Mar 18, 2020

Century Therapeutics

Philadelphia-based Century Therapeutics opened an innovation hub in Seattle to develop genetically engineered therapies for solid tumor cancers. The hub's goal is to overcome barriers that have limited the effectiveness of first-generation cell therapies. Dr. Hy Levitsky, Century's president of research and development, is overseeing the Seattle hub and collaborating with Dr. Luis Borges, Century's chief scientific officer at the Philadelphia headquarters. Levitsky has extensive biotech experience, previously as chief scientific officer at Juno Therapeutics in Seattle.

Amazon

Seattle-based Amazon announced four new renewable energy projects around the world that will support its commitment to reach 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030. The projects are: a 60-megawatt solar farm in Australia expected to come online in 2021; a 122-megawatt onshore wind farm in Sweden expected to come online in 2022; a 50-megawatt solar farm in Spain expected to begin operations in 2021; and a 65-megawatt solar farm in Virginia with an undisclosed opening date. Amazon wants to be net-zero carbon by 2040.

PotlatchDeltic

Spokane-based PotlatchDeltic is transferring about $100 million in pension obligations to New York Life Insurance Co. through a group annuity contract. New York Life will assume responsibility for annuity administration and benefit payments to select retirees beginning May 1. The change isn't expected to affect pension benefits of PotlatchDeltic retirees. PotlatchDeltic is a REIT that owns timberlands in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota and Mississippi.

Mar 17, 2020

Vacasa

Dodson

Portland vacation rental management company Vacasa hired Mike Dodson as chief revenue officer. Dodson was CEO of Fishbowl, a developer of software marketing and analytics for restaurants. Prior to that, he spent 14 years at restaurant reservation service company OpenTable, where he was chief revenue officer.

Banzai

Seattle-based Banzai, a developer of cloud software for event marketing, raised $7 million in equity financing in a deal led by DNX Ventures and Vulcan Capital. Banzai will use the funds to expand staff and enhance its products. DNX is an early-stage venture capital company and Vulcan Capital is the investment arm of Seattle-based Vulcan Inc. DNX has offices in San Mateo, California, and Tokyo.

Smart Foodservice

Rosemont, Illinois-based US Foods Holding Corp. is acquiring Smart Foodservice Warehouse Stores for $970 million in cash. Portland-based Smart Foodservice operates 70 small-format cash-and-carry stores across California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Montana that serve small and mid-sized restaurants and other food businesses. Its revenues last year were about $1.1 billion, with $85 million in earnings. The deal excludes Smart & Final retail grocery stores.

OpenSesame

Portland-based e-learning company OpenSesame is offering unlimited free access to coronavirus preparedness and remote work training for any organization through May 15. The offer includes e-learning courses in multiple languages. The courses are at go.opensesame.com/free-offer.

Mar 13, 2020

Minuteman Press

Renee Mansour is the newest member of Minuteman Press International President's Million-Dollar Circle. Mansour owns the Minuteman Press print franchise in Bend, Oregon. The award goes to franchisees that have yearly gross sales of at least $1 million. Mansour's store also was named as one of Central Oregon's top 20 fastest growing companies for the past two years.

Kymeta

Redmond-based mobile communications network company Kymeta appointed Gene Renuart and Matt Grob as senior advisors to its board. Renuart is founder and president of The Renuart Group and spent nearly 40 years in the Air Force, lastly as commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command. Grob is chief technology officer at Xcom Labs. Prior to that, he was executive vice president and CTO at Qualcomm.

Omnidian

Seattle-based Omnidian acquired the commercial solar operations and maintenance business of Hoboken, New Jersey-based PV Pros. The deal increases Omnidian's oversight of solar power to 1.3 gigawatts across 200,000 systems. Omnidian provides residential and commercial solar system performance plans and cash-back energy guarantees.

Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery

Denver-based Integrated Beverage Group acquired Ransom Wine Co. & Distillery in Oregon's Willamette Valley. The deal includes Ransom's McMinnville tasting room. Financial terms were not disclosed. Ransom founder Tad Seestedt is staying with IBG as the master distiller. Ransom produces wine, vermouth, grappa, whiskey and gin.

Zonar

Seattle-based fleet tracking technology company Zonar is teaming with BusPatrol to offer free stop-arm enforcement systems to school districts in states that approve stop-arm camera programs on school buses. The systems are funded through fines incurred by motorists who don't stop when a school bus deploys its stop arm. BusPatrol develops stop-arm enforcement programs.