Alcoa to layoff 125, shut down in September

Alcoa will layoff approximately 125 workers at the Ferndale Intalco plant in the coming weeks. Layoffs are in preparation for a complete temporary shutdown in September if proposed BPA price increases take effect.

Mellani Hughes, public affairs manager for the northwest region of Alcoa, said the company might try to maintain an efficient two pot line operation with the staffing reductions. That means the third pot line the company hoped to add will not go ahead.

It also means the company may have to reduce staff and curtail production to pre-May 2002 restart levels.

“No aluminum smelter in the world could operate under the burden of the energy costs in the Northwest,” said Bernt Reitan, president of Alcoa Primary Metals. “We prefer to operate Intalco.”

Ferndale Intalco is a boon to the company when power prices are manageable.

“The Intalco plant is by far the lowest cost smelter in the Northwest, but today’s record high power prices make operation extremely difficult,” said Mike Tanchuk, president of Alcoa Northwest operations.

Aloca’s interim power supply agreement with BPA expires Sept. 30, 2003.

County executive Pete Kremen, Dr. Roger Lehnert, superintendent of Ferndale schools, Carolyn Jensen, Ferndale mayor, and Rep. Rick Larsen, were meeting at press time to see if there is anything they could do to alleviate the impact of the layoffs.

 

Golden Nut moves into Blaine

Golden Nut, a nut and dried fruit processing company owned by British Columbia-based Golden Boy, is moving into Blaine. The company will occupy the space vacated by Geographics last year.

Golden Boy is Western Canada’s largest private labeler of peanut butter and already sells approximately 14 million pounds of peanut butter to US markets. The new facility ensures the company will not have to ship American nuts into Canada and export finished product back across the border, said Graeme Reid, project manager.

Initially, the Blaine plant will only produce peanut butter. However, Reid expects the company to add nut and dried fruit packaging in the future.

Reid said he hoped to have the plant ready for the beginning of June. Production problems have pushed the opening date back to late-June or July.

The Virani Brothers formed golden Boy in 1979. They escaped Uganda in 1972 and were able to resurrect a failing coffee company in the mid 1970s. After entering the peanut butter market in 1979, the company expanded into other nut products, dried fruit and nearly cornered the market in East Indian food products, according to the company’s Web site.

 

Tieman, Henifin form service company

Buzz Tieman recently joined forces with Jaime and Lynne Henifin of Henifin Construction to form Complete Trade Services. The new company will focus on tenant improvements for residences and a variety of businesses.

“We hope to become a one call resource to our customers by providing a full range of trade services,” Tieman said.

Tieman is a third generation painter with 20 years experience in construction. Henifin Construction is a heavy construction company with more than 30 years experience.

 

Dyrland agency honored

Erik Dyrland Agency was honored by Farmers Insurance with the second highest honor offered by the company, championship status. This means the agency is in the top two percent of Farmers agents nationwide. Nine of 600 agents in Washington State qualified this year, and fewer than 250 agents of the 15,000 nationwide attended the champions’ conference in Los Angeles this month.

 

Horizon Air closing Bellingham call center

Horizon Air will close their Bellingham call center no later than October 15. Call center operations will be consolidated in their CenterPoint facility in Kent. All 85 current employees in the Bellingham center have been given the chance to transfer to the Kent call center or help finding other employment with Horizon Air or Alaska Air.

Horizon opened the Bellingham call center in 1999 when the company was looking for relief from Seattle’s overheated labor market.

“We have been very happy with the performance of our Bellingham call center,” said Patrick Zachwieja, vice president of marketing and planning. “The Bellingham business community has never wavered in its support, and we still believe the decision to locate our call center in Bellingham was the best decision at the time.”

Since 1999, online reservations have become a much bigger part of Horizon’s business, reducing the need for an expanded sales force.

 

Samson Rope rolls out new product

Samson Rope, Ferndale-based manufacturer of synthetic rope and cordage, collaborated with JHRG, Inc. on a new kind of high performance chafe gear material. Chafe gear is placed around rope on a boat to protect rope from abrasion as it rubs against chocks and boat rails. JHRG, based in North Carolina, manufactures high-performance fabrics.

 

Chamber, Brennan part ways

Mike Brennan will leave the Bellingham/Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce and Industry this month. He was replaced as president last month and will remain with the Chamber until after the Ski to Sea Race and Festival is completed.

The parting was amicable and the Chamber wished Brennan success in future projects.

The Chamber decided to undertake a search for a new president after a review of their policies, work projects and organizational structure.

 

International Absorbents has active month

International Absorbents reported a number of items over the past month.

The company announced a bond issue to finance the construction of Absorption Corporation’s new manufacturing facility north of Bellingham. Washington Economic Development Finance Authority issued industrial revenue bonds totaling more than $2.9 million. The mix of tax exempt and taxable bonds were purchased and held by GE Capital Public Finance.

“These bonds are a very cost-effective and non-dilutive method of financing our construction project,” said Gordon L. Ellis, chairman of International Absorbents.

