Steve Bell of Bellmont Cabinet Co. named 2014 Washington Manufacturing Executive of the Year

Steve Bell, President & CEO of Bellmont Cabinet Company, was selected as winner of the 2014 Washington Manufacturing Executive of the Year Award.

Seattle Business Magazine recognized leading manufacturers at the Washington manufacturing Awards, held at the Seattle Design Center April 24, 2014, honoring 19 top manufacturers in the state.  “The finalists are outstanding manufacturers who have survived and thrived through tough times by improving processes, adding new technology and addressing market needs,” said Leslie Helm, editor of Seattle Business magazine.  “Their stories of struggle and success captivated all of us.”

Steve was recognized for his business skills and executive leadership, which has developed Bellmont Cabinet Company into one of the premier custom frameless cabinetry manufacturers.

Steve Bell has come a long way, from building cabinets in a small garage, to employing over 250 people in an 185,000 sq ft facility.  Through core values and a company culture which includes respect, integrity, and living by the principle ‘our word is our bond’, they build loyal customers.  These values also extend outside of the company through partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the Agros Foundation, who assist in breaking the cycle of poverty internationally and at home.  Whether building fine cabinetry in Sumner, Washington, or ensuring a clean water supply in a village in El Salvador, Steve Bell and Bellmont Cabinet Company strive to leave the world a better place.

Laila Ghambari Is 2014 United States Barista Champion

Congratulations to Chamber member, Dillanos Coffee, who was all smiles when they received the news that Laila Ghambari was chosen as the 2014 United States Barista Champion.  See the Sprudge Article below:
APRIL 27, 2014 BY SPRUDGE STAFF

Laila Ghambari of Cherry Street Coffee House in Seattle, WA is your 2014 United States Barista Champion! This is Laila Ghambari’s first USBC win, and the first win for Cherry Street Coffee, a wholesale partner of Dillanos Coffee.

Ghambari’s Cherry Street Coffee House is owned and operated by her father, Ali Ghambari (pictured below), and has 9 locations throughout the Seattle area. This makes Laila Ghambari the first competitor from a family-owned business to win the USBC since Heather Perry did it for Klatch Coffee in 2007. It’s also a huge win for Dillanos Coffee Roasters, based in Sumner, Washington, whose head roaster Phil Beattie featured prominently in Ms. Ghambari’s winning routine.

Coffees served by Laila Ghambari at USBC were grown and processed by the team at Cuatro M Cafes, hailing from the company’s El Manzano farm in the Santa Ana department of northwest El Salvador. Her routine featured three distinct processing methods from El Manzano: pulp natural, washed, and natural, each yielding distinct flavors and combined together in a complex blend.

The champ is pictured below with Phil Beattie of Dillanos (left) and producer Emilio Lopez Diaz, of Cuatro M Cafes.

Ghambari competed with milk in her cappuccinos from Pure Eire Dairy in Othello, Washington. For her signature drinks, she combined coffee cherry jam & coffee flower blossom honey with espresso, and added smoke from coffee tree wood, ignited and captured live on stage with a smoke gun. Every last component of her sig drink–the jam, the honey, the wood, and the coffee–was grown on the grounds of El Manzano in El Salvador.

It was in many ways an irresistible story here at the 2014 United States Barista Championship. Laila Ghambari has competed extensively over the last five years, for multiple companies, but destiny seemed to be holding back victory until she could claim a title for her family’s company. Cherry Street’s strong partnership with Dillanos Coffee Roasters resulted in a carefully sourced, specifically roasted coffee from Cuatro M Cafes. The hometown hero came up big. The narrative falls seamlessly into place.

Laila Ghambari now moves on to represent the United States of America at the 2014 World Barista Championship in Rimini, Italy. This event begins on June 9th. We’ll be there covering the event live in partnership with World Coffee Events.

Sprudge.com’s coverage of the 2014 United States Barista Championship has been made possible by direct support from Cafe Imports and The Wilbur Curtis Company. Our 2014 barista competition coverage around the world is underwritten by our friends and partners at Nuova Simonelli.

