Buckle to open at Bellis Fair

The Buckle, a retailer of nid-priced and brand named men’s and women’s clothing retailer will open in Bellis Fair mall.

“We choose Bellingham because the population base is good and there is a strong middle market,” said Brett Milke, vice president of leasing for The Buckle. “The mall is strong and the large college population is something we look for in new markets.”

He said the chain has seen great success with their other Washington State stores.

David Hirschfeld started the Buckle as Mills Clothing, a men’s clothing retailer in Kearney, Neb in 1948. When his son, Dan, took over in 1967, he renamed the store Brass Buckle and changed the product lines to include causal men’s and women’s clothing.

 

Car rental agency to go it alone

Scott Bertlesen recently relaunched his auto rental business as American Car and Truck Rental. He terminated his franchise agreement with U-Save Auto Rental and will now compete as an independent business.

“We weren’t getting any real benefits from our affiliation with U-Save and the franchise fees were prohibitive in allowing us to be as competitively priced as I would have liked,” Bertlesen said.

He also runs Northern Auto Sales on the same property and he hopes to use that affiliation to bolster the selection of autos he’s able to offer for rent. Bertlesen also plans to focus his rental business more on truck and van rentals.

 

Freeland forms civil engineering firm

Tony Freeland has formed a new civil engineering firm, Freeland & Associates. The new firm will serve Northwest Washington with mapping, planning, civil engineering design, and project management services. Staff includes Freeland, principal engineer, Tony Marcucci, engineering technician, Jean-Paul Slagle, project engineer, and Linden Darling, principal/business manager.

 

OpenAccess expands to business park

OpenAccess, a Bellingham-based Internet service provider, branched out their fiber optic network to offer high-speed Internet to Squalicum Business Park. The company works with property owners to identify areas where demand warrants expanding the network.

“We are careful to operate a sustainable business model and not overbuild,” said Anna Ehnmark, vice president of finance and operations.

Squalicum Business Park can now offer high-speed Internet access to all tenants, increasing the desirability of their property.

OpenAccess adds the park to a list of multi-tenant service areas that includes Fairhaven.

 

Haines vs. West Nile Virus

Linda Haines of Haines Tree and Spray recently added training making her company able to participate in sprays to eradicate the West Nile Virus. The department of ecology offered the workshop in Mount Vernon last month.

Training addressed issues around mosquito types and habitat, control issues, permits and licensing requirements for spraying, and history and markers used to track virus spread.

Training will allow the company to participate in sprays aimed at combating the virus’ spread in Whatcom County. Last summer, two horses were found carrying the virus in the county.

Music fest wins design award

Bellingham Festival of Music won awards for best cover design and best promotional product from the International Festivals and Events Association. Cartwright Zeiler Group created the award-winning design.

Awards were given at the 47th annual IFEA convention in Louisville, Kentucky.

 

GBA moves back from Ferndale

GBA Design Group moved back to Bellingham after ten years working out of Ferndale. Their Bellingham location is near Cedarwood and Northwest.

Gerrit Byeman started GBA in 1981 in Bellingham

 

Cascade adds Benz to fleet

Cascade Ambulance, a private service in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, added a new Mercedes-Benz derived vehicle to their fleet. The new ambulance has a long and narrow profile, in contrast to conventional North American ambulance designs. It’s based on the Mercedes-Benz sprinter, a popular European van, converted by American LaFrance and marketed under the Freightliner brand.

“It’s most size, coupled with an unbelievably tight turning radius, gives it nimble handling,” said Rick Kowsky, president of Cascade Ambulance.

 

Creative Fire lands spa account

Creative Fire won a contract to supply the Canyon Ranch Spa in Las Vegas with candles.

Blood and McKendry are filling their third order of aromatherapy candles for the spa. The two-year old company serves a variety of local clients and creates custom blends for some companies.

 

Barkley medical expansion breaks ground

Groundbreaking ceremonies for an addition to the Barkley Medical Services building were held last month. The building was designed by Ross McClure Architects and is being built by Impero Contracting, Geiger Engineering, Diamond B Constructors and Mills Electric.

 

State increases payroll taxes

Unemployment taxes will increase in 2003 because of high unemployment and a declining trust. Under state law, taxes increase automatically during recessions to help keep the system solvent.

“The ongoing recession has dramatically reduced the trust fund balance,” said Sylvia P. Mundy, employment security commissioner. Between Sept. 2001 and Sept. 2002, the trust fund shrank by 25 percent.

“More laid-off workers are collecting unemployment and they are receiving those benefits for longer periods of time,” Mundy said. The amount of wages taxed is also increasing. Now employers will pay taxes on the first $29,700 of a worker’s wages.

 

Bellair receives safety award

Bellair Charters received a citation for safety after an inspection by the Department of Defense’s safety contractor. Covering all aspects of the company’s operations, inspectors gave Bellair a first class rating.

 

Bullfrog Boats announces record sales.

Bellingham-based Bullfrog Boats doubled their sales in 2002. During the first quarter of 2002, sales were up threefold over the year before.

The company credits increased marketing, including showing at more boat shows, and a product line expanded to larger boats for the increased sales volume.

 

Economic census forms due soon

Replies to the economic census are due on Feb. 12. More than 3,700 Whatcom County businesses were among the five million American businesses to receive forms at the end of 2002. Data from the census are used to compile a variety of significant economic statistics. Businesses that received forms must complete and return them by law.

 

State unemployment up in December

Washington’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was up one-tenth of a percent in December to 6.8 percent. The national rate remained unchanged at sixpercent.

“The December numbers confirm the slow pace of economic recovery in Washington and the nation,” said Sylvia P. Mundy, employment security commissioner. “Washington’s jobless rate has remained around seven percent throughout 2002 and the national rate has been about one percentage point lower.”

In Whatcom County, unemployment also increased by one-tenth of a percent, to 5.9 percent. The rate for December 2002 was 1.6 percent lower than the rate one year previous.

 

Retail figures up in state and county

Retail activity increased in both the state and Whatcom County in the third quarter of 2002. Statewide, sales were up 2.1 percent and retail trade (a portion of the figures including only sales at retail outlets and excludes volatile sectors like contracting) increased 6.1 percent. In Bellingham, retail sales grew by 10.3 percent and retail trade was up 8.7 percent.

 

Bad loans jump at US banks

Nonperforming loans at banks and thrifts in the United States jumped by almost 17 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2002 over the same period a year earlier. More than $68.9 billion is tied up in nonperforming loans, the highest dollar amount since the end of the savings and loan crisis in 1992, according to Weiss Ratings.

“The go-go lending days of the late 90s are coming back to haunt many banks,” said David Lackey, president of Weiss Ratings.

Still, bank’s profits are up, mostly due to the higher margins financial institutions achieve through low interest rates.

“The beneficial effects of falling interest rates will eventually play out, leaving nothing left to compensate for the industry’s poor asset quality and rising loan defaults,” Lackey said.