The Biz Buzz » John Gillie

Builder to begin constructing 143 single-family homes in Eastside’s New Salishan

John Gillie — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:19:00 +0000

The Tacoma Housing Authority took a major step this week in advancing the rebirth of the former Salishan public housing project on Tacoma’s Eastside as a major mixed-use housing development.

The authority sold 143 lots in Area Three of the former World War II housing development to the nation’s largest homebuilder, D.R. Horton. Horton is expected to begin building single-family homes on the lots this summer.

Those homes, most of them with three or four bedrooms, are likely to be priced at market rates between $180,000 and $250,000, said Michael Mirra, the housing authority’s executive director. A few with views …

Port of Tacoma container numbers up nearly 35 percent for year

John Gillie — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:31:53 +0000

The Port of Tacoma’s container traffic numbers, a key measurement of the port’s prosperity, have jumped by nearly 35 percent in 2012′s first four months, new figures from the port show.

The port’s terminals handled 617,076 container units through April. That compares with 458, 477 in 2012.

Much of the credit for those bigger numbers goes to the Grand Alliance, a consortium of four shipping lines that moved to the Port of Tacoma from the Port of Seattle last July. The four container lines, NYK, OOCL, Hapag-Lloyd and Zim, share ships and capacity in the transPacific container trade.

For April, …

Delta Air Lines challenging partner Alaska Airlines in Seattle-LA market

John Gillie — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:15:24 +0000

Delta Air Lines, which recently began flying three times daily between Sea-Tac and Los Angeles International Airport, is increasing the frequency of its flights next fall.

The Atlanta-based airline will fly five times daily between the two cities using 90-passenger regional jets operated by Skywest. The route is one of Sea-Tac-based Alaska Airlines’ most highly patronized routes.

Alaska flies 12 times daily between Sea-Tac and LAX using larger Boeing 737 jets. Alaska has 55 percent of the market share on the route. Delta code-shares with Alaska on Alaska’s flights from LA.

Two other airlines already compete for passengers to LA, …

Downtown Tacoma nightspot closing June 2

John Gillie — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:49:42 +0000

A breakup of the partnership that operated two Big Whisky Saloons will force closure of the country and rock bar’s Tacoma branch three years after it opened.

The bar at 100 S. Ninth St. will hold a weekend-long farewell event May 30 through June 1. Big Whisky Saloon’s Olympia location will remain open. That location opened in 2011.

“Unfortunately, our partnership was unable to come to terms on continuing the Big Whisky brand in our Tacoma location,” said Paul Muller, one of the bar’s co-owners. Muller said the partnership split is “mutual and amicable.”

Roger Rahil, co-owner of both Big Whisky Saloon …

Tacoma Web design and application development firm named to Inner City 100

John Gillie — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:07:31 +0000

SiteCrafting, a 15-year-old Tacoma-based Web design and application development company, has been honored as one of America’s top inner-city firms by The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Fortune magazine.

This year is the third year Sitecrafting was named to the select list of fast-growing urban companies.

The Inner City 100 program recognizes successful inner city companies and their chief executives as role models for entrepreneurship, innovative business practices and job creation in America’s urban communities, the initiative said.

SiteCrafting reported 2011 revenues of $2.1 million and an annual growth rate of 20 percent. It was ranked 66th on …

Alaska volcanic activity affecting few Alaska Airlines flights

John Gillie — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:41:17 +0000

Sea-Tac’s Alaska Airlines hasn’t yet canceled any flights because of activity at two Alaska volcanoes, the Sea-Tac-based airline said today.

But a regional Alaska airline, Pen Air, which operates flights from Anchorage to Dutch Harbor for Alaska, canceled six flights Monday and two flights Tuesday because of eruptions from Mount Pavlof near Cold Bay, Alaska. That mountain as well as Mount Cleveland located west of Dutch Harbor have been spewing ash this week.

Both Alaska Airlines and Pen Air said today they’re closing monitoring eruption information. Service to Bethel, Adak and Dutch Harbor could be affected by further eruptions.

Boeing hopes better fuel efficiency will spark new orders for lagging 747-8

John Gillie — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:55:08 +0000

Hoping a fuel economy tweak will kickstart sales of its lagging 747-8, Boeing completed its first flight test this week of an enhanced version of the 4-engine jumbo jet.

The 747-8 Intercontinental left Everett’s Paine Field Monday about 1:30 p.m. and landed four hours later at Seattle’s Boeing Field. The plane was equipped with modified General Electric engines and an improved version of the plane’s flight management computer software.

Together, those two improvements are expected bolster the plane’s fuel economy by 1.8 percent. Other enhancements Boeing has incorporated in the latest version of the 747 since its rollout have already …

Free UWT symposium will explore Washington state’s role in larger Asia-Pacific relationship

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:08:09 +0000

A free symposium scheduled for Wednesday at the University of Washington Tacoma campus will offer insights into Washington state’s role in the United States’ growing Asia-Pacific emphasis.

The event, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday at William W. Philip Hall is sponsored by the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, the Pierce Military and Business Alliance, The News Tribune, Topia Technology and the UW Tacoma Chancellor’s Office.

Featured speakers will include Maj. Gen. Jeff Buchanan from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Daniel Malarkey of the Washington State Department of Commerce, Michael Rawding from Deerhorn Advisors and Beth Rivin from the University of …

KWA hiring 100 home care workers Wednesday

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:57:34 +0000

KWA, formerly the Korean Womens Association, is hiring 100 home care workers at a work fair scheduled for Wednesday at Work Force Central, 3650 S. Cedar Street in Tacoma.

KWA supervisors will be on site to make immediate hiring decisions. The hiring fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The social services organization will provide training for the workers. Wages range from $10.17 to $10.88 an hour depending on the worker’s experience.

KWA is partnering with Home Depot, Work Source, Work Force Central and American Medical Rental & Supply to present the hiring fair.

“This is an awesome opportunity to …

South Sound gas prices once again pass $4 level

John Gillie — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:24:45 +0000

Average gasoline prices in the South Sound once again have moved beyond $4 a gallon.

Unfortunately, those prices aren’t exactly unmapped territory for South Sound consumers. Average gas prices have crossed that $4 barrier, four times in the last two years and six times in the last five years.

Average prices at Tacoma area stations Monday were $4.02 for unleaded regular, a little less than 4 cents higher than a week ago and about 40 cents per gallon higher than a month earlier.

Chalk up those price increases to higher priced crude oil moving into the refineries and to seasonal …