Alcoa Intalco Works Stops Production

The Alcoa Intalco Works aluminum smelter in Ferndale has stopped production, but most of its 930 workers will remain employed during the 28-month shutdown.

Alcoa Inc. announced May 16 that it was immediately idling the smelter as a result of agreements with the Bonneville Power Administration.

The agreements call for power contracted for the smelter between May 16 and October to be sold back to BPA to help it meet regional demands for electricity. Also, Alcoa, which owns 61 percent of the Intalco plant, will return to BPA approximately 90 percent of its electricity allocation for the period of Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2003. The remainder of Alcoa’s electricity allocation will be used at the company’s magnesium production facility in Addy, Wash., and for lighting, maintenance and security purposes at Intalco.

In return, Alcoa will receive between $50 million and $70 million from BPA to keep most of Intalco’s employees working on maintenance and upkeep tasks and receiving their full pay and benefit. Fewer than 100 employees are expected to be laid off. Intalco also will pass along to local governments a $1.75 million allocation from BPA to offset the impact of reduced tax revenue.

BPA expects to avoid paying about $600 million to buy power for Intalco over the term of the agreements. The agreements “will not have a material impact” on Alcoa’s earnings this year, according to the company.

Rates for BPA’s electricity are expected to soar when new contracts with municipal utilities and industrial users take effect in October.

“Alcoa has forged an agreement with the BPA, which is in the best interests of our stakeholders,” says Al Renken, Alcoa vice president and president of Alcoa Primary Metals. “While this agreement is not our preferred outcome, it is more advantageous to employees, communities and shareholders than the long-term closures we would have experienced under Bonneville’s blended-rate approach. We still find it unacceptable as public policy that the aluminum industry has been asked by BPA to shutter its facilities, thus carrying a disproportional cost, while other customers are being asked only to reduce their usage by 5 percent to 10 percent.”

The Intalco plant has a production capacity of 270,000 metric tons of aluminum per year (mtpy) but was operating at a pace of only 115,000 mtpy before production stopped. Alcoa, which has a worldwide primary aluminum capacity of 4.1 million mtpy, now has 550,000 mtpy of idled capacity.

 

Mt. Baker Ski Area, Brennan Win Honors

The Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau presented its 2001 awards to Mt. Baker Ski Area, Inc., Jeannette Brennan and Johnny Johnson.

Mt. Baker Ski Area received the 2001 Tourism Business of the Year Award during the CVB banquet May 16. General manager Duncan Howat and his daughters Amy and Gwen Howat were praised for continually marketing Mt. Baker and staging various events each year to attract new and repeat visitors. Mt. Baker Ski Area consistently is ranked by national media as one of the top ski destinations in the United States.

Brennan, sports and events director for the Bellingham/Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce since 1986, received the 2001 Priscilla Sabin Award, an accolade that honors outstanding efforts by an individual in the tourism industry. Brennan coordinates every aspect of the annual Ski to Sea Race, which draws thousands of visitors each year to Whatcom County. She also coordinates several other community events throughout the county for the Chamber of Commerce. (For a picture and more details, see the Chamber newsletter included in this issue of Business Pulse.)

Johnson was presented the 2001 Volunteer of the Year Award for his 10 years of continued support and generous contributions of time and service to the CVB.

 

Peoples Bank Donates to Festival of Music

Peoples Bank has donated $10,000 to the 2001 Bellingham Festival of Music, scheduled July 27 to Aug. 13.

“Peoples Bank supports the goals of the Bellingham Festival of Music and we thank Andrew Moquin, president, and his staff for their efforts in making this event an annual success,” says Irwin LeCocq, chair of the board of Lynden-based Peoples Bank.

“Peoples Bank has been a great supporter of the festival since its inception in 1993 and it is the continued support from them and other businesses and individuals that has helped us to carry out our mission of bringing world-class music to Whatcom County each summer,” Moquin states.

 

Benchmark Document Solutions Moves

Benchmark Document Solutions has moved its sales and administrative office to 201 E. Chestnut St., the former site of The Great Adventure store, in downtown Bellingham.

Benchmark Document Solutions sells, finances and services Xerox copiers, printers, scanners, fax machines and supplies. Owner Fred Schacht has been marketing Xerox products in Whatcom County for 14 years. Its new facility at the corner of Chestnut Street and Railroad Avenue includes a state-of-the-art digital demonstration room.

