Columbia Industries, a Kennewick nonprofit that funds its mission to serve people with special needs by operating a series of for-profit businesses, has sold its records business as it shifts to deepen its impact.Memphis, Tennessee-based Vital Records Control (VRC) purchased the records side of CI Information Management in a deal...

Megan SavelyRichland’s Frost Me Sweet Bistro & Bakery is casting off the lingering effects of the pandemic by adding a new bakery, as well as a drive-thru cake-shake business on Wellsian Way.The new location will provide much-needed workspace for Frost Me Sweet’s bakers while allowing owners Megan and Jason Savely...

A Tri-City executive is being sued in U.S. Bankruptcy Court by a creditor seeking more than $1 million for an outstanding loan balance, interest and legal fees.The case against Fraser S. Hawley, a developer and business leader who was married to state Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, is set to go...

The Tri-City business community is breathing easier as the 2022 Legislature concluded its work without passing bills some feared would add complexity and cost to operating in Washington.The regular session ended March 10 in a flurry of activity, including an agreement on a $64.1 billion supplemental budget.But it’s what didn’t...

Jeff PetersenJeff Petersen retires on March 31 after more than 20 years as CEO of Petersen Hastings, the Tri-Cities wealth management firm established by his late father, Jim Petersen, in 1962.Scott Sarber a longtime member of the team and partner, steps up to the role of president and CEO.While Petersen...

Michael NovakovichMichael Novakovich, president and CEO of Visit Tri-Cities, is looking forward to May, which is when the tourism agency he leads expects to finalize the economic impact of tourism on the local economy in 2021.After a pandemic-battered showing in 2020, signs of revival will be welcome news to an...

A gaming lounge at Columbia Center is closed with a handwritten note in the window: Closed because of staffing issues.It’s one small sign that the Great Resignation is in full force in the Tri-Cities, disproportionately affecting the hospitality and visitor sector. As Michael Novakovich, CEO of Visit Tri-Cities reports, local...

The owners of CG Public House are buying Uncle Sam’s Saloon, a popular 21-and-over sports pub with an Old West vibe near Columbia Center mall.Kyle Simmons, together with his sister, Stef Simmons, and parents, Steve and Shirley Simmons, expect to close on the two-part deal March 28. Terms were not...

Trampolines, arcades, laser tag and maze, golf simulators and more plannedA group of five families with plans to create a string of all-ages entertainment centers is starting in Kennewick, where it is about to break ground on Quake, The EpiCenter of Family Fun, near Cottonwood Elementary School.Quake is the group...

Tim Bush, a prominent Tri-Cities developer, is shifting gears again but not too far away from cars.Bush, president of Bush Development, began in the car business and shifted into the car wash business. With the sale of the former Bush Car Washes to Arizona-based Mister Car Wash in 2020, he’s...