WSDOT SR167 Bridge Replacement Project Update

The preconstruction meeting for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) SR167 bridge replacement project took place on Thursday, April 17th. Construction is scheduled to commence on May 1st and is broken into three stages:

· Stage one will include the relocation of the steel truss bridge to the east, to be used as the detour route, while the new bridge is being built. Stage one is scheduled to run from May 1st through August 1st, with the bridge scheduled to be moved at the end of July.

· Stage two - construction of the new bridge - will take place August 1st through July 1st.

· Stage three will include elimination of the detour alignment and removal of the old steel bridge to the unused WSDOT SR17 right-of-way for storage.

Signage will be installed directing those who have questions and/or concerns to a 1-800 number or the WSDOT project specific web site.

YMCA Groundbreaking in Sumner

Barb Bitetto, Jan Sanford (stand-in) Cindi Hochstatter, Sumner Council, Dave Enslow, Sumner Mayor,
Kathy Hayden, Sumner Council, and Senator Pam Roach all wield gold shovels for the groundbreaking.

Monday, April 28th was a great sunny day in Sumner as the public gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking for the Gordon Family YMCA slated to open in the summer of 2015.  The Sumner High School marching band welcomed residents and local electeds with peppy toe tapping enthusiasm which set the tone for a fun event as people came together to celebrate a seven year journey of planning for a community gathering place in Sumner.  

The event provided an opportunity for Bob Eckund, President and CEO of YMCA Pierce and Kitsap Counties, and board member of the Puyallup Sumner Chamber of Commerce, to thank the City of Sumner for their partnership on the project, as well as Larry Gordon and his family for their generosity in helping to make a community vision a reality.  Charter memberships and  engraved bricks are available now for purchase at the following links:

Charter Membership information: http://www.ymcapkc.org/become-charter-member/

Engrave a brick information: http://www.ymcapkc.org/give-to-gordon-family-ymca/
Forms for charter memberships and bricks: https://www.ymcapkc.org/membership_charter.php

Bob Ecklund and Michele LaRue, YMCA of Pierce and Kits

Larry Gordon, Julana and Kyle Hardtke, contractors and architects all spoke at the event on Monday.

Lana Hoover, Barb Bitetto, Bob Ecklund, Cindi Hochstatter
and Jan Sanford

Cool Ribbon Cutting at Subzero Ice Cream and Yogurt

Congratulations to Manuel and Abegeil Napoleon on the recent opening of their new business, Subzero Ice Cream and Yogurt on So. Hill near the Mall.  The Napoleon's hosted a Chamber  Ribbon Cutting last week and we were pleasantly surprised to see over 20 employees at their new location. Mayor John Knutsen, Councilman Tom Swanson, Central Pierce Fire Chief Keith Wright and many of our board members and ambassadors all joined in the celebration welcoming Subzero to the Puyallup Sumner business community.   We all watched employees as they demonstrated how liquid nitrogen can be harnessed to freeze fresh ingredients into ice cream.  Not only does the process keep children entertained with billows of non-toxic nitrogen "smoke", but they discuss concepts such as the elemental properties of nitrogen, gas laws, the Leidenfrost Effect, and other things that we normally don't talk about at Chamber ribbon cuttings. 

If you get a chance, stop by and try some of their ice cream and make your own flavor creation. Word of caution......When you choose your chill factor and ice cream consistency, be careful of the "tongue numbing" level, because they're not kidding.   

A big Chamber welcome to the Napoleon's from the Puyallup Sumner business community and a big thank you to the mayor, council, fire chief, our board members and all of our ambassadors in blue who stopped in to say hi.

Subzero Ice Cream, 4102 So. Meridian, Puyallup, WA, 253.219.1128.