For more information, call 676-8406.

 

Bellingham Cold Storage Installing Generators

Bellingham Cold Storage plans to install natural-gas-fired generators at its cold-storage plants along West Orchard Drive and Roeder Avenue in Bellingham.

The company expects the generators, each with a capacity below 5 megawatts, can be running by early July. Because of their small size, the generators are exempt from the city’s moratorium on power-plant construction and require only building and electrical permits from the city. Processing and freezing of seafood and crops at Bellingham Cold Storage peaks between June and November.

 

WWU’s SBDC Receives Award

Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center recently was honored with an award in recognition of its outstanding contribution toward small business development.

The Washington Small Business Development Center presented the Million Dollar Club Award to the WWU center. The award is presented to centers that bring in at least $1 million in new investments annually to their communities through client technical assistance. WWU’s SBDC contributed more than $8.9 million in new investments in 2000 to Whatcom County’s economy and more than $22 million in the past five years.

“More than 97 percent of Whatcom County businesses are considered small businesses,” says Tom Dorr, directors of WWU’s SBDC. “If we want to expand our economy, we need to nurture our small businesses and make sure the impacts of small businesses are not ignored.”

WWU’s SBDC is a free, nonprofit organization that offers confidential counseling, primary and secondary research, conferences and seminars for business owners and managers. It is funded by the Small Business Administration, the City of Bellingham, the City of Sumas, WWU and donations. For more information, call Dorr at 733-4014.

 

Bellingham Marketing Company Expands

A Bellingham marketing company, ioCreative, has expanded by moving into a 3,600-square-foot space formerly occupied by Pearl River Trading Co. at 1209 N. State St.

The firm was founded in January 2000 by Seth Murphy and Tim Cathersal, who wanted to build a company that would make originality, versatility and humor its trademarks. It started with clients that included Hyperion Solutions, a $500 million software company in California, and Totally Chocolate, a Blaine manufacturer of specialty sweets. Since then, ioCreative has grown to support a staff of 12 that includes artists, graphic designers and writers.

“We wanted to assemble a crew that could take on any marketing challenge and develop the kind of solutions that would make clients slap their heads and go, ‘Wow, I’d never thought of it that way,’” says Murphy, ioCreative’s president and also co-owner of Foxwood North, a Bellingham printing and copy company. “Speaking only partly tongue in cheek, our idea was to create a kind of commando unit of creative individuals who could ride into marketing emergencies and save the day.”

The firm now offers Web, design and print services. For more information, call 527-1234 or visit www.iocreative.com.

 

Red Cross Seeking Golfers for Tourney

The 8th-annual American Red Cross Golf Tournament will be conducted June 29 at Dakota Creek Golf Course near Custer.

The 18-hole scramble has a shotgun start at 1 p.m., followed by a barbecue. The $50 registration fee includes both. All tournament proceeds go directly to American Red Cross services in Whatcom County.

Alcoa Intalco Works, radio station KGMI 790 and Dakota Creek Golf Course return as major event sponsors.

To register or gain more information, call the course at 366-3131 or the American Red Cross, 733-3290.

 

Essential Therapeutic Massage Moves

Essential Therapeutic Massage Clinic of Bellingham has moved to a larger facility at 1300 W. Holly St., Suite C.

“We have been specializing in injury treatment and have good working relationships with local doctors and the major insurance companies,” says Liz Halverson, who operates the clinic with her husband Brent. “We are now expanding our business to address relaxation and stress reduction where we can make our customers feel pampered and spoiled.”

Essential Therapeutic now offers Lypossage, hot-stone massage, Lomi Lomi, aroma therapy, Parafango body wraps, detox/antioxident body wraps and hot paraffin hand and foot treatments.

Brent Halversen recently earned his certification in Lypossage, a body-contouring massage focusing the reduction of cellulite.

For more information or an appointment, call 671-1809.

 

County Hosts Prep Golf Tournaments

State high school golf tournaments played May 20-22 on eight Whatcom County courses pumped approximately $120,800 into the county’s economy, the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates.

For the second consecutive year, more than 600 golfers participated in tournaments conducted in Whatcom County and on one course in Skagit County. The CVB developed and presented the successful bid to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association to bring the championships to northwest Washington.

 

Fairhaven Businesses Sponsor Fundraiser

Village Books and Fairhaven Runners are sponsoring the second-annual Anniversary Walk/Run for Literacy on June 23.

