Guest Contributor, Author at Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business

Food trucks play key role in region’s economic development

By Marilou Shea With all the hoopla surrounding the popularity of food trucks you’d think they were just invented. They weren’t, of course. Food trucks, or mobile vending, date back hundreds of years to when pushcarts began serving prepared foods. One source says this began in 1691 in New York City with the arrival of […]

Bank of the West financed a portion of Columbia Community Church’s $3.2 million construction project at the corner of Gage Boulevard and Bellerive Drive in Richland to add 7,000 square feet of space. The bank has a lending division specializing in religious institutions.

Few lenders bank on churches to finance loans

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Michelle Dupler When the leaders of Columbia Community Church in Richland started planning an expansion, they knew they’d likely have to finance a portion of the $3.2 million construction project. What they didn’t anticipate were the challenges they’d face in obtaining a construction loan at terms within their comfort zone. “At the time, we […]

Solarity Credit Union recently opened at 2590 Queensgate Drive in Richland. The Yakima-based credit union, located inside the former AmericanWest Bank building, wants to be a digitally-focused credit union.

Solarity Credit Union opens Richland branch as it expands digital presence

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Laura Kostad A digitally-focused credit union has opened its first Tri-Cities office to reach personal and commercial customers in the busy Queensgate Drive area in Richland. Solarity Credit Union is offering service by appointment only at the busy corner of Queensgate and Duportail Street near Walmart. The branch is located inside the former AmericanWest […]

Income, assets can affect student financial aid planning

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Megan Nichols Parents often wonder how their income and assets will impact their child’s eligibility to receive financial aid. Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, even if it isn’t needs-based. Colleges use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, as well as federal tax returns, when determining […]

Peoples Bank shutters Kennewick loan office

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Michelle Dupler Peoples Bank recently opted to close a Kennewick loan production office on West Gage Boulevard with little fanfare. A statement from the bank described the location as a “small commercial loan production office” and “not a customer-facing branch.” The bank declined to say why the office closed, only that the loans produced […]

Inland Northwest Bank recently opened a permanent branch at 8127 W. Grandridge Blvd. in Kennewick after operating in a temporary Richland office since last fall.

Inland Northwest Bank opens new branch in Kennewick

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Laura Kostad Inland Northwest Bank opened its first permanent Tri-City branch last month in Kennewick. The bank has been conducting business in the Tri-Cities since September in a temporary office at 1350 Spaulding Ave. in Richland while construction was completed on a new 2,000-square-foot office in Center Vision Clinic’s new building at 8127 W. […]

Northwest Farm Credit Services’ new 24,000-square-foot building is under construction at 9915 St. Thomas Drive in Pasco and expected to be completed this fall.

$3 million Northwest Farm Credit Services building under construction in Pasco

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Laura Kostad Northwest Farm Credit Services is moving into the bustling commercial area near Broadmoor Boulevard and Sandifur Parkway in Pasco. The Spokane-based company has been making headway on the construction of its new $3 million building at 9915 St. Thomas Drive near the Road 100 exit. It is set to open in November. […]

AWB’s rebranding reflects larger role expected of employers

1 month ago by Guest Contributor

By Kris Johnson A lot has changed since the Association of Washington Business was founded 113 years ago. Innovation has sparked new industries, many of them unimaginable even a generation ago, changing the way we live and work and drawing millions of new residents to our state. Through all that, one thing has remained the […]

Lemon Grass Gifts owner Linda Pasco snaps a photo while a new sign for her store is installed at Marineland Plaza at 5215 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick. A major remodel of the 30-year-old retail plaza has encouraged businesses to move in and longtime tenants to make improvements.

Remodeled Kennewick shopping plaza attracts new tenants

2 months ago by Guest Contributor

By Robin Wojtanik For the first time in two decades, all but one storefront is occupied at Kennewick’s Marineland Plaza. Following a major remodel of the façade, every spot on the West Clearwater Avenue side of the shopping center is booked, and just one space remains available for lease on the North Edison Street side […]

Food processing jobs lead local manufacturing boon

2 months ago by Guest Contributor

By Robin Wojtanik The Tri-Cities has seen the creation of thousands of new jobs in manufacturing, despite a loss of manufacturing jobs across the state. Jobs in food processing led the way for the region, with gains in non-durable manufacturing up 2.9 percent between March 2016 and March 2017, which translates to about 2,400 new […]