 

Impressive After Hours at Impressive Signs & Graphics

It was standing room only last Thursday when Chamber members stopped at Impressive Signs and Graphics on East Main Street in Puyallup for our April Business After Hours event.  It was a home town version of a golf event with a Happy Gilmore theme and guests arrived in all manner of golfing attire.  Owner, Craig Sorenson, was the consummate host sponsoring over 25 door prizes and partnering with fellow chamber members like Jarrett Tomal from Parliament Distillery to serve much needed food and beverages after a busy work week.  And though the golf cart races were rained out, a good time was had by all who attended.  It was a great way to relax at the end of the day and take a tour of the business property to see what advertising projects were in process.

A big thank you to Craig and all the "Impressive" crew for hosting a fun event.  And if any of our local chamber members have advertising projects they need done, big or small, stationery or mobile, be sure and call Impressive Signs and Graphics.  

 

 

 

Impressive Signs and Graphics to Host Business After Hours

Thursday April 17th, Craig Sorenson, owner of Impressive Signs and Graphics, is inviting all chamber members to attend a Business After Hours event at his business location on East Main in Puyallup.  This is not the first time Craig has hosted a fun Chamber event and he's really outdone himself with a Happy Gilmore theme in honor of the U.S. Open which will be coming to Pierce County in June of 2015.  Keeping with the golf theme, Craig will be coordinating golf cart races (check out the golf cart advertising wrap Impressive Signs & Graphics did for the Chamber) as well as an indoor putting green.  There will be great prizes and appetizers and adult beverages for everyone, plus he's partnered with other local businesses like Mt. Rainier Coffee Company and Parliment Distillery so you won't want to miss this event.

If you haven't been to Impressive Signs and Graphics, come and see their "impressive" selection of neon signs, retro advertising and fun marketing samples that he can create for indoor or outdoor advertising for our Chamber businesses.  They are located across from the Shaw Road overpass intersection on East Main.  We'll see you there on Thursday evening.

Puyallup and Sumner Councils Hear From Sound Transit

Sound Transit made presentations at both the Sumner and Puyallup City Councils this week regarding access improvement options for the downtown stations.  Open house events earlier this year gathered input from the public on various access improvement suggestions.  Representatives from Sound Transit shared the public comments and suggestions with the councils and asked for the cities' feedback and recommendations before the Sound Transit Board is asked to identify a final package this summer 

1,100 people ride the Sounder Train or Express Bus from Puyallup Station every day.  1,000 people ride the Sounder Train or Express Bus from Sumner Station every day. Ten roundtrip Sounder trains stop at both the Puyallup and Sumner stations.  Parking is usually full early in the morning and commuters heading to and from Puyallup Station experience congestion. Sound Transit plans to provide 13 roundtrips by 2017, and predicts approximately 70% increase in ridership by 2035. As ridership and service increases, easy and reliable access to the station will continue to be important. 

If local businesses have any comments or concerns they would like our Chamber to submit to Sound Transit for consideration before they select a set of alternatives for further evaluation this summer, please contact our office, 253.845.6755 or info@puyallupsumnerchamber.com.

Businesses Connect at Luncheon on Friday

Guest Panelists and Chamber moderator at Friday's Luncheon,
Julie Jensen, Kim Salas, Shelly Schlumpf, Mike Nelson, Cathy Morris

Last Friday's luncheon focused on Chamber resources for transitioning aging family members and was a networking success for our Chamber members who attended.  Our new luncheon format includes a moderator and four expert panelists who not only relate their industry experience, but share about their effective network of local businesses that they refer to.

Our aging population panelists included Julie Jensen, PhD, Program Manager, Older Adult Services, MultiCare Health System.  Julie spoke about healthcare statistics, new processes and procedures for healthcare delivery and shared that "today age 60 is the new 40".  People are living longer and taking care of themselves for more active lifestyles in their 60's and 70's.  Kim Salas, Director of Business Development, Stafford Suites, spoke about how retirement communities are working to meet the needs more active seniors as well as transitions to increased needs for medical services and treatments.  

Panelist, Mike Nelson, long term care agent, Retirement Planning, Inc., gave advice about the importance of long term care insurance and how critical it is now that people are living longer and Cathy Morris, Windermere Real Estate agent, spoke about realtors who are now able to receive additional certifications for sales of homeowners over the age of 65.  Her network of contractors that assist with sales of large family homes and transitions to senior living communities has been created through her involvement in the business community and working with an aging population.  She also stressed to our luncheon audience how important it is for families to work together to plan for these transitions before a crisis occurs. 