The five-kilometer event will start at 9 a.m. at the Fairhaven Village Square, located behind Village Books and near Mill Avenue. Registration costs $10 for each individual and $20 for a family. All registration proceeds will go to the Whatcom Literacy Council.

“It’s a great connection for both stores,” says Village Books co-owner Chuck Robinson. “Literacy is, obviously, very important to us and Fairhaven Runners is about running and walking. It’s a perfect opportunity for us both to help a very important organization in the community.”

Registration forms are available at Village Books, 1210-11th St., 671-2626, and Fairhaven Runners, 1209-11th St., 676-4955. Event-day registration will be conducted from 8 to 8:45 a.m.

 

Three French Hens Roosting in Fairhaven

Three French Hens, a home-décor shop, was opened April 17 by owners Bonnie and Ed Donaghy inside Finnegan’s Alley at 1106 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven.

Bonnie Donaghy formerly operated Dorf ’n Ferns in Bellingham’s Fountain District for 4 1/2 years before moving to the ground floor of the new building. Three French Hens offers area rugs, lamps, decorative pillows, artwork, custom upholstered furniture and more.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 756-1047.

 

Birch Bay Chamber Plans Summer Events

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce has many events planned this summer.

The events include the Birch Bay Nugget Hunt, June 16-17; sandcastle contests June 21 and July 19; the CLAMpetition, a search for the bay’s largest and most decorative horse clam, July 20; the Discovery Days Parade, 11 a.m. July 21; the Discovery Days Arts & Crafts Fair, July 21-22; the Ducky Derby Race, July 28; and the Birch Bay Open golf tournament, July 29.

A complete schedule and contact phone numbers are available at www.birchbay.net. Information also is available by calling the Birch Bay Chamber at 371-5004 or writing to it at 4550 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, PMB B119, Birch Bay, WA 98230.

 

Hospital’s Expansion Project Delayed

The start of construction on the first phase of the expansion of St. Joseph Hospital in Bellingham was delayed until at least early June.

Because of high bids for parts of the project, more time was needed for hospital administration to work with architects, engineers and the construction management company to finalize the project’s total cost. Phase I will add about 170,000 square feet over the next three years in service areas, inpatient beds and parking. These projects are estimated to cost about $70 million, which includes design costs, permit fees and sales tax in addition to actual construction costs.

Also, Jack Haupt has been named interim expansion project manager after the resignation of David Disbrow, who accepted a position in Tennessee. An architect, Haupt is vice president of facility and support services at St. John Hospital in Longview, part of the PeaceHealth organization, which also includes St. Joseph Hospital.

 

Java Town Buys Lynden Stand

Eric and Pamela Larson, owners of two Java Town espresso stands in Bellingham, have opened another one in Lynden.

The couple purchased the Caffé GoGo stand along Front Street in Lynden’s Fairway Center and remodeled it in May. The first Java Town stands opened in 1999 at the corner of State and Magnolia streets and at 2716 Meridian St.

 

Haskell Business Center Adds Tenants

The Haskell Business Center in Bellingham recently signed leases with three tenants: Berkan Medical, Agri-Associates and Paul Davis Restoration.

Berkan Medical has been a tenant since 1997, but moved to a larger space in the center, located at 1001 Meador Ave.

Joleen Daughters, property manager for Haskell Business Center, says, “These new tenants are typical of the kinds of business Haskell attracts — light-manufacturing companies that want what we have to offer: very competitive rates, a quiet, secure atmosphere; quick access to I-5 with high visibility; and the ability to meet their space requirements and business needs.”

For more information, call 734-1200.

 

Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema Returns

The Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema is returning for a fourth season this summer.

The season will open July 14 and run for seven consecutive Saturday nights, ending Aug. 25. Movies again will be presented at the city park behind Village Books at the corner of 10th and Mill streets. Admission will be a suggested donation of $4 for individuals and $10 for families.

Entertainment will begin an hour before dusk and movies will start thereafter.

The Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema is the primary fundraiser of the Whatcom Film Association, a local nonprofit organization that runs the independent Pickford Cinema in downtown Bellingham.

The summer schedule is: “James and the Giant Peach,” July 14; “Babe,” July 21; “Them!,” July 28; “To Sir with Love,” Aug. 4; “Grease,” Aug. 11; “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan,” Aug. 18; and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Aug. 25.

