AWB members honored for workplace flexibility

It’s all about meeting employees’ needs.

Six AWB members received Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility during 2010. The winners are Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest, BECU, Deloitte, Humanix Staffing and Recruiting, SiteCrafting and Technology Services Company. St. Luke's Rehabilitation Institute received an honorable mention. 

The awards are part of the national When Work Works project, an ongoing initiative of Families and Work Institute in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for a Competitive Workforce and the Twiga Foundation, with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Sloan Award recipients are employers who offer flexibility programs, policies, and practices that are equal to or above the national average from this study and also have employee verification that these are carried out effectively in the organization.

“[The award] recognizes our efforts to use flexibility as part of an effective strategy to achieve business goals,” said Jim DeWalt, president and CEO of Spokane’s Associated Industries of the Inland Northwest. “Just as important, it benefits our employees by helping them meet their responsibilities both on and off the job.”

In the competition for the Sloan Award, employers receive points for policies including allowing employees to have flexible work schedules, considering family needs in scheduling, allowing employees to work at home, and providing the flexibility for workers’ to pursue educational opportunities while employed.

“We’re grateful for the recognition,” said Sarah Champion, human resources director at SiteCrafting, a Tacoma Web design firm. “We’ve been ahead of the game and not following the path of anybody when it comes to supporting our staff. We’re always striving to find the best way to do that. We try to 
benchmark ourselves to make sure we’re doing a good job of offering flexibility.”

Vista Engineering Technologies helps Tri-Cities drivers plug in and drive off

In the near future, plugging in may be as familiar to drivers as filling up.

Vista Engineering Technologies, a Richland energy consulting firm, kicked-off 2011 by announcing its entrance into the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle market. An AWB member since 2006, the company will convert existing hybrid gas-electric vehicles into plug-ins with hybrid capabilities for $5,000 to $10,000 in addition to building a charging station infrastructure at businesses, residences and government facilities throughout the Columbia Basin.

Vehicle owners who purchase the conversions will be able to drive approximately 30 miles on battery power without gasoline.

“The environment and the timing are ripe for a real strong pitch in electric transportation,” said K.C. Kukendall, Vista’s sustainable solutions team manager. “The economics are starting to work out for the first time as we’re seeing fuel prices climb. We’re also seeing a groundswell of concern over our dependence on foreign oil, particularly for transportation, and concern for the environment and emissions from combustion and fossil fuel. On top of that, we’re blessed to live in the Pacific Northwest where we have electricity costs that are far lower than the national average and the preponderance of our power comes from clean, renewable sources like hydro and wind.”

Vista’s plans to encourage electric transportation go far beyond private vehicles. The company offers engineering and integration services for private and public sector fleets of mid-to-heavy duty vehicles including vanpools, buses and delivery trucks.

"There are significant gains for transit authorities, public fleets and transporters targeting a reduction in fuel consumption, cost and emissions" Phil Ohl, Vista’s president, said in a news release. "Vista is going after this market very aggressively. The electric vehicle market expansion represents a significant impact on energy security and stability. This effort aligns with our sustainability initiatives and is good for the region."

Vista will begin performing its first conversions this spring. By the mid-summer to fall, Kuykendall foresees 100 charging stations in the Columbia Basin and outlying areas.

Currently, there are few charging stations in Eastern Washington. In contrast, Western Washington has significant and growing infrastructure to support plug-in vehicles.

 “We are seeing a significant market shift and Vista is committed to leading the way for Eastern Washington to get plugged in,” said Kuykendall.

Safeway opens new, environmentally-friendly store in Seattle

This is not your father’s supermarket.

With the Nov. 12 opening of a ground-up replacement of its Pinehurst store, in North Seattle,  Safeway’s Seattle Division broke new ground in environmentally conscious grocery retailing.

Billed as the greenest Safeway in the Seattle Division, the new store was designed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED silver certification standards, a designation given only to buildings that meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s strict criteria for sustainable design, construction and operating practices. Taking energy saving and recycling to a whole new level, the store uses at least 17 percent less energy than an American Society for Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers baseline building, saving $31,000 in energy costs per year. Approximately 20 percent of the building materials purchased during construction contained recycled content while 75 percent of the construction waste, by weight, was diverted from the landfill.

“Our new Pinehurst store reflects the silver standard for sustainable supermarket design for Safeway and the entire supermarket industry,” said Greg Sparks, president of Safeway’s Seattle Division.

The remodeled store, planned since 2007, is part of a larger trend toward more environmentally conscious grocery stores on the part of Safeway, an AWB member since 2000, and other retailers, including Fred Meyer, an AWB member since 2002; Wal-Mart, an AWB member since 2005; and smaller, independent grocers, like Olympia’s Stormans, Inc., an AWB member since 2003.  

“We are proud of the reputation we have developed for sustainability and believe our new Pinehurst store enhances the progress we are making as a leader in sustainable efforts, including store design and earth-friendly products, along with our already strong history of supporting communities,” said Sparks.

