Roberta Hollinshead may be the first woman in the state’s history to lead the Department of Financial Institutions’ Division of Banks, but she credits her knowledge of the industry—both challenges and opportunities—for setting her apart. Roberta Hollinshead, who worked for more than 15 years with the state Department of Financial...

By Berta GabbardWith the new year well underway and a new administration in the White House, many business owners in the greater Tri-Cities area are looking to maintain their stride as we see how the markets respond and evolve. Several owners I work with are actively pursuing plans to grow...

President Donald Trump’s delay of the new U.S. Department of Labor fiduciary rule requiring financial advisers to act in their investors’ best interests might not have its intended effect as some local financial advisers say many firms have already complied with the new standards.The rule would have gone into effect...

By Beau RuffTimes can get financially rough. People go through difficult periods in life and might be strapped for cash and need an additional sources of money. Perhaps the cash is needed to buy a new house or to pay for a small business or an attorney’s retainer for a...

No one in Olympia appears to like the business-and-occupation tax — the state tax on gross receipts.But other than adding exemptions, Washington’s Legislature has been reluctant to do anything about B&O taxes. Each session, changes get proposed. Each session, those proposals die.“A silver bullet is not there because it is...

The Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce opposes a “one-size-fits-all” approach on family leave legislation in Olympia.So far, the chamber has not taken an official position on the two plans that have begun their journey through the Legislature, waiting for more to unfold first, said Austin Neilson, the chamber’s government affairs...

The region’s wine leaders realized several years ago that an investment in students and research would ultimately lead to a more lucrative statewide industry.The students have come and the research is underway with the opening of the Washington State University Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Wine Science Center in Richland.“Industry leaders...

By Wine News ServicePolitically, Washington’s Columbia Valley has been the red part of a blue state for decades. And when it comes to wine, Washington has shifted firmly to being a red wine-producing state.The last year Washington produced more white wine than red was in 2012, and it’s likely to...

By Sean BassingerEven the sweetest wine has waste.That’s why two Eastern Washington cities have invested in special wastewater treatment facilities to handle wine effluent.It’s not a glamorous piece of the wine industry, but it’s a critical part of a continued multimillion-dollar effort to draw more wineries to the Tri-City area.The...

Wine growlers, wine at movies among proposed bills in OlympiaThe state’s wine industry — with the Mid-Columbia at the center — is in great shape and getting better as several state legislators push bills to improve sales in Washington.The state has about 900 wineries — compared to about 300 in...