For more information, contact the Whatcom Film Association, 738-0735.

 

Samish Way McDonald’s Moving One Block

A new McDonald’s restaurant at the site of the former Roger Jobs Motors dealership in Bellingham will take the place of one just a block away.

Design and site preparation for the new restaurant has begun, according to owner Jim Campbell. The new site, one block south of the current location on Samish Way, is closer to Interstate 5 and the busy Samish Way intersection with Bill McDonald Parkway, a primary entrance to the Western Washington University campus. It also is flatter than the current location, which will be an advantage when snow and ice conditions exist.

 

Business Service Center Honored

The Business Service Center in Bellingham has been honored by the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Partner America Program for its success in promoting small-business development.

The center is a partnership among the City of Bellingham, the Bellingham/ Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Western Washington University’s Small Business Development Center. Located in the Chamber’s office at 1435 Railroad Ave., its mission is to coordinate and provide community resources to new and existing businesses in order to enhance their ability to grow, prosper and provide new jobs in Bellingham.

The Partner America Program recognizes innovative programs that represent “best practices” in aiding small-business growth, visibility and access to information and resources. Bellingham’s center was one of only 37 programs recognized nationally.

“Working with the SBDC and Chamber in forming the Business Service Center has brought more resources to businesses needing technical assistance and wanting to move in the area,” Mayor Mark Asmundson says. “This three-way partnership is a unique model for downtown revitalization and retention of businesses already located here in Bellingham.”

 

DeWaard & Bode Closing Lynden Store

DeWaard & Bode is closing its Lynden appliance store in the Fairway Center and consolidating operations at its downtown Bellingham store.

DeWaard & Bode last year moved its Bellingham store into an adjacent 14,000-square-foot building at 1815 Cornwall Ave. The larger building has given the company much more room to display appliances and mattresses.

 

Unity Group, Lynden Agency Now Affiliated

The New York Life Insurance office in Lynden, owned by Shane Van Dalen, became affiliated May 1 with The Unity Group, which has headquarters in Bellingham.

The Lynden office at 517 Liberty St. now is known as Unity-VanDalen Insurance. Leslie VanderVeen, who has 14 years of experience at The Unity Group and is one of its owners, has joined Van Dalen in Lynden.

The affiliation enables Unity-VanDalen Insurance to add personal, home, auto and commercial property/casualty insurance to its previous line of products, including life insurance, annuities, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, employee benefit plans and retirement funds.

Van Dalen started with New York Life in June 1996 after six years as a personal banker with U.S. Bank in Lynden and Bellingham.

The Unity Group, the largest independent insurance agency in northwest Washington, also has offices in Sedro-Woolley, Lynnwood and Everett.

For more information, call Unity-VanDalen Insurance, 354-4433, or visit www.theunitygroup.com.

 

KVOS TV12 Show Wins Awards

Two episodes of “Red’s Classic Theatre,” produced and broadcast by KVOS TV 12 in Bellingham, recently received bronze Telly Awards.

The honored episodes focused on two movies: “Star Trek IV — The Voyage Home” and “The Babe Ruth Story,” both airing in 1999.

“Red’s Classic Theatre,” hosted the last 12 years at 9 p.m. Sundays by Red Robin-son, adds trivia and/or background information about the featured movie from a location with a connection to the film. The “Star Trek IV” episode was shot at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, one of the filming locations for the movie. Footage for “The Babe Ruth Story” was shot at Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, B.C., home of the Vancouver Canadians baseball team.

Telly Awards have been presented the last 22 years for excellence in television, commercial and video productions.

The last show of “Red’s Classic Theatre” is scheduled at 9 p.m. July 29, which will be the 618th in the series.

 

Rotary Club, Banks Present Scholarships

The Whatcom County North Rotary Club, in cooperation with seven banks, presented $350 youth service awards to seven graduating seniors.

Students honored this year are: Holly Magnusson, Blaine High School; Jayson Lambert, Nooksack Valley High School; Andrew Morehouse, Ferndale High School; Brian Vander Woude, Lynden Christian High School; Jaime Cline, Lynden High School; Miwa Teresa Krishnek, Mount Baker High School; and Amy Johnson, Meridian High School.

Each student received $200 from the Rotary Club and $150 from one of the banks. This is the 23rd year that Whatcom County North Rotary Club has presented these awards.