We want to thank our panelists for participating in our luncheon and also our audience members like Jamie Gregory from Wesley Homes, John Merz, Memory Care Sumner, and Rebecca Johnson, from Emeritus (former Merrill Gardens), representatives from Franklin Place, Home Instead, Shag housing, Diagnostic Imaging NW, Columbia Bank, Port of Tacoma that provided meaningful input for our luncheon conversation.  

Sunrise Village hosts Easter Eggstravaganza

Check out what's happening Saturday April 19th at Sunrise Village:

Federal Legislation Raises the Definition of Full-Time Workweek

Last week, the U.S House of Representatives passed the Save American Workers Act on April 3, 2014, by a vote of 248 to 179, thought it is unlikely it will be brought to a vote in the Senate.  Some believe that will mean the workweek issue could be a factor in November's congressional elections.

The legislation would raise the definition of a full-time workweek in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) from at least 30 hours to 40 hours per week. Under the ACA, full-time employees are entitled to employer-provided health coverage (at organizations with 50 or more full-time employees or equivalent workers). For calculating employee hours, the ACA provides the option of a "look-back" period that can be three to 12 months to determine if an employee has full-time status and is eligible for health care coverage.

For employers with 100 or more full-time employees, coverage must be provided to full-time employees beginning in 2015; for employers with 50 to 99 workers, the coverage mandate begins in 2016. 

Traditionally, employers have classified as full time those who work a minimum of 40 hours per week. Some Critics say the 30-hour threshold contained in the health care law’s “employer mandate” will harm workers in the food service industry and other sectors because it incentivizes employers to slash hours and avoid the costs of providing health coverage. In introducing the bill, chief sponsor Rep. Todd Young, R-Ind., noted that many employers are reducing the hours of part-time workers to less than 30 per week to avoid the coverage mandate for these employees.

"Many of our hourly workers are experiencing a drop in the number of hours and wages that they enjoy of as much as 25 percent," Young said. "These are cafeteria workers, these are substitute teachers, these are adjunct professors. … On balance, these are folks who can least afford to see a cut in their take-home pay. And so we want to restore the 40-hour workweek."

If you have any questions about the new legislation, attend a Chamber Government Affairs Committee meeting to join in the discussion about issues impacting business.  The monthly meetings are held at the Chamber office on the first Tuesday of every month.  The next meeting is scheduled for May 6th, 7:30am.

81st Annual Daffodil Parade Features Local Communities and Businesses

Heritage Bank really showed their Pierce County pride this year as they marched through Tacoma, Puyallup and Sumner in the 81st annual Daffodil Parade.  The cities of Puyallup and Sumner also pulled together in the past few weeks to create spectacular flower filled floats representing our local communities and continuing a tradition that spans over eight decades.  

Local high school and junior high bands entertained the crowds lining the streets, and local electeds waved to parade goers from fire engines that also joined the parade lineups.  A big thank you to Impressive Signs and Graphics for making it possible for our Chamber to enter our golf cart wrapped in both Puyallup and Sumner city branding logos to promote tourism and business in our communities.  And an even bigger thank you to all the hard work by everyone at the Daffodil Festival for once again shining a spotlight on our downtown communities through televised coverage on King 5.  DVDs of the full parade are available online at the Daffodil Festival for $15 at thedaffodilfestival.org. 

Senator Bruce Dammeier, wife Lauren, Matthew DelRiccio and friends

Representative Dawn Morrell

Representative Hans Zeiger

Sumner Mayor, Dave Enslow, Deputy Mayor Mike LeMaster,
council members Kurt Brown, Cindi Hochstatter & Kathy Hayden

Shelly Schlumpf and Chamber Ambassador, CC Lucas
congratulate parade goer, Peyton Hoover along the parade route

Young parade goers enjoy the bands and floats