Wal-Mart expansion means new Washington jobs

Washington’s economy just got a welcome shot in the arm from a retail giant.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., an AWB member since 2005, created 800 new Washington jobs when it opened two new stores and expanded three older ones late last month.

Arlington and Pullman now boast brand new Walmarts. Additionally, the company relocated and expanded outlets in Auburn, Longview and Port Angeles.

“The stores bring savings on a full line of groceries and an increase in tax revenue to support the local economies,” said Jennifer Spall, Wal-Mart’s senior manager of government affairs and public relations.

Additionally, each store features enhanced service and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers.”

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Janet Faulkner, Wal-Mart’s Auburn store manager. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

The stores include energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. Skylights harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. The stores’ LED lighting operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lights.

Cement used in the concrete floors is made with recycled materials, and the floors’ finish reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce water used in bathrooms. The stores also operate recycling programs and promote sustainable product purchases.

And this is only the beginning of a Washington growth spurt for Wal-Mart.

“Several other projects are on track for next year and the year after,” said Spall. “We have another store opening in Woodland in January. That’s another 350 new jobs. Our new store in Tumwater is also on track right now. We’re hoping to open that one early next year. Things are looking good.”

Tenaska Ferndale power plant honored for 10 safe years

Workplace safety is more than just a motto for the employees of Tenaska Ferndale.

Since the  co-generation plant opened in 1993, employees have had no work-related injuries, illnesses or fatalities resulting in days away from work. This is a grand total of more than 803,500 safe working hours as of the end of 2009.

In recognition of this, the National Safety Council honored  Tenaska’s amazing record by awarding the facility Superior Performance and Perfect Record awards in September. Additionally, Tenaska Ferndale received an Occupational Excellence Achievement Award. Facilities receiving this award must achieve a safety record equal to or less than 50 percent of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics rates for lost-time illnesses and injuries.

“Achieving National Safety Council recognition is an honor, one we work hard to maintain every year by remaining vigilant on the worksite and focusing on continuous training,” said Tim Miller, Tenaska Ferndale’s plant manager.

AWB also recognized Tenaska Ferndale’s stellar safety record with a Better Workplace Award last February at the Legislative Day luncheon in Olympia. The 270-megawatt facility, an AWB member since 1997, provides power from clean-burning natural gas to Puget Sound Energy. Process steam from the plant goes to the adjacent ConocoPhillips oil refinery.

“Plant employees show year after year that they take their daily commitment to safety seriously, and that’s important, not only to Tenaska but to their families and their community,” said Miller.

Deloitte’s 2010 Technology Fast 500 includes five AWB members

Five AWB members made Deloitte’s 2010 Technology Fast 500 list of North America’s fastest growing media, technology, life sciences and telecommunications firms. 

Deloitte’s annual list, announced Oct. 29, is a cornucopia of businesses on the upswing despite the economic downturn. The five AWB members on the list – Avalara, Emergent Biosolutions, IsoRay Medical, Pharmacy OneSource and Concur Technologies –  were selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2005 to 2009.

For the 13th consecutive year, there were more software companies on the Fast 500 than any other sector. Biotechnology companies surged ahead this year, comprising 18 percent of the list, the second most prevalent sector in the 2010 ranking.

“[The] 2010 Technology Fast 500 winners forged ahead in a challenging economic environment to realize exceptional growth," said Phil Asmundson, vice chairman of Deloitte in a news release.

No. 28 on the Fast 500 is Avalara, an AWB member since 2007. Located on Bainbridge Island, Avalara is an end-to-end transaction tax management company that uses its own internally developed technology to automate statutory tax compliance.

“Our success is based on solving a burning need for thousands of businesses nationwide and around the world,” said Scott McFarlane, Avalara’s CEO. “The sales and use tax structure in the US and abroad is simply too complex and costly to manage by hand or with outdated systems. Companies simply have to automate their sales tax compliance process or risk costly audits, and Avalara provides the best on-demand solutions available.”

Emergent Biosolutions, in Seattle, an AWB member since 2004, ranked No. 30 on the Fast 500. The company, formerly known as Trubion Pharmaceuticals, focuses on discovering, developing and commercializing new medicines to treat inflammatory disease and cancer.

Richland-based IsoRay Medical develops, manufactures and markets isotopes for use in the medical treatment of various malignant diseases. AN AWB member since 2006, IsoRay made No. 50 on the Fast 500. 

N o. 335 on the list is Bellevue-based Pharmacy OneSource. An AWB member since 2008, Pharmacy OneSource produces software applications for health-care organizations to improve patient safety, quality of care and financial performance by standardization.

"I'm very excited that our company was named to the Technology Fast 500 for the fourth year in a row," said Tim Gibbons, Pharmacy One Source’s CEO and president. "We expect strong continued revenue growth in 2011."

Redmond’s Concur Technologies, an AWB member since 2009, ranked at No. 356. Concur is a provider of software solutions that automate employee spending management.