IA also released results for fiscal 2003. Sales were up 32% to over $16 million and net income increased by 43% to $1.5 million.

“Subsequent to the end of the fiscal year, we achieved a sought-after listing on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol IAX,” Ellis said.

Finally, the company received good notices from the investment press. The Bowser Report featured IA as their April company of the month and WallStreetcorner.com rated them a special situation. Both publications purport to appeal to disciplined, conservative investors.

 

Wild horses can drag you to Lynden

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is holding a wild horse and burro adoption in Lynden at the end of May. Approximately 75 wild horses and 15 wild burros will be available at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds.

Viewing of horses and burros will begin at 8 a.m. on May 30. That evening, two horse trainers will demonstrate how to gentle the animals. Competitive bidding begins the morning of May 31.

Potential adopters must be at least 18 years old, and have sufficient housing and financial resources to care for the animals. Title to the animals will pass to adopters after one year of providing suitable care.

To apply as an adopter, call the Spokane BLM office at (800) 997-2022 or the national number at (866) 4MUSTANGS.

 

Labor authorities target wood framers

Labor and Industries will crack down on unlicensed residential wood framers in Whatcom and Skagit Counties on May 2-3. Inspectors will be circulating, looking for safety violations and ensuring framers are registered and taking part in the workers’ compensation system. The two-year old initiative is designed to reduce injuries and encourage compliance with state labor laws.

On average, building construction industries pay $1.87 to the state fund for every hour of work. However, framers pay more than $2.58 per hour, according to Labor and Industries.

 

Dyches brings chiropractic home

Dr. Timothy Dyches recently formed Chiropractic House Calls, a mobile chiropractic practice. He is a graduate of western States Chiropractic College in Portland and hopes to bring his holistic view of health care to patients in their own homes.

 

Unemployment down slightly in February

Whatcom County’s preliminary unemployment was down to 6 percent in February from 6.2 percent in January. Whatcom County is tied with Island County for fourth lowest unemployment rate in Washington. Only Whitman and Asotin Counties in southeast Washington and Thurston County in south Puget Sound have lower unemployment rates.

Statewide, unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.8 percent in February.

“There has been virtually no change in the jobless rate since it hovered around seven percent a year ago,” said Sylvia P. Mundy, employment security commissioner.

Nonagricultural employment increased by 2,300 in February and has increased by 11,800 since February 2002. The annual increase came despite a loss of 19,500 in manufacturing jobs. Almost half the manufacturing employment loss occurred in aerospace.

 

Casa Valentina adds horse accommodation.

Casa Valentina, an Italian-style bed and breakfast on Lake Whatcom, recently built an 80-foot pen and pasture to house guests’ horses. The B&B can accommodate horses for the night or the weekend. Riders can take their horses on trails adjacent to the property.

 

542 East Productions adds printer

Fairhaven-based 542 East Productions introduced a new photo-realistic printer as part of their CD/DVD duplicating service. The new printer allows 542 East Productions to include graphics with discs duplicated for promotional or professional purposes.

 

Walls and Windows best of show

Walls and Window’s showcase of shades, blinds and awnings won best in show at the 24th Building Industry Association of Whatcom County Home and Garden Show. The custom built display featured almost 30 different products.

 

Digital Lounge opens to copy CDs

The Digital Lounge is a new CD and DVD duplication firm in Bellingham. The company specializes in short runs of 500 or fewer for DVDs and 1000 or less for CDs. John Wagner started the company and brings experience in television post production gained in markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Orange County. Marian Larson, Wagner’s partner, brings marketing experience, with an MBA in marketing and a stint as marketing director for B Braun-McGraw.

 

Green Touch to expand

Green Touch, currently home to Bellingham’s only massage supply store, is moving to bigger quarters on Cornwall Ave. Galen Piehl and Nicole Atkins, store-owners and husband and wife, decided to move now after the city purchased their current location in the Mount Baker Theatre building to facilitate theatre expansion.

Atkins is looking forward to new possibilities in a bigger store.

“I’ve been wanting to teach yoga in Bellingham since we moved here in September 2000,” she said. Their new location features a 1,000 square-foot classroom and will also allow Atkins to expand her focus on providing Thai massage. Currently, Green Touch is limited by their facility in the massage offerings they can provide.

 

Simms begins Affordable Web

Aaron Simms, soon to graduate from Meridian High School, started Affordable Web Northwest recently.

“I wanted to find a way to use my computer skills to help me get through college,” Simms said. He began working with an on computers at age 10.

Affordable Web offers Web hosting, e-mail boxes and help registering domain names.

Simms begins in Whatcom Community College’s running start program in the fall.

 

Erickson launches floral design firm

Amourigee Le Fleur is Jody King Erickson’s new floral design service. Erickson has operated flower shops for more than 17 years and managed United Express operations at Bellingham International Airport. More recently, she has been involved in freelance floral design.