Consideration for the awards was based solely on service to others and wasn’t dependent upon accomplishments in other areas such as academics, sports and student organizations.

 

Bellingham Amtrak Ridership Soars

The number of people boarding and deboarding Amtrak Cascade trains in Bellingham increased 142 percent in 2000.

The ridership figure rose from 22,345 in 1999 to 54,129 last year. The growth was attributed to: a new Bellingham-Seattle round-trip run added daily, better schedule connections and increasing traffic congestion and gasoline prices.

For current schedule, fare and reservation information, visit www.Amtrak Cascades.com, call Amtrak at (800) USA-RAIL or contact an authorized travel agency.

 

Brown & Cole Considers Birch Bay Supermarket

Brown & Cole Stores is studying the feasibility of building a supermarket in the Birch Bay area.

The Bellingham-based grocery company owns five acres at the corner of Birch Bay-Lynden and Blaine roads (adjacent to a Whatcom County Fire District 13 station), which long has been designated for a supermarket by the company. A key issue is whether the area’s population is large enough to support a full-service supermarket.

“We have had many requests over the years to place a supermarket at Birch Bay,” says company spokesperson Sue Cole. “We have commissioned a new feasibility study. As with other store locations, we will be reviewing all available information before making any definite plans or setting any timetables. But it’s clear that the Birch Bay community is maturing to the point where a supermarket may be justified.

Also, Brown & Cole announced it had received a first-place award for its newspaper public-service advertising. The award was given by the Food Marketing Institute, the nonprofit food industry association that serves retail and wholesale members worldwide, in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine.

The prize-winning entry, “A Dollar Makes a Difference,” promoted the fund-raising program in Cost Cutter stores for the Whatcom County Boys & Girls Club last spring.

Brown & Cole operates Cost Cutter stores in Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale and Lynden, plus the Lynden Fair Market and Everson Red Apple in Whatcom County. The company has 35 supermarkets in Washington, Oregon and Montana.

 

Dressy Tresses Sells Accessories Online

Karlie Eldred of Bellingham has launched an online store, Dressy Tresses, that offers unique and distinctive hairsticks, earrings, jewelry, books and accessories.

Eldred designs and creates products in her home for the store, located at www.dressytresses.com. She specializes in the creation of handcrafted hairsticks in a multitude of styles and designs. Most use intricately, hand-carved natural bone, decorated with rare, vintage Swarovski beads, crystals and stones.

“Right now, jade seems to be the hottest trend with our customers,” Eldred says. “And hairsticks in general seem to be growing in fashion.”

 

D-TECH Seminar Covers Fire Issues

D-TECH of Bellingham recently presented a seminar on fire-alarm codes and life-safety issues.

The seminar at D-TECH’s new office building, located at 1501 Kentucky St., drew fire marshals, inspectors, chiefs, captains and building inspectors. It features a multi-media presentation by John Gud-mundson of Underwriters Laboratories.

 

Businesses Sponsoring Maritime Festival

The Whatcom Hospice Foundation has gained six sponsors for the 2001 AT&T Maritime Festival, scheduled Aug. 25-26 at Zuanich Point Park in Bellingham.

AT&T is returning as the title sponsor. AT&T Wireless, AT&T Media Services and AT&T Broadband all are contributing significant amounts in cash or airtime.

St. Joseph Hospital, which is in the process of adopting Whatcom Hospice into its family of services, is a new sponsor at the $5,000 level. Returning major sponsors are the Port of Bellingham, KeyBank, Moss Adams and Mt. Baker Products.

Last year’s festival raise more than $86,000 to help terminally ill people and their families served by Whatcom Hospice.

Festival highlights include an arts-and-crafts show, boat show, live music, food court and children’s activities.

 

Construction Starts on Retirement Community

Construction began in May on El Dorado, an upscale retirement community being developed by Windward Enterprises, Ltd. of Bellingham in the city’s Cordata area.

The community will be constructed in three phases with a total of six buildings and 90 units at a cost of $9 million, according to Michael Golden, chief executive officer and president of Windward Enterprises. The site is at the northwest corner of the intersection of Cordata Parkway and West Horton Road. Units will be available for sale as condominiums and for rent as apartments, although individual buildings won’t have mixed uses.

Construction of the first phase (two buildings with 30 units) will be completed this summer.

El Dorado is designed for active adults, at least 55 years old, “who appreciate an easy lifestyle and a touch of elegance,” Golden says. Amenities will include gates and state-of-the-art security, digital television and high-speed Internet access, nine-foot ceilings, in-floor radiant heating, and slab granite kitchen and bath counters.

During its 18 years, Windward Enterprises has built and sold hundreds of high-end homes from Semiahmoo to Sudden Valley. It also has completed several multi-family housing projects in the Cordata area, including Pacific Rim North (132 units) and Fir Ridge Condominiums Phase I (100) units) and Phase II (159 units), the latter completed last fall.

Steve Anderson Construction, Inc., owned and operated by lifelong Whatcom County resident Steve Anderson, has been responsible for building homes, apartments and condominiums for Windward Enterprises since 1989.

For more information about El Dorado, call Golden, 671-1227 or 647-2343.

 

Employers Spend Much for Benefits

Employee benefits comprised more than one-third of company payrolls in 1999, with health insurance the most expensive single benefit, according a recent nationwide survey conducted for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Employee benefits cost employers an additional 36.8 percent over wages in 1999 or an average of $14,060 per employee, according to the Employee Benefits Study. Medical insurance premiums ranked highest at an average of $2,777 per employee, followed by federal payroll taxes at $2,666 per employee. Paid vacations, holidays and sick leave combined for about one-third of all benefits (about $4,113 per employee).

 

Dawson Construction Starts Projects

Dawson Construction, with offices in Bellingham and Ketchikan, Alaska, is working on major projects in both areas.

The company has begun interior and exterior renovations to the historic YWCA building, constructed in 1914, in Bellingham. Jim Quick is the project manager and Paul Yuska is the project superintendent. The contract value is $1.2 million.

Dawson Construction also handled work on the entry of the Whatcom Family YMCA in Bellingham. The renovation involves the addition of a sidewalk canopy. John Stimson was the project manager and Yuska the project superintendent.

The company also was awarded three contracts in southeast Alaska. One project, the renovation of the Coast Guard Air Station in Sitka, Alaska, has a contract value of nearly $2.5 million and began in May. Dawson Construction also started in May the renovation of Mt. Edgecumbe High School to meet requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and begins this month construction of an 18,000-square-foot metal building for the City of Sitka.

 

D.J.’s Collectibles Benefit Homeless

D.J. and Mary Romond have opened D.J.’s Collectibles in downtown Bellingham.

The store at 1207 N. State St. offers an array of fine used items such as jewelry, paintings, collectibles and furniture. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

D.J.’s Collectibles was created as a source of funding for Stepping Stones, a nonprofit organization that helps families with housing solutions. The program provides initial costs of housing such as rent, deposit and utilities.

“Our thrift shop, Old Town Christian Ministries, was created to fund the Stepping Stones program,” D.J. Romond says. “D.J.’s Collectibles carries higher-end items and we wanted a different way to provide those items to our customers while increasing our funding to the program.”

For more information about the store or Stepping Stones, call Romond at 671-5567.

 

Profits Increase at Absorbents Inc.

International Absorbents Inc. of Bellingham, a developer and producer of environmentally friendly pet-care and industrial products, reports its profits rose 33 percent for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31.

The company announced net earnings rose to $2.29 million, or 41 cents per share, compared to $1.7 million or 35 cents per share for the prior year. Sales increased 22 percent to $9.5 million, up from $7.8 million the previous year.

“The company has posted record profits and record sales for the third consecutive year,” says Gordon Ellis, chairman. “These increases are primarily due to continued growth of our CareFresh animal bedding and initial sales of three new product lines for the pet-care market.”

 

Bellingham Schools Thank Haggen Inc.

The Bellingham School District presented Haggen Inc. with community education partner award on May 1.

The supermarket company was praised for its contributions to local education efforts through the Junior Achievement and School Bucks programs. It also has been a community leader in the “Ask for Transcripts Campaign” with student job applicants and a strong financial supporter of Bellingham school levy and bond campaigns.

 

Leads Club Ranks High in Referrals

The Mount Vernon Chapter of Ali Lassen’s Leads Club produced the largest dollar referral business for its members in the fourth quarter of 2000.

The business networking group of 23 members, including several from Whatcom County, exchanged referrals among their colleagues totaling more than $450,000.

The Mount Vernon chapter welcomes membership applications for various categories. Call Mark Ruderman at (360) 707-7464 for more information.